NFBC Message Boards

Sometimes we have to look at a personal side when it comes to baseball players and our fantasy team.
Take Derek Holland.
I did on a lot of teams this year.
We all know that Holland is a very good pitcher. To me, the rub for Holland is his personality. With a mustache resembling hair pulled from a drain and a personality that yearns to be constantly in front of a camera, the decision for us as fantasy owners was whether pitching a baseball or pitching hilarity in front of a camera was more important to Holland.

During the off season, I saw less of Holland. A good thing.
In spring training, he offered that he would spend more time on pitching, less, doing interviews.
That, sold me.
And Holland has come through. He's had a brilliant season and if things had been more lucky for him, he may even have been in discussions about a Cy Young.

Holland's bad luck has come at home. He has never given up more than four earned runs in any of his 12 starts at home.
Some pitchers, playing for a good hitting team like Texas may go 10-2 with those credentials.
Holland is 2-5.
Even though in seven of those 12 starts, he gave up two runs or less.
It's tough luck.
Holland has a 7-1 road record

Holland's 2.95 ERA should have rewarded his owners more. Sometimes though, being lucky is better than being good.
And Holland has been good.
He kicked a personality disorder that was detrimental to his fantasy owners.
Most players don't/won't do that.
Go ahead, ask Hanley to hustle.
I hope that Holland closes with a bang and does get some consideration along with his teammate, Yu Darvish and a luckier pitcher with Wins like Max Scherzer.
He deserves it.

yeah I got him Dan so that should explain why he's gettin screwed. I try to remember there are guys out there like Kershaw, you know the best pitcher on the planet and that guy somehow has 7 losses. SEVEN. Hard to cry for Holland when you realize a guy with 1.50 ERA somehow got stuck with 7 losses. Boy how shitty WERE the Dodgers before Puig went into the lineup? Wow.

I also had Garza somehow forget he's on the rangers now and should be able to easily dispatch the brew crew AND my fav. was JParker going 8 inn's, give up 1 stinkin run and still manage to come up empty for the W against the beastly Astros, the Astros. u kiddin' me. goddamn it, and I'm supposed to quit drinkin' now? shit they should be happy I don't take up smoking.

everybody knows how hard it is to get them W's so when you get one and he's on your bench (Yovani) it stings even worse, in his case cuz he's sucked so bad that of course when he actually shows up it means nothing. sometimes i hate this game. really.

However I will say that it woulda been nice to have the FLEXIBILITY to make a pitching change, that is something I'm with you on Dan. For what it's worth.