Monday, January 28, 2008

Trade

The Killer Bees trade pick 1, pick 15, and Juan Cruz to the Wahoos for pick 2, pick 5, and pick 19.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Trade

The FFTs trade picks 99 and 105 to the DVs for the DV 2009 6th round pick.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Trade

The FFTs trade Benjie Molina to the Tweeners for Mark Hendrickson.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Trade

The Buckeyes trade Tony Graffanino to the FFTs for Trevor Miller.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Trades

The FFTs trade Jonny Gomes to the Inmates for the Inmate 2009 7th round pick.

The FFTs trade Derrek Lee and Francisco Rodriguez to the Sidewinders for Miguel Cabrera.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Trades

The DVs trade Carlos Beltran and Eric Byrnes to the Sidewinders for Vernon Wells and John Maine.

The Sidewinders trade Adam Dunn to the Bees for Jeff Francis and pick 9.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Trades

The Oilers trade Chris Capuano to the Warpigs for pick #160.

The FFTs trade Aramis Ramirez to the Wahoos for Derrek Lee.

The Warpigs trade Ryan Theriot and pick 64 to the Inmates for Tom Gorzelanny.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Trade

The FFTs trade Tom Glavine to the Nads for Kevin Millwood.

Stats

Well, there you go again... This is getting more ridiculous every year. Here we are in mid-January, the new cards right around the corner, and all of the final stats from the 2007 season haven't been sent in.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I would like to have a yearbook that includes everything from last year. Stats for all the teams, leaders in all the categories, etc. As it stands, if we get one at all, it will not be complete.

Seriously, how hard is it to do your stats? And how hard is it to send computer results to the guy you just played? The Bees still haven't received results from games. The Rhinos and Nads haven't bothered to even return emails about stats. I hate that I have to name names, but this is what it's come to.

Either we care about this or we don't. If we do (and I know I do), then we need to have some sort of consequences for (A) not playing your games in a timely manner, (B) not immediately reporting results to your opponent and the commissioner, and (C) not getting your stats in on time. I know the argument: If a team gets docked draft picks for not getting things done, then they'll get mad and quit. Personally... fuck em. But this isn't my call; it's the league's decision to make. So here's a suggestion for the league to consider:

1. We set deadlines for playing games. Something like:
end of March, at least 20 games played
end of April, 35 games
end of May, 50
end of June, 75
end of July, 100
end of August, 120
end of September, 140
end of October, 162
This is loaded heavy in the summer months, and with as many games as we get done at the draft, shouldn't be too hard to do. All results have to be emailed to Glenn and me by then. Results should include who you played and how you did against them. They will be posted on Big Innings for all to see. There will still be teams with 40-50 more games played than some other team, but that will be because a team is playing fast, not because the other team is lagging behind. And that's okay.

2. Set a time frame for results of mail games or netplay games to be sent to the visitor. Maybe within a week of being played? I don't know why they couldn't be sent right then, but what do I know? Maybe it's more difficult for some than others. Play the games, send the appropriate files, get a reply from the other team that they got them. Easy.

3. Set a date for final stats to be sent to Glenn and Garth. I suggest Thanksgiving weekend. Your season ended by Halloween at the latest, so that gives you plenty of time to accumulate stats and send them in. It also gives Garth plenty of time to put a yearbook together.

Now... as for consequences, I suggest we assign something like demerits. For each month you do not have your games played or fail to report your results to the league, you receive 1 demerit. Same thing for each time you fail to send your opponents their results. Fail to get your stats turned in on time and you receive 5 demerits.

And then have that result in something like this:
0-1 demerits: no consequence
2-3 demerits: you are limited to a max of 20 players when you cut down next March
4 demerits: you are limited to a max of 18 players
5 demerits: 16 players
6 demerits: 14 players
7 demerits: 12 players
8 or more demerits: 10 players max

The number of Reserve Spots you own wouldn't affect the ruling. If you have 4 Reserve Spots, you will still have 34 players at the end of the draft, but you will only start with the max you were allowed. Example: if you have 4 Reserve Spots but earned 4 demerits, you start with a max of 18 players and use the draft to get to 34. And no protecting players for anyone.

This is just a suggestion, but I think something has to be done. One year we're going to have a team showing a record of 9-11 in October, and because we never got an update, we'll discover then that they are now 92-70 and in the playoffs.

Make your comments. Make your alternate suggestions. But dammit, let's get something written down, vote on it, and make it a rule. And none of this "it would go into effect next year" shit. There's no need to put it off. Let's get this done.

Lemme hear ya.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Trade

The Killer Bees trade an '08 Reserve pick and their 2009 1st round pick to the Warpigs for pick 15 in this year's draft.

Ballpark Numbers

At this time, I am not certain these are official. I'll let you know when I hear for certain that they are. In the meantime, here are the ballpark numbers for next season. Remember, this is an election year, so you have these three options when choosing your ballpark:
1. You can stay in the park you were in last year.
2. You can stay where you were and adjust any of the numbers by a max of +/-2.
3. You can take one of the new parks listed below.

Ballpark LH RH
LH RH
Arizona 13 13
13 13
Atlanta 10 10
4 9
Baltimore 6 9
8 14
Boston 15 15
2 5
ChiSox 4 7
19 16
ChiCubs 8 8
14 11
Cincinnati 9 6
16 16
Cleveland 7 7
8 8
Colorado 16 8
19 14
Detroit 9 9
8 8
Florida 6 6
8 5
Houston 2 8
12 12
Kansas City 14 14
6 6
LAAngels 11 11
2 6
LADodgers 7 7
12 12
Milwaukee 2 2
11 11
Minnesota 6 6
5 5
NYYankees 8 8
14 11
NYMets 7 4
6 6
Oakland 7 4
5 5
Philadelphia 7 7
18 18
Pittsburgh 17 12
7 1
San Diego 1 1
5 5
San Francisco 11 11
1 4
Seattle 8 2
7 7
St. Louis 9 9
3 3
Tampa Bay 5 5
9 9
Texas 9 9
12 12
Toronto 5 5
15 15
Washington 3 3
3 3

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Trade

The Warpigs trade Francisco Rodriguez and the Pig 2009 3rd round pick to the FFTs for pick #15 in this year's draft and the FFT 2009 1st round pick.

Hall of Fame

The 2008 entries into baseball's Hall of Fame will be announced around lunch time today. I predict the only ones getting in are Goose Gossage and Jim Rice, with Rice just barely clearing the 75% mark needed for entry.

However, the ones who deserve to get in are:
1. Mark McGwire
2. Bert Blyleven
3. Goose Gossage
4. Tim Raines (well, MAYBE Tim Raines. As a first ballot guy, it might be more fitting that he gets in next year).

Those NOT worthy: Well, everyone else basically, but Rice, Dawson, Murphy, and Morris have gotten lots of ink lately singing their praises. All good players. None with HOF credentials. Rice will get in today (on his 14th ballot!), but he shouldn't.

Let me add that this "Steroid Era" factor comes down to this: Either you think the cloud of controversy should prohibit HOF consideration or that it should not. If you believe the former, then it doesn't matter how good the player was, you don't vote for him. If you believe the latter is true, then you base your choices on their careers. If you are among this group, McGwire has easily earned his way into the HOF and should get the vote. If you are among the other group - which is a perfectly legitimate stance, I have no problem with you excluding Mac; but you damn sure better also exclude Bonds and Clemens and every other player tainted by the Steroid Era when their name comes up. You can't just say, "Well, Bonds and Clemens were better than Mac, so they get in and he doesn't." Mac doesn't HAVE to be better than Bonds and Clemens; he just has to be good enough to get into the HOF - which he was.

By the time I get back home today, we'll know the results.

Monday, January 07, 2008

Trade

I guess it had gotten too quiet this winter, but this one should certainly wake things up.

The FFTs trade Mark Teixeira, Chipper Jones, pick 9, and pick 59 to the Killer Bees for Daisuke Matsuzaka, Adam Wainwright, Aramis Ramirez, pick 15, and pick 17.