2007 NFBC Champion Profile - Eddy Betancourt

Tom Kessenich · Post by **Tom Kessenich** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:36 am

NFBC CHAMPION PROFILE – EDDY BETANCOURT NEW YORK LEAGUE 6

Eddy and Mike Wilson have been playing fantasy baseball for over a decade as opponents and met each other in person about five years ago to form a friendship. What drew me to team up with Mike in the main event was his similarity in our drafting styles we were always japping each others picks in our home online leagues. Also Mike's level headedness and ease to work with helped. Mike never heard of the NFBC or NFFC and being a vet of the NFFC I decided to give it a shot and who better than do it with than Mike.

We spent months in preping and mocking and had a game plan for the 2007 season as what we wanted to do. We were to draft eight and just missed getting A-Rod who fell to seven. Our strategy was to grab two 30-100-100-20 guys in the first two rounds, preferably outfielders. We got Vlad and Carlos Lee.

Third round was a tough round and we were going in to the draft to take a pitcher in the third we targeted Carlos Zambrano due to his contract year and the Cubs potent offense. Fourth round we were targeting a rp...but there

was a run and were forced to take Mariano as the only elite closer left with K-Rod, Nathan, Ryan (thank god), Wagner gone. In the fifth round I was loving Swisher and pushed Mike to draft him. We probably could have gotten him a round or two later but his dual eligibility was a big factor.

Round 6 we were targeting a mi who can steal bases we chose Lugo, coming to Boston it seemed like a no-brainer he would provide runs and SBs he got his steals but his average hurt us big time and dropping him in the Bosox order hurt his run production. Our seventh round we targeted Lackey and he was there. Round 8 we had targeted Kinsler and Kendrick..Kendrick going in the seventh and Kinsler going the pick right before us we decided on Ordonez. We both had discussed him and knowing the injury he sustained it takes about two years to come back from he was due...boy did he ever produce. Round 9 with us missing out on mi with Kinsler and Kendrck we were targeting Renteria and Cabrera...again the pick before took Renteria so we took

Cabrera(he had a career year).

Round 10 pick up our third SP and try to reach our 45 wins 600 k goal...in the previous Rounds Schilling, Harden, Haren, Zito, Burnett, Cain, Youngwent we were looking at Kazmir, Bedard and Beckett. We both loved Beckett but the damn blister and we felt that Kazmir was an injury risk and Bedard wouldn't obtain the 15 win with the O's. We hemmed and hawwed over him but both of us being Yankee fans we remember how he dominated the Yanks in the World Series and a second year in the AL would help. He was a stud.

Round 11 we came out of the break with realizing we needed an Stolen Base threat we went with Podsednik (bust). Round 12 we needed a 3B with power and came away with Crede (bust). We were looking at middle reliever-relief pitcher in Round 13 and we thought Zumaya was the heir to Jones in Detroit and that by season's end he would be closing (wrong). Round 14 Chavez was sitting there and we grabbed a 30-80-80 so we thought (Bust). Round 15-19 is where we solidified our starting roster with the following Chris Duncan, Lilly (AL guy in the NL possible 12w-200k's we'll take him every time), Varitek and Paulino and Aaron Hill who was a stud this year filling our infield out. We than looked at Coffey in the 20th too take over as the Cincy closer (bust). In the 21st a gem in Blanton, making our starting pitchers Zambrano, Lackey, Beckett, Lilly, Blanton probably the best starting pitching staff in the entire NFBC.

And the rest of the draft we didn't pick anyone who would truly contribute in 2007. Payton, Nolasco, Pedo, Crosby, Marte, Villanueva, Bailey, Morris and Farnsworth.

What truly made our season was the pickup of Carlos Pena by Mike. It saved us because with Crede and Chavez going down we would never have reached our target in HRs, Runs or RBIs. It let us move Swisher to the outfield and having an outfield of Vlad, Lee, Ordonez, Swisher and Duncan was huge.

We were than able to target some pickup like Keppinger, Hopper, Owens, McClouth at DH to help in the Average and Stolen Base categories. Another two huge pickups for us was Kouzmanoff and AJ Burnett and helped to cap off our inaugural championship season.

eddiejag · Post by **eddiejag** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:37 am

Frozen Ropes , great job Eddy.Sounds like you guys work well together, a lot of big hits and big misses.All those busts from 11 to 14 and you overcame it.The Pena pick up was the free agent of the year.[nice hit] Nice job overall on the waiver wire.

SluggoJD · Post by **SluggoJD** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:42 am

Good job Eddie and Mike!

John

Gordon Gekko · Post by **Gordon Gekko** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:51 am

good job eddy!!