By Ken In Toronto
League 14
League 15
Around the end of May, I heard some people talking about giving up the season and trying to upgrade their keepers for next year. I couldn’t believe this because as important as the draft is to fantasy baseball success, making heads up decisions throughout the year - and being a little lucky - are just as important.
Just because you’re 20 points back in the standings after two, three, or even fourth months, there’s still a lot of baseball left. Here are some guys who you didn’t count on to boost you to a league championship … and some guys who may have helped knock early season leaders out of contention.
By Gregory Mann
Cappo, League 5
Okay, boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, it’s that time of year again … when the NFL season intrudes on the final month of baseball season. Chances are good that it WILL affect your fantasy baseball league.
Unless you are in a league with completely die-hard baseball fans, there’s not much you can do when the bottom 1/3 to 1/2 of your league switches its attention to fantasy football. Or is there?
By Chris from Maine
Hello again! Let’s get to business. Who should we avoid in 2009? Who should we keep?
For the purposes of this article, I will focus on some players who I would be cautious of as keepers in mixed leagues for 2009. As I said yesterday, there are always exceptions, especially depending on your particular league setup or roster situations, so please make sure you consider every angle and do not take this as a definitive guide for success!
This list is not all-inclusive, but it will give you advice on some players who shouldn’t - and could -be considered as keepers.
By Chris from Maine
With the 2008 fantasy baseball season winding down, many managers are focusing on wrapping up their rotisserie leagues, while others are prepping their rosters for head-to-head league playoffs. For owners in keeper leagues, this is when the heavy duty research and big decision making processes need to begin in order to select the handful of players for their 2009 rosters.
Injuries can - and will - make a huge difference in which players are chosen to be carried forward beyond this season. Draft strategies for next year’s leagues will ultimately be carried out depending on which players are unavailable due to their keeper status.
By Chad in DC
Cappo, League 16
Believe it or not, Mafia, there’s only about 40 days left in the 2008 MLB regular season. So, if you’re fortunate enough to find yourself still competing for first place in your league, I implore you to put away those fantasy football mags and focus (with intensity akin to Michael Phelps in the closing seconds of his 100 meter butterfly race) on the fantasy baseball championship that is yours for the taking.
By Kelly Pfleiger
League 13
A Close Look at BABIP
Each and every game, the baseball is hit, and it travels to some destination on the field. Sometimes it is caught for an out; other times it falls to the ground for a base hit. Often, what determines a hit or an out is a matter of inches.
Along with other significant factors, ‘Batting Average on Balls in Play’ will affect a batter’s average, and conversely, a pitchers ERA. In recent years, BABIP has grown in prominence within the fantasy baseball world, but not everyone uses it properly.
As I have stated previously, the sum of all the parts tells the true story of a player’s performance.
By Keith Wire
League 8
This is not the mid-season piece that I had envisioned, back in April, after my nine different drafts. I was fairly certain that I would be pontificating, as humbly as possible, about the insurmountable leads I had built in at least five of my nine leagues.
Editor’s Note: For those of you who follow MLB.com’s Fantasy 411, you’ve already heard of the famous Dr. Stats. FantasyBaseballMafia.com is pleased to present this feature piece by the man, himself, “Dr. Stats”, Mitch Watnik.
By Mitch “Dr. Stats” Watnik
So, Rich “Goose” Gossage goes into the Hall of Fame. I still have my “Goose” whistle from the Padres. If you grew up with baseball after the mid-80’s, you probably don’t understand who Goose was … or what he did. Goose was a closer. No, not like Mariano Rivera or K-Rod.
By Kelly Pfleiger
League 13
Kelly Pfleiger is a regular contributor to FantasyBaseballMafia.com. This piece is re-printed from his fantasy baseball blog, www.fantasygameday.net.
Andy Sonnanstine has been playing very well this year, or did you not notice it? Not only does he play for the league leading Tampa Bay Rays, but he also has an eye popping ten wins this year. That is good enough to be ranked in the top ten in wins for the season. Could he possibly hit 20 wins for the entire season? Could he actually be in the running for the Cy Young award? Let’s look at his performances this year …
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.