"You Took Him Too Soon"
Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 12:52 am
Anybody who has played fantasy baseball for a long period of time has heard it. And if they haven't heard it, they've seen it on their computer screen.
'It' in this case is, "You took him too soon."
I had it said to me a draft or two ago.
Knee jerk reaction is to defend your pick and say, "Screw you and return my socks, willya? There under your wife's side of the bed".
After anger passes, fear comes in to play. I start doubting myself. I go through a bunch of scenarios with other players in my drafted players place to see if my team looks better. This exercise usually ends with anger re-appearing and wanting to tell the drafter if he could wash those socks before returning them to me.
"You took him too soon" is a dumbass thing to say. Not just because somebody said it to me once.
It actually goes back to ADP or Greg and Tom's favorite word, 'value'.
ADP assigns a price point in drafters minds. Those that follow ADP think that each pick should be in the same ball park as that players ADP.
Which is fine....if the name of our game was 'Beat ADP' and not fantasy baseball.
Last year, if we had chosen Josh Donaldson in the 18th round instead of the 20's, he would have been told, "You picked him too soon."
In reality, this drafter trusted Donaldson to have a better year than most third basemen at the bottom of the draft. The same guy that ridiculed the Donaldson drafter, cheated ADP and got Brett Lawrie at a bargain price, a round or two after his ADP.
And yes, the first thing he does is brag about the 'VALUE' he received.
So tell me, who got the REAL value?
After the season begins, we forget when we drafted most of our players. They all simply become, our players.
Nobody called John Buck a 'value pick' in any single draft held in the world.
That could be an under statement, I don't know.
But, when the season began and Buck put up an incredible April, Buck owners were all realizing real value. The round drafted meant little compared that he was rostered.
"You took him too soon".
There is no way around it. It pisses me off just writing those words. Worse, is hearing them.
I picture the drafters saying that line as we buy Microsoft stock early, while they wait to but it after the price balloons.
Why would they say this?
Lets take a name that goes around the 10th or 11th round of most drafts, Billy Butler.
Lets also say, I take him in the eighth round and hear those five godforsaken words, "You took him too soon."
There are three reasons why a drafter would say this.
1. He's a 'by the rules' type of guy. You know the type, he has a stick so far up his ass that he spits leaves.
His draft rotates around ADP. He thinks that every drafter should color in the lines. When they don't, he lets them know.
He has to. He's the ADP Policeman.
2. He wanted Billy Butler. He's pissed he didn't get Butler. So he chides the drafter for taking Butler before him.
Agitating him by saying he took him too soon, knowing that if he has another draft with this guy, that he may not take Butler as quickly. At least, that is the hope. Some call this 'Gekkoing'.
3. The 'know it all' drafter. He'll tell you that Butler could have been picked much later. He may even give you his ADP. Then, he'll give you a draft by draft update in where Butler went in all of his prior drafts.
There are four words to counter, "You took him too soon."
"I WANTED BILLY BUTLER". And not typed, but in my head is, "SO SCREW YOU!"
The one thing I love about draft day, whether it is a DC, a Main Event, or a Diamond is that everybody is wrong and everybody is right.
The season has not begun.
We can say Billy Butler was a stupid pick in the eighth round or that, "You took him too soon", but that guy doesn't know.
He THINKS he knows....but he doesn't know.
"You took him too soon".
It joins the list of things men don't want to hear.
It's annoying to hear, yes, but thankfully, does not rank near the top, such as these...
"We are auditing you"
"Let's watch figure skating"
"Is it in yet?"
'It' in this case is, "You took him too soon."
I had it said to me a draft or two ago.
Knee jerk reaction is to defend your pick and say, "Screw you and return my socks, willya? There under your wife's side of the bed".
After anger passes, fear comes in to play. I start doubting myself. I go through a bunch of scenarios with other players in my drafted players place to see if my team looks better. This exercise usually ends with anger re-appearing and wanting to tell the drafter if he could wash those socks before returning them to me.
"You took him too soon" is a dumbass thing to say. Not just because somebody said it to me once.
It actually goes back to ADP or Greg and Tom's favorite word, 'value'.
ADP assigns a price point in drafters minds. Those that follow ADP think that each pick should be in the same ball park as that players ADP.
Which is fine....if the name of our game was 'Beat ADP' and not fantasy baseball.
Last year, if we had chosen Josh Donaldson in the 18th round instead of the 20's, he would have been told, "You picked him too soon."
In reality, this drafter trusted Donaldson to have a better year than most third basemen at the bottom of the draft. The same guy that ridiculed the Donaldson drafter, cheated ADP and got Brett Lawrie at a bargain price, a round or two after his ADP.
And yes, the first thing he does is brag about the 'VALUE' he received.
So tell me, who got the REAL value?
After the season begins, we forget when we drafted most of our players. They all simply become, our players.
Nobody called John Buck a 'value pick' in any single draft held in the world.
That could be an under statement, I don't know.
But, when the season began and Buck put up an incredible April, Buck owners were all realizing real value. The round drafted meant little compared that he was rostered.
"You took him too soon".
There is no way around it. It pisses me off just writing those words. Worse, is hearing them.
I picture the drafters saying that line as we buy Microsoft stock early, while they wait to but it after the price balloons.
Why would they say this?
Lets take a name that goes around the 10th or 11th round of most drafts, Billy Butler.
Lets also say, I take him in the eighth round and hear those five godforsaken words, "You took him too soon."
There are three reasons why a drafter would say this.
1. He's a 'by the rules' type of guy. You know the type, he has a stick so far up his ass that he spits leaves.
His draft rotates around ADP. He thinks that every drafter should color in the lines. When they don't, he lets them know.
He has to. He's the ADP Policeman.
2. He wanted Billy Butler. He's pissed he didn't get Butler. So he chides the drafter for taking Butler before him.
Agitating him by saying he took him too soon, knowing that if he has another draft with this guy, that he may not take Butler as quickly. At least, that is the hope. Some call this 'Gekkoing'.
3. The 'know it all' drafter. He'll tell you that Butler could have been picked much later. He may even give you his ADP. Then, he'll give you a draft by draft update in where Butler went in all of his prior drafts.
There are four words to counter, "You took him too soon."
"I WANTED BILLY BUTLER". And not typed, but in my head is, "SO SCREW YOU!"
The one thing I love about draft day, whether it is a DC, a Main Event, or a Diamond is that everybody is wrong and everybody is right.
The season has not begun.
We can say Billy Butler was a stupid pick in the eighth round or that, "You took him too soon", but that guy doesn't know.
He THINKS he knows....but he doesn't know.
"You took him too soon".
It joins the list of things men don't want to hear.
It's annoying to hear, yes, but thankfully, does not rank near the top, such as these...
"We are auditing you"
"Let's watch figure skating"
"Is it in yet?"
