The League Constitution

Section I-General League Guidelines

1. The League will be divided into an American League and a National League. Each league will consist of an Eastern and Western Division with each division containing 5 teams for a league total of 20 teams. The league will not consist of less than 20 teams, but may expand if need be and if it is possible.

2. Scoring will be based on a head-to-head most category system. The scoring categories will be as follows.

Hitting: Runs, Stolen Bases, Walks, Batting Average, Home Runs, Runs Batted In Pitching: Whip, Earned Run Average, Strikeouts, Wins, Saves, Holds
*Scoring categories may be altered after extensive league discussion and if a scoring category change is in the best interest of the league

3. Each team is allowed up to 10 keepers from season to season. Any keepers must be selected before the keeper lock date. Owners are not required to keep 10 players, they may keep less than 10 if they wish.
*If for any reason, a manager is unable to select their keepers for themselves, they may contact a commissioner with a list of keepers and allow the commissioner to select the keepers for them. Commissioners are not allowed to guess at which players the owner wants to keep.

Section II-Leadership

1. The League will have 2 commissioners. The role of the commissioners will be as follows:

1. Approve or veto trades based on fairness
2. Facilitate conversations about rule changes or rule clarifications
3. Propose rule changes to the League Council
4.Re-open the league every year
5. Settle disputes among the owners
6. Set the keeper lock date, draft date, and trade deadline date
7. Dismiss owners from the league for collusion, failure to manage their team over a long period of time (without a viable excuse), or for any other action deemed a dismissible offense.
8. Admit new owners to the league
9. Arrange league divisions
10. Creating a league schedule

Ryan Burkhart will be Commissioner for life. The Co-Commissioner spot will be a rotating spot that is up for election every 2 years. Every 2 years, the League Council can approve another 2 year term for the Co-Commissioner or vote to elect one of their own to switch places with the Co-Commissioner. It takes a majority vote for somebody (4 votes) to get a new Co-Commissioner elected.

2. The League Council will consist of 7 owners (and does not include the Commissioners) and votes on rule changes proposed by the Commissioners.

Each year, all of the owners in the league vote for 7 managers they want to be on the League Council to decide on league issues. Terms last for 1 year, and the Council will be voted on every year around the League Winter meetings. On their ballots, managers should rank their top 7 choices in order of 1st to 7th. Scoring goes as follows.

1st 7 points
2nd 6 points
3rd 5 points
4th 4 points
5th 3 points
6th 2 points
7th 1 point

The top 7 point getters will be on the League Council. If there is a tie, then a re-vote between the two tied owners will decide the winner. If another tie occurs, the Commissioners will appoint a winner with a coin toss.

The role of the League Council will be to vote on rule changes proposed by the Commissioners. The League Council cannot propose rule changes, but they can discuss rule proposal with Commissioners. Failing to vote on league rule changes can lead to dismissal from the League Council.

If a manager does not cast their vote for the League Council and does not give a valid excuse, they could possibly be dismissed from the league.

Section III-Rosters

1. Each team will be allowed a 25 man roster consisting of the following positions:
C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, OF, OF, OF, Utility
5 Starting Pitchers, 4 Relievers
7 Bench Players

2. Each team will also be allowed 4 Disabled List spots that do not count against their 25 man roster.

3. A player qualifies for a position with either: 10 games played at that position in the current season or 20 games played at that position in the previous season.

Section IV-Transactions

1. Trades-Teams will be allowed to trade players with each other before the trading deadline and after the World Series. Teams will not be allowed to trade after the keeper lock date and before the draft. There is no limit on the number of trades a team can make, or on the number of players involved in a trade. Regardless of the number of players involved in a trade, a team must observe the 25 man roster rule.

2. The trading deadline will be set for the final Friday in July each season.

3. Free Agency-Teams are allowed to pick up and drop as many players as they want via free agency throughout the year. For players placed on waivers, a waiver priority system will be used with the order never resetting throughout the season.

4. Free agency will be locked at the re-opening of the league every year until after the draft. This is to ensure that the worst teams from the previous year will have the first opportunity at the best new players via the draft.


Section V-The Draft
1. Each year, a draft will take place to fill out rosters after keeper selections. The draft order will be determined by team records from the previous season ranging from worst to best. If two teams have identical records, whichever team lost more head to head categories will be given the higher draft spot. The draft will be a standard draft with the order repeating itself every round with exceptions being made for draft picks that were traded between teams.

The first 10 rounds of the draft will be keepers being selected. If a team has less than 10 keepers, once all of their keepers are selected, they will be free to draft any players from the pool of available free agents.

Teams are allowed to include draft picks in any deals made with other teams. If a trade is agreed upon involving draft picks before the league re-opens, the teams need to notify a commissioner and then carry out the rest of the transaction once the league re-opens. If a team involved fails to carry out the rest of a transaction, a commissioner can be notified and the players returned to their original team.

The draft will take place the 3rd weekend in March every year unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Section VI-Playoffs

1. The playoffs will consist of the following teams:

American League East Champion
American League West Champion
American League Wildcard #1 determined by record
American League Wildcard #2 determined by record
National League East Champion
National League West Champion
National League Wildcard #1 determined by record
National League Wildcard #2 determined by record

2. Playoff Seeding-The Division champion with the best record will play the wild card with the worst record in their league. The two other remaining teams will play each other in a playoff matchup. Home field advantage will be given to division champions with regular season record being the determining factor when two division champions meet in the playoffs. Home field advantage in the World Series will be determined by interleague play. Whichever league wins the most categories for the year will get home field advantage in the World Series.

3. Matchup Length-Each playoff matchup will be 2 weeks in length.

4. Playoff Tiebreakers-Playoff tiebreakers will be determined in the following scenarios:

1. Two teams tie for a playoff spot: The team which has the most head to head category wins will receive the spot.
2. Two teams are tied at the end of a playoff matchup: The following categories will be used as tie breakers in this order-Runs, ERA, RBI, Wins, Saves, Batting Average, Home Runs, Strikeouts, Stolen Bases, WHIP, Walks, Holds

Section VII-Disciplinary Action

1. Commissioners are allowed to enforce disciplinary action (including dismissal from the league) for any of the following acts:
1. Participating in collusion or cheating
2. Posting malicious, racist, overly offensive, or lewd items on the message board
3. Failure to run their team for an extended period of time without a viable excuse
4. Purposely throwing matchups for the sake of improving draft position (teams are allowed to trade proven players for young prospects if they wish, however, an attempt to continue using a full starting lineup must be made)
* Any offense from this list or an offense not listed here will carry a penalty which is up to the discretion of the commissioners.

Section IIX-Miscellaneous Items

1. A league championship trophy will be given to the owner of the league champion each year by the commissioners as well as a trophy for their online trophy case. Awards will also be given for the following accomplishments: Division Championships, League Pennants, Manager of the Year, and Comeback Manager of the Year. These awards will be placed in the online trophy cases of the winning managers.

2. If an owner chooses to leave the league, or is removed from the league their franchise is then owned by the league and will be given to a new owner of the commissioners’ choosing. Any person currently on the league waiting list for a team will be given first opportunity at owning the newly available franchise. If an owner who is departing has a family member in mind to take over the team, that does not guarantee it will happen, however, it will be given consideration.

4. Owners are free to request rule clarifications or question rules through the commissioners. However, owners should first consult the League Constitution to answer any question they may have.

5. New Owners-New owners need to be notified before they get their team that if they fail to manage their team adequately, participate in collusion, or any other dismissible offense they will be removed from the league.

If for any reason you are still reading at this point, you rule. Let’s continue to make this league the best fantasy league that has ever existed.

2010 Draft Video

Jon Randall was nice enough to post this video online for all of us to enjoy. It's a quick video Lacey took at the 2010 league draft. Enjoy!

Braves Off-Season So Far

This week the Atlanta Braves traded for Dan Uggla. The second basemen is the right handed power bat that the Braves have been needing for the last couple of seasons. They haven’t had that threat from the right side of the plate since Andruw Jones departed for the Dodgers a couple of years ago. To get Uggla, the Braves had to give up All-Star super utility player Omar Infante and left-handed reliever Mike Dunn. Infante came to the Braves from the Tigers in the Renteria trade and Dunn came to Atlanta in the Javier Vazquez trade with the Yankees.
It wasn’t difficult to see Dunn go, but it was hard to hear Infante wouldn’t be playing with the Braves anymore. Omar was a great player to watch and he played the game the right way. He hustled out ground balls, battled in his at-bats, and played wherever the Braves needed him without complaining. Along with Prado, they were two Braves that you just knew every night would leave it all on the field for the sake of the team.
Overall, I’m happy with the trade. It was something the Braves had to do. The team had enough players that could hit .300 and knock 4 balls out of the park a year. They need someone who can really put fear into an opposing pitcher so other teams can’t just pitch around McCann and Heyward every game.
I have to say, I am really enjoying the Frank Wren era in Atlanta. He makes big moves and since he’s taken over as GM, I’ve never felt like the Braves front office has mailed in a season or not tried to put a winning team on the field. They have taken some gambles on guys like Melky Cabrera and Troy Glaus but they were trying. The Glaus deal wasn’t bad because it was only a 1 year deal at $1 million.
Melky on the other hand was a complete loss, but the Braves cut him and I was thrilled about that. I knew he was a massive mistake when he made the throwing error in the Cincinnati game and was laughing about it as the Braves lead in the NL East was completely falling apart. You never see great players laugh stuff like that off. I stopped giving him the benefit of the doubt as soon as that happened.
The Braves had said that they won’t be pursuing any big name free agents and I’m fine with that. The guys that are out there are great, but they are going to demand big dollars. I don’t want to see the Braves hinder themselves for the future with a big contract that won’t work out. I’d rather see them save the money and lock up home grown stars like Heyward, McCann, and Hanson when the time comes with those big contracts.
As good as Derek Lowe pitched last season, I’m counting down the days until his $15 million a year is off the books. I’d have to believe that Lowe and Chipper’s contracts will be off the payroll at roughly the same time. Lowe has 2 more years and Chipper can’t have any more than 2 years left. Chipper is my favorite player, but his time is coming and the team could use the money flexibility when it does get here.
As the hot stove league continues on, I’ll be looking to see who the Braves acquire to play in their outfield. That’s really the last remaining piece they need to find. There’s been rumors of Colby Rasmus and Jacoby Ellsbury, but I’d have to believe the asking price for either one of those players would be too high. We’ll have to see what the Braves can pull off in the next 2 months.

The View From Second

It's been a rough couple of weeks for the Braves. They have now fallen to second place in the National League East. I still have my eyes on the final 2 weeks of the season when the Braves play the Phillies 6 times, however, if the Braves go into those games down by 2 or 3 games, I don't like our chances. We need to head into that final stretch tied or ahead. The pitching has failed the Braves during their shaky last couple of weeks and the offense has gone quiet when the pitching does show up. If both sides could get on the same page, I think they could string some wins together. I'm watching all of this with a little bit of anxiety.

Derek Lee

It's been a while since I posted on here and the recent news is that the Braves acquired Derek Lee from the Cubs. I'm happy about this deal. The Braves didn't have to give up any of their top tier pitching prospects. The three players they swapped for Lee were low level A-ball minor leaguers. Lee is a classy clubhouse guy who should fit in well with the Braves. It's also nice to have someone swinging a bat playing first base. Troy Glaus has really struggled for most of the year. I believe Glaus and Lee will be free agents after this year and leave first base open for Freddie Freeman next year.

All in all, this is a good move that should help the Braves try and fend off the Phillies for the rest of the year. It's late August and the Braves are holding a 2.5 game lead over the Phils. C'mon Braves!

I Can't Believe It

It's June 9th and the Braves are in first place!!! This team has developed a personality of being tough and never believing that they are out of a game. The walk-offs and comeback wins have been amazing. It's a great year to be a Braves fan. Next weekend, I'm heading up to Minnesota for a Braves/Twins game and it's going to be awesome!!

Walk-Off Hysteria

2010 is turning out to be as exciting as I thought it would. I was arriving at the baseball field where I coach during Sunday night's game against the Rockies. I was listening to the game on my iPhone and I was thinking to myself, "Here we go again. We're going to roll over and die in the 9th inning." I was thinking back to the 1995 season when the Braves were winning on walk-offs and last at bats every other day. I was hoping to somehow have some of that excitement again, but knowing that it probably wasn't going to happen.
Well, that was before Jason Heyward. Heyward's walk-off, 2 RBI single was awesome. I was so happy when I heard the call come over the radio. Fast forward to Tuesday and the Braves were back at it. This time against the hated Phillies. It was awesome to see Glaus come alive, Heyward do his thing, and then McLouth end the game with a walk-off home run. Those are the kinds of games that push a season to the next level. From here on out, when the Braves are down in the 9th inning, they will think back to these games and think, "Hey, we can do this thing!" Also, the celebration by the Braves was awesome. I love the silent treatment by waiting for Nate in the tunnel.
It also was a huge statement to the Phillies. Tonight they go against Roy Halladay and that will be a huge game. If they can beat the best the Phillies have to offer, that will set the tone for the division race. Can't wait for tonight.

The Ugliness Continues

Cardinals and Mets have gone into the 13th inning. Nobody has figured out how to use the long wooden thing with the pine tar on it. I think the worst thing about this game is that I have to listen to Kenny Albert and Tim McCarver for longer than I should have to.

Gross

I've been watching the Mets and Cardinals game all day today. It is now in the 12th inning and the Mets just got their 2nd hit of the game. It's 0-0 right now. This is one of the ugliest games I've ever watched. Neither team could hit water falling out of a boat and the pitching isn't that good. I always enjoy watching baseball games, but some more than others. If I had a kid, I don't know if I'd let him watch this game for fear that he might pick up a bad habit from watching these guys. They won't pitch to Pujols, the one guy who actually knows what he's doing today. It's not that often two teams playing each other are both this off on the same day.
I've also got the Braves game going on my computer. Go Braves!!!

Bumps, Bruises, and Troy Glaus

The season is a week old and some things have already jumped out at me about the 2010 Braves.

They looked awesome on opening day against Carlos Zambrano and the Cubs. There was so much excitement going on in The Ted with about 50,000 plus Braves fans going crazy. Everybody was hitting, Lowe was good enough, and Jason Heyward announced his arrival in Major League Baseball. Hitting a home run with his first major league swing was something I will always remember. I was watching it on my iPhone in a parking lot in Minnesota with my wife. We both were freaking out and couldn't believe what we had seen. He went into a mini-slump and people started talking as if he was the next Alex Gordon. I was pleased to see him break out of it and hit two more home runs during the week.

Chipper suffered his first injury of the season when he strained his right side during batting practice in San Francisco. When he tried to test it during batting practice the following day, he suffered back spasms. It's really hard to see my favorite player so old and brittle. I'm just hoping he gives the Braves 130 games this year. Even with Chipper's age and injuries, it's a totally different lineup when he's in there. When he's on the shelf, there is less excitement in the whole lineup. He sets the tone with his at bats. I'm hoping Chipper is going to be able to avoid the Disabled List early in the season and get off to a good start.

I have to say. Troy Glaus is starting to annoy me as a Braves fan. HIs at bats are filled with tempertantrums and bad swings. I had to watch him hit a pop up, take the time to throw his bat on the ground like a baby, and then half-jog to first base. I hope that the coaching staff or Chipper pull Troy aside and let him know this isn't how the Braves play baseball. I don't care how frustrating a slump can be, acting lazy and showing that kind of frustration is unacceptable. If he doesn't turn it around and start acting like a real ballplayer, I'm going to officially start regretting this trade, and openly hating Troy Glaus the baseball player.

Hopefully the Braves turn it around in week 2 and get on the winning path.

I Have No Patience

The first pitch of the 2010 season is only 3 and half hours away and yet I still can't wait for it. I don't even have anybody on my fantasy team playing tonight, but who cares, it's opening night!

Here We Go!

We are on the cusp of yet another baseball season. Opening Night is tomorrow night as the Yankees travel to Boston to renew the most famous rivalry in sports.

The college basketball season is pretty much over, the NFL season is not even a thought in our minds, and the NBA is as forgettable as always. On Sunday night, Americans will remember who they are again. They will remember that the heart of our country still belongs to the game that produced such heroes as Ruth, Williams, DiMaggio, Mantle, Musial, and Mays. They will remember that baseball is an old friend that never let them down. They will feel embarrassed that for a few months, they got caught up in the NFL and a bunch of guys running around into each other. They will settle into their seats at the ballpark, or their couches at home and say, "Yeah, this is who I am. This feels right."

Opening Day

It's Saturday, April 3rd, 2010. The Braves will begin their new season, and I believe their new era on Monday against the hated Chicago Cubs. Yes, I said hated.

It will be Bobby Cox's swan song, Jason Heyward's arrival, Tommy Hanson's breakout, and Chipper Jone's reminder of why he is a first ballot Hall of Famer.

A retooled bullpen featuring Billy Wagner as the stopper should keep the Braves from blowing much needed games. Last year's tag team 9th inning duo of Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez much left to be desired. Whenever I complain about those two, people look at their numbers and wonder what my problems were. They both had good ERA's and such. What they fail to realize is that those two combined to blow double digit saves last year. That ultimately killed us. They were heart attacks to watch out there in the 9th inning. I'm so happy I don't have to sit there and wonder how the meltdown will happen this year.

I'll be writing on the Braves throughout the season as I feel this will be one of the most memorable Braves seasons in recent memory.

Spring Training Is Not Just For Players

I listened to the Braves and Pirates game on the radio today. I had to listen to the Braves spring training announcers butcher Kenshin Kawakami's name for the first 3 innings. They also screwed up Jair Jurrjens name on the broadcast. I know these aren't the regular season radio announcers, but is it a little too much to ask that the Spring Training announcers know the names of pitchers in our starting rotation. Apparently these guys were working off the rust too before the season starts.

It's Almost Here

The baseball season is only 2 weeks away. It's the best time of year. Spring is here, baseball is here, warm weather is here. This is going to be a magical year to be a Braves fan. I can feel it.

The Cubs Continue to Look Bad

The recent back and forth of Jim Hendry and Milton Bradley is nothing short of hilarious. I just watched Bradley's interview where he states that he received hate mail in Chicago and that he didn't enjoy his time in the Windy City. He also stated in a different interview that he thought there was unrealistic expectations on him to hit for more power and do more for the team than should be expected of him.

And then Jim Hendry comes in and says that Milton should "look in the mirror" and basically blame himself for his poor season.

Here's my analogy of this whole situation:

Your buddy (Jim Hendry) decides to date this girl who is really not attractive and not that great of a girlfriend (Milton Bradley). All of your buddies know this guy is an idiot for dating this girl. It's obvious. And to make it worse, right off the bat, he gives the girl an expensive promise ring (3 years $30 million).

When your buddy is not around, you and your friends talk about how you can't believe the dumb decisions he's making. Then, after dating this girl for a year, your friend comes to his senses and breaks up with her, but she keeps the ring. Then, on poker night, your buddy talks like a big shot and tells all of you, "Yeah that girl was garbage! I'm glad I was smart enough to get rid of her!"

While he's telling you all of this, you are all thinking, "But dude, she took you to the cleaners and it took you a year to figure all of it out! Just shut up and quit talking like a big shot. You were dumb enough to date her." You are also wondering why you even hang out with this guy in the first place.

And the worst part is, your buddy is dumb enough to date other bad decisions named Soriano, Fukudome, and Zambrano.

Spring Training Is Here!!!

It couldn't be more glorious that Spring Training is here. Listening to baseball on the radio again is great. It's fun watching the young guys in spring training try to earn their spot or their hype. As a Braves fan, I'm closely watching Jason Heyward to see how he develops. I have to say, I want to see every one of his at bats and just watch him hit. I haven't felt that way about a player since Chipper Jones. I'm hoping he turns out every bit as good as they say he will. He could be the next franchise player of the Atlanta Braves. I don't care if it starts his arbitration clock sooner, I say put him in right field from day 1 this season. The Braves need the excitement he brings as well as the offensive punch and his cannon arm in the outfield.

Baseball is in the air again and we should all be thankful for that!

Fantasy Baseball 2010 Position Rankings

Hey Everybody,
Daved and I (Ryan) collaborated and came up with our 2010 fantasy baseball rankings by position. We hope you find them informative and helpful as you prepare for your drafts.

Catchers
1. Joe Mauer
2. Brian McCann
3. Victor Martinez
4. Matt Wieters
5. Kurt Suzuki
6. Miguel Montero
7. Russell Martin
8. Mike Napoli
9. Bengie Molina
10. Ryan Doumit

1st Base
1. Albert Pujols
2. Prince Fielder
3. Miguel Cabrera
4. Mark Teixeira
5. Ryan Howard
6. Adrian Gonzalez
7. Justin Morneau
8. Joey Votto
9. Adam Dunn
10. Billy Butler

2nd Base
1. Chase Utley
2. Ian Kinsler
3. Brandon Phillips
4. Robinson Cano
5. Aaron Hill
6. Brian Roberts
7. Dustin Pedroia
8. Jose Lopez
9. Ben Zobrist
10. Dan Uggla

Shortstop
1. Hanley Ramirez
2. Troy Tulowitzki
3. Derek Jeter
4. Jimmy Rollins
5. Jason Bartlett
6. Elvis Andrus
7. Marco Scutaro
8. Jose Reyes
9. Asdrubal Cabrera
10. Yunel Escobar

3rd Base
1. Evan Longoria
2. Ryan Zimmerman
3. Alex Rodriguez
4. Pablo Sandoval
5. David Wright
6. Mark Reynolds
7. Chone Figgins
8. Aramis Ramirez
9. Michael Young
10. Chipper Jones

Outfield
1. Ryan Braun
2. Matt Kemp
3. Justin Upton
4. Jacoby Ellsbury
5. Carl Crawford
6. Matt Holliday
7. Ichiro Suzuki
8. Jason Bay
9. Grady Sizemore
10. Josh Hamilton

Starting Pitcher
1. Tim Lincecum
2. Felix Hernandez
3. Zack Greinke
4. Roy Halladay
5. Johan Santana
6. Cliff Lee
7. Josh Johnson
8. Clayton Kershaw
9. Jon Lester
10. Matt Cain

Closer
1. Joe Nathan
2. Mariano Rivera
3. Jonathan Broxton
4. Jonathan Papelbon
5. Joakim Soria
6. Heath Bell
7. Brian Wilson
8. Andrew Bailey
9. Francisco Cordero
10. David Aardsma

Picking your Prospects (Ryan)

In this post, I will be elaborating on the topic of picking prospects in fantasy baseball. As previously stated, all of my advice is for keeper leagues. That's the only type of league that prospects are valuable in.

In my 3 years of fantasy baseball keeper leagues, I've selected prospects such as Evan Longoria, Clayton Kershaw, Tommy Hanson, Jay Bruce, Colby Rasmus, Matt Wieters, and Jason Heyward. So I've had success in picking prospects in the last couple years.

When attemtping to set up your team for success in the the current year and also in the future, it's important to understand that you are trying to win this year, as well as next. With that being said, never go crazy and get more than 2-3 prospects. Even 3 is pushing it. When I say prospects, I am referring to guys still in the minors or guys who will start the year on a major league roster, but have yet to play in the majors. Now that we have established the number of prospects to have on your team, let's talk about which ones to take.

When scouring the minor leagues for prospects, it's important to read, read, read. You have to find out what scouts are saying about this guy. Not just what ESPN is saying or commentators are mentioning during a broadcast. Baseball America is a great source as are other publications like the Sporting News. You can also go straight ot the source in MLB.com. I like to check out a guys minor league stats as well as what people say about him as a person. For instance, scouts were touting Longoria's abilities as well as the good head on his shoulders. It was the same with Clayton Kershaw. If a top ten minor league prospect has good numbers and the scouts and coaches say he has a "willingness to learn" and "coaches are impressed with his work ethic and humility", then that pushes a guy up my list. I made up those comments, but those type of things were said about Longoria, Kershaw, Heyward, and Tommy Hanson. A lot of those prospects I listed had qualities like that, but they really gushed over those three guys. Matt Wieters is another one that people were impressed with his maturity.

I like to stay away from guys that people say have "arrived." An example of this would be Stephen Strasburg. It's not that these guys are doomed to bust. Some of them will turn out to be good. But you usually have to take these guys way higher in a draft than you want to. I'm fine with a guy struggling a little bit when he gets called up. In my opinion, that adjustment period is good for them and will help them avoid the "sophomore slump" that often accompanies young players. You will probably have to suffer through some rough patches with these guys. That's to be expected a little bit. That's why you let them hang out on your bench. You shouldn't be expecting these guys to produce for your team and win a championship. Have reliable options that can fill the space until the prospect is a trustworthy value. If after an extended period of time, the prospect isn't progressing, be willing to trade him to somebody who believes in him, or cut him loose.

Besides, with these prospects, you're not looking for a guy that will be awesome his rookie year and then fizzle out. You are looking to get the next Ryan Braun that will anchor your team for years to come. That's what I'm saying with all of this. Find the players that have a history of listening to their coaches, respecting the game, and putting up numbers. Just like running a real team, you are looking for the whole package. You can't learn everything you need to know about a prospect from his minor league numbers.

So, in conclusion when trying to find the next top prospect, look for stats AND the good head on his shoulders. Don't take more than 2-3 prospects. Be willing to cut them loose after an extended period of struggling. And if you really believe in a guy, draft him and wait for him to get called up. You might be the genius who had the patience to wait for the next Albert Pujols.

(Ryan)

Constructing A Fantasy Team (Ryan)

I (Ryan) consider myself somewhat of a budding fantasy baseball expert. So I thought I would write a post about how to construct a great fantasy team. First of all, this advice is strictly for keeper leagues. It's the only way to play fantasy baseball in my opinion. Daved and I are currently in a 20 team keeper league with 25 man rosters. That's a lot of players. You get 10 keepers each year. I won't list all of my keepers, but here are the best of my guys.

Chase Utley
Matt Kemp
Ryan Zimmerman
Matt Wieters
Tommy Hanson
Jake Peavy
Nate McLouth
Chipper Jones

I also have Jason Heyward. I consider this group of keepers pretty good for a league this size. My philosophy is to try and acquire 2-3 guys you can build your team around for 3-5 years. I think it's important to sprinkle in some veterans that are proven. Last year, that guy was Todd Helton. I also believe in developing prospects. Those guys last year were Tommy Hanson and Matt Wieters. This year, it's Jason Heyward. If you have a team that could legitimently compete for a championship, then you should only take a risk on 1 maybe two prospects, but they shouldn't be both starting for you. Jason Heyward is my one guy that I'm believing in this year. I think I have a team that could win it all this year so I need to fill my team out with proven talent.

However, if you've tried all year, but you then find yourself out of contention with no hope of making the playoffs, then it's time to look ahead to the next year. It's time to trade away your veterans for prospects. The type of veterans I'm referring to are guys like Todd Helton, Raul Ibanez, or Pedro Martinez. These kinds of players are still productive, but you'd rather trade them to a contending team for some of their young guys that aren't producing yet. For example, you could trade away Todd Helton for two young players that will get called up in September. They should be young guys who are respectable prospects. This is how our league functions. It's pretty realistic. Every year at our trading deadline, the losing teams dump their good players they don't need anymore in hopes of acquiring the next star that they can build their team around.

So, as I'm getting longwinded here, let me sum up my rules for building a successful fantasy baseball team.

1. Focus on building around 2-3 solid players for 3-5 years. The goal of trades is eventually do get those solid players.
2. Develop prospects, but don't lean heavily on them if you are a contender.
3.Once you are out of contention, look to th future, but not before you are out of contention.


There you have it. I know it's not exhaustive, but they have worked for me. In my next post, I'll be discussing how to tell which prospects are best to take risks on. Something I've had quite a bit of success with and Daved has not.

Looking Forward (Ryan)

After watching a lot of tv and listening to a lot of radio lately about the steroid era in baseball, the only thing that makes me hopeful is thinking about this spring and how their is a new batch of players in the game that represent the best of baseball. These are the guys that are going to save the game from the steroid era. Players like Matt Kemp, Ryan Braun, Joe Mauer, Hanley Ramirez, Evan Longoria, and Ryan Zimmerman. They are the next superstars that represent the pure game again. There are also the clean veterans that have their careers entering the twilight that also represent the things that are great about the game. Names like Jeter, Chipper, Berkman, and Helton. Is it possible any of those guys dabbled in steroids? I don't want to sound naive or gullible so I'll say, "Sure, I guess it's possible." But we all know it would be a downright shocker if their names were ever linked to steroids. These are the guys that we should think of when we think of this steroid era. Those that resisted temptation to respect the game. I know my childhood took place in this terrible era for the game, but I'm proud of Jeter and Chipper and those that did it right. It makes them even more special in my mind.

So as we wade through the muck and mire of steroid confessions in these times, I urge you fellow baseball fans, continue to look towards the spring, and the legion of young players that are bringing the game back to where it belongs. Someday we will tell our kids, "You should have seen Joe Mauer hit, he was a natural. 100% all natural." It already sounds good saying it.

By: Ryan

Mark McGwire (Daved)

Hey everyone, just a few thoughts on McGwire here. Does anyone else love the fact that he apologized to the Maris family? The Maris' were put through Hell in 1961 when Roger broke Babe's HR record, and because of that it meant so much to his family especially after his death. Maris did something absolutely remarkable that year, and (in this writers opinion) it has never been matched since. By apologizing to Roger Maris' family he basically was saying that he was giving back his home run "crown" to them. Now I know Bonds broke the record a few years later but that's a different subject. What McGwire did meant a lot to the Maris family, and equally to the great game of baseball.
Now to make my second point. MARK McGWIRE DOES NOT BELONG IN THE HALL OF FAME! I'm sorry... it appears I was shouting there but I really don't understand why people can't understand that. Barry Bonds cheated... and will never be in the HOF for that... A-Rod cheated, and we are so happy for him when he wins a World Series and most likely will vote him in to the Hall? ........stupid.... It doesn't matter if you apologize for doing something wrong, you still have to deal with the consequences. We may forgive you and love you again, but the consequences still remain. My counterpart Ryan brought up a great point in talking earlier today. He said that "Shoeless" Joe Jackson took money but never threw a game at all, apologized immediately, and still has not been put in the HOF to this day. How is what McGwire did better than what Jackson did? IT ISN'T!!! (sorry... shouting again)
One final point, is that McGwire should not be applauded so highly for this apology like he has been... he had a chance in front of congress 5 years ago to come clean and chose to avoid the truth. (and yes I know he technically did not lie he just said he wasn't going to talk about the past... but seriously people how dumb is that... if you didn't do anything wrong in the past then you obviously would have no problem talking about it, and if you did something wrong you would want to hide it; what a stupid strategy)
Anyway, I gained some respect for McGwire because of his apology, but what he did will never be undone and because of that I cannot see any possible way he belongs in the Hall of Fame.

-Daved

Hey Everybody!

This is the first post of many by me (Ryan) or Daved (not here yet) on all things baseball. From the latest happenings in Major League Baseball, to fantasy baseball, to high school baseball, townball, college, and everything else that has to do with baseball. We are two good friends who love the game and know an awful lot about it. We hope you enjoy our blog.

Moves in the NL East

With the Phillies getting Roy Halladay and the Mets getting Jason Bay, my friends have been asking me if I'm nervous about the Braves contending in the East. My answer is no. I don't think Bay makes that team a contender. I just can't take the Mets seriously when Omar Minaya is their GM. I don't think he makes good moves. I have no faith in Jose Reyes and David Wright has yet to figure out how to be a franchise player. He puts too much pressure on himself and can't put a team on his shoulders when necessary.

I would be more worried about the Phillies if they had Halladay and Lee. I know Roy is a premiere pitcher in the game, but I don't see the offense being as good. Not bad. Just not as good. I don't see Ibanez repeating his 2009 performance. Same with Jayson Werth. Back to the rotation. I'm losing confidence in Cole Hamels almost daily. Joe Blanton intimidates nobody. J.A. Happ is promising. I gotta give them that. However, I just think Atlanta is going to have it this year. It's Bobby Cox's last year, and I think the team is going to play with some urgency. Atlanta won't bash the ball around the yard like Philly will, but I see them being more scrappy and steady throughout the year. Time will tell.

Braves Get Troy Glaus, Cards get Holliday

I actually really like this move. There was a possibility of them getting Adam LaRoche back, but I'm not so sure another lefty bat is what the Braves need. If Jason Heyward does in fact come up to play in the majors this year, that's another lefty bat to go along with Brian McCann and Nate McLouth. I think Glaus still has something left in the tank. I'm still not sold on Melky Cabrera, but the idea of him playing the outfield is starting to grow on me. Slightly.

The Cardinals finally got their man. It looks like Scott Boras realized the market wasn't growing for Holliday, it was shrinking. He probably wanted to get a deal done before it was completely obvious that the Cardinals were the only pony in the race.