Just another day at the office for Ted Thompson

Packers send DT Willaims to Cleveland for 2nd rounder.

This guy loves draft picks. Who can blame him, really. He's done a marvelous job assessing talent in the draft and building a title contender out of nothing, but he's also got some cap room and a few holes to plug. Like at corner. If Jarrett Bush ever steps foot in Wisconsin again, I'm melting him into nacho cheese.

The Chicago Cubs need our help

Anybody have any good ideas?

My submission would be Heimlich Field, and I'm willing to put forth up to $10 of my own money to see that happen.

Fantasy Baseball 2008 - Catcher

Catcher is a tough position to accurately predict because of the ups and downs, injuries and other such things that happen to catchers over a 162 game season. The fact that catchers usually only start 4 or 5 times a week lowers their stats across the board and makes sample sizes smaller. Hence, one year Brian McCann is an MVP candidate and the next he's a run-of-the-mill backstop.

Last year, I missed Joe Mauer's collapse. I predicted McCann to come back to earth, but I had Posada and Martin tied for 6th best catcher. They went on to big seasons.

With that inconsistency in mind, you'll understand why I rank Vic Martinez ahead of the pack. He's been consistent and is in the best part of a lineup to produce power numbers. Like at first base, stolen bases aren't much of an issue with this group. I'm not predicting Russell Martin to have the same SB numbers as last year. For one, he has a new manager. Second, he's a very valuable commodity to the Dodgers. It is wise not to have him wearing out and risking injuries, as the Dodgers surely will want him starting 140 games. Also, it's worth noting that his SB percentage wasn't all that great last year. SP efficiency is a major factor in determining future SB numbers.

While I expect a slight drop from Martin, I'd expect a bounce-back from McCann and certainly from Mauer, who is high-risk, high reward. He will start hitting home runs at some point, and I'd bet on him hitting over .300 this season.

I don't see any point in drafting a guy like Ivan Rodriguez, who will probably go by the 8th round or so. After the top guys, you aren't dealing with a whole lot of production. You're better off trying to catch a sleeper by playing a young catcher that hasn't yet proven his limitations at the plate.

I hate to say it, but Geovany Soto is a major sleeper. Last I heard, Soto won't be charged with goat molestation, as was previously rumored, so his playing time looks steady. Apparently, he accepted some kind of plea bargain. He's got power, can hit for average, and has perhaps the best lineup situation other than VMart. If you miss out on him, try your luck with Towels or Saltalmacchia, though he may lose too much playing time. Per usual, there are a lot of shared catcher duties across the league, which greatly diminishes the value of either catcher. That's the problem with Josh Bard, who will lose too much time to Michael Barrett, who also molests animals.

I ran out of energy at the bottom of the list, but there are a lot of guys who are equal to the lower tier, such as Carlos Ruiz. I just don't see the point in ranking any further.

By midseason, these rankings will probably be all jumbled. If at any point Jeff Clement finds a way to get into the Mariners' lineup on a regular basis, take your chances with him. He's the best hitting prospect at the position behind only Soto.

Fantasy Baseball 2008 - First Base/DH

For the first time in several years, I don't have Albert Pujols ranked as the best first baseman. He has two things going against him: (1) persistent nagging injuries (elbow in particular) and (2) a pretty bad lineup around him coupled with a reputation that will cause him to get intentionally walked a lot. Intentional walks are not good for fantasy numbers, as they will eliminate most prime RBI opportunities.

I think it may surprise people that David Ortiz is at the top of the list with Prince Fielder. Ortiz was spectacular last year despite nagging knee issues, which have perhaps been fixed this offseason. Ortiz is a DH, which means that although he misses a few games in NL parks, he will avoid the stresses and injuries associated with fielding. He's also in a stacked lineup and has been consistently great over the past five years. He's aging, but he's in a superb position to put up a 120x45x140x.315 season. Fielder gets extra credit for some perhaps still untapped potential. We all know he's good, and he's got some lineup help around him, but not to the extent of Ortiz. Still, he's less of an injury or decline risk.

I have Howard ranked lower than most I believe, which may surprise some. I think the potential is too high that Howard posts a batting average under .250 for him to be a first rounder, despite the fact that he plays in a good environment for production. It's really hard to keep a high batting average when you face an infield shift, constantly pull the ball towards it and, most importantly, strike out 200 times a season. And, yes, T-Haf qualifies at 1B this season, instantly making him an invaluable assets.

If you're looking for sleepers, look no further than Joey Votto and James Loney. Votto is a better bet to provide value at all five stat categories, while Loney is more of a batting average threat. The biggest problem both face is managers/general managers that will prefer to play older, less qualified players over the more talented rookies. At this point, though, I'd predict both will be on their respective teams' starting lineup. Daric Barton and Billy Butler are lesser sleepers, who are a bit less physically advanced and currently lack the power of Votto and Loney. These are good sleepers, but, as is usually the case, rookies struggle to immediately produce to the extreme level of most starting 1B in fantasy baseball. I wouldn't expect over 20 homers from either Butler or Barton. If you can't hit for power at first base, you fall into the Lyle Overbay, Casey Kotchman, Conor Jackson crowd.

Fantasy Baseball 2008 - Second Base

Second base:



I don't put anyone else in the league of Chase Utley, who is not only the best hitter of the group, he's also in by far the best environment to produce stats. Sure, Brandon Phillip's 30x30 season was actually better than Utley's 2007, but I don't expect that to continue this season. Phillips is a distant second, along with B.J. Upton, whose ceiling is very high, potentially 40x40 range. Upton is a tantalizing player, but he comes with the risk of a sophomore slump that likely makes him a reach in the first few rounds, especially considering the depth at the position behind him.

The players are quite fungible after Utley and, to a certain extent, Phillips and Upton. Most players will give you primarily one skill of value. You can go with Roberts or Figgins for SB, Uggla or Kent for power, Polonco, Kendrick or Cano for batting average, or hope for continued breakouts from Weeks, Kinsler, Pedroia or Johnson. None of these guys are bad picks, and because they will be drafted so much later than guys like Phillips, it may be best to wait around and grab a couple of young 2B.

If you don't want to call any of the above "sleepers," then I guess I'd say Jayson Nix is a sleeper. Why? He plays in Colorado and probably will get the starting job. He has speed and, did I mention he plays in Colorado? People forget that Coors is still an extremely good place for guys like Nix to post a .300+ average, steal 20 bases and score a lot of runs. Nix likely will not be drafted and may not even play much in April.

T, Triebs, OHR

Still waiting on you to sign up for fantasy baseball. We need to figure out whether we need to invite others. Also, some of you may have missed it, but we're discussing when to hold the draft. The current date is March 15 at 1:30. I actually have another draft that day starting at two, and I have other stuff going on that day as well, so I'd like to investigate other options if possible.

Look Who's Got His Swagger Back!

When this guy plays with confidence, it's infectous. I think he's finally playing with the attitude and energy that he hasn't shown since his freshman season. What a good effort tonight, gentlemen.

Fantasy Baseball 2008 - Shortstop

The rankings just keep coming...



Usually I don't recommend taking middle infiedlers in the first round because I believe you can get stolen bases in later rounds and because middle infielders are around second base collisions, where injuries result frequently. But, the top three SS this year are probably all first round worthy because they provide stats other than just SB. Plus, the SS crop this year is not very deep, there are not many impact prospects, and there is a large dropoff from Rollins to Jeter. Good or even adequate shortstops do not go 12-deep, so grabbing one of the top 3 early is not a bad idea.

I don't think Rollins will have quite the year he had last year, but he should still have an excellent year hitting atop the Phillies lineup. There aren't many surprises with these picks. I think Tejada will have a good year in Houston (if he is allowed to play). The biggest sleeper of the pack in my opinion is Stephen Drew.

Fantasy Baseball 2008 - Third Base

Like I did the last two years, I am going to try to post rankings for each position for this upcoming season. I've started this year with Third Base. As always, I'm happy with commentary and opinions on the rankings, breakout players, etc. Of course, if you criticize too much, I'll get defensive, make a personal attack against you, and rub it in after the season when I was right and you were wrong. But, seriously though, feel free to comment. Also, definitely ask questions about my methodology and the scoring system. I won't take the time to explain anything at the moment.

Click on the below image to enlarge and see the rankings.



As for a general draft strategy, third base is similar to what it has been for some time now: very talented at the top, dropping off quickly to a pool of somewhat fungible commodities. There are a lot of young players with breakout potential, which I always seem to rank higher than others. I worry a bit about Braun, and I think his batting average will fall substantially this season. I also worry about his SB numbers dropping a bit. But, his last season was so good and he is so young that he is still ranked third. Like last year, I am intrigued by Alex Gordon's potential.

Other than that, there aren't a whole lot of surprises. Of the relatively unknown young players who could be large fantasy impacts in late rounds, I'd say Evan Longoria has the highest ceiling, but guys like LaRoche, Headley and Encarnacion could be sleepers if they can get some consistent playing time. If you miss out on the first 5 or 6 guys, I'm not so sure you shouldn't just wait 15 rounds to pick a 3B. Those top 4 may all fall within the first 15 picks, and Gordon is a bit risky to pick very early.

And, for clarification, unless I simply forgot someone, if a player is not on the list, I wouldn't even consider drafting him or bothering to keep an eye on him for the season. I'll do my best to keep my rankings coming. I enjoy doing these, but don't have quite as much time as I did the last couple years.

Get A Brain! Morans

This is an attempt to disguise the real motive of posting this picture... "Rank the fans of NL Central teams and explain why they are ranked accordingly."

FOR THE LOVE OF DEER: HE'S BAAAAAAAAACK...

Holy shit; I don't know what to say. Even though it's a minor league deal, this is definitely good karma and instantly makes Nashville the best team in the Majors. I'd elaborate, but I can't stop jerking off.

Hi, I'm a worthless dick

Pitchers and catchers reported over the weekend, and Brewers fans know that means only one thing: Ben Sheets is another day closer to his next injury. With all the gambling that has been discussed in the past week or two, I've decided to take bets on when Sheets will first miss a start this season due to injury. The pool will be $10 winner-take-all and will be determined by the closest date selected (not the closest without going over). If two people pick the same day and win, they split the pot. If Sheets goes the entire year uninjured, we will use the pot for a keg at the tailgate for the first playoff game.




Ha, had you going for a minute. No Sheets injury? Playoffs? Not on this blog. Email me at mbaumgarnd@gmail.com to submit your pick, and pay me next time you see me. I will post the guesses as soon as I have everybody's.

Brew City Sports Fantasy Baseball 2008

League Name: Brew City Sports League
League ID: 81564
Password: Dave Bush
Draft Time: Sat Mar 15 1:30pm CDT

The draft time is not set in stone. Offer compelling arguments in the comments thread.

I'm assuming the following players are in for sure for this year. Let me know if I'm wrong.
LIFM, BCB, CONDY, SLASH, BUBSBROTHER, DIZZLE, E, TRIEBS, OHR, SEAN, STEVE.

The roster size will remain at 25 this season, just like a normal mlb roster. The only change I made was to the structure of the pitching slots. Instead of 3 "SP" slots, there are now 5. Instead of 3 "P" slots, you now have 2. That means there are now 7 bench spots instead of 8. This is intended to address some of the grievances from last year about "trickery" and "cheating" (although I strongly disagree that anyone was cheating). The change should place a higher premium on starting pitchers and elite closers, mirroring their importance in mlb. It will also result in everyone's roster more closely reflecting a real major league team. Maybe most importantly, it should also help managers that fail to update their rosters on a regular basis due either to being out of town, or just being a fucking fantasy deadbeat. This should raise the level of competition and boost the strength of the league as a whole.

I also considered adding a second UTIL spot, but that's a pretty drastic change. Thoughts?

**Edited for League ID**

Hi

I would instantly make Marquette one of the top five teams in the country.

Talkin' Brewers Top Prospects

With all the major sources having unveiled their Brewers’ top prospect lists already, I figured it high time we had a little discussion on the topic here. There are three publications which I read regarding prospects which I think are pretty good sources: (1) Baseball America – known for valuing physical skills, tools and potential well over performance, (2) Baseball Prospectus – known for valuing performance equally with physical tools and other factors, and (3) John Sickels’ Minor League Ball site – which blends elements of (1) and (2). Here’s how the three sites ranked the Brewers’ farmhands:

Baseball America Top-10
1. Matt LaPorta, of
2. Manny Parra, lhp
3. Alcides Escobar, ss
4. Jeremy Jeffress, rhp
5. Cole Gillespie, of
6. Mat Gamel, 3b
7. Brent Brewer, ss
8. Angel Salome, c
9. Lorenzo Cain, of
10. Caleb Gindl, of

Baseball Prospectus
Five-Star Prospects
1. Matt LaPorta, LF
2. Manny Parra, LHP
Four-Star Prospects
3. Jeremy Jeffress, RHP
Three-Star Prospects
4. Cole Gillespie, OF
5. Angel Salome, C
6. Alcides Escobar, SS
7. Mat Gamel, 3B
8. Caleb Gindl, OF
9. Luis Pena, RHP
10. Robert Bryson, RHP
11. Brent Brewer, SS

John Sickels
1. Matt LaPorta, OF, Grade B+ (great bat, glove??)
2. Manny Parra, LHP, Grade B+ (a really good prospect who needs more attention)
3. Mat Gamel, 3B, Grade B
4. Jeremy Jeffress, RHP, Grade B (assumes he stops smoking dope)
5. Jonathan Lucroy, C, Grade B-
6. Taylor Green, 3B, Grade B-
7. Cole Gillespie, OF, Grade C+
8. Alicides Escobar, SS, Grade C+ (overrated by lots of people IMHO)
9. Caleb Gindl, OF, Grade C+ (very promising, want more data)
10. Angel Salome, C, Grade C+
11. Michael Brantley, OF, Grade C+ (a personal favorite I admit)
12. Lorenzo Cain, OF, Grade C+
13. Zach Braddock, LHP, Grade C+
14. Robert Bryson, RHP, Grade C+
15. Hernan Iribarren, 2B, Grade C+
16. Brent Brewer, SS, Grade C (yes I know all about his tools. He is so damn raw that I don't believe in him yet.)
17. R.J. Seidel, RHP, Grade C
18. Zack Jackson, LHP, Grade C
19. Cody Scarpetta, RHP, Grade C
20. Dan Merklinger, LHP, Grade C

“This system has been thinned out by promotions and trades, but I suspect they will recharge quickly.”

For fear of this post getting too long, I will provide what I believe to be the Brewers’ Top-10, along with a percentage grade out of 100% - like you’d see in school or in MVP Baseball - rather than a letter grade like Sickels uses. I will post more, including individual player evals, in the comments.

1) Matt LaPorta – 91%
2) Manny Parra – 89%
3) Jeremy Jeffress – 80%
4) Mat Gamel – 79%
5) Robert Bryson – 78%
6) Cole Gillespie – 75%
7) Zach Braddock – 73%
8) Taylor Green – 70%
9) Angel Salome – 68%
10) Michael Brantley – 68%

Here's a Fucking Idea: Recruit a Tall Person

Take him to the hole Maurice!
Will someone please convince Tom Crean to recruit a fucking big man? This "I'm a perimeter coach" shit is getting really old. This fucking progam has got to be able to find an assistant that can recruit, develop, and utilize a big man. We are developing a reputation as being a big man repellent school. That doesn't make me happy.
If you really have that big of a guard fetish, at least recruit some that can fucking shoot. Oh wait - you actually did that last year but you're letting him rot on the bench all year. I'm venting right now because I had much higher expectations for this team, and the fact remains that they are a bunch of midgets trying to play Basketball in potentially the strongest power conference in the country. Unbelievable.