Ruby Every Day, not Just Ruby Tuesday's

[DOUGHBOYS]

We have a 50 round draft going on at the moment. Due to it taking longer than thought, I will not be running another e-mail draft after it. Greg has said that the NFBC Draft room should be up and running by Mid-late November and I won't be stealing any of that thunder.
Anyway, we are about to go into the 33rd round of this draft. And nobody has taken Jose Iglesias. It's not a surprise that nobody has taken him. All through Iglesias minor league career, the word has been that he could be one of the greatest fielding shortstops in baseball....but can't hit.
It's the 'But can't hit' part that fantasy baseball players see.
The Red Sox tried to force-feed Major League pitching to Iglesias last year and predictably, he hit .118 in 68 at bats.

In the meantime, the Mets enjoyed their year from their shortstop Ruben Tejada.
Tejada took over for Jose Reyes last year and pleased Met fans with his play. He hit near the top of the lineup some of the season and batted .289
You would think with credentials like that, that Tejada would be taken way ahead of Iglesias. He won't be.
Tejada was taken in the 30th round. In the first e-mail draft, a 30 rounder, Tejada wasn't chosen at all.
If Juan Pierre is a judy, let's call the the Ruben Tejada's of fantasy baseball, RUBY'S.

Ruby's are players with empty stats. Sure, Ruby Tejada hit .289 You'd expect a hitter that hit near the top of the lineup to score a bunch of runs too. Tejada scored 53. Worse, Tejada drove in 25, and even worse, one homer and four stolen bases.
In 68 at bats, while hitting .118, Iglesias had a homer and stolen base.
Tejada is a silent killer among fantasy teams. His kind will get you at bats and do nothing with them.
Cliff Pennington, who many think as just a so-so shortstop hit .215 last year. 74 points less than Tejada. Pennington still scored 50 runs. And for good measure, Pennington added six homers and 15 stolen bases...In less at bats!

Who are some of the other Ruby's from this past year?
In 611 at bats, Michael Young quietly killed teams with just eight homers and two stolen bases.
In 550 at bats, Carlos Lee had nine homers and three stolen bases.
Same with Yonder Alonso
Early in the season, Ryan Sweeney was a darling of faab pickups. He was hitting in the .330's for the Red Sox.
And when any hitter hits .330 for a high profiled team like the Red Sox, he becomes a free agent darling.
Sweeney finished the season, King of the Ruby's.
His average dropped to .260 and in 204 at bats, Sweeney accomplished what even Ruby Tejada could not do.
He didn't homer and he didn't steal a base.
Sweeney was the only player even with just 100 at bats to 'accomplish' that feat.
Ruby Sweeney will probably not be taken,even in 50 round drafts this year.

Even most backup catchers got a mysterious homer or stolen base.
I'd have rather had Victor Martinez starting for me than Josh Thole last year.
Ruby Thole had 321 at bats last year.
.234/24/1/21/0
The Mets moved in the fences and Thole hit one homer.
How can some pitchers accidentally hit home runs hitting 20 times, while Thole can't on purpose 321 times?
One of life's mysteries.
On draft day, Thole is the worst of Ruby's. Empty stats at a tough position.
Treat him on draft day as you would a puddle in front of your house for a week.
Avoid it.

Our drafts tend to run from five category players to one category players.
Judy's are avoided by some drafters as most tend to be a one category help.
Ruby's, are judy wannabee's.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Just one more thing to add....
The Ruby is after the Ruben in Tejada, but that slipper could be applied to the team as well.
It's been said for a long time that a baseball team is only as good as it's middle.
The catcher, shortstop, second baseman, and center fielder.

Look at the RUBYness of the Mets middle....

Thole- 321 at bats, one homer, no stolen bases.
Tejada-464 at bats, one homer, four stolen bases
Murphy- 571 at bats, six homers, 10 stolen bases
Torres- 374 at bats, three homers, 13 stolen bases

Total 1730 at bats, 11 homers, 27 stolen bases

11 players alone, beat those stats in MLB this past season.
Not playing much at the beginning of the season, Norichika Aoki had ten homers and 30 stolen bases.