Eliminating 600 Players, He Could Be the Best Pitcher of All
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 12:08 pm
We are in the 41st round of a 50 round draft. You know, that stage of a long draft that we don't have to worry about in a 30 rounder. The part where you pat your self on the back for 'stealing' Todd Hundley in the 34th round before knowing news of Yasmani Grandal having fed on PED's. Or taking Javy Vazquez in the 36th round, hoping that first, he catches the bug to pitch again during the WBC, and two, if he does pitch, he pitches like the Vazquez that got hitters out.
After the 30th round, it becomes a mix of:
Trying to shore up weaknesses
Taking the best player available
Taking somebody that may 'break out'
Taking a guy from a foreign country never seen, drafting him, and hoping for the best
Taking positions to backup positions that may be injury prone
And taking a player because the coin landed on 'heads' two flips in a row
I enjoy this part of the draft. This part of the draft not only lends itself to a possible player to take in the 29th or 30th round of the Main draft, but it also forces us to brush up on the foreign players and players that are toiling in the minors, which may help us when faab comes. Instead of a 'no-name' being called up in May, we'll say, "Oh yeah, I remember reading about that guy!"
So anyway, we're in the 41st round of our draft and I'm looking at Joe Saunders.
I saw that!
You just rolled your eyes!
I know you did that because all fantasy players do that.
We can all judge our pitching staffs during the season by Joe Saunders.
Saunders has a perma-place on the faab list. He can blow up against the worst of teams. He can shut out the Yankees.
Whatever he does, it's a safe bet that he'll do it with few strike outs and a high WHIP.
I shouldn't have said Saunders has a perma place on faab. Saunders can look good for a one or two game stretch, be bought for a dollar, blow up, and bam!, right back on the faab junk heap.
Saunders splits are fascinating.
I don't mean that in a good way. He is the anti-split pitcher.
And I like my splits.
Here are his monthly splits for last year:
April: 0.90
May: 6.12
June: 2.89
July: 4.15
August: 7.62
September: 2.75
Not only that, but his home split is 5.62. His road split is 2.66
His E.R.A vs. A.L. East teams is under 3.00, against Miami, 6.39
We cannot game plan Joe Saunders. It seems when we risk/reward Saunders, the risk towers over the reward.
Joe Saunders is the Rosanne Barr of starting pitchers. He is the only 'regular' starting pitcher left besides Bruce Chen.
Chen is the Rosie O'Donnell of starting pitchers.
And it's sad that a Rose by any other name is still a Rose, Rosie, or Roseanne, bent on killing our fantasy team.
In September for the Orioles, Saunders had a 2.75 E.R.A. and won three games.
In those six games that he started in September, four of them came with two strike outs.
Saunders is a no-category pitcher. If he were a hitter, I'd call him a Ruby.
Since he's a pitcher, I'll call him a Rosie.
Saunders is desperation personified.
Saunders is choosing between life support and just ending it all.
And this is what we do in 50 round drafts. We draft players and hope for the best. In 30 round drafts, we have more machismo, we picture our players dominating the game. Throwing no-no's and hitting three home runs.
In a 50 rounder, it's about bits and pieces.
Trying to piece together a team that'll mesh with the other bits.
Maybe Saunders signs with the Marlins this year.
I can skip the starts at home against the Mets and start him in an interleague game on the road vs. the Yankees.
Joy.
.
.
.
.
And here is the sad part.
I am still five picks away and I am waiting to hit the 'submit' button on this post.
So that other drafters will not know that I want the slants and splits, that is Joe Saunders.
And the Helluvit is that there will be nine more picks.
Nine rounds from now, Joe Saunders may look like Superman.
And that is scary.
.
.
.
.
Now, I'm three picks away and I'm thinking, 'For crissakes, it's Joe Saunders!'
If somebody wants him more based on this post, HAVE AT HIM!
I'm hitting 'Submit'.
I'll let you know later if Saunders is on my team.
After the 30th round, it becomes a mix of:
Trying to shore up weaknesses
Taking the best player available
Taking somebody that may 'break out'
Taking a guy from a foreign country never seen, drafting him, and hoping for the best
Taking positions to backup positions that may be injury prone
And taking a player because the coin landed on 'heads' two flips in a row
I enjoy this part of the draft. This part of the draft not only lends itself to a possible player to take in the 29th or 30th round of the Main draft, but it also forces us to brush up on the foreign players and players that are toiling in the minors, which may help us when faab comes. Instead of a 'no-name' being called up in May, we'll say, "Oh yeah, I remember reading about that guy!"
So anyway, we're in the 41st round of our draft and I'm looking at Joe Saunders.
I saw that!
You just rolled your eyes!
I know you did that because all fantasy players do that.
We can all judge our pitching staffs during the season by Joe Saunders.
Saunders has a perma-place on the faab list. He can blow up against the worst of teams. He can shut out the Yankees.
Whatever he does, it's a safe bet that he'll do it with few strike outs and a high WHIP.
I shouldn't have said Saunders has a perma place on faab. Saunders can look good for a one or two game stretch, be bought for a dollar, blow up, and bam!, right back on the faab junk heap.
Saunders splits are fascinating.
I don't mean that in a good way. He is the anti-split pitcher.
And I like my splits.
Here are his monthly splits for last year:
April: 0.90
May: 6.12
June: 2.89
July: 4.15
August: 7.62
September: 2.75
Not only that, but his home split is 5.62. His road split is 2.66
His E.R.A vs. A.L. East teams is under 3.00, against Miami, 6.39
We cannot game plan Joe Saunders. It seems when we risk/reward Saunders, the risk towers over the reward.
Joe Saunders is the Rosanne Barr of starting pitchers. He is the only 'regular' starting pitcher left besides Bruce Chen.
Chen is the Rosie O'Donnell of starting pitchers.
And it's sad that a Rose by any other name is still a Rose, Rosie, or Roseanne, bent on killing our fantasy team.
In September for the Orioles, Saunders had a 2.75 E.R.A. and won three games.
In those six games that he started in September, four of them came with two strike outs.
Saunders is a no-category pitcher. If he were a hitter, I'd call him a Ruby.
Since he's a pitcher, I'll call him a Rosie.
Saunders is desperation personified.
Saunders is choosing between life support and just ending it all.
And this is what we do in 50 round drafts. We draft players and hope for the best. In 30 round drafts, we have more machismo, we picture our players dominating the game. Throwing no-no's and hitting three home runs.
In a 50 rounder, it's about bits and pieces.
Trying to piece together a team that'll mesh with the other bits.
Maybe Saunders signs with the Marlins this year.
I can skip the starts at home against the Mets and start him in an interleague game on the road vs. the Yankees.
Joy.
.
.
.
.
And here is the sad part.
I am still five picks away and I am waiting to hit the 'submit' button on this post.
So that other drafters will not know that I want the slants and splits, that is Joe Saunders.
And the Helluvit is that there will be nine more picks.
Nine rounds from now, Joe Saunders may look like Superman.
And that is scary.
.
.
.
.
Now, I'm three picks away and I'm thinking, 'For crissakes, it's Joe Saunders!'
If somebody wants him more based on this post, HAVE AT HIM!
I'm hitting 'Submit'.
I'll let you know later if Saunders is on my team.
).