Are You Ready For Fantasy Baseball - 2009?

Premiata Forneria Marconi was defeated.
But I have a plausible explanation.
My fantasy player Jorge De la Rosa -who had given a grand total of 1 walk in his last 15 innings, but gave a carrousel against Tico-, my fantasy player José Cruz -who entered Sunday with an ERA of 108.00 for the week-, my fantasy player Mike Cameron -who struck out a record 9 times- and my fantasy player Ian Kisnler -who batted .056 for the week- all declared that they couldn't concentrate because someone sent them this video via e-mail, and kept on chanting its suicidal mantra:

The players listed on the "Can't Cut List" are deemed the best of the best fantasy players by yahoo, and the purpose of that list is to prevent an owner from just dumping these high value players into the waiver pool, for one reason or another.

I think I had more players on that list at the beginning of the season, but given the season they're having, they have since dropped of the list.

Wieters gets the call. Lookout for the Sandpaws!

I got a HLD! Woot! My pick up actually performed as expected... that makes me happy.

We'll see, we'll see.

On why PFM is not as good as it used to be

(SELF-SPOILERS AHEAD):

I built my team on 3 basis:
1st and foremost: stablish a good batting team
2. get a reliable closer and a reliable middle reliever
3. grab a few underated starting pitchers (Greinke, Harang, Zambrano) and stream with a fourth.

It worked marvelously even when Carlos Zambrano landed in the DH, since I substituted him with a couple of starters that were doing great.
But then:
a. Joakim Soria landed in the DH
b. Galarraga and De la Rosa imploded spectacularly.

For the time being, PFM is just an average team. Good hitting, mediocre to poor pitching, with Greinke as the only extra assett.

Good Sunday to yall. We have a bunch of close matches this week. I am going to waffle a bunch and predict a lot of ties in the standings.
1) PFM. as he noted, has taken a turn towards mediocrity, but will stay in 1st at .641;
2) Tubas get a nice bounce after a good week, rising to .569 to hold 2nd;
3) Owls lose a close match and slip to 5th and .530;
4) Ipswich wins a close match and gains a notch to 3rd at .543;
5) Skoalman continues to impress and will be in 4th at .539;
6) Gushies lose but don't get hurt too badly: .507 and a stay in 6th;
7) Pups lose to the Necks by 2 and trade places: 8th at .484;
8) Necks go to 7th at .493;
9) Herons win but end up .484, which would be in a tie for 8th;
10) Tico has another decent week and also ends at .484;
11) Gerbils take a drubbing and slump to 12th at .431;
12) Sandpaws break even for the week, good enough for 11th at .454;
13) Corn has a tough week, but not as bad as the Gerbils. .431 and a tie for 12th.
14) Firefighters wave forlornly from the cellar at .411.

The day is young, the sandpaws still have time to tank.

I just wanted to repeat this should something change...

"Skoalman continues to impress..."

arrgh, I end up in a tie with Jespah. Another damn tie. Today is my birthday, and the last thing I need is another damn tie. But I get them. REDNECKS DONT WEAR TIES. When I die I want to have as many ties stuffed in with me as possible. I'm going to help rid the earth of ties.
You did well, Jespah.

OK, no ties for you from now on, Mr. R. Neck. How about a nice shirt?

Happy Birthday, Johnboy!

This is a rough season so far. Holds and Saves are hard to come by so far and the waiver wire isn't much of a help as it is mostly full of has beens and the walking injured. I feel like I'm hitting pretty good but my pitching is letting me down.

I have a Mr. Lidge on my roster who might be interested in moving to a new team ...

I would be interested in welcoming Mr. Lidge to my team. What might his soon-to-be-former team want in return?

As a wee celebration for the Paws edging out the estimable Premiata Forneria Marconi, a seeming 'milacle' despite the manager's protestations of utter deterioration, I'm posting a bit of Lucio Dalla..

And the running total through Week 8:

STATS - WEEK ONE - ENDING 4-12-09

1--- fbaezer--- PremiataForneriaM--- 14-4-1--- .763
2--- MysteryMan--- firefighters--- 13-3-3--- .763
3--- Ossobuco--- Desert Sandpaws--- 11-5-3--- .658
4--- Foxfyre--- Hoot Owls--- 10-7-2--- .579
5--- RealJohnBoy--- Rappin Rednecks--- 11-8-0--- .579
6--- Gargamel--- The Tubas--- 9-7-3--- .553
7--- Alex240101--- The Bay Herons--- 8-7-4--- .526
8--- George & Rhys--- IpswichStableHands--- 7-8-4--- .474
9--- Jespah--- Boston Skinny Pups--- 7-9-3--- .447
10--- ElStudHoncho--- Geriatric Gerbils--- 7-10-2--- .421
11--- Pantalones--- The Lushies--- 8-11-0--- .421
12--- Ticomaya--- Ticomaniacs--- 5-11-3--- .342
13--- JpinMilwaukee--- Can of Corn--- 3-13-3--- .237
14--- McGentrix--- Skoalmen--- 4-14-1--- .237


STATS - WEEK TWO - ENDING 4-17-09

1--- fbaezer--- PremiataForneriaM--- 26-9-3--- .724
2--- MysteryMan--- firefighters--- 21-11-6--- .632
3--- Alex240101--- The Bay Herons--- 17-11-10--- .579
4--- Ossobuco--- Desert Sandpaws--- 18-13-7--- .566
5--- Foxfyre--- Hoot Owls--- 18-15-5--- .539
6--- George & Rhys--- IpswichStableHands--- 16-14-8--- .526
7--- RealJohnBoy--- Rappin Rednecks--- 17-16-5--- .513
8--- Jespah--- Boston Skinny Pups--- 14-14-10--- 487
9--- ElStudHoncho--- Geriatric Gerbils--- 15-16-7--- .487
10--- Gargamel--- The Tubas--- 15-16-7--- .487
11--- Ticomaya--- Ticomaniacs--- 10-18-10--- .395
12--- McGentrix--- Skoalmen--- 12-21-5--- .382
13--- Pantalones--- The Lushies--- 13-23-2--- .368
14--- JpinMilwaukee--- Can of Corn--- 7-22-9--- .303

STATS - WEEK 3 - ENDING 4-26-09

1--- fbaezer--- PremiataForneriaM--- 39-13-5--- .728
2--- Foxfyre--- Hoot Owls--- 29-18-10-- .596
3--- George & Rhys--- IpswichStableHands--- 26-19-1200 .561
4--- MysteryMan--- firefighters--- 27-20-10-- .561
5--- Ossobuco--- Desert Sandpaws--- 26-20-00-- .553
6--- Gargamel--- The Tubas--- 26-21-10-- .544
7--- RealJohnBoy--- Rappin Rednecks--- 26-22-9--- .535
8--- Jespah--- Boston Skinny Pups--- 21-22-14-- .491
9--- Alex240101--- The Bay Herons 20-22-15-- .482
10--- McGentrix--- Skoalmen--- 20-29-8--- .421
11--- Pantalones--- The Gushies--- 21-31-5--- .412
12--- ElStudHoncho--- Geriatric Gerbils--- 19-29-9--- .412
13--- Ticomaya--- Ticomaniacs--- 15-28-4--- .386
14--- JpinMilwaukee--- Can of Corn--- 12-33-12-- .316


STATS - WEEK 4 - ENDING 5-3-09

1--- fbaezer--- PremiataForneriaM--- 53-15-8 .750
2--- George & Rhys--- IpswichStableHands--- 37-24-15 .586
3--- Gargamel--- The Tubas--- 37-25-14 .579
4--- Foxfyre--- Hoot Owls--- 33-29-14 .526
5--- Alex240101--- The Bay Herons--- 29-28-19-- .507
6--- RealJohnBoy--- Ra[[om Rednecks--- 32-31-13-- .507
7--- Ossobuco--- Desert Sandpaws--- 31-31-14-- .500
8--- Jespah--- BostonSkinnyPups--- 28-30-18-- .487
9--- Pantalones--- The Gushies 31-35-10-- .474
10--- MysteryMan--- firefighters--- 29-34-13-- .467
11--- McGentrix--- Skoalmen--- 28-36-12-- .447
12--- JpinMilwaukee--- Can of Corn--- 22-38-16-- .395
13--- ElStudHoncho--- Geriatric Gerbils--- 23-39-14-- .395
14--- Ticomaya--- Ticomaniacs--- 20-38-18-- .382

STATS - WEEK 5 ENDING 5-10-09

1--- fbaezer--- PremiataForneriaM--- 64-22-9--- .721
2--- George & Rhys--- IpswichStableHands--- 48-29-18--- .600
3--- Gargamel--- The Tubas--- 44-33-18-- .558
4--- Pantalones--- The Gushies 45-40-10-- .526
5--- Foxfyre--- Hoot Owls--- 41-37-17-- .521
6--- RealJohnBoy--- Rappin Rednecks--- 40-38-17-- .511
7--- Ossobuco--- Desert Sandpaws--- 37-40-18-- .484
8--- Alex240101--- The Bay Herons--- 36-39-20-- .484
9--- Jespah--- BostonSkinnyPups--- 33-41-21-- .458
10--- McGentrix--- Skoalmen--- 36-45-14-- .453
11--- JpinMilwaukee--- Can of Corn--- 31-44-20-- .432
12--- MysteryMan--- firefighters--- 34-48-13-- .426
13--- ElStudHoncho--- Geriatric Gerbils--- 32-47-16-- .421
14--- Ticomaya--- Ticomaniacs--- 28-46-21-- .405

STATS - WEEK 6 ENDING 5-17-09
1--- fbaezer--- PremiataForneriaM--- 72-29-13--.689
2--- George & Rhys--- IpswichStableHands--- 54-41-19--.557
3--- Foxfyre--- Hoot Owls--- 53-41-20--.553
4--- Gargamel--- The Tubas--- 51-41-22--.544
5--- Pantalones--- The Gushies 54-45-15--.539
6--- McGentrix--- Skoalmen--- 48-51-15--.487
7--- Jespah--- BostonSkinnyPups--- 43-47-24--.482
8--- RealJohnBoy--- Rappin Rednecks--- 44-50-20--.474
9--- Alex240101--- The Bay Herons--- 41-48-25--.469
10--- Ticomaya--- Ticomaniacs--- 40-50-24--.456
11--- Ossobuco--- Desert Sandpaws--- 41-52-21--.452
12--- ElStudHoncho--- Geriatric Gerbils--- 41-55-18--.439
13--- MysteryMan--- firefighters--- 42-57-15--.434
14--- JpinMilwaukee--- Can of Corn--- 37-54-23--.425

STATS - WEEK 7 - ENDING MAY 24, 2009

1--- fbaezer--- PremiataForneriaM--- 79-37-17--.658
2--- Gargamel--- The Tubas--- 60-47-26--.549
3--- Foxfyre--- Hoot Owls--- 59-48-26--.541
4--- George & Rhys--- IpswichStableHands--- 61-50-22--.541
5--- McGentrix--- Skoalmen--- 61-55-17--.523
6--- Pantalones--- The Gushies--- 60-54-19--.523
7--- Jespah--- BostonSkinnyPups--- 50-53-30--.489
8--- RealJohnBoy--- Rappin Rednecks--- 53-57-23--.485
9--- Alex240101--- The Bay Herons--- 48-56-29--.470
10--- Ticomaya--- Ticomaniacs--- 48-57-28--.466
11--- ElStudHoncho--- Geriatric Gerbils--- 49-62-22--.451
12--- Ossobuco--- Desert Sandpaws--- 48-61-24--.451
13--- JpinMilwaukee--- Can of Corn--- 46-61-26--.444
14--- MysteryMan--- firefighters--- 46-70-17--.410

STATS - WEEK 8 - ENDING MAY 31, 2009

1--- fbaezer--- PremiataForneriaM--- 86-45-21---.635
2--- Gargamel--- The Tubas--- 72-51-29---.569
3--- George & Rhys--- IpswichStableHands--- 7-54-28---.553
4--- McGentrix--- Skoalmen--- 74-60-18---.546
5--- Foxfyre--- Hoot Owls--- 63-57-32---.520
6--- Pantalones--- The Gushies 66-63-23---.510
7--- Jespah--- BostonSkinnyPups--- 58-61-33---.490
8--- RealJohnBoy--- Rappin Rednecks--- 61-65-26---.487
9--- Ticomaya--- Ticomaniacs--- 57-63-32---.480
10--- Alex240101--- The Bay Herons--- 56-62-34---.480
11--- Ossobuco--- Desert Sandpaws--- 56-68-28---.461
12--- ElStudHoncho--- Geriatric Gerbils--- 53-74-25---.431
13--- JpinMilwaukee--- Can of Corn--- 51-74-27---.424
14--- MysteryMan--- firefighters--- 52-78-22---.414

Johnboy's crystal ball is hanging in there---Happy Birthday by the way Johnboy. Currently McGentrix appears to be the rising star but as we all know, fame and fortune in fantasy football can be fickle.

The interesting thing is that again there wasn't all that much jockeying for position again this week, but everybody improved their averages except for fbaezer, Foxfyre, Pantalones, ElStud, and Jp who all slipped a bit. ElStud and I competed to see who would be the worst this week I think.

How many weeks of fantasy baseball are there anyway? The gap between 1st and 2nd continues to close.

My SP on Sunday threw 6 scoreless innings and collected 6 K's before cutting his thumb (pitching hand) on a 1st aid kit in the dugout between innings. He didn't figure in the team's win. Klutzy move.

Oh, I dunno ... you might try to surprise them.

Cut his hand on a first aid kit? I love irony.

I doubt, Foxy, that we are close to the mid-way point for the season.