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I hate to keep touting the magazines when folks are struggling to get their first issue mailed to them, but hopefully we finally have that taken care of. If not, email [email protected]. And if you haven't picked up the first Fantasy Sports Magazine, go to a local bookstore or convenience store and pick it up. Many of your favorite NFBC players are featured prominently and pictured in that first issue.



The first issue has some good content, but I like the second issue even more. It's the Fanball Fantasy Baseball Annual and it has a lot of good opinions in it. The beauty of working with Fanball over working at F+W is that Tom and I did most of the content before and we really had two sets of opinions to go off of. Here, we have 10 different writers contributing in many different areas and we get many more perspectives from guys who are doing fantasy sports fulltime.



One of the features Mike Sheets asked us to contribute for the front of the magazine was Bold Predictions from each of us. I loved it and right or wrong it makes you think.



I'll post mine here and let you folks dig into it. But don't just be a smarty pants, offer your bold prediction as well. We can have some fun with this. Here you go:



Bold Prediction: Julio Borbon: Will challenge for AL runs and stolen bases titles



This 2007 first-round pick of the Rangers is going to be one of the best Draft Day bargains of 2010 because he has speed at a time when speed is going to be hard to find. Borbon stole a total of 44 bases last year while hitting .310 with 101 runs between Oklahoma and Texas. He hit .322 with a .385 OBP in the leadoff position for the Rangers last year and could easily score 100+ runs at the top of this potent lineup. In fact, Borbon has the skills to challenge for the AL runs and stolen base titles, making him my Breakout Star of 2010.



[ January 06, 2010, 02:59 PM: Message edited by: Greg Ambrosius ]

I don't want to give all of these away or you won't order the magazine!! But I'll post Tom's now. He'd do it but he's participating in a Mixed Auction League right now for our third magazine, the Just Cheat Sheets issue.



Tom Kessenich's Bold Prediction: Dan Uggla Will Hit .280 And Be A Great Value



Wind surfers love the breezes near Miami, but there is no truth to the rumor the winds are brisker from April through October due to Uggla's flailings at the plate. Uggla has fanned at least 120 times every year of his career, and his average makes little babies scream. So why am I feeling the love? He hit .282 just three years ago, he improved his walk rate last season, and his OBP was solid at .354. Those are positive trends and will result in Uggla delivering more at the plate than a feast of home runs and a smorgasbbord of strikeouts.

Projections for Julio Borbon this year include:

Bill James: .308-7-47-85 with 42 stolen bases

Ron Shandler: .278-6-37-66 with 30 stolen bases

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:



Tom Kessenich's Bold Prediction: Dan Uggla Will Hit .280 And Be A Great Value



Who's holding the $ for all the betting action this will garner ?

My bold prediction - "I will get the magazine."

Originally posted by Quahogs:

quote:Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:



Tom Kessenich's Bold Prediction: Dan Uggla Will Hit .280 And Be A Great Value



Who's holding the $ for all the betting action this will garner ? [/QUOTE]Didn't you read the rules above? No chastising us without offering your own Bold Predictions!! In your case, let's see a Bold Prediction AND a picture!! Get to work Mister!!

yeah... didn't read the rules - as usual.



Baez will have more saves this season than Lidge.



And orange bikinis will be a big hit this summer !

Originally posted by Quahogs:

yeah... didn't read the rules - as usual.



Baez will have more saves this season than Lidge.



And orange bikinis will be a big hit this summer !



Ah, thank you sir for following the rules. You didn't disappoint me.

Originally posted by Quahogs:

quote:Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:



Tom Kessenich's Bold Prediction: Dan Uggla Will Hit .280 And Be A Great Value



Who's holding the $ for all the betting action this will garner ? [/QUOTE]I am not one to bash people for projections.But,Uggla has more of a chance of weighing 280 than hitting .280.

Obama's changes



Uggla hitting .280



I get lucky with the girl in the orange bikini....



Three bold predictions that won't happen

Good to see you back in the pictures, Q!!



[ January 06, 2010, 06:02 PM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]

I'll chime in....

Neftali Feliz will lead the AL in Ks and be a legit Cy Young candidate.





Can this 22 year old pitcher, who was the most dominating pitcher in the AL in the second half of last year, really be the next Doc Gooden (who won at age 20 in 1985)? Why not? The biggest drawback would seem to be lack of opportunity, but a Nolan Ryan pitching staff might not babysit young talent like most other clubs. So when Ryan states that Feliz will be in the Rangers rotation in April of 2010, my expectation is he will not be handcuffed with “Chamberlain rules”. He’s had 53 starts in the minors, and threw 139 innings last year.



I think I saw the orange bikini girl at the pool at the Flamingo, right Greg?

Originally posted by The Godfather of FS:

I'll chime in....

Neftali Feliz will lead the AL in Ks and be a legit Cy Young candidate.





Can this 22 year old pitcher, who was the most dominating pitcher in the AL in the second half of last year, really be the next Doc Gooden (who won at age 20 in 1985)? Why not? The biggest drawback would seem to be lack of opportunity, but a Nolan Ryan pitching staff might not babysit young talent like most other clubs. So when Ryan states that Feliz will be in the Rangers rotation in April of 2010, my expectation is he will not be handcuffed with “Chamberlain rules”. He’s had 53 starts in the minors, and threw 139 innings last year.



I think I saw the orange bikini girl at the pool at the Flamingo, right Greg? If she was at the Flamingo, what the hell are we moving this event to the Bellagio for? Just kidding, I think the talent at the Bellagio pool will be just fine, right my friend? I'll be checking that out while you take care of the folks at Citi Field.



As for your Bold Prediction, I like it. I also think Nolan Ryan will push this kid into the starting lineup and he will be lights out. I've drafted him a few times already and I like your prediction. You did well in this issue and the Greeting from the Godfather of Fantasy Sports was a nice intro to the magazine. Good job.



Now get our paying folks their magazines!!!

Originally posted by The Godfather of FS:

I'll chime in....

Neftali Feliz will lead the AL in Ks and be a legit Cy Young candidate.





Can this 22 year old pitcher, who was the most dominating pitcher in the AL in the second half of last year, really be the next Doc Gooden (who won at age 20 in 1985)? Why not? The biggest drawback would seem to be lack of opportunity, but a Nolan Ryan pitching staff might not babysit young talent like most other clubs. So when Ryan states that Feliz will be in the Rangers rotation in April of 2010, my expectation is he will not be handcuffed with “Chamberlain rules”. He’s had 53 starts in the minors, and threw 139 innings last year.



I think I saw the orange bikini girl at the pool at the Flamingo, right Greg? Not to give anyone a hard time on their bold predictions; they are meant to be 'bold' after all, but lead the AL in strikeouts, really? He didn't have a strikeout rate in Triple-A that approached the AL lead last year, and that is for rate rather than number, even despite the boost he should have gotten from not starting in half his appearances. His dominating second half appearance was 100% relief also. Nope, he will be too busy walking people to pull it off.

Oh, crap, now I have to make a bold prediction. How about this? Matt Kemp's batting average will fall off the map this year even as his homeruns improve.



Kemp's hard swinging ways and improved flyball rates will help him push the envelope on home runs, and as he develops, he will be helped by Dodger Stadium which actually plays pretty well for serious power hitters as they hit more balls to center--an area which is quite shallow in LA.



At the same time, it is pretty difficult to strikeout that often and continue to see .300 type averages. The K's will catch up with him while he will have less luck with line drives and his average will head toward .270.



[ January 07, 2010, 12:06 PM: Message edited by: bjoak ]

Here's another one from Ryan Boyer. This one is pretty bold. I like it.



Stewart has always had prodigious power. He was hitting light tower shots all the way back in A-ball when he cranked 30 over the boards in the Sally League. the pop has carried over to the big leagues, and in fact, he has increased his output in the majors, hitting a bomb every 20.8 at-bats. If he gets 100 more at-bats at that rate (which will surely happen), that's over 30 homers right there. The average won't hurt as much as you think, either, as Stewart hit .293 in his minor league career and suffered through a depressed .275 BABIP in 2009.

Several weeks into my prep for the 2010 season, my prediction is that there is enough SP talent buried from rounds 11-30 to win a satelite, or even a main league and even to remain competitive in the Main. I can not remember a year where so much talent was languishing in the 11-20 rounds. The combination of still in their prime guys (though on backside) such as Zambrano, Oswalt, Harang, Bedard, Chris Young along with the young guys who had some success last year as rookies and guys who have been around for a bit but are on the verge, makes me think about trying a strategy of no sp in first ten rounds to see what would happen.

I'll play-



The Kansas City Royals make a run at the worst record in Major League history.

Once again, Dayton Moore will admonish fans to "Trust the process".



Stephen, JD, and sister Nancy Drew hold a press conference explaining how they would rather have potential, then use it.



Bud Selig demands that catchers have more masculine names-

Tired of fans making fun of baseball's toughest position, Selig puts an edict out to families with feminine names NOT to have their boys be catchers. Current offenders are Tyler Teagarden, Buster Posey (nice try with the first name), and Tyler Flowers.



Manny Ramirez gets a second strike, caught again using a steroid or ped.

Sharp as a balloon, that Manny.





After revealing pictures of Grady Sizemore are revealed on the internet (already happened), signs brought into a Cleveland game:



SIZEnoMORE



We love little Grady!



We just came to say, "hello to our little friend!"



[ January 13, 2010, 11:18 AM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]