NFBC Message Boards

As a CREATiVESPORTS.com columnist, I get my share of emails telling me that my predictions, sleepers, busts, etc. were wrong. That is just part of the territory.



Posted below is a sleeper prediction in a National Magazine. Fortunately, this wasn't one of my predictions, but it was the prediction of someone very near and dear to our hearts.



Read the statement attributed to this person, and see if you can figure out who this non-Nostradamus prognosticator, a frequent contributor to the message boards, is.



"In 2005, Jorge Cantu hit 28 home runs to go along with 117 RBIs. He then slumped to 14 home runs and 62 RBIs in 2006. While his surface numbers took a big hit, they were amassed in 413 ABs, as compared to 598 ABs in 2005. If he had totalled 598 ABs in 2006, he would have recorded around 20 HRs and 90 RBIs. Not too shabby, considering he suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left foot in APRIL! This injury likely hindered his performance all year long. Assuming he's healthy and the fact that he's only 25 years old and pegged to hit in the middle of an improving Tampa Bay lineup, you have yourself a sleeper ready to wake up in a BIG WAY!"





Guess your best (or check out page 24-25 of the May 2007 Fantasy Sports Magazine, published by F+W Publications).

reads very reptilian to me

GG

Did all of the contributors to that article give an honest (thanks, renman!) sleeper write-up, or were there smokescreens at work here?

Originally posted by King of Queens:

Did all of the contributors to that article give an honest (thanks, renman!) sleeper write-up, or were there smokescreens at work here? I know I was honest- I have him on 2 nfbc teams and he is going tonight.

Originally posted by Chest Rockwell:

quote:Originally posted by King of Queens:

Did all of the contributors to that article give an honest (thanks, renman!) sleeper write-up, or were there smokescreens at work here? I know I was honest- I have him on 2 nfbc teams and he is going tonight. [/QUOTE]Lowry looked pretty solid for the second straight outing, Chest. He just needed a little defense behind him. I still like that sleeper pick.



I certainly don't fault GG for the Cantu pick. I also thought he could be a sleeper pick, but he seemed to go higher than I wanted in most leagues. With any luck, the Devil Rays will trade him and allow someone else to take a chance on him. Yes, he's a liability in the field, but I still think the guy can hit if given a full chance again. The D-Rays love to bury players.

As was stated before everybody has their bad prognostications. Here's another.



He never pitched in 2006 due to various ailments, including a sore elbow. He's a high risk investment and A SURE BET to open 2007 on the DL..... Ron Shandler on Carl Pavano

Being one of 67% that still hold Cantu I am hoping that GG was right and he will "wake up in a BIG WAY!" Kinda confused why 4.7% of the teams have him active, and am hoping they know something I don't.

Shandler was also very high on Cantu and that quote could have come directly from HQ instead of GG. I think most people are missing the boat when they blame the DevilRays for this move. The game is about winning baseball and having Upton playing 2nd base and not Cantu will give them the best chance to win now and in the future. Wasting ab's on a bad baseball player like Cantu will not help them any. He has little trade value since no one in baseball views him as a 2nd baseman. This is a new regime in Tampa and I like the move to bury a bad baseball player like Cantu. He is a terrible defensive player, probably the worse 2nd baseman in baseball. He is very slow and his OBP is terrible unless he can hit 300 which is very doubtfull. The only thing he brings is some power. If he surface again it will be as a DH/1st as I think his days as a starting 2nd baseman are over. In roto leagues he may have some value, in baseball he blows and belongs where he's at.



I'm not posting to diss HQ because I respect what they do and Iwamura wouldn't be on my team without HQ I just think they missed the writing on the wall with Cantu when the DRays signed Iwamura.

I think your being a little hard on CANTU, he's not a horrible player, or atleast a hitter.

It's about playing and getting atbats and Cantu isnt getting them.I agree with you that UPTON is a better fit for the RAYS at 2nd, i still think CANTU if given at bats could still be a solid fantasy player, even if he goes to 1st, you can still stick him at 2nd.Im also a Shandler guy and drafted Iwamura in the 23rd round of the main event , and yes he's in my starting lineup.