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Well after a 2 year hiatus from the NFBC Main Event, Winston's Empire came roaring back into Chicago drafting from the 9 Spot in League 1. I have commented on a lot of other guys teams that have been posted, so feel free to fire away! I know I am a little short on offense, but am hoping to get a little more from a few of the players than is projected by all the "experts" out there!

WINSTON'S EMPIRE
C Mauer, Joe (MIN)
C Lucroy, Jonathan (MIL)
1B Lind, Adam (TOR)
2B Kipnis, Jason (CLE)
SS Ramirez, Hanley (MIA)
3B Moustakas, Mike (KC)
MI Cabrera, Asdrubal (CLE)
CI Alvarez, Pedro (PIT)
OF Bruce, Jay (CIN)
OF Hart, Corey (MIL)
OF Jackson, Austin (DET)
OF Brantley, Michael (CLE)
OF Belt, Brandon (SF) 1B OF
U Rodriguez, Sean (TB) 2B SS 3B

SP Verlander, Justin (DET)
SP Weaver, Jered (LAA)
SP Romero, Ricky (TOR)
SP Hellickson, Jeremy (TB)
SP Masterson, Justin (CLE)
SP Aceves, Alfredo (BOS)
RP Papelbon, Jonathan (PHI)
RP Wilson, Brian (SF)
RP Adams, Mike (TEX)

Reserve Lillibridge, Brent (CHW) 1B OF
Reserve Huff, Aubrey (SF)
Reserve Byrd, Marlon (CHC)
Reserve Bogusevic, Brian (HOU)
Reserve Collmenter, Josh (ARI)
Reserve Clippard, Tyler (WAS)
Reserve Benoit, Joaquin (DET)

Order Drafted
1 9 Ramirez, Hanley (MIA)
2 22 Verlander, Justin (DET)
3 39 Weaver, Jered (LAA)
4 52 Bruce, Jay (CIN)
5 69 Mauer, Joe (MIN)
6 82 Cabrera, Asdrubal (CLE)
7 99 Papelbon, Jonathan (PHI)
8 112 Romero, Ricky (TOR)
9 129 Hart, Corey (MIL) +
10 142 Wilson, Brian (SF) +
11 159 Lind, Adam (TOR)
12 172 Kipnis, Jason (CLE)
13 189 Hellickson, Jeremy (TB)
14 202 Jackson, Austin (DET)
15 219 Moustakas, Mike (KC)
16 232 Masterson, Justin (CLE)
17 249 Lucroy, Jonathan (MIL)
18 262 Brantley, Michael (CLE)
19 279 Belt, Brandon (SF) 1B OF
20 292 Adams, Mike (TEX)
21 309 Aceves, Alfredo (BOS)
22 322 Alvarez, Pedro (PIT)
23 339 Rodriguez, Sean (TB) 2B SS 3B
24 352 Byrd, Marlon (CHC)
25 369 Bogusevic, Brian (HOU)
26 382 Collmenter, Josh (ARI)
27 399 Clippard, Tyler (WAS)
28 412 Huff, Aubrey (SF)
29 429 Benoit, Joaquin (DET)
30 442 Lillibridge, Brent (CHW) 1B OF

Looks like you will be short on power categories... Also you are short on SP.. You will need to run 7 out most weeks and right now you only have 7 with a couple shaky back end guys (this can be fixed through waivers though) Power is a little harder to find so Belt will have to be huge for ya.

My team is posted too so feel free to critique if you like.

Good luck

Winston's Empire wrote:Well after a 2 year hiatus from the NFBC Main Event, Winston's Empire came roaring back into Chicago drafting from the 9 Spot in League 1. I have commented on a lot of other guys teams that have been posted, so feel free to fire away! I know I am a little short on offense, but am hoping to get a little more from a few of the players than is projected by all the "experts" out there!

WINSTON'S EMPIRE
C Mauer, Joe (MIN)
C Lucroy, Jonathan (MIL)
1B Lind, Adam (TOR)
2B Kipnis, Jason (CLE)
SS Ramirez, Hanley (MIA)
3B Moustakas, Mike (KC)
MI Cabrera, Asdrubal (CLE)
CI Alvarez, Pedro (PIT)
OF Bruce, Jay (CIN)
OF Hart, Corey (MIL)
OF Jackson, Austin (DET)
OF Brantley, Michael (CLE)
OF Belt, Brandon (SF) 1B OF
U Rodriguez, Sean (TB) 2B SS 3B

SP Verlander, Justin (DET)
SP Weaver, Jered (LAA)
SP Romero, Ricky (TOR)
SP Hellickson, Jeremy (TB)
SP Masterson, Justin (CLE)
SP Aceves, Alfredo (BOS)
RP Papelbon, Jonathan (PHI)
RP Wilson, Brian (SF)
RP Adams, Mike (TEX)

Reserve Lillibridge, Brent (CHW) 1B OF
Reserve Huff, Aubrey (SF)
Reserve Byrd, Marlon (CHC)
Reserve Bogusevic, Brian (HOU)
Reserve Collmenter, Josh (ARI)
Reserve Clippard, Tyler (WAS)
Reserve Benoit, Joaquin (DET)

Order Drafted
1 9 Ramirez, Hanley (MIA)
2 22 Verlander, Justin (DET)
3 39 Weaver, Jered (LAA)
4 52 Bruce, Jay (CIN)
5 69 Mauer, Joe (MIN)
6 82 Cabrera, Asdrubal (CLE)
7 99 Papelbon, Jonathan (PHI)
8 112 Romero, Ricky (TOR)
9 129 Hart, Corey (MIL) +
10 142 Wilson, Brian (SF) +
11 159 Lind, Adam (TOR)
12 172 Kipnis, Jason (CLE)
13 189 Hellickson, Jeremy (TB)
14 202 Jackson, Austin (DET)
15 219 Moustakas, Mike (KC)
16 232 Masterson, Justin (CLE)
17 249 Lucroy, Jonathan (MIL)
18 262 Brantley, Michael (CLE)
19 279 Belt, Brandon (SF) 1B OF
20 292 Adams, Mike (TEX)
21 309 Aceves, Alfredo (BOS)
22 322 Alvarez, Pedro (PIT)
23 339 Rodriguez, Sean (TB) 2B SS 3B
24 352 Byrd, Marlon (CHC)
25 369 Bogusevic, Brian (HOU)
26 382 Collmenter, Josh (ARI)
27 399 Clippard, Tyler (WAS)
28 412 Huff, Aubrey (SF)
29 429 Benoit, Joaquin (DET)
30 442 Lillibridge, Brent (CHW) 1B OF

Usually when I think of taking Mauer it's because I'm preparing to take a couple of power guys with batting avg risk a little later in the draft. (Reynolds/Goldshmidt/Dunn) But it never happened here and I think your short in power. I like to have 3 RP, 4 at the most. Probably would have taken a SP instead of Mike Adams. I like some of the players taken just not how the team was built. Just my opinion, I'm not an expert.

I agree that I will be a little short on power, unless a few players over deliver for where I drafted them. Pedro Alverez, Brandon Belt and Joe Mauer are tops on my list for this type of over delivery. I am also banking on Hanley going nuts!!
I am betting on Aceves getting a Spot in Boston's Rotation and delivering a solid season and who knows what Collementer will deliver. I figured, grab a few solid MR's that can hold down the fort in ERA & WHIP if those two SP's don't deliver and wait until I see a SP I like on the free agent market to take that #6 or #7 spot.
As far as taking Joe Mauer in the 5th Round goes, that is something I developed over the last week. Conventional Wisdom in everything won't win the $100k and I figured he might just have another MVP season in him yet!
Overall I do like my team a lot and can't wait for the season to get underway!
Thanks for the feedback, keep it coming!!!

Have to say, I was hoping to get a little more feedback on my squad than I have so far...
Is it just that good, nobody can trash it????
I know I am surely short on SP's now that Aceves is going back to the Pen, but like I said the plan is to keep my ERA and WHIP in check until I can pounce on a SP I like on the Waiver Wire.
POWER is also a concern, but I am hoping the pedigree of Alvarez, Moustakas, and Belt come flying out in SPADES

Solid offense, nice balance. I think you're at least one SP pitcher short -- probably two with the Aceves news.

reserves are all recycled waiver wire guys, ie, u don't have any cavalry coming to help. offense has a lot of holes, ie, alvarez is likely a AAAA hitter, not sure of belt's PT. short on SP. not a fan, sorry

King of Queens wrote:Solid offense, nice balance. I think you're at least one SP pitcher short -- probably two with the Aceves news.

Agree! Hoping that Adams can replace Nathan in like Week 2 as the closer in Texas too!

Thanks for the feedback guys, I know I have a few spots of concern, but show me one team that doesn't after one of these drafts!

Cory Hart not going on the DL to start the year helps this roster a lot IMO! Good Value in the 9th Rd!

I think you ended up with a solid team, but I do agree with a few of the criticisms that Mark brought up.

I think that starting Pedro Alvarez at corner and Brandon Belt in the Outfield are big gambles. Belt has all the talent in the world, and I think he'll produce when he's in the lineup. I'm just not sold that the Giants are going to give him everyday at-bats. With Alvarez, if he struggles again early on in the season he could easily be sent back to AAA for more seasoning. If you get no production from those two picks, I think that your team will be severely lacking in power.

I also agree that it looks like you're short on starting pitching. Even if Aceves is in the rotation, counting on him and Collmenter as your 6th and 7th SP without anyone on the bench to back them up puts you way behind in my opinion. I love the top 3 starters, I just think that more effort should have been made on the back end to solidify the edge you grabbed at the front of the rotation.

I didn't like the Sean Rodriguez pick you made at all. I was ready to take him as my middle infielder just a few short picks later.

In all, you have the pieces in place to make it work, but you're going to need some of your gamble picks (Alvarez, Belt, Aceves) to come up big, and you may need to find some saves and starting pitching depth through FAAB.

I look forward to competing with you!

Likewhat17 wrote:I think you ended up with a solid team, but I do agree with a few of the criticisms that Mark brought up.

I think that starting Pedro Alvarez at corner and Brandon Belt in the Outfield are big gambles. Belt has all the talent in the world, and I think he'll produce when he's in the lineup. I'm just not sold that the Giants are going to give him everyday at-bats. With Alvarez, if he struggles again early on in the season he could easily be sent back to AAA for more seasoning. If you get no production from those two picks, I think that your team will be severely lacking in power.

I also agree that it looks like you're short on starting pitching. Even if Aceves is in the rotation, counting on him and Collmenter as your 6th and 7th SP without anyone on the bench to back them up puts you way behind in my opinion. I love the top 3 starters, I just think that more effort should have been made on the back end to solidify the edge you grabbed at the front of the rotation.

I didn't like the Sean Rodriguez pick you made at all. I was ready to take him as my middle infielder just a few short picks later.

In all, you have the pieces in place to make it work, but you're going to need some of your gamble picks (Alvarez, Belt, Aceves) to come up big, and you may need to find some saves and starting pitching depth through FAAB.

I look forward to competing with you!

Likewhat17, which spot were you drafting in? I am trying to put your Board Name with your Team Name with your Real Name!

It was a fun draft for sure!

Seat 14, Dave Shovein. Defending champion of Chicago League 1

I think you did a fine job here Max and if some of your power speculation comes to fruition, this team will be very dangerous.
Good luck this year and kick some Chitown butt my friend.

Glenneration X wrote:I think you did a fine job here Max and if some of your power speculation comes to fruition, this team will be very dangerous.
Good luck this year and kick some Chitown butt my friend.

Thanks a lot Glenn! Drafting live again was a lot of fun and I am actually very happy with my team. Could I use another hitter and another starter... Yep, but for now I like just where I am at.
Time will tell of course, but as of tonight I am in 3rd Place in Chicago and just 4 points out of 1st Place...
IT'S A LONG SEASON, but still fun! I was dying when the bullpens blew my first 2 wins of the year today for Verlander and Masterson, but that will happen again I bet before all is said and done!