By Butters in D.C.
League 14
League 16
The Major League trade deadline has come and gone, but the fantasy deadline is right around the corner. This week can determine who wins your league and who is waiting for next year … again.
Making the right move isn’t always about catching up in the stats in which you are behind. Sometimes you can be better off in the long run by bolstering your position in a tight category or actually making a trade with someone else who isn’t even in the race.
This week’s ‘Hit List’ is about strategies employed at the trade deadline … and some players that can make all the difference.
By Butters in D.C.
League 14
League 16
The anticipation is building. You can almost taste it. You see, it’s Christmas Eve - Eve here at the Hit List. The coming anticipation of what shiny new toys will be under the tree Christmas morning is almost unbearable.
The rumors swirl, the talks continue, possibilities abound. No, I’m not talking about some time warp of the calendar. Obviously, I’m talking about one of my favorite days of the year - the non-waiver trading deadline.
By Butters in D.C.
League 14
League 16
Well, well, well. Look who’s back. That’s right folks; it is the return of the Hit List. We are just past the ceremonial halfway point of the season, and it’s time to unveil my half-surprise team. These are not necessarily the biggest surprises of the first half - but players that have both value that has gone under the radar and the potential to continue to shine in the second half.
By Butters in D.C.
League 14
League 16
We’re back to tackle the rest of the A.L. today.
It’s not time to start building keeper lists just yet, but it is deep enough into the season to know what you have and where you need to improve. It’s important to be honest with yourself. What can you reasonably expect from the players on your team the rest of the way? Who’s good? Who’s bad? Who’s flying under the radar? Let’s have a look.
By Butters in D.C.
League 14
League 16
The baseball season is six months long, and as it is now the beginning of June, it’s one-third of the way through. It’s not time to start building keeper lists just yet, but it is deep enough into the season to know what you have and where you need to improve. It’s important to be honest with yourself. What can you reasonably expect from the players on your team the rest of the way?
Over the next two days, I’ll take a look at the player from each A.L. team that has been the most noteworthy, both for good and bad, and I’ll also let you know if there is a player on that team who is flying under the radar - one who might provide big time help for a “minor” cost.
By Butters in D.C.
League 14
League 16
I had the pleasure of walking around my favorite city in the country recently, New York City. Specifically, I was in Manhattan, in Times Square, going to get my favorite cookie from the Roxy Deli. I started out at the bottom of Times Square, around 42nd and Broadway, and made my way to the Roxy, which is located at about 47th and Broadway.
Sounds simple right? Well, to navigate my way up those few short blocks, I had to maneuver my way around a street band, between vendors selling roasted nuts that always smell way better than they taste, and through the crush of humanity walking straight for me at every corner.
How does all of this relate to fantasy baseball you ask? Well, I saw it as a metaphor for all of the obstacles we face as fantasy GMs. The street band, the food vendor, and the mass of people each represent an obstacle in the fantasy baseball world. Follow along, and I’ll tell you what they are and how to avoid them.
By Butters in D.C.
League 14
League 16
It’s important to be honest with yourself as a fantasy owner. Does your team have the right pieces? If it doesn’t, can you get them? I have two teams, one is very much in it, and one is very much not.
The approach that I take to trading and acquiring players is different on each team. On one team, I want to make sure that I am addressing needs and trading from depth - just like any good fantasy GM would do. On the other, it’s pretty safe to say, it’s rebuilding time.
Who are some players that I (and you) should target? Who should I (and you) stay away from? In this edition of the Hit List, we examine some keeper-caliber players and some players that could be keepers by the end of the season.
By Butters in D.C.
League 14
League 16
Smart people say foolish things. For example: “We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.” (Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.)
Or “I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling on his face and not Gary Cooper. (Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in “Gone With The Wind.”)
Even “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.” (Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.)
Of all the smart people that have said foolish things, I think my favorite is probably “You have to admit, chasing saves is fun!” (Mike Siano, MLB.com Fantasy 411, 2007.)
Well, folks, I’m here to tell the story of exactly how wrong that can be. Between “closers of the future” and “mid-tier closers,” I’ve had just about enough, and there are a bunch of players about to get whacked.
By Butters in D.C.
League 14
League 16
OK. We’re a month in, and some people did not heed my warning. I announced, fair and square, that if certain players didn’t pick up the pace, they would be added to ‘The Hit List’. Well, some responded, with C.C. Sabathia turning in a solid performance, and Hunter Pence starting to turn things around. They may have avoided the rub out.
However, other players weren’t listening, and now, I’ve got a full fantasy starting line-up full of people about to get whacked …
By Butters in D.C.
League 14
League 16
Welcome to the first of what I hope will be a recurring topic here on “The Hit List” – answering your email questions! I’ve actually gotten some questions, so I’ll actually give some answers. But remember, this is for entertainment purposes only, void where prohibited, and this article cannot be reproduced without the express written consent of … well, you get the idea. Let’s see what’s in the mailbag today.