NFBC Weekly Profile - Clark Olson
Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:16 am
The Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t the only team taking full advantage of the mammoth 1-2 punch Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier have provided.
Clark Olson is enjoying the production in the NFBC as well.
Thanks in large part to strong starts from Kemp and Ethier, Olson’s Las Vegas team has jumped to the top of the standings in the Auction event early in the season. Olson began Week 4’s action in first place in the overall standings of the event.
There’s no denying Kemp and Ethier have played big parts in Olson’s impressive start. Kemp is batting a robust .460-9-22 while Ethier is hitting a healthy .308-4-22.
They aren’t the only ones making noise for Olson’s team early in the season, however.
“Chase Headley and Michael Young have also been hitting well for me,” Olson said. “On the pitching side, Brandon Beachy, Tommy Hanson, Roy Halladay and Rafael Betancourt have been my top performers.”
That impressive balance between offense and pitching is by design.
“I go into an auction looking for value and balance, rather than specific players,” said Olson, a charter member of the NFBC. “I was a little surprised to end up with Kemp, but he went for $6 less than Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera, so that was nice.”
The power assault turned in so far by Kemp and Ethier in particular has provided some unexpected value to Olson’s team.
“Coming out of the auction I thought my power was weaker than my speed but Kemp has flipped that,” he said. “Other than that, the big surprise is just that everything is going so well.
“My auction went so well that I haven’t been very active in FAAB so far. None of my pickups (Felix Doubront, Bryan Shaw and Bruce Chen) have contributed much at this point.”
Olson is well aware, though, that FAAB will likely play a pivotal role as the season goes along – especially when one considers the strength of his league. The league is comprised of a veritable Who’s Who of NFBC vets, including Jim Christie, Ken Magner, Andre Bourcier, Wayne Edwards, Dave Clum, Jim Nicola, Bobby Jurney and Jon Stadtmueller.
“The completion in my league is fierce,” said the 43-year-old Olson, who lives in Seattle with his wife, four cats and the family dog. “I have only a small lead over Jim Christie in the league and there are several teams poised to move up.
“I have been lucky to avoid injuries so far and that will be one of the keys moving forward. In addition to that, I will be looking for some good upside plays with FAAB.”
Clark Olson is enjoying the production in the NFBC as well.
Thanks in large part to strong starts from Kemp and Ethier, Olson’s Las Vegas team has jumped to the top of the standings in the Auction event early in the season. Olson began Week 4’s action in first place in the overall standings of the event.
There’s no denying Kemp and Ethier have played big parts in Olson’s impressive start. Kemp is batting a robust .460-9-22 while Ethier is hitting a healthy .308-4-22.
They aren’t the only ones making noise for Olson’s team early in the season, however.
“Chase Headley and Michael Young have also been hitting well for me,” Olson said. “On the pitching side, Brandon Beachy, Tommy Hanson, Roy Halladay and Rafael Betancourt have been my top performers.”
That impressive balance between offense and pitching is by design.
“I go into an auction looking for value and balance, rather than specific players,” said Olson, a charter member of the NFBC. “I was a little surprised to end up with Kemp, but he went for $6 less than Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera, so that was nice.”
The power assault turned in so far by Kemp and Ethier in particular has provided some unexpected value to Olson’s team.
“Coming out of the auction I thought my power was weaker than my speed but Kemp has flipped that,” he said. “Other than that, the big surprise is just that everything is going so well.
“My auction went so well that I haven’t been very active in FAAB so far. None of my pickups (Felix Doubront, Bryan Shaw and Bruce Chen) have contributed much at this point.”
Olson is well aware, though, that FAAB will likely play a pivotal role as the season goes along – especially when one considers the strength of his league. The league is comprised of a veritable Who’s Who of NFBC vets, including Jim Christie, Ken Magner, Andre Bourcier, Wayne Edwards, Dave Clum, Jim Nicola, Bobby Jurney and Jon Stadtmueller.
“The completion in my league is fierce,” said the 43-year-old Olson, who lives in Seattle with his wife, four cats and the family dog. “I have only a small lead over Jim Christie in the league and there are several teams poised to move up.
“I have been lucky to avoid injuries so far and that will be one of the keys moving forward. In addition to that, I will be looking for some good upside plays with FAAB.”