NFBC Weekly Profile - Jody Earley

[Tom Kessenich]

Jody Earley is no fantasy baseball rookie by any means. He began playing CDM games in the early ‘90s and has been playing in the NFBC the past three years. Earley definitely has seen it all when it comes to fantasy baseball.

So when he says his NFBC XII team features the best offense he’s ever had that is saying something. Certainly, one look at the event’s overall standings indicates Earley’s statement is hardly a meaningless boast.

Earley’s March 31 Online team remains perched atop the standings, nearly 30 points ahead of Glenn Lowy’s second-place team entering the weekend’s action. For the 58-year-old
Earley, the key to his team’s strong start has been easy to identify.

Offense.

Lots and lots of offense.

“This is the best hitting team I have ever had in any year,” he said. “I am usually best at picking the pitching staff but my pitching side is where I need the most improvement.”

Earley’s team has all the offensive categories covered with high-end producers so far. Mark Trumbo (.370) and Starlin Castro (.323) have provided the batting average sizzle, while Curtis Granderson (13 home runs), Carlos Gonzalez (30 RBIs) and Nick Swisher (26 RBIs) have provided the power. Castro has also delivered plenty of speed, swiping 12 bases.

“I felt I drafted a good team the night we picked our Online league,” Earley said. “I have a deep outfield and at shortstop. I was weak at closer but I was able to pick up Rafael Soriano (as a free agent) last weekend. It has surprised me the trouble everyone is having at closer this year, including me.

“Another surprise is how good a hitter Trubmo is. I knew he could hit but now that I have seen him play he is very impressive. I was able to get him in the 16th round which was a bargain.”

In addition to his Online NFBC XII team, Earley also drafted live in St. Louis this year. It was there he finally met one of the founding fathers of fantasy sports.

“I got to meet Charlie Wiegert from CDM in the XII draft there,” Earley said. “He actually sat next to me and we were able to visit quite a bit. I have talked to him from time to time on the phone but finally got to meet him. He is a fine person and that was a good time.”

With only six weeks of action in the books, the season is far from over. Plenty of twists and turns await which is why Earley is happy his team has gotten off to such a strong start.

“I know it is only mid-May but I am enjoying the success while I can,” he said. “I have a comfortable lead in my league at this time but I know it will change. I know some of the players and they are very good. I am keeping a watch on them every day.

“A lot can happen in six months and it will. That is why I love fantasy baseball.”

I am 58 and retired from AT&T last June so I have more time to work on stats and watch more baseball games. I live in a city outside Birmingham, AL called Midfield hence the team name. I attend some of the Birmingham Barons games who are an affiliate of the White Sox. I have seen some great players come thru here.

[Midfield Thinkers]

Very flattered I was profiled...Big thing to me....My quote about the Barons was significant...One thing I saw Jack McDowell come thru with a 6-0(?) record to play at Rickwood only to get racked up by the Barons for his wakeup call to pro ball..Watched him warm up for the game...He was good...Great stuff.

I have my own theory about todays players and their injuries which are killing us all...They work hard at lifting weights and running steps and sprints and stuff...Just not natural...They need to swim more.

Swimming in a gravity free environment exercises all muscles as well as the cardiovascular...But how many times have you seen any of todays players in a pool...Never.

This summer as you watch the Olympics and ask yourself who the best conditioned athletes are...It will be the swimmers and the gymnasts who do not run steps or do weights.

If I owned a team in MLB I would have a pool and have mandatory workouts there every day...That would cut down the injuries and no one would breathe hard after legging out a triple...Believe me...Just my thought...

[Edwards Kings]

If I owned a team in MLB I would have a pool and have mandatory workouts there every day...That would cut down the injuries and no one would breathe hard after legging out a triple...Believe me...Just my thought...

Congrats on the write-up! Well deserved!

I understand what you say about swimming, but Prince Fielder in a speedo?