Monthly Archives: October 2011

Grey

Top 40 Starters, 2011 Fantasy Baseball

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 52 Comments

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So, how’s everyone holding up without baseball every day?  I don’t know what to do with myself!  Yesterday, I wandered into a Starbucks and told the coffeerista about Mike Stanton for 2012.  We’ve gone over the final 2011 fantasy baseball rankings for hitters and the top 20 starters.  There’s only one of these godforsaken recap posts left before we’re into 2012 fantasy shizz.  You’re welcome.  Anyway, here’s the top 40 starters for 2011 fantasy baseball and how they compare to where I originally ranked them:

21.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Stay In The Ass-Cab

| 2012 Fantasy Baseball Keepers | 95 Comments

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Member when the Beastie Boys first came on the scene with (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)?  Sounded like a one hit wonder at the time.  Even the goofy video seemed like a band that will come and go before Adam Curry’s hair fell.  Yeah, they ended up exceeding expectations almost immediately.  2012 was Paul Revere, Brass Monkey, She’s Crafty, Girls and even their follow-up Paul’s Boutique for Asdrubal Cabrera.  Last year, Asdrubal had 25 homers and 17 steals and got more hits than Sadaharu Oh.  That’s seven more homers than Ass-Cab’s previous career high, if you consider his previous career high 18 homers were hit over his previous four seasons and fourteen hundred and fifteen at-bats.  He’s crafty!  If you would’ve got that from Hanley you would’ve been happy as a pig in shizz.  So what’cha want from Asdrubal Cabrera for next year, and what makes him a 2012 fantasy baseball keeper?

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Top 20 Starters for 2011 Fantasy Baseball

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 105 Comments

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All the final 2011 fantasy baseball rankings for hitters are done. For those that skipped today’s title, this starts the top 20 starters for 2011 fantasy baseball.  This is NOT for 2012 (caps for those still wearing their Dolphin Tale 3-D glasses).  This is a recap.  Will these affect next year’s rankings?  Sure.  But not entirely.  To recapitulate, these rankings are from ESPN’s Player Rater.  It’s an objective third party to fairly gauge my preseason rankings.  Does this mean I think ESPN’s Player Rater is the Tootie and I’m the Natalie?  No, just an unbiased comparison.  Anyway, here’s the top 20 starters for 2011 fantasy baseball and how they compare to where I originally ranked them:

1.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Scott Evans

Chicago White Sox 2011 Minor League Review

| Fantasy Baseball Prospects | 9 Comments

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(Note from Grey: Please welcome Scott to the Razzball family. He’s going to be taking over as our prospects writer.  He charted prospects in the Midwest League in 2008, has a sound understanding of player development and said my mustache was robust.  Flattery will get you everywhere!)

Chicago White Sox 2011 Minor League Review

Organizational Talent Rankings via Baseball America:

2011 (27) | 2010 (23) | 2009 (16) | 2008 (30) | 2007 (25) | 2006 (14) | 2005 (12) | 2004 (20)

2011 Affiliate Records

MLB: [79-83] AL Central

AAA: [69-74] International League – Charlotte

AA: [71-69] Southern League – Birmingham

A+: [69-71] Carolina League – Winston-Salem

A: [76-62] South Atlantic League – Kannapolis

R: [24-44] Appalachian League – Bristol

R: [42-34] Pioneer League – Great Falls

The Run Down

In terms realistic fantasy value for 2012, the White Sox farm system has very little.  The system that Baseball America ranked 27th prior to the 2011 season graduated most of its big league-ready talent (Chris Sale, Brent Morel, Dyan Viciedo, Tyler Flowers), leaving it severely depleted and perhaps the worst in baseball.  Starting pitching depth is a major organizational concern, and I suspect Kenny Williams will look to bolster that area during the offseason.  An abundance of promising relief arms in the Minor Leagues and an already deep Major League bullpen should allow for some trading leverage, but not much.  And while the Sox surely have a few exciting athletes in the offensive pipeline (see Thompson & Mitchell), no one appears ready to make an impact with the bat.  Beyond Addison Reed and Dylan Axelrod, I don’t really believe that any of these highlighted prospects will have much fantasy value in 2012.  Maybe Kenny Williams Jr.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Top 40 Outfielders, 2011 Fantasy Baseball

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 53 Comments

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With the top 40 outfielders, we’ve finished all the hitter recaps.  We meaning me, but I’ll include you.  No, that’s not a cue to try to hold my hand.  Why are you now patting my butt?  (Here’s all the final 2011 fantasy baseball rankings.  They’re also to your left… your other left.  And down.)  The pitching recap will begin next.  To recap, the end of the season rankings are based on ESPN’s Player Rater.  I felt the easiest way to keep it objective would to go this course.  This way when I say someone finished 30th and I ranked them 23rd in the preseason it carries more weight.  Does this mean I think ESPN’s Player Rater is perfect?  No.  It’s just an objective third party to see how well my preseason rankings did.  Anyway, here’s the top 40 outfielders for 2011 fantasy baseball and how they compare to where I originally ranked them:

21.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Top 20 Outfielders, 2011 Fantasy Baseball

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 36 Comments

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Went over the catchers, 1st basemen, 2nd basemen and shortstops and top 20 3rd basemen for 2011. Guess what’s next!  No, not pitchers. Read the title, man.  In 2010, there were only 5 outfielders that hit 30 homers, this year there were 9.  It isn’t exactly like a bleached Sammy Sosa is sticking players with needles, but at least the rich got a little richer — yay, capitalism!  Steals were still in abundance, and that doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere any time soon.  There were 14 outfielders who stole 30 bases with Michael Bourn still eating the baby out of the king cake.  Since outfield is a deep position, I’m going to turn this one to 40.  Anyway, here’s the top 20 outfielders for 2011 fantasy baseball and how they compare to where I originally ranked them:

1.

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Leggings Are a Fad, Jennings Is a Keeper

| 2012 Fantasy Baseball Keepers | 73 Comments

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What is this, the 50th Razzball post on Desmond Jennings?  Cute, Random Italicized Voice.  All I can say is my love never peters for Jennings.  (<– Cheeky!)  Let’s look at some of things I’ve said in the past about Desmond Jennings.  “Desmond Jennings was elected Sheriff of Fantasy Baseball Heartthrob Town and finally arrested The Zodiac Killer….

Please, blog, may I have some more?
Grey

Top 20 Shortstops, 2011 Fantasy Baseball

| 2011 Fantasy Baseball Rankings | 173 Comments

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Top 20 catchers, 1st basemen, 2nd basemen and 3rd basemen are in the books.  What a strange, glorious trip it’s been!  Though not really.  Today, the top 20 shortstops for 2011 fantasy baseball get to shine.  Hmm… Actually, most of these won’t shine.  They’re cloudy with a chance of crapballs.  As I said in the 2nd baseball recap post, the shortstops are almost exactly as shallow as the shortstops and 3rd basemen.  Now it’s time to be a bit more specific.  The top ten shortstops were better than the 2nd basemen and 3rd basemen.  Yes, that is scary.  Though if you were in a deeper league or if you used an MI, the fall off from the 13th to 20th ranked shortstops is not pretty, whereas the 2nd basemen held their value as you dropped down the rankings.  3rd base was as big a mess in the lower half of the rankings as shortstops.  Okay, enough of the hubbub on the tomfoolery.  To recap, this final ranking is from ESPN Player Rater with my comments.  The Player Rater allows me to be impartial while looking at how I ranked them in the preseason.  Anyway, here’s the top 20 shortstops for 2011 fantasy baseball and how they compare to where I originally ranked them:

1.

Please, blog, may I have some more?