By Tony in Hitchin
League 4
League 7
11:51, Eng 296-7 Mills beats Anderson all ends up outside off, before Jim slices through gully for a dooblay. Quiet at Trent Bridge so far - the stands are filling up nicely, but there are papers to read and first-drink decisions to be made.
I appreciate that paragraph possibly makes about as much sense to most of you as it would if written in Spanish, but to an Englishman it says a great deal. Ah, the mysteries of some sporting terms.
By Tony in Hitchin
League 4
League 7
The aim of “The Keeper List” is to monitor potential keepers over the course of the 2008 season … and to save you from building your 2009 team around the wrong names.
Now we’re at the halfway point of the season, and with some owners who consider their teams without a shot at a title this year, a greater focus is already being placed upon keepers for 2009.
By Bob in Cleveland
League 4
As you likely (hopefully) know by now, I partner with our staff columnist, Gabriel Lundeen, to produce the podcast called ‘Inside the Trader’s Studio’ … a show about trades (of course). Download it on iTunes, and give it a try! But, I digress.
One of the things that has caught my eye, when reflecting on all of the trades that Gabriel and I have seen over the course of the year, is the art of the ‘string of deals’. I find it really impressive when an owner can string together a series of trades that lifts his, or her, team into contention for a title. Why?
By Tony in Hitchin
League 4
League 7
At the weekend, I had the pleasure of catching up with an old friend. Over a couple of cold ones, we chatted as old friends do, laughing at stories from our youth, and the conversation turned to his soccer team, Millwall FC. Back in the dark days, when hooliganism was a real problem, Millwall fans had a fearsome reputation for violence, and to take a trip to their ground, appropriately named The Den, was rarely advisable.
The fans embraced their reputation, rarely disappointing visiting fans and inviting those brave enough to “step outside” if they fancied their chances. They stood on the terraces - this was before all-seater stadia became the norm - and through wind and rain chanted, “Nobody likes us, and we don’t care.”
As we were chatting merrily, it made me think that a similar chant could be adopted by fans of my favourite team, the Kansas City Royals, because nobody likes us.
By Tony in Hitchin
League 4
League 7
Annie Szemanski wasn’t the first woman to reach the major leagues. The story of her journey from the Federales League of Bolivia to starting second baseman for the Sparrows is an invention, a piece of fiction, the vehicle for Garrison Keillor to teach us a life lesson or two in his whimsical, gentle, Midwestern style. But it made me think of the role women play in the National Pastime. After all, can it really be the National Pastime without our better halves?
By Tony in Hitchin
League 4
League 7
The aim of “The Keeper List” is to monitor potential keepers over the course of the 2008 season … and to save you from building your 2009 team around the wrong names.
In my first article, I set out the keeper lists that Mafia members brought over from the 2007 season into this one. With two months of play under our belts, it’s time to see who’s movin’ and who’s shakin’ … and who’s leaving their owners merely shaking their heads.
By Tony in Hitchin
League 4
League 7
The point of being in a fantasy baseball league, for most of us, is to win. But just as important in a Mafia league is to build a team that will give you as good a chance as possible to win in future years, whether that’s to repeat as champion or to improve your team so as to be better next year. A vital part of the process of constructing that winning team is keeping the right players.
“The Keeper List” is a new series for the Mafia, with a focus upon keepers for 2009 and maybe beyond. The series is loosely based upon the idea of Bracketology used during the build-up to March Madness.
As the season progresses, I’ll be looking at potential keepers, and, as importantly, those players we maybe should no longer be building our teams around.
By Tony in Hitchin
League 4
League 7
“Hey, Tony, how’s the Mafia team doing against the rest of the elite of the fantasy baseball website world?” I hear you ask. Well, I’m here to tell you, we’re doing pretty well right now.
By Tony in Hitchin
League 4
League 7
Okay people, we’re having a pop quiz today. There are only four questions, so this shouldn’t take long. Ready? Let’s go:
Qu. 1: Who invented fantasy baseball, when, and where?
Qu. 2: Where does the term “rotisserie” come from, and why is it misleading?
Qu. 3: Why do we use the categories that we do for fantasy leagues?
Qu. 4: What was the name of the first team ever to win a fantasy league?
Entry details and prizes are set out after the jump …
By Tony in Hitchin
League 4
League 7
Thanks to everyone who took the time to get in touch following my first installment of this season-long diary. I’ll address some of the points raised in the emails I’ve received.
The first question I was asked concerned the identity of our opposition.