FOUL BALLS MIXED LEAGUE DRAFT RESULTS

Every league is different. It used to be that if you were in a fantasy baseball league, it was a standard, 10 team NL or AL only rotisserie format.

But with the emergence of the internet, fantasy players now have all kinds of options when it comes to their leagues. I’ve still got binders from the early days, filled with daily stats from every single team in our league. All done with a pencil and a calculator.

I’m a part of three big leagues. An AL only, an NL only and a mixed. First up was my mixed draft, which took place last weekend. The fact that it took me four days to write up a review should tell you I’m not happy with how it went.

First, the background. Foul Balls is a 12 team, mixed league, using a head to head format. One other important aspect to note is that teams have the ability to carryover 3 players each season.

Any player drafted in the 7th round or later is eligible to be kept for one additional season. The price is a forfeiture of a 12th, 13th or 14th round draft pick.

At the end of 2007, I sold off the majority of my potential keepers in a run for the title. I had a couple of guys I could have chosen to carryover (Brad Lidge, Hank Blalock, Matt Kemp), but in the end I chose not to keep any.

That being the case, I was at a major disadvantage come draft day. Studs like Ryan Braun, Josh Beckett and Brandon Phillips were all kept by various teams, while I was left with three additional draft picks. Whoop-dee doo.

On a side note, I hate keepers. If you are in a league and considering this idea, stay away. Far, far away.

Anyway, on to the draft. Each teams list of keepers will be presented in brackets in round 1.

Round 1

1-Alex Rodriguez (Scott) [Brandon Phillips, CC Sabathia, Brett Myers]
2-Hanley Ramirez (Randy) [Todd Helton, Curtis Granderson, Dan Haren]
3-David Wright (Blum) [Troy Tulowitzki, Jose Valverde]
4-Matt Holliday (Tom) [Russell Martin, Corey Hart, Alex Rios]
5-Jose Reyes (Babrisky) [Freddy Sanchez, Hunter Pence, Aaron Rowand]
6-Jimmy Rollins (Nate) [Carlos Pena, Erik Bedard, Francisco Liriano]
7-Chase Utley (Strumph) [Oliver Perez]
8-Johan Santana (Ziliani) [Ryan Braun, Brad Penny, AJ Burnett]
9-Miguel Cabrera (Lapinski) [Dustin McGowan, James Shields, Bobby Jenks]
10-Grady Sizemore (Keith) [Magglio Ordonez, John Smoltz, Chipper Jones]
11-Ryan Howard (Me) [none]
12-Albert Pujols (Bob) [BJ Upton, Josh Beckett, Fausto Carmona]

Things don’t start out well as the PBA Hall smells like gas. Not the kind that kinds from eating too much Taco Bell, but the kind that can kill you! We debated seating Blum in the kitchen where the burners are. Canary in a coalmine theory? But we decided against it because then we would be down to 11 teams.

As you can see, outside of a few teams, I was at a major disadvantage. Especially in the pitching department, with Beckett, Sabathia, Carmona, Bedard, Haren, and Shields off the board.

On the other hand, it’s always nice to see owners protect players who you wouldn’t pick if your life depended on it. Specifically, Brad Penny, Aaron Rowand and Brett Myers.

I was sure I was going to be stuck with the Albert Pujols dilemma at 11, but Keith saved me by picking Grady Sizemore. A gutsy move. Not a particularly bad one, but a gutsy one. That left Howard to fall in my lap and I was happy to pounce.

If there was one mistake in the round, I would chalk it up to Ziliani at number 8. Not that Santana isn’t any good, but since he already protected two pitchers, he was desparately in need of upgrading his hitting. When Miguel Cabrera is still on the board at the 8th pick, you need to take him.

Round 2

13-Prince Fielder (Bob)
14-David Ortiz (Me)
15-Mark Teixeira (Keith)
16-Jake Peavy (Lapinski)
17-Carl Crawford (Ziliani)
18-Alfonso Soriano (Strumph)
19-Vlad Guerrero (Nate)
20-Ichiro Suzuki (Babrisky)
21-Carlos Lee (Tom)
22-Lance Berkman (Blum)
23-Aramis Ramirez (Randy)
24-Carlos Beltran (Scott)

I can’t stop belching up the hot dog I had from 7-11 for breakfast. The guy at the counter actually asked me if I wanted a fresh one or one of the older ones. Do people actually prefer the nasty ones?

This league has a 5 game position qualification, so Ortiz will go in as my corner infielder. I felt like he was the best player on the board, though with Papi and Howard, I might have the only two guys in baseball that I could beat in a foot race. Steals, you will find out, are not going to be my forte.

Peavy went earlier than I thought he would. I figured closer to the end of the round. Pitching was funny all draft long.

Round 3

25-Manny Ramirez (Scott)
26-Eric Byrnes (Randy)
27-Robinson Cano (Blum)
28-Brandon Webb (Tom)
29-Cole Hamels (Babrisky)
30-Victor Martinez (Nate)
31-Travis Hafner (Strumph)
32-Derek Jeter (Ziliani)
33-Adam Dunn (Lapinski)
34-Justin Verlander (Keith)
35-Gary Sheffield (Me)
36-Jonathon Papelbon (Bob)

The first titanic fart of the morning comes between the Hafner and Jeter picks. I’m not sure who it was, but I’m willing to wager it was either Bob or Tom.

In round 3, things got interesting. Manny at 25 was a surprise, especially considering that Scott hates the Red Sox. Victor Martinez went way too early, but that’s been the case in almost every draft.

Then, Ziliani took Jeter. If this guy were named Bob Smith, he’d be drafted in the 10th round. But he’s Derek Jeter, so he always goes WAY too early. 12 homers, 73 RBI and 15 steals just doesn’t make my heart race.

Round 3 also saw the start of what would become a trend, with Strumph repeatedly taking players I had targeted four picks later. Hafner is going to be a monster this year and he qualifies at first base in this league.

I went into this draft knowing I had to go high risk/high reward. That’s what happens when you play from behind. Sheffield was a perfect pick for that strategy. Sheff was downright amazing last year before hurting his shoulder. It’s fixed and he’s not going to go anywhere near the outfield in ’08, so he should appear in at least 150 games. 30-100-100 is possible with the Tigers lineup.

Round 4

37-Francisco Rodriguez (Bob)
38-Nick Markakis (Me)
39-Chone Figgins (Keith)
40-Brian Roberts (Lapinski)
41-Ian Kinsler (Ziliani)
42-Justin Morneau (Strumph)
43-Derrek Lee (Nate)
44-Carlos Zambrano (Babrisky)
45-JJ Putz (Tom)
46-Bobby Abreu (Blum)
47-Carlos Guillen (Randy)
48-Garrett Atkins (Scott)

I’ve been doing drafts with Randy for a LONG time and let me tell you…he’s pretty horrible. That’s why I couldn’t believe it when, after 4 rounds, I had felt Randy had made 4 picks that I really liked. Maybe the gas has gotten to him.

I love when the inevitable closer run comes, especially in a mixed league draft, because there are so many. By the end of round 4, the top 3 closers were off the board. And I was still at least 8 rounds away from even considering taking one. You should do the same.

Markakis is a tremendous talent and still just 24 years old. I worry about his supporting cast, but I think he’s too good to let them bog him down.

Figgins qualifies at 2nd base in this league, along with 3rd and outfield, making him extremely valuable. Kinsler is the first good pick Ziliani made all day. Zambrano has looked top notch this spring, but I still think he’s a nutjob and don’t trust him.

Round 5

49-Roy Oswalt (Scott)
50-Aaron Harang (Randy)
51-Adrian Gonzalez (Blum)
52-Nick Swisher (Tom)
53-Chris B. Young (Babrisky)
54-Felix Hernandez (Nate)
55-Scott Kazmir (Strumph)
56-Joe Mauer (Ziliani)
57-Dan Uggla (Lapinski)
58-Daisuke Matsuzake (Keith)
59-Chris R. Young (Me)
60-Roy Halladay (Bob)

Scott originally picked John Lackey at 49, but someone in the room gained a conscious and pointed out Lackey was out until May, allowing him to rescind the pick. DON’T BE THAT GUY! (keith)

I was surprised Swisher went as high as he did, considering he was pretty skuzzy last year. I weigh more than Chris B. Young’s batting average, but I’m working on it. If by the end of the summer I still weigh more than his average, Young might be back in AAA.

I hate to keep picking on the guy, but seriously. Joe Mauer. He easily would have been available 3 rounds later.

I’m a huge fan of the Padres Chris Young. Do you realize that before he got injured last July, he had better numbers than Jake Peavy?

Round 6

61-Torii Hunter (Bob)
62-John Maine (Me)
63-Edgar Renteria (Keith)
64-Mariano Rivera (Lapinski)
65-Jeff Francoeur (Ziliani)
66-Brian McCann (Strumph)
67-Ryan Zimmerman (Nate)
68-Takashi Saito (Babrisky)
69-Javier Vazquez (Tom)
70-Jered Weaver (Blum)
71-Paul Konerko (Randy)
72-Michael Young (Scott)

Lapinski wants to order pizza and to my amazement, 11 fat guys in a room all say no. Even more stunning than the Jeter pick.

Looking back, I probably reached on John Maine. I am a big fan and I think he’ll end up the year a top 10 pitcher. But I probably could have gotten him the next time around. The only thing that worried me is that there are a couple of Met fans in this league, so they might have scooped him before me. I’m happy with the pick, but I also really liked Ryan Zimmerman. Great value in round 6!!

Jeff Francoeur looked like a nice pick, then he got hit in the face hours after Ziliani drafted him.

Round 7

73-Billy Wagner (Scott)
74-Shane Victorino (Randy)
75-Joe Nathan (Blum)
76-Rich Hill (Tom)
77-Jorge Posada (Babrisky)
78-Brad Hawpe (Nate)
79-John Lackey (Strumph)
80-Jim Thome (Ziliani)
81-Miguel Tejada (Lapinski)
82-Chad Billingsley (Keith)
83-Alex Gordon (Me)
84-Rickie Weeks (Bob)

One thing that not enough people do when preparing for their drafts is taking into account the fandom of other owners. It’s usually a more valuable tool in auctions, because you can really drive up prices that way. But in straight drafts, be prepared for guys to go off the board before they should (i.e. Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Shane Victorino).

Gordon is a special talent and this year has better players around him. 20-20 is very possible, which is rare among third baseman. Of the third sackers left on the board, only Gordon has the potential to really improve in ’08. For the rest, their best days area already behind them.

Round 8

85-Adrian Beltre (Bob)
86-Ben Sheets (Me)
87-Vernon Wells (Keith)
88-James Loney (Lapinski)
89-Hank Blalock (Ziliani)
90-Jason Bay (Strumph)
91-Andruw Jones (Nate)
92-Mike Lowell (Babrisky)
93-Howie Kendrick (Tom)
94-Delmon Young (Blum)
95-Coco Cordero (Randy)
96-Kelly Johnson (Scott)

I admit. I’ve bought into the reports that Ben Sheets has changed his arm slot to avoid future injuries, thereby looking healthier than ever before. That being the case, he’ll still end up on the D.L. at some point. Either he’ll trip on his pet guinea pig or get himself caught in his zipper. Like I said before, high risk/high reward. Please stay healthy.

Wells, Bay and Jones each bottomed out in 2007. I love the Wells pick, like the Bay pick and am horrified by the Jones pick. Not as much as the Howie Kendrick pick, though. In his last 600 major league at bats, Howie has 9 homers, 11 steals and 69 RBI. Do you really need that on your squad? I’ll take Kelly Johnson as my second baseman any day of the week.

Round 9

97-Jermaine Dye (Scott)
98-Jeff Kent (Randy)
99-Chien Ming Wang (Blum)
100-JJ Hardy (Tom)
101-Andy Pettitte (Babrisky)
102-Jacoby Ellsbury (Nate)
103-Rafael Furcal (Strumph)
104-Juan Pierre (Ziliani)
105-Ken Griffey (Lapinski)
106-Yovani Gallardo (Keith)
107-Josh Hamilton (Me)
108-Johnny Damon (Bob)

Strumph hoses me again, this time with my man Furcal. He’s going way undervalue and you need to make sure you don’t make the same mistake I did. There is no way on earth he should be going after middle infielders like Kendrick, Hardy, Weeks or Kent.

Wang is great value in round 9. He’s solid in ERA and WHIP, but he’s a lock for 18 wins. Andy Pettitte, on the other hand, is none of the above.

I though I was dreaming when Hamilton fell to me this late. He is a lock for 30 homers and a .300 average. Take that, Juan Pierre.

Round 10

109-Orlando Cabrera (Bob)
110-Khalil Greene (Me)
111-Kenji Johjima (Keith)
112-Trevor Hoffman (Lapinski)
113-Huston Street (Ziliani)
114-Hideki Matsui (Strumph)
115-Phil Hughes (Nate)
116-Ryan Garko (Babrisky)
117-Matt Cain (Tom)
118-Rafael Soriano (Blum)
119-Chad Cordero (Randy)
120-Pat Burrell (Scott)

I’m not a big Khalil Greene fan. But shortstops were going fast and he did go 27-97 last year. The lifetime .250 average will bite me in the behind, but I didn’t want to be stuck with Yuniesky Betancourt at my starting shortstop.

My plan to hold off on closers was going well, until this round when four more came off the board.

I’ve always loved Matt Cain, but he only could muster 7 wins LAST year, when the Giants were only half awful. This year, they are full blown awful, so who knows.

Round 11

121-Ted Lilly (Scott)
122-Tim Hudson (Randy)
123-Jeremy Hermida (Blum)
124-Placido Polanco (Tom)
125-Jason Giambi (Babrisky)
126-Jeremy Bonderman (Nate)
127-Tim Lincecum (Strumph)
128-Dontrelle Willis (Ziliani)
129-Willy Taveras (Lapinski)
130-Aaron Hill (Keith)
131-Randy Johnson (Me)
132-Jason Isringhausen (Bob)

Ted Lilly and Willy Taveras are both very undervalued and are steals in the 11th round. Especially considering the premium that is put on speed.

I didn’t think Giambi would even get drafted, let alone taken in the 11th round. I hope Babrisky paid his entrance fee in full.

I got some ribbing for my Randy Johnson pick, from of all people, the guy who took Dontrelle Willis. But riddle me this? Would you rather have Willis, who will guarantee you 200 innings and an atrocious ERA and WHIP, or Johnson who might not make it through the season, but when he does pitch, he’s still lights out? I know what I’m getting with Willis. Garbage. The Unit still has something to prove and if he can stay on the mound, much like Sheets, he’ll be a bargain.

Now, what I’ve been waiting all morning for. The supplemental draft. I have 4 of the next 8 picks and I need to make them count.

Round 12-13-14 (supplemental rounds for teams without 3 keepers)

143-Manny Corpas (me)
146-Matt Capps (me)
150-Brad Lidge (Strumph)
159-Kosuke Fukudome (Blum)
163-Joakim Soria (Strumph)
167-Joe Blanton (me)

In the end, my plan to hold off on closers worked, as I was able to steal Corpas and Capps in the supplemental draft. I consider both to be top 10 closers and I’m now in a position to compete in saves.

My next pick, Blanton, might be the one I regret the most in this entire draft. Starting pitchers were getting thin and I reacted wrong. Instead of taking who I thought was the best starter of a poor lot, I should have taken the best available player….in my rankings that would have been Edwin Encarnacion. I didn’t and I now regret it.

Round 15

169-Adam Wainwright (Bob)
170-Eric Gagne (me)
171-Kevin Youkilis (Keith)
172-Jon Lester (Lapinski)
173-Todd Jones (Ziliani)
174-Raul Ibanez (Strumph)
175-Joba Chamberlain (Nate)
176-Joe Borowski (Babrisky)
177-Edwin Encarnacion (Tom)
178-Jon Garland (Blum)
179-Kelvim Escobar (Randy)
180-Troy Glaus (Scott)

Ibanez and Encarnacion are both value picks this late in the game. Ibanez gets overlooked every year, but has become a legitimate hitter in Seattle. I don’t understand the Chamberlain pick, especially now that we know he is only going to work in a setup role. If there were a chance for the rotation, I would get it. Two of the worst closers on the planet were taken in round 15: Todd Jones and Joe Borowski. Jones is the better pick, only because he has no competition. Borowski is one blown save away from becoming Donnie Moore, but with a face.

Round 16

181-Adam LaRoche (Scott)
182-Bengie Molina (Randy)
183-Yuniesky Betancourt (Blum)
184-Brian Wilson (Tom)
185-Carlos Delgado (Babrisky)
186-Dustin Pedroia (Nate)
187-Kevin Kousmanoff (Strumph)
188-Matt Kemp (Ziliani)
189-Melky Cabrera (Lapinski)
190-Pedro Martinez (Keith)
191-Lastings Milledge (me)
192-Josh Willingham (Bob)

Randy breaks into a Barenaked Ladies song upon Tom’s pick of Brian Wilson. It’s a good thing we go way back or I’d never talk to him.

A lot of guys taken in this round who I have a deep disdain for. Delgado is toast. Willingham is an underachiever. And you all know how I feel about Melky ‘I don’t do anything particularly well’ Cabrera.

I was planning on taking Pedro to create the MASH unit along with Johnson and Sheets, but Keith beat me to the punch. Instead, I took a guy I really like who is playing with a chip on his shoulder. Milledge is a talent.

Round 17

193-Josh Fields (Bob)
194-Jhonny Peralta (me)
195-Michael Cuddyer (Keith)
196-Ty Wigginton (Lapinski)
197-Stephen Drew (Ziliani)
198-Yunel Escobar (Strumph)
199-Clay Buchholz (Nate)
200-Troy Percival (Babrisky)
201-Evan Longoria (Tom)
202-Rich Harden (Blum)
203-Jeff Francis (Randy)
204-Jarrod Saltalamacchia (Scott)

My final mistake of the draft. Escobar has much more potential and position versatility, compared to Peralta. Jhonny is not a terrible player, he’s just inconsistent. Match this with Blanton as my two picks I’d like back.

Wigginton deserves more love, if only because of his versatility. A bunch of people gave Randy a pat on the back for the Francis pick. I wasn’t one of them.

Round 18

205-Bronson Arroyo (Scott)
206-Michael Bourn (Randy)
207-Billy Butler (Blum)
208-Jonathon Broxton (Tom)
209-Chris Capuano (Babrisky)
210-Carlos Marmol (Nate)
211-Ian Snell (Strumph)
212-Mark Buehrle (Ziliani)
213-Bartolo Colon (Lapinski)
214-Rafael Betancourt (Keith)
215-Rick Ankiel (me)
216-Derek Lowe (Bob)

I can’t believe I was able to steal Ankiel in round 18. You can pencil in 30 and 90 right now. I’ve got homers out the wazoo.

I’m also very happy that Babrisky is in my division. I actually felt bad for him after the Capuano pick. This is what happens to you when you have a teenage daughter living under your roof. I can’t wait. 6 more years and I’ll be right there with him. If I make it that long.

Other round 18 gems: Bourne can easily steal 40 bases. Marmol will be the closer on one of the leagues best teams. Snell makes up for wins with strikeouts.

Round 19

217-Hiroki Kuroda (Bob)
218-Mark Ellis (me)
219-Geoff Jenkins (Keith)
220-Conor Jackson (Lapinski)
221-Brandon Lyon (Ziliani)
222-Orlando Hudson (Strumph)
223-Kevin Gregg (Nate)
224-Kevin Slowey (Babrisky)
225-Heath Bell (Tom)
226-Cameron Maybin (Blum)
227-BJ Ryan (Randy)
228-Jeremy Accardo (Scott)

The homers just keep coming for my squad. Too bad that’s all that there is. Ellis is a good value, 20 homers are possible. He’s just not very exciting.

My favorite pick of the round goes to Lapinski with Conor Jackson. A major breakout could be coming for the Arizona first baseman.

Scott hosed Randy by taking safety valve Accardo immediately after BJ Ryan. Ohh snap!

Round 20

229-Barry Zito (Scott)
230-Frank Thomas (Randy)
231-Gil Meche (Blum)
232-Colby Rasmus (Tom)
233-Ryan Theriot (Babrisky)
234-Adam Jones (Nate)
235-Tony A. Pena (Strumph)
236-Lyle Overbay (Ziliani)
237-Ramon Hernandez (Lapinski)
238-Shaun Marcum (Keith)
239-Akinori Iwamura (me)
240-Richie Sexson (Bob)

This round personifies why mixed leagues are so bizarre. Look at the names still available in round 20!

There were guys I liked better than Iwamura, but the fact that he will soon qualify at second base is what swayed me. He very well might be in my starting lineup sooner than later, over Peralta, Greene or Ellis.

Marcum is a nice pick this late in the game. He’s a four category pitcher that is just entering his prime. I also like Overbay to bounce back, but this is where you can typically get him in a mixed draft. No need to reach any higher for him.

Round 21

241-Corey Patterson (Bob)
242-Ian Kennedy (me)
243-Julio Lugo (Keith)
244-Jason Schmidt (Lapinski)
245-Jeremy Guthrie (Ziliani)
246-Ivan Rodriguez (Strumph)
247-Felipe Lopez (Nate)
248-JD Drew (Babrisky)
249-Greg Maddux (Tom)
250-Tom Gorzelanny (Blum)
251-Milton Bradley (Randy)
252-Ervin Santana (Scott)

Bob takes Corey Patterson, but isn’t sure what team he’s on. Not what you’d call a glowing reference. The fact is, Patterson is in a better situation now than last year, so Bob lucked out.

I took Ian Kennedy for one simple reason. In a league chockfull of Yankee fans, Kennedy could become an overnight sensation. If that happens, I’ll have a nice chip to play, as long as I don’t wait too long to pull the trigger. Fact is, he isn’t that good. Shhhh.

I really like the Pudge pick, as well as the Lugo pick. If Lugo qualified at second base, I would have taken him over Iwamura. Lugo’s 2007 numbers were deceiving. He wasn’t nearly as bad as the average looked. He had some type of tapeworm or something in spring training, which set him back the first two months. Once he got rid of the thing, he was dynamite. Expect more of the same.

There are several reasons I like the Pudge pick. The lineup and the contract. Pudge has proven over the years that he steps it up when he has that lingering contract. He’s reported to camp in top shape and should give you one more year of Pudge like numbers. My catcher is still out there, so I continue to hold out.

Round 22

253-Joey Votto (Scott)
254-Coco Crisp (Randy)
255-Austin Kearns (Blum)
256-Nomar Garciaparra (Tom)
257-Geovany Soto (Babrisky)
258-Casey Blake (Nate)
259-Justin Upton (Strumph)
260-Hideki Okajima (Ziliani)
261-Tom Glavine (Lapinski)
262-Bill Hall (Keith)
263-Chase Headley (me)
264-Felix Pie (Bob)

Randy has been waiting 10 years for this opportunity and he finally got it. Milton Bradley followed by Coco Crisp. He had it planned all along, I know it. I’m now officially ashamed to say I know him.

I think Babrisky could sense all the bad stuff I was thinking about his team, because he decided to screw me in round 22 by taking my boy Soto. You’ve got Posada!!! What do you need Geovany for? The pick threw me for such a loop that I blindly pointed at my sheet and it came up Chase Headley. Wasted pick.

Round 23

265-Erick Aybar (Bob)
266-JR Towles (me)
267-Ubaldo Jimenez (Keith)
268-Jack Cust (Lapinski)
269-Chris Duncan (Ziliani)
270-CJ Wilson (Strumph)
271-Kerry Wood (Nate)
272-Justin Germano (Babrisky)
273-Scott Rolen (Tom)
274-Carlos Gomez (Blum)
275-Carlos Ruiz (Randy)
276-Daniel Cabrera (Scott)

Towles was my fallback option at catcher. He’ll be okay, for now. I’ll probably have to make a deal with someone or wait for someone else to step up. Can you sense my confidence in JR?

Cust is a great pick. But the rest of the round is filled with bums.

Why didn’t Babrisky take Germano the previous round? Why is Germano even being discussed in a mixed league? Geovannnnnnnnnnnyyyyy!!!

Amusing fact: the last three pitchers drafted by Scott-Daniel Cabrera, Ervin Santana, Barry Zito. If there is a hell, this is its pitching staff.

Round 24

277-Nick Johnson (Scott)
278-David Eckstein (Randy)
279-AJ Pierzynski (Blum)
280-Pedro Feliz (Tom)
281-Jose Guillen (Babrisky)
282-Mike Cameron (Nate)
283-Aubrey Huff (Strumph)
284-Joe Crede (Ziliani)
285-Randy Winn (Lapinski)
286-Ryan Freel (Keith)
287-Johnny Cueto (me)
288-Ryan Doumit (Bob)

As bad as round 23 was, round 24 was filled with bargains. Johnson, Feliz, Guillen, Cameron, Huff, Crede, Doumit, Winn….all great late round picks.

I used round 24 to make that one pick to make me look cool. Johnny Cueto has been pitching lights out and chances are, he’ll be bounced back to the minors before May. But I just wanted to say his name. If he pans out, he pans out. But I doubt he’ll contribute. It’s always nice to have one guy like that per draft.

Round 25

289-Brandon Morrow (Bob)
290-George Sherrill (me)
291-Justin Duscherrer (Keith)
292-Mark Prior (Lapinski)
293-Luke Scott (Ziliani)
294-Brian Bannister (Strumph)
295-Zach Greinke (Nate)
296-Mark Loretta (Babrisky)
297-Wily Mo Pena (Tom)
298-Scott Olsen (Blum)
299-Homer Bailey (Randy)
300-Brendan Harris (Scott)

An honest to goodness closer in the final round? George Sherrill will end up being a great bargain. I don’t care how bad the Orioles are. He’s got great stuff and he’s got no competition.

Greinke is another sweet deal in round 25. He’s regained his stuff and if he pitched for anybody but the Royals, might actually make a fantasy impact.

All in all, I feel like I did what I had to do, considering my circumstances. Since it’s a head to head league, you can look at individual categories and try to gauge how you’ll do. I know that I’m hurting in steals, no question about it. I’m already working on that problem. I should flourish in the power categories. Batting average I should be okay.

My pitching staff will come down to the health of Randy Johnson and Ben Sheets. If they stay upright, I can pair them with Young, Maine and Blanton for a formidable front five. I feel very confident in my three closers, plus I’ve got Sherrill waiting in the wings if needed.