Speaking of 2020 drafts...

[rkulaski]

Are we continuing on with the Premature draftulation league ? It usually starts the day after the end of the regular season.

Shoutout to Lindy and Vogel taking down first and second in this year’s league at the moment. Mathis and Diedrich battling for third.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Are we continuing on with the Premature draftulation league ? It usually starts the day after the end of the regular season.

Shoutout to Lindy and Vogel taking down first and second in this year’s league at the moment. Mathis and Diedrich battling for third.

We will be continuing the PreMature Draft League.
This draft helps the NFBC with default and gives a lot of insight to future drafters.
I'll be e-mailing those in this league during the early part of September to get it geared back up again.
If anybody is interested in being on the list to replace those who cannot draft in the PreMature, you can leave a message here.
Thanks all.

[Gb2715]

If you ever have an opening Dan I would be interested.

[DOUGHBOYS]

If you ever have an opening Dan I would be interested.

You'll be first in line, Greg.

[Gb2715]

If you ever have an opening Dan I would be interested.

Thanks Dan

[rkulaski]

Sporer from rotographs wanted to join but sounds like he’ll have to get in line.

[rkulaski]

Sporer from rotographs wanted to join but looks like he’ll have to get in line.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Sporer from rotographs wanted to join but looks like he’ll have to get in line.

Second in line....

1. Greg Blankenship
2. Paul Sporer
3. Chad Fleming

[DOUGHBOYS]

This league is full and all have their draft spots.
The draft begins on September 29, the last day of baseball season.
It should be a wonderful draft.
Thanks Everybody.

[rkulaski]

Thanks Dan for taking the lead on this once again.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Thanks Dan for taking the lead on this once again.

A labor of love, Rich!

Can't wait to start drafting for the coming year. It seems like there are so many options over the first two rounds....
And I haven't even looked at pitchers yet

[DOUGHBOYS]

And where in the Hell will Aristedes Aquino and Yordan Alvarez be drafted?

[Gb2715]

And where in the Hell will Aristedes Aquino and Yordan Alvarez be drafted?

First rd right Dan?

[DOUGHBOYS]

I just talked with a fella that would draft Alvarez in the first round and Aquino in the third.
Really have no idea of where I would draft them....which means somebody else would take them before me.
Soooo many question marks...

Sale?
Kluber?
Snell?
Heck, Verlander will be another year older and Scherzer has shown chinks in his armor.

I CAN'T WAIT!!!

[Greg Ambrosius]

It's great to see folks talking about baseball drafts after we just concluded two incredible weeks of Live NFFC Drafts and Auctions in New York City and Las Vegas. Soon enough, baseball drafts will be starting.

We have made great progress on the New York and Las Vegas hotels for baseball and should have final locations and details soon. All looks good for the 2020 NFBC live events. I haven't reached out to the Sheraton Northbrook in Chicago just yet, but I will do that this week.

And we formed a marketing partnership with MGM recently, which resulted in a 15% discount at all MGM hotels in Las Vegas for our NFFC guys and an exclusive NFFC-only poker tournament in the Bellagio poker room with a 100% payout. That was so freaking cool to have 5-6 poker tables set aside just for 46 NFFC guys within the Bellagio poker room and our guys playing for $4,600 in prizes. MGM also sent up a rep to our NFL Viewing Party room to get our guys signed up for MLife and provided a $25 bonus for anyone who downloaded the playMGM app and deposited $100. It was a great start to what we hope is a long relationship with MGM Resorts.

We hope to have more 2020 announcements when the season concludes, but we're already working on the live events and should have a good jump start on the season. Good luck all the rest of this season and be ready for 2020. I have a feeling it will be the best season ever.

[rkulaski]

And where in the Hell will Aristedes Aquino and Yordan Alvarez be drafted?

First rd right Dan?

Just some random thoughts here...

Y Alvarez not going to qualify for OF so utility only. Doubt that bumps him down much but that’s a big turn off for some drafters.

Will a quiet last 3 weeks drop Aquino down a round ? If he hits another 3-5 HR to close out the year, I think he’s a round 4 choice .

G Cole is a having a ridiculous finish to the season. Whip is .91, he’s nearing 300 K with 13.7 k/9. Obvious 20 win candidate too. I think he goes top 6.

I’ll be interested to see when some of the big faab guys from earlier this summer get drafted:
Austin Riley (the Titanic was cruising and then just sunk)
K Hiura - demotion and injury slowed him some but he’s shown what he’s capable of- no surprise
O Mercado- I think a lot of guys stole him in faab earlier this summer while everyone else was bidding on Riley , Hiura, and others.

Closers- B Treinan and E Diaz were worth their adps this year weren’t they ? Oh wait.... closers are going to be a headache on this draft and they are going to be drafted later than ever in my opinion.

L Giolito- Show you again, Dan ? Or do you fully believe ?

Dexter Fowler - Let’s really think about this one... or not.

Bryce Harper- is this the year he’s finally booted out of the first 2 rounds ? First 3 rounds ?

G Stanton- injury discount ? Obviously. But how much of a discount is the real question.

Matt Joyce- yes, Matt Anderson , he still is alive and thriving in Atlanta... but he will go undrafted in the opening draft of 2020.

[DOUGHBOYS]

How much more random can you get when going from Alvarez to Joyce?

Here's a few of mine...

Recency virus does effect our draft. A guy like Alvarez or Aquino is fresh in our minds.
Players like Riley, LaStella, and Lowe, or Luke Weaver, passe.
One thing all these players have in common is Shandler's bit about 'Once showing these traits, they own these traits'.
Some drafters really believe that.
It is confusing for a player like Jacoby Ellsbury who was still drafted in Draft Championships last year.
Believe me, Ellsbury owns the injury thing a lot more than 'owning' a couple of magical seasons.
What is the takeaway from Jesus Aguilar?
That he can 'own' being a wonderful power hitter for six months?
Or that he can 'own' being a bench warmerfor most of the season?
He 'owns' both.

This is the second straight year that Aaron Judge has hurt his drafters with an injury that lasted a very long time.
I have a few of theories on injuries.
One- The more a player moves (i.e. running around the outfield, stealing bases, diving), the better chance for injury. Think Brett Lawrie.
Two- The larger the body, the more chance of getting hurt.
Three- Rule two applies to 'large' players not fat players. Fat players have a lot less movement on the field. Larger 1B (think Adam Dunn, jerome Burnitz, John Kruk)and even pitchers like Sabathia and Colon know how to NOT extend their bodies. While more angular and athletic bodies like Joey Gallo, Judge, etc may have more problems. Anyway, just my own theories....
The first theory applies more to the Kiermaier's, Buxton's, and Mondesi's of baseball.
The second applies to players like Judge.
But like Stanton, Judge will be forgiven (at a slightly lesser price) as was Ellsbury and Troy Tulowitzki for those many years.

Gerritt Cole will be a free agent next year.
I don't know how much that will effect his draft position....but it will in some shape or form.
Since the Astros are one of the best teams in baseball, it's a good bet that Cole will be going to a lesser team.
New Astros pitchers also are seeing a two-year 'dead cat bounce' where they pitch better than they have previously.
Cole, Verlander, Morton, Miley, etc (Miley also belongs in the 'fat group' )
Does that continue elsewhere? I don't know.
Without knowing more, I would not take Cole in the first six picks.

(And just a thought of my own, while other Managers during the post-season will show how schmart they are in going to their bullpens early, I expect the Astros to ride Verlander, Cole, and Greinke to the Promised Land'.
The innings pitched will be very high as will the chance for something to go terribly wrong....just a thought)

Dexter Fowler?
Matt Joyce?
It's no fun to think of those guys when we haven't started the first round!
Think Trout, Acuna, Yelich, and Bellinger!

I crapped all over the Boston Red Sox during Spring Training for 'resting' their players during Spring Training. Four months isn't enough?
It serves them right that they have had the season they've had.
There is no true formula for pitchers.
Glavine, Smoltz, and Maddux say the secret was to throw every day.
Now, most want to limit pitches.
The Red Sox almost acted as if Spring Training was a place NOT to use their pitchers.
Instead, they used the first month of the season as their 'real' Spring Training.
How'd that work out for you, Sox?
AND, were pompous enough to think that their bullpen would be fine. Never addressing the problem. At ANY turn.
The Red Sox will end up with a better record than most teams in baseball. But they won't make the playoffs. Failure.
No team WASTED as many resources as the Red Sox did. And it started from the jump in Spring Training.

Wow, how was that for a random thought....

Lucas Giolito will be a darling among drafters....

Joe Maddon will be hired by a team needing a boost in interest and attendance ......

Not counting Bruce Bochy, Maddon is the second longest tenured Manager in the National League.
Clint Hurdle, the longest.
Hurdle is what I term a 'Comfortable Loser'.
He is not like Bochy or even Ned Yost who has won a Championship in the past, then kind of let the game pass them by. (Believe me, I know that feeling).
Nope, Hurdle always says good stuff and smiles. A pre-requisite for a 'comfortable Manager'.
Only fitting, seeing how the Pirates also have a 'comfortable' GM too.
And you guessed it, Neal Huntington is the longest tenured GM in the National League.
What more comfortable place to lose in baseball, than Pittsburgh?
Rabid while backing the Steelers or Penguins, Pittsburgh fans are lulled to beddy time by the Pirates.
Quick, name a Pirates 1B between Willie Stargell and Josh Bell....
Hard, right?
That's because they haven't had a real power hitting 1B since Stargell.
In fact, if Bell hits 40 bombs this year, he'll be the first Pirate to do so since 'Pops'.
Neal Huntington never made big deals when the Pirates happened to contend and needed a big deal.
Rather, small deals were more his style.
He thought he made a big deal once....
When trading for Chris Archer.
Yep, gave up Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow.
Neal Huntington trading with the Rays. Too funny.
In an age where nobody wants to be a tweener, the Pirates have become a 'perma-tweener' team. Never building for a Championship. Never tearing down a team.
They just exist. Comfortable.

Random thoughts, indeed!

[rkulaski]

Great post as always, Dan.

Forgot Cole was going to be a free agent. Duh. Yes, that will prevent him from being a top 6 pick.

I have a lot more to say so hopefully I can post more tonight if I can survive filling in as coach for my my son’s soccer team tonight .

[NorCalAtlFan]

todd picks 2 richard. cole will go #2 overall............

[Gb2715]

Where will Yelich go now? Gunna be wild!

[Greg Ambrosius]

Sheraton Northbrook has space again for Chicago and we have agreed to return. They will provide a fair rate on rooms for anyone who wants to stay at the host hotel. I'll get that shortly from them. Back for a 17th straight season in the Windy City!!