ARE YOU READY FOR SOME BASEBALL?

I'm still functionally illiterate.

So, when you folks did the draft bit, did you highlight a player and press the draft button at the appropriate time as the clock was ticking? And you figured out the player was available from that row of stuff at the top?

I think it is hard for y'all to understand my unique mix of game stupidity (nobody got that I didn't get you can play around even if you let them draft, for hours if not days. Including of course me, so I couldn't formulate the right question) and possible slight semisavvy.

Reminds me of myself and my business partner with some help on jobs. It was as much a problem for us to figure out what people didn't know, or near as much, as for them to deal with what they didn't know.



Meantime I've got some good pitchers, given they don't mess up their rotator cuffs.

Sigh, old Fernando Valenzuela fan, not that he threw out his r.cuff, I don't remember.

Yellow and red thingies? Love a duck...








I'll have to go check.

The only red and yellow thingee I saw on your team, osso, was about Josh Hamilton, who seems to be on a hitting streak.

Yeah, and he was out of my scope in my previous researches...

May he do the same in the season to come.

So are you going to change your team name to the Tigers, or stick with the Herons?

I couldn't be there for draft or I would have been, I'm mostly happy for my team but my catchers (R. Hernandez and Jamie Burke) are my weak link. And if we recall the past tournaments, fbaezer has had awesome catchers and this year is no exception and that certainly has not hurt him.

The computer chose to give me San Diego's Chris Young and Arizona's Chris Young. I also got both the 2006 and the 2007 NL MVP so no complaints there.

The last two years I've gotten a player with tons of upside that have lived to the expectations in Ryan Howard (2006) and Prince Fielder (2007) and this year I have my hopes up for Alex Gordon.

Hope I fare better this year.

I really wanted to have a player by the the name of Prince Fielder on my team, but Pantalones got him.
Imagine the teasing he must have gone through as a youth with a first name of Prince.
But now Prince Fielder is playing Major League Baseball and we are not.

I had an eye for someone named Hastings Mildredge, or a name similar to that... but didn't really check him out.

That versatility is really going to be an asset for you, Tico. You have backups for your backups and can really move guys around to fill your roster where ever you need it.

I think this is going to be a pretty competitive year.

Funny, ticomaya. Someone nabbed my Verlander. I thought going with a familiar home team majority selection would be a safe first time fantasy league strategy. Here's a tissue, if your crying.

Ah, Lastings Milledge.

Oh and Prince Fielder is Cecil Fielder's (a former player) son.

I'm pretty happy with my team and yes I got The Big Puppy. Third year in a row.

Not crying, Alex ... but I'm glad you have a supply for when your season gets underway.

I won't deride the strategy too much (after all, who's to say it won't prove to be a better strategy than my own?), but I guess I opt for the best value at the time of the pick approach.

And Verlander would have been a great pickup.

...and I must state again, this is a blast.
Ticomaya- I do like your approach with the versatile players. I never would of thought of that, being only a rookie fantasy player. (yes, I'm going to us the rookie card as much as I can). Every day that passes, something else pops into my head on what I should, or shouldn't do. Just rolling dice.

Good luck with that ploy, Alex. But you must realize that, in addition to the newbies here, JPinMilw has thrown the veterans a curve this year. He has dramatically/mischievously changed the categories in which we win or don't win a point each week in our matchups. He eliminated, on the batting side, Hits. So we don't gain anything by having the scrappy player who leads off the inning by managing to slap a single to right field. That hit will never make the highlight film on the 11 pm sports report, but I was sorry to see that stat go.

He eliminated triples. Fine. Baseball stadiums and baseball players are not designed for 3-base hits anymore. Baseballs no longer carom unpredictably off the walls and the guys that hit them probably weigh 220 lbs and may not be fast runners.

JP's major changes this year were in the pitching category. He dropped Games Started, I believe, and he also dropped Losses and Walks (both of which are negative stats), replacing them with Holds and Blown Saves.

I certainly don't criticize JP for making these changes. I am merely suggesting, Alex, that under the new standards, we are all rookies here. The field is level and green.

Um, does anyone know when the season actually begins? And I love the smell of hot popcorn and the taste of a cold beer. What could be finer?

hot dogs

Bratwurst in Milwaukee or Chicago. Real Bratwurst. Not the stuff they sell at Kroger.

I picked up some bratwurst at the market today. A bit early - but I'm ready to get in the spirit of things.

A hot dog, and a cold beer.
Maybe I can swing that for dinner tomorrow evening. Nah, I haven't got a chance against the Mrs.

Ichiro.




According to the league page: "Week 1: Mar 24 - Apr 6"

That might be a short week like it was last year.

Now, of course, trades can happen any time. I will be looking at my roster to see my weak points, then looking at other rosters to see who else has weak points, and may be suggesting a trade or two to help both teams.

(Jose has already indicated he's in need of a catcher, and that he wants to get rid of one of his CY's ... but I'm not sure which one he wants to get rid of.)