NFBC Message Boards

There are a lot of questions for me so far this season. It's what the beginning of a season does to us.
It is left to us to decipher what are trends and what are passing events that are magnified, simply because of the time of year.
Anyway, here are a few questions that I believe I already know the answers too.....

1. Chase Headley.
A lot of fantasy enthusiasts believe that Chase Headley used steroids during his gold year in San Diego.
Is he again?
As fantasy owners of guys like Headley, we don't care.
As long as he is not caught.
We're a little like being a bad Mother.
"Sure Chase, you can run with scissors, JUST DON'T TRIP!!"

2. Trey Mancini.
I've heard of a couple of guys named 'Trey' now.
No Uno, no Dos, No Cuatro or Cinco. I don't get that.
Anyway, this guy has ripped his way through the Minors.
Will it continue in the Bigs?
The domino's have fallen in front of him (Seth Smith injured, Gentry, crappy) that it looks like he'll get a good look.
I want him to succeed. It seems every writer's or RotoWorld post is slanted against him.

'Trey Mancini struck out in Friday's game at Boston. His three home runs and seven rbi were career highs, but the strike out is alarming. Mancini has now struck out 15 times while homering in 11 times in 18 games.
Expect regression soon.'

Ok, maybe it's not that bad, but it seems like scribes are treating Mancini like a Snickers in their bathtub.

3. Jose Bautista.
I keep telling friends that he'll start hitting.
Will he?
I think so. He's a hot and cold hitter. I just hope he doesn't get frostbite soon.

4. Jason Vargas and Lance Lynn
Two experienced pitchers coming back from Tommy John.
I love these types of guys.
They don't get a lot of love because NFBC folks are drawn to strike outs as Cops are drawn to donuts.
Will these two continue to pitch well?
Sure.
But Vargas is pitching over his and everybody's head right now.

5. Byron Buxton.
Will he hit?
Yes.
But for now, it should be at AA.
Yes, I said AA.
Let the kid work himself through the two top levels again.
Give him a couple of months. Not a couple of weeks.
He is a lost cause right now. And not helping himself or the Twins.

6. Josh Bell.
Is this kid a real Major League hitter?
No.
Pittsburgh has made it an annual habit of giving up at first base.
Go ahead and try to name as many good 1B that franchise has had since Willie Stargell.
The list is full of crappy players. Cervellian.
So, in that way, WELCOME Josh Bell!

7. David Price.
Will he be back soon?
I'd be darned surprised if he throws one pitch this year.
And, the way he and the Red Sox are avoiding the ultimate, he may not throw much next year either.

8. Anthony Rizzo.
During the off season, the media has built Rizzo into Superman.
Is he?
No.
Even Superman would have run out the towering pop fly that was caught in fair territory yesterday.
Rizzo, in Puigish fashion watched from the plate on a windy Wrigley day.
Nobody said much, but I was really disappointed in him.

9. Jameson Taillion and James Paxton.
Do these guys have a chance to be drafted in the second-fifth round next year?
Hell, yes.
Not, just yes. Hell yes.
Both have got everything needed to succeed. Even though Paxton has more 'experience', Taillion does not have the injury 'experience' that Paxton carries.
Just the same, both of these pitchers will rise in drafts for next year.

10. RotoBro
What'd you think of RotoBro's latest video in talking about Thames, Garrett, etc.?
He never misses a chance to bolster himself by saying "I own Thames" or "I'm in first place", does he?
Let's face it, the players he talked about were well drafted or owned before his video.
GO OUT ON A LIMB, ROTOBRO!
Show us what you got!
Talk about something BEFORE it happens, not after.
Be proactive, not reactive!
Tell us who goes high in faab this coming week.
Tell us a player who is struggling now that we should pick up on faab.
If making the effort to do a video, be different!
It is easy to gush about Garrett after a 12 strike out performance.
I believe that the kid will continue to strike out folks, but that his other numbers will go from wonderful to pedestrian.
Say something like that about some players!

DOUGHBOYS wrote: 2. Trey Mancini.
I've heard of a couple of guys named 'Trey' now.
No Uno, no Dos, No Cuatro or Cinco. I don't get that.

Well, I cannot speak for Momma and Daddy Mancini, but in my case, there was a Robert Wayne Edwards, Sr. (who used Robert or "Bobby"), and there was a Robert Wayne Edwards, Jr. (who went by Wayne or "Dammit" as in "Dammit, if the cat wanted the remote control jammed in there, the cat would have found a way to do it by itself!"),so when Robert Wayne Edwards, III came along and the first two formal names were still in use, we called him "Trey".

And it would be "Uno", "Dos", "Tres"...not Trey.

Signed,

Dammit

Edwards Kings wrote:

DOUGHBOYS wrote: 2. Trey Mancini.
I've heard of a couple of guys named 'Trey' now.
No Uno, no Dos, No Cuatro or Cinco. I don't get that.

Well, I cannot speak for Momma and Daddy Mancini, but in my case, there was a Robert Wayne Edwards, Sr. (who used Robert or "Bobby"), and there was a Robert Wayne Edwards, Jr. (who went by Wayne or "Dammit" as in "Dammit, if the cat wanted the remote control jammed in there, the cat would have found a way to do it by itself!"),so when Robert Wayne Edwards, III came along and the first two formal names were still in use, we called him "Trey".

And it would be "Uno", "Dos", "Tres"...not Trey.

Signed,

Dammit

Dear Dammit,

Ha!
I know about the whole uno dos tres thing.
I was trying make a point, not be right!
I've given up on that part of my game!

A friend of mine has a third generation same name as well. He is called Trey.
He says I am the only one that calls him 'Three'.

Signed,

Ah Crap

(The beginning of a sentence where my name would appear later)

Good stuff!

On a side note, I knew my father played a little baseball in that hotspot of Clyo, GA. He played second base and his nickname on the team, according to the annual was "Rapid Robert", which I take to be a similar nickname to someone calling me "Slim" as Dad was just about the most considered, deliberate person I knew. Anyway, while going through his stuff, I found a booklet that was given to him while he played ball. It was sponsored by the Ford Motor Company and based on an essay by Bert V. Dunne. It had to be produced in the '40's and had preface remarks from Joe Cronin. It was titled "Play Ball, Son!" and it went over many of the basic's of the game including how to throw, run, steal, tag, etc. You (as I did) would probably get a kick out it.

Love that stuff, Wayne!

I remember reading a book that was put out in the 50's or 60's called, 'THE BOY WHO HIT 1000'

A story about a kid who would never swing and miss at a pitch, but also could never hit the ball fair.
Today, he would be Joey Votto's hero, as every at bat, the kid would end up walking.
Until finally at the most opportune time, when his team needed a hit most, he hit a ball deep that touched the Foul Pole for a home run.

I think about that book often.
And think about how sabr's would idolize a player such as this today.
As a child, reading the book, I thought, "Big deal! He got one lousy hit all year!
I guess even back then, I was not a big fan of the base on balls