Answers to fantasy baseball questions (and much more) since 1996
Tony, a former Fantasy Baseball Guide contributor, has been writing for Fangraphs the past couple of months about how baseball organizations work.
All good stuff, and this story is clear as a bell about the role of an Area Scout. While touching on the Phillies and Ben Wetzler and their contretemps, the piece’s value is as a very human and touching description of the process of young players deciding to enter the draft or go to college.
The details are fascinating and revealing.
Aaron Gleeman liked this story today on Facebook, and it’s a delightful romp showing how baseball’s statistical revolution is earworming Terry Ryan and Ron Gardenhire.
The thing I didn’t know and wonder about is the assertion that Michael Lewis’s first choice for a Moneyball team was the Twins. That seems, um, sick, in the, um, sick way. Whatever.
The reason to read this story is because some of the players talk about their process in a less than canned way, which is bracing. Okay, a little bracing.
John Sickels of Minor League Ball
I was working on Brett Wallace yesterday for the Guide (on sale in January!), and came to the conclusion that Wallace can hit and the A’s can use a third baseman, though he may not be that good a defensive player. Billy Beane agrees!
Nice interview by John, and Billy gives thoughtful answers. He just doesn’t trash anyone. Oh well.
Lawr Michaels at Creativesports.com
Lawr writes about the number of leagues he plays in, thinking that maybe he’s playing in enough.
I’m reminded of a talk the Blue Jays scout Kimball Crossley gave at First Pitch Arizona a couple of years ago, which he started by saying that people who played in more than one fantasy league were missing the point. A big league general manager makes choices and has to live with them. Those of us playing in two or five or ten leagues, aren’t really making choices, he said, we’re throwing crap at the wall and are glad that some of it sticks.
Over the last few years I’ve dropped out of a few leagues, in part because I agree with Kimball (who some years ago drafted the Patton-Kreutzer team in the XFL, when neither Alex nor I could make it to Arizona for the draft), and now only play in three (AL only keeper American Dream League, NL only Tout Wars, oddball mixed keeper XFL).
I miss the guys, especially in the Rotoman’s Regulars League with it’s 20 team mixed format, but sometimes less is more.
Rick Paulus has been writing about fantasy baseball writing for a few years now in McSweeney’s, and he’s pretty funny. Especially so in this Super Scouting Report of Excessive Keeper Leagues. I’ve already signed URF, so don’t bother.
Wanna good cry?