Live Chat Tonight: Ask Away

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 2:31 pm

Yes, Gordon, in your scenario we'd keep going back to the Minnesota Vikings. If you can't make a decision in a minute, you deserve to wait one more pick and have another minute to make a player selection. That's just the way it goes.

If someone picks a player who has already been selected, our draft facilitators will give that person an extra 15 seconds to pick a new player. We will stick to the rules on this, but we obviously will make sure everyone gets a fair shake at another pick.

viper · Post by **viper** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 2:33 pm

Does anyone think it is likely that closers will be drafted earlier than normal. In most leagues, failure to get enough closers can easily be resolved by trades and being quick on the FA trigger. In this league, trades are significantly lacking and FAs can be costly.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 2:33 pm

One of the reasons I came back into the office tonight was to finish that project with the game site. Our IT department did not complete their job of making the site live today, so hopefully we'll get that done tomorrow morning. I'm contacting STATS right now to set up a morning meeting to complete this project.

I hope you'll have a chance to see the game site on Wednesday.

seefer · Post by **seefer** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 2:35 pm

Greg, I don't think a team should be given an extra 15 seconds to make another pick if they have picked someone who is already chosen. That would just allow a person (who me? Heavens no) to call out Albert Pujols when he can't come up with a name in the 22nd round! Then he could just call out Helton, and voila, the schmoe has bought himself an extra 30 seconds!!!

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 2:35 pm

I don't think anyone will chime in about the closers, but they will be an interesting lot in this draft. Some guys may just hope that closers are determined during the year and use their FAAB on them. Also, can you win a league title with two closers or does it pay to get three and jump ahead of your 14 other competitors? All interesting strategies indeed. I can hardly wait to find out the answers and I'm not even playing.

Gordon Gekko · Post by **Gordon Gekko** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 2:36 pm

Originally posted by viper:

Does anyone think it is likely that closers will be drafted earlier than normal. In most leagues, failure to get enough closers can easily be resolved by trades and being quick on the FA trigger. In this league, trades are significantly lacking and FAs can be costly. Gagne goes in the top 20, easy.

viper · Post by **viper** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 2:37 pm

Given that some rules are still be fine tuned, I would suggest that if a team messed up twice in one selection, they will be bypassed for that turn

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 2:39 pm

Seefer, even the best guys miss a pick earlier in the draft. We will definitely be lenient to a missed selection and allow a 15-second mulligan. If you want to holler out Albert Pujols in the 22nd round to get an extra 15 seconds, be my guess and get ready to receive the wrath of your fellow owners. Everyone has to be sharp during the draft and stay on top of all the player selections, but we're not going to be that cut-throat about it. Hell, in LABR I bid past my maximum total late in the draft as I miscalculated by $1 and I picked two guys in the last round of the reserve round that were already picked. Nobody killed me and I tend to think I know what I'm doing. But we're all human and the added 15 seconds won't kill anyone.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 2:46 pm

Okay, any more questions? If not, good luck everyone with your draft preparations. We're still getting a lot of calls and e-mails from people wanting to get in the NFBC, but there sure are a lot of people still deciding whether they want to play in the NFBC or not. Gordon & Co, be at your best behavior on these boards so as to not scare them away. We want everyone who feels they are capable of winning the grand prize to enter. The more the merrier, right?

viper · Post by **viper** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 2:46 pm

I find it interesting the disparity in teams between the NFBC and the WCOFB. This reminds me of the WCOFF's 1st season when they tried to get 600 teams but fell about 50 short. I believe they maxed out last season. I suspect that at least 210-225 will be our final count this year but next year will reach the full 300. It would be great get a full 300 however even if it widened the odds to win.

Gordon Gekko · Post by **Gordon Gekko** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 2:48 pm

Originally posted by viper:

For those who have drafted in this style of league before (large rosters and no trades), do most teams try to draft a balanced team or are there a myriad of drafting schemes used. Best bet is to punt SB and Saves. Load up on everything else.

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 2:52 pm

We're doing our best to get to 300, but baseball is a tough animal. Also, I think people want to be convinced that we're here to stay before committing to us. We'll put on a first-class event and contest and see if it's enough to convince those who miss out this year to try us next year. But everyone who supports us this year obviously has first dibs on any event we do going forward. I'm a loyal SOB, that's for sure, and I don't forget those who stood by me early.

seefer · Post by **seefer** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 2:54 pm

I disagree with Gordon and say the best strategy is to punt Power Hitters. No need for those guys.

Gordon Gekko · Post by **Gordon Gekko** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 2:55 pm

How can an owner know specifically which players are on a team's 40 man roster? Is there a specific source you go by?

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 3:00 pm

USA Today just printed them last Tuesday and Wednesday. Listen, if there's a player in question that you're not sure is on a 40-man roster, pick him and we'll deal with it. Basically that player must stick with the major league team by Opening Day to stick on your team because if he's signed to a minor-league contract and doesn't stick in the bigs he's usually cut or not added to the 40-man. If he's not on the 40-man, STATS won't have him on a free agent list until he gets called up again.

BB of the Leaderboard · Post by **BB of the Leaderboard** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 3:02 pm

Originally posted by Gordon Gekko:

How can an owner know specifically which players are on a team's 40 man roster? That guesswork is eliminated as the rules say the 40-man rosters to be used for the auction will be available to all owners. See Rule 2. Its the "plus" guys that will engender the guesswork.

viper · Post by **viper** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 3:04 pm

But to continue on gordon "gagne" gekko's question, I assume if you draft a player who fails to make a 40-man roster, you have the choice to just hold him and hope he gets added later. That was certainly implied by Greg this afternoon when we discussed UUU.

Gordon Gekko · Post by **Gordon Gekko** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 3:06 pm

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

USA Today just printed them last Tuesday and Wednesday. Perfect, I'll get em.

Gordon Gekko · Post by **Gordon Gekko** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 3:09 pm

Originally posted by BB of the Leaderboard:

That guesswork is eliminated as the rules say the 40-man rosters to be used for the auction will be available to all owners. See Rule 2. Its the "plus" guys that will engender the guesswork. I'd like to have the lists well in advance.

Gordon Gekko · Post by **Gordon Gekko** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 3:18 pm

Originally posted by Greg Ambrosius:

Gordon & Co, be at your best behavior on these boards so as to not scare them away. We want everyone who feels they are capable of winning the grand prize to enter. The more the merrier, right? Quite a few of my posts are in jest, but I'll be honest for at least this post. Anyone can do well in this event. Overall success will be a combination of fantasy skill and dumb luck...players get hurt, draft this year's J.Lopez and E.Loaiza, etc... Heck, I'll be doing good to finish in the top half of all entrants.

Worst Russian Ever · Post by **Worst Russian Ever** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 4:05 pm

How is the Al only Auction League in Vegas doing? Has it been filled or will it be filled?

Dyv · Post by **Dyv** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 5:34 pm

Originally posted by Worst Russian Ever:

How is the Al only Auction League in Vegas doing? Has it been filled or will it be filled? Rusky: The draft at least count was 3 people short of being filled. I'm perfectly confident that Greg will either fill it or use his 'plan B' to fill it. I'm 100% confident the AL auction league in Vegas will go as scheduled. Greg will make it work.

Join up with confidence - and I'll see you there

Dave

Greg Ambrosius · Post by **Greg Ambrosius** » Tue Mar 09, 2004 11:52 pm

Yes, we have 9 for the AL Auction League in Las Vegas and 11 for the NL Auction League. Both will go off as planned, so plan on bidding by 4 p.m. on Friday, March 19th. I'll put on a fullcourt press to get these final slots filled, but if not we'll come up with a solution together to make the prize structure work. Since there are fewer teams, maybe we eliminate the third place prize or something like that to still come up with the same payout structure. Keep the faith.