Old Style Roto Standings

Here's the old style roto standings for the first four weeks. Its good to help figure out where you need some help and where your strength is.

One of the more interesting things going on is that (unless I did something horribly wrong) Trevor's team has gotten very unlucky. Every other team is fairly close to the standings after four weeks of head to head.

Todd's team is ridiculous pitching-wise. And Vic team is clearly playing very well all around.

What do you think? Comment below!

Player  Batting Pitching Total
VIC     48      42.5     90.5
TREV    35      43       78.0
TODD    17.5    57.5     75.0
JIM     37.5    36       73.5
CK      39.5    31.5     71.0
FKAky   43.5    24       67.5
DUST    43      21.5     64.5
JAS     33      25.5     58.5
MATT    14      33.5     47.5
DAN     19      15       34.0

Dustin's Draft Analysis, Part 4

The final installment of Dustin's Draft analysis. Add some comments and let us know how you think everyone else did!


Toques
This team looks to be above average. Three good starters and three closers are not a bad way to start. The out field has some pop and rbi machines but the rest of the hitting squad is lacking. I mean I like Lee but his years of domination are over. Good old Racky Wacky Weeks. This dude still has not learned how to hit major league pitching.

Bad- There is too many holes in the hitting lineup. Fukudome will slow down and wear down throughout the season. Last year Fukudome’s average went down every month from the start of a red hot opening day.

Ugly- Barry Zito, enough said.

Good- Getting Werth as a keeper for a dollar seems to be a pretty good deal if he can stay healthy. Marmol for nine was a good deal if he can regain the closer role.

Final Prediction- 10th


Juicers
First of all I want to say Vic did well for his first draft. He took a lot of heat from some real asshole owners (I won’t say the names but you know who you are) during the draft and stuck with his plan. I do like this team.

Bad- This isn’t really the worst but I think Gallardo went for a little too much. It could have been the part of the draft where players’ salaries were inflated. Or Gallardo was wanted by a majority of the owners. Anyway , a good young pitcher at a high price.

Ugly- Your pitchers walk a lot of guys and are not huge K pitchers. More walks mean higher whip and worse era. Now I like Maholm, but pirate’s pitchers will not get wins.

Now Vic has two pirates, not a good mix.

Good- There is a lot of good pickups for the future. I love Stewart and Rasmus.

Howard will bang out HR’s and having the number one catcher in our league is not bad either.

Final Prediction- 8th. If I was a betting man I would say it is more likely the juicers will finish in the top 6. The only downside is his pitching for the latter of the season.



Now that Dusty is done, what do you think?

Dustin's Draft Analysis, Part 3

Poppers

This team your are looking at right now is odds on favorites to win the whole thing. I like the hitting and the pitching is solid when healthy. I think the only thing that holds this team back; injuries. Also there is a couple of dudes in particular (Ludwick and Delgado for his age) that had career seasons last year, but can they do it again?

Bad - Matsui is a 100 game a year guy. I know he isn’t really that important, but he is a guy Jay needs to steal bases. Bad back equals no steals.

Ugly - This might be a reach, Huston Street closing for the Rockies. Velocity is down, Corpas behind you and the crappy ballpark. I think that equals not a good chance to succeed in your profession.

Good - Getting Rowand and Molina for 2 dollars a piece is very good. I know Molina will have a breakout year and Rowand is just a smoking deal.

Projected finish - 1st, but there are three other teams that are going to challenge you hard.

Cross your fingers and hope no one else gets injured.


Heaters

This is a very interesting team. How can you predict how this team will play out? The Heaters could finish in the top four or the bottom four just as easy. Can the hitting on this team help the Pitching win categories?

Bad - The heaters have a lot of low dollar hitters. I have heard of a nine dollar pitching staff but not a low hitting lineup. Granted there is a couple of hitting standouts on this team. But can they overcome hitters that are rebounding from poor seasons and are rookies?

Ugly - Honestly, I can’t find a really ugly draft pick. I would say LaRoche, because that guy has burned me more than ever. But for fourteen dollars you can’t expect the world.

Good - The best pitching on the planet, bar none. Two good closers and a bunch of top tier starters. I also like Fowler for one dollar. Fowler is my type of player.

Projected Finish - 6th. This is a very, very conservative 6th pick. This team could surprise and finish in the top four with a trade down the line for more hitting.

Dustin's Draft Analysis, Part 2

Azzuri - I believe this team to be well rounded. The hitting is solid; The Azzuri won’t lead the league in any hitting stat but will contend every week in each. I believe they have enough to get them into the playoff’s and possibly deep into the postseason. I’m weary of the semi old/injury plagued pitchers pitching in HR ballparks. They have a shot, but remember the Azzuri have never won a playoff series. They fold underneath the pressure.

Bad- Gonzales, Mike that is. I don’t think an erratic closer can give the Azzuri many category wins in saves, especially when the braves have Soriano backing Gonzales up. One false move by Mike and he is outta here.G-unit.

Ugly- I don’t know if drafting three pitchers who like to give up the long ball in homeru ballparks; Harang, Oswalt and Myers. And then you add an injury waiting to happen in carpenter. It might not look good.

Good- Like I said before the hitting is very solid. If the pitchers pitch like they are supposed to this team will challenge for the title. Getting Hanson for 2 dollars might end up as a great steal. But again I don’t have much faith in young pitchers.

Projected Finish- I would like to say 2nd, but anywhere in the top 4 would be more like it.


Fkaky’s- Dude, a back to back to back championship is not out of the question for the cup holders of last year. This team has one or two holes on offense that need to be sewn up before a serious title run is made late in the season. The pitching has a few good starters, but the saves situation needs some attention badly.

Bad- I know this is really nit picking, buy I would have to say Gamel and Monroe starting on your hitting team when both of those guys don’t even play. That is already giving the opposition two guys ahead of you (even if the two dudes are bad).I know your hitting is stacked in some areas, but you too many steals. Trade some to get a couple every day all around players.

Ugly- No closers!!! You do have one, but he is ancient and injured. It is like sending my brothers little kids out there to shut the door on the opposition.

Good- Here there is a few stand outs. Bonifacio for two is already getting votes for the steal of the draft. Three good pitchers and a flyer on Zimmerman, I hope he can make a contribution this season.

Projected finish- I would say 4th, but a top 3 finish could be in the cards or even a third championship.

Dustin's Draft Analysis, Part 1

Okay, sorry for being a little late on this analysis of the draft. Let us get to the story. As usual I will give the good, the bad and the ugly to each team and I will give a prediction on how their season will pan out. I will be sending these in three installments.

Average Joes - This team seems balanced on pitching and on offense with the standouts being Headley and Bruce. Ethier will have a breakout season.
Bad- Chris young the hitter, this dude has to learn to hit for average and for 20 bucks I think his average will hurt more than his speed and power will help you.
Ugly- I would throw Arroyo off a train right now, ditch him. He has so many problems.
Good- It seems everybody is in the same price range, so I don’t have a real standout. But you had good young keepers and I think Dickerson will prove his worth if baker gives him PT. Projected finish 5th.

Barca Beaners - Jim has the best hitter in the league hands down. But will that be enough to win the title, I don’t know. You will get definite pop from Pujols, Wright and Ibanez, but where else?
Ross? Or Hall? Not this year. Pitching would be a stronger point if Hamels elbow wasn’t so tender.
Bad- Hamels, if his elbow cannot hold up.
Ugly- Cueto, flash in the pan or young promising stud?
Good- There is three guys I really like; Fontenot for 7, he is ready for a good year in a stacked lineup. Lewis, I really wanted him. He is a 15-20 hr dude with wheels in an improving lineup. Ibanez is who will have a monster year, no doubt. Projected finish it is hard to say. Maybe the Beaners will end up as high as fourth or as low as 8th or 9th. 7th is my suggestion.

Slumpbusters - The hitting for this team will carry it through the season and deep into the playoffs.
And at this time I’m writing this Calvin has two-three starters from the OF on his bench. That tells you his OF is deep. His pitching is not as good as it may seem. Lincecum and Billinsley are studs, no which way about it. Then the rest of the staff has to pick up the slack. I’m not sold on Kershaw just yet, give him time and he might be good. Sanchez and Perez are lefties with mental or past injury problems, no thanks. Wellemeyer is the wildcard, He could help the two go to guys or he could just lie down. Franklin could be a great pickup if C.Perez doesn’t get healthy.
Bad- Perez, I know he was only 8 dollars, but he is in mental distress right now.
Ugly- It has to be Milton Bradley; Mix a head case with an injury past and it adds up to a troubling season on a great team.
He could prove me wrong though.
Good- Calvin has three great keepers in Russell, Cantu and Lincecum, but I really like Billingsley for 25. This dude will battle for the CY if he keeps his walks under control. Projected finish 3rd.

Duffers - Where to start. Dan went with the reliever approach instead of being starter heavy. I don’t think there is any middle ground here. Either the Duffer’s rock with the pitching or his starters blow up and ruin his precious era, whip, and k-bb. His hitting will carry him through the season much like the Slumpbuster’s. But I don’t think the duffer’s can go as deep into the playoffs without better starters. The Duffer’s have two young hitters in Pence and Kemp that I really think will thrive. These two will provide some spark to this team.
Bad- Volquez, You ask really? I saw him pitch in WBC and he didn’t look good. I brushed it off thinking he was just rusty. Now I think this guy was over pitched last year, No doubt Dusty Baker is managing. Just ask Prior how he is doing of late.
Ugly- The three left handed pitchers’s on the staff. Johnson might rebound but I doubt it, He is old and old. Olsen is young enough to turn it around but his whip and k-bb is atrocious. I like Parra in about two years when he has developed as a pitcher in a hitter’s ballpark.
Good- It is the hitting. I think two or thee guys will have career years; Encarnacion, K . Johnson and Tulo. Projected finish 9th.

Answering Baseball’s What-Ifs

Fun article about running baseball simulations:

Answering Baseball’s What-Ifs

One game has little meaning. A thousand seasons can take a while. Thank goodness for quad-core processors.

“Computer simulations work pretty well in baseball for two reasons,” said Carl Morris, a professor of statistics at Harvard University who has written several papers that commingled baseball and formal statistical theory. “In general, they allow you to study fairly complicated processes that you can’t really get at with pure mathematics. But also, sports are great for simulations — you can play 10,000 seasons overnight.”

2009 Season

OK, the draft date is tentatively set for April 5th, 2009

Here's the Draft Info: 2009 Draft Central

Here's the keeper list:

2009 Keeper List