Fantasy Draft Report!

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Hey guys, Drew back here! I had been anticipating my fantasy drafts for weeks now, and with the blink of an eye they have all come to a close. Luckily, the conclusion of drafts mean it's just about time for the 2015 season to begin! In the past, I've reviewed some of my teams from the league I run with 7 of my close high school friends. This year, however; I chose to instead review my choices in the draft my friend William (of foul bunt fame) conducted last Sunday!

I have participated in William's hobby friend league for the past 5 years, and I wanted to review this league instead because it takes much more of a strategy to draft in a 12 team league rather than a 8 team league. I've been spending a lot of time reading draft strategies and listening to fantasy podcasts recently, and on Monday I had the opportunity to draft in a mock draft with ESPN's very own Tristan Cockcroft and Eric Karabell and was mentioned in their daily "Fantasy Focus" podcast! It was a lot of fun to draft with two well known fantasy experts who have taught me a lot about the art of the game.

Without further ado, let's take a look with who I came home with in the Card Shop/Blog League! William's league is on ESPN.com and is a H2H 5x5 Category league, and if you're unaware of what that is, it's a league that has teams play each other each week, and you compete to win each of these stat categories: Runs, Home Runs, Runs Batted In, Steals, Batting Average, Strikeouts (Pitching), Wins, Saves, ERA, and WHIP. The goal is to win the most categories over the course of a season, and in order to do so it is important to balance your roster with players who can fulfill each of those particular needs.

I was randomly assigned the 4th of 12 picks, which I was extremely happy with. I made a bit of a jump on my first pick, but I couldn't go against the man who has made me very successful in recent history.

Round 1, Pick 4: Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Detroit Tigers

Trout, McCutchen, and Stanton were the league's first three picks, and many who play fantasy know that guys like Paul Goldschmidt and Clayton Kershaw should be next on the radar. Instead, I went with the former Triple Crown winner; which shouldn't be as big of a stretch as ESPN may say. He appears to look healthy on offense and defense, and the Tigers are being careful this Spring to ease him back into the lineup. They're handling him really well, and it appears that he will be closer to 100% healthy than he was throughout the entire 2014 season. 2014 was unkind to Cabrera, and he still had a year warranting a top 10 selection. With doubts in Goldschmidt's health and not wanting to take a pitcher in the first round, I went with a familiar name who should provide excellent numbers across each offensive category with the exception of steals.

Round 2, Pick 21: Anthony Rendon, 2B/3B, Washington Nationals

Rendon was a silent killer in fantasy baseball last year, producing fantastic peripherals in each category. This pick may not look as good now as he is expected to begin the year on the DL with knee soreness, but I still feel confident that he can return to form relatively quickly. The Nationals primary third baseman scored 111 runs in 2014, and with these first two choices I was able to compile about 50 total home runs, 200 runs, and a great batting average.

Round 3, Pick 28: David Price, SP, Detroit Tigers

I had a choice here of choosing either Price, Johnny Cueto, or Corey Kluber as my team's ace. In a 12 team league, it's helpful to have a reliable pitcher capable of leading your staff. Each of these three options were promising, but in the end I chose the always consistent Price. Cueto has had several injury plagued seasons, and even coming off a tremendous 2014, I preferred the Tigers ace. I may regret not choosing Kluber, but Price came up 29 strikeouts shy of putting together a 300 strikeout season. In a contract year, David Price is going to dominate the AL Central.

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Round 4, Pick 45: George Springer, OF, Houston Astros

According to projections, this looks like a steal on paper. Springer had a promising rookie season, but did struggle with a quadricep injury. He looks like a future star, but who knows how he'll really produce this year. I needed to establish my best outfielder early, and taking Springer made me regret my Rendon choice slightly when I had a shot at Michael Brantley. I went with the upside, and even if he strikes out 200 times and doesn't bat for a high average, he complimented the high batting average I was already projected to have and added some needed power to the table.

At this point of the draft, I was texted by my girlfriend out of the blue, who said she was going to come over to my house soon. She's more than okay with me drafting while she's there, which makes her awesome, but I didn't want to look bad and smell bad on top of that. As I made this
pick, along with the next few, I was taking a shower. Let me give one piece of advice: when you have a draft coming up, always be prepared in advance for situations such as this. I learned my lesson there.

Round 5, Pick 52: Cole Hamels, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

I chose Hamels around his average draft position, but this was a pitcher heavy draft. It's difficult to prepare for a league whose owners are constantly in flux (most leagues), because it's tricky to figure out who you expect others to take until you play with them for a few years. With that said, Hamels was the last of those close to top tier starters (Zimmermann, Greinke, Lester) remaining on the board, and my goal is to try to have one of those players to compliment my ace. This may be more important to make sure of in smaller leagues, and I probably would've been okay going with Victor Martinez or Prince Fielder in this spot; but Hamels was far too good of an option to resist. He was on one of my teams in 2014, and even though he didn't win 10 games he was excellent in every other regard. Hopefully he doesn't get traded to an American League team, otherwise this pick won't look nearly as valuable as it does now.

Round 6, Pick 69: Jason Kipnis, 2B, Cleveland Indians

Kipnis was the complete opposite of the lethal weapon I described Anthony Rendon as. He was one of the highest ranked second basemen in 2014, and people were talking him up to have an incredible year. But last year, he suffered oblique and finger injuries that limited him to 129 total games in which he wasn't playing at his best ability. I'm not a major believer in Kipnis, but I liked his upside with stolen bases and runs for this upcoming year. If I were to do this draft again, I may not have chosen him here, but that's what happens when you're hands are covered with shampoo (sorry for the disturbing image, but it is indeed part of the story)!

Round 7, Pick 76: Todd Frazier, 1B/3B, Cincinnati Reds

"The ToddFather" came calling in the 7th round, as my outfield continued to be ignored. My usual strategy is to strive for a strong outfield, but in this draft I focused specifically on the numbers, and continued to build on balancing that out. After taking a player in Kipnis who most likely will not hit over 20 home runs, I next chose someone very capable of hitting 20 with the possibility of even 30 homers. Frazier even stole 20 bases last season, and with this choice my stolen bases were solidified after only 7 rounds, between Rendon, Springer, Kipnis, and Frazier.

Also, I have a lot of position eligibility with the hitters I chose thus far. Two players are currently eligible of playing 1st, two of 2nd, and 2 of 3rd. If any of these players suffer injuries (Rendon for example), I most likely won't suffer too much in my starting infield all year.

Round 8, Pick 93: Tyson Ross, SP, San Diego Padres

I know, you think I'm crazy for only taking one outfielder into the 8th round. But I must say, it wasn't intentional. In this vicinity, players like Kole Calhoun, Jason Heyward, and Matt Holliday are being taken, who don't particularly impress me as far as upside goes. Heyward is the best candidate to outperform his projections as he is with a new team and still just 25 years old, and he is a slightly intriguing pick. By pick 93, he was long gone, and I planned to choose Masahiro Tanaka in this spot. He was taken with pick 92, which hurt me significantly, but instead I went with a much less risky pick in Tyson Ross. Ross is kind of a boring name as far as fantasy goes, but he's on an improved team and should receive more run support next year.

Round 9, Pick 100: Mookie Betts, OF, Boston Red Sox

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I knew I could take a starting pitcher with my previous pick because I had the potential of taking Betts as my second outfielder with this pick. He has such great potential and is having a spectacular spring, and hopefully John Farrell sees this and names him as the Red Sox' starting center fielder. He can do it all, and maybe it's risky to choose an unproven player as my second outfielder, but you have to be able to roll the dice once in a while to win. Taking players with a chance to play better than expected is almost necessary in winning Fantasy leagues, but it is important to base your team around a few key, consistent players to keep you from falling apart when some of your risks don't quite work out as planned.

Round 10, Pick 117: Cody Allen, RP, Cleveland Indians

I'm not the type of fantasy player that normally likes to take one of the elite closers such as Aroldis Chapman, Craig Kimbrel, or Greg Holland. Rather than taking those guys, I prefer to bolster my offense, and then I make sure to swing back later to grab one of the guys from the next tier or two. Most of those pitchers were off the board by pick #117, but I did have a choice between Allen, Dellin Betances, and Koji Uehara. I took both of the latter closers in other drafts this year, but Cody Allen is the safest choice going into this year. Betances is the best reliever here, but he isn't having a good spring. I'm not worried about Betances struggling deep into the season, but I am worried about the effects of his struggles playing into his fantasy value. The more runs he allows, the better the chance he and Andrew Miller split save opportunities, which absolutely decimates his average draft position. As hard as it is not to pick a guy I love to watch and am a fan of, I didn't want to take that big of a chance on a closer in the 10th round. If I'm going to take a closer this early, I need to know that they'll produce close to expectations or better, and Allen has a good chance of doing that.

With closers, along with starting pitchers, first basemen, and outfielders; I like to have one proven option. I regret not taking a top outfielder in this draft, but I was able to take Miguel Cabrera and David Price, along with one of the better young closers on a potentially good Indians team in Allen.

Round 11, Pick 124: Ryan Zimmerman, 3B/OF, Washington Nationals
Round 12, Pick 141: Yan Gomes, C, Cleveland Indians
Round 13, Pick 148: Jorge Soler, OF, Chicago Cubs
Round 14, Pick 165: Melky Cabrera, OF, Chicago White Sox
Round 15, Pick 172: Neil Walker, 2B, Pittsburgh Pirates

My next five picks were meant to primarily improve my suffering outfield, and I believe I did a fair job at filling it out. I plan to use Zimmerman as an outfielder, granted he stays healthy, which has always been a problem of his. Soler will fall under the radar all year thanks to Kris Bryant, but should be a good power option. I'm very confident that Yan Gomes will have a nice season, and I'm happy with the value I got him for. Catcher isn't as big of a concern to me as it is to others, but I didn't want to have someone that would make my team worse, and I think I succeeded in that by taking the most underrated backstop in baseball.

Round 16, Pick 189: Michael Pineda, SP, New York Yankees
Round 17, Pick 196: Jhonny Peralta, SS, St. Louis Cardinals
Round 18, Pick 213: Luke Gregerson, RP, Houston Astros
Round 19, Pick 220: Drew Smyly, SP, Tampa Bay Rays
Round 20, Pick 237: Addison Reed, RP, Arizona Diamondbacks

The last crop of picks were all spent on hitters, while this group instead focused on pitching. There are some undervalued pitchers deep on ESPN's draft board, and I used my prior knowledge to my advantage here. Granted Drew Smyly stays healthy, he could be a huge value in the 20th round, or a bust. This late in the draft, I know that most of these players won't be on my team by the end of the year, but I don't throw in the towel. For every gamble I take, I know that a few of them are bound to pay off, or else the odds really are not in my favor. Pineda was one of my favorite picks of the draft, because he looks filthy this spring for the Yankees. He has the opportunity to pitch at the level of an ace, and no other pitcher left on the board could really say that for now.

Round 21, Pick 244: Danny Duffy, SP, Kansas City Royals
Round 22, Pick 261: Michael Cuddyer, OF, New York Mets
Round 23, Pick 268: Brandon McCarthy, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
Round 24, Pick 285: Jonathan Niese, SP, New York Mets
Round 25, Pick 292: Brett Cecil, RP, Toronto Blue Jays

I like to load up my pitching staff at the end of all of my drafts if you couldn't tell, and even if three of those four pitchers don't work out; the one who does produce for me will be worth all four picks, as I'll have other good options to trade for or add from free agency over the course of the season. A lot can change, and usually looking back on my drafts at the end of a season can even make me laugh.

Here's how my roster shaped up overall, position by position:

Offense

C - Yan Gomes
1B - Miguel Cabrera
2B - Jason Kipnis
SS - Jhonny Peralta
3B - Anthony Rendon
2B/SS - Neil Walker
1B/3B - Todd Frazier
OF - George Springer
OF - Mookie Betts
OF - Ryan Zimmerman
OF - Jorge Soler
OF - Melky Cabrera
UTIL - Michael Cuddyer

Pitching

P - David Price
P - Cole Hamels
P - Tyson Ross
P - Michael Pineda
P - Drew Smyly
P - Danny Duffy
P - Brandon McCarthy
P - Jonathan Niese
RP - Cody Allen
RP - Luke Gregerson
RP - Addison Reed
RP - Brett Cecil

There you have it! I wasn't overly happy with how this team came out, but I know that I'll find ways to make it work over the course of the 6 month season. Hot hitters and pitchers will come and go, and it's great to pick those guys up in favor of others who don't appear to have any long term value for the season. But, being active in a league is important, because when those hot players slow down, you have to look elsewhere and find replacements before they start to negatively impact your team.

If you're looking into getting involved in fantasy baseball, I'd be more than happy to give some pointers. I don't know who will or won't do well, but I've got a pretty good idea of which picks I think I'll be proud of a few months down the road. I'm not sure if I'll show my other two teams yet or not, but for now I'll leave you with this!

Any thoughts or opinions? Please feel free to share them in the comments below!

See Ya!

Matthew Berry Book Signing Results!

Hey guys, Drew back here! My birthday was quite the eventful one this year, and I was able to cap it off with a very exciting local event (for me, at least). My friend Schuyler's (of the blog Schuyler's Stuff) parents own a bookstore in town, and they were able to have ESPN Fantasy Baseball Analyst Matthew Berry on hand for a book signing! Berry, otherwise known as TMR (The Talented Mr. Roto), recently released a book named "Fantasy Life", which is all about stories he's come across through his 30 years of playing and covering fantasy sports. He's been a huge part of making fantasy a household game, and he says that 13% of Americans play some sort of fantasy! 

I've been running a fantasy baseball league for 4 years straight now with kids from my high school, and we were stoked when we heard about him being in town. It's rare for anything relatively cool to go in where I'm at, so we tried to all meet up for the event. Unfortunately, only half the league was able to come, but we had a great time asking him questions about his experiences in fantasy along with some sleeper tips. Most of the others on hand wanted to know about football since the season is approaching, but there were a few baseball questions we were able to sneak in. He was a very friendly guy, and he picked on us all at some point, but in a genuinely nice way. It was an enjoyable experience, and worth every dollar. Here's a short clip from the hour and a half long Q&A session!

After the questions were finally answered, we all got our books signed! He added our awesome "#BeatVinny" inscription in all of our books, which has been our league motto throughout the 2013 season. Vinny has won our league two years in a row and we were begging for something to change. Vinny couldn't make it to this event as he was away on vacation, however Berry signed in his set aside book "#BeatYourself".

I'm really glad I decided to go to this event, because Berry really was an awesome guy! If you're a fantasy nut like I am, be sure to pick up "Fantasy Life"! I just started it myself and so far it's pretty hilarious! Also, thanks to Schuyler and his parents for holding the event; it was a blast!

See Ya!

2013 MBL Fantasy Baseball Draft Recap!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Last night was really cool for me, as I got the chance to host my 1st ever Fantasy Baseball draft party! I had my entire league (with the exception of one person) over my house, and we sat around the big board I constructed eating pizza and picking players the way fantasy was meant to be done. It was an extremely fun experience and I'm very happy with not only the party turnout but my team as well. My ESPN Fantasy league has 8 teams in it, and after drawing out of a hat, I landed the second pick of 8. It was a Snake Draft, so after picking 2nd, I had to wait all the way until Pick #15 for my second round choice. Despite the long wait, I was pleased with the way my team came out. Take a look:

Round 1, Pick 2: Miguel Cabrera, 3B, Detroit Tigers

Despite the recent allegations, Ryan Braun was taken 1st overall. I was a bit surprised that Cabrera wasn't taken first, so I jumped at the chance to add the Triple Crown winner to my team! My original plan was to take an outfielder such as Trout, McCutchen, or even Kemp, but I think I was better off with Cabrera, even despite the strong amount of fantasy caliber third basemen.

Round 2, Pick 15: David Price, SP, Tampa Bay Rays

Over the past few years, I've tried to make pitching my team strength in fantasy, and clearly this year I was going for the same idea with Price being selected in Round 2. Verlander, Kershaw, and Strasburg were already taken, so I went with my gut and chose the reigning AL Cy Young winner. This year should show whether Price will be a perennial ace or if he reached his peak last season.

Round 3, Pick 18: Jose Bautista, OF, Toronto Blue Jays

Boy, does Toronto look scary or what this season? I don't quite think they'll live up to the hype, however I still think they'll be a tremendous improvement from last year. With a fresh lineup of top notch hitters, I thought taking Joey Bats would be a safe choice, even though he missed a good majority of 2012. 

Round 4, Pick 31: Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Boston Red Sox

One key factor in my league's drafts is that Red Sox never get any love. Maybe that could be because most of them haven't lived up to the hype lately, but I think the bigger reason is that most of us can't stand them. I don't like Dustin a whole lot, but I have a lot of respect for the way he plays, and he was the best second baseman available at the time.

Round 5, Pick 34: Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Colorado Rockies

I talked pretty poorly about Tulo going into this draft. I said how overrated he is and that I didn't understand why he was ranked so high. Well, I didn't expect him to sit on our draft board for as long as he did, and by Round 5 he was easily a great value pick. I couldn't pass him up, and I was able to fill 2 of the most difficult positions relatively quickly.

Round 6, Pick 47: Cliff Lee, SP, Philadelphia Phillies

Cliff Lee was another guy I wasn't very high on leading up to the draft, but again, when you let someone as good as he is drop around 3 rounds later than he should, there isn't much of a choice to me. Lee was easily the top pitcher available, and I think people passed on him because of the low amount of wins he had last year. Few realized that he actually had a great season, but just couldn't put a lot of 'W's' on his stat sheet. 

Round 7, Pick 50: Jason Heyward, OF, Atlanta Braves

Just like the past two players, I really wasn't interested in Heyward either. However, sitting in the draft room looking at bargain value players is like watching eBay auctions at extremely random times. When you see a ridiculously low price with seconds left on the clock, instinct tells you that you need him on your team. As a #1 outfielder, I'd be a little concerned personally, but I'm more than happy to have him as my #2.

Round 8, Pick 63: Austin Jackson, OF, Detroit Tigers

Austin Jackson has really grown on me over the past year. I had him in my outfield for most of the second half of last season, and he was as productive as it could possibly get. He does a little bit of everything, and is becoming more and more of a threat to be a 20/20 player. This could be a breakout year for the former Yankee prospect, so I was glad to take a chance on him here.

Round 9, Pick 66: Johnny Cueto, SP, Cincinnati Reds

Cueto has got to be one of the most underrated pitchers throughout all of baseball, so I was pumped to make him my 3rd starter! He's matured a lot over the last few seasons, and he's turned out to be a threat for 20 wins on a year to year basis! Plus, he has the chance to be on a contending team for the next years to come, which really won me over with the choice.

Round 10, Pick 79: Martin Prado, 3B/OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

I didn't honestly have a clue who to choose with this pick, so I went with the versatile Prado, who could turn out to be an X-factor for my team. He should fit in nicely with the Diamondbacks lineup, and if he bats around .300 I'll be content to have him in my outfield.

Round 11, Pick 82: Aroldis Chapman, RP, Cincinnati Reds

Let it be known that I was the guy who started the closer picking spree in this year's draft. Sure, Kimbrel went a few rounds earlier, but everyone knows he's above and beyond all of the others. Once I took the Cuban Missile in Round 11, they began to drop like flies. I'm not normally an advocate of picking closers early on, but after dealing with Heath Bell and John Axford last year I needed to feel assured with Chapman.

Round 12, Pick 95: Adam LaRoche, 1B, Washington Nationals

I may have waited a bit too long to choose my first baseman, but with strengths at other positions I should make it out alright with LaRoche. He had an awesome year last year, but he's struggling in Spring Training and he isn't exactly a young guy at this point either. He could potentially end up as a 2009-2011 Mark Teixeira type player, or a 2008-2010 Adam LaRoche. I guess I'll have to wait and see.

Round 13, Pick 108: Josh Willingham, OF, Minnesota Twins

Essentially; I chose the same type of player on back to back picks. Two power bats coming off breakout seasons that in my mind are still high risk type guys. However, Willingham really seemed to find his groove last year in Minnesota so I figured it was worth giving him a shot.

Round 14, Pick 111: Anibal Sanchez, SP, Detroit Tigers

If Anibal Sanchez didn't dominate to the extent that he did during the playoffs last season, I don't know if he'd even be considered in this draft. He showed a lot of people up during that time, and I feel like coming off the fresh contract he could have a really nice, possible break out year.

Round 15, Pick 124: Torii Hunter, OF, Detroit Tigers

I'm not a Tigers fan, I swear. In fact, I didn't even realize how many of them I took until the draft was over! Hunter was another guy who did wonders for me at the end of last season, so I was glad to give him a shot again this year. He'll most likely hit second in the Tiger's order, behind Jackson and ahead of Cabrera, so he should see a lot of great pitches to hit! 

Round 16, Pick 127: Hanley Ramirez, SS/3B, Los Angeles Dodgers

I don't buy the hype in the Dodgers at all. I don't like Hanley Ramirez. And to top it off, he's missing 2 months of the season. However, he could be a potential keeper for me if he comes back strong (I'll be able to keep him if my team stays relatively healthy). I'm not always right, and I would love it if Hanley made me look bad by dominating when he comes back. For now, I'm a fan.

Round 17, Pick 140: Brandon Morrow, SP, Toronto Blue Jays

I don't much of anything about Morrow, other than that he's an injury prone strikeout machine. I've never had him on any of my teams, so this should be interesting. He was the top starter on the board, and was sitting there for a good 4 rounds at that point so I figured I'd put him out of his misery and into my lineup.

Round 18, Pick 143: Nick Swisher, 1B/OF, Cleveland Indians

New team for Swish? Don't care! Nick is still one of my favorite players although he left my beloved Yankees this offseason. He's been on a tear this spring, and Cleveland is shaping up to be another much improved American League team. What I love most about Swish, other than his love for the game, is his consistency. You know what to expect out of him year in and year out. Glad to finally have him aboard.

Round 19, Pick 156: Jeremy Hellickson, SP, Tampa Bay Rays

Hellickson is definitely one of the more underrated pitchers in baseball, and I thought this was a really smart pick on my part because his low ERA should correspond well with the higher ERA strikeout pitchers I'd already chosen. He isn't a star fantasy pitcher, but I believe this could potentially be a breakout year for him as only as he stays off the shelves.

Round 20, Pick 159: Brett Gardner, OF, New York Yankees

It took me 20 rounds to take my first Yankees player, after Cano, Sabathia, Kuroda, Jeter, Granderson, Ichiro, and Rivera were already taken. Seven of the 8 kids in my league are Yankees fans, so they tend to be a bit overrated. However, I found a hidden gem in Gardner towards the bottom of the spreadsheet, which could turn out to be the best low risk-high reward move I made on that night. If Gardy can hit enough to get on base a good amount, he should finish high in the steal categories this season!

Round 21, Pick 172: Wade Miley, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Much like Hellickson, I chose Miley to try and balance out my pitching styles. It's nice to have a bunch of guys who will blow hitters away, but strikeouts are only one category, with two others relating to how few runs and hits they allow. Miley could regress from his solid rookie season this year, but I figured he was worth a shot at that point.

Round 22, Pick 175: Joel Hanrahan, RP, Boston Red Sox
Closers were running thin around this round, but I still found a pretty solid option in Hanrahan. I've always liked the Hammer, but I have a funny feeling that the pressure in Boston could be too much to handle. I didn't have many other options though, so I'm hoping he can give me more than I expected!

Round 23, Pick 188: Dan Uggla, 2B, Atlanta Braves
This was by far my least favorite pick of the draft. I really lost interest in Dan Uggla's playing style, along with all of the other low average high home run hitters. I actually dropped Uggla immediately following the draft for Erick Aybar to fill my middle infield spot that Hanley Ramirez will eventually inhabit. I already had a power heavy team, so the drop was probably for the best.

Round 24, Pick 191: Matt Harvey, SP, New York Mets
At this point, I was hoping for a needle in a haystack, and I went with the Mets young gun Harvey. I liked what I've seen out of him so far, and who knows, maybe he could have a Rookie of the Year level season!

Round 25, Pick 204: Salvador Perez, C, Kansas City Royals
Yeah, that's right. I waited until my final pick to take a catcher. Why? It's simple, each team needs 1 catcher, and it's really out of the ordinary for someone to take multiple backstops. The first 7 came in and went, but I figured Perez could be an underrated option, and saved him for the end. Miguel Montero is also a free agent, so worst comes to worst I could pick him up if need be, but for now I'm liking what I see out of Perez.

Overall, I was pretty happy with the way my team came out. Obviously, an 8 team league delivers some star studded teams, but there can only be one winner in the long run! How do you think I did?

See Ya!

Thank you Indians!!!!

Dan from Saints of the Cheap Seats must be mad, but I'm happy. Cliff Lee is now a Philadelphia Phillie. Lee is 7-9 this year, and has pitched really well, just, the Indians blow every game. There is a pro and con on this move in my situation:

Pro:
Lee is my ace on my fantasy baseball team. He's pitched so well this year, but the record doesn't show it. Put him on the reigning champion 1st place Philadelphia Phillies and I climb the standings in my league.

Con:
This gets Philadelphia out of the chase for Roy Halladay. I know the Yankees don't want him, but the Red Sox do and they sound like one of the only teams that would want him. It's bad enough that he pitches in the same division as my favorite team, but on my arch rival team! I don't know if this move helped or not. Post your comments on your response, and please vote on the brand spanking new poll.

I may start a new blog on Top 100, 50, 10 whatever lists. I made the order for the Top 50 Most Influencial Musicians of All Time. Imagine who the winner is. Keep reading, don't stop til' you get enough. No this isn't a superstition. Who will win? I KNOW!!!

COOPERSTOWN TOMORROW!!!

So as you see by the headline, tomorrow is going to be a great day for me! We are going to the Hall Of Fame tomorrow (we are leaving early in the morning), and on Thursday we are leaving mid-day but before we leave we will check out many local places and stores. I hear that there are a lot of card shops in the town! I figured out that I have 14 out of the 26 guys on the Yankee roster (A-Rod is included in this although he is on the DL) for my Yankees Rookie Card PC. I also decided that Brian Bruney is going to be my big PC dude, because you can get his stuff cheap and I met him and think he's a nice guy. He got roughed up a lot yesterday against the Orioles on Opening Day, setting the bases loaded and gave up 2 earned runs after Damaso Marte opened the floodgates.

The Yankees got crushed 10-5 as you may know, and combination of Sabathia/Bruney/ & Phil Coke gave up the runs. Some good news though is that Matsui & Posada both hit one out, so the Yankees have a pretty good idea of where the two injury prone players are standing. Posada looked good behind the plate, and Jeter had 3 hits in 5 at bats. As far as Sabathia goes, he showed NY that he is not what we think he is, giving up 6 runs in only 4.1 innings pitched. So, the Yankees played horrible, but there is a bright side in young Ramiro Pena, who pinch ran late in the game, but never had the oppurtunity to score. I need him for the Rookie PC, but I could get his really cheap. He beat out shortstop and former Rookie of the Year (2003) player Angel Berroa for the 25th spot on the roster, and people say he is one of the best fielding players in the game! Could we see him at shortstop over Jeter this year! If Matsui plays well, we could try to have him play left field later in the year, and have Nady, Cabrera, Gardner, or Damon play center, and Nady plays right. In that case, Jeter could DH, A-Rod hopefully is healthy and can play third, Cano at second, and Teixeira at 1st. Of course, also, Posada hopefully will stay behind the plate.

As for Fantasy Baseball, I am getting killed right now, 6-0 by my good friend Matt. I don't understand the league scoring, because I have 4 runs scored, 2 home runs, & 4 rbi, but I don't even have a point against him. Players I doubted such as SS Troy Tulowitzki and 2B Howie Kendrick both hit home runs, and Nady also had an RBI for me. My pitching was horrible, as two aces from the AL Central, Justin Verlander and Cliff Lee, got me an amazing 13.97 ERA! I think I will try to trade Jim Thome, not only because he is riding my bench because Big Papi has the DH spot, but because he can't play anywhere. In days where Ortiz isn't playing, any guy on my bench could play DH, and at other times the bench players wou ld need to fill in for position players. There is a hole in the lineup when it comes to Thome, and although he is a great player, I need him to go.

So, I guess all I can say about Opening Day is that I have 161 days to catch up!