We here at Razzball take a perverse, Nelson Muntzian joy in pointing out the failures and shortcomings in fantasy baseball and baseball in general – whether it be identifying overrated players (see Grey’s Fantasy Schmohawk series), highlighting historically bad seasons (see my Historical Spotlight series), or just talking general smack about players in our daily roundups.
We consider it a byproduct of all the player rooting and hyping that comes with the production of a fantasy baseball blog. And much like the molasses that’s a byproduct of sugar production, this joy may be darker than the main product but it tastes just as sweet.
So with that acknowledgement, we sadistically ring in the 3rd annual installment of Fantasy Razzball – the game where the goal is to manage the worst fantasy baseball team possible. In 2008, we started with one 10-team league of bloggers. In 2009, we grew to 90 teams composed of bloggers and commenters. In 2010, we’re planning to grow even more.
One big change from last year is the grand prize. Last year, we reached into our shallow pockets to give out $50 of Taco Bell coupons. This year we found a corporate sponsor in DreamMaker Spas who, in partnership with SpaDepot.com, will be awarding the winner of this year’s challenge a free Dreammaker Fantasy Spa which retails at $3,199. Think about it guys – winning our challenge can be the first time in your life where fantasy baseball helped you get laid! (See bottom of the page for contest details. Please feel free to read them in a sped-up announcer voice like they do in radio commercials).
We have a few changes in the game rules that we think we’ll make for an improvement:
1) We’re going to cap Innings Pitched at Yahoo!’s default level of 1,250 IP to avoid the rampant streaming of 2-start pitchers. This will get crappy relievers some roster space too.
2) We’re creating two bogus teams per league that will be assigned the top 54 players (36 hitters, 18 pitchers) based on regular fantasy baseball rules. The reason? Well, it’s inevitable that 1-2 players might no-show the live draft. If they didn’t adjust their pre-draft rankings, you end up with teams drafting Albert Pujols and Hanley Ramirez in the first round. This gives the other teams an advantage in snapping up the crappy players. By taking 54 of these candidates out of the running, this should minimize the impact of this happening.
3) We’re decreasing the penalty of HRs from -10 to -6.
League Rules
- 10 Team Leagues, MLB universe, uses Yahoo! position eligibility
- Weekly Roster Changes (leaves you time to lavish on your Daily Leagues)
- C / 1B / 2B / SS / 3B / CI / MI / 5 OF / 9 P
- 1,250 innings cap. No minimum IP. No AB mins/maxes
- We’ll be commissioner of all leagues and will designate one person per league to help arrange a draft date that works for everyone.
- Leagues will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. If you want to play in the same league with a couple friends, no problem. Just submit the e-mail addresses at the same time. It’s a cap of 4 though to avoid any major collusion. (Note that we also adjust points based on League competitiveness)
- 1 team per person.
- Blogs/sports sites may have multiple participants but one team per writer. These blogs will be noted in the standings and during periodic standings posts. It is expected – but not required – for some quid pro quo mention of Razzball on your site. We appreciate it if you mention our generous corporate sponsors (DreamMaker Spa & SpaDepot.com) as well.
- Hitter Stats
- AB = +2
- H = -3
- R = -4
- HR = -6
- RBI = -4
- K = +2
- Pitcher Stats
- IP = -1
- HR = +4
- L = +8
- K = -1
- ER = +1.5
- H+BB = +1
The point structure makes it so that about 2/3 of the league’s hitters as well as just about every pitcher has positive value. So leaving a roster spot open or filled by a guy who plays once a week will hurt your team.
Contest Rules
You need to be 18+ and live in the Continental US to have the spa shipped to your address. If you are 18+ and live outside the Continental US, you can ‘gift’ it. Full-time bloggers on Razzball are ineligible (even for gifting). In the case that a Razzball blogger wins, the prize will be awarded to the next highest ranked non-Razzball affiliated participant. Shipping is included. Installation will need to be paid for by the winner.
Any sign of collusion among league owners for the intent of giving a team an unfair advantage – including highly dubious trades – will disqualify the winner and the spa will be awarded to the next highest ranked non-Razzball affiliated participant. Running 2+ teams are also grounds for disqualification.
How To Sign Up
Please e-mail me at rudy@razzball.com with the e-mail title of “Join Fantasy Razzball 2010″. Within the e-mail body, note either your site in the e-mail or your Razzball commenter handle. Otherwise, we’ll just use the name attached to your e-mail.
That hot tub doesn’t happen to be a time machine also, does it? I am looking for a way to go back in time and give my juvenile self pointers on how not to strike out against Mike Johnson and win the our little league championship. Man, life would be so much different if i had just hit the ball!
Looking at a H2H 12-team keeper. 5×5, no MI/CI, but 3OF/2Util. My keepers are: Teixeira, Utley, A-Rod, B.J. Upton, Ichiro, Heyward, Chris Davis, Lincecum, Felix, Kershaw, Scherzer, Broxton.
11th pick in this year’s draft. Notable hitters still there are: Rios, Lopez, Vlad, Napoli, Drew, Garrett Jones, Barmes, Weeks, Ortiz, Hawpe, Kubel, Hart, Fowler. And then basically everyone after 182 on your top 300 with a few exceptions.
Notable pitchers still there are: Marmol, Aardsma, Weaver, Valverde, Soriano, Burnett, Wagner, Bailey, basically a lot of relievers and then the extreme old/young pitchers.
If Drew is still there I have to take him right? I’m almost positive he’s going to be gone a few picks before me, because someone else has a hole at SS. Who would you go after Drew? I don’t typically draft Rios, but at the expected production levels, he’s pretty hard to pass up… or a pitcher?
I had absolutely zero fun in my FRL last year, which is a roundabout way of saying it was awesome.
@majortommy: Ha!
@Pirate Jesus: Sure, take Drew. If you can’t, take Rios, Hawpe or Vlad, in that order.
@IowaCubs: Hehe
@Pirate Jesus: i’d have to seriously consider burnett. wrap up your starting 5 with a 200K guy. he just seems to have more value than most of the guys on your list (marginal 20-20 guys with injury issues and coming off poor years).
ChickenPotPie-entermines cake-foot long hotdog-Hardee’s The Monster Biscuit-The Large Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard-Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese-The 3,500 Calories & 214 Grams of Fat The Big Texan The 72 oz Steak is Pablo favorite meal
Head trainer Dave Groeschner called Pablo Sandoval’s diet-and-exercise program “a work in progress,” according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
“He didn’t have a huge setback,”
So are these leagues on Yahoo this year, or are y’all sticking with ESPN?
@mrbaseball: Groeschner added, “Keep your hands away from his mouth.”
@Big Jgke: These leagues are on Yahoo. The RCLs are on ESPN.
@Grey: Thanks.
Pretty impressive grad prize. How did you guys score that?
@Stephen: We have a reader that works for the spa company and wanted to donate it.
@Grey: please tell me there’s another post coming today? lol
@Tony: There’s always an afternoon post, you know that.
Is it really bad to have my heart set on Taco Bell coupons? I can only imagine……8 months from now~~~~~~~Sitting in my new spa, taco bell wrappers littering the top of it, explaining to the girls what SAGNOF means. How do you spell delusional?
@Nate Marcum: R-a-z-z-b-a-l-l
@Grey: That is pretty stellar.
I’m a new daily commish, i was wondering how many Pitchers starts should i allow in a daily league for the week? The league is a 14 team h2h and we have 5 active starters… thanks!!!
@Billy: Why are you capping starts/week? Cap transaction amounts. Say three transactions/week. Or don’t cap anything.
@Pirate Jesus: I’m with @ThePoonTycoon I’d definitely take a hard look at Burnett. Not sure if that’s Jered or Jeff Weaver eihter. If it’s Jered I’d definitely take a look at him also.
I’d also like to think Hart will have a bounce back season
Off topic but I’m sweating it so I figured I’d post anyway. 12 team H2H 6*6 no MI/CI, 3 Of 1 Utl. It’s a keeper league where you give up 2 rounds ahead of where you picked your keeper so the top 24 players always end up back in the player pool. I’m keeping Felix(giving up an 6), Cano(7), Kershaw(8) and Carpenter (12). I finished 2nd last year so I pick at 11 this year. Kemp and Halladay are the only first/second round talent that are being kept by other owners. What do I target at 11 and 14? It’s a Philly league so Ryan Howard most likely goes ahead of Tex, Miggy and Prince. I’m hoping a 1b drops to 11 but I’m doubting it. Do I look at longoria or d wright? Lincecum or Carl Crawford? Reach on a tulo at 14 after the turn? I know this is long and drawn out but I’d really appreciate any input. Thanks in advance
Sorry didn’t explain myself, i trying to limit streaming starting pitchers in my daily league so some teams don;t just load up on pitchers or just scope them off of waivers. So i was just wondering if you had a number that would be fair for everyone in my 14 team league… the draft hasn’t occurred…
thanks
@HalLeeday34: You have to take one of those first baseman if they’re there. Then I’d draft Longoria, Wright or Tulo, in that order.
****There’s a new post for followups for me.*******
@Billy: Ten starts/week sounds fair, but doesn’t limiting transactions do the same thing?
****There’s a new post for followups for me.*******
@Grey: i know this post just didn’t do much for me this morning….
@Tony: Who doesn’t want to win a hot tub?
So this isn’t a used hot tub, right? It’s not something you scored from one of Tiger’s old mistresses looking to unload inventory?
Assuming it’s all on the up-and-up (rather than on the down-low-and-dirty), this is a great prize you are offering. I just hope you guys don’t let the Big Money and Prizes that are now apprently flowing your way go to your heads. Next thing we know, Grey’s picture will feature a huge gold chain around his neck…
@Rabbit: Don’t think they’re going to change me since Rudy and I can’t win any of them.
Hey all -
I went through my e-mail and I have about 45 requests so far. Not a bad first 1/2 day. I’ll look to have invites out by tonight. If you don’t see an invite go out tonight, ping me again at rudy@razzball.com.
@Grey: I was able to get Drew. The other guy with SS needs picked Yunel over him and Drew somehow fell to me. So thankful I didn’t have to draft Rios on this team. I just can’t get excited about starting him. Thanks again!
What is the commenter handle?
@Keith: The name you go on site. In your case, Keith.
@Keith: your handle is ‘Keith’. it’s just a way so that we can connect the results to people’s comments. More fun that way…
@Grey: Not sure if someone else has pointed this out already… sorry if you’re already aware of it. Did a search on an imported version of your Top 300 spreadsheet for Jorge Cantu, came up with Jotge Cantu at #252.
@Pirate Jesus: Oh, Jotge, always tryign to sneak in there. Thanks for the heads up!
I thought that answer was way too obvious.
So I just moved Youkilis and Victorino for Zimmerman. My friends ripped me for making the move. What do you think?
Now my team stands
McCann
Votto
Stewart
Zimmerman
Braun
Lind
Upton, BJ (who should become Reyes soon)
and my 8th spot will either by Wandy, Blanks or a player TBNL.
@Keith: Eh, it’s okay. You upgraded, which is good, but you gave the other team a decent haul.
Status report: We’ve got 8 full commenter leagues now (if you’ve e-mailed me by 1:45PM EST on Tuesday, you should have a league invite) and well on our way to filling in our first blogger league.
League signup is still open….
@Rudy Gamble: Is anyone else having trouble getting in? The yahoo site keeps sending me in circles i.e. League ID/Password page, then create your team, then it sends me back to League ID/Password, then… well, you get the idea. It might just be this clunker i’m using.
@AdamH: Hmm. I think Yahoo sends two links in the e-mail – try the first one. I just checked to make sure I didn’t overbook your league (Razzball 9) and I haven’t.
let me know if you need me to send another invite…
Yeah, I’ve tried every which way. It’s kind of weird. I’ve never had anything like this happen before. Maybe try another invite.
I resent the invite. Hope that does the trick. If not, I’ll send a new invite for another league.
@Rudy Gamble: Thanks Rudy. I am in.
@Rudy Gamble: Is it too late to join? I sent you an email just in case.
thx!
Would like to join and also would like to know how the scoring works for the grand prize
@Joe B: The scoring is based on total points earned multiplied by a league competitiveness index. So teams in more competitive leagues (e.g., more total points in the league) will be boosted up while those in less competitive leagues will be adjusted down. Based on last year, this adjustment tends to be minor. Please e-mail me at rudy@razzball.com if you would like to participate.
i wish i would have seen this. i always miss out on the razzball league! :[ tear…
if anyone drops out mrryancampbell@gmail.com