Real Baseball Players

DOUGHBOYS · Post by **DOUGHBOYS** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 6:14 am

It is getting 'bout that time of year again. You know, where everybody puckers up a little bit and players are kept a little closer to the vest.

If I post a lot about the value of a player, I'll get PM's accusing me of 'outing' somebody's favorite player. It seems to happen every year.

So, I'll move away from fantasy a bit. Just a bit.

You've seen the line-'Better baseball player than fantasy player'. It appears in fantasy baseball articles regularly, describing a player who is more worthy of being on the baseball field, but not on your roster.

Lets make an All-Star team of these guys. The first criteria is that the player would not go in the top 10 rounds of an NFBC draft. Second, he can't have a skill set in which fantasy players would revere. No Judys, for example.

And Third, while being vanilla, the players on this team would still have to be good enough to, on paper, finish ahead of the Royals and Indians in the American League Central.

Catcher- Yadier Molina

The best defensive catcher in baseball. He is the defensive captain for the Cardinals and is fundamentally fun to watch. Offensively, he is average, but hits in the clutch, a great trait for a real team.

First Base- James Loney

Can pick it at first base. Despite only having average speed, he is a very good base runner and will steal an occasional base. As far as power goes, if he were a vacuum, he'd be a mini vac. He moves players over, a key on the field, and just an out to a fantasy player.

Second Base-Orlando Hudson

He is losing his range with age, but can still play second with the best of them. A good situational hitter, which means little to the fantasy player.

Third Base-Placido Polanco

He's be the All-Star of this team. Polanco will play anywhere on defense and do it well. On offense, he moves runners along, sacrifice, and take pitches so that the leadoff hitter can steal second base. A perfect at bat for him would be to follow a Rollins single with taking enough pitches to let him steal second base and then moving him over to third with a ground ball. Baseball Manager, happy. Fantasy Manager, frustrated.

Shortstop- Jack Wilson

Wilson plays the game hard, thus leading to frequent injury. He is one of the best defensive shortstops in the game. Offensively, even real managers wish they could have two dh's.

Outfield- JD Drew, David Murphy and David DeJesus

I personally don't care for Drew. His injuries always seem mysterious and he is aloof. But, when he wants to play, he plays the game as fundamentally well as any player in baseball. He's a natural, ruined.

David Murphy keeps getting edged out for playing time, making him a fantasy whack-a-mole. When on the field, he gives 100 percent and seems to always be in the right place.

David DeJesus-

If there is a guy in fantasy that can be called 'Mr Irrelevant', DeJesus would fit the bill.

He has hit over .300 just once, but never hit under .260

He has never hit over 13 homers or stolen over 11 bases. He once scored over 100 runs, but that was even coupled with the year that he had the lowest batting average of his career.

Starters- Joel Pineiro, Jake Westbrook, Mark Buehrle, Derek Lowe, and Jeremy Guthrie.

An ugh from fantasy owners. These guys are strike out depleted and will occasionally get bombed. But, they give what every Manager wants- A chance to win and a lot of innings.

Closer- Ryan Franklin

Every year we put him farther down on our closer list, every year he finishes as the Cards closer. A baseball Manager is looking for someone that can be counted on from the bullpen. Franklin has filled that bill.

As for peripherals for fantasy players, fuhgeddabouttit....

So, there it is. If you feel I've missed somebody, let me know....

I think this team could certainly be at least average and even have a chace to knock off a few teams, and yes, finish ahead of the Indians and Royals.

PS-

This is the best time of the year for our teams. We are all in first place.

Projections can be as high as we want.

Expectations, the same..

Today, Ned Yost said that Billy Butler could steal 10 bases this year....See, it happens to all of us.

Until that first pitch is thrown ANYTHING can happen. After that, 30-30's turn to 15-10's and Billy Butler returns to being a sloth.

[ March 10, 2011, 01:17 PM: Message edited by: DOUGHBOYS ]

Joe Sambito · Post by **Joe Sambito** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 7:11 am

In every fantasy conversation from here on out, I want to use the term "fantasy whack-a-mole". That deserves to become more commonplace. Excellent stuff, Dan.

bjoak · Post by **bjoak** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 8:55 am

I am disappointed that Mr. Barton didn't make the cut. Far better OBP and defense than Loney and he should get extra points for going later in fantasy drafts.

[ March 10, 2011, 02:56 PM: Message edited by: bjoak ]

headhunters · Post by **headhunters** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 9:12 am

polanco is a second basemen now, and a good one. maybe put morel in at 3rd. need a rookie