Football Mogul 2008

A few posts back, I mentioned that I had been playing Baseball Mogul recently. Well, I've taken a short hiatus to play some Football Mogul. For a challenge, I took over the 49ers to see if I could breathe some life into the struggling franchise.

We started out the 2007 campaign by attempting to upgrade the QB position, and across the board as well. Our best piece of trade bait was RB Frank Gore, so I unloaded him for QB David Garrard, a huge upgrade at that spot. I then traded for RB Cadillac Williams, and got busy signing cheap players off the free agent wire with lots of upside. It didn't look like our team would be very good in its first year, and we weren't...as our 2-14 record indicated. However, we started the year losing games by 15-20 points, and by the end of the season we were only losing by 7 or less.

The silver lining to our awful first season was that we got the 2nd overall pick in the 2008 draft. We took Oregon Running Back Jonathan Stewart --- a big speedster who looked like he could immediately step into the starting job. With our second round pick, we got lucky - as California WR Desean Jackson slipped down to our spot. In the 3rd round we took WR Early Doucet, and our skill positions were suddenly vastly improved from the year before.

Continuing to improve the squad, we went a respectable 9-7 in 2008, and won our division. We faced division-rival Seattle in the first round of the playoffs, and lost a close battle. Overall, it was very satisfying to take a horrible squad and make them respectable in one season.

Heading into 2009, Our roster was shaping up pretty nicely. We lost our first two games of the season, and decided to make some changes. We realized that QB Garrard probably wasn't quite good enough to make us a serious contender. We traded a load of draft picks and Jonathan Stewart to steal away top-notch gunslinger Jay Cutler. He started Game 3 of the '09 campaign, and we only lost one game the rest of the way.

Our 13-3 season got us a home game in the playoffs against our nemesis Seattle. This time, we cruised past them to an easy victory. Green Bay was up next. Although the Pack played us tough, we outlasted them 20-14. That took us into the Super Bowl against the Bengals. Cincinnati went 15-1 during the regular season, with their only loss coming to my 49ers. I knew that a repeat performance would be tough.

We got out to a 14-point lead in the second quarter. I knew that the Bengals would probably respond, and they did. The combination of Carson Palmer to Chad Johnson was lethal, hooking up 10 times, including two touchdowns. While the orange-and-black was busy throwing the ball around, we were having success ramming the ball down their throat. We were routinely getting 5+ yards per carry against Cincinnati's suspect run defense. The game went back and forth, and the 49ers led 21-19 in the fourth quarter. With four minutes left, the Bengals started a drive that took them inside the 49er 10-yard line. The defense stiffened, but the Bengals kicked a short field goal with under a minute remaining to virtually seal their first ever Super Bowl championship.

Then, the unthinkable happened. Veteran kick returner Curtis Martin touched the ball for the last time in his career, fielding a squib kick at the 30-yard line. Following a wall of 49er blockers, he reached the 50 yard line, and had only the kicker to beat. Mustering up a burst of speed from somewhere in his past, he turned on the jets and zoomed past the kicker...20, 15, 10...touchdown 49ers! Martin ran down the tunnel and out of the stadium into NFL lore. With only eight seconds left, the Bengals were unable to respond, and the final score read: 49ers 29, Bengals 22. An amazing finish to a fantastic season!

Football Mogul 2008 lets you simulate each game, or call the plays yourself as coach. I usually play 3-4 regular season games each year, and let the computer sim the rest. I always call the plays in the playoffs, though, as I want as much control as I can get over the action. There are 4 different difficulty levels, and past teams and players as well as all the current rosters. The draft is really fun, as well as negotiating with players and trying to stay under the salary cap. I highly recommend Football Mogul for any pigskin fans out there. It would make a great Christmas gift --- Visit Sports Mogul to find out more about their line of great products.

KC Royals = Bananaz

On Tuesday, the Kansas City Royals spent $36 million dollars on an average major league outfielder, former Mariner Jose Guillen. Was there a reason that the M's declined their $9 million option on the guy who called former manager Mike Scoscia a "piece of garbage"? Is this the same guy that was accused (one month ago) of taking performance-enhancing drugs? Does all this add up to $12 million per year?

Last year, when KC spent big bucks on (another former Seattle player) Gil Meche, I thought that they were moving in the right direction. But, this Guillen signing is just plain nutz. For that kind of money, the Royals could have signed a much better player (or perhaps two), and someone without all the baggage.

BANANAZ!!

Angels Should 'Just Say No'

The Florida Marlins are trying to wipe out my fantasy teams in one fell swoop. The fish are attempting to deal superstar 3B Miguel Cabrera, and they are asking a lot in return. The Angels have offered up young star Howie Kendrick, catcher Jeff Mathis, and either (pitchers) Ervin Santana or Nick Adenhardt.

The problem for me is that I have two teams in an AL-only roto league, and I own Kendrick, Mathis and Santana. I would lose those guys with no compensation if they are traded to the NL. Two of them (Kendrick and Santana) are on my defending champion Golden Sombreros.

The Angels are loaded with infield talent and starting pitching, which allows them to perhaps offer more talent than any other MLB team. They can afford to trade Kendrick because they have young infielder Sean Rodriguez almost ready for the show. As if the Angels offer wasn't enough, the Marlins countered by asking for Santana AND Adenhardt to go along with Mathis and Kendrick.

I know the Halos are looking for a 3B, but the Marlins asking price seems pretty high, when you consider that Kendrick is still very cheap, and Cabrera will likely cost his new team $11 million or more this year. With the new additions the Angels have already made, they might be well served to keep Kendrick, and try to go after another 3B (Chavez/Blalock/Beltre) with a lesser package. That would keep my fantasy team a little happier.

Baseball Mogul ---The King of the Baseball Sims

The year is 2010.
Former Oakland A's GM Billy Beane has been replaced by a young upstart: ME.

I took over the A's in 2007 with visions of giving Oakland fans their first World Series title since 1989. But, it wouldn't be easy. The A's had been riddled with injuries the last few years, and the offense was mediocre at best. Luckily, I'm playing Baseball Mogul 2008, where dreams become reality.

I've been a fan of the Sports Mogul games for years. In prior years, I've purchased the full versions of Baseball Mogul and Football Mogul. If you're not familiar with the Mogul simulations, just head over to Sports Mogul and check out all the features of their sports lineup.

But, back to the A's...I took over a franchise that has been able to compete in recent years, hasn't won the World Series in almost twenty seasons. My first move was to move some of the underachieving players that were making too much money. Chavez, Crosby, Street...all gone.

Our first two years (2007 and 2008) were spent building up a core of talent that would be with the organization for several years down the road. Although we would still try to put a good team on the field, I really wanted to stockpile young, cheap players with good upside. I would also target fairly young established players who I felt would still be producing in 4-5 years at a reasonable price.

2007 was a pretty rocky campaign, as we brought in the influx of new faces. We added Chone Figgins, Hank Blalock, and Mark Buehrle via trade or free agency. Negotiations with free agents can be tough. A lot of them want option years or no-trade clauses added onto their contracts. Serving as the A's chief negotiator as well as the GM, I am often able to talk down their price as well as getting them to lower their extra demands. Who wouldn't want to play in Oakland?

We finished '07 and '08 just above .500, not quite enough to make the playoffs either year. The 2008 team was decimated by injuries to the pitching staff, and our depth was not enough to overcome them. The fans kept coming out to the ballpark, though, knowing that they were looking at the future of the A's. We were able to pick up some nice players in the amatuer draft in both years. Those players have yet to see the field in the majors. We're not into rushing our guys before they fully develop.

2009 saw us get into the playoffs for the first time, although we had to face the Twins in the first round. Minnesota boasted a rotation that included Johann Santana, Carlos Zambrano, and Francisco Liriano. We went out 1-2-3, and the season was over.

Knowing that we need to vastly improve our squad to beat the best teams, we broke the bank in 2010. After a couple of years of light spending which allowed us to bolster our cash reserves, we went out and signed free agent Joe Mauer, who we envision being our catcher for the next 5 years. We signed Vernon Wells and aging star Vladimir Guerrero to multi-year deals. We were also able to acquire young slugger Joey Votto for four players, including the somewhat-disappointing Daric Barton.

We are currently in mid-season 2010. Our record is an eye-popping 40-15. Oakland has spent more money on the medical staff to avoid injuries to our star players. Although we have the best record in baseball, we're not counting our chickens yet. Anything can happen in the second half or in the playoffs. One game at a time, baby!

Baseball Mogul 2008 offers so much for the average baseball geek that I can't possibly list all of the great features here. You can take over an existing major league team, past or present. Don't like how the 1960 World Series played out? Go back to '60 and help the Yankees cruise to the title. You can choose from four difficulty levels, build a stadium, and play your game a season at a time or one pitch at a time. Fantasy mode allows you to create all custom teams and players. Or, you can take existing players, and shuffle them all off to random teams.

What I like best about Baseball Mogul is that I can play an entire season in one sitting. I usually play a week at a time, and the game stops play if one of my guys gets injured. I handle all of the player transactions, but I leave the in-game decisions to my (computerized) managerial staff. After the A's win a few titles, I might see if I can ressurrect the pitiful Devil Rays, or create a whole new league.

Oh, and Football Mogul 2008 just came out! I hope to have a writeup of that product right here very soon :)

Top NBA Producers

Here are the top NBA producers so far this year in terms of TOTAL POINTS (PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK)


james,lebron 47.1
bryant,kobe 45.1
garnett,kevin 44.3
boozer,carlos 42.8
howard,dwight 41.1
ming,yao 40.6
davis,baron 40.5
iverson,allen 39.3
mcgrady,tracy 38.3
anthony,carmelo 37.7
paul,chris 36.8
kaman,chris 36.3
randolph,zach 36.2
jefferson,richard 35.9
nowitzki,dirk 35.7
pierce,paul 35.4
jefferson,al 34.7
marion,shawn 34.5
redd,michael 34.4
nash,steve 34.1
martin,kevin 33.9
johnson,joe 33.7
arenas,gilbert 33.6
butler,caron 33.6
smith,josh 33.6

Winning Your NBA Fantasy League

A few years ago, I participated in an NBA Fantasy League. It was the 2001-02 season. The league used 12-man rosters with 10 owners, and five stat categories. There were two games each week, and we set our starting lineups for each game. I won that league, and thought I'd share my strategy with you. Even though most leagues have already had their drafts and started play, there's still plenty of time to make trades and free agent acquisitions.

Entering the draft, I had the third overall pick. Our stat categories were PTS, REB, AST, BLK, and STL. Each player's output in all five categories was added together to get the team total. I prepared my draft sheet and tried to identify players that might be undervalued by the other owners.

In addition to the stat projections, there were two other factors that I used to target players. One was durability. I wanted to make sure that the guys that I drafted had a good chance of missing only a few games. So, I didn't go after guys like Grant Hill. I also wanted players that still had their best years in front of them.

I knew that Shaq would be the first pick. I believe Tim Duncan went second. I decided to buck the trend of taking big men in the first round. With my pick, I took a very young, but talented Tracy McGrady. His prior year stats weren't as high as a few other guys near the top, but because of his youth, he projected to keep improving.

Here was my draft (what I can remember of it):

Round 1 - Tracy McGrady, G
He was the foundation for my team, a Do-It-All contributor who provided good points in all five categories. 76 games played.

Round 2 - Shawn Marion, F
Another young guy who slipped under everyone else's radar. He gave me monster numbers across the board, and played in 81 games.

Round 3 - Ben Wallace, C
A MAJOR coup for me in the draft. Big Ben qualified at center, and slipped to the third round because he didn't put up good scoring numbers. However, I saw the potential for improvement. He put up huge rebound numbers, finishing just behind Duncan in that category. Plus, his durability allowed me to start him every night. 80 games played.

Round 4 - Antawn Jamison, F
This may have been a suspect pick, but it worked out well in the end. Jamison did not have a great first half, and started receiving less playing time as the year went on. However, he picked it up in the second half, and became a force. Many think of Jamison as a scorer only, but he also rebounds well and gets a few blocks. 82 games played.

Round 5 - Darrell Armstrong, G
Another guy who flew under the radar was Armstrong, who finished with good points and assists totals, and also finished in the top five in steals. He also played in all 82 games. His career went downhill pretty quickly after the 01-02 season. Note that my starting five missed a grand total of only nine games.

Round 6 - Antonio Davis, F/C
A vastly undervalued guy who started for Toronto, and gave me quality production at the center position. I used him as a backup at times to Wallace.

Round 7 - Elden Campbell, C
I stocked up on quality big men that fell to the later rounds. The teams that had drafted centers early only felt the need to add one near the end of the draft. That was their mistake. I had three starting centers on my roster who produced. That limited the number of quality centers who were available after this point. Rule #1 of drafting: stock up at positions where quality is scarce. You can use those chips as trade bait later on.

Round 8 - Jalen Rose, G/F
Rose was a consistent contributor in points, rebounds, assists and steals, and even averaged a half a blocked shot per game. The next season was his best.

Round 9 - Anthony Peeler, G
Needing some insurance at the guard position, I grabbed Peeler. He was a decent scorer, but lacked points in the other categories to make him a higher pick. 82 games played.

Round 10 - Aaron Williams, F
This pick didn't really work out as well as I hoped it would. Although Williams didn't miss a game, his per-minute numbers didn't really improve, and he didn't play as much as I thought he might.

Round 11 - Jahidi White, C
More center stock-piling. White ended up with one of the highest rebound/minute averages in the league, although he only averaged about 19 minutes/night.

Round 12 - Tony Parker, G
Mr. Parker didn't really blossom until a few yaers later, but I liked the fact that he was young and played good minutes.

I don't think we scared anybody on paper, because we lacked a lot of big-name players. We were around .500 during the first half of the season, and didn't really gel until the playoffs neared. We cruise through the first round, and then had to face Shaq's team in the best 2-of-3 final round. We lost the first game, but then Shaq got hurt, and we won the next two games for the championship title.

What I learned from that season is that in Fantasy Hoops, the starting five is key. If you draft a solid top six or seven players who don't get hurt, you don't really need much depth. When other teams are trying to replace injured stars, you are still playing your top guys, and that makes all the difference. Also, addressing the issue of position scarcity is important in any draft.

Fantasy Baseball Wrap Up

The season is over, and my Golden Sombreros managed to hang onto first place and grab the Oregon Hippie League title. The OHL is a six owner, 12-team, AL-only, 5x5 roto league. Each owner has two teams.



We went with TQStats this year, whom I'd been with for the last several seasons in another league. It was a rocky start to the year from a commissioner standpoint. The TQ system did not have all of the bugs worked out when the season started, and stat updates were spotty. One Sunday night, I had to take all of the league's reserved (and DL'ed) players off of the DL, and put them back on agian due to some malfunction in their system. As the season went on, they got most of the bugs straightened out, and I got to whittle my Sunday evening transactions to about two hours.

Coming out of our draft, almost everybody overspent on Day 1. We had one owner who held back, and he was able to grab some great bargains on day 2. I thought for sure I was toast...much more so when the Sombreros started near the bottom of the pack. What surprised me was that my cheap starting pitching was really holding their own against other staffs that cost three times as much. I don't think I spent more than $9 on a starting pitcher. I did come out of the draft with 2 closers, and then Al Reyes started picking up saves for the Devil Rays. Having three closers in a 12-team AL legaue is a great luxury. I don't think I'll have that again any time soon.

I traded Todd Jones for Joe Borowski and some change, and later traded Borowski for Ervin Santana, Fernando Rodney and Juan Rivera. That trade almost blew up in my face, but I was still able to win the Saves category by a comfortable margin. Rivera will be a nice $2 piece next year if he remains in Anaheim. My draft strategy was to place high in all five offensive categories, and I did that, while nailing down saves, and finishing respectably in everything else except wins. When your starting pitchers throw for the Royals (Meche), White Sox (Vazquez) and Blue Jays (Marcum), you can see why we were near the bottom in wins.

We also overcame the loss of Mark Teixeira to the NL before the trade deadline. I was never able to fully replace his power, but we managed to stay on top due to a career year from Mike Lowell, and a nice season from Jose Guillen. My first round pick in the minor league draft was Dustin Pedroia. I almost dropped him after the first month, but we all know what he did from May on.

Coming down the stretch, we saw our points lead go from double digits to a virtual tie in a matter of days (now I know how the Mets feel). It's nice to have a team pull it together in crunch time, even if they are only your fantasy team...



Here is my season-ending roster:

C Pierzynski $10
C Suzuki $6
1B H. Kendrick $26
2B Pedroia $6
3B Fields $6
SS B. Harris $6
MI Figgins $32
CM Glaus $21
UT Lowell $16
OF M. Cabrera $3
OF Gomes $6
OF J. Guillen $9
OF Markakis $17
OF J. Rivera $2

SP J. Vazquez $7
SP J. Washburn $2
SP Marcum $6
SP Meche $3
SP E. Santana $9
RP R. Perez $6
RP A. Brown $6
RP A. Reyes $6
RP M. Rivera $36

I also have Baldelli, Crain and Liriano on reserve, with Brandon Wood and Ian Kennedy in my minors. We can keep 14 majors and up to six minors, so next year is looking good, as we were well under the saslary cap with the departure of Teixeira. I don't expect repeat performances by some of these guys, but it was definitely nice to win ONE.

Oh, my other team finished 8th...

Blazers' Oden To Miss Season

In case you are body-surfing glaciers in Iceland, and hadn't heard...

Greg Oden had knee surgery, and will most likely miss the entire 2007-08 season.

For those of us who wanted the Blazers to take Kevin Durant, it is a very sorry "I told you so".

See my original post on why the Blazers should have taken Durant HERE

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Week 1 NFL Notes

Football season is uopn us, and we are through Week 1. Here are some thoughts from the first week on the gridiron:

After a 3-13 season, the Detroit Lions look like they might be ready to turn in a respectable (6 wins?) season. They thumped the Raiders 36-21 on Sunday, showing that their offense might be ready to become productive on a regular basis. The Lions lost eight games by 7 or fewer points last year, and scored 39 points in their season finale against Dallas. Look for rookie Calvin Johnson to have a nice year catching the ball. A big question for the Lions is whether Tatum Bell can hold up at running back. Plus, any team with Jon Kitna at QB is destined to lose at least half of its games.

New York Giants' QB Eli Manning got dinged up in the loss to the Cowboys on Sunday. Reports indicate that he could play this weekend. Mr. Manning needs to start stepping up his game on a consistent basis if New York is to make any noise this year. There are some rumors floating around that the G-men may target former Jaguar Byron Leftwich, but that seems a little far-fetched, since the Giants already have their franchise QB. Perhaps Kansas City or Chicago will make a run at the Jags' recent roster casualty.

Speaking of Da Bears, Mr. Rex Gross-Man proved once agian that he is not capable of being a good quarterback in the NFL. Chicago desperately needs some offense to go with a superior defense and special teams. The Bears managed just 202 yards against the Chargers in Week 1, and with the loss of defensive stalwart Mike Brown, it's even more important that Chicago gets some decent points out of its offense. This team could go downhill in a hurry if something isn't done about the QB position.

After watching the Cardinals-Niners game on Monday night, I am already convinced that Matt Leinart is not developing as he should. He has a great receiving corps, and a good running back in The Edge, but he is wildly inconsistent --- something we didn't see at USC. If I were an NFL GM, I would stay away from drafting QBs who have had great college careers, but have had a superstar running back to lean on (a la Reggie Bush). You just can't determine how much of an impact that the running game has on the QB position until you take out the superior threat.

Speaking of bad QBs, why is Joey Harrington still in the NFL? Two teams (the Dolphins and Lions) could have told us that he can't play a lick, but the Falcons decided to give him a shot anyway. Despite any productive stats that he might put up, he has not been able to shake the propensity to make huge mistakes. It's too bad, because he is a great guy, and had a wonderful career at Oregon. Look for a QB change in Atlanta very soon, with Leftwich being a real possibility.

Great Deals on Sports Buys

The holiday season is just a few months away! First comes Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and before you know it, you'll be stuffing stockings! Don't worry, CouponChief is there for you. Make a wishlist of your household family members and think of the most amazing gift you would buy for them, if you could. Don't forget your pets either!

Check out Team Store, which has great deals on all kinds of sports apparel. They've got everything from high-quality NFL jerseys to outfits for your favorite college team. No doubt, you'll be able to find a great gift there for someone special. Or, for the golfer in your family, you can stock up on golf balls with the super discount pricing at KnetGolf.com.

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2007 Pac-10 Preview

Guest Writer and OSU alum Kyle Rogers chimes in with his 2007 Pac-Ten Football Preview:

A little over 24 hours before the 2007 football season kicks off. Here is my breakdown of the best conference in the nation.

Predicted Conference Records:

USC 9-0

UCLA 7-2

Cal 7-2

Oregon St. 5-4

Oregon 4-5

ASU 4-5

WSU 3-6

Arizona 3-6

Washington 2-7

Stanford 1-8

USC- Reloaded isn't even a strong enough word to describe this juggernaut. Their backfield is loaded with talented experience. So, they have to replace two major productive WR, but they have the athletes. Can a there be another Ucla or OS loss on their resume? The Defense looks tough again, however they can be vulnerable in the secondary. Too much depth this year, and with JDB coming back with a whole year under his belt I expect this team to run the table. A near upset will be the ASU game.

UCLA- you keep thinking with all the recruits and talent that this team will put it together, but every year Dorrell costs them a couple of games. This is Oregon South, tons of talent, but a penchant to underachieve by not showing up for the less-than-important games. I see them losing in Corvallis, and USC, but they will be right there in the conference race if Olsen steps up big.

Cal- is a consensus number two pick, with their performance the last five years under Tedford (probably the best coach in the league). They have DeSean Jackson who possibly could return kickoffs as well as punts. Not to mention, he is a deep threat at WR. They will have to replace Marshawn Lynch, but they have a good stable of RB's and under Tedford somebody always emerges. I see their defense as not being as strong as the offense, and teams like ASU, OS, and USC will give them problems. OS has won the last four games in Berkley.

Oregon- Returns a lot on offense, but you have to wonder where the committment is and what type of team chemistry they have, especially after a few losses. Stewart is a great back who can cause a ton of problems; we shall see if they call more plays for him or if he will get lost in the offense. The defense doesn't look very good, and the Ducks will have to score a lot of points.

Oregon State - New QB, new punter (Serna), no Sammie Stroughter (update - he is practicing), and a tough road schedule will provide a huge challenge for this team. However, the defense looks better than last year, the OL is the best in country, and Yvenson Bernard is the most verstatile back in the league. They will need to limit turnovers by their inexperienced QB's and kicking game. They will beat some teams, but will struggle on the road and need their senior leadership to get them through the season. Top games: ASU, UCLA, and Oregon.

ASU- Wherever DE ends up he usually leads that team to a Pac-10 crown, and I won't be surprised to see him do it again --- however it won't be this year. Again they will beat some tough teams, maybe even USC, but their defense is horrible. It will improve under DE, but they are still a year or two away.

WSU- Will be in the mix this year, with Alex Brink at QB and they will play a lot better than last year, however Brink might not have enough around him to take the pressure off of him in the offense. Tough games against Oregon and Cal will determine what type of season it will be. The defense will not be as strong at pass defense, but they could put up some numbers. A bad season and Doba may be on his way out.

Arizona- Much will be determined by the QB, and if Tuitutama can perform without mistakes they might knock some pretenders out (ASU, Ucla). Their defense along with Ucla's will be the top in the league and will keep them in games. However, Stoops is not a good coach and doesn't get the most out of his players. He is a good recruiter, but not so much with offense players.

Washington- will be improved but their talent level still isn't very high. They will give teams a lot of heart, but a tough Non-conference schedule will have this team realizing they have a lot of work still ahead. There isn't anything on this team that scares you, and it will be easy to make them one dimensional.

Stanford- enough said.

NFL Briefs - NFC East

The Dallas Cowboys were seconds away from possibly winning their first-round playoff game last year when QB Tony Romo botched the snap from center, and the season was suddenly over. The 'Boys have all of the tools to get back to the playoffs this year. Romo comes off a good season, and should only get better from here. He gives Dallas instant credibility and consistency at the game's most importnant position that the team never had under Drew Bledsoe. The strong running game should promote good balance on offense. There is a ton of speed on defense. Look for a breakout season from linebacker DeMarcus Ware. On paper, this is the best team in the division. (11-5)

QB Eli Manning struggled through an inconsistent season last year. His 2006 stats (24 TD, 18 INT) were eerily similar to his 2005 stats. At times, he looked dominant, but also appeared dazed and confused on many occasions. The New York Giants will struggle this year because of the QB play, the depature of Tiki Barber, and the inconsistent play of Plaxico Burress. On defense, the G-Men are in the bottom half of the league. The secondary, which gave up over 200 passing yards per game in '06, is a big concern. The Giants will surprise a few teams, but will also lose some games that they should win. (6-10)

The Philadelphia Eagles played over their heads in '06, winning the division on a late season surge led by QB Jeff Garcia. This year, Donovan McNabb is back and healthy, and the team should respond with another winning campaign, although the record might not be any better than last year's 10-6 mark. McNabb is the guy who makes the Eagles a Super Bowl contender every year. RB and all-purpose stud Brian Westbrook provides McNabb with a great weapon who puts up a lot of all-purpose yardage. The receiving corps is marginally better this year, with the addition of Kevin Curtis (Rams). The defense will be sound, but not spectacular. The coaching of Andy Reid almost always makes the Eagles better than they appear on paper. (10-6)

Mediocrity has been the theme in D.C. for several years now. Although they made the playoffs in 2005, competing with the other tough teams in this division has left the Washington Redskins out in the cold. In fact, '05 is the team's only winning season this decade. QB Jason Campbell will see if he can light a fire under an offense that has traditionally struggled. The RB tandem of Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts is very talented, but should be even more productive than they have been. Look for Portis to be the odd man out here. The defense should be above average, but the secondary is somewhat suspect. Even a Hall of Fame coach like Joe Gibbs will have a tough time getting wins out of this squad. (5-11)

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Rangers 30, Orioles 3

What can you say about a game where the 8 and 9 hitters drive in 14 runs? Or where the bullpen gives up 24 runs in 4 innings? Or where the winning team gets more runs than outs?

The Rangers season batting average just went up five points. The Orioles dropped from 7th to 11th in ERA in just this one game. Oh, and Wes Littleton got the 3-inning save, if that excites you.

Hopefully you didn't have Brian Burres or Paul Shuey on your fantasy squad...

NFL Briefs - AFC East

With its salary cap and collective bargaining agreement, the National Football League (NFL) has become the major professional sports league with the most parity. The NFL schedule makers also penalize the good teams from the previous season by increasing the difficulty of their opponents. That means that it's easier in the NFL for a franchise to rise from the ashes to reach the playoffs or even the Super Bowl.

AFC East -
The success of the Miami Dolphins has, since the retirement of Dan Marino, been built upon a suffocating defense. The offense usually scores just enough, or not quite enough, points to win. It's been hard for the Fins to escape the middle of the pack because the passing game has usually been subpar. Enter Trent Green... He has put up some nice numbers in Kansas City, but he has yet to display the leadership skills necessary to take a team to the Big Game. I rate Miami as an extreme longshot. (6-10)

The once-mighty New England Patriots almost made it to the Super Bowl last year, but the Indy offense kicked it into gear in the second half of the AFC Championship game to roar away with the conference title. Can Brady and crew rebound to get back to the promised land? With the highly publicized addition of Randy Moss, the Pats' offense may (or may not) improve (see Oakland last year). The Patriot defense seems to be in decline, and this does not resemble the team that won 3 super bowls, which was built on great defense and unheralded position players on offense. The Pats are definitely set to make a run in the playoffs, but I see them going out in the first or second round. (11-5)

Quarterback J.P. Losman displayed more talent in his third season than in the previous two, and seems ready to move into the upper half of QBs in the league. For the Buffalo Bills to win enough games to make the playoffs, he has to be brilliant, and avoid costly turnovers. His 14 interceptions from last year were too high for a team that plays low-scoring games. The Bills' defense can be just plain suffocating. However, with the off-season loss of linebackers Takeo Spikes and London Fletcher, this could be another tough season for Buffalo fans. I think that a .500 season will be a tall order for this group. (7-9)

In the recent past, the New York Jets have sometimes put late-season runs together, but have always come up short of the Super Bowl. In order for the Jets to compete for the title in 2008, they will need quarterback Chad Pennington to perform at a level he hasn't played at since 2002, when he posted 22 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Don't count on it. On the other side of the ball, newly-signed cornerback Darrelle Revis should pay dividends down the road. However, first-year corners are always targets for NFL passers, so expect the Jets to give up some big plays. I project the Jets to just miss the playoffs in '08. (9-7)

Goodbye Wily Mo, We Hardly Knew Ye

I woke up this morning to find out that another of my roto players had been traded to the NL. The Red Sox sent Wily Mo Pena to the Expos...I mean Nationals (whatever) for nothing (A PTBNL if you want to get technical).

All I can say to AL GMs is "STOP TRADING ALL MY FREAKIN' PLAYERS AWAY!!!" Or if you have to trade them to the NL, at least get something back in return so I can fill my roster with new talent. Now, I have to decide if I want Eric Hinske, Donny Murphy or Marco Scutaro to take his roster spot.

Now, enough complaining...Wily Mo was never going to get a chance in Beantown, but I did hope he'd go to the Royals or Orioles rather than the Nats. He's got a ton of power, but doesn't make great contact. That prompted Nationals GM Jim Bowden to say "One thing about Willie Mo Pena I can tell you is if you give him 500 at bats, he's going to hit 40 home runs and strike out more than Adam Dunn," Bowden said. "And he's a below-average defender who needs to work hard on his game."

Sounds like a ringing endorsement to me...

Loading up for 2008

Whether you're gunning for your Fantasy Baseball League Championship in 2007, or are already out of the running for any winnings, it's always a good idea to start planning for next year. Around this time of year, I try to identify guys who I expect to have an impact the following season, who can be picked up off the free agent wire or added to my farm system. Picking up those guys in August won't hurt your stats too much, and might give you some firepower or trade bait for the years ahead. I try to target young players who might have been called up recently, or players who might get a starting shot next year who might still be flying under the radar.

American League - Jeff Mathis, C, LAA
...has displayed a good bat in the minors, now it's time to step up in The Show.

Wily Mo Pena, OF, BOS
...someday soon, a team (not Boston) will give Mo a starting job to see what he can do. He's got great power, and would put up 30+ homers given 500 AB.

Rafael Betancourt, RP, CLE
...After posting tremendous numbers in the minors a few years back, Betancourt has had minimal opportunities to close in the majors. Although Joe Borowski has been good this year, Betancourt's performance this year has indicated that he is ready for the closer's job in Cleveland.

Brandon McCarthy, SP, TEX
...He's got great stuff, and has pitched much better the last month or two. He's got what I look for in a young starting pitcher - a good arsenal, ability to get guys out when it counts, and marked improvement.

Kason Gabbard, SP, TEX
...After getting traded from Boston, (will they regret that move?) Gabbard has been moved into the Rangers' rotation. Have you seen him throw? He's got some nasty stuff. Expect him to get every opportunity to stay there in '08.

Wilson Betemit, IF, NYY
...After watching Betemit in Atlanta a couple of years ago, I've always known he can hit. He's got a lot of pop for an infielder. He may not get a great chance in New York, but may move to a new location in 2008.

Adam Jones, OF, SEA
...If you can still grab Jones, do so now. He's a 5-tool stud who will take off soon. Alexi Casilla, 2B, MIN Not as polished as Luis Castillo, whom the Twinkies traded away. Still, loads of talent.

Wladimir Balentien, OF, SEA ...
Another Mariner minor-league hitter who can rake. Santiago Casilla, RP, OAK He's one of those guys who looks really impressive when he throws. He's young, so don't expect miracles yet.

Kurt Suzuki, C, OAK
...Oakland pitchers are already saying that he handles a game really well. He hit well in the minors, so expect him to pick up the pace by next year.

Ben Zobrist, SS, TB
...He has killed minor league pitching, but has whiffed an a couple of opportunities in the bigs. Too young to be considered a 4-A guy, (someone who destroys AAA, but can't hit in the majors) I believe he will start to produce this year.

Andrew Brown, RP, OAK
...Nasty, nasty stuff. His strikeout rate in the minors was one of the higher rates I've ever seen. Time will tell if that translates to good roto numbers, but he has done well in Oakland's pitching paradise so far.

Rafael Perez, RP, CLE
...The best guy you might not know about...he has shown excellent production out of Cleveland's pen this year. He might step up to a setup role in 2008.

Brandon Wood, 3B, LAA
...The Angels have too many talented infielders. That said, Wood is a great hitter who should get a long look next year.

Matt Garza, SP, MIN
...He should nail down a spot in the middle of the Twins' rotation for 2008. How has this team kept Carlos Silva all these years?

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 1B, TEX
...The main prize in the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes, Salty can catch or play first. He doesn't have a lot of power yet for a firstbaseman, but should hit much better than he has so far for the Rangers.

Jason Botts, OF/DH, TEX
...A Kevin Mench type who can mash. I tend to stay away from guys who don't play good defense, simply because they are usually the first ones traded. However, he should be a regular contributor in Arlington for a couple of years.

C.J. Wilson, RP, TEX
...He is getting a chance to close now, with Otsuka out. That will definitely help his value in the years ahead, even if he's not closing for Texas.

Ben Francisco, OF, CLE
...Because the Indians are in the pennant chase, Francisco hasn't received a lot of chances yet. Baseball

Frankie Francisco, RP, TEX
...He's been around a few years, and injured for a good part of the last two seasons. He can really throw hard, and could be a closer candidate sometime soon.

Georgia on my Mind

As the Major League Baseball trade deadline nears, my evil roto mind is churning. You see, I lost Mark Teixeira from my 1st place AL squad today, and must now figure out how to replace his Avg, Home Runs, Runs and RBI from players on the Free Agent List (not likely), or the guys coming over to the AL from the NL.

Let's see... on the Free Agent list we have Alex Cora, Raul Casanova and Rob Quinlan. Hmmm. Better look elsewhere.
Guys coming to the AL so far: Jarrod Saltalamachia. I doubt he can put up Big Tex's numbers, but he might make a nice platoon with Gerald Laird.
My only other option is to try to make a trade. I've got two closers, so I could deal one. That's kinda risky. I have overachieving starting pitchers like Jarrod Washburn and Shawn Marcum. Maybe I can deal Marcum for Gary Sheffield, even though I really don't want to. I probably wouldn't keep Sheff and his big salary next year, and Marcum is just $6 for the next two years.

The plight I face is really not much different from the GM of a major league team who has to replace an injured superstar right before the deadline. Do we go for the gusto this year, and possibly sacrifice next year? Or do we hang back, hoping Howie Kendrick will get healthy, and Kevin Millwood will right himself enough to keep us on top for two months?

Maybe some big name hitter will cross over to the AL in the next 12 hours, and I will have the cap space to land him. At least our league's trade deadline (August 12) allows me some time to ponder my conquest. Some leagues use July 31st as their deadline, which allows all of 12 hours to rearrange one's roster. Insanity prevails in such cases.

I hope Big Tex likes it in Atlanta. Sniff. Sniff.

Sports Coupon Deals

At one time or another, all of us want to do some sports-related shopping. I recently came across an excellent site for online coupons. They list coupons for hundreds of different stores and retailers.
One of the best stops is the coupon page for Sports Authority. There, you can find coupon links for 10% off on any purchase. They also have links to clearance sales, and special deals on golf purchases. In addition, they offer Free Shipping on any basketball system purchase, which includes stand-alone basketball hoops and supports.
So, be sure to check out their site if you plan on doing any early Christmas shopping for your sports fans this year.

keepcash.com

This post is sponsored by KeepCash.com


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Hitting the Back Button on Your Season

Although my roto baseball teams are doing fairly well this year (one in 1st, one in 4th), there are some moves I've made where I'd like to take a mulligan.

Vicente Padilla - I drafted this guy thinking he might reproduce his 4.50 ERA in 200 IP from last year at a very low price. Instead, he has been downright awful, with a 1.81 WHIP and opponents hitting .326 off of him. I hung onto him as long as I could, and then dropped him in June when it became obvious that a turn around wasn't in order. He got hurt shortly after.

Ervin Santana - I take back all the nice things I've said about this guy. I traded Joe Borowski to get him and Fernando Rodney, plus the injured Juan Rivera at $2. I was convinced that Ervin would shake his weird home/road splits (good at home, awful on the road), but all he's done is gotten worse in Anaheim. Last night's torching by the D-Rays (14 hits, 6 runs) puts him right on the verge of being cut.

Corey Patterson - Although he's turned on the juice lately, my gut says it won't last. The guy has no idea up at the dish, and aside from his speed, really doesn't do much for my roster, and kills my batting average. He was fairly expensive at $16, so I should have passed on him and gone for Granderson at $6 or Shannon Stewart at $2.

Johnny Damon - He's not a bad player, but he's been hurt all year, and when he plays, he can't hit. He has stolen double-digit bases, so that's the only bright spot for my $31.

Howie Kendrick - Another good player who can't stay healthy. I went high on the Halos' second baseman of the future, dishing out $26 for a high batting average and lots of runs and steals. Instead, I've reaped a decent batting average and a lot of time on the DL.

Rocco Baldelli - What was I thinking here? That he might actually be healthy for a month? See Howie Kendrick...I guess it's only $14 down the drain.

Bartolo Colon - Big Fat Colon has pitched awfully awful the last couple of months. I thought I had a steal at $2, but all he's done is run up my ERA and WHIP. I keep waiting for the Angels to DL him or send him down so I can reserve him, but for now he's still on my active roster (ouch!)

What have been your worst decisions in your fantasy league this year?

College Football Blog

One cool blog I've come across recently is a Northwestern University football blog called Lake The Posts. The name bears homage to the 'Cats of yesteryear, whose rare wins were marked by torn-down goal posts carried out to Lake Michigan. Currently, the blog is concentrating on re-living the Top NU games in school history. It's a good read, especially if you like rooting for the underdogs.

Anyway, here's the link:

Lake The Posts

Article Pickup

The fine folks at Write on Sports were kind enough to pick up my piece on Ichiro. Visit their exellent site, where a couple of my writings have landed.

Ichiro is Peter Pan

As I was listening to some sports talk show the other day, they were giving highlights of the previous evening's MLB All-Star Game. I heard the voice of Ichiro Suzuki, the game's MVP, come over my radio, speaking perfect English during the post-game interview. I was shocked to hear the progress he has made with our language. Of course, then I realized that Ichiro was speaking through an interpreter.

While Vladimir "The Impaler" Guerrero was bashing the baseball 500 feet on his way to winning the Home Run Derby, Ichiro demonstrated his skills when it counted. He went 3-for-3 in the Big Game, showing NL pitchers and fans what they've been missing over the last seven years. In the first inning, he drilled a patented Ichiro single off of Jake Peavy. Later in the game, he hit a long fly ball off the wall in right field. When the ball took a funny bounce off the wall right by the venerable Ken Griffey Jr, everybody in the park knew Ichiro had a chance to score. And he did.

The mystical Mariner outfielder has been a fixture in Seattle since 2001, when he was imported from Japan. He has not (or will not) speak fluent English, although some sources claim that he does this intentionally in order to avoid reporters. He reportedly keeps his bats in a humidor, listens to rap music, and loves "Star Wars". Ichiro's limited American vocabulary consists of phrases such as 'What Up Dog' and 'Yo Mama'.

As I write this post, The Seattle Mariners have just agreed to a five-year contract with Mr. Suzuki in the neighborhood of one hundred million smackers. Although the Mariners have their Moose, Ichiro is the true Mariner mascot. He is solely responsible for drawing thousands of fans to the stadium every night. What other player has their name chanted in unison by an entire ballpark when he gets ready to hit?

Hitting for contact is one thing Ichiro can do better than almost anyone who has ever played. His batting style is unorthodox, to say the least. He does not keep his balance back, as the book on hitting says to do, but often shifts his weight to his front foot, bringing the bat through the hitting zone as though it were a broom. You would not teach your child to hit the way Ichiro does, and yet he has proven extremely effective. He has hit over .300 every year in the majors, including .355 so far this year. If Vlad is the Impaler, then Ichiro is the Acupuncturist, sticking it to the other team one line drive at a time. He is the Peter Pan of the American League, gracefully flitting here and there, swatting cue shots up the middle, always just beating out the grounder to short.

Sabermetricians must hate him. He draws fewer than one walk for every fifteen plate appearances in his career, although his ratio is a little better in 2007. He displays little power, preferring to hit 'em where they aint (see Wee Willie Keeler). Although he has a .333 career batting average, his On Base Percentage is only .379, and his Slugging Percentage is .439, a hardly Ruthian figure. Yet, if you asked today's GMs about guys they would like to start a team with, Ichiro's name rises to the top.

In addition to Ichiro's incredible hitting prowess, he is a gazelle on the basepaths. He reportedly gets down the first base line in a nifty 3.2 seconds, putting him there with the fastest players ever. If he hits a chopper into the ground, forget it. If he sends one into the gap, he will likely be standing on third in less than ten seconds.

His throwing arm is a cannon, especially for someone who is so slight-of-build. Players and fans everywhere know that you can't run on Ichiro, so rarely does anyone try. His move from right field to center has allowed the Mariners to bring in Jose Guillen this year, a big improvement over Jeremy Reed or Willie Bloomquist. Ichiro is one of the best center fielders in the game, although we don't often see him on ESPN's Web Gems. Who needs to make a leaping or diving catch if you can beat the ball to the spot?

Two players which I saw play as I was growing up remind me of Ichiro at the plate. Wade Boggs and Tony Gwynn defined pure hitting in the 80's, forsaking power for the ability to consistently hit line drives to all fields. If you look up Ichiro's comparables based on stats, though, you get guys like Bake McBride and Ron LeFlore...good players, but not nearly of his caliber. In fact, it is difficult to find a player like Ichiro anywhere in the history of baseball.

Ironically, the player Ichiro is least like is his own teammate, Richie Sexson, who hits one ball out of the park every five games and somehow makes millions of dollars doing it. Today's baseball is committed to the long ball, building behemoths who can drive towering shots over drawn-in fences. Sabermetrics preaches the value of the walk and the home run. Ichiro's greatness transcends modern-day wisdom.

I've come to a profound realization: Baseball is not (or should not be) about winning. The game I love is about Ernie Banks, the curse of the Bambino, and Pine Tar. We revel in blown calls, fan interference, and coaches jawing with an umpire face-to-face. In fact, my favorite part of the game is the pitcher-batter duel. The universe comes to a stop when John Lackey deals filth to Alex Rodriguez. Pitch by pitch, moment by moment, who will win the battle? Ichiro wins his wars more than any other player.

My daughter just turned one year old last month. I plan to share my love of the game with her as she grows up. I relish in the thought that she will see Ichiro Suzuki play, even if he is an old man. I will tell her that he is the Peter Pan of baseball - that he is from Neverland, sprinkled with fairy dust, always just a little too fast to be caught in the dreaded grasp of Captain Hook.

Sometime in the future, on a warm summer day, a crowd of people will gather in Cooperstown, New York. They will turn their attention to the man at the podium who has enthralled them with his bat and glove. he was not like any other player they had ever seen. He will not speak in a language that they understand, but his words will be relayed through another. That is because he comes from another place, seemingly not of this world. Mustering up the few English words that he knows, he will exclaim "What up Dog?", and the people in return will chant I-CHI-RO, I-CHI-RO!

Free Fantasy Sports Logos and More

I've stumbled across a few pretty cool fantasy sports links that I wanted to share with you:

Free Fantasy Sports Logos - They have some sample football helmets, baseball jerseys and sports logos that you could use for your team or league.

Free Football E-cards - OK, these are a little cheesy, but you might find a good e-card to send to your rival team's owner on their special day.

Fantasy Sports Stocks - Instead of trading pork bellies or Microsoft, you can invest in your favorite fantasy sports stud or squad.

Custom Fantasy Sports Gear - Get your own team's logo put on a jersey, T-shirt, trophy or draft board - all custom designed to your specifications.

Design Your Own Football Helmet - You can create your own helmet, or choose from the hundreds of premade designs, including insects, aliens and animals.

Cool Baseball Apparel

If you're looking for a nice baseball jersey to show your support for your favorite Major League Baseball team, check out the Paragon Sports Deals. They have baseball apparel for all thirty major league teams, plus tons of hats, jerseys, jackets, tees and apparel for all of you Yankees and Mets fans out there.

I really like some of the alternate uniform items they have there, such as the black and green New Era Oakland A's cap. You can still get a Gary Sheffield Yankees T-shirt, too.

This post is sposored by CouponChief.com

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Second Half Swings

We all know that the All-Star Break marks a crucial point in any season. Some players, who have lit it up it the first half come crashing back to Earth after the break, and vice versa. Here is a list of PITCHERS whose fortunes may change drastically in the second half of the 2007 season:

Second Half Winners:

Orlando Hernandez, NYM

El Duque seems to have found a nice situation in the other New York. He posted a 3.22 ERA in the first half (13 starts) and held opponents to a .210 batting average. Before you say that his great season can't continue, consider that Hernandez has performed much BETTER after the All-Star break in recent years. He needs to stay healthy, though, which may be a long shot.

Oliver Perez, NYM

Like his teammate, Perez has put together a really nice first half, with a 3.14 ERA at the break. Opponents are managing just a .207 batting average. Perez is notoriously better in the last three months of the season, so expect him to keep up the good work. He has been very streaky in the past, though so watch for signs of him reverting to his old ways, which were pretty disastrous.

Kevin Millwood, TEX

It's hard to recommend a Rangers' pitcher, but Millwood had such an awful first half (6.16 ERA) that I think I'm safe in saying we'll see an improvement here. Millwood is typically much better after the break, posting career ERA's over 4.00 in April, May and June, but sub-4.00 in July, August and September. His strong physical makeup bodes well for handling the summer heat. His last couple of starts have also been pretty good, and I'm a big believer in grabbing a pitcher when he starts to show signs of snapping out of a slump (I grabbed Millwood two weeks ago off the free Agent wire in my 12-team AL league).

Other Second-half studs: Kelvim Escobar, Johan Santana (duh), Jose Contreras (gets better in August and September).

Second Half Losers:

Dan Haren, OAK

If you are a Haren owner, and you haven't cashed in on his early success, be prepared to do so reeeeally sooooon. After holding down an ERA in the 1.50 range for much of the first half, he has begun to slip as the weather has heated up. This is his custom, as he has posted career sub-4.00 ERA's in April, May and June, but above 4.00 in July, August and September. Perhaps with another year under his belt he will buck the trend in '07, but I wouldn't bet against history.

Brad Penny, LAD

Another first-half wunderkid, Penny has posted amazing numbers (3 HR given up, 2.39 ERA) in the first three months. He has allowed a .244 batting average against, which hints that his great ERA might be a bit overstated. Like Haren, Penny usually goes downhill in the second half, posting a 1.44 WHIP the last three years, versus a 1.20 WHIP in the first half.

Paul Byrd, CLE

Byrd did not have a great first half, finishing at the All-Star break with a 4.41 ERA, and allowing 131 hits in 102 innings pitched (a .307 batting average against). The scary thing is, his numbers typically get worse after the break. His WHIP the last three years has declined from 1.21 to 1.40 in the second half. He had been in trade rumors, so he would be someone to avoid.

Other Second Half Decliners: Jake Westbrook, Roy Halladay, Mark Buehrle, Josh Beckett.

Cash In On Your Blog

Do you want to know how to make a little extra cash from your blog? I just got approved with Pay Per Post, a program that pays you for posts that you make which are related to their advertisers' products. I will be making such posts here periodically. Am I selling out to the man? You bet!

To qualify, your blog must have existed for ninety days. You must have made twenty posts in the last 90 days and posted once in the last seven days. Pay Per Post will show you which posting opportunities are most suited for your blog. Now it's time to go shopping for that Jack Cust jersey I've been eyeing for so long!

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The Twilight Zone All-Star Game

In the Twilight Zone, anything is possible as long as it bears some semblance to the real world. I thought it would be fun to put together starting lineups for the 2007 MLB All-Star game comprised of all-time players who are most similar to the real starters, accoring to baseball-reference.com

Starting Lineups:

NL
OF Bonds (most similar = Willie Mays)
OF Griffey (Sammy Sosa!)
OF Beltran (Tommy Henrich, Yankees OF in the 1940's)
3B Wright (Garrett Atkins)
SS Reyes (Bill Dahlen, SS from 1891 to 1911)
2B Utley (Alfonso Soriano)
1B Fielder (Kent Hrbek)
C Martin (Terry Steinbach)

AL
OF Ordonez (Wally Berger, Red Sox OF in the 1930's)
OF Guerrero (Albert Belle, not Joey)
OF Ichiro (Mike Donlin, OF 1899 - 1914, .333 career AVG)
3B A. Rodriguez (Eddie Matthews)
SS Jeter (Alan Trammell)
2B Polanco (Julio Franco)
1B Ortiz (Mo Vaughn)
C I. Rodriguez (Yogi Berra)

The AL looks to have the immediate offensive advantage, with HOF'ers Matthews and Berra.

The NL definitely has some pop, too, with Mays, Sosa and Soriano. For the NL, I like a batting order of Soriano, Dahlen, Atkins, Mays, Sosa, Hrbek, Henrich and Steinbach.

For the superior AL squad, I envision a batting order of Donlin, Franco, Belle, Matthews, Berra, Vaughn, Berger and Trammell.

If somebody has one of those simulators that allows you to combine players from different eras, you might try filling out the rosters, and letting me know how the game turns out.

Ridnour to Atlanta?

From the AP-

Seattle leaves Ridnour offer on table
Thursday, Jun 28, 2007 1:51 pm EDT

The Seattle SuperSonics are sitting pretty with the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft, but the team still has an offer on the table to improve its draft position.
The primary deal that remains on the table is trading point guard Luke Ridnour to the Atlanta Hawks for the No. 11 pick, which could be used on Eastern Washington standout Rodney Stuckey. According to sources, the deal remains alive while the Hawks figure out a way to make a bigger deal using the No. 3 and No. 11 picks.
Source: Seattle Post Intelligencer

...why would Atlanta do this? Seattle is probably the only team that Ridnour would have been starting for last year. He had to be one of the lowest-producing point guards out there, among players who regularly started games. The Hawks could do much better by using that pick on someone else.

Blazers PLeeease Draft Kevin Durant

http://draftkevindurant.blogspot.com

'nuff said...

The Best Baseball Websites

My favorite baseball websites are as follows (no particular order):

www.BaseballAmerica.com
Not taking the major leagues into account, baseball is played all over the United States. You can find minor league teams in towns and cities all across the country. Baseball America is a great source for finding out about your favorite major league team's farm system. They provide comprehensive lists of players, sortable stats and commentary for all minor league teams. They also do a fine job covering college baseball, which is growing rapidly in popularity.

www.RotoWorld.com
Primarily a fantasy sports site, RotoWorld is not just for fantasy geeks. RotoWorld reports sports news in a very timely manner. Because of their superior coverage, they usually get their news items up faster than bigger sites like Yahoo or MSN. Plus, they report or comment on a much greater amount of players on a daily basis. You can look up a great number of professional sports players in their vast databse, which gives you vitals as well as career statistics. You can also find quality articles in abundance there.

www.TheBaseballCube.com
The Baseball Cube is a historical almanac providing major league, minor league and college statistics. The major league records go back over 100 years. I have often visited this site when I am trying to find information on minor league players, as they tend to have more info on the minors than any other site I've visited. You can also 'sponsor' your favorite player's webpage on their site.

www.Sabr.org
The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) was established in 1971. Their desire is to promote the study of baseball, both current and historical. Of primary interest on the site are their studies on everything from The Deadball Era (1901-1919) to Women in Baseball. It's a fine source for anyone wanting to examine the history of baseball, and how the game has changed through the years.

www.Baseball1.com
This site is a nice archive of various topics, ranging from Sabermetrics to the Negro leagues. It also has a fine database of downloadable stats from baseball's early era.

www.Baseball-Reference.com
In my opinion, this is the premier website for baseball stat junkies. Here, you will find current standings and boxscores, and past stats going back to 1871.You'll also discover a comprehesive list of past players, managers, post-season results and awards.

www.BaseballThinkFactory.org
A general discussion site, with articles on all kinds of topics, including the minor league draft and current baseball events. At any given time, you might find up to 1000 people viewing the site.

The Wisdom of Bill James

Bill James is currently on the staff of the Boston Red Sox as a statistical guru. Before he was hired in 2002, he was well known for his Baseabll Abstract publications. These books used scientific methods to judge whether conventinal baseball wisdom held up when compared with cold, hard data. Mr. James has long had a profound impact on the game, influencing many GMs, including Oakland's Billy Beane.
I stumbled across some of James' ideas from his Baseball Abstract of twenty years ago. I thought I'd post them here so you can judge for yourself. Ask whether your favorite team seems to follow any of the strategies suggested by these ideas. Also, if you're a fantasy baseball owner, how can this information strengthen your team?

"What I wanted to write about... is a very basic question. Of all the studies I have done over the last 12 years, what have I learned? What is the relevance of sabermetric knowledge to the decision making process of a team? If I were employed by a major-league team, what are the basic things that I know from the research I have done which would be of use to me in helping that team?"

Minor league batting statistics will predict major league batting performance with essentially the same reliability as previous major league statistics.
(If this is true, and I believe it is --- then it pays to value minor league hitters more than minor league pitchers, since the results for hitters can be predicted with more success.)

Talent in baseball is not normally distributed. It is a pyramid. For every player who is 10 percent above the average player, there are probably twenty players who are 10 pecent below average.
(I also like to extend the letter designations of the minor leagues into the majors. For instance, I divide the majors into three different levels, based on talent and potential: 4A being the lowest, 5A the average talent level, and 6A being the all-star level.)

What a player hits in one ballpark may be radically different from what he would hit in another.
(I've often thought about this. Some ballparks not only have different dimensions, but different settings and backgrounds, too. These can have an impact on player performance. Ever see visiting players in Fenway Park trying to pull the ball, so they can hit the Green Monster?)

Ballplayers, as a group, reach their peak value much earlier and decline much more rapidly than people believe.


Players taken in the June draft coming out of college (or with at least two years of college) perform dramatically better than players drafted out of high school.
(This was a big part of the philosophy of the Oakland A's, which was documented in the best-selling book Moneyball.)

The chance of getting a good player with a high draft pick is substantial enough that it is clearly a disastrous strategy to give up a first round draft choice to sign a mediocre free agent. (see notes)
(If you look back at the Top Ten draft picks for the last 10 years or so, you will see a high percentage of players that went on to have good careers. I believe that this occurs in baseball more frequently than football or basketball, for instance.)

A power pitcher has a dramatically higher expectation for future wins than does a finesse picther of the same age and ability.
(I might take issue with this and say that other factors, such as control and movement also have a great effect on a pitcher's long-term success.)

Single season won-lost records have almost no value as an indicator of a pitcher's contribution to a team.

The largest variable determining how many runs a team will score is how many times they get their leadoff man on base.
(Note - James is referring to the leadoff man for each inning.)

A great deal of what is perceived as being pitching is in fact defense.
(Another Moneyball principle. It's a very interesting topic, and I believe, a primary reason why the Oakland A's have been able to put winning teams on the field almost every season.)

True shortage of talent almost never occurs at the left end of the defensive spectrum. (see notes)
(This seems failry obvious to me...most fielders can play a good first base if given the chance.)

Rightward shifts along the defensive spectrum almost never work. (see notes)

Our idea of what makes a team good on artificial turf is not supported by any research.
(I wonder if James has done more research on this topic.)

When a team improves sharply one season they will almost always decline in the next.
(The Detroit Tigers come to mind this year)

The platoon differential is real and virtually universal.

Notes:
Major league teams still must surrender choices in the amateur draft in exchange for signing free agents.

The defensive spectrum looks like this:
[ - - 1B - LF - RF - 3B - CF - 2B - SS - C - - ]
with the basic premise being that positions at the right end of
the spectrum are more difficult than the positions at the left
end of the spectrum. Players can generally move from right
to left along the specturm successfully during their careers.