So I was pondering about what I should write today and no matter how much I said, " No Jake, EVERYONE is talking about that" I feel I too must join the masses on this one (Though I did force myself to wait a few days).
Favre is many things, but to Bears fans he is everything we haven't had in a QB and plays on our most hated rival. I have been waiting for this day for over two years. But I am also realistic. So forgive me if I am not fully accepting of this announced retirement. Plenty of players have come back out of retirement and all it would take is an injury to Aaron Rogers during training camp or within the first four weeks of the season to get out the #4 jersey again. And if that happened, I bet this is the conversation that would take place within an hour or two of the post-game interviews.
(phone ringing)
"Hello?"
"Brett? Coach McCarthy here"
"Hey coach, my plane lands in Green Bay tonight at 7:44 pm."
"Practice starts at six, see you there at four?"
"You got it coach. I gotta finish packing so I'll see ya tomorrow"
"OK Brett, bye"
(Click)
And just like that, probably just in time for a Monday night tilt against the Bears, Brett Favre will run onto the field for the Green Bay Packers-again. It'll make me sick to my stomach, but I'll love it and soak it up like a sponge.
Even though the rivalry will continue long after Favre hangs em up for good, I'd love to see the Bears get another crack at #4. The best players evoke the most competitiveness out of their opponents and rival fans. I love football, but its the players and the rivalries that make me a true fan of the game. Favre did his part in making the Bears vs. Packers rivalry better and for that I say thank you Brett. But I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't truly elated.
Population in Canton, OH just went up by one.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Fantasy Fodder: Draft Prep '08
With the fantasy baseball season's first big drafting weekend upon us more people are doing their research and seeking out expert advice, rankings and insight to go along with the forecasts and projections listed in whichever fantasy magazines they have purchased in the last month.
You can find that information in a variety of places on the web. But it is hard to find a whole lot of info on lesser known types who can have a huge impact on your draft. Last season right before my draft I spent about an hour combing over the latest news and found out that Tampa was likely to find a spot for BJ Upton and that he had a good shot at getting over 400 ABs in a utility role. So I took him with my 23rd draft choice. Not a bad pick at that point in the draft. That leads me to one of my biggest tips.
READ THE LATEST NEWS BEFORE YOUR DRAFT!
You know your draft is on Sunday, your rankings should be good to go by Saturday at the latest. Give yourself about an hour before the draft to read the latest MLB news. That is about as easy as it can get. You can visit a few message boards if you have the time as well. It isn't rocket science but you can find a lot of useful information. It's only Wednesday, but a quick browsing of the news will reveal a nugget that will impact drafts throughout the weekend.
Fransico Liriano is scheduled to make his first appearance of the spring on Friday. Liriano was among the league's best pitchers 2006 before being shut down and having TJS. He has had about a year and a half to recover which is a little more than the year that most pitchers take off before pitching again. Those two or three innings are going to impact your draft. I've seen Liriano drafted around 75-80 overall and I have seen him fall as late as the 120s. Some people are high on him, like myself, and others won't touch him. If he gets torched for two runs on five hits in two innings you can probably expect to see him go later. But if he pitches well you should expect those owners like me that are high on him to have more confidence in taking him.
You don't want to be the guy who drafts a player in the sixth round who tore his ACL in yesterday's intra-squad game do you? Do yourself a favor and take a gander through the news before your draft.
I'll finish up with a few guys you should look at toward the end of your draft as you round out your roster. These guys are not "sleepers," they are quality "depth" that will come in handy if your starter goes down for 2-4 weeks. These are guys you should be able to get towards the end of most 12 team drafts.
1. Billy Butler, KC - He has OF and 1b eligibility in yahoo leagues but will be the Royals' primary DH. He is still young and developing as a major league hitter but 80/20/80 with a decent average is within reach. Look for him in the mid teens.
2. Ty Wiggington, HOU - Nothing flashy but multi-positional eligibility and 20+ HR power in a decent lineup and small ballpark. Should go mid to late teens, has more value in leagues that use CI, MI.
3. Justin Upton, ARI - The short and sweet on Upton is that he is a big talent. Whether he puts it together this season or not is unknown but the upside warrants a pick after round 20.
4. Jhonny Peralta, CLE - You wouldn't want him as your everyday fantasy SS but he provides good bang for your buck. Often overlooked on draft day, Peralta has decent pop from the SS position. Considering he can be had around round 20 that's pretty good value.
5. Jeff Keppinger, CIN - I liked this guy at the end of last season and he should be on your radar. As it stands right now he isn't starting, but if injuries open up a spot in the lineup he will be a nice addition to your team. SS Alex Gonzalez looks like he will miss the start of the season which could lead to an early two week audition before Gonzalez returns. He'll go undrafted in most leagues.
You can find that information in a variety of places on the web. But it is hard to find a whole lot of info on lesser known types who can have a huge impact on your draft. Last season right before my draft I spent about an hour combing over the latest news and found out that Tampa was likely to find a spot for BJ Upton and that he had a good shot at getting over 400 ABs in a utility role. So I took him with my 23rd draft choice. Not a bad pick at that point in the draft. That leads me to one of my biggest tips.
READ THE LATEST NEWS BEFORE YOUR DRAFT!
You know your draft is on Sunday, your rankings should be good to go by Saturday at the latest. Give yourself about an hour before the draft to read the latest MLB news. That is about as easy as it can get. You can visit a few message boards if you have the time as well. It isn't rocket science but you can find a lot of useful information. It's only Wednesday, but a quick browsing of the news will reveal a nugget that will impact drafts throughout the weekend.
Fransico Liriano is scheduled to make his first appearance of the spring on Friday. Liriano was among the league's best pitchers 2006 before being shut down and having TJS. He has had about a year and a half to recover which is a little more than the year that most pitchers take off before pitching again. Those two or three innings are going to impact your draft. I've seen Liriano drafted around 75-80 overall and I have seen him fall as late as the 120s. Some people are high on him, like myself, and others won't touch him. If he gets torched for two runs on five hits in two innings you can probably expect to see him go later. But if he pitches well you should expect those owners like me that are high on him to have more confidence in taking him.
You don't want to be the guy who drafts a player in the sixth round who tore his ACL in yesterday's intra-squad game do you? Do yourself a favor and take a gander through the news before your draft.
I'll finish up with a few guys you should look at toward the end of your draft as you round out your roster. These guys are not "sleepers," they are quality "depth" that will come in handy if your starter goes down for 2-4 weeks. These are guys you should be able to get towards the end of most 12 team drafts.
1. Billy Butler, KC - He has OF and 1b eligibility in yahoo leagues but will be the Royals' primary DH. He is still young and developing as a major league hitter but 80/20/80 with a decent average is within reach. Look for him in the mid teens.
2. Ty Wiggington, HOU - Nothing flashy but multi-positional eligibility and 20+ HR power in a decent lineup and small ballpark. Should go mid to late teens, has more value in leagues that use CI, MI.
3. Justin Upton, ARI - The short and sweet on Upton is that he is a big talent. Whether he puts it together this season or not is unknown but the upside warrants a pick after round 20.
4. Jhonny Peralta, CLE - You wouldn't want him as your everyday fantasy SS but he provides good bang for your buck. Often overlooked on draft day, Peralta has decent pop from the SS position. Considering he can be had around round 20 that's pretty good value.
5. Jeff Keppinger, CIN - I liked this guy at the end of last season and he should be on your radar. As it stands right now he isn't starting, but if injuries open up a spot in the lineup he will be a nice addition to your team. SS Alex Gonzalez looks like he will miss the start of the season which could lead to an early two week audition before Gonzalez returns. He'll go undrafted in most leagues.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Injected Rejects
Ok, I understand the need for media to cover the steroid saga as it relates to sports. But this is really pathetic and I've had enough of it. Can we please ration out the steroid hoopla? If you force me to eat it with my morning bowl of cereal then don't make me have another helping during my commute home from work. Clemens this, Radomsky that, hey Andy are you mentally ready for the season...ENOUGH!
Tell me how the battle for second base is going in Denver or who has the early lead to be the Braves' fifth starter but don't go into steroids every other half minute. Unless of course, MLB is ready to admit guilt and make change. I'm not one to get mixed up into politics, but all this talk of change is something that could go a long way with Major League Baseball. If you are America's national pastime, act like it. Baseball like anything historically relevant has eras. Eras are classified by dates, one to signal the beginning and another to signal the end. If baseball wants to stamp an ending date on their current era they need to stop trying to reinvent the wheel.
We can test for HGH and steroids now. I wouldn't want to submit blood samples to my employer either, but if you told me my $116,573.23 bi-weekly pay check and ability to get paid for playing a game depended on me allowing blood samples to be taken I would have to think long and hard about it. When someone is willing to provide you and your extended family a wealthier lifestyle because of a game and they simply ask you to do your part in making sure that game is fair it isn't an invasion of privacy. You can say yes or no and go on with your life.
If baseball wants to continue tap-dancing on a land mine they can continue to do so, but don't infect my love for baseball with your guilt and shame. I respect the game and the players who respect the game. Baseball's injected rejects will fade away but the game will always remain. Now if you would, I need to get back to my Raisin Bran Crunch. What's that? Soriano fractured his finger...
Tell me how the battle for second base is going in Denver or who has the early lead to be the Braves' fifth starter but don't go into steroids every other half minute. Unless of course, MLB is ready to admit guilt and make change. I'm not one to get mixed up into politics, but all this talk of change is something that could go a long way with Major League Baseball. If you are America's national pastime, act like it. Baseball like anything historically relevant has eras. Eras are classified by dates, one to signal the beginning and another to signal the end. If baseball wants to stamp an ending date on their current era they need to stop trying to reinvent the wheel.
We can test for HGH and steroids now. I wouldn't want to submit blood samples to my employer either, but if you told me my $116,573.23 bi-weekly pay check and ability to get paid for playing a game depended on me allowing blood samples to be taken I would have to think long and hard about it. When someone is willing to provide you and your extended family a wealthier lifestyle because of a game and they simply ask you to do your part in making sure that game is fair it isn't an invasion of privacy. You can say yes or no and go on with your life.
If baseball wants to continue tap-dancing on a land mine they can continue to do so, but don't infect my love for baseball with your guilt and shame. I respect the game and the players who respect the game. Baseball's injected rejects will fade away but the game will always remain. Now if you would, I need to get back to my Raisin Bran Crunch. What's that? Soriano fractured his finger...
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