It’s year 12 of the RCLs! I can’t believe they’re going to be in high school this year. They grow up so fast, right? Soon, the RCLs are going to be dating, then fall for their high school sweetheart, then get married at 19, then quit school to support their young family. Then, an affair will start with their co-worker, and the RCLs will secretly despise their family when they turn 30 for depriving the RCLs of their lifelong dream of going to umpire school. Man, some serious RCLs’ bitterness incoming! Maybe you should just hit the lottery, RCLs, then you can spend all your money on a McMansion and a tiger tied to a tree. Unfortunately, the tree isn’t sturdy enough and bends all the way over allowing the tiger to break loose and stalk the RCLs into their bathroom where the RCLs wail, “I didn’t know how good I had it when I had no money and just the fun of playing in a free fantasy baseball league against 11 of my closet frenemies.” So, don’t make the same mistake as the RCLs, and live your best life by joining some free fantasy baseball leagues!

Did I say free fantasy baseball leagues?

No, technically, I just typed it.

All right, if you could join a fantasy baseball league that was against, like, thousands of others, would you or are you…chicken? Don’t make me call a bawk-bawk on you.

This isn’t a 1000-person league, where people are trying to figure out who the back-up third baseman is on the Single-A Astros affiliate, the Corpus Christi Amscrayers. No, this is a 12-person league designed so you compete against eleven other people in your league, then 75 other leagues of twelve. That would be cool. Oh, wait, we’ve done that. It’s called the Razzball Commenter Leagues, and they’re back, and you don’t even have to be a commenter to join it!  For a limited time only, get your loved one a fantasy baseball league! That’s right, your hearts go pitter-patter or you’re dead on the inside (my condolences). Since back in June when you abandoned your fantasy baseball team because it was totally sucking and you returned to your cubbyhole of leftover Chinese food and Teddy Grahams, you’ve longed for this day. As Bob Marley sang, this is your redemption song, mon. Or womon, for our five girl readers. It’s time again to join some fantasy baseball leagues!

Before you close all of your extraneous porn windows and rush to sign up, let’s explain how these fantasy baseball leagues are going to work. We’re going to have a bunch of leagues and crown a winner from each, then we’re going to crown ONE winner from all of the winners. We will be crowning the winner by taking each team’s points and multiplying it against a ‘league competitiveness factor.’ If you want to see how it worked last year, go here.

So we’re going to fill up as many fantasy leagues as we can for the next seven weeks.  Each fantasy baseball league will be a mixed league, 12 team, snake draft, roto, 5×5, 5 OFs, one Middle Infielder, one Corner Infielder, one Utility, 9 pitchers, 20 game positional eligibility, 1400 innings max, 1000 IP minimum with 3 DL slots with a 500 moves per year cap, which I think maybe two people reached last year. So, that move limit isn’t inhibitive for even those who rosterbate until they are blind.

The leagues will be again at Fantrax.

We’re going to start with 40 leagues and see how we do from there. There are a few pay leagues, neither Razzball or Fantrax keeps any money. If people want more pay leagues, fill these up and we’ll open more. If we need more free leagues, we’ll do the same. To join a league…Sorry, again for the people in the back of the room:

TO JOIN A LEAGUE

Click the LINK in the ‘League Link’ column (see below grid) for the time you want and YOU’RE IN.  Damn, that’s too easy.  Oh, I guess I should also mention make sure you’re joining a league for free or for money, depending on your preference.  If you want a league for money, then 1) Click the link. 2) Pay the money.  That’s it!  No pesky third requirement!  Again, Fantrax and Razzball take no money.  You can join as many free or paid leagues as you like.  To quit a league, go to OTHER –> All Options –> Quit League (located at the bottom).  Now go join some leagues!

THE BIG PRIZE

All leagues (paid and free) will play for the big prize. So, what do you win? You win bragging rights! Not just any bragging rights, but the bragging rights that you beat a thousand or so other people, and you can emphasize the “or so” as emphatically as you’d like. What? Not enough? Okay, for this year’s prize we’re taking the bull out of bulloney. We are upping the ante. “Hey, Olympic high jumper, can you jump over this ante?” No, you can’t, it’s been upped too high. LOOK, it’s a bird…it’s a plane…it’s our ante! “Excuse me, astronomer, is that a satellite orbiting earth?” No, son, it’s Razzball’s ante. They upped it. This year we are giving away a $250 Best Buy Gift card, which can buy just about anything (up to $250). I recently bought a TV that sits underneath my toilet seat so when I whizz I can watch TV. Granted, I bought this in a dream I had and I was married to Sofia Vergara in said dream, but this must exist, right? Also, for s’s and g’s, I’ll throw in a Razzball t-shirt because I have 14,000 of these and I’ve already outfitted all the homeless people in my neighborhood with SAGNOF t-shirts. But, most importantly, you will be crowned the 2022 Razzball Commenter League Champion. Okay, now sign up…

98 Comments
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Tony
Tony
11 months ago

Hey grey just trying to see if you have any sleepers closers in mind you can hook me up with?
We drafted already and got no closers

Elwood Blues
Elwood Blues
1 year ago

NL only 5×5- I don’t have a lot of keepers going into the auction/draft.. but just got offered a $4/1yr Carson Kelly for a $10/2 yr Logan Webb..
do we trust Webb in 2022?
I still have Darvish and Desclafini for cheap that I can keep.
Thoughts?

Elwood Blues
Elwood Blues
Reply to  Grey
1 year ago

Thanks – do you see Soler as a keeper at $18. Maybe 25-30 home runs at that price.. but avg may be a killer.

Parsa Abtahian
Parsa Abtahian
1 year ago

My league voted to remove QS and add IP as a category (IP/WHIP/ERA/Ks/SVHD). Would that make middle relievers who pitch multiple innings more valuable at expense of SP? My view is that it will make me deemphasize SP in draft.

Lucky Dog
1 year ago

Naturally it’s not a regular season game, or you could have led off with a “jazz hands” update.

Because Jazz got hit on the hand, see. It’s funny in a tragic way, see

I’ll show myself out, even though I just got here.

Also, holy crap we’re gonna have a season! Hi everybody!

I swear to god I’m not taking a pitcher until the 11th round this year, at least. Good for nothing, a fool’s errand. And if you thought COVID season was bad, welcome to “SP just getting stretched out almost didn’t have a season season” bad.

No way am I spending my hard earned draft picks on pitching. I might even go 12 rounds this year.
/rant

Anyway, good to be back. May all your hitters have optimum launch angles and may all your pitchers….uh,…still be pitching in October? I guess. I don’t even care about my pitchers, you expect me to care about yours? :shrug:

Love ya, buddy

Lucky Dog
Reply to  Grey
1 year ago

Things are good, yes! Winning some awards, selling some sauce. Livin the dream.

Doing a complete 2-year tear-down of my dynasty magical football team, dealt all my aging assets for picks/players. I have 6x 1st round picks in 2023 (including 4 of the top 5 and likely 1-2-3) so hopefully I draft well in FBB this year.

Made it to the LCG last year, but all my players got rested or got COVID or got shut down because their teams were irrelevant. It was a less than optimal finish.

Almost the same damn thing happened in 2020 as well. It’s frustrating to draft the championship team then watch it turn into a pumpkin at the 11th hour….again.

And yes, Jazz hands is fine – here’s hoping he keeps leading off to stay relevant. *jazz hands* (that was me, making jazz hands to emphasize the points. I’ll note the upgrade for the message board, but you really need a video chat component here. ‘Cust sayin.

Lucky Dog
Reply to  Grey
1 year ago

Hahaha – sad but true.

Guero
Guero
1 year ago

Hey Grey,

Thoughts on trading Yordan and Baz for Wander?
12 team keeper league. H2H
7×7 category league.

Omar
Omar
1 year ago

OPS league. One year keeper league (keep3). FTJ is draft eligible. Meaning he can be kept thru 2023. How far down does he fall in that scenario. Heading into the season with Soto, JoRam and Ohtani (DH). Thinking I might be aggressive and grab Nando in the 2nd if he’s there (which is really like the 4th with 30 keepers). Especially if I don’t love the available options there.

Chris
Chris
1 year ago

Hi Grey,

Good morning.

Keeper deadline tomorrow and I’m still double guessing.

12 team league, 1 utl with obp

Which 3 should I keep from:

Scherzer, Kyle Tucker, Eloy, Ohtani batter, Machado and Olson.

I’m leaning toward Scherzer , Tucker, Eloy or Ohtani.

Keep in mind I don’t have a Round 2 which I traded last year.

Thanks for the help.

Chris

Matt Mettler
Matt Mettler
1 year ago

Question about the format of the Razzball leagues this year. Is this still fasted finger for free agents/waivers? I played a few years ago and kind of gave up once I realized that I would have no shot at saves because I didn’t want to subscribe to a closer text service that would alert me during work that I needed to drop what I was doing and add a closer. I’d love to play again if the fasted finger aspect were changed and waivers were instead overnight based on established priority.

i don't want to brag but i have IBS
i don't want to brag but i have IBS
1 year ago

12 in high school, what is this doogie houser light (he was younger, but unless you have high schools that take in like grade 6-12 you ain’t finding too many with 12 year olds)

Big Red
Big Red
1 year ago

Isn’t Laura participating in the Commenters’ League? I was in her league last year and she crushed us. I wanted a chance to do better.

Big Red
Big Red
Reply to  Grey
1 year ago

I just didn’t see her listed.

Laura Holt
Reply to  Grey
1 year ago

Actually no one’s asked me. (Or more likely Truss sent me an email that I somehow lost). I want to do a league or two but there’s gotta be some money involved — winning my RCL + Perts last year was way too much work to not have a sack of cash delivered to me at the end!! ; )

Dodgers35
Dodgers35
1 year ago

Hello Grey,

Keeper league question. 5×5 weekly league $1,000 salary cap. Can only keep 4 of the 6 listed below

Burnes $124
Ohtani $31
Y. Alvarez $25
Robert $25
T. Turner $90
B. Lowe $25

Thoughts on which 4 to keep.

Thanks,

DFresh
DFresh
1 year ago

Better tell mom to clean the basement. I’m moving in!

Sport
Sport
1 year ago

I got cocky Grey, and now I’m embarrassed after having a good draft!

12 team yahoo public redraft, roto. I built this offense: C-Varsho (20th round!), 1B-Walsh, 2B-Albies, 3B-Wander, SS-Bichette, OF-LouRob, O’Neill, Kelenic UT-India, Gurriel Jr., plus Torkelson on the bench.

I loved the offense, but I was completely shocked to see so many SP falling and I built this SP staff: Peralta, Cease, McClanahan, Manaea, Ranger, Joe Ryan, and Houck.

Now the embarrassing part. I drafted my second closer in the 16th round (T.Rogers) right on schedule after getting Clase at 105. Then two rounds later someone else picked T.Rogers….the CORRECT T.Rogers from Minnesota. I was getting so cocky I didn’t realize I had put the wrong T.Rogers in my predraft rankings, queued up T.Rogers of the SanFran, and drafted him!

Here’s to a better year of SAGNOF for saves to cover my embarrassment!

Thanks for all you do!

toolshed
toolshed
Reply to  Sport
1 year ago

The dh made sense because it was good for everyone. What a novel approach. It was a win-win negotiation…more jobs for players, owners can protect their pitching investments, etc. Not sure why it wasn’t approved last year despite them keeping the ?? extra inning rules and 7 inning double headers.

Regarding the lockout, what you said makes sense. Therein lies the problem. This is a circus, I mean baseball and how often does its ringmaster and the rest of the carny folk ever do anything that makes sense?

toolshed
toolshed
1 year ago

I just can’t let manfred off the hook. He previously said that canceling games would be “disasterous.” He said that they are “one breakthrough” away from getting a deal done which provided optimism that both sides were close. The meeting on Saturday was less than an hour. I don’t think it is a surprise that he is clueless about where the mlbpa stands on the issues. It is also reasonable to assume that he lied and knew the proposal had no chance of being approved. The MLBPA is not innocent either. They refuse to work with a mediator. It seems like both sides aren’t ready to actually be adults and finally sit down to try work it out. If they were, the meeting would have lasted longer. I could be wrong but a full season seems unlikely after Saturday’s $hitshow. Where do you stand?

Last edited 1 year ago by toolshed
Big Red
Big Red
Reply to  toolshed
1 year ago

I don’t think you understand how these things really work. The two sides are both moving and not publicly badmouthing each other. In this kind of negotiation that implies significant progress. The mediator ploy was just PR. It would have wasted time as they would have had to find someone and schedule meetings just to have a middleman (or woman) who would simply convey each side’s positions. And Manfred isn’t to blame although he is hardly innocent. It is the greedy owners who are holding things up.

toolshed
toolshed
Reply to  Big Red
1 year ago

Sorry, I do know how this works. You’re saying that a mediator wastes time. What exactly have both sides been doing since the lockout except waste time? How many offers have been made since the lockout? 2? 3? It’s been 75 days. This whole thing has been a disgrace to the collective bargaining process. Bargaining means negotiating t’s and c’s. They are posturing, not negotiating.

The Harrow
The Harrow
Reply to  toolshed
1 year ago

mediator isn’t time waste problem it’s objectivity problem though if both sides don’t agree with what a mediator would do.

toolshed
toolshed
Reply to  The Harrow
1 year ago

I agree. I don’t care if a mediator was involved or not. I thought a mediator may help get to the points of contention and follow a process to help them negotiate. They both seem to have dug their heels in and aren’t going anywhere. But i agree with Grey, movement will inevitably happen once the threat of losing money gets closer.

Laura Holt
1 year ago

Already excited just thinking about the rosterbating! I want to do a high stakes (in RCL terms) money league this year if we can find enough people that will pay to try to beat me as spring ramps up and we (hopefully) get closer to the season.

frankgrimes
frankgrimes
Reply to  Grey
1 year ago

Is pairing tool tomorrow?

frankgrimes
frankgrimes
Reply to  Grey
1 year ago

Nice. I want to try to take down Laura too lol.

Last edited 1 year ago by frankgrimes
Joe Asher
Joe Asher
Reply to  Grey
1 year ago

Grey, Laura, and other RCL’ers:

I’d be interested in a higher stakes RCL if we can find enough players who would also want to be in it. Tho i would wanna limit my exposure in leagues with Laura since she’s already in my RazzSlam league. Let me know your guys thoughts, and anyone else who would be interested ping a comment on this thread.

-Gunk

Laura Holt
Reply to  Grey
1 year ago

Yes! I’m up for a $100-$150 RCL! (Or whatever you guys were thinking). Can we just put it on the RCL page for people to sign up once we pick a date?

Brett
Brett
Reply to  Laura Holt
1 year ago

I’m in. Any day other than Sat Mar 26th. This sounds great!

Last edited 1 year ago by Brett
Laura Holt
Reply to  Brett
1 year ago

Will reply to you as well as Gunk — Truss set up a $100 league for March 23.

Laura Holt
Reply to  Joe Asher
1 year ago

Don’t worry Gunk; I have NOT figured out the best ball format yet… though who knows, maybe this is the year I do…

Laura Holt
Reply to  Joe Asher
1 year ago

Truss set up a $100 league for March 23!

Joe Asher
Joe Asher
Reply to  Grey
1 year ago

Its posted in row 26, hopefully we’ll be able to fill it

Joseph Asher
Joseph Asher
Reply to  Laura Holt
1 year ago

Grey, Laura, and other RCL’ers:

I’d be interested in a higher stakes RCL if we can find enough players who would also want to be in it. Tho i would wanna limit my exposure in leagues with Laura since she’s already in my RazzSlam league. Let me know your guys thoughts, and anyone else who would be interested ping a comment on this thread.

-Gunk

Last edited 1 year ago by Joseph Asher
Brett
Brett
Reply to  Joseph Asher
1 year ago

I’d be in. Can’t find a truly active RCL yet, so this would do it for me.

toolshed
toolshed
1 year ago

I read that Correa’s last SB and attempted SB was April 9, 2019. Miggy, Molina, Puljos, Pablo Sandoval have more SB since then. They all rank at the bottom of the statcast sprint speed metric.

I did more digging. Correa was in the 83rd percentile in sprint speed when he came into the league. From 2017-2020 he was in the 69th percentile or in line with Tommy Pham last year. Last year Correa turned 27 in Sept and fell to the 48th percentile. 2021 was also the first year he played a full season since 2016. Coincidentally, it was also a contract year. All I am saying is that I don’t have much interest in Correa if he’s going around pick 85 like his ADP shows. I also question my interest level if he falls in drafts. If I am going to get ZERO SB from a spot I don’t want the goose egg coming from my MI or SS.

toolshed
toolshed
Reply to  Grey
1 year ago

As you wish sir. I am well aware of riley’s sb prowess. He has held fairly steady in the 69th percentile in sprint speed. He’s still above average, but he’s never registered a sb at the big league level. The fact that “svelte” dudes like miggy and panda have regiatered at least one since his call up year is staggering. I mean just out of dumb luck, you’d think he run into one with 1165 plate appearance on his resume. That being said, I still have don’t have a problem with taking zero sb from him as a 3b or ci if I get 30/100 out of him based on how thin 3b is.

The Harrow
The Harrow
Reply to  toolshed
1 year ago

and he barely stole back when he was above the 69th% too, which really sucks for those that paid up based on his prospect stock back then.

toolshed
toolshed
Reply to  The Harrow
1 year ago

Yeah. His first year when he was called up was his best year. He hit 22 hr in 99 games and actually stole bases. He’s never matched that level of performance since.

The Harrow
The Harrow
Reply to  toolshed
1 year ago

yep, not once. and for the first 3 or so years it looked weird. turns out it was weird as the speed rating indicates for those years. i didn’t have him anywhere back then as i don’t tend to have those draft picks in dynasty (top 3)

Bort
Bort
1 year ago

First time participating, missed the sign-up in years past. I am excited!

I am the Walrus
I am the Walrus
1 year ago

Do pitchers have an early season advantage, whether it’s cold weather or whatever? It seems that way to me, like there are many streamers with <3.50 ERA’s in April and then they blow up later. If so, is it better to stream hard in April/early May and then back off?

I am the Walrus
I am the Walrus
Reply to  Grey
1 year ago

League setting are 180 starts and 10 pitching slots/6 total bench slots. My thought were to use 4-5 starters, stream early and then back off streaming. That would allow me to use a spot or two for middle rp all season and still get close to 180 starts and take advantage of early April starter pitcher advantage? Thought?

The Harrow
The Harrow
Reply to  I am the Walrus
1 year ago

this is statistically accurate, OPS/hits go up as it gets warmer into july/august, a little downturn in september. however, early in the year the sample size on pitchers breaking out is very small, so still gambling a lot if doing same amount of streaming early on with a lot of guys. pitchers in general though are doing better when weather is colder.

toolshed
toolshed
Reply to  The Harrow
1 year ago

.

Last edited 1 year ago by toolshed
Ante GALIC
Ante GALIC
1 year ago

Grey!!!!

Awesome!!

a. Today there are no questions!!! Signed up for RCLs 8 and 23.

b. Norm MacDonald quote of the day for February 14, 2022

‘A recent survey is showing that teenage sex is leveling off at 53% and another study shows that the number of teenagers who tell their friends they are sexually active is holding steady at 100%.’

c. Marx Brothers quote of the day for February 14, 2022

‘I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today.’

Cheers,
Ante

I am the Walrus
I am the Walrus
1 year ago

The hardest thing for me in this game is how to determine if someone is just off to a hot start or having a breakout and also when to drop a player with a track record. Is there anything you look at (exit velo, barrels, new pitch, spin rate etc.)?

MattTruss
Editor
1 year ago

No RCL hype yet? Maybe everyone is still recovering from the Super Bowl, Vin? I will be looking for some frequent commenters to fill the Frequent Commenter League this year.

VinWins
VinWins
Reply to  MattTruss
1 year ago

Stupid Bengals. Sure,you can count on me for the FCL. I’m not getting to in to it until I find out when the season is starting.

Laura Holt
Reply to  Grey
1 year ago

HA HA HA HA!! “Bengals”!!!

LennyDykstraIsJustMisUnderstood
LennyDykstraIsJustMisUnderstood
Reply to  Grey
1 year ago

Is Laura the only female? LOL

that was messed up 58 minutes only 4 penalties called. 4 in the last two all against Bangals….they missed a false start on the Rams on the key interference call

LennyDykstraIsJustMisUnderstood
LennyDykstraIsJustMisUnderstood
Reply to  Grey
1 year ago

for sure…confirmed the feeling where it was going to go when Collingsworth started slobbering all over how stafford and cupp were the most clutch dou he ever saw…..they had a good year but i could think of a few i would list before those two

The Harrow
The Harrow
Reply to  Grey
1 year ago

fantasy baseball bretheren are so not used to even seeing females that last week your 2nd newer female writer was called laura (the 1st female writer, or longer tenured of the current 2)

i don't want to brag but i have IBS
i don't want to brag but i have IBS
Reply to  LennyDykstraIsJustMisUnderstood
1 year ago

umm, the only really big missed call was t.higgins throwing ramsey on the ground by facemask, gifting him an open 75 yard TD rather than being guarded and probably not even getting a completion, and if called not even a gain but a loss.

LennyDykstraIsJustMisUnderstood
LennyDykstraIsJustMisUnderstood
Reply to  MattTruss
1 year ago

The RCL leagues are tough to keep up with

VinWins
VinWins
1 year ago

9 ET and still no comments. Maybe people are waiting for the CBA. or something isn’t working.

At the end you say I could be crowned the 2020 champion! Stupid COVID.

VinWins
VinWins
Reply to  Grey
1 year ago

Hahaha. No one else realized that was what I was saying. You outed yourself.

Homer's got the Runs
Homer's got the Runs
1 year ago

Hey Grey,. 12 team keeper League where 14 players are kept with no limitations. 6 offensive cats with OBP and five pitching cats. I plan on keeping Peralta, Woodruff, Webb and Luis Castillo. I am looking for more hitting. Would you trade Woodruff and Polanco for Albies and Trevor Rogers? Hitters being kept as of now are Soto, Bichette, Robert, Franmil, Polanco, Moncada, Vaughan, Meadows and Urias or Straw or Pressly.