Anti-Fantasy League Draft and Discussion Thread

[Cocos Disciples]

I'm sure you've gotten on some bad sides.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

How did I forget Loney? f*** my life with a rusty meat cleaver.

[Cocos Disciples]

There's so many guys I want to pick that the wait between my picks is going to be awful.

[Keeper]

I took Adam LaRoche because I didn't want to be the guy who got stuck with someone like Casey Kotchman at first. I actually like LaRoche more than Loney. Loney is a decent hitter and all with more upside, but I'm just not seeing it with the power. LaRoche isn't a superstar, but he's consistently decent and an underrated defender.

[Cocos Disciples]

Not a fan of the Carpenter pick. He's already 34 and wildly injury prone, and he hasn't done anything since 2006.

[WhiskeyBreath]

Went with Ichiro because I wanted a great lead off hitter. His great defense just made the choice easier because I want a great defensive team.

 

I decided to take a shot with Carpenter. He's very injury prone but at this point in the draft it's tough to find a guy who can compete for a Cy Young when he's healthy. So far so good this season for him. 23IP 0ER 23k and only 10H allowed. If he gets hurt again, no big deal this late.

[TheKilo]

I would take Kotchman AND Loney before LaRoche at 1B, he's a butcher in the field.

[TheKilo]

To spark some conversation, I figured I would do some rankings for teams thus far.

 

Top 3 Rotations:

1. CrespoBlows: Easy choice here. He has the best pitcher in the game, and then a fantastic staff behind him. King Felix has kind of been forgotten after the initial hype, but he's still only 23 and I expect him to be great. Lester has struggled this year, and his 2008 may even be his ceiling, but he's a solid middle of the rotation starter, with a higher potential. Kazmir, like Lester, has sucked this year. He has career worsts in walk, hit, K and HR rates. Still, this is an extreme for him and we've seen what he can do. Porcello is going to be amazing.

 

2. DipreG: Lincecum and Price should be one of the best 1-2 combos in this league, probably second behind Santana-Hernandez. I don't think I need to say much more about them. Verlander struggled last year but is off to a great start this year, leading the AL in strikeouts, and boasting a 1.10 WHIP. He should be a solid #2 for most teams, and is a 3 on this team. Scott Baker is a nice piece in the 4 slot. He had an excellent (albeit not full) season last year and is just entering his prime. The 5 slot is still up in the air here.

 

3. Dojji: I was torn on this last spot in my rankings between a bunch of staffs. Greinke makes this staff, however. Obviously he's having a remarkable 2009 so far, and he has the stuff to continue it. The question for him is the composure, and it seems that he's worked that out. Shields is another great starter, and though he's having a slight down year so far, I think he's a pretty good bet for a mid-3 ERA with a 1.1-1.2 WHIP. The rest of the rotation is more iffy for me, which is why I teetered with some other teams. Zambrano doesn't thrill me with his control (led the NL in walks in 2006 and 2007), but he's worked around it to be a fairly consistent (apologies to Joe Morgan) pitcher, and a good value in the 3 slot. Bush is a very interesting pitcher. If you look at his stats the past three years they don't jump out--ERAs of 5.12, 4.18 and 3.92 from 07-09. His WHIPs are more impressive, and I think he's a solid middle of the rotation guy.

 

I'll do lineups when teams are a little closer to having a full 9.

 

CB and DipreG have the beat rotations to this point, easily.

 

I like Y228's rotation before Dojji's in all honesty, Haren and Sabathia as a whole are a better top 2 than Shields and Grienke and his back half of the rotation is solid too.

 

I'm surprised there's no love for my top 4 <_>

[BoSox21]

I decided to take a shot with Carpenter. He's very injury prone but at this point in the draft it's tough to find a guy who can compete for a Cy Young when he's healthy. So far so good this season for him. 23IP 0ER 23k and only 10H allowed. If he gets hurt again' date=' no big deal this late.[/quote']

 

You're entire rotation is a big question mark for health. I feel you shot your team in the foot by not drafting one single reliable workhorse starter.

[WhiskeyBreath]

Hamels, Lackey and Wang are pretty durable.

[Dojji]

I'm not sure I like DipreG's rotation that well. Lincecum is a fine ace but he doesn't have a lot of proven talent behind him. The upside is there, sure, it's there in spades, and Verlander's a heck of a #2 if he can shake 2008 off, but Baker has been quite inconsistent over his career and Price is unproven.

[BoSox21]

Hamels' date=' Lackey and Wang are pretty durable.[/quote']

 

the 2009 baseball season called, it would like you to pay attention to it

[WhiskeyBreath]

So the first part of 2009 totally negates years of durability?

[Dojji]

So the first part of 2009 totally negates years of durability?

 

No but that doesn't mean you can ignore how players are performing in a given year either.

[WhiskeyBreath]

When was I ignoring the fact that they were hurt this year?

[Dojji]

Oh, and while we're at it. One terrible, injury-riddled year CAN negate years of durability and effectiveness.

 

Example: Brad Penny.

[BoSox21]

So the first part of 2009 totally negates years of durability?

 

Considering Wang missed half of 2008, Lackey missed a quarter of 2008 (with elbow problems to boot) and Hamels has had shoulder and elbow injuries in two of the past 3 years, I'd look to prior years as well

[Keeper]

I would take Kotchman AND Loney before LaRoche at 1B' date=' he's a butcher in the field.[/quote']

 

A "butcher" is hyperbole. He was bad with the Braves in '05, but other than that one year he's been serviceable. I just looked at FanGraphs. His career UZR/150 isn't that much worse than Loney's while his range factor is actually a little higher. I find it interesting that you would say this, as you've been very vocal and critical of corner outfielders who don't have a ton of power. Shouldn't the same principle apply to first basemen who lack power? i.e. Loney and Kotchman.

[WhiskeyBreath]

Hamels has missed some time because the team was just being very cautious with him and rightfully so. Lackey has been pretty injury prone the last year but I don't feel it is very serious.

 

I could be wrong but wasn't Wang hurt running the bases? If so, I'm not worried.

[Dojji]

Hamels has missed some time because the team was just being very cautious with him and rightfully so. Lackey has been pretty injury prone the last year but I don't feel it is very serious.

 

I could be wrong but wasn't Wang hurt running the bases? If so, I'm not worried.

 

Because as we all know, injuries sustained doing something other than pitching have no affect at all on pitching performance or mechanics.

 

http://thefuntimesguide.com/2006/12/amazing_sports_injuries.php

[Dipre]

I'm not sure I like DipreG's rotation that well. Lincecum is a fine ace but he doesn't have a lot of proven talent behind him. The upside is there' date=' sure, it's there in spades, and Verlander's a heck of a #2 if he can shake 2008 off, but Baker has been quite inconsistent over his career and Price is unproven.[/quote']

 

Lincecum= Top 3 pitcher in MLB.

 

Price= Highest upside pitcher in MLB.

 

Verlander= Detroit stopped f***ing with his mechanic. Result? Dominance.

 

Baker= He's great stuff and control wise, always hovers around 1.25-1.30 WHIP, and he's my number FOUR.

 

Lincecum and Verlander are as good a 1-2 punch as any you'll see here, so quit criticizing my awesome rotation which i worked so hard to construct.

 

Kthxbai.

[Keeper]

IMO the best rotations so far belong to (in no particular order) yankees228, Crespoblows, Dipreg, and possibly ORS. I'd like to think that when it's all said and done mine will be somewhere in the Top 5.

[yankees228]

the 2009 baseball season called' date=' it would like you to pay attention to it[/quote']

 

So you're putting so much stock in the 2009 season, yet bashing my pick of Melky Cabrera at the same time?

[Cocos Disciples]

CB and DipreG have the beat rotations to this point, easily.

 

I like Y228's rotation before Dojji's in all honesty, Haren and Sabathia as a whole are a better top 2 than Shields and Grienke and his back half of the rotation is solid too.

 

I'm surprised there's no love for my top 4 <_>

 

y228 was definitely one I was considering.

 

Hamels' date=' Lackey and Wang are pretty durable.[/quote']

 

Wang had two full or close to full seasons. 2008 was less than 1/2 of the year, and we all know 2009. Dunno if I'd use 'durable' yet.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

My rotation is pretty future heavy. Tillman and Cahill both have ace potential, and I can't see this abomination of a season for Dice-K becoming a trend. Duke seems to be turning a corner in Pittsburgh as well.

[Cocos Disciples]

If we're looking at future rotations, BSN07 takes the cake.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

If we're looking at future rotations' date=' BSN07 takes the cake.[/quote']

f*** him, mine's better.

[TheKilo]

A "butcher" is hyperbole. He was bad with the Braves in '05' date=' but other than that one year he's been serviceable. I just looked at FanGraphs. His career UZR/150 isn't that much worse than Loney's while his range factor is actually a little higher. I find it interesting that you would say this, as you've been very vocal and critical of corner outfielders who don't have a ton of power. Shouldn't the same principle apply to first basemen who lack power? i.e. Loney and Kotchman.[/quote']

 

November 6, 1979

May 7, 1984

 

As for Kotchman, he's a top flight defensive 1B whose offensive numbers have improved year to year. A solid OBP guy if I ever saw one - and if your team has power at other areas (like my 2B and 3B) Loney's a perfect fit.

 

The largest benefit is Pujols is now the DH, where he can maximize his offensive production and minimize health risks.

[TheKilo]

I'm not sure I like DipreG's rotation that well. Lincecum is a fine ace but he doesn't have a lot of proven talent behind him. The upside is there' date=' sure, it's there in spades, and Verlander's a heck of a #2 if he can shake 2008 off, but Baker has been quite inconsistent over his career and Price is unproven.[/quote']

 

Ready? Here's what I can do.

 

I'm not sure I like Dojji's rotation that well. Shields is a fine ace but he doesn't have a lot of proven talent behind him. The upside is there, sure, it's there in spades, and Grienke's a heck of a #2 if he can shake 2008 off, but Zambrano has been quite inconsistent over his career and Bush is unproven.

[BoSox21]

So you're putting so much stock in the 2009 season' date=' yet bashing my pick of Melky Cabrera at the same time?[/quote']

 

In comparing injuries to performance, yes