Long awaited Leagues Report
Here are my respective rosters. Both leagues are 10-team, AL-only.
The "expert" league (my home leaguers hate that term) has no real categories but weekly, head-to-head scoring largely based on traditional roto categories. However, offensive players are penalized for striking out and rewarded for walking. Of course, you can lap the field in a particular category and still keep piling up the points and not having any saves or speed won't hurt if you can make up for it by scoring elsewhere. Also, you get points for "holds" and have to have at least five starters and at least two relievers active every week. The Sporting News, Stats Inc., Roto Times and other notables particpate. I've done very well in my two years, getting the points championship as a rookie and losing in championship week in '04 (a close third in overall regular season points).
The home league is traditional 5x5 roto with the wrinkle of net runs instead of plain old runs (meaning runs minus homers). It's also a keeper league with severe keeper limitations and trading rules. I won't bore you with our laborious constitution. There's also a 1,175 innings requirement. I've won this league six times and three of the past four years. But the competition here is very tough (I hadn't won the prior six years, though I finished second place five times).
For the expert league, I'll list the round where I drafted (I picked ninth out of ten, as the order was determined by last year's results). In the home league, I'll list what I paid, but this league has a $100 budget, as that was the entry fee about 15 years ago when we all started.
EXPERT LEAGUE:
C: A.J. Pierzynski (Round 12)
1B: Mike Sweeney (Round 6)
3B: Joe Crede (Round 14)
3B: Mike Cuddyer (Round 9, drafted as a 2B)
2B: Tadahito Iguchi (Round 7)
SS: Derek Jeter (Round 2)
MI: B.J. Upton (Round 17)
OF: Ichiro Suzuki (Round 1)
OF: Vernon Wells (Round 3)
OF: Magglio Ordonez (Round 4)
OF: Torii Hunter (Round 5)
OF: Jaques Jones (Round 11)
UT: Frank Catalonotto (Round 16)
UT: Calvin Pickering (Round 15)
P: Jeremy Bonderman (Round 8)
P: Freddy Garcia (Round 10)
P: John Lackey (Round 13)
P: Joe Blanton (Round 18)
P: Juan Rincon (Round 19)
P: Brandon Donnelly (Round 20)
P: Felix Hernandez (Round 21)
P: Jason Johnson (Round 22)
P: Kiko Calero (Round 23)
R: David Newhan
R: Brandon McCarthy
R: Tony Graffanino
R: Dan Johnson
R: Kyle Farnsworth
R: Casey Fossum
Verdict: I think this is a really strong team. The offensive players, while not spectacular, are mostly guaranteed jobs and will likely produce near projected levels. It's important to obtain veterans who will not lose their job when the extended slump inevitably strikes. I think Jaques Jones was the steal of the draft (and I don't even like Jones, but he's the epitome of the veteran with some category upside who will not lose a job). The pitching is a major question mark, but Lackey is underrated (despite the poor start) and Bonderman could be this year's Johan Santana. Blaton will be a Radke-like innings eater who doesn't walk many, but will it be this year or down the road? Garcia was another late-round steal. The man gets no respect, even considering his tough home park. The relievers are all likely to be solid (holds are .5 compared to 1.0 for saves, but the middle relievers typically get 10-20 percent more innings, so that's where the value is; plus, you don't even need to win the game to get a hold). Felix Hernandez is a long shot that could pay huge 2005 dividends if opportunity strikes (I hate the Mariners' staff). I'd be shocked if this team didn't contend for the title.
Home League:
C: Joe Mauer ($3 out of $100 as a keeper)
C: Pierzynski ($5 out of $100)
1B: Mark Teixeira ($13)
3B: Alex Rodriguez ($15.50, I previously had A-Rod in his one disappointing year)
1B: Darin Erstad ($5; remember runs MINUS homers)
2B: Pokey Reese ($.50; this was Ian Kinsler, for NEXT year, but the league mistakenly ruled that he didn't qualify at second even though our rules say minor leaguers qualify where they are projected to play in the majors)
SS: Julio Lugo ($6.50; he'll steal 40 bags)
SS: Angel Berroa ($3.50)
OF: Kevin Mench ($.50 as a keeper but still not a Buck favorite, apparently)
OF: Trot Nixon ($4 as a keeper)
OF: Mark Kotsay ($6.50, the new Steve Finley; he'll pop 20-to-25 homers)
OF: Jay Gibbons ($4)
OF: Luis Matos ($1.50, a great post-hype buy)
UT: Travis Lee (.50)
P: Bonderman ($8)
P: Keith Foulke ($7.50, no one spent on closers and all that money went to strikeouts)
P: Lackey ($4.50, what can I say? His '04 DIPS were great.)
P: Cliff Lee ($4)
P: David Bush ($2, a steal)
P: Blanton ($3)
P: Jeff Niemann ($.50 in hopes he'll be a strikeout guy with upside in '06)
P: Brandon League ($.50 sight unseen in hopes he'll be a closer in '06)
P: J.D. Durbin ($.50, why do I still believe? Maybe the 100 MPH heat in the Arizona Fall League; but this was a reach in retrospect)
R: Casey Kotchman (Erstad insurance plus he could get the DH job)
R: David Dellucci
R: David Newhan
R: Jay Payton
R: David Riske
R: J.C. Romero
R: Terry Tiffee
R: Farnsworth
Verdict: This league is way harder than my expert league. First off it's an auction and if you're a pro in a home league, you're going to get dogged, especially when you own six league championships. In an expert league, you quietly go about your business because you're just another guy. It's the same thing at Tout, which I attended. No one cares who is getting who; they're just burried in their spreadsheets. There's also keeper inflation here. The best news for me is that I have a very strong supplemental roster, with a bunch of veterans and solid MIRPs who will contribute and could contribute in a big way with one injury. I think my offense will be okay despite the slow start in power, where A-Rod and Teixeira have to carry me. The staff is a lot of young guys with upside. Not one of my starters is over 26. I'd feel better with a couple of solid veterans, but I'll look to acquire one via the trade route if necessary. Really, only three of your starters have to peform above average to contend. The key is always avoiding the dregs that absolutely slaughter your stats.
END (NO NEED TO CLICK THROUGH).
The "expert" league (my home leaguers hate that term) has no real categories but weekly, head-to-head scoring largely based on traditional roto categories. However, offensive players are penalized for striking out and rewarded for walking. Of course, you can lap the field in a particular category and still keep piling up the points and not having any saves or speed won't hurt if you can make up for it by scoring elsewhere. Also, you get points for "holds" and have to have at least five starters and at least two relievers active every week. The Sporting News, Stats Inc., Roto Times and other notables particpate. I've done very well in my two years, getting the points championship as a rookie and losing in championship week in '04 (a close third in overall regular season points).
The home league is traditional 5x5 roto with the wrinkle of net runs instead of plain old runs (meaning runs minus homers). It's also a keeper league with severe keeper limitations and trading rules. I won't bore you with our laborious constitution. There's also a 1,175 innings requirement. I've won this league six times and three of the past four years. But the competition here is very tough (I hadn't won the prior six years, though I finished second place five times).
For the expert league, I'll list the round where I drafted (I picked ninth out of ten, as the order was determined by last year's results). In the home league, I'll list what I paid, but this league has a $100 budget, as that was the entry fee about 15 years ago when we all started.
EXPERT LEAGUE:
C: A.J. Pierzynski (Round 12)
1B: Mike Sweeney (Round 6)
3B: Joe Crede (Round 14)
3B: Mike Cuddyer (Round 9, drafted as a 2B)
2B: Tadahito Iguchi (Round 7)
SS: Derek Jeter (Round 2)
MI: B.J. Upton (Round 17)
OF: Ichiro Suzuki (Round 1)
OF: Vernon Wells (Round 3)
OF: Magglio Ordonez (Round 4)
OF: Torii Hunter (Round 5)
OF: Jaques Jones (Round 11)
UT: Frank Catalonotto (Round 16)
UT: Calvin Pickering (Round 15)
P: Jeremy Bonderman (Round 8)
P: Freddy Garcia (Round 10)
P: John Lackey (Round 13)
P: Joe Blanton (Round 18)
P: Juan Rincon (Round 19)
P: Brandon Donnelly (Round 20)
P: Felix Hernandez (Round 21)
P: Jason Johnson (Round 22)
P: Kiko Calero (Round 23)
R: David Newhan
R: Brandon McCarthy
R: Tony Graffanino
R: Dan Johnson
R: Kyle Farnsworth
R: Casey Fossum
Verdict: I think this is a really strong team. The offensive players, while not spectacular, are mostly guaranteed jobs and will likely produce near projected levels. It's important to obtain veterans who will not lose their job when the extended slump inevitably strikes. I think Jaques Jones was the steal of the draft (and I don't even like Jones, but he's the epitome of the veteran with some category upside who will not lose a job). The pitching is a major question mark, but Lackey is underrated (despite the poor start) and Bonderman could be this year's Johan Santana. Blaton will be a Radke-like innings eater who doesn't walk many, but will it be this year or down the road? Garcia was another late-round steal. The man gets no respect, even considering his tough home park. The relievers are all likely to be solid (holds are .5 compared to 1.0 for saves, but the middle relievers typically get 10-20 percent more innings, so that's where the value is; plus, you don't even need to win the game to get a hold). Felix Hernandez is a long shot that could pay huge 2005 dividends if opportunity strikes (I hate the Mariners' staff). I'd be shocked if this team didn't contend for the title.
Home League:
C: Joe Mauer ($3 out of $100 as a keeper)
C: Pierzynski ($5 out of $100)
1B: Mark Teixeira ($13)
3B: Alex Rodriguez ($15.50, I previously had A-Rod in his one disappointing year)
1B: Darin Erstad ($5; remember runs MINUS homers)
2B: Pokey Reese ($.50; this was Ian Kinsler, for NEXT year, but the league mistakenly ruled that he didn't qualify at second even though our rules say minor leaguers qualify where they are projected to play in the majors)
SS: Julio Lugo ($6.50; he'll steal 40 bags)
SS: Angel Berroa ($3.50)
OF: Kevin Mench ($.50 as a keeper but still not a Buck favorite, apparently)
OF: Trot Nixon ($4 as a keeper)
OF: Mark Kotsay ($6.50, the new Steve Finley; he'll pop 20-to-25 homers)
OF: Jay Gibbons ($4)
OF: Luis Matos ($1.50, a great post-hype buy)
UT: Travis Lee (.50)
P: Bonderman ($8)
P: Keith Foulke ($7.50, no one spent on closers and all that money went to strikeouts)
P: Lackey ($4.50, what can I say? His '04 DIPS were great.)
P: Cliff Lee ($4)
P: David Bush ($2, a steal)
P: Blanton ($3)
P: Jeff Niemann ($.50 in hopes he'll be a strikeout guy with upside in '06)
P: Brandon League ($.50 sight unseen in hopes he'll be a closer in '06)
P: J.D. Durbin ($.50, why do I still believe? Maybe the 100 MPH heat in the Arizona Fall League; but this was a reach in retrospect)
R: Casey Kotchman (Erstad insurance plus he could get the DH job)
R: David Dellucci
R: David Newhan
R: Jay Payton
R: David Riske
R: J.C. Romero
R: Terry Tiffee
R: Farnsworth
Verdict: This league is way harder than my expert league. First off it's an auction and if you're a pro in a home league, you're going to get dogged, especially when you own six league championships. In an expert league, you quietly go about your business because you're just another guy. It's the same thing at Tout, which I attended. No one cares who is getting who; they're just burried in their spreadsheets. There's also keeper inflation here. The best news for me is that I have a very strong supplemental roster, with a bunch of veterans and solid MIRPs who will contribute and could contribute in a big way with one injury. I think my offense will be okay despite the slow start in power, where A-Rod and Teixeira have to carry me. The staff is a lot of young guys with upside. Not one of my starters is over 26. I'd feel better with a couple of solid veterans, but I'll look to acquire one via the trade route if necessary. Really, only three of your starters have to peform above average to contend. The key is always avoiding the dregs that absolutely slaughter your stats.
END (NO NEED TO CLICK THROUGH).
Entry #111348754311535018 posted by Catherine Salfino at 8:51 AM
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