Backdooring Categories as a strategy

[Sebadiah23]

I've been thinking about this not only after last year's winner finished with 50 saves, but also after 2010 (the results are mysteriously missing from the history but in summary, SJup backdoored steals and saves and finished with about 150 league points).

I'm likely saying too much here but if you enter a draft planning such a backdoor rather than doing it AFTER your valuable draft picks meant for those cats went down the tubes (Benoit or some huge speed guy, any cat specialist) thus not wasting the draft value, is that a viable strategy in such a contest where you don't win by taking half measures?

I'm already trying this strategy this year, so it's been on my mind for months, and therefore I'm wondering what my highly respected pundits like Lord Zola and others think, since I typically read or hear that it's something NOT to do, but I like to zag when others zig, or at least take what the draft gives me.

Kind regards,

-M&B

[ToddZ]

Sorry -- but not 100% sure I know what you mean by backdooring categories.

[Sebadiah23]

Sorry, I'm using a bit of lingo. I mean finishing a draft very lacking in a category or two, either because you planned it from the start, or because you always felt during the draft that those category targets weren't a value- regardless of the reason, but anyway, to "backdoor" just means to start out the season way behind in a category or two, in this case knowingly, spending a large portion of the season accumulating stats for the other 8-9 cats, even an over-abundance in some cases to give leeway, and then at some point shifting focus through FAAB and catching up on the couple categories you planned to "backdoor" in the second half, as people abandon their teams or shift their focus to football, or because of september call-ups, etc., whatever the reason.

[Sebadiah23]

One foundation of the strategy (for saves and SB) is that they are less reliable to draft. Not a brand new concept by any means- just applying the question to this format.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Sorry, I'm using a bit of lingo. I mean finishing a draft very lacking in a category or two, either because you planned it from the start, or because you always felt during the draft that those category targets weren't a value- regardless of the reason, but anyway, to "backdoor" just means to start out the season way behind in a category or two, in this case knowingly, spending a large portion of the season accumulating stats for the other 8-9 cats, even an over-abundance in some cases to give leeway, and then at some point shifting focus through FAAB and catching up on the couple categories you planned to "backdoor" in the second half, as people abandon their teams or shift their focus to football, or because of september call-ups, etc., whatever the reason.

Punt and Recover...

[Sebadiah23]

Its perhaps an unanswerable question because so much about cause and effect in drafts is anecdotal, so feel free to file under Thought Experiment in the dead letter office.

[ToddZ]

Figured that was it.

On paper, anything can work. Heck, punting and not recovering can work.

Obviously easier with steals and saves since fewer players impact the categories.

I don't think it's a bad plan at all -- just go in with the realization that getting the needed help isn't as easy as it may seem as there will be 14 others in the market and you have less margin of error in terms of getting it right.

And don't draft Dalton Pompey and Jose Peraza then figure you have steals all locked up

[CC's Desperados]

Fanball owned the NFBC in 2010 and Stats hasn't made the effort to add the data to the NFBC history. This may help you with your battle to win the overall. Good Luck.

When the 2009 fantasy baseball season started, Steve Jupinka was the #1 ranked player in the NFBC main event. The #1 ranking is great, but it isn’t worth the paper it is printed on. He had won three main events and finished 2nd overall in 2008. The consistency is what we all strive for, but he’s playing for the title and the big check that comes along with it. In the 2008 season, Steve was riding high with a 200+ point in July. The title was well within his reach. Unfortunately for him, he had a couple of injuries in August. By early September, it was dog fight to the finish. I think that experience kept him motivated during this season. As his offense was beginning to fade, he was able squeeze points out of other areas of his team. In the end, the #1 ranked player got it done. He won the 2010 NFBC title and the $100,000 check that goes along with it. He finished with 3925.5 overall points (90.2 %). He dominated his league finishing with 144.5 out of a possible 150 points (96.3 %).

I’ve have the pleasure of being a friend with Steve the past 6 years. He’s great player and even better person. On the fantasy level, he doesn’t leave any stone unturned. His prep starts right after the baseball season ends. He’s a big spread sheet guy. So while he is looking at how other teams had success in 2010, I thought I would look at how he won the NFBC main event in 2010.

He drafted his league in Las Vegas. Here is his draft:

1-Ryan Howard (1B)

2-Matt Holiday (OF)

3-Derek Jeter (SS)

4-Nelson Cruz (OF)

5-Ubaldo Jimenez (SP)

6-Bill Butler (1B)

7-Matt Cain (SP)

8-Alex Rios (OF)

9-Asdrubal Cabrera (SS)

10-Francisco Rodriguez (CL)

11-Jorge De La Rosa (SP)

12-Martin Prado (2B)

13-Brad Lidge (CL)

14-Colby Rasmus (OF)

15-David Price (SP)

16-Troy Glaus (3B)

17-Lasting Milledge (OF)

18-J.A. Happ (SP)

19-Jeff Francoeur (OF)

20-Scott Podsednik (OF)

21-Homer Bailey (SP)

22- Colby Lewis (SP)

23-Miguel Olivo (C)

24-Seth Smith (OF)

25-Vincent Padilla (SP)

26-J.R. Towles (C)

27-Tony Gwynn (OF)

28-Kris Medlan (P)

29-Mike Aviles (2B)

30-Matt Harrison (SP)

I remember looking at his draft in Vegas. I thought it came out ok, but he missed (drafted before he could get them) on a couple of players that would have made his team better. I thought he was in for a battle. This first week of the NFBC I heard about his first draft. I thought he nailed the first 10 rounds. The draft broke perfect. I thought he made a couple of mistakes in rounds 11-20. It’s amazing how much perception changes once the season starts.

When you look at this draft, you can see multiple injuries and a few players that underperformed. His starting staff looked short. He was weak at C2. In his 2008 season, he took two catchers in the first 6 rounds (Martin and McCann). It was interesting to see him wait on catchers in this draft. I’m sure it wasn’t his plan, but he adjusted on the fly.

I’m going to review his weeks to so we can see how he managed his team. You need to keep in mind the goals for every category each week – BA: .280+, 11 HR’s, 44 runs, 42 RBI, and 7 SB’s, 4 Wins, 3.75 ERA, 1.27 whip, 48 K’s, and 3.5 SV’s.

In the NFBC, we can pickup players from the first week of the season. Steve’s only move was dropping Jeff Francoeur and adding Jake Westbrook ($1). He was most likely a double starter. The best player dropped was Trevor Cahill.

Week 1: He comes out of the gate smoking in offense – At Bats: 300, .326 BA, 54 R, 16 HR’s, 46 RBI, and 10 SB’s. He hits every category goal the first week. Jake Westbrook does have double starts, but he doesn’t use him. He pitches poorly. He has great pitching also – IP 63, 6 wins, 3.143 ERA, 1.302 whip. 57 K’s and zero saves. Other than saves, a great start on the pitching side. He even took the Vincent Padilla beating in game one. He picks up Edgar Renteria ($44), Delwyn Young ($4), Dioner Navarro ($2), and Jensen Lewis ($1). He drops Mike Aviles, Tony Gwynn, J.R. Towles, and Jake Westbrook.

Week 2: His second week is about average, but he had a couple of HR’s on the bench – At Bats: 307, .270 BA, 39 R, 10 HR’s, 42 RBI, and 6 SB’s. It’s important to look at your at bats each week. He has great pitching again in week 2 – IP 48.2, 6 wins, 2.589 ERA, 1.192 whip, 43 K’s, and 0 SV’s. He has zero saves after two weeks. He’s using 8 starters. He picks up Rafael Betancourt ($22) and Angel Pagan ($13). Pagan was huge hit on the free agent market. He cuts Jenson Lewis and Edgar Renteria. He’s looking for a second closing option to fill in for Brad Lidge. Pagan ends up being the player he hoped Lastings Milledge would be.

Week 3: His runs, RBI and BA are weak this week – At Bats: 285, .263 BA, 27 R, 10 HR’s, 34 RBI, and 12 SB’s. Nelson Cruz stole 5 bases. Steal are looking like a strong category. His ERA and whip take a hit in week 3 – IP 67, 5 wins, 4.030 ERA, 1.358 whip, 64 K’s, and 3 SV’s. Kris Medlan moves into the rotation, but he only last 3.1 innings. He gets his first three saves of the year. He finds his fix at the 2nd catcher position John Jaso. He wins the bid $17 to $11. He also adds Jason Vargas ($14), Jarrod Saltalamacchia ($5), and Jeff Keppinger ($1). He drops Dioner Navarro, Rafael Betancourt, Vicente Padilla, and Delwyn Young. Jason Vargas gave him very good innings off the waiver wire. John Jaso isn’t a stud at catcher, but he gives him solid bat bats. After three weeks, he finds three players to help his team.

Week 4: Nelson Cruz gets hurt. He’s been using Seth Smith, but Angel Pagan is the player that will be Cruz’s replacement. His power has disappeared which is keeping his RBI down – At Bats: 298, .298 BA 55 R, 5 HR’s, 33 RBI, and 6 SB’s. Jorge De La Rosa goes on the DL. Matt Harrison pitches poorly – IP 49.1, 3 wins, 2.190 ERA, 0.953 whip, 40 K’s and 0 SV’s. Saves are beginning to be a problem. He picks up Andy LaRoche ($27), David Murphy ($10), and Jose Contreras ($10). Jose Contreras gets the closing job with Ryan Madsen going on the DL. He has two closers now. He drops Jeff Keppinger, Lasting Milledge, and Matt Harrison. Milledge wasn’t getting it done. I wish I cut him earlier. The Pagan pickup makes him expendable. David Murphy should get more at bats with Nelson Cruz out.

Week 5: His power is still struggling – At Bats: 308, .282 BA, 41 R, 6 HR’s, 39 RBI, and 4 SB’s. His first weeks power has carried him this far. He should have the right inventory for power. They just need to start hitting homeruns. With more power, his RBI should rise also. The other categories are on target. J.A. Happ goes on the DL. Homer Bailey pitches poorly. Jason Vargas steps in for De La Rosa and he pitches great – 1 win, 1.929 ERA, 0.929 whip, and 12 K’s. His team wins 7 games with 2.591 ERA, 1.106 whip, 61 K’s, and 1 SV. He gets two vulcher wins by his relievers but only one save. He loses Homer Bailey this week. He drops him and adds Trevor Cahill ($10). Cahill has double starts after being called up from the minors. Cahill is a slam dunk for him. He gets him a week early. He cuts John Jaso and picks up Greg Zaun ($12).

Week 6: Troy Glaus (3 HR’s), Martin Prado (3 HR’s) and Miguel Olivo (3 HR’s) come to life – At Bats: 324, .302 BA, 45 R, 14 HR’s, 50 RBI, and 8 SB’s. This kind of week will give you a little bounce in you step. His pitching came up short this week. Brad Lidge looked like he was coming off the DL, but he cost him half a week of pitching – IP 46.1, 2 wins, 4.079 ERA, 1.165 Whip, 32 K’s, and 2 SV’s. After 6 weeks, he has 29 wins. Anytime you are on the right side of the number in wins, you have to feel good. He really needs Lidge back. He has 7 saves. He picks up Felipe Lopez ($37), Bud Norris ($21), and Carlos Rosa ($2). He drops Andy LaRoche, David Murphy, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. It was interesting Corey Hart was picked up this week for only $92. Asdrubal Cabrera goes on the DL. Felipe Lopez is his fill in. Rosa was a speck closer play.

Week 7: Felipe Lopez hits 2 HR’s and 6 RBI. Nelson Cruz returns – .458, 2 HR’s and 12 RBI. He’s been a monster when he’s been on the field. He has another solid offensive week – At Bats: 321, .292 BA, 53 R, 10 HR’s, 57 RBI, and 9 SB’s. When you have a week like this, you gain ground in the overall standings. His pitching gets back on track – IP 68.2, 5 wins, 2.228 ERA, 1.165 whip, 44 K’s, and 4 SV’s. The K’s were short for the innings pitched. He finally gets a saves from someone other than Frankie Rodriguez. He picks up Mark Ellis ($20), Will Ohman ($16), Madison Bumgarner ($15), and George Kottaras ($9). John Axford is picked for $46 unopposed. Pedro Alvarez was picked up for $2. He drops Asdrubal Cabrera, Carlos Rosa, Bud Norris, and Greg Zaun. Cabrera is out for at least two months. We are 8 bidding periods in and his largest winning bid is $44. Will Ohman is another speck play in saves.

Week 8: Rios (3 HR’s, 6 RBI, and 3 SB’s) and Pagan (4 SB’s) help him to another good offensive week – At Bats: 290, .337 BA, 50 R, 9 HR’s, 40 RBI, and 13 SB’s. Mark Ellis and Seth Smith had great numbers on the bench – .333+, 6 R, 4 HR’s, and 9 RBI. He missed on a great start by Cahill when he uses Ohman as a 3rd reliever – IP 46, 3 wins, 2.348 ERA, 1.056 whip, 32 K’s, and 2 SV’s. When you look at his starters, he has three elite starters – Jimenez, Cain, and Price. Colby Lewis is very good 4th starter. Cahill and Vargas very good waiver wire finds. He has lost three starters – Bailey, Happ, and De La Rosa. He cuts Bumgarner for Daniel Bard ($15). He loses Nelson Cruz again.

Week 9: Troy Glaus is becoming a stud – .307, 8, 4, and 10. He has another great 5 category week – At Bats: 320, .293 BA, 59 R, 14 HR’s, 53 RBI, and 9 SB’s. He continues to get great pitching – IP 68.1, 6 wins, 2.766 ERA, 1.259 whip, 52 K’s, and 3 SV’s. With these category numbers, he had to be one of the top teams in the contest this week. Will Ohman isn’t working out as a closing option. Brad Lidge returns on the weekend. Joe Contreras had a couple of weeks of closing, but he didn’t have many chances. He picks up Jonathan Niese ($23), and Vicente Padilla ($10). Both pitchers game him 6-8 good weeks of very good pitching. As good as his pitching has been, he is still looking for more. His offense is solid so he isn’t looking for hitting help. Coco Crisp is picked up for $34. Madison Bumgarner resurfaces for $33. Steve was two weeks ahead of the curve if he wanted to keep him. He drops Bard and Ohman.

Week 10: His offense slows down – At Bats: 303, .270 BA, 44 R, 9 HR’s, 35 RBI, and 9 SB’s. Seth Smith is losing at bats and George Kottaras is looking replaceable. Troy Glaus is still playing well – .407, 2 HR’s and 5 RBI. If his pitching wasn’t good enough, he has his best week of the year – IP 77.2, 9 wins, 1.854 ERA, 0.914 whip, 60 K’s, and 3 SV’s. Jonathan Niese pitches a complete game 1 hitter for a win. He’s now plus 12 in wins with a great ERA, whip, and K’s. His offense is rock solid across the board. Ryan Howard and Matt Holiday haven’t even started to get hot. He makes his biggest bid of the year for Justin Masterson ($63). It was kind of a surprise with how well his pitching was. His biggest weakness was saves. His second highest bid also happens this week for Alfredo Simon ($57). He’s 16 saves behind the pace to be in the top 20 %. He picks up Pat Burrell ($12). He finally cuts bait with J.A. Happ. He drops Ellis and Padilla.

Week 11: Ryan Howard finds his stroke – .333 with 4 HR’s and 8 RBI and strangely enough so does Matt Holiday – .434 with 4 HR’s and 8 RBI. His at bats drop – 281, .291 BA, 46 R, 15 HR’s, 52 RBI, and 6 SB’s. It’s another week where he would gain in four categories. His hot double starter didn’t work out. Justin Masterson pitched poorly leading to a weak ERA – IP 71.2, 4 wins, 4.019 ERA, 1.186 whip, 67 K’s, and 3 SV’s. He misses on two quality starts by pitching Masterson and De La Rosa. Simon gets a save on his bench. I’m not sure if he holds onto him, but he picks up Brandon Lyon ($13). He cuts Jose Contreras. He upgrades at 2nd catcher – Alex Avila and drops Kottaras.

Week 12: His offense comes up short – At Bats: 287, .282 BA, 43 R, 8 HR’s, 38 RBI, and 5 SB’s. Colby Rasmus is the only player that provides any offense – 3 HR’s and 6 RBI. His elite pitchers show some cracks. Cain gets racked and Jimenez pitches poorly – IP 50.2, 4 wins, 5.151 ERA, 1.559 whip, 49 K’s, and 4 SV’s. Trevor Cahill and Kris Medlan pitched well on his bench (2 wins). Masterson pitches poorly on his bench. He starts to sense Troy Glaus has a problem. He picks up Chris Johnson ($24), Andy Oliver ($19), and Chris Iannetta ($10). I had to go back and look at his K’s. After 9 weeks, he had 425 K’s. His pitching numbers were in line except his K’s were just behind the top 20 %. He decided to pump up the starts in week 10. He went from averaging 47.22 K’s per week to 50.08. He drops Pat Burrell, Alex Avila, and Justin Masterson.

Week 13: His power dies this week – At Bat: 293, .310 BA, 37 R, 3 HR’s, 31 RBI, and 9 SB’s. Glaus is losing at bats with a knee problem. Chris Iannetta hits a homerun, but he only gets 8 at bats. Cain and Jimenez pitched poorly again – IP 57.2, 3 wins, 4.838 ERA, 1.405 whip, 49 K’s, and 4 SV’s. Brandon Lyon gets racked on his bench. He took a hit in the overall this week. Sensing the HR decline, he picks up Jim Thome ($32) and Lyle Overbay ($5). He cut Brandon Lyon and Andy Oliver.

Week 14: His offense bounces back in a big way. He gains all the overall offensive points back in one week – At Bat: 318, .295 BA, 51 R, 19 HR’s, 55 RBI, and 7 SB’s. Ryan Howard and Matt Holiday hit 7 HR’s with 18 RBI. Chris Iannetta added 2 HR’s. His pitching also bounced back – IP 59.1, 4 wins, 3.640 ERA, 1.146 whip, 52 K’s, and 5 SV’s. Simon saved 3 games. Cain pitched poorly again. Jorge De La Rosa returned, but he was on his bench. He picks up Juan Gutierrez ($47) and Tyler Greene ($1). He drops Chris Johnson and Lyle Overbay.

Week 15: This was the week of the All Star game. He has a great half of a week on offense – At Bats: 190, .294 BA, 29 R, 7 HR’s, 29 RBI, and 3 SB’s. Ryan Howard was the key – 4 HR’s and 8 RBI. His pitching was brutal this week – IP 38, 3 wins, 6.158 ERA, 1.447 whip, 24 K’s, and 1 SV. David Price struggled and Jorge De La Rosa was a disaster. He picks up Juan Rivera ($43) and Hong-Chin Kuo ($1). He drops Jim Thome and Tyler Greene.

Week 16: You know you are having a good year when your base stealer is hitting two homeruns in a week – Scott Podsednik .392, 4, 2, 6 and 4. After 16 week, he has had only two weeks with a batting average under .280 – At Bats: 327, 41 R, 14 HR’s, 44 RBI, and 12 SB’s. Ubaldo Jimenez gets lit up like a Christmas tree – 12.27 ERA and 2.455 whip – IP 51, 2 wins, 3.882, 1.314 whip, 37 K’s, and 3 SV’s. He’s getting into a fine line for the overall. He needs more K’s and saves. He’s going to have to maximize 6 starting pitching spots. He can’t afford for his best starters to shit the bed. Kuo and Gutierrez get saves on his bench. De La Rosa pitches better. He picks up Scott Sizemore ($27) and drops Kuo.

Week 17: I shouldn’t have talked about his batting average. He has his worst week of the year – At Bats: 317, .2468 BA, 43 R, 10 HR’s, 39 RBI, and 6 SB’s. He probably could handle the hit in BA. His pitching makes some gains in K’s and wins – IP 69.2, 6 wins, 3.746 ERA, 1.292 whip, 61 K’s, and 4 SV’s. Simon blows up, but he gets one save. He picks up Adam Kennedy ($25) and Lyle Overbay ($1). He cuts Juan Gutierrez and Scott Sizemore. Prado goes in the DL.

Week 18: He has a drop in at bats. He loses Ryan Howard – At Bats: 265, .234 BA, 33 R, 5 HR’s, 36 RBI, and 8 SB’s. Troy Glaus is dying. Lyle Overbay does hit a HR with 5 RBI filling in for Howard, but his BA is poor. He has back to back positive weeks in K’s and saves – IP 71.1, 5 wins, 1.893 ERA, 1.051 whip, 58 K’s, and 5 SV’s. He uses 7 starters and Simon saves two games on his bench, but he pitches poorly. He loses Chris Medlan for the season and he replaces him with Carlos Zambrano ($25). He adds Ryan Kalish ($29). Carlos Zambrano was a perfect cover for Medlan.

Week 19: His offense continues to slide with the loss of Howard and Prado – At Bats: 296, .270 BA, 35 R, 6 HR’s, 36 RBI, and 7 SB’s. Overbay and Kennedy aren’t getting full time at bats. Ubaldo pitched real well (18 K’s). He had solid pitching, but he only had one win. His K’s were strong for the number of innings pitched – IP 56.1, 1 win, 2.396 ERA, 1.189 whip, 66 K’s, and 3 SV’s. He has 52 SV’s with 7 weeks to go. He picks up Mike Minor ($33), Mark Teahan ($10) and Jayson Nix ($3). He drops Overbay and Kennedy.

Week 20: His at bats slide and it is official: there is a homer drought – At Bats: 275, 32 R, 1 HR’s, 31 RBI, and 6 SB’s. Martin Prado comes back. Ryan Howard returns, but he is on his bench. The K’s continue to come – IP 70.2, 4 wins, 3.439 ERA, 1.217 whip, 60 K’s, and 1 SV. He loses Frankie Rodriguez for the season. Troy Glaus is pretty much done. He finds his replacement for Rodriguez – Brandon Lyon ($35). He also adds Koji Uehara ($15) Lyle Overbay ($4), and Jed Lowrie ($2). He cuts Troy Glaus, Felipe Lopez and Carlos Zambrano. Zambrano would have helped him down the stretch, but he need two shots at closer with Rodriguez out. This week on the waiver wire the players he needed to fix his team were available.

Week 21: His offense continues to come up short – At Bat: 282, .212 BA, 34 R, 9 HR’s, 34 RBI, and 5 SB’s. Scott Podsednik is starting lose at bats at LA. Brandon Lyon saves three games the first week in his lineup – IP 68, 3 wins, 3.838 ERA, 1.206 whip, 59 K’s, and 4 SV’s. He’s 5 straight weeks of great K’s. Uehara get three saves also, but he is on the bench. Jonathan Niese is starting to lose it. Colby Lewis has his worst week of the year. He picks up Vicente Padilla ($7), Michael Morse ($5), and Eduardo Nunez ($2). He dropped Jason Vargas, Mark Teahan, and Ryan Kalish.

Week 22: The bleeding continues on the offensive side – At bats: 290, .251 BA, 39 R, 9 HR’s, 37 RBI, and 10 SB’s. The pitching continues to gain points in K’s. He has his best week in saves all year with two closers – IP 73.2, 5 wins, 4.154 ERA, 1.452 whip, 69 K’s, and 6 SV’s. Uehara saves two more games on his bench. I think the Jonathan Niese project is just about over. He adds Danny Espinosa ($15), Juan Gutierrez ($10), and Melvin Mora ($3). Clay Hensley was another closer possibility on the wire. He drops Jonathan Niese, Eduardo Nunez, and Jed Lowrie.

Week 23: His offense comes out of its slump – At bats: 320, .2875 BA, 59 R, 14 HR’s, 44 RBI, and 3 SB’s. He misses on a great half of a week by Espinosa. Ryan Howard hit 3 HR’s with 11 RBI. Saves are coming around – IP 48.1, 4 wins, 4.097 ERA, 1.20 whip, 53 K’s, and 6 SV’s. It’s nice when you go 6 starters and still make your wins and K numbers. He had 2 great starts with wins and a save on his bench. He drops Melvin Mora, Vicente Padilla, and Chris Iannetta.

Week 24: The homeruns are still a struggle – At Bats: 307, .283 BA, 47 R, 8 HR’s, 42 RBI, 3 SB’s. Steals are fading, but he was in good shape in that category. He goes 6/3 again and makes his wins, but he was a bit short in K’s – IP 55.2, 4 wins, 4.204 ERA, 1.042 whip, 43 K’s, and 5 SV’s. Gutierrez saves two games on his bench. He picks up Robert Andino ($1), Peter Bourjos ($1), and Phil Coke ($1). He cuts Mike Minor, Wilson Ramos, and Scott Podsednik.

Week 25: The first half of the year he had great hitting almost every week. He builds up the offense, but he was slowly bleeding it away – At Bats: 288, .239 BA, 40 R, 5 HR’s, 21 RBI, and 8 SB’s. He did have 5 homeruns on the bench. He figures he’s solid in wins and K’s; so he uses 5 starters and 4 relievers. It couldn’t have worked out better – IP 61.1, 3 wins, 2.935 ERA, 1.076 whip, 60 K’s, and 10 SV’s. Whatever points he lost in offense, he made up in saves. The last waiver period he picked up Edwin Encarnacion ($6), Melvin Mora ($5), Casper Wells ($1), and Alex Avila ($1). He had $13 left for the last week of the year. He dropped Robert Andino, Phil Coke, Trevor Cahill, and Seth Smith.

Week 26: His team cruised home – At Bats – 268, .276 BA, 35 R, 11 HR’s, 31 RBI, and 5 SB’s. His pitching was solid the last week of the year – IP 61.1, 2 wins, 2.348 ERA, 0.929 whip, 54 K’s, and 5 SV’s.

Quahogs finished with a .2785 BA with 1111 runs, 247 HR’s, 1030 RBI, 189 SB’s, 109 wins, 3.339 ERA, 1.195 whip, 1346 K’s, and 87 saves. His offense quit on him after week 18. He had enough of a cushion in offense to hold onto most of his points. Here’s where in finished overall in all categories:

BA: .2785 – 21st

Runs: 1111 – 20th

HR’s: 246 – 116th

RBI: 1030 – 63rd

SB’s: 189 – 24th

Wins: 109 – 29th

ERA: 3.339 – 22nd

Whip: 1.195 – 8th

K’s: 1346 – 56th

SV’s: 87 – 57th

In most years his homerun total wouldn’t have a chance. The offense was down across the board in major league baseball. He had a few injuries, but almost every player game him solid stats before getting hurt. Ryan Howard underperformed, but he was still a 30/100 player. His second catcher was weak all year. Derek Jeter had a poor year except for runs. Angel Pagan delivered about what he had hoped from Milledge – 492 at bats, .298 BA, 68 runs, 10 HR’s, 58 RBI, and 34 SB’s. Alex Rios was a key hit for him in the 8th round. Matt Holiday was a rock solid major league player. The combo of Jimenez, Cain, and Price gave him a huge edge at the front of his staff. The K’s weren’t elite, but he found plenty on the waiver wire. Colby Lewis was a great pick after the 20th round. Trevor Cahill was one of the best free agent pitcher pickups of the year. Jason Vargas helped bridge the gap. The three late closer Brandon Lyon, Koji Uehara, and Juan Gutierrez allowed him to get some sleep in September. It was job well done. This will have more value when you see what some of the problems other team had.

He seemed like he always wanted to the extra bats on his bench to cover an injury during the week. He only had a couple of weeks where his at bats were short. He didn’t carry any long term prospects.

[Sebadiah23]

Thank you for the article re-post Shawn- very interesting to read/re-read after five years have passed, and I agree 100%.

[Cocktails and Dreams]

If you are claiming to be doing this and you are in second place, then obviously it can work. Will it work well enough for you to get the job done? Time will tell. You are going to have to execute perfectly as the roster certainly doesn't pass the eye test. Be interesting to see if you can squeeze out a maximum sum of its parts.

[Sebadiah23]

Nothing works or doesn't work until October 3rd, but yes I decided, conditionally, to draft just one closer unless draft dynamics begged me not to, and to 75% hedge on steals. I don't really want to discuss rosters at this point or why or why not I would pass the eye test, except to say that I've done a lot of platooning and had to drop some major contributors. You could be right though - I could have a horrible September and fade into oblivion.

[Cocktails and Dreams]

Nothing works or doesn't work until October 3rd, but yes I decided, conditionally, to draft just one closer unless draft dynamics begged me not to, and to 75% hedge on steals. I don't really want to discuss rosters at this point or why or why not I would pass the eye test, except to say that I've done a lot of platooning and had to drop some major contributors. You could be right though - I could have a horrible September and fade into oblivion.

Right about what? I didn't predict anything. I just said it will be interesting to see if you get it done or not. Nor do I know or care how much faab who has left etc.

[Sebadiah23]

About passing the eye test

[Cocktails and Dreams]

You don't need to pass any eye tests to win. It is an excellent job managing your strategy and at this point you obviously have a good grasp for what your team needs etc. Having a powerful team to address your strategy can certainly get it done. I was just saying that it doesn't have the look of a championship team. But the stats generated are the stats generated. And if you are strong in your places to gain, then you are in great shape. Good luck. Will be fun to watch down the stretch.