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News from the Pinetar League
Pinetar League Kicks Off TPE 2007!!!
-- Posted by digger on Sunday, March 25 2007
2007 TPE DRAFT RESULTS & ANALYSIS
Recap in order of remaining payroll:
8 of 10 teams lowballed in an attempt to better position their clubs for upper tiered hitters.
$36,850 - CANADA PANTHERS (YekimTacy): Jeff Francis, Adam Harang, Aaron Cook, Brad Penny, Woody Williams, Adam Eaton.
A+ Panthers brass did what they set out to do... lead the money parade heading into Round 2 and pick up serviceable starters in the process. Harang continues to get better. Penny should provide innings if he stays healthy. The rest have potential but remain a crap shoot until they prove themselves.
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$36,710 - NEW HAVEN LEG CRAMPS (Roscoe): Ted Lilly, Kyle Lohse, Kip Wells, John Maine, Brad Thompson, Claudio Vargas.
B Roscoe is sitting pretty in 2nd for tonights round. SP's were moderately priced but nothing exceptional. Lilly should put up solid numbers this year in Chicago and could be a nice bargain first pick for under $1M. My sleeper pick here is John Maine. This kid has superstar potential written all over him. Lohse, Thompson and Vargas are longshots to remain on Roscoe's opening day roster. Kip Wells could be solid since he's not pitching for a quality ballclub.
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$36,590 - ARIZONA NORTHSTARS (Hammer): Ricky Nolasco, Anthony Reyes, Anibal Sanchez, John Patterson, Doug Davis, Russ Ortiz.
A+ Hammer lucked out getting 5 sp's he might consider keepers. Reyes has shown every indication he's ready to contribute in StL's revamped rotation. Anibal Sanchez is a star in the making. Expect good things from Patterson if he can avoid the dl. Davis should rebound after his subpar '06. If one wants to believe the rumor mill... Russ Ortiz has been reborn in his return to San Fran. 3rd position heading into tonight's OF round ... perhaps not much work to do here as the potential could be bright for this staff. Time will tell.
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$36,580 - KATY HUMINBIRDS (Humin'bird): Chris Young, Tom Gorzelanny, Noah Lowry, Jeff Suppan, Roger Clemens, Jason Marquis.
B Ooooooooh so close to drafting 3rd, HB just slipped down into 4th by $10K. Young seems to be everyone's favorite this season and his price tag is a reflection of this theory. Gorzelanny is a gamble but was probably inserted high to save bucks. Lowry & Suppan should provide quality innings while Marquis tries to rebound from the battering of '06. Clemens... well, we all know his situation. 3 contributors... 3 duds. Hum finds himself in an interesting situation from the clean up hole. He probably doesn't want to overspend in this round.... which means fine tuning payroll whole not sacrificing an OF crusher. Or does it?
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$36,530 - THE PREDATORS (Shack): Ben Sheets, Matt Morris, Mark Prior, Randy Johnson, Chad Billingsly, Oliver Perez.
B Many question marks for Shack to settle heading into free agency. Avoiding the DL and pitching effectively is the key for this veteran staff. Sheets has spectacular stuff... when healthy. Prior... when healthy... RJ... when healthy. Prior & RJ have been given plenty of rest this spring which is not necessarily good news. How long will it take them to regain their stamina to pitch quality innings in April? Morris is a veteran work horse. Billingsly & Perez will most likely be jettisoned post draft.
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$36,530 - LAS VEGAS COBRAS (Statman): Matt Cain, Tim Hudson, Josh Johnson, Greg Maddux, Randy Wolf, Mike Pelfrey.
B Stat appears to be drafting 6th even though he's in a dead payroll heat with Shack's Predators. Cain was overpriced for my liking and is iffy as of now. He has the stuff, but is he ready yet? Hudson, Maddux and a new and improved Wolf should net quality starts. Johnson is another of Florida's pet projects as their pitching farm continues to shine. Unfortunately for Stat, most Pinetar managers played the same conservative payroll game. It was pot luck and Stat slipped to 6th. What will this cagy TPE vet do tonight?
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$36,510 - BIG VALLEY HOSERS (Zig): Dave Bush, Jason Jennings, Pat Maholm, Shawn Hill, Jamie Moyer, Pedro Martinez.
B- Iffy staff that has potential. Bush appears to be a solid starter who is here to stay. Jennings had a good year in '06 but will he be able to handle the potent bats in his division? Maholm has the stuff if groomed properly and is a good bet to be on Zig's opening day roster. Moyer is a crafty vet who should do well in Philly. When was the last time Roger Clemens & Pedro Martinez were drafted for less than $2.5M in recent memory. Zig drafts deep tonight but with so many teams rubbing cash elbows right now he could be in prime position to leap frog for Pujols or Howard. Interesting to see how his rivals adjust.
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$36,120 - NORTHTOWN SCALAWAGS (Elmore): Scott Olsen, Cole Hammels, Ian Snell, Tom Glavine, Orlando Hernandez, Chan Ho Park.
C Too bad for Elmore this isn't a keeper league. He went with young unproven arms up front with Olsen, Hammels & Snell. All 3 of their teams anticipate great things ... question is when will they be ready for stardom? Glavine is a great pickup in the 4th round. If Hernandez and Chan Ho remain healthy they will be here to stay. Elmore's C grade comes from landing in 7th. Really no better or worse quality .. just tough luck landing this deep.
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$34,660 - COONHOUNDS (Alex): Jake Peavy, Freddy Garcia, Chris Capuano, Livan Hernandez, David Wells, Jason Hirsch.
C I give Alex credit for going after a front line starter (the first so far) by signing Jake Peavy. Capuano had a solid campaign last year but has struggled with his form this spring and suddenly appears as a question mark. Livan is a workhorse. Wells can't be counted on just yet and Hirsch is odd man out. As for Freddy, he could be a welcomed addition if he can stay away from deep pitch counts.
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$24,550 - PROVIDENCE G-MANIACS (Geltz): Roy Oswalt, Brandon Webb, Chris Carpenter, Barry Zito, Jon Lieber, Mike Hampton.
A+++++++ The one and only team willing to gamble... willing to sacrifice some offense to sign the cream of the NL crop.... Geltz boldly stepped forward last night and assembled an All Star staff. Oswalt, Webb, Carpenter & Zito. FANTASTIC. Darn well better be able to hit too because Geltz is guaranteed to go 10th for the remainder of Pinetar's draft. Good things will fall to this squad as league rivals stay busy jockeying for position. Sometimes moves like these backfire ... this one is looking good. NL's deep OF and 1B draft lists will provide Geltz 2 rounds worth of heavy lumber to support this staff while remaining managers keep tight budgets.
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Nice job by everyone last night. When so many managers lowball at once sometimes a few get burned. Not last night. Most teams landed some help and all lowballers are within striking distance of each other. Now is when things really start to get interesting as strategic salary cap fine tuning is of primary importance.
Pinetar Draft - Outfielders
-- Posted by digger on Sunday, March 25 2007
TPE PINETAR 2007 DRAFT - OUTFIELDERS
Surprises all around last nigth in Pinetar OF draft. Geltz proved good things come to those who wait by landing Soriano 10th. Lot's of strategies in play yesterday with mixed results. Late round teams cleaned up as managers jockeyed for tonight's top 1B sluggers.
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$33,600 - COBRAS (Statman): Edmonds, Giles, Jenkins, Encarnacion, Floyd & Wilson.
Stat wanted first crack at his 1B and it cost him. Edmonds has been banged up and is a risky first pick. Giles numbers haven't been what they used to be. Jenkins ruined a few TPE teams in '06 and will need to rebound. Encarnacion is nursing an injury this spring... if healthy, Stat gets a much needed RH bat. Cliff Floyd is fighting for time in Chicago's suddenly crowded OF. Preston Wilson could be a nice find as Cobras final selection. He'll be the everyday CF if Edmonds begins on the dl... playing in a hitters division. Statman is a savvy manager and make his adjustments. Expect some OF changes. Big time boppers will be manning this infield. Exciting draft days in store for this team as they sport a respectable cash advantage. Mission soon to be accomplished. Grade C: Too many sluggers passed over and too many injury concerns signed. All will be forgotten if this squad stays within top 2 picks going around the horn.
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$31,790 - SCALAWAGS (Elmore): Hall, Chris Young, Nady, Burke, Bautista, Milledge.
Owch. Elmore lowballed and got burned. Hall is probably the only starter who will play everyday. Young is unproven, Burke finally gets his shot.... tough tough results. Sometimes we can't control what BBM spits back when lowballing. This was one of those times. However, this group has all the makings of a good futures team. Too much sacrificed, some fa's or trades will help out. Let's see who Elmore ends up with tonight at 1B? All eyes are wondering. Pujols? Howard? Berkman? OF grade: D Just not enough pop and too much work post-draft.
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$30,730 - THE PREDATORS (Shack): Bonds, Quentin, Mench, Church, Snelling, Kemp.
Landing Bonds as Pinetar's #5 OF and moving up the cash ladder doesn't happen often. Pinetar's defending Champion worked a little magic with this move. Key here is Bonds starting 110+ games. Anything less will dissapoint Predator fans. Quentin is a star on the rise. We'll soon find out if this kid is the real deal or a player in the making. There's nothing to report on the rest of these non-starters other than to point out they do not start. Pinetar's 3rd team of 3, so far, needing OF help which has already created a high demand and dwindling prospects. Grade D
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$30,600 - HUMINBIRDS (Humin'bird): Holliday, J Jones, Winn, L Gonzalez, Roberts, Duffy.
Nice job HB. Holliday's salary just jumps off the page... and somehow this team still managed to sign 5 more starters... AND retained draft order. This is how it's supposed to look after a good night gambling. Holliday should put up mile high numbers, Jones is coming off a solid year but might get pressed for playing time. Luis Gonzalez is one of NL's most under appreciated over achievers. Winn, Roberts & Duffy provide these 'Birds with great depth. 6 for 6. Maybe not the exact players HB wanted... but, these guys should produce. Grade B+
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$29,750 - PANTHERS (Yekim'Tacy): Bay, Duncan, Murton, Sledge, Gross, Langerhans.
Bay continues to improve and is a fine first selection (overall #1). Duncan will be given every shot to prove he's an everyday player with Edmonds/Encarnacion banged up. His power numbers ruined a few era's last year. His weakness, and what will take some playing time away is his glove made of stone. Murton, Sledge, Gross & Langerhans all fighting for playing time. Yekim' will need to make some adjustments. Drafting 5th tonight leaves this squad with tough decisions. Open up the purse hoping for a big gun to drop down? Or lock the vault to move higher up Pinetar's payroll ladder? Grade C.
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$29,750 - LEG CRAMPS (Roscoe): Scott, Hawpe, Willingham, Victorino, Chavez, Clark.
If Scott and Hawpe play everday then these results will look much better than it does now. Both will have players fighting to take time away. We'll see how it plays out. Willingham hopes to at least duplicate his '06 success. Leg Cramps reserves Victorino, Chavez & Clark have very little pop. Grade B- (with potential).
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$28,480 - COONHOUNDS (Alex): A. Jones, Kearns, Green, Freel, Diaz, Logan.
Alex received a nice surprise this morning when Andruw Jones arrived as the 9th overall OF selected. This was a stunner. Way to sniff 'em out "Hounds! Jones is joined by Austin Kearns and a revitalized Shawn Green. These 3 could generate 90+ homers. Freel and Diaz provide depth and rh bats. After 2 rounds, this team is beginning to gel. Grade A.
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$28,210 - HOZERS (Zig): Francouer, Dunn, Ethier, Pierre, Cameron, Tavares.
Nice job Zig. Francouer is coming off a fine year in Atlanta and he's tearing it up this spring. Many have tagged him as Atlanta's next great player to be. Add 40+ Dunn dingers and this is one heck of a 1-2 punch. Ethier is being every shot to play RF... we'll see how he does. Have no fear if he fails... Cameron and Pierre will contribute for the Hozers. Cameron is one of the NL's most exciting players to watch when he's in a grove and making diving catches. SD will be in a dog fight all season and I say this is Cameron's career year. Zig drafts deep tonight and will add more to this puzzle. So far so good. Grade A.
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$24.450 - NORTHSTARS (Hammers): Beltran, Lee, Byrnes, Griffey, Hart, Hermida.
So, this is where all the stars are hiding! Beltran and Lee! And Byrnes and Griffey! 'Stars fans are singing. If Beltran learns how to hit in Shea (.224 in '06) then he'll lead NY to the promised land. Lee will absolutely destroy pitchers Minute Maid while launching long balls in division rivals hitters parks. Pinetar's best 1-2 punch might rock 90 on their own. Throw Byrnes and Griffey into this mix and this OF is to be feared. Hammer will most likely draft no higher than 9th. Let's see what he can catch. Grade A+
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$15,960 - G-MANIACS (Geltz): Soriano, Burrell, Alou, Rowand, Lane, Finley.
Geltz shocked the Pinetar world opening night signing three $4M starters. This morning, Pinetar shocked Geltz by allowing Soriano to drop into the Maniacs lap by way of pick #10. Burrell and Alou are solid and represent one of the top 3 OF groupings. Look for Rowand's power numbers to increase during his 2nd full NL term. Notice this squads OF theme of RH hitters coupled with super stud pitchers. After only 2 rounds G-Maniacs have already become one of the favorites to win it all in '07. Expect nothing to slide past Hammer.. money is nearly all gone here... ugly picks soon to arrive at at 2B/SS/C... upside is production from 1B/3B creates a well rounded team. Who will slide to 10th tonight as teams try to leapfrog for Utley/Uggla? Grade A.
Pinetar Draft 2007 - 1B
-- Posted by digger on Sunday, March 25 2007
TPE PINETAR 2007 DRAFT - 1B
(in order of results)
COBRAS: Pujols, Saenz. Statman pulls off the perfect coup. First, he signs Pujols at BBM's max $5M. Then, Stat finds out he retained honors for top pick once again for Pinetar's 2B round. If doesn't get much better. Pujols + soon to be Utley. A modest Stat stepped up the podium and announced "My plan was to get Pujols and Utley. I had to sacrifice my backup at 1B to make sure it happened, but thats the way it goes." Nine angry managers let out a simultaneous "Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!" Great round Stat.
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SCALAWAGS: Howard, Jacobs. Can Howard exceed or at least reproduce his '06 success? We'll soon find out. This kid has exploded on the scene.. let's see if NL pitchers have figured out a way to neutralize this Philly slugger. Jacobs will improve in his 2nd full season as a starter and provides reserve pop. Great round.
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PREDATORS: Berkman, Wilson. Shack signs Berkman who continues to improve over time. He's a pure slugger playing in a kids park. It isn't a long shot to think Berkman could out produce Howard or Pujols. Stat blogged his thoughts: "Very happy to see Berkman on my roster this morning as I had him rated slightly higher than Howard. Craig Wilson makes a very good backup for him as he hits lefties well. I was surprised that he was still availalble at pick 16."
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HUMIN'BIRDS: D Lee, Nomar. Another solid round by Humin'bird who is out to prove he's here to stay. Lee is healthy and will get a ton of opportunities to shine in Chicago's new look lineup. Pinetar faithful seem to agree based on his $3,450 salary. The surprise of this round is Garciaparra falling all the way down the ladder to #16. He's easily the best #2 man heading into the regular season. Of course, he might miss 50 due to a ruptured eyelash. "I knew I'd either get Berkman or Lee with a decent backup in case of the latter. Turns out I got Lee and Nomar, so I'll take that for sure. I keep 5th place for 2B, so I'll get something worthwhile. Good round for the Humin'birds" said HB as he prepared to greet his new players. Great round Hum.
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LEG CRAMPS: Delgado, Hatteberg. Delgado gets the job done year in and year out. Expect more of the same if his hand has fully healed. He'll be anchoring the NL's toughest lineup and will produce big numbers. Not crazy about dependable OBA Hatteberg. He'll be good off the bench and occassional starter vs RHP. Any RH bat would have been a better fit. Roscoe will need to find a fill in after leaguemates begin bombarding this squad with lefties. Roscoe concurred: "After 2 off season surgeries I hope Delgado stays healthy. Don't know how long Hatteberg will last as backup." Good round.
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PANTHERS: LaRouche, Aurilia. If LaRouche duplicates last season then YekimTacy will be happy he passed on Helton. The Panthers could be primed to land a top tier 2B as a result of this move. Aurilia will see plenty of action all over the diamond and is an excellent backup. Many Pinetar managers debated LaRouche's value...
HB: "LaRoche was cheaper than I thought also. LaRoche doesn't get any respect, but at 1380k he's the steal of the 1B draft IMO."
Smiling Shack: "LaRoche the steal of the 1B draft? Especially when Fielder and Helton each went for less than $600K more? Hey , he had a great half season with some flukey stats, and he's definitely a useful platoon player, but let's not get carried away."
Yekim blasted back: "I suppose you are basing all this on the 2007 stats from your magic spreadsheet? :)
I'm happy going by last years stats. Sure Fielder may explode, Helton may be back to his old form, LaRoache will be a flash in the Pan, Aurilia will go to Mars...
anything can happen, I based it on who I thought could do well, I am sorry maybe I ranked Aurilia 6 (right after LaRoche) and Nomah 7 .. but I was thinking that if something happens to the other old guys in the SFO IF ... well a bit of utility dont hurt. btw, platoon was my idea , thats why Aurilia and Nomar were up there .. to raise their salaries a bit and for their LHP stats."
Check out the continuing saga on TPE Pinetar Rocks 2007 DC thread.
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COONHOUNDS: Fielder, Looney. Another manager passes on Helton for younger blood. Fielder appears to be a star on the rise but most have better plate discipline before pitchers figure him out. At the very least he should put up similar numbers again this year for Alex's ballclub. Looney is a player in waiting for LA, and he's only a Nomar injury away from getting his shot. Good round drafting 7th.
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HOZERS: Helton, Thurman. Zig cashes in big time as Helton falls into his lap at #8 at a bargain price. If TH bounces back anywhere near his pre '05 numbers he'll be the steal of this round. Thurman will get his chance to play everyday in Atlanta. Nice job.
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NORTHSTARS: C. Jackson, D. Young. Interesting combination by Hammer. The jury is still out on this one. Jackson is a fine 9th pick but has yet to prove himself. Will this be his breakout season? Dmitri Young has virtually locked up the starting nod in Washington while NickedUp Johnson watches from the infirmary. Young could very well end up starting most games at 1B if Hammer doesn't trade up. He'll put up fine numbers and is always a threat at the dish. Fine round.
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G-MANIACS: A. Gonzalez, N. Johnson. Another solid addition to Geltz's cash strapped team. A.G. had a fine '06 and will do the same for G's. Johnson might not be around for long due to begining this season on the dl. And, could lose his job when Youngs tears up the NL East. All in all, another solid showing by the team many scoffed for breaking his bank in round one. So far, this is the most well rounded team in the league.... let's see who he can snag next? Way to go Geltz.
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2nd Base results soon to follow..
Stay tuned and follow all the action on The Pinetar Experience and BBM's DC. Don't forget to visit The Pinetar Store.
Pinetar 2B Draft
-- Posted by digger on Sunday, March 25 2007
TPE PINETAR DRAFT 2007 - 2B
The Cobras cashed in one again. Joining Pujols on the right side will be Utley... primed for another gigantic season. There were a few surprises as teams jockeyed for draft positioning... including Kent & Durham going 9th/10th respectively. You know what that means folks. G-Maniacs pull off another fine catch!
(in order of results)
COBRAS: Utley, Belliard. Perfect combo. Utley will play for as long as appearences remain. Belliard is a solid (starting) backup for "just in case" situations. Rest easy Pinetar... this team has finally dropped out of slot #1. Man o man did they clean up. Who's next?
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PANTHERS: Hudson, DeRosa. Yekim'Tacy over paid here for Hudson while bypassing Uggla, Kent & Durham. Hudson is a fine player but does not bring the big stick like the before mentioned. DeRosa is interesting. He's a solid line drive hitter who will probably tear up Wrigley field. Nice combination, just a bit pricey and passed over better OPS players valued at same dough.
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SCALAWAGS: Giles, Lopez. Elmore wanted to move up the draft ladder and let pricey playes keep walking. Giles Bros in SD might be the right formula pushing each other back to prior season numbers. Only problem is "the juice" is now outlawed. Who knows what to expect... we'll soon find out. Lopez is a nice deep pickup but probably just a bit more than Scalawags wanted to spend ($830).
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LEG CRAMPS: Uggla, Theriot. Uggla was a nice find batting cleanup. Sophmore jinx? Roscoe hoping this isn't the case. Uggla turned heads in '06 beginning the year on fire. Nice pickup here. Theriot (if he makes the big club) will play sparingly barring injuries. May not be of any value here. Good round.
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HUMINBIRDS: Phillips, Valentin. Katy's club comes thru again. Phillips will have another fine year. Valentin will need to prove he's worthy of being NY's everyday 2B. He showed some spunk last year after taking over the starting job. Could be a valuable pickup and strong reserve for manager HB. Also passed over Kent/Durham in a cost cutting move. Good job.
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PREDATORS: Johnson, Biggio. $1050 on 2 players moved Shack from 6th to 1st for next round. Nice job in moving up.. but, at what cost? Johnson takes over for Giles in Atlanta. Unproven, with potential. He'll need to prove himself quickly as he's of no trade value at this moment. Biggio is a fine veteran backup in the twilight of his career. I expect a 20 - 30 point BA increase this season which could give him the starting nod here. Predators control their own destiny for the next two rounds. All eyes on Shack.
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COONHOUNDS: Weeks, Matsui. Not a fan of this over priced combo. Weeks cost a bit much (2160) .. Alex was in range to grab a better contributor and couldn't do it (perhaps due to cap restraints). Matsui has been a bust on both sides of the diamond ever since the Mets bought him from Japan. Sorry 'Hounds... could have had much better or spent less for the same.
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HOZERS: F. Sanchez, Carroll. Sanchez enjoyed a fine 2006. Hozers lucked out getting him this deep with a reasonable price tag. If he continues his hitting ways... then a big addition has landed here. If not, Zig will be wishing he drafted Kent or Durham. Good round.
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NORTHSTARS: Kent, Kennedy. Hammer must love playing BBM for a number of reasons. One must be from receiving so many draft gifts each year. Welcome Jeff Kent 9th! Nice snag and gamble with keeping your caps open knowing full well someone could be had. Kent will have a big year for LA. He's back. Kennedy will fill in when necessary but will lack LH appearances. Nice job.
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(drum rolllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll)
G-MANIACS: Durham, Miles. Geltz just keeps lucking out. First he nails down perhaps the best rotation in BBM on paper with Webb, Carpenter, Oswalt & Zito. Then Soriano finds his way to slot 10. Then caught Burrell and Alou with 20th/30th picks. Now Durham! Miles will bring plenty of stats vs lhp. Excellent round.
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Short Stops up next. Who will shoot for the stars? Who goes light gearing up for 3B?
TPE's premier league....... PINETAR... welcomes all visitors to chime in and chat it up. Non-stop action on BBM DC Pinetar thread. Soon to break 300 posts.
Pinetar Draft - The Short Stop Round
-- Posted by digger on Sunday, March 25 2007
TPE PINETAR 2007 DRAFT - SS
Pinetar gifts were handed out last night as a few managers fought hard for higher Thursday 3B draft positioning. National League Short Stop position showcases a few stars on the rise and notable veterans. This years SS All Star nomination race has never had so much talent. We all know talent may also mean biting off more than one wants to chew in BBM dollars.
"Hindsight" rang bells this morning for a few managers. A feat not often witnessed in this league of leagues. Last night's showdown:
PREDATORS: Greene, Gonzalez. Shack was intent on holding onto his top slot for 3b so Greene comes in at #1. He'll need to show some consistency if he wants to play on this team. Personally, I expect Gonzalez to have a sensational year in Cincy. Big numbers await. Could be the best $100K position player of the year. Predators were outmanuevered by the Scalawags and end up with pick #2. It was a big price to pay though. Shack could have had one of the top SS's and remained within top 4 at 3B. Tough call... not sure if it was worth the price paid in box scores to come. HFA could be dicey with this middle info 2B/SS combo especially if Gonzo turns out to be a bust.
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SCALAWAGS: Vizquel, Eckstein. Elmore takes the reigns tonight after getting lightweight power/xbh but good ba's and values. Vizquel has had a steady career and keeps on rolling. More of the same again in '07 and his stellar D is always a welcomed addition to any ball club. Eckstein the sparkplug will share playing time when hot. I would have found it difficult to pass up such a great opportunity here for Rollins, Reyes or Ramirez while remaining within top 4 slots tonight. Then again, this isn't my team.. I got demoted out of Phoenix last season... so readers beware. Scalawags call the shots with pick of 3B litter. News flash from Elmore's office: "That part of 'this draft is going as planned', just went out the window. Lowered my cap my a measly 100k and this is what happens (missed my intended target by 50k). Hindsight 's a beautiful thing."
Mgr Alex disagreed: "I thought yesterday the Scalawags were winning the draft and now I think they have for sure. Nice job Elmore"
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HUMINBIRDS: Furcal, Everett. HB adds another team oriented player with xbh potential. Furcal has averaged around 30/10/12 the past few years and brings speed. Good value pick as Reyes/Rollins were pricier and all 3 might put up similar numbers. This move paid off with 'Birds batting cleanup tonight vs at least 2 slots lower had he gone another direction. Shrewd round. News flash: Furcal sprained his ankled today after celebrating his new Katy Huminbird contract. Will HB fine him?
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PANTHERS: Reyes, Callaspo. Panthers sign one of MLB's most exciting players in Reyes. He's a star on the rize with no limit in sight. He does it all on offense with a mixed and plentiful assortment of doubles, triples, homers and swipes. He appears to be free of prior early career injury problems and will set the tables for Canada & NY's Championship dreams. Great round.
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COONHOUNDS: Rollins, Izturis. Jimmy Rollins is a 'Hound landing here with pick number five. Nice catch Alex. His bat will be needed and a solid 3B compliment tonight will add stability. Sporting a career .981 fielding % is a bonus. It's anyone's guess which 3B comes this way tonight. Zimmerman? Wright? Rolen? Atkins?
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LEG CRAMPS: Wilson, Guzman. Heading into last night's round Roscoe wanted to move up. He went with a value pick in Wilson ($610) and now picks 3rd. Wilson's value is right on for his numbers... low. If he can come close to '04s 201 hit season then this is a steal. Don't expect much from Guzman except for a spot start here or there on this club. Jury is out, but mission accomplished ... HUGE 3B bat to Cramps tonight.
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HOZERS: Ramirez, Martinez. Nice snag. Here's another in the long list of former Red Sox players who will haunt them. Ramirez was the difference for Florida last year earning him NL RoTY. He tweaked his groin yesterday (bad timing) and is expected to make a full recovery. He's only going to get better and will soon become one of the games best. He does it all too from xbh's to swipes. No wonder Miami finally opened up their checkbooks for a new stadium. Hindsight might haunt a few who let this guy pass by.
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COBRAS: Drew, Hardy. Shack sidewinded: "I was shocked that Drew cost me 3.5M. I expected something around 2.7 or 2.8. I actually thought there would be significant salary dumping this round and I set my cap at 10M just in case 2 top SS came my way. Alas...wasn't to be. Had I gone cheap...I could have snagged a top 4 3B. Hindsight is wonderful, is it not?" Stat just wrapped up his own analysis. If Drew is lives up to his hyped billing... then no need to fear. Hardy hasn't delivered yet and is another who arrived with top billing. One of two needs to do something or "I knew it" might echo.
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NORTHSTARS: Renteria, Counsell. Hammer's offense will produce. Renteria slides all the way down to 9th. He's been inconsistent of late so we'll see which version shows up for '07 action. All in all a find at #9 while grasping to hold onto his $7.05M lead over tenth place G-Maniacs. Hammer was quick to boast of his team so far: "Well, great minds were thinking alike- I capped at 9 million expecting Reyes, Rollins or Furcal to fall + snagging either Renteria or Drew.... For drafting #9, ending up with Jackson, Kent, and Renteria plus real backups, I can't complain about my strategy at all. And, the production I'll get from this bunch is far better than I would have expected from the 9 hole." Nice job 'Stars. Drafting deep and snagging solid contributors. The question on everyone's mind is how long before your first trade? More help on the way tonight. Nice round.
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G-MANIACS: Tulowitzki, Quintanilla. Quickly, say "Tulowitzki Quintanilla" 5 times really quickly. Well, the luck ran out this round and Geltz cash reserves will drop below $10M threshold this evening. Local papers headlined "DEEP IN THE HOLE" to which Geltz quickly replied: "That was the best and most appropriate headline I've ever had in BBM. I actually think my salary situation will be okay. I'll probably finish the draft in the 4 million range. I believe that is more than what I finished with last season after the FA frenzy." SS could spell a big problem for this squad of the rookie faulters.
--
There you have it baseball fans. TPE Pinetar heads into their final infield round tonight - Third Base. Good solid proven players and young blossoming talent will fill rosters tonight. The question of the day is "Who will be drafted first?" Stay tuned!
Pinetar Draft - Hot Corner & Infield Analysis
-- Posted by digger on Sunday, March 25 2007
TPE PINETAR 2007 DRAFT:
INFIELD RECAP
NL's hot corner closed out the final infield postion draft round last evening. No major surprises here as the heavy lumber was snagged one by one. Here's a look at where they landed and team by team infield analysis. Tonight, Pinetar drafts Catchers. Only a few will be worthy of large price tags. Some teams could overspend for lucky-to-hit .240 backstops. Buyers beware.
(in order of remaining cash)
$19,330 - LEG CRAMPS: Atkins, Helms. Nice 1-2 punch of power and bench depth. Atkins should prosper once again in Colorado and Helms will be given the every day duties in Philly. Both could pop 30 round trippers.
Around the Horn: Delgado, Uggla, Wilson, Atkins. If Wilson hits then Roscoe will cash in as power will be supplied by the others. Tough group will produce. B
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$18.690 - SCALAWAGS: Cabrera, Kouzmanoff. Cabrera seems to be everyone's favorite NL corner man this year. He won't disappoint as his number continue to improve. He has Hall of Fame written all over him.
From Right to Left: Howard, Giles, Vizquel, Cabrera. Big guns man the corners but a bit weak up the middle. Giles needs to return to his old self for these 4 to gel. Vizquel can be counted on for .280 and his signing was key to landing Cabrera. B
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$18,600 - PREDATORS: Wright, Baker. Wright put up big number in spite of a horrid September stretch run. Hopefully, maturity of playing thru pennant races has him prepared for end of year heroics in '07. He's a star on the rise. Shack is ready for action: "3B worked out perfectly. Got the man I wanted in Wright at a lesser price than Cabrera, snagged my second pick target in Jeff Baker, and stayed in position for a top 3 catcher! I had Wright ranked just slightly ahead of Cabrera, but the difference was negligible and I would have been pleased with either. Baker should give me some OF depth as well as backing up 1B and 3B, and hitting lefties well. Very pleased to be picking among the top 3 at catcher as there is a big dropoff after those guys. The offensive portion of the draft couldn't have gone better as I ended up with Berkman, Wright, Bonds, and one of the top 3 catchers, as well as some nice platoon players and supporting cast mixed in.... "
On the Prowl: Berkman, Johnson/Biggio, Greene, Wright. Tough cornermen will put up huge numbers. Pretty weak up the middle as it reads on paper right now. C+
--
$17,690 - HUMINBIRDS: Ramirez, Betemit. Ramirez slid down a few notches and HB was there waiting. Question is, which Ramirez will show up? He'll have every opportunity to thrive in Chicago's new look lineup. Betemit could be a nice backup if he hits.
Worm Hunters: Lee, Phillips, Furcal, Ramirez. Fine front four and depth with Nomar, Valentin & Betemit flapping their wings chirping for playing time. Fine hitters as reserves can swing close games. Deep rounds. B+
--
$17,610 - HOZERS: Zimmerman, Lamb. Zim Zig's. This kid is on the rise. Only RFK holds him back from eye popping numbers. He hits everything hard... let's see if he can avoid the sophmore jinx. Expect more of the same again in '07. Lamb is versatile off the bench but will lack lh stats. Drafting from the middle of the pack tonight could bring an overpriced weak hitter.
Making Mud: Helton, Sanchez, Ramirez, Zimmerman. Helton could be a $teal if he regains his dominating plate presence by racking up eye popping numbers (2 years removed - roids?). Sanchez turned heads in '06 and the BoSox can add Ramirez' name to their historic list of traded stars. Very solid group. Helton needs to hit 45 2b/30hr. B
--
$17,510 - PANTHERS: Chipper, Feliz. I like this combo. Chipper will be Chipper provide he stays away from the dl. Feliz is a nice backup and might see limited action at LF/1B. Look for his ba to jump 20+ points this season and will fill in regularly for YekimTacy.
Catnip: LaRouche/Aurilia, Hudson, Reyes, Chipper. Reyes leads the way and will have another tremendous season. His early career hammy problems are a distant memory. Question marks everywhere else beginning at 1B. Hudson should be steady at 2B but not spectacular for his $3M+ price tag. If Chipper is healthy then this team will play tough games. Tough matchup vs opponents infields. Grade C-
--
$17,460 - COONHOUNDS: Rolen, Castillo. Rolen is a big addition to a squad thristy for power. This former top 3 BBM ranked player came at a bargain price of $2.45M. Castillo was just relegated to bench patrol but figures to see plenty of action this year filling in at multiple positions. Always a nice luxury when scrabling to fill lineup holes.
Release the 'Hounds: Fielder, Weeks, Rollins, Rolen. Strong left side, weak right side. Weeks came at a hefty price... not worth if for less than average production. Fielder was the best of what's left type of pickup. Rollins and Rolen will do just fine. C
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$17,350 - COBRAS: Ensberg, Aybar. Stat summed it up best: "I suspected I would have a choice of Ensberg or Tracy. For me the choice was pretty easy. Ensberg hits lefties better and has a much better ob%. Ensberg was also on his way to a nice season last year before shoulder problems came up. He was definitely worth the risk. I have a hard time figuring out Tracy. Of course I thought there was a slight chance that Chipper dropped if a couple of teams were scared of the injury issues... I figure to compete for the title a team need at least 2 or 3 players to outplay their draft position/salary For me, that means at least I need Ensberg and either Edmonds or Giles to put up good seasons or I could be in trouble." Have no fears of trouble with this infield:
Venom Kills: Pujols, Utley, Drew, Ensberg. This crew will leave opposing pitchers snakebit. Even if Ensberg's ba suffers, all Stat needs is for him to play every day. This foresome has the potential to easily surpass 130+ dingers. Pop in every slot. A+
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$15,670 - NORTHSTARS: Tracy, Boone. Tracy will get the job done and brings steady numbers. Boone will see some time filling in at various positions if he makes the cut in Florida. This is the classic best of what's left pickup as few options remained.
Star Gazing: Jackson/Young, Kent, Renteria, Tracy. It's an anything can happen infield with big upside potential if all the pieces fall into place. Hammer loves to wheel and deal every year so he could already be thinking of other options. C- with B+ capabilities.
--
$9,410 - G-MANIACS: Encarnacion, Bell. Encarnacion has some pop and arrives as Pinetar's 3B bargain ($510). However, his D could be very costly in one run games. Bell can be found in Mezzanine section 349-359 selling Bud. All tips welcomed.
Cookoo's Nest: Gonzalez, Durham, Tulowitzki, Encarnacion. Consistent right side, potential train wreck waiting to happen from the left. Geltz locked up 10th slot from day one. He made the most of it getting surprise after surprise... but, the luck ran out at SS. Not much money leftover so the Maniacs will need these guys to stay injury free. Grade D
--
Only two days remain in TPE Pinetar Draft 2007.
Pinetar Draft - Backstops
-- Posted by digger on Sunday, March 25 2007
TPE PINETAR DRAFT 2007 - CATCHERS
$16,810 - COONHOUNDS: Ross, Montero, Doumit. Ross (7th) slugged at a .575 clip in limited action last year. He'll be sharing duties with Valentin in Cincy and will need to begin the year on fire to earn continued playing time. Good pick out of the 7 hole especially if he goes deep again in '07. Doumit was once Pittsburgh's future star catcher. He'll get a few chances this year. Arizona consistently juggles its' backstops... Montero gets his chance. Interesting trio.
--
$15,540 - HUMINBIRDS: Ianetta, Schneider, Torrealba. Unproven Ianetta seemed to be a favorite amoung managers. Colorado is a great ballpark for rooks' to overcome their jitters. Hum lands him in the cleanup slot. Nice trio with Schneider starting most games in Washington and Torrealba serves as Ianetta's natural fill-in.
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$15,050 - COBRAS: Paulino, Barajas, Blanco. Stat may end liking his second round pick (Barajas) better than his first. CBP should suit Barajas just fine as he surpasses the 20 hr plateau. Paulino impressed last year but lacks xbh ability and is way overpriced for my liking. Blanco will probably be waived in favor of a free agent replacement.
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$14,860 - SCALAWAGS: Bard, Molina, Ruiz. Elmore cashes in with both Bard & Molina. Bard enters his first year as an opening day catcher. Molina will see plenty of opportunities in SF. Both should help this squad. Solid round.
--
$14,520 - PANTHERS: Estrada, Snyder, Ausmus. Panthers pick up dependable Estrada (6th) who figures to flirt with .300+ all year long. Snyder has shown occassional pop and will split duty in Arizona. Ausmus no longer has fantasy value beyond a gapstop for incomplete lineups. Helpful round.
--
$14,230 - LEG CRAMPS: McCann, Alfonzo, Bennett. Roscoe sealed the deal and inked the NL's most sought after catcher heading into 2007... McCann. He'll fit right in and will be counted on to provide punch to New Haven's lineup. It'll be a pickem between Alfonzo & Bennett at cut time. Great pickup.
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$13,810 - PREDATORS: Barrett, Lieberthal, Miller. Shack drafted 3rd and signs dependable Barrett. Another potential Cubbie primed for a big year from the dish. Lieberthal should start his fare share of games out in LA. We'll soon find out how much gas is left this vets tank.
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$13.610 - HOZERS: Martin, Coste, Lopez. Zig picks up Martin and his heafty $3.8M sticker shock 5th. LA knows how to groom its' youngsters down on the farm and here's another one looking to make a name for himself in NL West. All signs are he's on his way. Coste showed flashed of brilliance subbing for the slumping Lieberthal last year. He may end up with fewer opportunities with Barajas in town.
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$13,420 - NORTHSTARS: DeLuca, Y Molina, Bowen. Hammer lands a solid proven veteran batting 9th by signing NY's hacking backstop LoDuca. He puts the ball into play more often than not... let's see if they find holes in opposing D's this year. Molina can be a nice 2nd stringer if he learns to handle mlb pitching for a batters box.
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$8,600 - G-MANIACS: Olivo, Valentin, Treanor. Interesting group here for the cash strapped Maniacs. Olivo is a steal if he repeats '06 numbers. Valentin will get his share of ab's and perhaps a few 1B starts. Treanor backs up Olivo but will probably get cut. Good value by spending only $810. If Olivo hits he'll be a welcomed addition to an offense in search of more power.
--
Tonight is the final round of Pinetar's 2007 Draft. No review will be offered on rp's. Final pre-season review and predictions will be completed before opening day April 20th after managers have fine tuned their squads.
Pinetar Wheels & Deals!
-- Posted by Digger on Monday, April 10 2006
Pinetar's free agent frenzy continues.....
SIGNINGS:
4/9
Tsunami signed RP Gary Majewski, WAS for $1,034K
Predators signed RP Juan Cruz, ARI for $215K
Cocaleros signed RP Brian Sweeney, SDG for $102K
Bluz signed RP Felix Rodriguez, WAS for $126K
Circus signed RP Adam Wainwright, STL for $269K
NorthStars signed SS Jason Smith, COL for $469K
4/8
Leg Cramps signed C David Ross, SDG for $150K
Predators signed RP Scott Williamson, CHN for $281K
Cocaleros signed RP Chad Bradford, NYM for $105K
NorthStars signed SP Brian Bannister, NYM RHP for $469K
Tsunami signed RP Bradley Thompson, STL for $992K
Cobras signed RP Brandon Lyon, ARI for $219K
Bluz signed C Ryan Doumit, PIT for $1,826K
G-Maniacs signed RP Lance Cormier, ATL for $145K
4/7
Predators signed OF Terrmel Sledge, SDG for $261K
G-Maniacs signed SP Kyle Davies, ATL RHP for $443K
NorthStars signed RP Yhency Brazoban, LAD for $369K
Cobras signed SP Brandon Backe, HOU RHP for $255K
Bluz signed RP Jason Bergmann, WAS for $326K
Circus signed RP Jon Rauch, WAS for $229K
Near misses:
4/9
G-Maniacs lost claim on SS Jason Smith, COL for $189K
Leg Cramps lost claim on SS Jason Smith, COL for $255K
Cobras lost claim on SS Jason Smith, COL for $313K
4/7
Leg Cramps lost claim on RP Jason Bergmann, WAS for $125K
Cocaleros lost claim on RP Yhency Brazoban, LAD for $105K
TRADES:
4/10
Leg Cramps acquired SP Jeff Suppan, STL RHP, SS Jason Smith, COL from NorthStars for SP Pedro Martinez, NYM RHP, 2B Marlon Anderson, WAS and $2,561,000
4/9
Leg Cramps acquired RP Luis Vizcaino, ARI and $380,000 from Predators for OF Brian Jordan, ATL
2006 Draft Complete! Free Agent Frenzy Begins!
-- Posted by Digger on Thursday, April 6 2006
Welcome to TPE Pinetar 2006! Once again TPE's top league held a highly contested draft displaying their war room talents.
Now it's time for Pinetar managers to attack the free agent field looking for additional help. Plenty of big stars went undrafted. Here's a look at Pinetar's first four days of transactions:
4/2/06
Tsunami signed Brazelton (SP).
Predators signed Sheets (SP).
Leg Cramps signed C Lee (OF).
Scalawags signed Schmidt (SP).
NorthStars signed Burrell (OF).
Bluz signed A Jones (OF).
Circus signed B Giles (OF).
4/3/06
Predators signed SP Tim Hudson, ATL RHP for $3,025K
Bluz signed C Mike Piazza, SDG for $5,000K
Scalawags signed 2B Anderson Hernandez, NYM for $100K
Circus signed SP John Patterson, WAS RHP for $3,563K
G-Maniacs signed SP Jake Peavy, SDG RHP for $5,000K
NorthStars signed SS Rafael Furcal, LAD for $5,000K
Tsunami signed RP Eric Gagne, LAD for $256K
Cobras signed OF Jim Edmonds, STL for $5,000K
4/4/06
Bluz signed RP Josh Johnson, FLA for $226K
Circus signed 1B Adrian Gonzalez, SDG for $259K
NorthStars signed SP Ryan Madson, PHI RHP for $1,327K
G-Maniacs signed SP Andy Pettitte, HOU LHP for $5,000K
Cocaleros signed 2B Aaron Miles, STL for $457K
Leg Cramps signed RP Jeremy Accardo, SFO for $150K
Cobras signed SP Chris Carpenter, STL RHP for $5,000K
Predators signed SP Scott Olsen, FLA LHP for $417K
4/5/06
Bluz signed SP Carlos Zambrano, CHN RHP for $3,626K
Leg Cramps signed SP Ryan Franklin, PHI RHP for $275K
NorthStars signed SP Gavin Floyd, PHI RHP for $788K
Cocaleros signed RP Danys Baez, LAD for $1,702K
Circus signed RP Chuck H James, ATL for $109K
Cobras signed SS Clint Barmes, COL for $3,007K
Tsunami signed SP Jeff Francis, COL LHP for $112K
Near misses:
4/5
Predators lost claim on SP Gavin Floyd, PHI RHP for $277K
G-Maniacs lost claim on SP Carlos Zambrano, CHN RHP for $3,600K
4/4
Scalawags lost claim on SP Ryan Madson, PHI RHP for $222K
Tsunami lost claim on 1B Adrian Gonzalez, SDG for $110K
4/3
Cocaleros lost claim on SP John Patterson, WAS RHP for $3,222K
Pinetar's intensity is turned way up. Teams are getting stronger. 2006 will be a furious fight to the finish!
Tsunami Closes in on #1 BBM Strength Ranking!
-- Posted by Digger on Wednesday, May 4 2005
Pinetar's Toronto Tsunami, led by Manager of the Month (April) Cocky, are currently ranked #7 in BBM's NL League Strength index as of 5/4/05.
Toronto, winners of 5 straight, send Carlos Zambrano (1-1) to the hill tonight vs The Predators Matt Morris (0-0).
April 2005 Pinetar Manager of the Month is..........
-- Posted by Digger on Monday, May 2 2005
April MOTM votes have been collected & counted. 5 different members received votes from league peers. And the winner is.........
Toronto Tsunami Highlights:
- April record of 7-3
- Chipper Jones .452 led all April batters
- Victor Santos 1.06 era
- Pinetar best +14 Run Differential
- League leading (low) 30 runs scored against (tied)
- 44 Runs Scored (2nd)
Congratulations Cocky!
Pinetar Highlights: April 2005
-- Posted by Digger on Sunday, May 1 2005
Toronto Tsunami, behind Cocky's leadership and Chipper Jones bat (.452), has taken sole possession of first place (7-3) as April is now in the books. Team W L GB PCT 1-Run +/- $ Toronto 7 3 - .700 1-1 14 $3755 Mesa 6 4 1 .600 4-2 9 $318 Providence 6 4 1 .600 2-1 -3 $1808 Northtown 5 5 2 .500 0-1 7 $3623 Predators 5 5 2 .500 2-2 4 $4059 Redondo Bch 5 5 2 .500 0-0 -1 $2613 New Haven 5 5 2 .500 1-2 -4 $6300 Girlie Men 4 6 3 .400 2-1 -7 $5417 BoyZ 4 6 3 .400 2-1 -10 $2110 Houston 3 7 4 .300 2-5 -9 $5423 Player(Team) BA C.Jones (Tor) .452 Delgado (Pre) .421 D. Lee (Mes) .395 Floyd (Blu) .389 Glaus (Nor) .375 Player(Team) HR Branyan (Pre) 5 Floyd (Blu) 4 5 tied 3 Player(Team) W Od. Perez (Blu) 2 Patterson (NH) 2 Burnett (NH) 2 Lowe (Mes) 2 Obermueller (GM) 2 Bernero (Nor) 2 Player (Team) ERA Patterson (NH) 0.00 Prior (Pre) 0.00 Beckett (Red) 0.64 Hampton (Nor) 0.64 Clemens (Pro) 0.64
Pinetar Battles!
-- Posted by Digger on Friday, April 29 2005
Ten teams separated by two games! Pinetar's April battle marches forward. Four teams from different corners of the map (Northtown, Mesa, Toronto, Providence) are tied for first with 8 games in the books at 5-3. The Predators and Redondo Bch are locked in at 4-4 while the remaining four squads (BoyZ, New Haven, Houston, Girlie) are hanging tough at 3-5.
Stay tuned.... the battle has just begun!
Trading Places
-- Posted by Digger on Thursday, April 28 2005
The Predators and New Haven Leg Cramps swapped starting pitchers. Brandon Webb is Shack's newest addition to his star studded rotation. Prior, Smoltz & Webb will put pressure on opposing hitters. Lieber, Morris & Myers leave the Predators with many options.
New Haven also scored big in this trade. Roscoe now has a well balanced rotation featuring Patterson, Redman, Burnett & Fogg. Both teams received upgrades. Rumors have been circulating predicting this trade will do wonders for attendance figures.
Elmore & Hammer Sweep Up!
-- Posted by Digger on Monday, April 25 2005
Elmore's Northtown Scalawags and Hammer's Mesa NorthStars kicked off their 2005 campaign in stellar style.
Northtown gave their hometown fans plenty to cheer about as they swept Girlie Men convincingly by scores of 5-2, 4-1, 7-2. Scalawag pitchers are the early season ERA leaders by posting a stingy 1.19 mark. Girlie Men team owner Robert Fabrini, who recently returned from his European adventures, was reached for comment before he departed for DC to watch the Washington Nationals. "I am going out on a limb with this prediction: the Girlie Men will win a few games this season. Don't ask me how many. Right now they are playing like, well, girlie men."
2004 Phoenix Champion Hammer took his newly relocated Mesa NorthStars on the road to New Haven where they tripped up the Leg Cramps (2-1, 4-3, 10-4). Three straight victories didn't keep Hammer from executing a trade, leaving behind Rafael Furcal and Esteban Loaiza in New Haven. Khalil Green and Chris Carpenter find themselves heading west. After learning of this trade, Grand Poobah Humin'bird was quick to chime in: "Some things never change I see. You guys gotta watch this Hammer character. He makes a trade everyday :)"
Opening Day Matchups, Pinetar Style!
-- Posted by Digger on Thursday, April 21 2005
Pinetar 2005 is ready to begin. Here's a look at opening day assignments:
Tsunami (*Kip Wells*) at Panthers (Jake Peavy)
Predators (*John Smoltz*) at Cobras (Roger Clemens)
Girlie Men (*Jason Schmidt*) at Scalawags (Roy Oswalt)
NorthStars (Derek Lowe) at Leg Cramps (A.J. Burnett)
Rank&Vile (Brad Halsey) at Bluz (Odalis Perez)
(** = live game)
Pinetar League Ready to Rock!
-- Posted by Digger on Wednesday, April 20 2005
Team SP RP INF OF Total Predators 8t 10 9 6 33 Cobras 9 7 10 5 31 NorthStars 4 6 6 8 24 Scalawags 10 2 9 2 23 Girlie Men 8t 10 1 4 23 Bluz 3 6 3 9 21 Leg Cramps 2 4 5 10 21 Rank&Vile 6t 3 5 4 18 Panthers 6t 2 2 7 17 Tsunami 1 8 7 1 17
Predicted order of finish [() = Pinetar Manager Votes]:
1) Predators (2)
2) Cobras (3)
3) NorthStars (1)
4) Scalawags (4t)
5) Bluz (4t)
6) Leg Cramps (6)
7) Panthers (8)
8) Rank&Vile (9)
9) Tsunami (7)
10)Girlie Men (10)
The battle is set to begin. Pinetar Rocks 2005!
Digger
Pitchers Targeted on Day 3!
-- Posted by Digger on Saturday, April 2 2005
Pinetar managers continued their free agent feast last night as pitchers took center stage. Toronto was the budget buster by signing Zambrano to a $5M contract. Ocean Spray Field fans must be happy with Tsunami going after a front line starter. The Predators were in the hunt by matching Toronto's offer only to be rebuked by the league office.
Mark Mulder will join Roger Clemens and Ben Sheets in Providence as Statman's Cobra's finalized their tough 5 man rotation.
Signings figure to toughen up over the next few days with fewer key contributors available outside of relievers.
Free Agent signings, Day 3:
Mark Mulder, $1.625, Providence
Joey Eischen, $183K, Redondo Beach
Chris Carpenter, $2.6M, New Haven
Jerome Williams, $1.464, Mesa
Carlos Zambrano, $5M, Toronto
Terry Adams, $226K, BoyZ
Gary Bennett, $110K, Girlie
Gavin Floyd, $250K, Houston
Just missed:
Predators, Zambrano
Northtown, Carpenter
Big Spenders Highlight 2nd Day of FA Bids!
-- Posted by Digger on Friday, April 1 2005
Free Agent wars continued last night as Pinetar managers went all out to sign their coveted players. Three players walked away with the maximum cap salaries of $5,000,000.00 each.
Providence and Northtown, both shut out on opening night, secured the services of 2004 sensations Ben Sheets (P) and Roy Oswalt (N). Both pitchers will be counted on to lead the way in '05. Statman out bid both Shack and Roscoe for Sheets while avoiding missing out for the second straight day.
Mesa outbid Redondo Beach by presenting Rafael Furcal a $5,000,000.00 contract which he promptly accepted.
Day 2 acquisitions:
Ben Sheets, $5M, Providence
Greg Maddux, $1.25M, Girlie Men
Rafael Furcal, $5M, Mesa
Roy Oswalt, $5M, Northtown
Odalis Perez, $3.626, BoyZ
Chris Burke, $206, Toronto
Kerry Wood, $989, Houston
Free Agent Signing Frenzy Begins!
-- Posted by Digger on Thursday, March 31 2005
Redondo Beach kicked off Pinetar's 2005 Free Agent bidding wars by signing Pedro Martinez for a cool $5,000,000.00 as Xman out bid rival Northtown by nearly $1.4M.
Free agency presents managers with the opportunity to fill the gaps created by various drafting strategies and circumstances. Many solid veteran players went undrafted and will now be targeted by Pinetar's ten slick managers.
Day One Signings:
Pedro Martinez, $5M, Redondo Beach
John Smoltz, $3.132, Predators
Yhency Brazoban, $310, Girlie Men
Brandon Webb, $1.1M, New Haven
Jeff Francis, $384, Toronto
Xaiver Nady, $1.114, Mesa
Oliver Perez, $4.214, Houston
Livan Hernandez, $2.636, BoyZ
Lost Bids:
Providence, Livan Hernandez
Northtown, Pedro Martinez
Relievers Close Out Pinetar Draft
-- Posted by Digger on Tuesday, March 29 2005
Pinetar's 2005 draft has come to conclusion. Relievers were the last to be selected. Managers strategies were all over the map as some went for stud closers while others set their sights on tough middle relievers. Then, there were those who really didn't care too much about drafting relievers as saving money was top priority.
Pinetar's top reliever selected: Mike Koplove!
The results in order of final round selections (payroll totals):
Redondo Bch Rank&Vile (Xman, $14,470): Koplove, Chate, Wheeler, Remlinger, Leicester.
Xman apparently was in the save mode here and was careful not to overspend. He'll have some work to do via free agency. No worries with nearly $15M in the bank.
Toronto Tsunami (Cocky, $12,120): Sanchez, Brower, Gryboski, Corey, King.
Cocky modestly opened his wallet trying to sign usable relievers. He may have accomplished this feat depending upon how final MLB rosters size up when teams break camp.
New Haven Leg Cramps (Roscoe, $12,450): Wise, Ginter, Christiansen, Roa, Cormier.
New Haven signs five relievers all with similiar price tags. Roscoe might get some mileage from this crew. Ginter is fighting to make the Mets. If he gets cut then he'll be heading to waivers.
BoyZ Bluz (Z, $12,270): Eldred, Worrell, Mesa, Jones, Telemaco.
Z gets 5 who will fight to survive BoyZ final roster cuts. All have had somewhat inconsistent careers. Which season will they bring to the table in '05?
Mesa NorthStars (Hammer, $12,200): Dessens, Reyes, Neal, Tucker, Dohmann.
Local Mesa sports reporters have been trying to get a scoop as to which player(s) Hammer will target for departure via trade. This was a cost saving round for Mesa. Look for many moves before this bullpen is finalized.
Houston Panthers (Lady Cat, $11,760): Carrara, Looper, Weathers, Burba, Perisho.
Lady Cat landed contributors. Carrara, Looper and Weathers should pitch in excess of 150 games this season. A solid and dependable front thee. Anything can happen with Burba and Perisho.
The Predators (Shack, $11,610): Wagner, Osuna, Moreno, Reitsma, Mecir.
The Predators were another Pinetar team who chose not to tender high paying contracts to his relief corp. This crew could work out if they all make their respective MLB clubs.
Northtown Scalawags (Elmore, $10,530): Adams, Kolb, Bottalico, Horgan, Martin.
Kolb becomes Atlanta's new closer as Smoltz returns to starting. Cost savings seems to have been the final rounds common theme. Elmore will look to boost this unit once free agency begins.
Providence Cobras (Statman, $9,720): Gagne, Hammond, Aquino, Kieschnick, Eyre.
Statman signs two closers and middle relievers. These 5 could all be serviceable heading into opening day.
Girlie Men (Fambo, $ 8,590): Lidge, Alfonseca, Graves, Mercker, Patterson.
Girlie Men clearly had the best final round of Pinetar's 2005 draft. All of these veterans will be counted on to turn out the lights vs opponents hitters. Fambo can concentrate on signing other position players. Well done.
Pinetar League managers can now sit back and take a well deserved rest... until free agency begins. Most teams will be scouring the free agent wire trying to find the perfect fit for their clubs.
2005 Baseball Manager season gets underway April 22! Pinetar's battle now shifts from the draft war room to the battlegrounds on the diamond. This is a league filled with champions and various individual award winners. 2005 will be an all out battle to the finish line. One team will be crowned Champion ... and two will be relegated for demotion. Stay tuned... Pinetar managers to predict their fate.
Catch the action all season long! Pinetar Rocks 2005!
Commissioner Digger
Three 2's Wrap Up Draft Offense!
-- Posted by Digger on Saturday, March 26 2005
Seven rounds recorded in Pinetar's draft books. Last night, managers completed their battery pairings. 2005 catchers are a tough bunch to handicap as MLB squads get ready to break camp.
Pinetar's first backstop selection: Mike Piazza!
Pinetar results (in final round draft order):
Redondo Bch Rank&Vile (Xman): Brian Schneider, Yorvit Torrealba, Todd Pratt.
Xman signs Schneider (.257, 20 2B, 12 HR) third overall for a bargain. He's been steadily improving each season which is good news for Redondo fans. Torreabla could see ample playing time as SF's backup and pinch hitter. Veteran Todd Pratt returns for another season as Philly's #2.
Xman is the current payroll leader earning his squad top pick in Pinetar's final draft round of 2005.
Toronto Tsunami (Cocky): Johnny Estrada, Chris Snyder, Humberto Cota.
Estrada had a break out season in '04. Cocky will be looking for more of the same in '05. He's a relatively young catcher who should only improve barring set backs. Niether Snyder or Cota will be regular starters for their respective squads but both will see ample action.
New Haven Leg Cramps (Roscoe): Mike Matheny, Jason Phillips, Chad Moeller.
Roscoe scoops up veteran signal caller Matheny at a bargain basement price with the 9th pick. He's never been one to turn heads in the batting cage, but he'll receive plenty of opportunities for his new team. Jason Phillips could quickly take over starting duties in LA. JP is coming off a disappointing '04. He's a pure hitter who will succeed if given the chance. Chad Moeller will be Ben Sheets personal battery mate in '05. Production at the plate can only earn him additional starts.
BoyZ Bluz (Z): Mike Piazza, Damian Miller, Koyle Hill.
Z lands newlywed Piazza to man the dish. Piazza has battled thru injuries over the past two seasons as his production dropped. However, Piazza enters this season healthy and ready to resume terrorizing NL pitchers. Damian Miller will start in Milwaukee (3rd team in 3 years) and is a solid backup should Piazza go down. Koyle Hill gets the starting nod in Arizona which offers Z plenty of depth behind the plate.
Mesa NorthStars (Hammer): Jason LaRue, Yadier Molina, Ramon Castro.
Hammer inks Jason LaRue. LaRue has been averaging 21 doubles + 14 homers since 2001. If he can cut down on his strikeout totals (111/season 01-04) then expect increased production. Molina and Castro battle it out to earn backup honors in Mesa.
Houston Panthers (Lady Cat): Paul LoDuca, Benito Santiago, Henry Blanco.
LoDuca comes to Panther Park looking to impress his new teammates. He's an excellent contact hitter who should see his AB totals increase batting in Florida's suddenly eye popping lineup. If this happens, LC should enjoy better power numbers across the board. Veteran journeyman Benito Santiago is back for another big league season. This year, he starts in Pittsburgh. LC has the luxury of an everyday starter as a backup or trade bait. Blanco will see limited action in Chicago making it tough for him to earn a spot on this roster.
The Predators (Shack): J.D. Closser, Miguel Ojeda, Javier Valentin.
Shack closed out round one by adding J.D. to his squad. Colorado's prospect will be given every opportunity to hold onto his starting job. He's struggled thus far in spring training on both sides of the field. Hopefully, this is just due to rookie jitters. Once the season begins he should settle down. Ojeda and Valentin will see plenty of AB's as backups in '05.
Girlie Men (Fambo): Mike Lieberthal, Charles Johnson, Rob Hammock.
Lieberthal was selected fourth overall. He had an off year in '04. Larry Bowa is gone from Philly which will lead to increased production from their entire lineup... including Lieberthal. CJ should see ample AB's while tutoring Closser. Hammock will begin '05 in AAA.
Providence Cobras (Statman): Michael Barrett, Todd Greene, Kelly Stinnett.
Barrett dropped all the way down to 7. Stat's signing brings another solid bat (.826 OPS) to Providence. Greene, a personal C for Jennings and Kennedy (according to espn news)? Stat will benefit if this holds true. TG is a swing for the fences type hitter who could be a solid reserve contributor. Stinnett seems to be the odd man out in Arizona which will earn him the first bus ticket out of town.
Northtown Scalawags (Elmore): Ramon Hernandez, Brad Asmus, Raul Chavez.
Scalawags welcome Ramon Hernadez to handle the catching chores. He'll provide some pop to Elmore's lineup. Avoiding injury bug bites could lead to a 25+ homer season. Asmus will spell Hernandez will needed. Chavez is of little value and will likely make way when free agency begins.
Pinetar managers all did well this round. Each has assembled fine rosters while maintaining strong payroll balances. 2005 will certainly be a season to remember.
The final draft lists for Pinetar Draft 2005 are due to be submitted this evening.
Relievers up next........
Commissioner Digger
Pinetar Rocks 3B, Two Rounds Remain!
-- Posted by Digger on Saturday, March 26 2005
BBM's 2005 3B draft list is very deep with solid starters and quality bench/backups. 3B was the first Pinetar draft night of few surprises.
Hot Corner first selection: Scott Rolen!
BoyZ Bluz (Z): Scott Rolen, David Bell.
Z targeted Scott Rolen and signed him with the leagues first pick. Rolen has been in the zone ever since he left Philadelphia. In his 2+ season's in St. Louis, Rolen posted .915/.910/1.007 OPS. BoyZ Bluz manager Z offered his 2005 draft room comments: "... and that's what makes this game so great. Opinions, gambles, projections is what it's all about. Managers who are more often right than wrong are the ones who win titles (I believe, I believe, I believe.....)." David Bell is a solid backup pickup and will contribute as a reserve on Bluz deep bench.
Z has retained the payroll lead and will have first crack at the catcher of his choice tonight.
Toronto Tsunami (Cocky): Chipper Jones, Mike Lamb.
Chipper Jones is tearing it up this spring and every indication is pointing toward another typical Chipper season. 2004 was an off year as he played with various nagging injuries. His first season playing less than 150 games & driving in less than 100 runs since 1996. Look for a big season. Mike Lamb is a good backup especially if Ensberg struggles early on. Rumor has it Lamb is shagging LF flies in practice this spring which will bring an added dimension to his game.
Nomar and Chipper in back to back rounds will provide plenty of pop for Toronto.
Redondo Bch Rank&Vile (XMan): Aramis Ramirez, Wes Helms.
XMan snags Ramirez at #2. He's a player on the rise posting monster offensive numbers. If he can cut down on his GIDP's (a new feature to this season's GRF) and play steady D, then he becomes most valuable to BBMers. Wrigley Field is the perfect home for Aramis. Those new tiny hitter's specials which decorate the NL Central will certainly give him every opportunity to crack the 40-homer plateau. Helms was a highly touted propect who has been forgotten by most outside of the Milwaukee area. He's projected to begin '05 platooning vs lhp. A nice commodity to have in BBM.
Girlie Men (Fambo): Mike Lowell, Vinny Castilla.
Mike Lowell is a Girlie Men! Mike Lowell is a Girlie Men!
Draft room guru Jim Keane inks Lowell who just does his job day in and day out on the grass. Solid glove and excellent range on defense coupled with his steady bat makes Mike a fun player to watch live. It's a long shot for Castilla to duplicate his career Coors success in DC as he hit a lowly .218 on the road on '04. GIDP and E's equals big negative coming off the bench... HR potential big positive.
Girlie Men batting cleanup tonight.
Houston Panthers (Lady Cat): Garrett Atkins, Ty Wigginton.
Lady Cat goes after Atkins from slot 8: "The moment we looked at Mr. Atkins' glossy we knew he had to be a Panther." Hmmm, does Sir Cat know LC uses photo's for her draft selections? Atkins is a gamble which could payoff handsomely for Houston. Garrett is currently hitting at a .395 clip this spring away from Colorado which is encouraging. Wigginton is steady at 3B and could see action at 2B.
50/50 as to what kind of production will be had from these two players. Downside is nothing less than just average. Both of these players could be key contributors.
Northtown Scalawags (Elmore): Troy Glaus, Sean Burroughs.
Scalawags snare Glaus with pick five. Elmore needs Glaus to stay off of the DL (missed 175 of 324 games). Glaus packs a wallop when healthy and far from his prime. Burroughs won't hurt coming off of the bench.
Will Pujols & Glaus combine for 95 or more round trippers in 2005? Time will tell.
Providence Cobras (Statman): Morgan Ensberg, Edgardo Alfonzo.
Ensberg fans are hoping for a repeat of 2003 type production. If not, Alfonzo is waiting in the wings to be Statman's starting 3B. Both will be contributors to this ball club.
Mesa NorthStars (Hammer): David Wright, Joe Valentin.
Wright's a star quickly rising. He'll provide power, D and sb ability which might make him one of the few keepers for Mesa's 2005 roster. Interesting note: Hammer has selected 3 unproven infielders (Utley, Barnes, Wright). These stars of the future, all playing side by side, will have curious eyes watching.
2004 Pinetar Nation Manager of the Year has no fear.
New Haven Leg Cramps (Roscoe): Joe Randa, Jamey Carroll.
3B power had all but vanished by the time Roscoe was on the clock. Randa, to no one's surprise, comes to New Haven cheap. Randa, to everyone's suprise, will hit 40+ 2B's and 25+ HR's this season which will make this leftover pick one of Pinetar's most valuable (provided he plays 145 games in a Cincy uni). Hopefully, the current time (2:57 a.m.) isn't playing games with my head... as surely many readers are thinking right now! Randa returns to the NL with a bang.
The Predators (Shack): Russell Branyan, Geoff Blum.
Shack was finally shut out by his league rivals last evening. 3B was a first for the Predators... no stars gracing front page headlines. Russell Branyan has displayed streaky power during the 00's. This guy desperately needs to cut down on his SO/AB ratio. Unfortunately, RB will probably begin this season platooning with Wes Helms. Geoff Blum was the last man standing and comes Predator way by default (20th). He's currently fighting for a roster spot in the majors this spring and will be hard pressed for action should he accompany the Pads to SD. An everyday player or complimentary platoon for Branyan will be needed down the road.
All in all, a productive round as managers picked up additional bats and reserve strength.
Catcher draft underway. All lists have been submitted for processing.
Next.........
Commissioner Digger
Pinetar Day 5: SS
-- Posted by Digger on Thursday, March 24 2005
Pinetar managers completed their double play combinations last evening. It's been very interesting observing lower drafting teams continuing to stock up on highly rated position players. Too many managers stayed unnecessarily cheap at SS. Personally, imho, this was the round to break the bank as 3B is loaded with talent making draft position an after thought at best.
Introducing Pinetar's first SS selection: Nomar Garciaparra!
The results and round 6 draft order:
BoyZ Bluz (Z): Royce Clayton, Rich Aurelia.
Z selected hit or miss Clayton as his starting SS with the leagues second overall pick. Royce never lived up to the hype generated throughout his career (career high 125 K's last season). If Arizona doesn't compete this season then Clayton could very well be shipped to another team. Aurelia is trying to revive his career in Cincy. He's in the right park to find his missing power stroke. While, I'm not the biggest fan of this combo... Z's Bluz can say mission accomplished as he's secured the payroll lead. Paging Scott Rolen... paging Scott Rolen.
Redondo Bch Rank&Vile (Xman): Tomas Perez, Joe McEwing.
TRAIN WRECK! Perez ($390) & McEwing ($340) is a lot to waste on two players who have no chance of starting on their respective ballclubs. Perez career OBA is .301 which offers no value as a reserve unless Rollins succumbs to injury. McEwing is a total waste and his salary will not be refunded as he just signed with KC. There were many other cheap options who could play SS. Redondo sacrificed too much just to climb one slot higher (2nd) for tonights heavily stocked 3B round. Sorry, Xman... this was a complete disaster!
Toronto Tsunami (Cocky): Nomar Garciaparra, Cristian Guzman.
Cocky has remained very disciplined and dedicated to his game plan from day one. Last night, it finally paid off with the signing of Nomar Garciaparra. One can't help feeling a little bad for Nomar. All those years of "just missing" overtaking the Yanks as a member of the cursed team from Boston. Then, he gets traded to another cursed team only to watch his former buddies dramatically reach the promised land while his new squad collapses down the stretch. Nomar will need to remain injury free (BBM's theme for 2005) to carry the offense. Guzman is a solid backup and trade bait. Xman drops 2 notches and bats third this evening.
Girlie Men (Fambo): Cesar Izturis, David Eckstein.
Fambo has been observing Pinetar's draft from "that rock in the Mediterranean called Malta".. while Toronto's GM and draft guru Jim Keane has assembled a speedy lineup to support Girlie Men's tough rotation. Izzy was signed with the rounds 4th pick and Eckstein (14th) will fill in the blanks when Cesar is not starting. While Fambo's entire roster features solid depth on both sides of the field... only one key ingredient seems to be missing... power. Batting cleanup tonight guarantees a bopper will patrol the hot corner... provided the Girlie's are willing to shell out the bucks.
Northtown Scalawags (Elmore): Omar Vizquel, Alex Gonzalez.
Omar just keeps on ticking as he brings his bag of tricks to the NL. These two are a decent combo but not great. I'm not sure if I would have targeted Omar based on how many teams remain guarding their play money. Bottom line is Vizquel will not hurt this squad and Elmore is assured a good 3B.
Mesa NorthStars (Hammer): Clint Barnes, Felip Lopez.
Hammer rolls the dice by signing unproven prospect Clint Barnes. Rocky Mountain News recently reported Barnes might become Colorado's full time lead off hitter which could add to his offensive production. Lopez is scheduled to begin '05 backing up Aurelia. I'm a little surprised Hammer (and the rest of Pinetar) didn't go after Rollins. On the flip side, this could prove to be a great cost saving pick which enables Mesa to stay in the 3B hunt. However, Utley (2B) paired along side Barnes (SS), is risky. The betting window is now accepting wagers for who? when? and how many? trades this squad executes before opening day.
Providence Cobras (Statman): Jose Reyes, Adam Everett.
I'm not a fan of this combo. Highly touted Reyes has yet to prove he can walk from the dugout to the batters box without tweaking his hammy. Expect very usable stats if he plays 130 or more games. If he doesn't, then over-priced Everett is not the answer. 50/50 on whether or not Reyes will contribute or be watching from the bench. This is a loaded lineup so the present cost cutting attempt won't derail Statman's chances.
Houston Panthers (Lady Cat); Jack Wilson, Alex Cintron.
Wilson came out of nowhere last season to rack up 201 hits, leading all NL shorties. LC needs a repeat performance to contribute to this no holes lineup. Cintron will begin '05 backing up Clayton in Arizona but will manage to get his share of AB's. Another solid round for Houston.
New Haven Leg Cramps (Roscoe): Khalil Greene, Neifi Perez.
Way to go Roscoe! Drafting 10th didn't influence this managers salary cap one bit and he was handsomely rewarded. Greene was enjoying a fine rookie campaign until the injury bug came to town effectively shutting him down. All he needs to do this season is avoid the Sophomore Jinx while continuing to impress with his diamond skills.
The Predators (Shack): Jimmy Rollins, Chris Woodward.
Shack should be sending Rolex watches to his rival managers as a thank you present for all of the gifts his team received throughout the 2005 Pinetar Draft. Jimmy Rollins lasted until pick number 9 and is now wearing Predator colors. Delgado (7th), Loretta (7th) & Rollins (9th) are gifts from above when selecting this late in the draft. Shack is sitting pretty. Who will anchor 3B for the Predators? Rolen, Ramirez, Chipper, Glaus, Lowell, Wright? Many managers will be kicking themselves for taking less than aggressive strategies.
Two rounds remain for Pinetar managers to solidify their lineups. It's been an anything can happen draft and tonight could be full of surprises once again.
Pinetar drafts 3B tonight, catchers on deck.
Next........
Commissioner Digger
Pinetar Day 4: Second Sackers
-- Posted by Digger on Wednesday, March 23 2005
Pinetar's Diamond Club has been buzzing with managers strutting their stuff as the infield draft reached its' halfway point. Typically, this is when some managers tinker with payrolls trying to climb up the draft ladder... while others wait for the stars to fall into their laps with lower picks. The second base draft has always featured overpriced weaker hitting players. Adjusting rankings accordingly has become an art form for many managers all across BBM. This is exactly what happened last night in Pinetar which featured yet another round full of surprises.
Introducing Pinetar's first 2B draft selection: Luis Gonzalez!
The results and round 5 draft order:
Toronto Tsunami (Cocky): Luis Gonzalez, Aaron Miles.
Cocky is playing the payroll game which has landed very questionable picks through round 4. Toronto passed on all of the talented 2B's to land one of the NL's weakest hitters - Miles (24 xbh in Colorado). Gonzo, Pinetar's #1 pick, is relegated to back up duty. Both have been banged up during pre-season. Toronto is surrounded by potentially potent lineups. Unless, this squad wipes up in the next couple of rounds... 2005 will not be pleasant.
BoyZ Bluz (Z): Ray Durham, Jose Castillo.
Z's Bluz and Toronto have squared off in a payroll battle for the past two rounds. Ray Durham (over priced) was signed and will be the everyday 2B provided he can stay healthy. Durham appears to be good to go... and needs to play more than his 115 game average over the past two seasons. Considering Z played the salary game.. only time will tell if this proves successful. The next two rounds are make or break for Tsunami and Bluz.
Redondo Bch Rank&Vile (Xman): D'Angelo Jimenez, Junior Spivey.
Jimenez has quietly been maturing on the diamond. Look for a few more doubles & triples added to his stat totals in '05. He only made 7 errors in 146 games at 2B last season which will can only help GRF's. Provided Jimenez remains in Cincinnati for all of this summer (4 teams in 5 seasons) he should produce adequate stats.
Girlie Men (Fambo): Luis Castillo, Placido Polanco.
Drafting from the 6th hole, it's reasonable to expect Fambo probably didn't want to pay big bucks for mediocrity. From the value catagory this round was sweet. Castillo brings a lifetime .292 BA, .368 OBA to this versitile club. Polanco will see plenty of action in Philly splitting time between 2B and 3B and could easily return to full time duties at either position. Batting cleanup heading into round 5.
Northtown Scalawags (Elmore): Katsuo Matsui, Todd Walker.
I expect sophmore Matsui will be much improved at the dish this year. Coming into 2004, the scoop on Kaz was his speed, gap power and SS defense. Well, his defense was miserable (23 E's) so Reyes will give short a shot while Kaz moves to the right side of the diamond. Willie Randolph has been hands on tutoring the Mets prized import so I expect him to shine this season. Familiarity with major league pitching will be a tremendous plus at the plate and on the basepaths. Todd Walker continues to get his rips and will provide some pop from Northtown's bench.
Houston Panthers (Lady Cat): Jose Vidro, Desi Relaford.
Lady Cat is on a roll. Drafted 7th, Vidro becomes a Panther. Jose was once a doubles machine. Unfortunately, nagging injuries slowed him down a bit in recent years. If healthy, he will be a big contributor. This Panther team is tough and is already one of my pre-season picks to contend from opening day. SS could produce a few surprises. It'll be interesting to see how LC handles her cap from here.
Providence Cobras (Statman): Marcus Giles, Craig Counsell.
Marcus Giles was passed over by three teams while Statman waited patiently for his turn to come. Look for Giles to tear it up all season long. Well done! Providence has amassed quite a batting order featuring Abreu, Jenkins, Helton and now Giles. Tough crowd.
Mesa NorthStars (Hammer): Chase Utley, Mark Grudzielanek.
Hammer faired well with the 10th pick. Utley is a consensus star in the making. Question is when? Phils seem to think it all begins this season and we'll soon find out. Look out if this kid begins the season on fire. Mark Grudzielanek signing adds solid depth just in case. Heading into round 5, Hammer was quoted as saying: "Like it'll (draft) matter... half of these guys will be gone by the All Star break."
The Predators (Shack): Mark Loretta, Jose Vizcaino.
Shack has kept his bank vault open and signed another NL star deep in the draft. Loretta (9th) has really come into his own over the past few seasons and should excel once again in 2005. The Predators squad has a few health issues while possessing a tremendous upside potential. If Holliday and Hawpe can put up big numbers... then they could run away with it when Berkman and Bonds return.
New Haven Leg Cramps (Roscoe): Jeff Kent, Miguel Cairo.
Kent is another fine addition to this already potent lineup. This team has the makings of becoming Pinetar's batting average champ with some pop to boot. Roscoe will be bringing up the rear in round 5. Have no fear, each round has watched premiere players drafted deep.
Shorties draft tonight.
Next............
Commissioner Digger
Pinetar Draft Day 3: 1B
-- Posted by Digger on Tuesday, March 22 2005
Pinetar's 1B draft concluded last evening leaving many inquiring minds wondering why Albert Pujols was not the number one pick?
Hitman: "Guys. Just following along and I'm shocked that Mikey passed on Helton/Pujols"
"I see that Mikey passed on good talent at 1B, but I am dying to know, who did he end up with?" BillyBones
Statman: "I'm still trying to figure it out. Wilson and Overbay for about 2000K is pretty solid. But to pass on Pujols for that? Even if you wanted Nomar or Rolen, they won't give you even close to the production of Pujols. Very interesting, certainly something I didn't expect."
Introducing Pinetar's 1B round first pick: Craig A. Wilson!
Well baseball fans, unpredictability is what BBM drafts are all about. Just when you think you know what's going to happen next... WHAMMO.
Toronto Tsunami (Cocky): Toronto had the Pinetar world believing Pujols or Helton would be selected with the first overall pick of last nights round. Surprise! Cocky continues to load up on cost effective players and signs Wilson and Overbay. A strong combination which left his competition scratching their heads. When the dust settles, the critics will realize this move might just be what the doctor ordered. After a less than impressive OF draft, Cocky is counting on Wilson to play in Tsunami's OF (95 game starts in '04). Overbay, then becomes a bargain.
Shocking? Maybe. However, this squad needed to plug roster holes and this could be considered a 2 for 1 coup as Toronto retains top draft position. That said... it had to be hard passing on Pujols/Helton.
BoyZ Bluz (Z): Phil Nevin, Chad Tracy.
Z lands Nevin with the fourth overall pick. A solid choice with Tracy providing backup. The right-handed hitting Nevin was needed to offset this lefty filled lineup. Nice job.
Redondo Bch Rank&Vile (Xman): Nick Johnson, Jeff Bagwell.
Xman was probably looking to go as cheap as possible with the 6th overall pick. He almost pulled it off until Bagwell was signed with the 13th pick. Johnson will try to stay injury free. Nonetheless, he shouldn't be counted on to provide much offense. Bagwell has changed his batting stance and swing to relieve shoulder discomfort. So far this spring he has yet to knock one out of the yard. Xman left a lot on the table by passing on better, healthier hitters.
Providence Cobras (Statman): Todd Helton, Adam LaRoche.
Statman lucked out as Helton slipped to third and this savvy manager jumped at the chance to sign him. Providence is looking real strong and balanced through three rounds. Helton, Abreu & Jenkins are sure to see their fare share of lefties this season.
Northtown Scalawags (Elmore): Albert Pujols, Hee Seop Choi.
Elmore lands Pujols from the second draft slot. Pujols keeps getting better and better while being surrounded with plenty of lineup protection in St. Louis. After a less than ceremonious OF round, Northtown landed their first dependable big gun.
Girlie Men (Fambo): Pedro Feliz, J.T. Snow.
Fambo receives the best bang for the buck award this round. Girlie Men land a true platoon with Feliz & Snow. Take it one step further... Barry Bonds admitted today his season is in jeapardy. Feliz becomes the everyday LF in SF and Snow gets everyday nods at 1B. When tough lefties come to town Feliz might just find himself on first, maybe even a few games at third. And guess what else? A big time payroll savings moves this squad higher up the draft order. This team is really coming together. Strong pitching and total balance heading into round 4. Look out Pinetar!
Houston Panthers (Lady Cat): Jim Thome, Daryle Ward.
Thome's selection adds another powerful bat to this potent lineup. The city of Houston can hear LC & her kittens purring away. Let's see how many more big sticks she can add to this lineup. Houston fans are beginning to feel pennant fever in March! Well done.
The Predators (Shack): Carlos Delgado, Doug Mientkiewicz.
Good news bad news for Shack. Only hours after signing NL newcomer Delgado, the Predators learn Bonds is done for at least the first half of 2005. Shack received an excellent 1B-Delgado drafting 7th and he will be needed more than ever to fill the void left by Bonds. Shack will be walking a tightrope with this squad. Berkman's return looms even larger now. All in all, the Predators have been assembling a tough roster. Keeping them healthy is the key!
New Haven Leg Cramps (Roscoe): Sean Casey, Julio Franco.
Casey is a great find at #9 and Franco adds further depth to this already deep and explosive offense team. If Roscoe can find pitching help after the draft, then this team will be tough to beat.
Mesa NorthStars (Hammer): Derrek Lee, Olmedo Saenz.
Lee is a versatile 1B who brings power, speed and defense to the table. Mesa has had a solid draft so far. Hammer appears to be locked in on signing the NL's better hitters. Drafting last this evening has NorthStars' fans hoping a few big names slip through the cracks.
Round 4 - second sackers tonight.
Next...............
Commissioner Digger
Round Two: Pinetar OF Recap
-- Posted by Digger on Monday, March 21 2005
Round two presented Pinetar managers their first opportunity to sign big bats. The results were mixed.
Introducing Pinetar's first overall OF selected: Barry Bonds!
Toronto Tsunami (Cocky): Kearns, Bay, Mohr, Jose Cruz, Mondesi, Mackowiak. Cocky missed a golden opportunity to add some serious lumber after winning first round praises by fellow managers. Way to many "if" questions for this group. If Kearns can return from injury? If Bay (currently injured)? If Mohr can prove he's a full time starter? If Cruz can finally live up to his potential? If Mondesi can rebound without quitting again? If Mackowiak can win a regular spot on the field. This was the time to lock in one of the NL's premier OF's. Opportunity squandered. The good news: Toronto drafts first this evening.
Northtown Scalawags (Elmore): Luis Gonzalez, Wilson, Cameron, Clark, Hollandsworth, Lofton. Elmore's results seem to rival Toronto's. Gonzo (drafted 9th) is recovering from a bum elbow. Wilson (knee) played in only 58 games last season and is far from 100%. Cameron should produce sb's and perhaps some long ball power. Clark, Hollandsworth & Lofton, if they survive post-draft cuts, will be counted on for bench depth. Elmore accomplished his mission by jumping from 9th to 2nd for tonight's 1B draft... but, at what cost? Set up and ready to sign one of the NL's top 1B guns tonight.
Providence Cobras (Statman): Abreu, Jenkins, Bradley, Sanders, Roberts, Mabry. Statman's signing of Abreu (4th) and Jenkins form a solid 1-2 punch while Bradley & Sanders fight for time in this lineup. Pretty solid group behind a good rotation. Who does Statman want with tonight's third pick? Odds are this lineup will gell. Why expect anything less from Pinetar's reigning Champion? Job well done.
BoyZ Bluz (Z): Green, Griffey, Burrell, Floyd, Encarnacion, Chavez. Z signed some serious depth with power potential. Green needs to regain his old form and a change of scenery might be just the thing (Arizona). Griffey still remains a favorite of many BBM managers. Can he play a full schedule without a trip to DL? Burrell should finally come into his own now that brow beating Larry Bowa is gone. Floyd appears ready to go the distance. Encarnacion might be fighting for playing time after April... but, he's a solid bench player. A solid group with upside potential provided they can stay healthy.
Houston Panthers (Lady Cat): Dunn, Guillen, Biggio, Willy Mo, Jordan, Freel.
Dunn and Guillen will provide the power. Biggio is fantasy baseball's most underappreciated player year in and year out. Kind of funny for a player coming off a 47 double, 24 homer season. He will be the games hidden gem this season if he returns to play 2B (a strong possibility once Berkman returns). Nice job LC. Drafting 5th tonight affords Houston to sign a solid 1B to further enhance this budding squad. Look out, LC's Panters are just beginning to sharpen their claws.
Redondo Bch Rank&Vile (Xman): Wilkerson, Giles, Klesko, Werth, Grissom, Michaels. Nice job Xman. Wilkerson is a rising star. Giles will make fans forget of his subpar '04. Werth will be given a chance to shine in LA. Grissom just keeps on ticking. Klesko's days are numbered if he doesn't find his power stroke. Michaels is fighting for a starting job in Philly. A solid collective group even if they don't turn too many heads.
The Predators (Shack): Bonds, Berkman, Walker, Holliday, Hawpe, Sledge. Shack emptied the bank and signed banged up all stars. Bonds (knee) will not be ready for opening day. Berkman is out at least a month. Walker begins the season with lower back troubles. These three healthy would have formed Pinetars most powerful outfield trio. Holliday & Hawpe will try taking advantage of the thin Colorado air in hopes of producing big numbers. The Predators problem is available starts. Bonds and Berkman will have virtually 0 games available in the stat pool all season which will test Shacks ability to manuever this bandaide gang.
Mesa NorthStars (Hammer): Beltran, Drew, Andruw Jones, Lane, Hairston, Macias. Newly relocated Hammer and his new Mesa fans are dancing in the streets. Beltran, Drew and Jones represent one of Pinetars best starting OF's. Lane will be counted on and will have plenty of opportunities while Berkman rehabs. NorthStars drop to 8th for this evenings round. What will Hammer do from here?
New Haven Leg Cramps (Roscoe): Edmonds, Cabrera, Burnitz, Alou, Young, Redman. Whoa! Elmore took a page out of Boss George's playbook and signed up a great OF. They'll be needed to make up for a shaky starting rotation. Edmonds (2nd), Cabrera, Burnitz & Alou will provide plenty of power and extra base hit potential. All 4 will battle for starting honors in Roscoe's lineup. New Haven's spending splurge drops them from 2nd pick all the way down to 9th. Something tells me Roscoe is too busy celebrating to care.
Girlie Men (Fambo): Lee, Pierre, Patterson, Lawton, Conine, Tucker. Fambo broke the bank in the first round so it was no surprise to see him ease off a bit in the 2nd round. Lee, Pierre and Patterson may not be household names... but, they'll get the job done and will compliment this units strong rotation. Lawton and Conine will provide Girlie Men's bench depth. Fambo has strategy decisions to make this evening.
Next............
Commissioner Digger
Pinetar League Draft Recap: SP's
-- Posted by Digger on Sunday, March 20 2005
Historically, opening night has been equated to pot luck. Managers head into the SP round on the blind... never knowing where they will draft, w/o knowledge of pitchers values, and no clues how rival managers will rank their draft lists. Strategies vary from manager to manager. Those who seek front line starting pitchers will generally have to pay dearly in the wallet... and then draft near last for the following round(s). Managers who tighten the purse strings too far, especially if a handful of others use the same strategy, soon find themselves in a dangerous game of roulette.
Baseball Managers opening night of the draft. There's no better pre-season feeling in all of fantasy sports. Controlling your teams destiny from day one. Try to sign an All Star rotation? Save the money for hitters? Or, a competitive balance? How should I rank injury riddled pitchers like Prior/Wood? How much of my payroll should I expose? What will my rival managers be doing? Ranking and re-ranking players for days right up until the final minutes before BBM's gates lock. Then waiting for 5 a.m. headlines while pondering whether or not draft strategy came to fruition?
Only one question remained heading into last night's opening round of the Pinetar draft... the draft order?
SP first round draft order: (1)BoyZ Bluz, (2)Toronto Tsunami, (3)Mesa NorthStars, (4)Redondo Bch Rank&Vile, (5)The Predators, (6)Houston Panthers, (7)New Haven Leg Cramps, (8)Northtown Scalawags, (9)Providence Cobras, (10)Girlie Men.
Pinetar Roulette was the game of choice last evening. Plenty of blanks and gunshots were heard throughout the night. Introducing the first pick of Pinetar Leagues 2005 draft: Jeff Weaver!
Most of the National Leagues top notch starters could not agree to terms with this bunch of tightwads. All but two Pinetar managers went super conservative. A couple of teams were rewarded, some not.. and all will look to bolster their rotations after the draft.
Pinetar Starting Pitcher Draft Results by team (in Round 2 draft order):
The Predators (Shack): Lieber, Prior, Redman, Morris, Myers, Lidle. Shack finds his squad at the top of the heap heading into round two (mission accomplished). However, outside of Lieber & Redman many question marks remain for this rotation. Prior is injured & Morris is coming off shoulder surgery. Myers has been labeled a future star who has yet to live up to his potential. Lidle has had an inconsistent career and shouldn't be counted on just yet. Odds are Shack will attempt to bolster this staff post-draft.
New Haven Leg Cramps (Roscoe): AJ Burnett, Alvarez, Tomko, Wilson, Fogg, Ishii. If A.J. can stay healthy ? This question has been asked season after season. A.J. is a talent, but needs to stay away from the DL. If he does, then he's primed for a run at award honors. As for the rest of this staff... Roscoe has his work cut out for him. Tomko, Wilson, Fogg & Ishii will not fill many seats in New Haven. On the upside, all could come in with low 4 range ERA's which would make this gamble worth while. Call it luck of the draw. Good news: plenty of pitchers remain in the free agent pool.
Toronto Tsunami (Cocky): Ohka, Benson, Vazquez, Penny, Wells, Kennedy. Early consensus among his piers state Cocky walked away with the best bunch of the round. If Ohka stays healthy then all should post usuable innings. Penny has a chance to shine in pitcher friendly LA. Vazquez no longer has to face the AL East. Wells needs to return to his '02/'03 form and will. As for Benson, his wife Anna has been soaking up NY and will soon have her own reality tv series. Mrs. Benson issued a warning to her husband stating if he was ever caught in an extramarital affair... she would sleep with all of his teammates. Something tells me Kris' teammates be taking him to Scores! Overall, a very Penny wise group with upside potential.
Providence Cobras (Statman): Clemens, Leiter, Williams, Padilla, Day, Backe. I'm a big fan of the defending Pinetar Champions front 3 - Clemens, Leiter, Williams. All should shine once again in '05. Padilla, Day & Backe need to do something different... remain healthy. All 6 have talent. Statman is sitting pretty heading into tonights round batting cleanup.
Mesa NorthStars (Hammer): Lowe, Lowry, Glavine, Loaiza, May, Santos. If the BBM world has learned one thing it's this: it doesn't matter who Hammer drafts because he's only going to trade them away. Hammer's post draft remarks: "What a bunch of Draft dumpers (Pinetar)....I spend 3.5 mil and get the #5 pick in a coin flip over Z. Looks like Pinetar will have 17 SPs in the FA pool to choose from. I tried to get 4 solid arms, got 3 and a couple maybes."
Glavine and Loaiza will be the 1-2 punch. Lowe, now a NLer, should see his era drop to respectable numbers with help of DH-less lineups. Santos was solid in the first half of '04 before giving in to fatigue. The jury is out on this one.
BoyZ Bluz (Z): Weaver, Ramirez, Wolf, Russ Ortiz, Armas, Seo. Another team ventures into the SP dumping grounds and came away with a solid cost effective bunch. Ramirez shoulder appears sound which is bad news for opposing hitters. Weaver (Pinetar's #1 pick) will deliver innings, Wolf returns to his old self if sound. Armas career has been injury riddled. If he can finally avoid a trip to the DL then he could be one of the NL's sleeper picks. Competitive staff with plenty of looming health concerns.
Houston Panthers (Lady Cat): Peavy, Marquis, Zambrano, Ramon Ortiz, D Williams (Pit), Hudson. These cats can claw. Peavy & Marquis will be a very formidable 1-2. If Zambrano has matured, recovered his arm strength and can finally target the plate, then I believe this will be his break out season (especially in Shea). Same can probably be said for Ortiz which would leave this rotation sitty pretty. Rumors already surfaced on Clemens heading to pitch for LC in his hometown. Panthers will draft 7th this evening, only $500K away from the top slot.
Redondo Bch Rank&Vile (Xman): Beckett, Thomson, Harang, Rusch, Capuano, Claussen. Xman was the first manager not to go bare minimum and signed Beckett with the fourth overall pick. If Beckett can finally break the 30 start plateau, then he's my pick for this season's Cy Young. He's 100% heading into '05. Thomson should continue pitching deep into games. Harang is young and pitches in a hitters free for all ballpark. He showed signs late in '04 of becoming a solid pitcher. Question remains when? Same could be said for Capuano. Rusch is a useful spot starter/reliever and heavily touted Claussen is currently fighting a spot in Cincy's rotation. Time will tell here. It might be a stretch to think all of these pitchers will come into their own at once. This draft would receive an A+ rating in keeper leagues.
Northtown Scalawags (Elmore): Eaton, Willis, Pettitte, Milton, Hampton, Valdez. Welcome big spender Elmore! Willis just keeps getting better. Eaton should rebound after a sub par '04. Pettitte is on pace to start game 2 after injuries curtailed his first season in Houston. Bobby Cox rencently said Hampton is back to the top of his game. Why Milton signed in Cincy is anyones guess? He's no stranger to the long ball and could give up 50 in Great American. Lefty city with this rotation could fair well. Eaton, Willis, Pettitte and Hampton could be a tough 1-4.
Girlie Men (Fambo): Schmidt, Hudson, Lawrence, Davis, Rueter, Obermueller. Fambo opened his wallet and rolled a Lucky 7! Schmidt and Hudson are two of the NL's stars and will challenge for the ERA title. Lawrence sports a career 3.91 ERA and has averaged over 30 starts for 3 consecutive seasons. Davis had a break thru season in '04. A repeat performance will make this Pinetar's toughest staff.
The top 3: Girlie Men, Scalawags, Tsunami
Big decisions face Pinetar managers heading into this evenings draft. No doubt some forward thinkers have their eyes set on Pujols & Helton. Who will go for 3 super OF bats? Who's willing to risk passing up an excellent first opportunity to beaf up their lineup? Looks like another anything can happen round in the making!
Next......................
Commissioner Digger
Pinetar 2005 - Armed & Dangerous
-- Posted by Digger on Sunday, March 13 2005
"The one constant through all the years has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is part of our past. It reminds us all that once was good, and what could be good again." JAMES EARL JONES (Field of Dreams).
"Why certainly I'd like to have that fellow who hits a home run every time at bat, strikes out every opposing batter when he's pitching, who throws strikes to any base or the plate when he's playing outfield and who's always thinking about two innings ahead just what he'll do to battle the other team. Any manager would want a guy like that playing for him. The only trouble is to get him to put down his cup of beer and come down out of the stands and do those things." DANNY MURTAUGH (former MLB manager).
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Welcome to Pinetar League Baseball 2005. Pinetar sits on top of the Pinetar Nation's Progression Model as everyones number one goal. Six lower tiered leagues filled with 60 managers... all with one goal in mind... win their league and advance to Baseball Manager's No. 1 league.. Pinetar!!! There's no greater league than Pinetar... and all eyes will be watching intently all season long.
2005 Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues have begun their spring schedules. Pinetar League's managers have been busy scouting everything from Rick Ankiel's sudden position switch to Barry Bond's double talk to who's going to fail their first steroids test. These ten Pinetar managers are currently busy fine tuning their draft lists, payroll allocations & strategy. Pinetar Rocks has been one of the Diamond Club's hottest threads during the off season and things are quickly heating up approaching draft day (3/20).
Introducing Pinetar's managers and their teams:
2004 Pinetar Champion - Providence Cobras (96-66) - Statman (John Hickok). Statman's Cobras took the regular season crown in style reeling off 12 consecutive victories to finsh the season leaving all others in his wake. Year in and year out Stat has been one of the Pinetar Nation's most active, competitive and respected managers. According to Stat: "I fully expect Pinetar to be the Class of Pinetar.Org this season. There are talented mangers from top to bottom, any of whom can win it all! However, I will be working on some new draft techniques this season so watch out Pinetar!!!" Watch out is right. Stat is also the 2003 Pegasus Champ and his 2004 Pinetar title earned him back to back honors!
He's wearing the preverbial bulls-eye on his back heading into '05. It's good to be the King.
2004 Pinetar Playoff Champion - Toronto Tsunami (88-74) - Cocky (Mikey Knott). Toronto, powered by 19 post-season home runs, cruised past the Cobras in 5 games to win the Pinetar World Series. big Kahuna has changed his name for this season as Cocky takes over the reigns. Sounds like a man with a plan.
2004 Pegasus Champion - Redondo Bch Rank&Vile (91-71, formerly Hollywood Faulted) - Xman (Xavier Logan). Welcome to Pinetar Xman! Xman's (formerly Eno Dtluaf) league winning squad led Pegasus with team BA of .278 and ERA of 3.01... and won the division by ONE game. Talk about cutting it close. Xman will be tough to beat in 2005.
2004 Phoenix Champion - Mesa NorthStars (102-60, formerly Milwaukee NorthStars) - Hammer (Stuart Landsverk). Welcome to Pinetar Hammer! Pinetar Nation's Manager of the Year joins the top tier after trading his way to the Phoenix title. "He never made a trade he did not like" reads the inscription on his MOTY trophy. Look out Pinetar, Hammer's looking for more.
The Predators (78-84) - Shack (Jay Shackelford). 2003 Pinetar Champion (104-58) and Manager of the Year... Shack's back! One of Pinetar's most prominent managers is looking to rebound in 2005. Look out Pinetar... The Predators are hungry and determined to win Pinetar once again.
BoyZ Bluz (90-72) - Z (Rich Zabel). No doubt Z, 2004 runner up, will be looking to capture the crown this season. Tough competitor, shrewd drafter and looking for more. If Pinetar managers aren't careful they'll be singing the Bluz as Z runs the table.
New Haven Leg Cramps (84-78, formerly New Haven Bartenders) - Roscoe (Leonard Tanner). New Haven qualified for the playoffs as a wild card entry in '04. This season Roscoe hopes to win it all. Only one thing is for certain... this league is going to be the toughest around.
Northtown Scalawages (81-81) - Elmore (Bill Biggerstaff). This former Phoenix Champ (2003) is making room for a new trophy in his mantle. Elmore has big plans for his second Pinetar season. No doubt he'll be fielding a top notch ball club.
Houston Panthers (76-86) - Lady Cat (Catherine Athearn). If there's anyone in the Pinetar Nation who doesn't reconize Lady Cat's name... then you just haven't been paying attention. One of the most beloved personalities in our community. LC wears many hats: Pinetar Treasurer, Chrysalis Commissioner and fearsome manager backed by 28 wild kittens. She offered some insight into this years strategy: "The Panthers and I need to study the draft lists and decide how much uniform material to order. One thing we have decided, and if this gives everyone an advantage so be it, we are going to arrange our draft lists this year in weight order. Heaviest players first. If anyone could find us a website that gives sortable weight information we'd be grateful. 26 of the Panthers will be heavy players and two of them will be lightweight base stealers."
Houston will be a team to keep an eye on this season as they attempt to claw their way to the Championship.
Girlie Men (75-87, formerly West Side Road Humps) - Fambo (Robert Fambrini). One of the founding Pinetar members is hoping his re-named squad, Girlie Men, can earn bragging rights for this season. Rival LC offered this tid-bit of news after learning of her foes new team name: "I always feel that (Fambo) picks it with the idea of annoying me just a little. This year it's the "Girlie Men." Previous team names of his have been "Mad Cows" (when the Brits were the only ones with the disease), Toe Tags (creepy), Blue Aglets (still not sure what they are)."
If Fambo changes his draft strategies as often as his team names... then he will have his fellow managers thoroughly confused heading into this years draft!
Pinetar Draft of 2005 is set to return draft results on March 20. Who will be the #1 pick? Which team will break the bank trying to sign 6 top notch starting pitchers? Who's willing to sacrifice pitching for the leagues top lineup? No one's offering any clues.
Get ready ... Pinetar Rocks 2005!
Commissioner Digger
Tsunami Grabs the Glory
-- Posted by Lady_Cat on Saturday, October 23 2004
With an impressive 19 post season homeruns, Mikey's Tsunami trounced Statman's League winning Cobras by four games to one in the final round of the Pinetar playoffs last night.
Congratulations!
Bartenders/Tsunami capture game one of playoffs
-- Posted by huminbird on Saturday, October 9 2004
Roscoe and his Bartenders took game from Statman and his SuperStars, a surprise victory on the road.
The Tsunami took out The BoyZ BluZ in game one as well.
Pinetar Standings -- 15 games to go
-- Posted by Lady_Cat on Sunday, September 19 2004
TEAM WON LOST GB PCT. STREAK RS RA DIFF
Providence Cobras 84 63 0 .571 Won 1 725 634 91
BoyZ Bluz 83 64 1 .565 Lost 2 687 612 75
Toronto Tsunami 82 65 2 .558 Won 5 680 640 40
New Haven Bartenders 76 71 8 .517 Lost 1 681 674 7
Houston Panthers 72 75 12 .490 Lost 1 685 680 5
The Predators 71 76 13 .483 Lost 5 710 663 47
Northtown Scalawags 71 76 13 .483 Won 1 658 705 -47
West Side Road Humps 68 79 16 .463 Won 2 651 690 -39
Queen City Steamers 67 80 17 .456 Lost 1 640 733 -93
Wonderland MadHatters 61 86 23 .415 Won 1 631 717 -86
Endy Returns to the Panthers
-- Posted by Lady_Cat on Saturday, June 12 2004
In an unexpected move last night, the Panthers brought Tsunami discard Endy Chavez back to Houston.
"We are all just thrilled here," gushed Lady Cat from Panther Park HQ. "He was a Panther throughout 2003 and was one of our best base stealers, a talent the Panthers have been seriously lacking this season. We still have the letters for his uniform. He will also fill that dreaded gap vs LHPs in the outfield."
When it was pointed out to Lady Cat that Mr. Chavez was only hitting .196 with one stolen base vs LHPs so far this season, she declined to discuss the move any further. "If you can't be positive, don't call me," she hissed, replacing the telephone gently but firmly in its cradle.
Shake-Up in the Panther Camp
-- Posted by Lady_Cat on Saturday, May 22 2004
In a desperate attempt to stir some life into her sluggish Panthers, Lady Cat sent Scott Rolen and Charles Johnson to the BoyZ Bluz last night in exchange for Aramiz Ramirez, Craig Biggio and Brad Ausmus. Financial arrangements also left the Panther Organization with some extra change to keep the Panthers in premium gold top milk for the rest of the season.
Upon returning with several of her Panthers from the UH Cougars/Tulane Baseball game at Cougar Field (where five of her Panthers were fortunate enough to pick up some baserunning tips), Lady Cat was not surprised to find her Pinetar colleagues with their knickers in a twist.
"Looks like the rest of us will be playing for second place now after this series of transactions! Congratulations on your Pinetar title!", spouted Shack at "Z".
Retorted "Z", "Well, unlike what most pundits think, the key to the deal was getting Charles Johnson not Scott Rolen. With Piazza's move to primarily 1B we felt we needed some more offensive punch at Catcher. While we're very happy in also getting who is arguably the best 3Bman in MLB, we thought Ramirez was just a notch below his production level and knew we'd have to sweeten the deal to land Johnson. We knew both Biggio and Ausmus were not likely to re-sign with the Bluz after indicating they were going to exercise the FA options with hope of signing with their former home team next year. Having been informed of their desires by their agents the organization felt we needed to deal them this year to get full value for their talent....".
"Wow", said bruno, obviously wanting to get involved but not too involved.
"Wow!!", echoed Statman, threateningly. "I guess you really do want to move down to Pegasus or Phoenix...."
"Cat, you could have gotten Ensberg for Rolen. You missed your big chance." pontificated Fambo.
Statman howled and paced the DC, banging on his keyboard, while Shack stood by, nodding at his words: "Z, I'm not over reacting. This is a BAD deal for LC. Ramirez had an OPS of .789 last year, .666 the year before, might he finish better this year? Sure, but he won't be nearly what Rolen will be, if you really think so, why would you have made the deal? . . . You really wanted CJ? Okay, I agree, CJ is a HUGE upgrade over Ausmus. Ausmus is sitting in the FA pool in 2 of my leagues right now. By years end he probably will be in most. Ausmus has not had an OPS over .700 since the year 2000. He sucks...plain and simple...Anyone disagree? You really don't think CJ is a huge upgrade? Please!! Get real! CJ has only had an OPS if UNDER .750 ONCE in the last 7 years! He is a HUGE upgrade. Don't play with me on this. Biggio? His OPS in 2002 was .734, in 2003 it was .762, do you honestly expect him to finish above those numbers at 38 years old? If you say yes, you are way out there. The fact is that Biggio is no better than a #4 BBM OF? How many experienced managers here disagree? Where was he drafted this season? He is cannon fodder. The point is you got the potential league MVP in Rolen, possibly the best hitting catcher in the league in CJ (Since Piazza is at 1b now) and you gave up an above average 3B and fodder...Great deal for you and a HORRIBLE deal for LC. I am not the only one who feels this way Z. Believe me I'm not."
"To heck with you all, cried Lady Cat. "I did this for the Panthers and 'Z' did it for the BoyZ." She pointed out that she didn't need Johnson, who is slumping. The Panthers already have Barrett catching for them, and a very fine job he's doing, too. Ausmus will serve as the backup. Notably, Barrett responded to this by going out and hitting two homeruns. "We needed an outfielder," added Lady Cat, "and Biggio fits into our plans nicely. He's having the season of his life and already leads the Astros in homeruns. Who's to say he won't continue this? And as for Rolen vs. Ramirez, Rolen does have the edge, but Ramirez only has to step back into his 2001 Panther uniform. He's heading for great numbers again and is making fewer errors. The Panthers and I are happy as clams, so bite me, as they say in America."
With that, Lady Cat retired to bed, exhausted from all the acrimony.
For the record, and for future post mortem purposes (mortem of the BoyZ, not the Panthers) here are the stats:
Ramirez: (MLB Stats AB 161, HR 9, AVG .280) (BBM Stats used: Avg .318 G 27 AB 110 H 35 2B 10 3B 1 HR 6)
Ausmus: (MLB Stats AB 123, HR 2, AVG .275) (BBM Stats used: Avg .304 G 8 AB 23 H 7 2B 1 3B 0 HR 1)
Biggio: (MLB Stats AB 163, HR 8, AVG .307) (BBM Stats used: Avg .262 G 16 AB 65 H 17 2B 1 3B 0 HR 5)
Rolen: (MLB Stats AB 153, HR 9, AVG .333) (BBM Stats used: Avg .333 G 29 AB 105 H 35 2B 5 3B 0 HR 4)
Johnson: (MLB Stats AB 105, HR 8, AVG .266) (BBM Stats used: Avg .281 G 26 AB 89 H 25 2B 6 3B 0 HR 7)
Panthers to get new uniforms
-- Posted by Lady_Cat on Wednesday, May 12 2004
Panther Park Management announced today that Lady Cat's Panthers would shortly be fitted for new uniforms. The pink colour with purple piping will remain the same, but the material will be switched from seersucker to spandex.
"This is only a trial," said a breathless Lady Cat, briefly breaking off from trade negotiations with Duff at the Teapot Dome. "The Panthers have only five stolen bases this year and have been caught stealing five times. We feel that perhaps the seersucker is too constricting."
The uniforms should be ready at the weekend, in time for the series against Fambo's visiting RoadHumps.
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