Last night, a kid came up to me and asked about fantasy baseball. His parents winked behind him as he asked about how it worked. His favorite player is Derek Jeter and he wanted to know if his 3,000th hit counted more than his other hits. He seemed a little unhappy when I told him no.
Like most not in the know about fantasy baseball, he surmised that a grand slam or no-hitter could make for an automatic first place. He couldn't fathom the piles of statistics that accumulate with 30 teams playing 162 games.
But then he asked me a question that I've never been asked before- "Well, what DON'T you like about fantasy baseball?"
He was too young to go into WCOFF.
I thought about injury, but injury is a part of the game. Every team has them to one degree or another.
I thought about under performing players, but I picked them. I didn't have a gun to my head when I picked these under performers. Who knows, maybe they're not under performers as much as I expected more than what I got.
Nope, the under performance is mine.
The kid, bored with watching me mull his question, said thanks and turned away.
As soon as he was out of sight the answer hit me.
September.
While we care more in September, our players are playing less. For different reasons.
Playoff bound teams are giving their prime players, OUR prime players, more rest breaks.
Kids are up from the minors on lesser teams. They're sharing time with players on our rosters. While we're busy manipulating our rosters to get the most out of our stats, teams seem to be conspiring against us.
The same thing happens in football.
It is where fantasy and real sports hit the fork in the road.
Our petal is to the metal for the whole season. We don't get a chance to rest our players. We want stats from day one to game 162.
With smaller roster sizes and more reliance on bigger stars, the end of the regular season is even tougher for fantasy footballers. With six figures on the line, they could see their qb and best running back playing a quarter, then resting.
There is nothing we can do about it.
In March, nobody has a clue as to who will be rested at the end of the season. Not even a consideration, really.
We are at the mercy of fate. We will never know if Ryan Howard would have hit two homers if he had played in a game where he was rested. And that, is probably a good thing.
September is cruel.
But crueler yet, is that after the heartbreak of September comes something far worse.
The end of our fantasy season.
September
September
Don't forget, Dan, that September (and October) signal the beginning of your prep for the 2012 Premature E-Draftulation League, Part Two.
If I get a chance today I will re-post the first couple of rounds from last year....I bet there are some head-scratchers!
If I get a chance today I will re-post the first couple of rounds from last year....I bet there are some head-scratchers!
If you're going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it or else you're going to be locked up.--Hunter S. Thompson
September
Thanks Em, can't wait.Well, I can....but you know what I mean.
I'll send out an e-mail today or tomorrow for those that were in last year. If somebody doesn't respond or doesn't want to do it again this year, the openings will be filled on the Message Boards.
The first draft starts as the last pitch of this year is thrown. $125 entry fee, pay top 3, with faab.
The second will be $125, pay top 3, 50 rounds, no faab.
The first draft will be e-mail. The second will be dependant on whether the draft room is ready.
It doesn't really matter, it seems most preferred the e-mail method (even with Rick hounding everybody for their picks
).
I'll send out an e-mail today or tomorrow for those that were in last year. If somebody doesn't respond or doesn't want to do it again this year, the openings will be filled on the Message Boards.
The first draft starts as the last pitch of this year is thrown. $125 entry fee, pay top 3, with faab.
The second will be $125, pay top 3, 50 rounds, no faab.
The first draft will be e-mail. The second will be dependant on whether the draft room is ready.
It doesn't really matter, it seems most preferred the e-mail method (even with Rick hounding everybody for their picks
).On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!
September
A-Gonz at 3.2
Granderson at 7.4
Ellsbury at 4.14
Those picks scream.....nope, not gonna say Value. They scream finishing in the money.
As for my team:
Wainwrong at 2.15
Brian Roberts at 8.15
Pedro Alvarez at 9.1
You can see why I'm not making any money in this league.
It will be a wild ride once again--I can't wait. Some players to get our juices flowing:
Where the heck does Crawford go?
Han-Ram?
Heyward?
Who takes the first Catcher and when? (not going to be me!)
Granderson at 7.4
Ellsbury at 4.14
Those picks scream.....nope, not gonna say Value. They scream finishing in the money.
As for my team:
Wainwrong at 2.15
Brian Roberts at 8.15
Pedro Alvarez at 9.1
You can see why I'm not making any money in this league.
It will be a wild ride once again--I can't wait. Some players to get our juices flowing:
Where the heck does Crawford go?
Han-Ram?
Heyward?
Who takes the first Catcher and when? (not going to be me!)
If you're going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it or else you're going to be locked up.--Hunter S. Thompson
September
We can say value now.
We know what we have with our picks.
My beef is with how the word is misused at the beginning of the season.
For instance, when somebody drafts Adam Dunn in the sixth round and says they got good value because Dunn was going in the third and fourth rounds in most drafts.
In retrospect, it wasn't a value pick as much as a smarter cluster of drafters staying away from Dunn longer.
Some other players who are going to be going in different rounds this year or will affect drafts differently than last year-
Adam Dunn
Stephen Strasburg
Alex Rios
Buster Posey
Joe Mauer
Adam Wainwright
Alex Rodriguez
Eric Hosmer
Which pitcher is taken first?
Verlander? Halladay? Somebody else?
Ichiro has been better than the normal judy with average seemingly guaranteed.
Is this the year he drops out of the first seven rounds?
How high do guys like Jesus Montero and Jorge Posada go?
Both stripped of catcher status.
Posada a candidate for retirement.
Does Bryce Harper make more than a September appearance?
Where do Prince Albert and Prince Fielder wind up?
Do Kemp and Ellsbury enter the top five picks?
If so, who do they push out?
A lot of questions to be answered.
It'll be fun watching it all play out.
We know what we have with our picks.
My beef is with how the word is misused at the beginning of the season.
For instance, when somebody drafts Adam Dunn in the sixth round and says they got good value because Dunn was going in the third and fourth rounds in most drafts.
In retrospect, it wasn't a value pick as much as a smarter cluster of drafters staying away from Dunn longer.
Some other players who are going to be going in different rounds this year or will affect drafts differently than last year-
Adam Dunn
Stephen Strasburg
Alex Rios
Buster Posey
Joe Mauer
Adam Wainwright
Alex Rodriguez
Eric Hosmer
Which pitcher is taken first?
Verlander? Halladay? Somebody else?
Ichiro has been better than the normal judy with average seemingly guaranteed.
Is this the year he drops out of the first seven rounds?
How high do guys like Jesus Montero and Jorge Posada go?
Both stripped of catcher status.
Posada a candidate for retirement.
Does Bryce Harper make more than a September appearance?
Where do Prince Albert and Prince Fielder wind up?
Do Kemp and Ellsbury enter the top five picks?
If so, who do they push out?
A lot of questions to be answered.
It'll be fun watching it all play out.
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!
September
The list goes on and on...
Brett Lawrie sure looks like the real deal.
The middle of the Philly infield is another year older.
Desmond Jennings. 'nuff said--he's great.
First pitcher will be fun to watch!
Brett Lawrie sure looks like the real deal.
The middle of the Philly infield is another year older.
Desmond Jennings. 'nuff said--he's great.
First pitcher will be fun to watch!
If you're going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it or else you're going to be locked up.--Hunter S. Thompson
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NorCalAtlFan
- Posts: 1258
- Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2008 6:00 pm
- Contact:
September
I'm taking Hosmer in the 3rd this year. A gone part deux!
Count me in Dan. Though I've already told you that 2-3 times!
Count me in Dan. Though I've already told you that 2-3 times!
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MadCow Sez
- Posts: 761
- Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:00 pm
- Contact:
September
Originally posted by DOUGHBOYS:
Thanks Em, can't wait.Well, I can....but you know what I mean.
I'll send out an e-mail today or tomorrow for those that were in last year. If somebody doesn't respond or doesn't want to do it again this year, the openings will be filled on the Message Boards.
The first draft starts as the last pitch of this year is thrown. $125 entry fee, pay top 3, with faab.
The second will be $125, pay top 3, 50 rounds, no faab.
The first draft will be e-mail. The second will be dependant on whether the draft room is ready.
It doesn't really matter, it seems most preferred the e-mail method (even with Rick hounding everybody for their picks ). Dan, for clarification, I'm in for the "No FAAB" premature league.
Thanks Em, can't wait.Well, I can....but you know what I mean.
I'll send out an e-mail today or tomorrow for those that were in last year. If somebody doesn't respond or doesn't want to do it again this year, the openings will be filled on the Message Boards.
The first draft starts as the last pitch of this year is thrown. $125 entry fee, pay top 3, with faab.
The second will be $125, pay top 3, 50 rounds, no faab.
The first draft will be e-mail. The second will be dependant on whether the draft room is ready.
It doesn't really matter, it seems most preferred the e-mail method (even with Rick hounding everybody for their picks
). Dan, for clarification, I'm in for the "No FAAB" premature league.People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.
--Rogers Hornsby
--Rogers Hornsby