The Roto Commish

A terrific trio for 2012.

The Roto Commish — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 04:16:24 +0000

Brett Lawrie - current ADP is around 40.

Eric Hosmer - current ADP is around 54.

Starlin Castro - current ADP is around 53.

Folks, let me put this as succinctly as possible. These guys will all be in the top 25 next year, possibly pushing higher than that. A trio this talented going at these ADP's=very good value=A Championship. Get your 1st and 2nd pick with any stud you choose and then lock these guys up in the 3rd, 4th and 5th rounds. I have targeted these guys in my drafts without reservation. Let the others come up with reasons not to draft them. Come the end of the season, you will be smiling!

A razor thin margin.

The Roto Commish — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 02:14:25 +0000

Have you ever had a close finish in your league? How close is close? My 2009 championship in the NOLA FBA (a longstanding league I am commissioner of) was the closest that I have ever seen or heard of. It literally came down to the afternoon games on the last day of the MLB season. No kidding, it sounds like a joke but it is the truth. I would have never dreamed that after 6 months of baseball stats, 2 teams' championship aspirations rested on a couple of home runs and a couple of stolen bases. On my team Jayson Werth stole 2 bases on the last day, Ryan Braun one. Another team hit a couple of HR's, thus not allowing my competition to gain any ground on me. And that was that. A margin of victory of 2.5 points. My first championship after 20+ grueling years of 2nd place finishes, injury riddled teams, and admittedly at times lackluster judgment/performance on my part. I sweated the next few nights thinking that Yahoo would make some sort of stat correction that would continue my long frustration of non-championship seasons. Thankfully, the corrections never came, the scores stood as posted, and the hardware was mine for a year.

I would be interested to hear if anyone has had it come down to the last day or something like that. FYI, this was a 5x5, 10 team league. If you have, please comment below or send me an email: therotocommish@gmail.com. Thanks!

A better way to handle league issues/proposed changes.

The Roto Commish — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 00:51:53 +0000

Changes/Issues in your league--how do you handle it?

Let me just start by saying that few things in life are absolute. Spare me the tired death and taxes axiom. I've got something else that is ABSOLUTE TRUTH. It's this-Absolute Life Truth #3- if you want a guaranteed way to waste a bunch of your time inefficiently and get frustrated, trying resolving league issues via the email route. Believe me, I've done it and it isn't fun, unless you like sifting and searching through various emails about what was said, how someone voted, etc. Not to mention, replying and forwarding and trying to make sure everyone got the same email you got which shows how a league member voted on an issue. Also, there is the problem of retrieving this info after a year or two has passed if you need to.

What to do? I have found a quick, efficient way to tidy up league votes and issues. The answer -- Google Forms - which is found in Google Docs. Not only does it save you time as commissioner, but league members get a fast way to cast their votes on various issues and see how others have voted with out having to go through email after email themselves. This is a picture of the form our league used this year to vote on some issues or proposed changes that have come up. From year to year it can be quickly accessed by anyone in our league to see how they or someone else may have voted. I can either send them the document again or they can see it posted on our "Winter Meetings" section of our league website.

So anyway, it may be something that you want to try. Google forms can be found here.

Adding another dimension to your league.

The Roto Commish — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 03:03:58 +0000

Late in the fantasy baseball season things can get a little "long in the tooth" for some teams if you know what I mean. As League Commissioner, keeping all teams engaged throughout the season can be a challenge. This season our league instituted a developmental player slot for each team. I would hazard a guess and say that it went well in our first year and definitely added some excitement towards the end of our season. Our developmental player draft starts in August of each year. You can check our (Developmental Player Page) portion of our league website here. It has all the rules that we use and how we lay it out. Our main league page can be found here. If you are looking for a way improve your league or change it up a little bit, something like this might just be the trick you are looking for.

The inaugural year of The Roto Commish-now what?

The Roto Commish — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 04:27:35 +0000

This season has been a great learning experience in my first year of this website. It takes a tremendous amount of time, effort and skill to put together a website like this. I hope that this site has provided some value for anyone that has run across it. At times, my posts and new content have been sparse. Life has a way of taking time away from one's hobbies or avocations. Yes, this is somewhat of a hobby for me-but a serious one nonetheless. A website like this does not generate enough revenue to pay for its costs, so I pay the bills with my real job and contribute what I can here as time permits after FAMILY-my #1 priority and passion.

I do plan to continue this site for many years to come, whether I generate any revenue or not. Making money was never my first priority with this site to begin with. It is more of an outlet of expression for the game that I enjoy greatly.

There are many plans in the works for TRC and I hope to implement as many as I can. Hopefully, it will continue to improve each year. So thanks to all you fantasy baseballers out there for stopping by. Come back again from time to time or subscribe to the RSS feed. You never know what will pop up next.

Sincerely,

The Roto Commish

Don't Take Your Eye Off The Ball!

The Roto Commish — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:34:32 +0000

We are in the stretch run of the fantasy baseball season. The contenders have separated themselves from the pretenders and glory soon approaches for the soon to be champion. Any moves good or bad at this point may well be the difference. Here are two quick things to think of with trades you may be trying to pull off up against your league's deadline.

If you have a substantial lead in a category, look to make a can't refuse offer to another team that may take points away from your competition. For example, trading your stud closer to a team that may not be in the running but could take that crucial point away from your nearest competition as they pass them up in the saves category. You may not get a great player in return, so on the surface it may look like it was a bad trade for you. But if it takes away a point from a team you are in the running with, well then, your trade was a success no matter who you got in the deal.

Often when trying to make a deal I will send links about the player/s to the team I am trying to trade with. Finding some good info in the form of an article or two and then sending it with the trade offer could be the difference in whether a trade goes through. Everyone gets pumped when they read good things about their players. At the very least it can't hurt. It's all about selling the deal.

2010 NOLA FBA Draft Notes.

The Roto Commish — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:32:00 +0000

The 11th year of the the NOLA FBA got underway on Wednesday the 24th with our live snaking draft. It is a five player keeper league with 10 teams using standard 5x5 scoring. You can check out our league site here.

My first observation is a question. What's the worst possible thing that could happen during a live online draft? Yes, you guessed it-a crappy internet connection. Well, I soldiered on without losing a connection during the draft. Although, I was not able to have any other tabs open during the draft. Here's out it unfolded:

League Roster Settings/10 team 5x5

Roster Positions:	C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, OF, OF, OF, Util, SP, SP, RP, RP, P, P, P, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, DL, DL, DL, DL, DL
Batters Stat Categories:	Runs (R), Home Runs (HR), Runs Batted In (RBI), Stolen Bases (SB), Batting Average (AVG)
Pitchers Stat Categories:	Wins (W), Saves (SV), Strikeouts (K), Earned Run Average (ERA), (Walks + Hits)/ Innings Pitched (WHIP)

*** Our first 5 rounds are all keepers from last year ***

*** My team is Bluff Court Blue Sox ***

2010 NOLA FBA Draft by Round

Round 1

1. Álex Rodríguez Bluff Court ...
2. Carl Crawford MB Artful Do...
3. Kevin Youkilis Craig Who?
4. Roy Halladay The Original...
5. Mark Teixeira The Throwbac...
6. Prince Fielder Hatherly Hit...
7. Matt Kemp Cluck Regain...
8. Troy Tulowitzki Triple Threat
9. Albert Pujols The Bullets
10. Chase Utley MACAQUE 2B #...

Round 2

1. Jacoby Ellsbury MACAQUE 2B #...
2. Ian Kinsler The Bullets
3. Joe Mauer Triple Threat
4. Evan Longoria Cluck Regain...
5. Hanley Ramírez Hatherly Hit...
6. Ryan Howard The Throwbac...
7. Tim Lincecum The Original...
8. Brandon Phillips Craig Who?
9. Justin Upton MB Artful Do...
10. Ryan Braun Bluff Court ...

Round 3

1. Grady Sizemore Bluff Court ...
2. Jimmy Rollins MB Artful Do...
3. Dan Haren Craig Who?
4. Víctor Martínez The Original...
5. Matt Holliday The Throwbac...
6. Cole Hamels Hatherly Hit...
7. Adrián González Cluck Regain...
8. David Wright Triple Threat
9. Chris Carpenter The Bullets
10. José Reyes MACAQUE 2B #...

Round 4

1. Brian Roberts MACAQUE 2B #...
2. Jonathan Papelbon The Bullets
3. Ichiro Suzuki Triple Threat
4. Zack Greinke Cluck Regain...
5. Josh Beckett Hatherly Hit...
6. Brian McCann The Throwbac...
7. Ryan Zimmerman The Original...
8. Adam Wainwright Craig Who?
9. Aaron Hill MB Artful Do...
10. Dustin Pedroia Bluff Court ...

Round 5

1. Félix Hernández Bluff Court ...
2. Justin Verlander MB Artful Do...
3. Jonathan Broxton Craig Who?
4. Mariano Rivera The Original...
5. Hunter Pence The Throwbac...
6. Miguel Cabrera Hatherly Hit...
7. Robinson Canó Cluck Regain...
8. CC Sabathia Triple Threat
9. Johan Santana The Bullets
10. Adam Lind MACAQUE 2B #...

Round 6 - I was glad Werth fell to me with pick #60. Good value there.

1. Pablo Sandoval MACAQUE 2B #...
2. Joey Votto The Bullets
3. Kendry Morales Triple Threat
4. Mark Reynolds Cluck Regain...
5. Ben Zobrist Hatherly Hit...
6. Jon Lester The Throwbac...
7. Justin Morneau The Original...
8. Derek Jeter Craig Who?
9. Aramis Ramírez MB Artful Do...
10. Jayson Werth Bluff Court ...

Round 7 - Since Lester was already gone, I was torn between Hanson and Gallardo. Went with Hanson because I think he will be another Lincecum.

1. Tommy Hanson Bluff Court ...
2. B.J. Upton MB Artful Do...
3. Nick Markakis Craig Who?
4. Cliff Lee The Original...
5. Andrew Bailey The Throwbac...
6. Jason Bay Hatherly Hit...
7. Curtis Granderson Cluck Regain...
8. Yovani Gallardo Triple Threat
9. Andre Ethier The Bullets
10. Josh Johnson MACAQUE 2B #...

Round 8 - Wieters, Wieters, Wieters-stolen from me in this round. But very happy with McCutchen. Jimenez, Cruz, Choo all provide solid value here.

1. Clayton Kershaw MACAQUE 2B #...
2. Ubaldo Jiménez The Bullets
3. Carlos Lee Triple Threat
4. Nelson Cruz Cluck Regain...
5. Matt Wieters Hatherly Hit...
6. Michael Young The Throwbac...
7. Shin-Soo Choo The Original...
8. Chone Figgins Craig Who?
9. Josh Hamilton MB Artful Do...
10. Andrew McCutchen Bluff Court ...

Round 9 - Felt like I had to get a top closer here. Soria was still there.

1. Joakim Soria Bluff Court ...
2. Adam Dunn MB Artful Do...
3. Shane Victorino Craig Who?
4. Heath Bell The Original...
5. Javier Vázquez The Throwbac...
6. Carlos Quentin Hatherly Hit...
7. Wandy Rodríguez Cluck Regain...
8. Dan Uggla Triple Threat
9. Gordon Beckham The Bullets
10. José Valverde MACAQUE 2B #...

Round 10 - Hoping the Hound Dog builds on last year.

1. Francisco Rodríguez MACAQUE 2B #...
2. Brian Wilson The Bullets
3. Carlos Mármol Triple Threat
4. Chad Billingsley Cluck Regain...
5. Jair Jurrjens Hatherly Hit...
6. Brian Fuentes The Throwbac...
7. Derrek Lee The Original...
8. Matt Cain Craig Who?
9. Rafael Soriano MB Artful Do...
10. Elvis Andrus Bluff Court ...

Round 11 - Butler a solid pick, but in retrospect wish I would have taken Nolasco and got Garrett Jones later for my 1B position.

1. Billy Butler Bluff Court ...
2. Carlos Peña MB Artful Do...
3. David Aardsma Craig Who?
4. Jason Bartlett The Original...
5. Jake Peavy The Throwbac...
6. Leo Núñez Hatherly Hit...
7. Ricky Nolasco Cluck Regain...
8. Chad Qualls Triple Threat
9. Stephen Drew The Bullets
10. Francisco Cordero MACAQUE 2B #...

Round 12 - Abreu provides great value here for Craig Who. I love my pick of Brett Anderson here.

1. Michael Bourn MACAQUE 2B #...
2. Jorge Posada The Bullets
3. Jered Weaver Triple Threat
4. Asdrubal Cabrera Cluck Regain...
5. John Danks Hatherly Hit...
6. Roy Oswalt The Throwbac...
7. Torii Hunter The Original...
8. Bobby Abreu Craig Who?
9. Huston Street MB Artful Do...
10. Brett Anderson Bluff Court ...

Round 13 - As you may have seen in my Dirty Dozen picks, I am a firm believer in Gavin Floyd.

1. Gavin Floyd Bluff Court ...
2. Scott Baker MB Artful Do...
3. Matt Garza Craig Who?
4. Denard Span The Original...
5. Lance Berkman The Throwbac...
6. Álex Ríos Hatherly Hit...
7. Ryan Dempster Cluck Regain...
8. Nyjer Morgan Triple Threat
9. Jason Heyward The Bullets
10. Michael Cuddyer MACAQUE 2B #...

Round 14 - I'm a believer in Bruce, especially with pick #140.

1. Billy Wagner MACAQUE 2B #...
2. Frank Francisco The Bullets
3. Trevor Hoffman Triple Threat
4. Ryan Franklin Cluck Regain...
5. Jorge Cantú Hatherly Hit...
6. Nate McLouth The Throwbac...
7. Stephen Strasburg The Original...
8. Jason Kubel Craig Who?
9. John Lackey MB Artful Do...
10. Jay Bruce Bluff Court ...

Round 15 - Now that Lidge will be healthy(fingers crossed) after a short stint on the DL, I'm hoping for a semblance of 2008.

1. Brad Lidge Bluff Court ...
2. Carlos Beltrán MB Artful Do...
3. Edwin Jackson Craig Who?
4. Adam Jones The Original...
5. Rajai Davis The Throwbac...
6. Alexei Ramírez Hatherly Hit...
7. Octavio Dotel Cluck Regain...
8. James Shields Triple Threat
9. Raúl Ibañez The Bullets
10. Randy Wolf MACAQUE 2B #...

Round 16 - Liriano and Slowey for me in the 16th and 17th. I think they will be super solid for the Twins this year. I am very comfortable getting them here.

1. Rick Porcello MACAQUE 2B #...
2. A.J. Burnett The Bullets
3. Chris Coghlan Triple Threat
4. Bobby Jenks Cluck Regain...
5. Matt Capps Hatherly Hit...
6. José López The Throwbac...
7. Brandon Webb The Original...
8. Mike González Craig Who?
9. Ian Stewart MB Artful Do...
10. Francisco Liriano Bluff Court ...

Round 17 - I was hoping Suzuki would last until the next round, but I was wrong. I probably could have waited on Slowey a round and should have taken Suzuki here.

1. Kevin Slowey Bluff Court ...
2. Scott Kazmir MB Artful Do...
3. Matt Lindstrom Craig Who?
4. Rickie Weeks The Original...
5. Ben Sheets The Throwbac...
6. Manny Ramírez Hatherly Hit...
7. Kurt Suzuki Cluck Regain...
8. Jon Rauch Triple Threat
9. Brandon Lyon The Bullets
10. Yunel Escobar MACAQUE 2B #...

Round 18 - With my mancrush for Wieters smashed and Suzuki gone, I go with my 3rd choice Soto.

1. Mark Buehrle MACAQUE 2B #...
2. Carlos Zambrano The Bullets
3. Jorge De La Rosa Triple Threat
4. Julio Borbón Cluck Regain...
5. Jeff Niemann Hatherly Hit...
6. Juan Pierre The Throwbac...
7. Matt Thornton The Original...
8. Chris Pérez Craig Who?
9. Jonathan Sánchez MB Artful Do...
10. Geovany Soto Bluff Court ...

Round 19- I am forced to take Madson as insurance/filler for Lidge.

1. Ryan Madson Bluff Court ...
2. Jason Frasor MB Artful Do...
3. Miguel Montero Craig Who?
4. Mike Adams The Original...
5. Erick Aybar The Throwbac...
6. Mike Napoli Hatherly Hit...
7. Chris Davis Cluck Regain...
8. Carlos González Triple Threat
9. Max Scherzer The Bullets
10. Shaun Marcum MACAQUE 2B #...

Round 20 - I like the spring that Hudson had and feel like it will be a good year for him. Duchscherer was a solid pick by MB Artful in this round.

1. Howie Kendrick MACAQUE 2B #...
2. Alcides Escobar The Bullets
3. Neftali Feliz Triple Threat
4. Clay Buchholz Cluck Regain...
5. Rich Harden Hatherly Hit...
6. Kevin Gregg The Throwbac...
7. Michael Wuertz The Original...
8. Johnny Damon Craig Who?
9. Justin Duchscherer MB Artful Do...
10. Tim Hudson Bluff Court ...

Round 21- Hoping Bell gets traded, if not Gregerson should provide good #'s from the middle relief spot.

1. Luke Gregerson Bluff Court ...
2. Magglio Ordóñez MB Artful Do...
3. Kevin Correia Craig Who?
4. Vernon Wells The Original...
5. Russell Martin The Throwbac...
6. Aaron Harang Hatherly Hit...
7. David Price Cluck Regain...
8. Ryan Ludwick Triple Threat
9. Kerry Wood The Bullets
10. David Ortiz MACAQUE 2B #...

Round 22 - I was so/so on Santana. I have since dropped him and picked up Brian Matusz.

1. Chipper Jones MACAQUE 2B #...
2. Brad Hawpe The Bullets
3. Ryan Theriot Triple Threat
4. Matt Guerrier Cluck Regain...
5. J.A. Happ Hatherly Hit...
6. Fernando Rodney The Throwbac...
7. Erik Bedard The Original...
8. Bengie Molina Craig Who?
9. Drew Stubbs MB Artful Do...
10. Ervin Santana Bluff Court ...

Round 23 - Carmona was unbelievable this spring. I'm drinking the cool-aid, I think he's back.

1. Fausto Carmona Bluff Court ...
2. Nick Johnson MB Artful Do...
3. Hiroki Kuroda Craig Who?
4. Vladimir Guerrero The Original...
5. Mark DeRosa The Throwbac...
6. Johnny Cueto Hatherly Hit...
7. Marco Scutaro Cluck Regain...
8. Justin Smoak Triple Threat
9. Aroldis Chapman The Bullets
10. Cody Ross MACAQUE 2B #...

Round 24- I like Blanks but have since dropped him for Clay Buchholz who became available. I feel offense is easier to pick up than starting pitcher, at least in our 10 team league. So I like to have as many arms as possible to choose from. Garrett Jones- a good later round pick by CW.

1. Bronson Arroyo MACAQUE 2B #...
2. Alfonso Soriano The Bullets
3. Desmond Jennings Triple Threat
4. Yadier Molina Cluck Regain...
5. Daisuke Matsuzaka Hatherly Hit...
6. Ted Lilly The Throwbac...
7. Randy Wells The Original...
8. Garrett Jones Craig Who?
9. Buster Posey MB Artful Do...
10. Kyle Blanks Bluff Court ...

2010 NOLA FBA Draft by Team

*** I am defending my title this year. I feel my team stacks up against the others well, except for saves. I will need to address this category at some point. ***

Bluff Court Blue Sox

1. (1) Álex Rodríguez
2. (20) Ryan Braun
3. (21) Grady Sizemore
4. (40) Dustin Pedroia
5. (41) Félix Hernández
6. (60) Jayson Werth
7. (61) Tommy Hanson
8. (80) Andrew McCutchen
9. (81) Joakim Soria
10. (100) Elvis Andrus
11. (101) Billy Butler
12. (120) Brett Anderson
13. (121) Gavin Floyd
14. (140) Jay Bruce
15. (141) Brad Lidge
16. (160) Francisco Liriano
17. (161) Kevin Slowey
18. (180) Geovany Soto
19. (181) Ryan Madson
20. (200) Tim Hudson
21. (201) Luke Gregerson
22. (220) Ervin Santana
23. (221) Fausto Carmona
24. (240) Kyle Blanks

MB Artful Dodgers

1. (2) Carl Crawford
2. (19) Justin Upton
3. (22) Jimmy Rollins
4. (39) Aaron Hill
5. (42) Justin Verlander
6. (59) Aramis Ramírez
7. (62) B.J. Upton
8. (79) Josh Hamilton
9. (82) Adam Dunn
10. (99) Rafael Soriano
11. (102) Carlos Peña
12. (119) Huston Street
13. (122) Scott Baker
14. (139) John Lackey
15. (142) Carlos Beltrán
16. (159) Ian Stewart
17. (162) Scott Kazmir
18. (179) Jonathan Sánchez
19. (182) Jason Frasor
20. (199) Justin Duchscherer
21. (202) Magglio Ordóñez
22. (219) Drew Stubbs
23. (222) Nick Johnson
24. (239) Buster Posey

Craig Who?

1. (3) Kevin Youkilis
2. (18) Brandon Phillips
3. (23) Dan Haren
4. (38) Adam Wainwright
5. (43) Jonathan Broxton
6. (58) Derek Jeter
7. (63) Nick Markakis
8. (78) Chone Figgins
9. (83) Shane Victorino
10. (98) Matt Cain
11. (103) David Aardsma
12. (118) Bobby Abreu
13. (123) Matt Garza
14. (138) Jason Kubel
15. (143) Edwin Jackson
16. (158) Mike González
17. (163) Matt Lindstrom
18. (178) Chris Pérez
19. (183) Miguel Montero
20. (198) Johnny Damon
21. (203) Kevin Correia
22. (218) Bengie Molina
23. (223) Hiroki Kuroda
24. (238) Garrett Jones

The Original Dojo

1. (4) Roy Halladay
2. (17) Tim Lincecum
3. (24) Víctor Martínez
4. (37) Ryan Zimmerman
5. (44) Mariano Rivera
6. (57) Justin Morneau
7. (64) Cliff Lee
8. (77) Shin-Soo Choo
9. (84) Heath Bell
10. (97) Derrek Lee
11. (104) Jason Bartlett
12. (117) Torii Hunter
13. (124) Denard Span
14. (137) Stephen Strasburg
15. (144) Adam Jones
16. (157) Brandon Webb
17. (164) Rickie Weeks
18. (177) Matt Thornton
19. (184) Mike Adams
20. (197) Michael Wuertz
21. (204) Vernon Wells
22. (217) Erik Bedard
23. (224) Vladimir Guerrero
24. (237) Randy Wells

The Throwback34s

1. (5) Mark Teixeira
2. (16) Ryan Howard
3. (25) Matt Holliday
4. (36) Brian McCann
5. (45) Hunter Pence
6. (56) Jon Lester
7. (65) Andrew Bailey
8. (76) Michael Young
9. (85) Javier Vázquez
10. (96) Brian Fuentes
11. (105) Jake Peavy
12. (116) Roy Oswalt
13. (125) Lance Berkman
14. (136) Nate McLouth
15. (145) Rajai Davis
16. (156) José López
17. (165) Ben Sheets
18. (176) Juan Pierre
19. (185) Erick Aybar
20. (196) Kevin Gregg
21. (205) Russell Martin
22. (216) Fernando Rodney
23. (225) Mark DeRosa
24. (236) Ted Lilly

Hatherly Hitters

1. (6) Prince Fielder
2. (15) Hanley Ramírez
3. (26) Cole Hamels
4. (35) Josh Beckett
5. (46) Miguel Cabrera
6. (55) Ben Zobrist
7. (66) Jason Bay
8. (75) Matt Wieters
9. (86) Carlos Quentin
10. (95) Jair Jurrjens
11. (106) Leo Núñez
12. (115) John Danks
13. (126) Álex Ríos
14. (135) Jorge Cantú
15. (146) Alexei Ramírez
16. (155) Matt Capps
17. (166) Manny Ramírez
18. (175) Jeff Niemann
19. (186) Mike Napoli
20. (195) Rich Harden
21. (206) Aaron Harang
22. (215) J.A. Happ
23. (226) Johnny Cueto
24. (235) Daisuke Matsuzaka

Cluck Regains Title

1. (7) Matt Kemp
2. (14) Evan Longoria
3. (27) Adrián González
4. (34) Zack Greinke
5. (47) Robinson Canó
6. (54) Mark Reynolds
7. (67) Curtis Granderson
8. (74) Nelson Cruz
9. (87) Wandy Rodríguez
10. (94) Chad Billingsley
11. (107) Ricky Nolasco
12. (114) Asdrubal Cabrera
13. (127) Ryan Dempster
14. (134) Ryan Franklin
15. (147) Octavio Dotel
16. (154) Bobby Jenks
17. (167) Kurt Suzuki
18. (174) Julio Borbón
19. (187) Chris Davis
20. (194) Clay Buchholz
21. (207) David Price
22. (214) Matt Guerrier
23. (227) Marco Scutaro
24. (234) Yadier Molina

Triple Threat

1. (8) Troy Tulowitzki
2. (13) Joe Mauer
3. (28) David Wright
4. (33) Ichiro Suzuki
5. (48) CC Sabathia
6. (53) Kendry Morales
7. (68) Yovani Gallardo
8. (73) Carlos Lee
9. (88) Dan Uggla
10. (93) Carlos Mármol
11. (108) Chad Qualls
12. (113) Jered Weaver
13. (128) Nyjer Morgan
14. (133) Trevor Hoffman
15. (148) James Shields
16. (153) Chris Coghlan
17. (168) Jon Rauch
18. (173) Jorge De La Rosa
19. (188) Carlos González
20. (193) Neftali Feliz
21. (208) Ryan Ludwick
22. (213) Ryan Theriot
23. (228) Justin Smoak
24. (233) Desmond Jennings

The Bullets

1. (9) Albert Pujols
2. (12) Ian Kinsler
3. (29) Chris Carpenter
4. (32) Jonathan Papelbon
5. (49) Johan Santana
6. (52) Joey Votto
7. (69) Andre Ethier
8. (72) Ubaldo Jiménez
9. (89) Gordon Beckham
10. (92) Brian Wilson
11. (109) Stephen Drew
12. (112) Jorge Posada
13. (129) Jason Heyward
14. (132) Frank Francisco
15. (149) Raúl Ibañez
16. (152) A.J. Burnett
17. (169) Brandon Lyon
18. (172) Carlos Zambrano
19. (189) Max Scherzer
20. (192) Alcides Escobar
21. (209) Kerry Wood
22. (212) Brad Hawpe
23. (229) Aroldis Chapman
24. (232) Alfonso Soriano

MACAQUE 2B #1 N 2010

1. (10) Chase Utley
2. (11) Jacoby Ellsbury
3. (30) José Reyes
4. (31) Brian Roberts
5. (50) Adam Lind
6. (51) Pablo Sandoval
7. (70) Josh Johnson
8. (71) Clayton Kershaw
9. (90) José Valverde
10. (91) Francisco Rodríguez
11. (110) Francisco Cordero
12. (111) Michael Bourn
13. (130) Michael Cuddyer
14. (131) Billy Wagner
15. (150) Randy Wolf
16. (151) Rick Porcello
17. (170) Yunel Escobar
18. (171) Mark Buehrle
19. (190) Shaun Marcum
20. (191) Howie Kendrick
21. (210) David Ortiz
22. (211) Chipper Jones
23. (230) Cody Ross
24. (231) Bronson Arroyo

Fantasyland: The book and the movie-a brief review.

The Roto Commish — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:17:12 +0000

THE BOOK:

Fantasyland the book is very well written. As is the normally the case, the book beats the movie hands down. But, to be fair, the movie was not an attempt to recreate the book exactly. Instead, it took cues from it. Even if you weren't interested in fantasy baseball, it's still a good read. Many funny moments along with some background behind the game and it's experts all expressed in a way that moves along at a good pace. The thing that surprised me the most was how the players and some of the managers would talk with Sam. Even though he had a press pass, I would have never thought that a fantasy baseball person would be granted that kind of access to the players and coaches, and that they would give him the time of day. You can check it out here.

Rating: 5/5 Fireballs.

THE MOVIE:

Wow. The dude in this film is way over the top. I love fantasy baseball as much as anyone, but to let it rule your life is a little much for me. You can decide for yourself if you think this is the case. My favorite part of the movie is the brief interview with Tom Candiotti. This documentary film is well done and enjoyable to watch. You will have to sit through a few commercials as you watch it, but I didn't find this to be a big deal. See the Fantasyland movie here.

Rating 4/5 Fireballs.

Observations on both the film and the movie:

It would be really interesting to see how much the main character in the book, Sam Walker, and the main character in the movie, Jed Latkin, spent during their first year competition in Tout Wars. Experience both and you will understand what I am talking about.

Lastly, given their finishes ahead of some experts in their rookie campaign in Tout Wars reinforces my belief about fantasy baseball experts, and enthusiasts such as myself. That is this: There is no one perfect service or person when it comes to this game. You have to take info from several different sources and make your own game plan and choices. No one knows everything or has the perfect strategy or system. It just can't be done. The best you can do is get solid sources of info on your side and tilt the odds in your favor. Even then, things may not work out as you plan. There are just too many variables that come into play. If this wasn't the case, all those experts in Tout Wars would have finished ahead of the newcomers, Sam and Jed. I honestly think you could put anyone with a solid level of fantasy baseball knowledge, put them in Tout Wars and they would have a shot to finish at the top. This wonderful game is just like that and that is precisely the thing that makes it so much fun. We're all experts, at least in our own mind.

Old School Fantasy Baseball

The Roto Commish — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:12:37 +0000

The advances in technology have been great for fantasy baseball. Without it, this website and many others would not be possible. Back in the day, it was the USA Today stats on Tuesday/Wednesday along with your daily local newspaper and some preseason baseball magazines. The preseason magazines didn't even mention the word "fantasy" in them, they just gave a review of the upcoming season team by team. Funny how times have changed. Fantasy baseball info is as close as your fingertips to a keyboard and a quick google search or favorite bookmark on your internet browser of choice.

Given a choice between both worlds, old and new, I would definitely go with the new. However, I do miss some things about ye good ole days. All of the stats we did for the league back then were culled by hand from the aforementioned USA Today. I would go down the page, team by team, using a ruler to stay organized on the small page print. I would call out the individual player stats to a friend of mine as he calculated and entered the changes into a WordPerfect program. As you can guess, doing this took quite a bit of time. Some, if not most, of that time was spent talking about our league, players, and baseball in general as we plodded along. I don't do much baseball conversation anymore. My brother and I talk baseball during phone conversations sometimes, and there are brief snippets at work with a fellow league member, but that is about it. Because of geograhic and time considerations, our draft is done online with everyone in separate locations. For those same reasons our league doesn't meet anytime during the year.

Having a draft where all the owners are sitting around a table is the absolute best. The comments, debates, and one-liners are way better when everyone is face to face. Our current league has never done a draft this way and never will for that matter. That will change only if I win the lottery one day. If that were to happen, I would gladly foot the bill for an all expenses paid draft weekend each year for everyone in our league. PIPE DREAM! Yes, I know. So, an online Yahoo draft night each year will have to suffice along with miscellaneous posts on our league message board from time to time. Family and career are the priority now and time is a precious commodity. So really I should be thankful. Technology makes this game possible for most of us with limited time. Still, one year with a face to face draft would be really cool along with a mid-year all-star break meeting just to kick the can around. Come on lottery numbers!*

*I only play the Powerball when it gets above $200 million. If I am going to win, I am going big. None of this small change stuff.

What is a championship season comprised of?

The Roto Commish — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:43:07 +0000

It would be nice to say it was all me, the owner, the GM who made all the right moves and picks that brought home the league championship. But no matter how good you are, no matter how many right choices you make, Lady Luck will always play a part. The way I see it, a winning season is comprised of the following:

35% - The draft is the cornerstone of your drive to the top.
25% - Trades. Knowing when to trade and when not to. How to swing the odds in your favor by knowing your league. Lastly, knowing when to give up a little more to secure the categories you need are all crucial.
20% - Acquisitions and pickups. Grabbing that player who fills in or supplants a regular player when needed.
20% - Lady Luck. Boy, if she is not on your side look out. You could be in for a long year no matter what you do.

The biggest area that luck comes into play would have to be injuries. When the injury bug starts biting big time you can try and try, but you may not be able to overcome it. It's hard to overcome one or maybe two of your premier players going down. Another area would be the player that comes out of nowhere to have a season that is way out their norm. For example, two that come to mind are:

Brady Anderson

Luis Gonzalez

I mean, really, it must have been the orange juice they were drinking or some type of lotion they were using. I'm sure it wasn't steroids that had anything to do with it. Nobody, could have predicted these two players having this type of season compared to their previous numbers. If they were on your team, consider yourself lucky. If they weren't, then you were scratching your head. Thing is, it's hard to account for these type of things happening. There are countless examples. You just hope that these things go your way more than not.

The above percentages are fluid not static. In some years one area may play a bigger part, but this is a rough estimate looking at a league over a ten year time frame.