First Pitch Arizona 2008

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 5:13 am

The 14th annual Fantasy Baseball Symposium at the Arizona Fall League will be hosted by Ron Shandler and BaseballHQ.com on Oct. 31-Nov. 2 at the Phoenix Doubletree Suites Hotel. For me, it's the official baseball kickoff to the next season and with 120+ die-hard fantasy baseball enthusiasts it's a great meeting of the minds.

I'll be there as one of the guest speakers and will be arriving on Thursday, Oct. 30th and leaving Monday, Nov. 3rd. If you're in the area or plan on attending, let me know and we'll spend some time together. This is a fun, fun time filled with two games on Friday and Saturday and an afternoon game on Sunday. There's also a great sports bar on the ASU campus to watch NFL games on Sunday morning/afternoon.

Last year we had Shawn Childs, Terry Haney, Perry Van Hook, Todd Zola, Gene McCaffrey and John Menna, among other NFBC veterans in attendance and I'm sure we'll have more than a dozen again this year. An early-bird special has the cost at $259 for three days of seminars, tickets to the AFL games and a copy of the Baseball Forecaster. Plus I'll be there as a speaker, so you can have drinks with yours truly.

Anyway, it's a great way to start the new season. I'll see ya there or will do the scouting for you and give you my reviews upon my return. Thanks all and let's hope this is a short winter/off-season this year.

Walla Walla · Post by **Walla Walla** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 7:16 am

Will Ron do the 1300 AL Auction if I show up?

751542 · Post by **751542** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 8:32 am

i am confirming plane flights now...i missed last year because of the restaurant so i plan on making it this year..sounds like a great time and i know childs had a great time last year "shagging fly balls." the bonus is getting to watch the packers lose in your presence!!!

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 9:13 am

Originally posted by RoundTrippers:

i am confirming plane flights now...i missed last year because of the restaurant so i plan on making it this year..sounds like a great time and i know childs had a great time last year "shagging fly balls." the bonus is getting to watch the packers lose in your presence!!! Awesome. Let me know if you finalize that as we'll plan the gathering. If Shawn finishes in the money in the Ultimate maybe he will join us with those winnings!!

We need Shawn to protect us from all of those fly balls.

Packers play at Tennessee that Sunday. Ouch. You may get your wish!!

But it will still be fun. Awesome, see ya there.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 9:14 am

Originally posted by Walla Walla:

Will Ron do the 1300 AL Auction if I show up?

Probably not, but I'll let him know that you are the defending champ if you hold onto this lead. Maybe that will entice him.

I have a feeling we will sell out this $1300 AL Auction pretty quickly. That one always seems to bring back many of the same participants.

Walla Walla · Post by **Walla Walla** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 9:44 am

Greg, I'm not even in first place! I just want to see Ron play a real league like the NFBC. Not the HQ local league.

ToddZ · Post by **ToddZ** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 9:58 am

I know I will be forgetting some attendees as well, but KJ Duke, Brian Walton, Brian Feldman and Ray Murphy (from BBHQ) are more NFBC vets that were there last fall.

A few of us will be arriving a little earlier than Thursday and hook up at the parks during the day. I'll be arriving Tuesday in time for a game that afternoon, if anyone is coming in a little earlier, shoot me a note and I can let you know where we will be.

Walla Walla · Post by **Walla Walla** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 10:11 am

[ September 24, 2008, 09:57 AM: Message edited by: Walla Walla ]

BEF · Post by **BEF** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 12:42 pm

Originally posted by ToddZ:

I know I will be forgetting some attendees as well, but KJ Duke, Brian Walton, Brian Feldman and Ray Murphy (from BBHQ) are more NFBC vets that were there last fall.Yes, I'll be arriving early Thursday morning for my 10th consecutive year and, as always, am really looking forward to it. Great group of guys, watching great prospects in fantastic weather, nothing but fantasy baseball talk for 4 straight days.

And if you really want to make it a great trip, do what I do every year; when the symposium is over on Sunday, hop on an afternoon flight up to Vegas for a couple more days of fun!!!

See (some of) you there!

BEF

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 2:52 am

Ron said he would allow us to have an NFBC breakout session on Saturday morning for anyone who is interested. That's when the breakouts include Scoresheet, Strat-o-Matic and Rotisserie. Should be a good time to discuss the online championship, the NFBC and other issues. See ya in Phoenix in another month.

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:51 am

Greg:

I've always wanted to check this out in person. Might be able to pull off a Thurs - Sunday roadtrip, especially if this has an NFBC flavor.

I'll know better in about 5 days, depending on whether there is playoff game or not.

If I can't pull this off, it will be Todd Zola's fault!

[ September 24, 2008, 12:52 PM: Message edited by: Sack ]

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:24 am

Originally posted by Sack:

Greg:

I've always wanted to check this out in person. Might be able to pull off a Thurs - Sunday roadtrip, especially if this has an NFBC flavor.

I'll know better in about 5 days, depending on whether there is playoff game or not.

If I can't pull this off, it will be Todd Zola's fault! Sounds good. We have plenty of time to plan the fun or blame Zola!!

I trust the results of an NFBC league hinge on this decision!! You'll love the AFL.

ToddZ · Post by **ToddZ** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:37 am

Bring it on.

Another selling point is not only does Shawn clean up in the NFBC, there are nightly poker tourneys in a couple of the hotel rooms and he does pretty well there as well.

Ten years ago, we used to play and drink. Well, everyone else decided they were already good drinkers, they wanted to get batter at poker. I wanted to continue to strive to be a better drinker. I can hold my own against a bunch of sloshed card players. Once I became the only player still drinking, I decided it was time for Plan B, so now i just throw $40 on the table, tell them to give $20 to each of the winners and head out to Tempe and the bars.

viper · Post by **viper** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 9:08 am

it will be odd going to Phoenix and not playing golf but this time of year it is too expensive and I don't want to take clubs. I'm planning to get in Wednesday evening and leave Monday morning.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 10:04 am

Originally posted by viper:

it will be odd going to Phoenix and not playing golf but this time of year it is too expensive and I don't want to take clubs. I'm planning to get in Wednesday evening and leave Monday morning. Wow, I look forward to meeting you Mike. Awesome. You'll love the trips to the ballparks where you can sit anywhere you want and the weather is always nice!!

imported_Low Talkers · Post by **imported_Low Talkers** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:42 am

This was my first year in the NFBC, and will also be my first year attending First Pitch Arizona. If I am halfway as pleased with First Pitch as I was with the NFBC, it will be a great time! Look forward to seeing some of you there,

Dave Potts

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 5:32 am

Greg/Todd:

Looks like Zola is going to have to get me a discount on the Arizona rate.

Todd, well played and congrats on the NL Auction. Better watch your back, Childs is not happy! Well done.

ToddZ · Post by **ToddZ** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 7:26 am

Thanks Ken.

The AL Vegas auction gets the attention because the high profile guys usually do better over there, but the NL one is just as tough and now I have cashed in both (not the same year), but both nonetheless.

Now to work on this whole drafting thing....

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:31 am

Originally posted by ToddZ:

Thanks Ken.

The AL Vegas auction gets the attention because the high profile guys usually do better over there, but the NL one is just as tough and now I have cashed in both (not the same year), but both nonetheless.

Now to work on this whole drafting thing.... Hey, if anyone is up for it, we should do an NFBC Mock Draft out at the AFL and continue it online afterwards if we don't complete it. It would be fun to draft with a bunch of NFBC veterans out there and discuss why we took who we did in the early rounds. We can start it at our breakout session or even during one of the early sessions. Heck, pass around a sheet if needed.

We'll have more than 15 NFBC guys out there and this would be fun and informative. Let's see, just off the top of my head I know we'll have Rick Thomas, Todd Zola, Perry, Mike O'Connor, Dave Potts, Gene, John Menna, Brian Feldman, the list goes on and on. Anyone who wants to partake just let me know and we'll grab draft spots. Heck, grab one now and I'll get it set up.

You can NEVER mock draft too early and analyzing the picks is even more fun. See ya in the Valley of the Sun soon.

751542 · Post by **751542** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:08 am

count me in pick 9???

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:40 am

Originally posted by RoundTrippers:

count me in pick 9??? ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE SYMPOSIUM

NFBC MOCK DRAFT

Over beers, Saturday, Nov. 1st

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9. Rick Thomas

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

[ October 07, 2008, 03:41 PM: Message edited by: Greg Ambrosius ]

Sack · Post by **Sack** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:24 pm

Greg:

You are going to make this harder to pass up, aren't you?

Have you decided whether the FLA location next March is Orlando or Tampa? Thanks.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:36 pm

Originally posted by Sack:

Greg:

You are going to make this harder to pass up, aren't you?

Have you decided whether the FLA location next March is Orlando or Tampa? Thanks. You will love every second of Arizona if you join us, I promise. Los Gringos on the ASU campus after hours provides great eye candy, too, in case Chip wants to grow up in a hurry!!

We have two hotels in Tampa we are negotiating with now. I am leaning that way. Florida has the fifth most NFBC members, so remaining in Florida and trying to grow baseball in the South makes sense to me. I'm willing to try again in Tampa if we can make this right. And if we can host this at a hotel it has a better feel to it than at the Tampa Convention Center like we did in the past. Hang tight as we're closing in.

ToddZ · Post by **ToddZ** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 11:50 am

I'll mock, makes no difference what spot, let others that have a preference decide and I can fill in the blanks.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 1:40 pm

Originally posted by ToddZ:

I'll mock, makes no difference what spot, let others that have a preference decide and I can fill in the blanks. Come sit by me Todd!!! We'll switch chairs if Gene or John want one of our spots. Should be fun.

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE SYMPOSIUM

NFBC MOCK DRAFT

Over beers, Saturday, Nov. 1st

1.

2.

3.

4. Greg Ambrosius

5. Todd Zola

6.

7.

8.

9. Rick Thomas

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.