Juice Jones is our MC Skat Kat. That’s right. We have a Razzball Podcast Football theme song and it’s got a rap interlude. And Juice Jones says, “It’s Razzball, baby,” and I nearly lose it. It’s Razzball, baby! Wow. If you want to hear our entire fantasy football podcast then go over to that side of things. Besides giving you a glimpse of the football podcast theme song, we also go through the dog days of summer with a little helping of everything. Frequent commenter, Awesomus Maximus, had a question about the best categories to use for your fantasy league, so we talk a bit about Quality Starts vs. Wins and K/9 vs. Ks. We go over our thoughts on Manny Machado and Jurickson Profar. We also touch on some real baseball with which teams we think are gonna make the playoffs. It’s a ‘pertpourri. Anyway, here’s the Razzball Podcast, now with a Plaxico Burress mention (whoever that is):
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Any reason to keep Storen on my team (I was trying to chase saves…)? Should I pick up Corbin instead?
Grab Corbin…
Trade deadline is Friday and eligible keepers lock Monday in my league. Pretty sure this is how my keepers will look in January unless a trade goes down this week:
Posey
AGon
Cano
Lawrie
Tulo
Desmond
Hosmer
Stanton
Rasmus
Bumgarner
Zimmermann
There’s a chance I might be able to get in one more guy in and I have a few candidates: Carter, Frazier, Espinosa, Belt, LoMo, Anderson, Straily, Medlen, Corbin or Cishek are all possibilities.
Toughest loss for me will be Jennings but I’m pretty sure he will break my budget.
What do you think? Anyone from that list of “almosts” you’d especially want? I’m hoping I’ll have the space for Anderson…
@Jon, There’s no almosts above anyone you’ve listed, but I don’t see Jennings there and don’t know his price… Anderson would be good to keep if you could…
@Grey, I don’t know his price, either. Our values set in January and then we have 2 weeks or so to officially set our keepers. Just estimating, though, the guys I listed as keeping will cost about 225 points (based on our complicated system) and our total budget is typically right around there (last year it was 226). Jennings would probably be another 20. Anderson and those guys I listed as potential keepers will be closer to 3 points a piece, so there’s a chance I can hold onto him depending on exactly how everything shakes out.
@Jon, Ah… Gotcha… Jennings should be less than 20 after this year, no?
@Grey, if he’s ranked in the pre-season top 100 (at CBS) he’ll cost me over 20… if he’s fallen out of that, though, maybe I can keep him.
Man, such a crapshoot… Especially CBS… Bleh…
I’m also planning on losing Rollins, Zimmerman, Kendrick, Lester, Anibal, Minor and Putz just because I know they’ll be out of my budget.
Gotcha… But, yeah, that’s confusing, just guessing who will be out of your budget until January…
@Grey, yeah definitely. I like the league a lot – good managers, lots of thought goes into trades, etc. But I’m not a fan of how we set keepers. And CBS doesn’t do us any favors.
@Jon, Why don’t you just do auction values that go up $5 every year?
Still wondering about 3b, got Chris Davis there now, have Olt on the bench not playing…Would you rather have Mini Donkey Reynolds, Matt Carpenter, or Jordan Pacheo over Olt ROS? OPS is extra Offensive category….
Will listen to the podcast now…thanks.
@Shea Sera Sera, I’d put Reynolds in over Olt… No problem…
D’oh-blique! Ruggiano leaves game after straining his side on a swinging strikeout. Just when we were starting to make some magic together–sparks were flying, bases were stolen, and things were starting to get serious. But alas, cruel fate interrupted our beautiful plans. Sigh. Our love was–wait, what?
He was my last Util with LoCain on the bench during his mini-slump. Should I ditch Ruggiano for a pitcher (Corbin likely) and plug LoCain back in, or should I keep Cain benched and swap Ruggiano for Belt? Or do nothing?
Thanks, and great podcast (baby)!
HA! Ditch him for Corbin, play Cain… Thanks!
“I like yo style SoN”
I’m kind of hesitant to start Wandy tonight against the hot Dodgers, sit or start…
I’d start him…
Melky Cabrera suspended 50 games for testing positive for testosterone. Melkman should have splurged for the organic!
Wow!
@Grey, seems like an institutional problem up there. maybe that guy who had that guy hooked him up with a guy, if you know what I mean.
@Simple Jack, Ha, yup…
@Carnac, FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
@Carnac, and the comparison to Bonds grows even stronger…
@Carnac, Wowee… almost sent out an incredibly generous offer for him two days ago. Bullet dodged.
@Carnac, Dirty cheating bastard. Good riddance.
@Grey: Corbin or Minor ROS?
Minor
SPOILED MELK, YUCK.
I don’t own Melky anywhere, so I’m sorry to say I laugh at this. Had to regress somehow
Yup
@Eddy, damn that sucks as a Giants fan, but explains a whole lot…
Drop Bryce for EYJ? (12 team non-keeper) I can use the steals and avg
Go for it…
@Grey, I can drop Moose instead of Harper, is that better?
Not better, just slightly different… If you need speed and runs slightly more than power and RBIs than it’s not better…
On Scherzer…His blue eye leads the league in K’s. But, his brown eye is very inconstant…and nobody likes an unstable brown eye…
[Reply]
@Wake Up, Ha… You’d think he’s just get one colored contact…
@Grey, Does that help incontinence?
Nothing does at a certain age…
@Grey, He’s only 28. You fall for the blue eye and the brown eye takes a dump all over your ratios…Depends on which eye you are staring at…
That’s hilarious…
@Grey, Thanks!
@Grey, He was pitching with his blue eye tonight!
Yes, he was…
@Grey, NYY vs Reds still looking like a pretty good pick for us…
I agree…
I need to move power for speed. Do you think dealing Trumbo for Kipnis is good for me? They’re both slumping, Kipnis way more so, but speed doesn’t slump.
@WhineSpritzer, I don’t like it… Can get cheaper speed than that…
Sit/start for this weekend, please:
Capuano @ ATL Fri
Corbin @ HOU Sat
Cobb @ LAA Sat
Lester @ NYY Sat
Minor vs LAD Sun
I’m thinking sit Cobb and Lester…
@Jon, Sit Lester, Cobb, yeah…
Trade Melky for utility infielder, Danny Hemmerling?
Good trade!
Reports are coming in that Melky tested positive for Bovine Growth Hormone.
It’s something or udder…
@Grey, Perhaps Muscle Melk…
Ha – just saw that someone beat me to that one…
@Carnac, Know what Phil Rizzuto would say about this? Nothing, because he’s dead.
@Grey: Moose, Reynolds, or Frazier?
Moose
@Grey, How To Replace Melky…
I have Cuddyer on the DL, word is he’s coming back tomorrow. Available on the wire is LoCain, Dirks, Alonso, Ruben Tejada and not a lot else I’d be interested in (it’s a deep league).
The biggest hole Melky leaves is in avg and OPS. Would you stick with Cuddyer or roll with one of the others?
Go with Cuddyer…
I seriously laughed out loud for about a minute starting with the, “Maybe you want to lose the baseball sound effect [from the football podcast theme song]?”
Ha, yup…
@Grey, I haven’t heard it yet, but I will talk on assumption. Those football guys should remember that without Razzball the baseball site, that the football does not exist. it’s tribute to the dons.
@Simple Jack, Actually I think that’s what they were trying to do with the baseball sound effect, but I don’t think it works as is…
@Grey, I just heard it, maybe a whistle or some grunts for sound effect. It seriously sounded like they went to an indoor swap meet to hack that thing together…you too can make your own single for $19.95.
Yeah, a whistle could work… The football theme grows on you by the 15th listen… I’ll attest to that…
@Simple Jack, fantasy football, THE LAZY MANS FANTASY SPORT. I’ve had many rum & cokes tonight plus a shit ton of beers, and i’m still screaming fantasy football is the lazy mans sport, its so awesome its so great? why do people scream this? BECAUSE ITS FUCKING EASY boom SHAKA laka…..lots of BOOM not so much shaka or laka….. seriously fantasy football pisses me off, im getting dragged into a league this year, my only reasoning in my head is “i can win money”, its so lame…. “OHHHHH set you line up once a week , draft 14 running backs and 4 QB’s???????”
real tough…. LAME…… hit me up fantasy football geeks because im a fantasy baseball booze lush, sorry.
GO INDIANS
@Tony, you should try IDP (Individual Defensive Players), it actually makes it tolerable. My league is quite fun, even people who hate me still come to play my league.
I love your passion, that coke adds the classic jolt to our surly rants that red bull just can’t mimmic.
I just got done busting a Melky owner’s chops… I posted to my league that he should change his team name to “Muscle Melk” and moments later, with no reply, his team name says it.
Ha… That’s a part of tomorrow’s roundup title (as of right now)…
Tomorrow – play three:
Headley @ Medlen
Rios @ Laffey
J-Up @ Lohse
EYJ v. Nolasco
Phillips v. Harvey
Not Phillips and Headley…
@Grey, would you drop Headley for Rajai? And if so, would you play Rajai @ Liriano over any of the others?
I would drop him for Rajai if I needed steals, and play him over Rios for the same reason…
@Grey, I do. I have EYJ, Rios, and JUp as my only speed guys. I’m playing the 2nd place team and need every little bit I can get.
@Wilsonian, Yeah, then go with Rajai…
Choose one as a minor league keeper:
Singleton, Gyorko, Rendon, Yelich, Randall Delgado, Carlos Martinez, Archer, Odorizzi
I’m looking for a high-upside guy who will start contributing next year or the following.
Rendon… You should ask Scott…
OK, I’ll check with him. I’m leaning Rendon, too, especially because Washington doesn’t seem to be slow in promoting and playing prospects.
Don’t cry over spilled Melk, you should of known something was fishy in the bay.
Now if Pabloat loses 50 then we should test him for Meth.
@Simple Jack, HA!
@Grey, just trying to contribute
How is EYJ supposed to get me some much needed SBs when he keeps hitting HRs? Knock it off!
@L-Boogie, Don’t fight it, man… Ride the wave…
“Awesomus Maximus… one of our more modest commenters.”
Ha! I’ve had the handle for so long that I forget how dickish it sounds. Thanks for reminding me why I love it!
Ha… That’s right, forgot about that…
@Awesomus Maximus, saw that Awesomest Maximus was on TV the other night. I actually recorded it for some dumb ass reason…probably the mix of weed and regularly seeing the name led me to record.
@Simple Jack, Oh yeah, I remember reading something about that a while ago. That couldn’t have been any good.
@Awesomus Maximus, its up next for my drunk movies
Rasmus Girl is down, Grey. Contacted her on fb and she expressed enthusiasm. How would you like to proceed?
I responded to her over email and she didn’t get back to me… Tell her to email me grey @ razzball dot com….
Yeah, it took forever for her to get back to me. I’m not sure she checks her messages often.
Gotcha… Yeah, if she gets back to me, I’d want her on the podcast…
Hi Grey — What’s a reasonable-leaning-positive estimate for Rasmus over the rest of the year. Is .270 or so, 6 or 7 HR, 2 SB, 20-23 RBI about right?
I’m trying to figure out if I can drop him for EY2 … I’m guessing Rasmus will be more useful overall, but am wondering if my need for SBs and AVE (I’m v. solid in HR, RBI) would make Young a better fit.
(16-team 6×5 one-year roto league)
Thanks….
Sounds too high… Maybe 4 homers and 12 RBIs… Young and Rasmus give you different things… I’d go with Young for steals and the rest is icing…
Grey,
Would you trade Josh Johnson for R.A. Dickey?
This is a 16 team keeper league and I should also mention that my team is playoff-bound…
My offense is good but my pitching staff is led by Strasburg who will be shut down soon.
Should I pursue this deal to give me a better chance this year?
Is Johnson for Dickey a bad deal going forward?
Thanks so much in advance.
I’d want Dickey… No problem…
If Melky ended the season tops in average, would he win the batting crown??
@BoneFace w/ no Harmony, Not a chance.
@Awesomus Maximus, Not so fast:
http://deadspin.com/5935082/melky-cabrera-tests-positive-for-testosterone-suspended-50-games-can-still-win-the-batting-title
@Steve, They’re just talking about the numbers, not the politics. No way Selig lets him win the title, regardless of the numbers.
@Awesomus Maximus, Nothing Selig does (or doesn’t do) would surprise me.
You still liking Rollins over Espinosa? Danny keeps mashing. I think it could be a hot schmotato finish for him. He hit another bomb today.
Sure, you can go ahead and switch them up…
Ppppfffftttt. If he was that dominant, his team should have won by more.
Ha!
Perfect game for King Felix!
Oh, yeah… Damn sexy…
Is Norris ownable anymore? I have him in my 12 team H2H where the rest of my rotation is:
Bum
J-Zimm
Greinke
Cahill
Milone
Is he expandable, or is there someone else you’d drop instead? There’s not a lot to replace him with (Masterson perhaps) so it would just be freeing up a streaming spot.
Norris is expendable…
Jaime Garcia worth an add in a 10 team league? Or just stay away?
I’d ignore for right now…
Will the lead be Melky or Felix tomorrow? Minimum bet is 10 dollars and opening odds are 2 to 1 in favor of Melky..takers?
Moving on…12 team h2h keeper. I have Uggla as my 2b and reddick in the of…would you pick up jay, eyj(2b and of eligible), or espinosa to replace one of them ros? If so, who for whom?
Ha… You’ll have to wait and see… I’d go with Young in Reddick’s spot if you need average, runs and SBs more than power…
@Grey, Maybe both! Right now (if it hasn’t happened already), a less creative crew is warming up a headline reading something like, “Felix Perfect, Melky Imperfect.”
@Awesomus Maximus, …or Melky melts from wrong chalice,King Felix gains immortality…too long? I was going for a Last Crusade reference..
Yeah, the ol’ daily double pun…. Felix & Oscabrera the Louse…
Still worth keeping Milone in leagues?
Nope
As the first two Dodger hitters reach base, you Ethier owners should all be excited that I’ve benched him today.
Steve Magic!
Just read Konerko’s lastest news update. Never knew riding a bike that goes nowhere is considered baseball-related activity.
Baseball players are funny creatures…
Dropping Norris. H2H for ROS…
Medlen, Cobb, Straily, Clayton Richard or Buchholz?
@Shin-Soo Choo Choo, Karstens and Colon also out there. Both have pretty favorable schedules going forward.
Medlen
Howdy,Grey….you preferring Ichiro or Rajai at this point? Ta!
Rajai
@Grey, I concur, Thanks!
Wonder if Bruce can pick up where he left off yesterday…
@Steve, I tried.
Cuddyer, Dirks, Hunter, Stubbs and Rizzo. I can roster three of’em (2 @ OF, 1 @ Util) for the stretch run. Please advise as to your favorite trio. Thank you kindly.
…& Felix AND Melkiatis in one afternoon…you must be so very torn as to your headliner for tomorrow. Weighing the humor, gauging the offensive quip; which way to go? Very much looking forward…
Ha… Well, Rudy did the headline for tomorrow…
Cuddyer, Stubbs, Rizzo
Fiers, Victorino and Janssen for my Putz and Rollins. Which side do you like ROS?
He’s asking for my 2nd rd pick in exchange for his 4th, too, which has me hesitant.
Like Fiers as a keeper at all? More than Anderson, Corbin or Straily?
I’d take the Victorino side… Fiers more than Corbin…
@Grey, A little more detail: I’d start Espinosa at SS and Kendrick at MI until Desmond gets back. I’d drop Cobb right away and I’d need to lose Kendrick, Belt or Carter for Desmond. Still look good for me?
Yeah, lose Kendrick if he’s not keepable, otherwise Belt…
@Grey, Thanks!
@Grey: weekly roto, ROS, Plouffe or Frazier?
Thanks.
Plouffe
@Grey, thanks…what about ruttledge or frazier ROS? recent play plus quad injury plus return of cuddyer/emergene of eyj give me itchy trigger finger…
Frazier…
Is Fiers as good of a start on Sat as S-o-N says he is?
Where does he rank ROS with Capuano, Medlen, Maholm, Minor, Lester, Anibal, Straily, Corbin?
Fiers is fine for Saturday… But he’s getting shutdown soon… He’s in the bottom three of those…
LOL – even Aaron Cook can strike out Mark Reynolds. OK, he was looking, but it’s still funny.
Wow, another ESPN box score is in blue…
@Grey, Jinxer!
Yay… I didn’t need to yet another title for tomorrow’s roundup…
@Grey, “Aaron cooks up a …”
Ha… Yup…
Stupid Ludwick – can’t he get aboard for our boy Bruce just once? Is it really so much to ask?
@Steve, Bruce don’t need no baserunners.
No, he don’t…
@Grey, He’s got one now though…
what are your thoughts on the French Turntabelist?
Nothing more than a guy that is seeing the ball well in a good park…
@Grey, I’m desperate at 2B, reachin for the cheap stuff just to get the fix…using Lombo now and all he does is runs, nothing but runs lately. its hard to watch…Damn you howdie doo doo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hmmm. Would have preferred Johnson did that after Myers came in and got a Hold #greedy
H2H league has to be doing well this week…
@Grey, So far. Early though. Turned to shizz after a promising start last week though.
One of my main competitors for the final playoff spot is a Melky owner…
Schadenfreude!
@Steve, OK. Three in the inning is enough.
@Steve, Gah.
Belly to belly Huggla!
Ha… So cuddly!
@Grey, (I’m borrowing belly to belly…instead of back to back)…but if he goes belly to belly to belly, I’ll give you a Huggla…
Deal!
Holy Adam Dunn. That is one long-running donkey show.
Wow, he’s gonna have one ugly 40 homer year…
ROS… Sheets or Brandon McCarthy?
McCarthy
That Justin Germano pick up makes me feel like I took a deuce on my opponent’s face. Thanks Rudy + Stream-O-Nator!
Ha… Rudy blushes…
@blaster, i aimed to capture the joy of defecating in leaguemates
12-team roto 5×5 (QS instead of W)
I need starts and have Markakis sitting on my bench who I was planning to drop to grab some really pathetic streamer…I like Corbin next two starts and have an offer on the table where I send Markakis, Cishek, Balfour for Corbin and Jim Johnson. I have been shopping Markakis for a while and Corbin is the best pitcher I can get for him. I am currently 2nd in saves by 6 saves with Putz, Lopez, Perkins, Affeldt, Cishek and Balfour. Who you make the trade?
I’d take the deal…
Guy in my league that lost Melky has Hanley at SS. Too much to offer if I gave him either BJUpton OR Werth along with Machado for Hanley? Should I just hold? (I’m rotating Upton and Werth in my UTIL spot until ARod returns).
Thanks!
P.S. Another great podcast!!
Thanks! That’s not too much to offer… I’d go with Upton first…
Curious as to why the SoN didn’t like Scherzer?
Gotta ask Rudy tomorrow…
@Grey, OK…don’t tell the SoN, but I started him anyway…
Hopefully SON doesn’t read the comments…
@Wake Up, SON fears the Twin offense because it’s league average for runs scored despite playing home games in a pitcher’s park. SON also is set to focus on WHIP so it doesn’t give extra credit to scherzer’s K-potential.
@Rudy Gamble, Thanks for the explanation. I guess you really want to catch the Twins on the road, which seems counter-intuitive.
Do you have any thoughts on Anibal and Wandy for the ROS. Hold them? Cut them? Kill them?
@Grey, The Opponent Home Park Adjusted Run Index looks like the variable that skewed it away from being a strong stream.
As it were.
Ah, yeah, that makes sense…
@Steve, Not sure what that means…but it sounds smart…
@Wake Up, Scherzer is so unpredictable not even SoN can figure him out.
@Howard, True!
Best pickup: Cuddyer, Jay, G. Jones, A. Hill, E. Young, Kendrick, and M. Reynolds? Thanks.
Young
Wandy is killing me…
Yeah, he’s off the grid talking to himself in a dumpster…
@Grey, Ha…nice visual…but prolly talking to Dempster and Annebelle…
Yeah, they’re in there too…
@Grey, time to drop him too?
Depends who for, but prolly…
Keeper question for next year. I trade josh hamilton and get Matt kemp. What side and how close?
@I”m Keith Hernandez, I’d take Kemp all day and twice on Thriday…
Kemp side, it’s close enough…
@Grey, i argue grey its not close! yes i argue! come on can anyone argue! your mustache is wrong here…. take KEMP all day, seriously who knows where hammy goes next year? probly NY? OK good offensive ballpark, but what about heroin? hammy loves heroin? does KEMP? hmmmmm… we dont really know… go with KEMP.
HA! I see that you’ve had a few… Very nice… Yeah, I probably wasn’t clear, I meant it’s close enough to not being rejected, but I’d want Kemp too…
@Grey, good i see you are agreeing with me and the rums and the cokes and the beers and the honey badger…. now we are good mustached man.
Ha… I’m about to go out myself… Wish me luck!
@Grey, Be careful out there.
Thank you, sir.
Back to the podcast…I still think the combo of Wins and QS is best…adding on OPS too on the hitter’s side…
It lets you own someone like J Zimm and really appreciate how good he is…
It doesn’t take away the vulture win either…which is nice
And OPS discounts the speed only guys…really allowing you to treat them like SAGNOF!
I agree with youse about the K/9 and K/BB, not using them, but they are nice research tools for draft day…
Yeah, I agree with most of that, but QS and Wins feels like you’re ever so slightly tipping the scales to make starters that much more valuable…
@Grey, I feel like they should be…and let SAGNOF be SAGNOF…but I see what you’re saying…
tyler greene or jean segura ROS?
Segura
The Milwaukee ‘pen is a hot mess. But not the preferable, attractive hot.
That’s insulting to both hot and mess. They have higher standards…
@Grey, True. But, to be fair, a true Hot Mess’ standards aren’t realistic.
Ha… True… A hot mess needs a lukewarm mess to guide it…
I can’t believe we let the Dickey-Leake matchup go unremarked-upon.
Damn, we are slipping, people!
grey- where you seeing these guys going nex yr in a 12 teamer redraft: Trout, Jordan Zimmerman, and jacoby ellsbury…. thats my random 3 off the top of my drunken head>
Trout’s end of the 1st round… Zimmermann’s around 80th… Ellsbury’s around 5th…
@Grey, wow trouth end of the 1st, so you just said right there he wont be on ANY of my teams, zimm in the 8th, hmm i like that and ells could be a steal next year. COOL, i just like picking your nose randomnly…. i’ve had way too much booze, and peanut butter crackers plus a PB granola bar, im out…. hit it hard or go home.
@Tony, later kids
Kemp or Bruce / Rasmus
14 team. Is it close?
Thanks.
@Horse, Kemp and it’s not very close.
I’ve been trying to find my place in the universe with the S.O.N., it plays right into my laziness but has only been a 35% success with me. Not till today when the Germ, the highest rated available in my league was combined with Miguel Gonzalez, one of the lowest available in my league. For some odd reason it made sense yesterday and today it rewarded me with double win day…mmmmhh, double win day!
where do you think will middlebrooks will be drafted next year?