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The Roto Authority

Tim, an occasional contributor to the Ask Rotoman Discussion Board, has decided to start his own Blog.

I visited when there were more posts than visits, so to my mind he’s still figuring out what he has to offer that others don’t. It looks to me like an interest in strategies is what sets him apart from many fantasy blogs. And he’s a competent writer who makes it easier to read what he writes than harder.

You, if you decide to visit, can tell him what you like and what you find lacking. It’s a bold move to set up your own fantasy info shop. I wish Tim the best of luck.

Booknoise.net | Garbage Land

My wife’s new book is called Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash. She followed the various streams of rubbish and waste from our house to their resting places, which turned out to be a pretty fun way to explore the very real problems we have with landfills, hazardous waste and recycling, to name just a few.

If you’re interested you can find out more at the website linked to above, and you can buy a discounted version there from Amazon, too. I’m biased, of course, but I’ve read the book four times and thoroughly enjoyed it each time. She is a wonderful story teller and guide.

PSSL – Puget Sound Sports League Baseball Multimedia

This is an fantasy league website, though the link above takes you to the multimedia page, which features an excellent collection of video clips from baseball history. The site also has nice links to home town newspapers and other fantasy information, but it’s the video you’ll get a kick out of.

Yahoo! Sports – MLB – Brad Radke

I’m sure everyone is all over this, but dammit it’s important. Brad Radke had walked four hitter until his next to last start. Now he’s walked five in his last two starts, pretty much screwing the possibility that he’d end up with more wins than walks.

He’s hurting, and while he claims he’s going to be able to pitch through it, the numbers don’t lie. The glorious run is over.

Mike Fenger dug out the big file of minor league games played. It has the breakouts by level for each player. It doesn’t have the cool aggregated OPS that the original file has, so we’ll leave them both up here.

Bookmark them if you think you might need them.

2004minors_%20games.htm

Auction Players – Home of the Fantasy Sports Gavel

I probably should have mentioned this a week ago, but I’m shy. Thursday night at 8pm I’m chatting at this site. I’m guessing it will be like an Ask Rotoman column, only it will move faster and my typos won’t be fixed as often.

BaseballAmerica.com

Unless I’m missing something Baseball America no longer has 2004 minor league games played by position listed on their web site. You can (and should) buy the BA Almanac, which has all records by team for all minor league players and teams last year, but it does seem it would be easier to just open a file that has minor league GP info in it.

Here is a link to such a file. I won’t vouch for the accuracy. Certainly players in the low minors aren’t included here, so if someone has the almanac and it shows additional games, go with that.

But for a down and dirty quick look, this is the info I have on hand. So now you do.

2004minlggamesplayed.html

Major League Baseball : Fantasy : Ask Rotoman

The newest column, like clockwork. Who do you like: Bigbie, Gomes or Johnson? Is it worth trading Johan Santana for upgrades at two positions? Why does my team stink? More on Contract Years and why they don’t mean much.

The Swift Report: Aniston to Vanity Fair: No Goodwill for UN Ambassador Jolie

The goal is to provide news or, more often, commentary on the news. That’s what I do here.

But sometimes the news needs no comment. I have no idea what the Swift Report is, but the idea that it is covering the differing opinions of Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie about the United Nations is, at least, delicious.

But has nothing to do with baseball.

Ry Cooder’s Chavez Ravine

This is an amazing record, featuring guests I know like Flaco Jimenez and David Hidalgo and other Mexican-American greats I don’t, about the so-called urban renewal project in Chavez Ravine in the early 1960s that created Dodger Stadium.

Bitter and angry but equally life-affirming and rocking, it deftly explores the ways poverty and wealth, neighborhoods and baseball twist into a thicket of conflicting meanings that challenge each of us to come to grips with the contradictions between having too much when there are some who want. Even 40 years after the ballpark was built.

If I give the impression this record is anything less than beguiling, let me correct that. A wonderful survey of California and authentic versions of Mexican musical styles, with some nods to California jazz and soft rock. And it’s about baseball!