Sometimes you ask and you shall receive and in that vein, I begin this month’s Razznasty update. Now I know the two questions you’re asking, what did you ask for and receive? And which vein? First, it’s the main vein, you know the one in the middle…. Secondly, I asked our very own Hippo in the bush Matt Truss to make a push in the standings over the course of June so I could name the next update “Can’t Truss It”. Done and done. I told Mr. Truss-ah Truss that I’d dress as Flavor Flav from this video while I wrote it. Truss, that I held up my end of the bargain, picture me decked out in white tuxedo with top hat and Batman glasses. Unfortunately I can’t share with all of you due to a shortage on the correct cartridges for my vintage Polaroid Sun 600. Sorry boys, and whatever number of girls are reading this year. I believe we were up to five, but we might have lost a few after the Jose Canseco interview. There’s nothing that upsets the ladies more than invasive question about Madonna’s early 90’s sperm brokering. Enough of the bollocks, onto the Razznasty update for June. Dynasty League Baseball at it’s finest.
Please, blog, may I have some more?
caleb cotham
Bullpen Report, Week 6 – Deep Friars Of Holds
May 14, 2016 | Closers, Middle Relievers | 56 Commentsby: Smokey
Well we weren’t talking about deep fried empanadas. We were talking about the retro-chich lads from that Navy town of San Diego… Yes, those Padres of the last place origin. The ones with 16 whole wins in their favor on the year. Sneaky Hold situations make my world go round. Which, in turn, makes me spurn to you on the recycled tip of the serving platter from a fantasy analyst. Over the last 14 games, the Padres have endured some good fortune in the reliever ranks, namely Brandon Maurer. Maurer has netted himself 7 Holds over that time, or in fantasy bullpen coverage terms here at the Razz-nation, a hold the fort(night). Maurer is the 8th inning guy and if you are in a holds league, then he is probably taken. Him of the 14-plus K-rate over the last 10 games and because they strung a few victories in a row, boom! Stats. But we all know how many holds he has in the last umpteen days… because we can all read stat lines and understand that one plus the previous amount equals today’s total. Math catch-up lesson over. The Father’s depth in the pen doesn’t just end with Brandon. Take a look deeper and we will come across not the candelstick maker, nor the baker, but the Butcher. As in Ryan Butcher. While Maurer seems to get all the decent looks in the 8th for the beloved hold, Butcher seems to latch onto him like a paramecium in heat looking for a Padres win. Averaging over a K per inning, and duly entrenched as the bridge to the bridge to Fernando Rodney (which probably really isn’t much of a bridge of at all, but just a rope with board entwined with hope aspiration and tears), so with this brief biopic on the San Diegans bullpen fellas, lets look at what else is bouncing around in the world of set-up, set-up to get beat down. I get nothing but a hold.
Please, blog, may I have some more?There’s embarrassment and then there’s having to cover in detail a fantasy baseball league you’re nearly dead last in. So begins our first monthly update on the in house dynasty league “The RazzNasty”. For those of you that are new here, “The RazzNasty” is a Razzball founded dynasty league made up of Razzball writers, readers, commenters, and Methodists! It’s a 16 team roto with semi-weekly adds/drops via blind auction. We have 30 man MLB rosters and 10 man minor league rosters. Since we last updated you in early March there’s been a flurry of activity including trades, wire adds, a second commissioner switch, and a banana or two in the tailpipe. So yes it’s more or less high stakes Mario Kart.
Please, blog, may I have some more?People standing to the side, huddled together. Faces ashen. All they could talk about was the moment the Carlos Carrascident happened. There was nothing anyone could do. It was as if time slowed down like Keanu was diving away from a Matrixy bullet. A split second and a heap on the ground, silence. Terry Francona dressed as a law enforcement officer putting up yellow tape, people wondering if Francona was working a bachelorette party after the game. Carlos Carrasco is headed to the disabled list with a hamstring strain but needs to have an MRI, which is never what you want to hear about your ace. Filling in for him will be Trevor Bauer. Not farfetched to think Bauer could have value in matchups. Farfetch is also what they call warming up Bauer. “Why is our bullpen catcher driving to Akron?” “Friggin’ Bauer.” As for Carlos Carrasco, that’s the way the Cookie crumbles. Anyway, here’s what else I saw this weekend in fantasy baseball:
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You Want The Lamb Souvlikey Or The Shish-Kabuy?
April 22, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Buy/Sell | 880 Commentsby: Grey
To understand Jake Lamb, I think it’s important to go back to the 1964 Summer Olympics when his father’s hero, Lambis Manthos, was competing for Greece in the 50 meter pistol shooting event. Due to a clerical error, Lambis thought he was competing in the 50 centimeter pistol shooting event. Lambis practiced shooting dinner plates from about 20 inches away. At one point, he was able to shoot an olive off a branch from about two feet away. Metaphorically, that meant war, and he knew it. He was ready, which is why this story ended so sadly when he realized it was really a 50-meter event. Lambis was extremely shortsighted and nearly took out a judge when tasked with shooting so far away. Thankfully, tragedy was averted when he only shot into one of those mats high jumpers fall on. At the end of the event, with Lambis in last place, the laughingstock of the competition, a young man by the name of Jake, was so moved with Lambis and his ability to hit close targets, he took his name as his last. This was Jake Lamb Sr., and the legend that Jake Lamb has to live up to. So, besides being a heartwarming story, what does this have to do with fantasy? Not a ton, said the man with four letters at his disposal. Lamb is currently slotted into the six or two hole on most days. He hasn’t shown great ability with lefties, so he’ll likely need to be platooned, but I’d do just that in all leagues. He has some power, some speed and shouldn’t kill you in average. Not from 50 meters or centimeters. Anyway, here’s some more players to Buy or Sell this week in fantasy baseball:
Please, blog, may I have some more? Closer Report, Week 3 – Chasing The SAGNOF
April 22, 2016 | Closers, Middle Relievers | 43 Commentsby: Smokey
At some point, you look at your roster, then look at yourself in the mirror and the repeat that 31 more times and ask yourself this question… When is chasing saves from the worst possibilities a bad idea? My best advice, as your advocate of bullpen swagger, is never. Realize the talent that is in the bullpen and say: is 1-2 saves really worth a waiver claim, a roster drop of someone else and a complete destruction of your rates and quite possibly your dignity? If you haven’t guessed it, I am discussing the shatuation in the ‘Nati. Just to get everyone up to speed on the demise, their (and keep in mind that it has only been two-plus weeks of games roughly) Hoover sucked. Jumbo is demoted to minors, Hoover back in and bad again, Cingrani more like Cingran-no. Now all the hype is on Caleb Cotham. Who has the time and rosterbatory rituals to have the right frame of mind to roster these guys from change to change? I get that if you are in a NL-only league, it makes sense to be on the ball, but in mixed league… well, these guys are poop. I was searching for a better word, but I can’t, and poop it is. The combined ERA this year of Reds relievers in a save situation is over five. That, my friends, is not worth the stretch for the sexy total of one save as a team. Seriously, one whole save… you could have been rostering Ivan Nova and gotten the same total number so far. So anyone who likes the punishment, keep an eye on the health of Michael Lorenzen, as he could be next up. So what I am saying is: yes it’s cool and swanky to be the first guy on your fantasy block to unlock the new closer somewhere, but use common sense. If a team is a pile of dung and will kill more stats then the assist, then, well, you already know my response because this is the end of the lede and I just went over it. Stick around for some rankings, general chicanery with words on a page, and hell, maybe a whole pack of lies wrapped around stats. Cheers!
Please, blog, may I have some more?Bryan Price, always one for colorful language, should go full Tony Montana about his relievers, “Look at that, I got a junkie bullpen, mang. My bullpen is so polluted! I can’t even have a save with that bullpen. It’s so polluted!” After his Montana rant, Price could clarify who will save games in his bullpen through a string of curse words and em-effers. Yesterday, Price said they’d go to a committee. Great, maybe they can make a camel. Hoover’s out, Jumbo’s gone because his physique reminded them too much of their ERA. Caleb Cotham could see some saves, and he’s been good vs. minor leaguers, but he’s been honing his craft in the minor leagues for a while. This isn’t like a potter who needs time to hone his ashtray-making skills before hitting the big-time flea markets. Being in the minors long just means you might never achieve success in the majors. Going for Cotham is that he throws righty and he hasn’t failed yet. Then there’s Tony Cingrani, who I grabbed on Tuesday. He has been decent enough in the bullpen this year, but he’s a lefty and he blew the save yesterday in the 8th inning. Oh, and there’s Blake Wood, who is reminiscent of Jeanmar Gomez, and we know how well that turned out. *intern whispers in my ear* Seems that so far Jeanmar has worked out okay. For now, I’d own Cingrani then Cotham, but this is nigh-thurr pretty nor set in stone. Anyway, here’s what else I saw yesterday in fantasy baseball:
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2016 Team Previews: Cincinnati Reds
March 6, 2016 | Fantasy Baseball Team Previews | 23 Commentsby: M@
Welcome to the 2016 Razzball Team Previews! You’ll find everything you need to know about each team to get yourself ready for the upcoming fantasy baseball season. And I mean everything, folks. We’ve got line-ups, charts, Slurpees, lube, a guide for beginner electricians, and even a cactus! Well, that’s a lie. That’s what Jay had last year sitting in front of him. This year? Um…a little less lube? Take that as you will. But hey, we’ve got teams to preview and questions to ask, so let’s hop to it. We a very special guest for this post…Wick Terrell, to provide his take on what the team has in store this season. Now enough rambling, let’s see what 2016 holds for the Cincinnati Reds!
Please, blog, may I have some more?