I am not sure who hasn't posted their picks/strategy yet, but since we are near the end, I will keep it going and post my adventure. Plus you guys know I have been dying to be long winded. First off, I will parrot what others have said and comment that this was the most fun I have had on an on-line draft. Nothing can beat live, but this was great.
So, there I was, having not shown much in the NFBC, but coming up against some of the most experienced players in our warped little diversion including a Hall of Famer. I know the draft was virtual, but as I was picking 15 with Greg Ambrosius at 14, I was imagining the Earl of Iola kicking back in front of the 42" video display monitor, sipping a (fruited) cerveza while a host of scantily clad Krause "analysists" feed him numbers, projections, ADPs, and buffalo wings. Nahhh! No pressure.
Most of my draft strategy was predicated on my position (not my favorite, but last year and this, I felt there was plenty of potentially top five talent for the first two picks), and the NFBC draft or more accurately, what I felt I screwed up in the NFBC. I am woefully short on speed in the NFBC and the premium placed on MR and closers in waiting might leave me holding the bag on saves. Therefore, I was going to "pay" for speed and leave with at least two closers. Other than that, I was intending to go for value, proven commodities (stability) and where I had to take risks, take them with younger players who have at least some MLB exposure.
With the exception of A-Rod falling to 7th, the first 13 picks went pretty much as I expected. Jim Ferrari's guest pickers took Hafner at 12, so after Wright went at 13, I was looking at a choice of Rollins, Cabrera, Teixeira, Sizemore, Holliday, or Berkman depending on who Greg took. I wanted Rollins (my whole speed thing) and I thought Greg would take Berkman and gamble that Rollins would be there for him at 2-2. No such luck as Greg nabbed Rollins. I picked Teixeira last year at #4 in the NFBC and I think he will complete the year with monster numbers, so grabbing him (even over Berkman) was a no-brainer for me. I have Cabrera (1-10) in the NFBC, and probably should have taken him here, but it really came down to a coin toss between Holliday or Sizemore, both of which I think could have top five numbers this year. I took Sizemore (speed upside over Holliday, Berkman, or Cabrera) which recieved a fast comment from Greg.
The draft went fast so the next 28 picks ended up coming back to me quickly. At 3-15 I probably made a mistake by taking Delgado as I already had a 1B, but he was the best power hitter (with all regards to Thome) left. Sizemore is a start on speed and since Furcal was still out there, I thought that even with the sprain this was a good value pick here. He should get plenty of AB's and SB chances in LA as I think they will be playing quite a lot of "little ball". Nap time again.
Pitchers and closers flew off (13 of the next 28) in Round Four and Five, but I did not want to go exclusively pitcher/pitcher for my two picks. I selected Lugo (maybe a bit of a stretch but has good flexibility and upside SB) and Putz. I had my eye on a couple of SP to anchor my rotation and hoped there would not be another run. Twelve more pitchers went before my turn, but some were second tier closers.
For the 7/8 turn, I went Haren (have him in both leagues) and Kinsler (kind of like M. Young with less BA and more SB). As the 8th round turned into the 9th, pitching was still available, so I wanted to see which bats fell to me. I chose Huff and Crisp, a tandem which I see as a nice power/speed combo with good BA. After Ten I have my entire MI (Furcal, Lugo, Kinsler), CM (Teixeira, Delgado, Huff), Haren and Putz as staff anchors, and Sizemore/Crisp in the OF. I have addressed (IMHO) position scarcity (except C), good (not great but with potential) power, and speed. Now I need to build a pitching staff and grab some catchers. If any value picks in the OF show up, grab them.
There was still alot of SP on the board to me, so I grabbed Valverde to "lock-up" at least two closers. He is a gamble, but with his K's he was an acceptable risk. Another young player with upside (whom I also have in the NFBC) was there, so I took E. Encarnacion (move Huff to OF). Great ballpark and he will 20+ HR and might even chip in 10 SB.
Now I really need to move on SP. I took Snell and Pettitte. Hopefully they will give me K's while one is young and improving, the other is proven and plays on the Yanks. 'Nuff said.
I take F. Garcia (if you have read any of my prior posts I am very high on him to rebound this year even if he will miss three starts to begin the year) and Laird as my first catcher. He is definitely second tier, but he will not hurt me too much either. It never hurts to have a Ranger hitter and he was my third.
I seem now to have settled myself into an batter/pitcher combo on the turns. At 17/18 this time it is Rowan/Penny. Remember how high we were on Rowan last year? Hope he pays off this year. Penny is just a solid performer, though I think LA will have trouble winning this year.
I recieved another nasty gram from Greg when I selected Brian Giles. Yes, he is old and not a power threat any more, but hitting second with the improving Padres behind him makes him a nice pick as a fifth OF. I actually got multiple groans from the field when I took David Ross at 20. Since he has had one hit in his first fourteen AB, I wonder if they are still groaning.
The final Ten went:
21. Jake Westbrook (nice first start, Jake!)
22. Adam Eaton (ditto)
23. Orlando Hernandez (I really like this pick)
24. Wily Mo Pena
25. Juan Uribe (Can you say 20-25 HR?)
26. Shawn Hill (Like him, hate his team.)
27. Scott Thorman
28. Kyle Farnsworth
29. Cliff Floyd
30. Aaron Hill
I really like this team and that might be the kiss of death as I liked my '04, '05, and '06 NFBC teams right after the draft and they could not compete. I liked dinging Greg a few times, but the slate is almost even as he dinged me a few too. All in all a very tough draft because no one could "slip" too far. With these guys, a "value" draft may have not been the best strategy but I went for it anyway.
Best Pick Top 10 Rounds - Haren in 7th
Worst Pick in Top 10 - Lugo in 5th
Best in the Middle - E. Encarnacion in the 12th.
Worst in the Middle - Ross in the 20th
Best Late - Juan Uribe in the 25th
Worst Late - Wily Mo Pena in the 24th
There are too many players in common with my NFBC team. I feel I have too many eggs in one basket. Ten of my usual Hitters, however, play in parks like TEX, CIN, PHL, BST, CWS, and BLT. That should bode well. When all is said and done (and with a little luck in the form of one or two more from the FAAB), Haren, Pettite, Snell, Garcia, Penny, Hernandez, and Westbrook should finish in the Top Three.
We will see. It was fun and hope I do well.
Baseball is a slow, boring, complex, cerebral game that doesn't lend itself to histrionics. You 'take in' a baseball game, something odd to say about a football or basketball game, with the clock running and the bodies flying.
Charles Krauthammer
[/QUOTE]A-Rod is a stud...no doubt. I just feel he's had his last super year (2005) and will slightly decline once again in SB (He's allowed himself to get heavy for a 31 year old.) He's not happy in NY, and that wears on you. I'm not sure he loves baseball as much anymore, but rather is a pro...and does his job. (I have little or no memory of him cheering his team on and showing emotion.) I would prefer Miguel Cabrera over A-Rod who still has passion for baseball, and hasn't peaked. It just boils down to personal preferences I guess. 
