Vlad Hopes Texas Tea Can Refuel Engine
January 12, 2010
Category: 2010 Fantasy Baseball Draft
We almost went with the title, “Vlad to Answer Question – How Would Juan Gone Play at 35?” But it wasn’t that good, but it’s good enough for the post content… You guys get the best! So Vladimir Guerrero signed with Texas hoping to get some oil for his knees. We’ll see, those knees are woefully low on viscosity and there have been murmurs about a thermal breakdown. The Rangers are probably the best place for Vlad. He’s historically been a beast in that stadium — .394 with 14 homers in 193 ABs. Then again, that was against the Rangers pitching staff and 6 of those homers came in 2004 *cough* Chan Ho *cough*. Vlad’s knees have had a tougher last few years then Amy Winehouse’s face. I think he’s capable of a 25 homer, .300 season, but steals are no longer a part of his game and he has Utility-only eligibility, which really kills any value he might have. So he’s that same old fart with that new fart smell. Here’s another signing and what it means for fantasy baseball:
Aroldis Chapman – He fired the agent that smuggled him out of Cuba and went with an agent that told him it was a good idea to sign with a Dusty Baker-led pitching staff. Now would be a good time for Chapman’s family to step in and make sure he doesn’t buy a million dollar stamp of an upside airplane and postmark it. I went over Aroldis Chapman when he first defected. It’s a fun read. I counted only three typos. His stuff is wicked awesome and his control is wicked awful. But he wouldn’t be the first guy to struggle there. Hello, Randy Johnson. That’s a tall order, literally. But he’s someone I’m excited about in keepers and deep leagues. He should be owned in keepers from the jump. In one year leagues, I’d take a flier on him in the final rounds to see if he breaks camp. If he doesn’t, then you drop him. No harm, no foul. If he does break camp, then you’re looking at a Volquez-type season. Not great WHIP, decent ERA and great Ks. Think 3.75/1.37 and a strikeout/inning. I’m guessing we won’t see him until midseason at the earliest. His value will be predicated on how quickly the Reds want Dusty to ruin his arm.
January 12th, 2010 at 11:59 am
Still don’t know if I should get Strasburg or Chapman in my last round. I know you said that Strasburg has more value but Chapman will most likely be more than a September call-up. I’m in a yearly, 12 team, H2H league.
And as for Vlad, I love him but I think I can find better players for utility. Although he’s going for extremely cheap in rounds at about the 10-12 range.
[Reply]
@Eddy: You can find better players for your utility, especially ones that aren’t only eligible at utility. re: Chapman vs. Strasburg — If one has a rotation spot and one doesn’t, then that one is a no-brainer. If neither do when you draft but both are vying, then Chapman has a better chance of breaking camp with the club. Though I don’t think it’ll happen until June at the earliest. Strasburg will have huge trade value if he somehow breaks camp, but it’s a longshot.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
grey what do you think about some type of post on which guy to pair in the first round with what guy in the second?
Obviously you’re not going to be able to pair Pujols with someone like Wright or Longo because there’s no way they fall that far in respect to where Pujols will go, but you know what i mean….
maybe even a good combo for rd1, rd2, and rd3?
could be interesting… draft spot determines alot of them.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
@Tony:
Funny you bring that up because I’m actually a huge advocate of having “duos”, ESPECIALLY if they bat consecutively in the same lineup
Last year I had Damon, Tex, AND A-Rod! That had their days when it paid off, but then days where it obviously wouldn’t if they got shutout.
In reference to having Pujols first though, a lot of times Matt Holliday may still be available 23 picks after yours. Personally I think that’s the best 1-2 punch of batters.
Perhaps others could be an Utley/Ryan Howard and Victorino/Werth combo or perhaps an Ellsbury/Pedroia and Youk combo. There are tons that work out.
Last year a manager had Braun and Fielder. Christ, that was downright ridonkulous.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Still spots available in tomorrow’s 8:00cst mockdraft at mockdraftcentral.com….Razzball Commenter league is name of draft and password is razzball *case sensitive*.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
@nate: I won’t be able to make the draft, however, I would like to see the final results if you could publish them somewhere or email them to me…
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
I know that Grey like wierd stuff like this – kind of like the time the Mets were staying at a Hotel haunted by furry convention
Several Knicks players claimed they had trouble sleeping at their hotel in Oklahoma City because the Skirvin Hilton is “haunted.”
The Skirvin Hotel was built in1910 by an oilman who wanted to have the best hotel in the southwest. The hotel was grand and became a popular speakeasy during prohibition. Founder W.B. Skirvin reportedly had an affair with a hotel maid. The maid became pregnant and was locked in a top floor room in order to avoid a scandal. She had the baby but was still contained in the room. She finally took hold of the infant and threw herself and child out the window.
Her ghost remains and was named Effie by former employees. Guests reported trouble sleeping due to the sounds of a child crying. Male guests report being propositioned by a female voice when alone in their rooms. Others even have seen the figure of a naked woman with them while taking showers. A man has even reported a sexual assault by an invisible entity.
Noises and moving objects are often reported. The hotel closed in 1988 but has recently been restored and is now open as the Hilton Skirvin.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
@mrbaseball: they should make a movie about that creepy shizzz
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
@mrbaseball: That’s awesome. I wonder how they’re planning to explain the other 21 losses. Alien abductions? PTSD from starting the season 1-9?
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
@Jo: Actually, they should make a Scooby-Doo episode about it.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
@mrbaseball: Maybe I’m not reading it correctly, but I’m not sure that a professional sportsman finding a naked woman beside them in the shower on a road trip qualifies as paranormal activity
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
I think it’s 70-30 Aroldis breaks camp with the Reds. There is no extra elegibility advantage for keeping him down, all that money for ?, puts fannies in the seats, Dusty will want him to build up his strength by pitching extra innings starting NOW.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
@Grey: Will Rudy be doing Point Shares again this year?
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
11 Steve Says:
January 12th, 2010 at 2:45 pm
@mrbaseball: Maybe I’m not reading it correctly, but I’m not sure that a professional sportsman finding a naked woman beside them in the shower on a road trip qualifies as paranormal activity
Your are right steve – I will make a slight change to the story
Others even have seen the figure of a naked matthew berry with them while taking showers.
[Reply]
@Tony: I was thinking of doing something like that.
@mrbaseball: That’s the ghost of Isiah Thomas that they can’t shake.
@royce!: Ha, it does sound Scooby-ish.
@Steve: Ha!
@Simply Fred: I think it would probably be closer to 40-60, but you might be right.
@Steve: He’s working on Point Shares. Hopefully shortly.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
@royce!:
Local Lawman: “Let’s pull this leather mask and ball gag off and see who our ‘ghost’ really is.”
Scooby Gang: [all together] “It’s Isaiah Thomas!!!”
Isaiah: “And I would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for those meddling kids!”
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 4:04 pm
@Grey: Oooh, sorry, didn’t see your IT reference till after I commented. Didn’t mean to step on your line.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
@Grey: Great article a friend of mine posted on Facebook about a guy from the same school I went to, thought you might enjoy.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_soshnick&sid=av0MqG.ZId4c
[Reply]
@mc serch: Great minds think alike.
@BigFatHippo: Great article, thanks for sharing!
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
@BigFatHippo: C’mon you Blue Knights!
Hope it works out for your boy.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
@Steve: Nah, he already retired a career minor leaguer. But it’s OK, we’re all proud of him.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
@BigFatHippo: Nah – I meant the part about him now looking for a job etc. He deserves to have good stuff happen for him.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
@Steve: He’ll do well, no worries. I know his Dad, he comes from a great family. Just never knew that article was out there.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
@Grey: Took about 2 hours to change to 10-90 Aroldis starting with the Reds. Per Jeff Passan, Yahoo Sports: “Chapman contract: If he’s up by mid-May, it turns into a three-year, $25.25 million deal with three years of arbitration to follow.” He won’t be up early.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
@mc serch: Nice. I think that would make a pretty funny SNL skit or something of that nature. Love the ball gag and mask details.
[Reply]
@Simply Fred: Yeah, that makes sense.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Reserved a room for you Grey
The Skirvin Hilton Oklahoma City
Downtown Oklahoma City, near Cox Convention Center
Availability: 1 room, 1/15/2010 – 1/17/2010
Standard Two Doubles
Fri Jan-15-2010 to Sun Jan-17-2010 Fri Sat Avg rate (per night)
Availability request: 1 room
$139 $139 $139.00 Book it
Prices are per room/unit with 2 guests. Prices do not include: taxes, service fees, and extra guest charges.
Two double beds. Desk. Complimentary wireless Internet access. TV with premium cable channels and pay movies. Clock radio. Hair dryer. Iron/ironing board. Complimentary newspaper and a ghost
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Apparently, “Multiple media outlets report that manager Ron Washington will use the following lineup in 2010:
1 – Julio Borbon, CF
2 – Michael Young, 3B
3 – Josh Hamilton, RF
4 – Guerrero, DH
5 – Kinsler, 2B
6 – Nelson Cruz, LF
7 – Chris Davis, 1B
8 – Catcher
9 – Elvis Andrus, SS”
Seems early to be getting lineup speculation, but one more thing to consider in making your projections.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
@mrbaseball: @Grey: Book an extra night and get a free naked shower woman.
[Reply]
@mrbaseball: Nice amenities.
@Simply Fred: How about that Catcher guy?
@Steve: Very nice amenities.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
@Grey: I kinda skipped over the Catcher Guy. Borbon at the top got my attention (with your touting him the other day).
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
I heard that Catcher guy is overrated.
[Reply]
@Eddy: He was good in the Braves farm system, hasn’t materialized since.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 6:14 pm
Hey Grey, seeing as I stumbled upon this site literally about 3 weeks ago, I’m not too familiar with the RCL. Can you give me a brief explanation of how it works and how I can be a part of it?
[Reply]
@Eddy: Razzball Commenter League, leagues that will open to commenters in late February.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
@Simply Fred: Interesting lineup. Kinsler batting fifth is like a second leadoff with Cruz and Davis there to clean up. I don’t really like it for Kinsler, and I don’t like Old Vlad hitting cleanup instead of Cruz. Former adult entertainer Ron Washington must have gone to Torre’s Coaching Camp this winter because he too is burying the team’s best players in the lineup.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 7:02 pm
just evacuated the whole building 3rd Quarter / Clippers Game
Los Angeles Clippers at Memphis Grizzlies
was listening to game to find out where the FORK is Marcus Camby – he left the game in the first quarter
the lannouncers left in a hurry – Lets go – don’t want to be the last one out
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Beltran or Nelson Cruz?
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Camby has a stomach virus but what just happened? Everyone was told to evacuate the arena.
emergency??? Everybody has to leave the building..
i was talkin to my son and looked up and the refs and fans were runnin out!
bomb threat? is that what they said?
again… does anyone in clipper land know how bad camby’s injury is?????
camby has a stomach virus…
This is crazy. They couldn’t even explain what the issue was, they just said “we’ve got to get out of the building” and the broadcast went off the air! A fire sounds more likely, but I’ve seen anything like this.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 7:16 pm
@mrbaseball:
what the heck? Sounds like a zombie outbreak!!!
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
They’re saying it was a broken water main that tripped the alarm:
http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=4820983
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
@sean: Agree. I haven’t been targeting Kinsler nor Cruz so not a loss for me. Not sure how much stock to put into this, but might want an alternative to each if that’s the way the lineups are shaking out in spring training.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
Grey, I just finished this mock with Rudy’s oh-so-delicious BRAN strategy. There were a couple of exceptions. I couldn’t punt SS or 2B because I had the number two pick and at the very end of rd.4 Pedroia was still there. But i followed his 2OF, 1B, 2 SP, RP requirement. II guess you could add the 2B, SS and third OF as my “flex” picks.
C Mike Napoli R15 P2
1B Adrian Gonzalez R2 P11
1B Billy Butler R10 P11
2B Dustin Pedroia R4 P11
SS Hanley Ramirez R1 P2
SS Ian Desmond R21 P2
3B Adrian Beltre R12 P11
OF Justin Upton R3 P2
OF Shin-Soo Choo R6 P11
OF Hunter Pence R8 P11
OF Nolan Reimold R16 P11
OF Julio Borbon R19 P2
SP Justin Verlander R5 P2
SP Josh Johnson R7 P2
SP James Shields R11 P2
SP Wandy Rodriguez R13 P2
SP Ryan Dempster R14 P11
SP Rick Porcello R17 P2
RP Joakim Soria R9 P2
RP Leo Nunez R18 P11
RP Joel Zumaya R20 P11
-I thought Butler in round 10 was great
-I was aiming for Cruz, or if he got picked, C.Lee in the 6th but they both got picked up in the 2 picks before. Although with that lineup post idk if that devalues Cruz…
Let me know what you think, if I reached for anyone, etc.
Btw, this team came in 2nd in projected standings, 3 pts. behind 1st.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 8:06 pm
@Simply Fred:
look at the bright side, M.Young, who’s currently being drafted in the 10th-12th rounds has a chance to exceed his round expectations.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
@Grey:
the chapman signing seems like a dumb move for the reds .
with their limited budget , it doesn’t seem wise to tie up the monies for a year and a half ,
which is what it will take for him to mature
in the minors .
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
borbon this year = last years nyjer morgan/rajai davis?
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
With no regard to rounds or cost, would you take Grady over A-Gonz in a keeper league?
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Oops, the above comment was supposed to be on the Top 20 list.
[Reply]
January 12th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
@Grey:
vlad or ortiz ?
[Reply]
@mrbaseball: Wow, that’s crazy.
@Eddy: Not crazy about the back end of your staff, but that’s a very solid team that is definitely workable. Your hitting’s very solid. Don’t think you really reached too terribly on anyone.
@matthole: True
@big o: Vlad
[Reply]
@Chris: I’d take Grady over A-Gonz.
[Reply]
January 13th, 2010 at 6:46 am
Wondering if someone could help me out. I am in an 8 team head to head league with keepers. We can keep one pitcher and one batter. I have cabrera and halladay to start with and the second pick in the draft. I was offered a trade involving my second round pick and fifth rounder for someone’s first rounder (1st overall) and their 10th pick. So basically I have the first two picks in the draft, then have to skip rds. 2 and 5, and get an extra pick in rd 10. what should I do?
[Reply]
@samual adams: In such a shallow league, sounds like a good plan. BTW, Take comments to the newest post next time.
[Reply]
January 28th, 2010 at 10:45 am
I’ve been trying to track down this fantasy baseball game I saw while browsing the net a few years ago… they developed rules for a game where you draft players for a single game (ex. Giants vs. Dodgers) and then just like normal fantasy you get points for how they perform.. you can also trade throughout. Does anyone know of this game? I can’t find it online anymore
[Reply]