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It seems we make every pick in drafts with injuries in mind. Mike Trout has never been hurt at the Major League level. We draft Trout with little or no contemplation of injury.
Miguel Cabrera tried playing through a midriff problem last year. Even though he was hurt, he played. He hurt his current owners (and probably the Tigers) by playing and not just sitting and resting.
As drafters, we love that Miggy tried to play. It shows us he WANTS to play. Too many times we'll see an injury report about a gimpy ankle and the player we thought would play through it, eventually gets DL'ed.
In Cabrera's case, his injury may have enhanced his draft status, not hurt it.

There are injuries we completely understand. We all were very tolerant and understanding when Nomar Garciaparra developed groin problems after dating Mia Hamm. Hell, we even saluted him. We pictured him as we picture Harry Reems near the end of 'Deep Throat'.
Now, Justin Verlander is dating Kate Upton and lo and behold! Verlander is having a groin problem. As men, we certainly do not want Verlander's injury, but wouldn't mind the symptoms that caused the problem.
I have a friend who is so meticulous about fantasy baseball, that he tries to keep track of pregnant spouses in hopes of lessening 'Paternal Leave' during the season. I can almost picture him following the Tiger entourage seeing if Ms. Upton is traveling with the team.

There will always be the 'Love the player, hate the injury' syndrome. I watch Carlos Gonzalez a lot. He is an elegant player. He moves so effortlessly on the bases in the outfield and around the bases. Admiration heightens when he gets in the batters box with a Billy Williams type of swing.
The drawback, the only flaw Gonzalez has is injury. He still plays all out. And this is where an author usually says 'he knows no other way'....as if complimenting him. That's fine if trying to make CarGo into a super hero, but for real and fantasy drafters and fans, CarGo has to play another way. Bryce Harper is young and stupid and is taking the same path as CarGo.
CarGo is old enough to know better. He'll be 29 this year.
He's never played over 145 games. Only 110 last year. That is the injuries talking.
Still, over the last four years, he has had at least 20/20 numbers. That is the talent talking.
The worst problem being September. When his owners need him the most, CarGo has found injury and/or reason not to play.
He didn't play at all last September and during the last three Septembers, which equals half of a season, CarGo has hit two homers.
CarGo is a lot easier to take in cheap drafts. If he pulls the bait and switch routine, we shrug our shoulders and knew the consequence.
For a Main Event team or expensive team, throats can get awfully scratchy before yelling his name as a first round choice.

Then, there are players like Pineda, or Beckett, or Jaime Garcia, or Corey Hart.
We BFD any off season reports saying their injuries are fine. They mean little. I picture Beckett playing a round of golf and calling a presser to proclaim health.
These players have not begun the real rigors of everyday health. Only rehabbing and feeling good about that.
As fantasy owners, we can't share in their rehabbing achievements. A lesson learned well from Corey Hart last year.
Players say not only what fans want to hear, but what they, themselves, want to believe.

Injuries stink. If fantasy baseball were a perfect world, there would not be any injuries. Each player drafted, playing a full year with owners either being happy or frustrated over their performance. Not, lack of performance.
But, it's not a perfect world. Bryce Harper is going to run into fences. Jacoby Ellsbury will find a teammate to collide with, and nobody in their right minds expects Justin Verlander to stop what he's doing.
As drafters, we're almost helpless.
I say 'almost' because we do know their histories. And their tendencies.
And although a player like Verlander proclaims he has found a mechanical flaw in his delivery....I have a friend who will be more concerned in who travels with him from town to town.

DOUGHBOYS wrote:We BFD any off season reports saying their injuries are fine. They mean little. I picture Beckett playing a round of golf and calling a presser to proclaim health.

I know I'm going to be embarrassed by the answer, but I have to ask...
What is BFD?

I've gone through too many years of Justin Morneau and Josh Hamilton. I go into a draft trying to avoid as many Tulo's as possible. Iinjuries are inevitable so I might as well stay away from those that are year-in and year-out DL hogs.

Last year it was Brian Roberts.....I knew it, I knew it, I knew it....but I did it anyway.

Ha!
I might be the one embarrassed. Before computers and texts with shortened talk, as kids, we had to learn to voice our feelings in front of adults. Without getting punished by adults.
BFD became a popular retort in response to a bragging kid. This kid might be thumping his chest a little too much and like adults, kids don't want to hear excessive bragging.
In short, 'Big F****** Deal ! Became BFD!

I know what you mean. We know the histories. We've even owned them before and felt the pain.
And still, we hear ourselves say, 'I'll take Brian Roberts!'
As soon as it is said, we hope it was the guy next to us that said his name. We write it down on paper to see if it at least LOOKS good. It doesn't.
We tell ourselves we'll never do it again.
And then, we do.

Dan awesome stuff

DOUGHBOYS wrote:Ha!
I might be the one embarrassed. Before computers and texts with shortened talk, as kids, we had to learn to voice our feelings in front of adults. Without getting punished by adults.
BFD became a popular retort in response to a bragging kid. This kid might be thumping his chest a little too much and like adults, kids don't want to hear excessive bragging.
In short, 'Big F****** Deal ! Became BFD!

I know what you mean. We know the histories. We've even owned them before and felt the pain.
And still, we hear ourselves say, 'I'll take Brian Roberts!'
As soon as it is said, we hope it was the guy next to us that said his name. We write it down on paper to see if it at least LOOKS good. It doesn't.
We tell ourselves we'll never do it again.
And then, we do.

Ahhh...no I've heard and used that idiom before. I just couldn't put it in context as it was written. Maybe an east coast thing.
My girlfriend is quite the mechanic. She was an aircraft mechanic in the Air Force ( and just for the record...she could be Kate Upton's older sister!). When I ask how she fixed something she tells me "PFM".
"Pure F****ing Magic". Pretty funny.

And guess what? I took Brian Roberts in the DC a couple weeks ago. He's in Yankee Stadium. He's in a new, stronger lineup.
Yada, yada, yada.
I make the DL Over/Under 30 games.