12/22/24
December 09, 2003
FANTASY BASEBALL 2004. Fantasy baseball is by far my favorite fantasy sport to play, so I'd like to start thinking about this already, who's going to commish, do we want to use yahoo? or a pay per team league? I like the idea of starting a keeper league, with a 3 year minimum commitment. I've never been in one, and I think this would be a good group to get one going. What do you think?
posted by corpse to navel gazing at 10:50 AM - 38 comments
I agree with Jersey girl on paying and yahoo ... although after what happened last season, I would be pissed (and I assume others would have been even more than me) if I had paid for that league.
posted by jasonspaceman at 11:00 AM on December 09, 2003
That won't happen again this year. We'll have a new commish. People can volunteer, then we can vote on who we want. If no one else wants to do it, I'll do it. Grum? Jersey? wfrazerjr? jasonspaceman? trox? I think you would all be good canidates.
posted by corpse at 11:06 AM on December 09, 2003
I've never been involved with fantasy baseball, and don't know much about it, but I'd be interested in joining up with you folks. It'd probably be a great learning experience about the game. What happened last year? I'd be less willing to join if it meant paying, but I would for the right price and the right guarantees.
posted by rocketman at 11:10 AM on December 09, 2003
Really, it doesn't matter who commishes as long as people agree on collusion rules. For example: If three (or any other number of) people think collusion is occuring, both parties involved in trade have to make a case for the trade. If one of the other fails to do so, the trade shouldn't go through. If the league hears both owners out, then the league can vote. The commish should be nothing but a facilitator. If we set those rules up beforehand, you can bitch, moan, whatever (which is ok because alot sports radio and print press is just that) but the rules stand.
posted by jasonspaceman at 11:21 AM on December 09, 2003
I think that's a good rule. Has anyone else used any other fantasy baseball services? epsn? some lesser known sites?
posted by corpse at 11:34 AM on December 09, 2003
if people want to throw their hats in the ring for volunteers... that's cool with me. as far as other services... smallworld?
posted by jerseygirl at 11:40 AM on December 09, 2003
throws hat in
posted by jasonspaceman at 11:53 AM on December 09, 2003
My comments: Pay? Sorry, but I'm already involved in a pay league so I don't feel like dipping into the "discretionary fund" twice. Perpetual league? Again, I'd have to pass. My time is already stretched and I don't think I could give enough consideration to do even MORE research about the younger players, especially in the NL. My pay league is AL-only, so I'm pretty schooled in that department, but I'd have to invest too much time to figure out who the prospects are on the NL teams. Commish? Make it three in a row as I'd have to take a pass on that. What the hell do I contribute then? I'm willing to play in another Yahoo league like last year, vote on the possible stat categories and generally be fun fella to compete against. Not much, but I promise I won't trade Halladay again...
posted by grum@work at 11:55 AM on December 09, 2003
I used sportsline fantasy baseball before they went pay to play and was very satisfied with how it worked. Or we can stay with yahoo. It really all depends on the scoring categories anyway. Since we're thinking aloud here, all I'd like to see there is OPS for hitting and K/BB ratio (can't recall if we had these or not). Also, please, no holds as a category. I'm already a commish in another league, so I don't know if I could handle this unruly lot (and then I'd have to be the voice of reason), but if no one else steps up, I could do it. Finally, I really like the idea of a keeper league.
posted by trox at 12:01 PM on December 09, 2003
You guys are going to play a league with just goalkeepers? A capital idea! Seriously, you guys better not have any more fights this year. I don't ever want to see j-girl angry again. Ever. (I'm also sending a letter to BoSox mgt reminding them not to break any more hearts next season. Either win the whole thing, or don't even bother qualifying for the play-offs.)
posted by worldcup2002 at 12:48 PM on December 09, 2003
Since we're not heading down the same commish path, and committed to setting down some guidelines, I can safely say the 04 season of fantasy baseball will be without conflict. i have a title to defend!
posted by jerseygirl at 12:52 PM on December 09, 2003
Where's my hug, j-girl? *crickets chirp*
posted by worldcup2002 at 12:53 PM on December 09, 2003
*hug*
posted by jerseygirl at 12:59 PM on December 09, 2003
Not that I would play in this sport but by keeper league do you mean that you keep your players from one season to the next instead of new drafts each year?
posted by billsaysthis at 01:20 PM on December 09, 2003
It depends on the league, but you can protect a certain number of players each year, so that you may keep them, and even protect prospects that may help you team a year or two down the line.
posted by corpse at 01:39 PM on December 09, 2003
I'm in. I'm busy at work, but I'll post on more of the ideas above later.
posted by 86 at 02:23 PM on December 09, 2003
I played in my first fantasy baseball league last year, and finished in the middle of a very small pack of Québec baseball aficionados, who are all mourning the loss of Vlad today. I would be in for a Yahoo! or Yahoo!esque type of play. Keeper leagues and money are too much for my caliber. I did drop Richie Sexson last year. I'll align my vote with Grum with regards to category selection, and I believe good commishes do nothing. One of the problems we have in this year's hockey league is managers abandoning their team. This would be even more catastrophical in a keeper league. Did you have this kind of trouble in baseball last year?
posted by qbert72 at 10:28 PM on December 09, 2003
is there a "fantasy baseball for dummies" link someone can point me to so i can get an idea of what's required? or do dummies need not apply?
posted by goddam at 10:31 PM on December 09, 2003
Did you have this kind of trouble in baseball last year? I think we had 1 guy who didn't do much since the draft in March and then another kind of just disappeared after May I think. i dont know if that really affected the league a whole lot though. we had bigger issues. is there a "fantasy baseball for dummies" link someone can point me to so i can get an idea of what's required? or do dummies need not apply? its different depending on the rules of the league or the system itself. i went into last year's draft a complete rook, and didn't draft as smart as i could have, i later found out, because i wasn't clear on the yahoo terms.
posted by jerseygirl at 11:31 PM on December 09, 2003
I think if a person feels inclined to pay for a team, they will keep tabs on it most of the year.
posted by corpse at 07:43 AM on December 10, 2003
Does anyone have and urls for the pay and keeper leagues*? If the price is right, I wouldn't mind doing a pay (especially if it is a keeper league) as well as doing the free yahoo ... that is if enough people are interested in both. *Keeper leagues: for those of you more familiar with them, what are your experiences with them? Good? Bad?
posted by jasonspaceman at 08:04 AM on December 10, 2003
We've got one manager that abandoned his team (and apparently SpoFi) in the fantasy NBA league. It sucks, but since he benched all his players, it hasn't really affected the other teams too much.
posted by dusted at 10:58 AM on December 10, 2003
Well, I'm interested in doing a free, one-season league. Seeing how I'm a rookie, I feel that's appropriate for me. If we had to do a keeper league, I think it would favor experienced players. Also, maybe other pay services are cheaper, but $89 for scoresheet? For one team? I'm sorry, but that seems a bit steep.
posted by rocketman at 02:42 PM on December 10, 2003
Scoresheet is more than just a regular stat-tallying rotoleague. It's more of a fantasy-manager type league. It plays 162 actual games (including boxscores) based on how your players performed each week (6 or 7 games a week) and is far more involved than any other game I've experienced. You have to take into account: - pinch hitters - LH/RH batting splits - different LH/RH batting orders - starting pitcher "hook" values (leave a pitcher in too long and that last batter might knock in a couple more runs) - relief pitcher order (vs LH and RH batters) - defensive replacements - errors - fielding range (bad fielders? Your pitching results seem worse than they would be in MLB) - sacrifice bunts - steals - team depth (run out of players who can bat/pitch that week, in comes the dreaded (and dreadful) AAA player) Throw in a playoff system (based on a balance of September and rest of season results), and you end up with one of the most addictive fantasy baseball results ever. I can't say enough about how fun it is to own a Scoresheet fantasy baseball team. My team is in a perpetual league and I've finished on top of the regular season standings (against 9 other AL teams) 2 years in a row, but have lost in the championship round in 7 games both years. I took over a team 6 years ago that was dead last and traded, drafted, protected my way to a strong team. You have to be a very detailed baseball fan to play Scoresheet (perpetual) as you have to know your rookies and minor league players as well. In the end, the money I spend on Scoresheet is well worth it for the year round entertainment I get from it.
posted by grum@work at 05:20 PM on December 10, 2003
Whatever y'all decide, I'm down. I'm also out for commish of a detailed league, though. The constraints on my time at the paper are just too great for me to commit. I prefer a keeper league also, as I plan to establish a dynasty, so get ready, jgirl. As a wise left-handed guitar genius once said, "Here I come, baby ... comin' ta getcha!"
posted by wfrazerjr at 05:44 PM on December 10, 2003
bring it on!
posted by jerseygirl at 06:37 PM on December 10, 2003
grum, thanks for the write-up. I think I might put myself on the waiting list.
posted by jasonspaceman at 10:50 PM on December 10, 2003
jasonspaceman: If you want, send me an email and I'll send you a couple of weeks results to show you what it looks like.
posted by grum@work at 09:15 AM on December 11, 2003
I would also be willing to play, with strict rules and a commish who enforces them literally without enforcing his or her personality or rooting interest on the league. The perfect commisioner to me would be a robot. We should get to vote on all trades, majority rules. Also, to avoid late season quits, it should be a keeper league - 8 players?
posted by djacobs at 12:52 PM on December 11, 2003
Also, I am going to win this year.
posted by djacobs at 12:53 PM on December 11, 2003
I have to say I'm super intrigued by the scoresheet league.
posted by corpse at 01:20 PM on December 11, 2003
Another vote for Scoresheet.
posted by catfish at 02:39 PM on December 11, 2003
I just want to say that I'm NOT advocating a Scoresheet SpoFi league. I'm busy enough as it is to try and keep up with my own Scoresheet league. If someone wanted to join, I'd recommend trying a Scoresheet-run single-season league. It would provide a good introduction before having to start worrying about the struggles of a perpetual league. For example: - I've traded Frank Catalanotto (a 2003 spring pickup) plus my 2nd round pick in the 2004 spring draft (after everyone has protected 12 players and some rookies) to acquire Garret Anderson. Normally, I don't like Anderson's free-swinging ways, but his power boost will help my team as I already have a bunch of OBP machines (Posada, N.Johnson, Olerud, Thomas, Edmonds, Mueller). - I'm looking to try and trade Tim Wakefield for a draft pick as I'm going to have to leave him unprotected for the 2004 draft. Our league has a rule about keeping a maximum of 4 starting pitchers and 1 relief pitcher (to keep things competitive) and I'm keeping Lowe, Colon, Meche and Washburn instead. I'm even thinking of dumping my entire super-bullpen (Rhodes, Hasegawa, Donnelly, Rincon, Embree) and flood the market. I might get some back, but I also might steal someone else while everyone fawns over my 2003 stars. - If Frank Thomas gets dealt to the NL, I'm in trouble as I can only protect two NL players, and am doing so with Nick Johnson and Jim Edmonds. If it does happen, I'll either deal Thomas at a low price (draft pick) or just let him go and he won't be draftable for anyone in 2004 in my league (AL only). I'd hate to give him up, but since I drafted him late in 2003 spring draft (unprotected after a bad 2002), it's not too horrible. - For every rookie that I keep, it costs me a late draft pick (round 34 and up). For now, I don't mind paying the cost for Alexis Rios and Russ Adams. But maybe I can swing a deal and steal someone elses rookie that they might not consider protectable (like Derrick Turnbow or Zack Grienke). But if anyone wants a sample set of results (and some explanation), send me an email in the next couple of days and I'll send one off to you. My email is on my (horrific) user page. And if people are interested, I could provide an update of my team/league and goings-on to give them an idea of what it's like. I'd even post results to the net for people to see each week.
posted by grum@work at 02:56 PM on December 11, 2003
grum's user page makes baby jesus cry. and go blind.
posted by jerseygirl at 03:13 PM on December 11, 2003
grum's user page makes baby jesus cry. Oh, but the depiction of Leafs fans is so sweet ...
posted by wfrazerjr at 06:32 PM on December 12, 2003
how the hell did you do that grum?
posted by jerseygirl at 11:39 PM on December 12, 2003
Just check the source code when you load my page. I stole the idea from a fellow leaf fan. it's all about using javascript to override page settings.
posted by grum@work at 04:15 PM on December 13, 2003
I'm in. Interested in the pay per team, but depends where and how much. I liked Yahoo, that was fun. i think we need a new commish though.