Comments on: Mocking 2011 Fantasy Baseball ESPN Mock Draft

By: samson

samson — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 20:22:58 +0000

Grey, have you considered writing an article on how you’d take advantage of ESPN rankings?

By: reusabletp

reusabletp — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 23:13:59 +0000

I got a general feeling of “I really don’t give a shit” from most of the draft selections in that mock, how seriously did these guys take it? Maybe it was just my sub-conscience speaking to me while reading the snippets but the selections were all over the place.

Don’t let these guys suck you in to another one of these drafts Grey, I fear that ESPN may try to assimilate you.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 19:06:22 +0000

@Malacoda: I wouldn’t use one year’s stats to predict next year’s stats. They are similar, no doubt, but one is Pujols and the other is Votto. One has an extensive track record, the other has just come into his own. Wainwright had a career year last year (’09 wasn’t bad but check the ratios). Halladay does it every year. And Wainwright had to shut it down last year with a ligament something or other. Having said that, no way Wainwright lasts until the 5th round in any normal draft. These self-proclaimed “experts” are just trying to get our attention, and it worked.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 04:16:03 +0000

Grey, you look like my dad when he was 30.

By: Jack Blunderbuss

Jack Blunderbuss — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 03:00:05 +0000

ESPN should give up trying to do fantasy and go back to what they do best……….creating news that only exists because they create it and all other sportswriters copy from because they are as irresponsible as the four letter expletive they copy from…… Kinda like public high school with suits.

By: Rhymenoceros

Rhymenoceros — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:19:35 +0000

@Dingo: Nice post!

By: Commish Cauda

Commish Cauda — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:47:23 +0000

Absolutely my favorite post every year…

By: Malacoda

Malacoda — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:41:23 +0000

Actually Mike, Wainwright and Halladay are the same pitcher for fantasy purposes (this is a fantasy baseball site by the way), go compare their stats from last season.

By: Ryan S

Ryan S — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:36:38 +0000

BREAKING NEWS: Unidentified sources claim AJ Mass got his job by preforming sexual favors for ESPN.com producers.

By: Dingo

Dingo — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:07:11 +0000

Wow – this might be my favorite justification of his boneheaded draft yet (from a recent chat):

“John (Tampa, FL)

I saw that you took Halladay in the first mock. Good pick but some other analysts say SP is the deepest position this year. Thoughts??
AJ Mass
(11:13 AM)

I agree that SP is very deep… but when you’re in a mock, you don’t know what everyone else is going to do — if my pick of Halladay sets off a run of SP, then even a deep SP pool starts to go quickly. Once I knew the other guys were waiting, I then waited longer on other SP.”

That’s definitely how you want to use your first-round pick — trying to fool others into abandoning their own strategies.

By: Rhymenoceros

Rhymenoceros — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 14:46:53 +0000

@Hennessey: I was thinking the same thing. The pitching is pretty atrocious, and honestly, outside of Te(i)x, where is your power coming from? Quentin? If he can stay healthy. Wright? If he doesn't decide to have an off year.

By: Hennessey

Hennessey — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 10:27:40 +0000

@Hennessey: I-just-went-back-and-looked-at-that-team-and-decided-it's-pretty-terrible.-I-like-the-first-three-picks-and-a-few-others-later-on,-but-for-the-most-part-it's-pretty-ugly.

By: Al

Al — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 08:21:05 +0000

Somebody help a newbie out here. I’m starting out how to do research on players, but I have no idea where to go for advice on general draft strategy. Anybody have some good advice?

By: Cole

Cole — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 06:25:55 +0000

@Mike: Yes! I try not to diss bad advice. The more poor information that is disseminated, the more money the smart make. Oh and sorry for the lawyer talk there.

By: Hennessey

Hennessey — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 06:02:51 +0000

My_first_mock_of_the_year._Broken_spacebar_and_all.

9th-Wright…3B
12th-Teixeira…1B
29th-Kemp…OF
32nd-McCann…C
49th-Weeks…2B
52nd-Ubaldo…SP
69th-Andrus…SS
72nd-Latos…SP
89th-Sizemore…OF
92nd-Rasmus…OF
109th-Scherzer…SP
112th-Morrow…SP
129th-C.Lewis…SP
132nd-Zobrist…OF/2B
149th-C.Quentin…OF
152nd-J.Valverde…RP
169th-Gaby…1B
172nd-Asdrubal…SS
189th-Storen…RP
192nd-P.Hughes…SP
209th-Raburn…OF
212th-R.Franklin…RP
229th-E.Jackson…SP
232nd-D.Freese…3B
249th-T.Snider…OF

Thoughts?
Reaches_and_value_picks?
Strengths/weaknesses_with_hitting/pitching?

Thanks_Grey,_maybe_if_I_win_my_league_I_can_buy_a_new_lap_top!

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 05:47:13 +0000

@Cole: I forgot about Ellsbury, holy crap that is funny. Honestly, the more bad advice that gets put out by the high traffic sites, the more money I make in October. I see nothing wrong with that.

By: Grey

Grey — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 05:15:59 +0000

@BKK: That’s hilarious, he gained some average if he plays outfield. Good catch, will fix when I get home.

By: BKK

BKK — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 04:09:25 +0000

@Grey:
Top 80 outfielders
73. Jack Cust – He only has outfield eligibility in Yahoo leagues. That’s okay, cause you’re not drafting him anyway. Cust kayin’. 2011 Projections: 55/20/70/.250
Top 10 Utilities
7. Jack Cust – Another Atari. Cust kayin’. 2011 Projections: 60/20/70/.235

Just a note Grey that Cust received twice as much attention than he deserves.

By: Cole

Cole — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 03:14:27 +0000

Well…technically Halladay is a better pick than Ellsbury in the first round.

Is there a certain round that you start to look to the donkeycorns for saves (I’m thinking Axford, Dotel, et al.) or is it based on what you need and/or whats available?

By: Rhymenoceros

Rhymenoceros — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 03:11:04 +0000

I think the bozo’s I drafted with last night at MDC shared some of whatever the ESPN ‘perts are smokin’. Maybe I’m just sick (rhetorical!?!), but I love watching fantasy baseballers (thanks Grey’s mom) self-destruct past round 15. What’s better is reading the comments they post to justify their drug induced, ‘pert informed, picks.

On another note, Grey, I found myself in the awkward position of taking your mustache’s side tonight as my wife attempted to ridicule it. I did you proud, Obi-wan, real proud.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 03:06:12 +0000

@Grey: Exactly. Then you go Scherzer, Morrow, Marcum, Hudson, Lilly, Bedard. I’m getting kinda obsessed with that crew for my whole staff this year, ’cause it’s so doable. Course it won’t be once everyone starts reading all these posts. D’oh.

By: Grey

Grey — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 02:52:32 +0000

@Grey's Mother: Listen to Steve, I'm working for the people! @GopherDay: Yeah, maybe. @carlos marmLOL: Nice @Mike: To even begin to justify it, you don't follow it up with Verlander four picks later.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 02:49:24 +0000

Yeah Mass is a maroon, and the dueling banjos Pierre Rajai picks made me laugh out loud. I could go on and on but the contrarian in me has to point that–in many league setups–he is not wrong on Halladay.

@Malacoda, not the same pitcher, let’s see Wainwright go 81-37 in the AL East, while pitching for the 4th best team in the division. Halladay had 24% of the wins necessary to win my league cat, that = 52 home runs. 250 innings of 1.04 WHIP, that’s 1/5 of my innings.

Yes Grey, there’s a boatload of 3.50 ERA guys, but 250 innings of 2.44 ERA? That pays for a boatload of SAGNOF my friend. And he does it every single year. Can’t get that anywhere else. It’s like the Butler/Howard analogy, except Doc is Pujols and there’s only 5 hitters on your team.

By: Jake in Columbus

Jake in Columbus — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 02:42:45 +0000

@LMack: Thanks. Without looking at each example (read: tiny dot) in detail it's hard to picture a particular player's overall value, but I think the general concept is pretty clear and supports Razzball's fundamental. @Stephen: Glad you got some use from it. There IS an awful lot to look at there. It wouldn't take much at all to limit the lower end of the visible player pool to clarify things. I used all the projections I had for the most complete view possible.

By: carlos marmLOL

carlos marmLOL — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 02:40:25 +0000

Sure, mom, I settle down with a nice girl every night, then I’m free the next morning.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 02:07:47 +0000

@Grey's Mother: Don't be too hard on him Mrs A. He's doing good and important work.

By: GopherDay

GopherDay — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 02:07:15 +0000

@obmij76: @Grey: That would be fun! Would you be up for that Grey?

By: Grey's Mother

Grey's Mother — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 02:05:43 +0000

@Grey: Always answering back.

By: Grey

Grey — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 02:04:21 +0000

@Grey's Mother: Now I know it's not you because we talk three times a day. @obmij76: I know, right.

By: obmij76

obmij76 — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 01:47:43 +0000

It’d be fun to have a Razzball Mock draft filled with Grey, Rudy and selected commenters