with Chris from Atlanta
League 17
Week #13
This week’s column is a tribute to the comedian, George Carlin.
Like many others, his “Seven Words You Can Never Use on Television” bit was how I was introduced to him. He was a very cerebral comic, often saying things that first made you laugh then moments later made you stop and think.
Here are some of Carlin’s best one-liners and how they relate to fantasy baseball.
By Richard Schortemeyer III
With two historic stadiums (mostly historic for one side, but just go with it) closing shop at the end of this season, the NY Mets and NY Yankees will have their last, and arguably most important, series in their old stomping grounds this weekend. Some very important questions will be answered:
1) Which NY Mets team will show up; the one that won 2 out of 3 against the AL West leading LA Angels of Anaheim or the one that, dreadfully, lost 2 out of 3 against the MLB cellar dwellers, the Seattle Mariners?
2) Can the NY Yankees rebound from their previous lost series against their local
foes?
3) How will Joba the Phenomenon respond to his first starting experience in this fierce interleague rivalry?
4) MOST IMPORTANTLY: How much damage will recently acquired NY Mets infielder Andy Phillips do to his former squad?
Should be a very exciting weekend in NY, and like one of NY’s finest says, I will be ” … in a NY State of Mind.” Stay tuned because this should be interesting.
In this oldtimers’ edition of “On the Record,” we’ll talk about a veteran hurler who’s, once again, ‘knuckling’ upwards, an INF/OF who’s providing a great veteran presence in a young crew’s lineup, and a veteran outfielder who’s trying to make another comeback by providing some more history at an extremely historic field.
By The Jersey Hitman
League 6
League 17
We are just about halfway through the 2008 baseball season - it has gone by very fast, and I find myself looking at players and wondering what they will do in the second half. Two pitchers interest me. Can one keep the injury bug away and can the other rebound and put up the type of numbers many expected but did not get in the first half?
One thing I hate to do anytime is admit I was wrong. I am not ready to do that just yet, but I have to face a fact: I may have been wrong. Worse than possibly being wrong is the chance that Gabriel Lundeen may have been right. UGH!
By Jesse Severe
League 3
2,500 years ago, the Chinese philosopher Mozi told the following story:
A farmer was in the woods one day chopping down trees for firewood. For a while, he stood on one of the stumps of the trees he had already cut down, when a rabbit came speeding across the field, crashed straight into the stump, snapped its neck and died.
The farmer brought the rabbit home as dinner for his family. The next day, a passerby found the farmer again in the woods. This time, instead of chopping trees, he stood on a stump in the woods. Asked what he was doing, he simply said “hunting rabbits.”
Drafting last year’s elite middle relievers is like standing on a stump, waiting for a rabbit to crash into it again. Still, this is how most people look at middle relief in fantasy baseball.
By Gabriel Lundeen
Cappo, League 10
THE BEST PLAYER IN THE DEAL
You often hear the phrase “best player in the deal” tossed around when we discuss trades, but what does that actually mean? What if you don’t get the best player in the deal? What does “best” even mean, and how do you figure out who’s the best? More »
By Greg Mann
Cappo, League 5
Many times winning a fantasy baseball league depends on quick decisions.
Be the first to pick up a Ryan Braun when he is called up from the minors. Be the first to pick up Ryan Franklin when Jason Isringhausen is yanked from the closer role. Be the first to pick up a player who is starting a hot streak. Be the first to make an offer to an owner with players on the trading block.
But there are also times when patience can be a key to winning, and while that sounds like an obvious statement, sometimes it’s hard to practice patience in a game that often requires urgency.
Rob in GR
League 9
As I’m sure most of our fellow FBM league members are, I’m very competitive; I don’t usually do something unless I think it can help me to win.
In this series of articles, I’ll be outlining some of the methods I use in my leagues and sharing some tips that’ll help you to win - something I’ve done more times than not.
with Chris from Atlanta
League 17
Week #12
Three managers were canned this week. Good thing us fantasy managers are also the owners or some of us might also be shown the door.
If your team is in last place, you don’t have the luxury of firing yourself midseason. In a keeper league, you have to start looking towards 2009. If you are in a non-keeper league, you owe it to the rest of the league to stay competitive.
Lower your sights on first place and shoot for finishing in the top half of the league. Whatever happens, do not abandon your team. You are sure to alienate yourself from the other owners with a bush-league move like that.
By Richard Schortemeyer III
What a last couple of weeks it has been for the NY Mets. A World Series favorite, despite last year’s horrific collapse, the Mets have not been able to shake off last year’s unforgettable finish, and it has truly been displayed recently.
A mixture of blown saves, an inconsistent offense, and locker room blow-ups have seen this team slowly fall down the NL ladder. The Mets craziness was on full display in a three-game series against the AL West leading LA Angels in Anaheim this past week.
It began with the dysfunctional finish to Willie Randolph’s tenure as manager as he was released shortly after the team won the first game of the series Monday. In Jerry Manuel’s first game as interim manager, Tuesday, Manuel took out one of the team’s stars, SS Jose Reyes, in the first inning after he was favoring his leg. This led Reyes to go on a little tantrum as he headed to the dugout to sit out the rest of an unspectacular Mets loss.
In the rubber game on Wednesday, after going 3-23 when trailing after six innings, the Mets forced K-Rod, Francisco Rodriguez, to his second blown save of the season and eventually won the game in extra innings. Could that game be a sign of a NY Mets playoff hope revival? Only time will tell. Stay tuned.
In this edition of “On the Record,” we’ll give you the ‘Lowe-down’ on a pitcher who’s rising high in LA, that other outfielder in the Motor City, and yet another Royals player who’s impressing many.
By The Jersey Hitman
League 6
League 17
A very tired Hitman siting here writing tonight. It’s my own fault - I can’t seem to turn off the television or stop watching West Coast baseball. If they could speed the games up a bit, I sure would appreciate it.
I can’t wait for interleague play to end - enough already! And I still have to get through one more Yankees-Mets series. Hank Steinbrenner and Omar Minaya are sure to be quoted plenty. I can’t wait to hear their words of wisdom.