Pooch Kicking

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DOUGHBOYS
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Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:00 pm

Pooch Kicking

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Mon Dec 10, 2018 10:32 am

I have played fantasy sports since the 80's.
In that time, I have never punted a category. I have punted positions.
For instance, this years catcher crop is an easy punt. There are 15 similar catchers at the bottom of the heap that are all losing lotto tickets.
It makes little sense to be the first in line to buy a losing lotto ticket.

It is early in the drafting season and there will be plenty of changes unknown to us now.
So, in drafts now, I may 'pooch kick' a category.
Pooch kicking works better than a punt for me.
Pooch kicking is not punting a category, but not commiting fully to that category as well.
It could mean just one 'Definitely has a job' Closer.
Or one real speed guy.
For instance, only 11 teams in baseball have a bona fide Closer. Closers, like catchers, are mostly a pain in the ass for drafters.
Still, Closers are the only folks that can chalk up numbers in one of our categories, Saves.
So, mostly, I pooch kick.
Meaning I may draft one of those true Closers, but guess on the others.

Taking Kenley Jansen and Roberto Osuna just to nail down a category seems superfluous.
They, themselves have question marks in Jansen's heart health and Osuna's penchant for punches.
Hell, ask yourself, "Self, who is the safest Closer in baseball?" "A Closer who will start and end the year Closing for his team without much fear of health issues or being traded to a contender and being a set-up guy at the deadline?"
The Phillies, Marlins, Braves, Cubs, Cardinals, Brewers, Giants, Diamondbacks, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles, Rays, Royals, Twins, Indians, White Sox, Angels, Mariners, Rangers.
These are the teams without a bona fide Closer.
Some have a Closer with less than a half year of experience. Some have two or three 'Closers' on their roster.
We can say Morrow is the Cubs Closer, but then again we can't. Same with Knebel for Milwaukee.Etc.
But none of these teams are 100 per cent sure of having 'their guy'.
That leaves the Mets (Diaz), Washington (Doolittle), Cincinnati (Iglesias), Pittsburgh (Vazquez), Colorado (Davis), Dodgers (Jansen), Padres (Yates), Yankees (Chapman), Tigers (Greene), Astros (Osuna), Athletics (Treinen) as for sure Closers.
Now, let's cut down even further...
Doolittle has health problems and a shadow looming in Rosenthal.
Davis pitches for the Rockies. The toughest place to pitch in baseball.
Jansen has heart problems.
I gave Yates the benefit of a doubt. He pitched well all year last year. Still, he has only been a Closer for 10 minutes.
Chapman has many health problems and has Delin Betances waiting to increase his contract numbers in the wings.
We can eliminate Greene. Either bad performance or a trade will send him on his way.
Osuna will have an off-field cross to bear all year.
That leaves Diaz, Iglesias, Vazquez, and Treinen as the only Closers in baseball that I can feel secure in starting and ending the year as a Closer for their team.
And from a personal point of view, I don't trust Vazquez much.
I'll bet your list varies from mine. This is just my reckonings.

So I pooch kick.
I will draft one of the 11 possible Closers and take my chances on others.
It is what drafting this early in the season gives us.
We don't know many answers now that will become apparent to EVERYBODY when drafting in late March.
Our current teams could have zero to five Closers come April.
We don't know.
Pooch kicking just offers me a better chance of having at least one Closer on my team.
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

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