You Cannot Be Serious!!!

Over the past few years, one of my favorite things to do in my weekly football column was to feature a section titled the "Johnny Mac You Cannot Be Serious" department.

For the most part, that portion of the column was devoted to outrageous calls by the officials or inexplicable moves by head coaches.

So tonight -- with so many crazy things going on in baseball it seems -- I'm resurrecting my old friend. So here we go with another edition of...

THE JOHNNY MAC "YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS" DEPARTMENT

* Item #1 -- let's begin by examining some of the recent moves made by the Phillies, who are off to a terrible start. On Thursday night -- after staff "ace" Freddy Garcia got roughed up in his season debut -- Manuel challenged WIP Radio's Howard Eskin to a fight in his office after Eskin suggested Manuel needed to show more fire. Say, isn't that the kind of thing that managers do just before they lose their jobs?

* Item #2 -- I can't pin this one on Manuel entirely, but the decision to move Jon Lieber back into the rotation and send Brett Myers -- Opening Day starter Brett Myers, that is -- back into a setup role is just plain ridiculous. Can someone explain to me what kind of incriminating pictures Adam Eaton has of Pat Gillick? I understand Myers has struggled lately, but this is a move that makes absolutely no sense. Let's say it together now: You Cannot Be Serious!?!?!

* Item #3 -- Not to pile on Manuel, but -- during tonight's game against Washington, the Nats sent up Michael Restovich as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning...and the Phils promptly made a pitching change. But because Manuel (and bench coach Jimy Williams) didn't wait until Restovich was announced as a pinch-hitter, Restovich was still available in the 11th for a double-switch. Now THAT'S the kind of thing a manager does to get himself fired...but, again, Williams also deserves some blame here.

* Item #4 -- Finally...let's move away from the Phigtin' Phils for a moment. Is it really possible that Kei Igawa and Daisuke Matsuzaka have the same number of wins? You Cannot Be Serious!

* Item #5 -- Is it really possible that Sammy Sosa has three times as many home runs this season as Manny Ramirez and Carlos Delgado...combined?! You Cannot Be Serious!

Finally...

We're in the win column.

One of my favorite announcer "catch-phrases" is the one uttered at the end of winning Orioles games by play-by-play man Joe Angel. At the end each game, Angel tells you that "the Orioles...are in the ___ column."

Obviously, if the O's are losers, he tells you -- in a rather dejected voice, usually -- that "the Orioles...are in the loss column."

But when the Birds are victorious? It's a little brighter: "The Orioles...are in the WIN column!"

Much better.

And tonight -- finally -- I got to hear those words. After starting the season 0-3 -- with an ugly series-ending loss to the Twins on Wednesday night -- the Orioles picked up their first win of the season.

Making it even sweeter was the fact that the win came in Yankee Stadium -- and against former Oriole Mike Mussina.

Listen, I was a 17-year-old Orioles fan back in the spring of 1988...so I know all about losing streaks to start a season. Whenever I even hear the words "oh-and-twenty-one" I reflexively wince in pain.

So -- for 20 seasons now -- I've always savored that first win of the season just a little bit more.

And tonight both the Orioles and the Phillies got it. So I can rest a little easier.

* I know I knocked Directv's new "Strike Zone Channel" a bit in my last SportsBlurb.com column (which you can read here: http://www.sportsblurb.com/baseball/game.asp). But I have to say that after a few more nights of checking out the channel, I think it can work. Sure, they sometimes switch too quickly from one game to another -- but I think I've figured out the key to watching the channel: you have to have another game on at all times on a second television. Seriously -- the Strike Zone channel works pretty well when you can flip back and forth between their updates and cut-ins and another game. I hereby retract my criticism for the time being.

* Was that really David Riske shutting down the Tigers in the 9th inning tonight to register a save? I realize I'm late to this waiver wire party, but I can't imagine that Riske will succeed in this role -- even for a short time.

* There was something rather ironic about 44-year-old Jamie Moyer defeating that group of Marlins youngsters to give the Phillies their first win of the season, wasn't there?

* OK, the delay tactics by Seattle manager Mike Hargrove earlier tonight were just outstanding. Paul Byrd and the Indians, however, were not as pleased. After all, they were just one out away from making the game official...which would have likely resulted in a Cleveland win. But Hargrove had other ideas -- and perhaps a minute-by-minute weather forecast -- and was able to get himself a ppd. Very nice. Am I the only one who thinks there might be some bad blood between these two teams over the weekend?

Some Early Observations

Before we get started -- my apologies for the lack of posts recently. Between the usual draft prep and a few other things, this blog has taken a back seat for a week or so.

But no more.

Let's just dive right into some observations from the first two days of the 2007 season...

* I was stunned that Daisuke Matsuzaka "only" went for $39 in my local, 12-team AL-only keeper league. This is a league with ridiculous inflation (Alex Rodriguez was a keeper at $65 for one owner) and I was shocked that the Dice-K hype didn't drive his price up into the high $40s.

* I know I've mentioned it before in this blog, but Daniel Cabrera is going to have a huge season for the Orioles this year. He looked absolutely unhittable at times on Tuesday night.

* Maybe it's just me, but I think Cardinals fans should be worried about the fact that Chris Carpenter is going to miss his next start with elbow inflammation. That rotation was shaky to begin with; the Cards could be in real trouble if their ace is gone for an extended period.

* Break up the Pirates...two wins -- on the road, no less. And with each loss, the Astros can feel Roger Clemens slipping away.

* Speaking of worried, I'm beyond worried that Jose Contreras might be finished. Not only did he get lit up like a Christmas tree on Monday, but Indians players were claiming that Contreras wasn't throwing nearly as hard as he did last year. Not good.

* How is it possible that there were NO games broadcast in hi-def on Tuesday as part of the MLB Extra Innings Superfan package? I realize there was a limited slate of games...but come on. Throw me a bone, here Directv. The season isn't even a week old and I'm already frustrated with the lack of hi-def availability.

* Speaking of which...if the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) wants to be taken seriously, they'll need to get moving on hi-def capability. Let's see...Peter Angelos secured the rights to broadcast both the Nationals and Orioles games on his network...but that network is planning a grand total of ZERO hi-def broadcasts in 2007? I guess I should be thankful that Angelos gave the go-ahead to broadcast the games in color...

What Do I Know, Anyway?

About three weeks ago -- in this very blog -- I offered up a list of 5 pitchers I felt could surprise in 2007.

(If you'd like to see for yourself, here's the link -- http://trustyourstuff.blogspot.com/2007/02/five-pitchers-who-will-surprise-in-2007.html)

Today let's take a look back at that list and see how each of those pitchers is progressing so far this spring...

1. Tim Wakefield was my first choice, and he's penciled in nicely as the 5th starter for what figures to be a solid Red Sox rotation. Wakefield has been healthy so far this spring and has posted a 5.00 ERA in three starts. A little bothersome is the fact that Wakefield has allowed 15 hits in nine innings of work. But, hey, it's spring training...he's just working on a few things, right? I stand by my statement that 15 wins is not out of the question.

2. Zack Greinke of the Royals was my next selection, as I figure he could slide under the radar on draft day or be discounted in some way due to his off-field struggles in 2006. But Greinke has looked strong so far this spring, leading the Royals with 14 innings pitched and 14 strikeouts (against just one walk.) There's no guarantee that Greinke will end up in the rotation, but his 3.86 spring training ERA doesn't hurt -- I also stand by my statement that Greinke will be a late-round steal.

3. Next up was Jaret Wright of the Orioles, who had struggled getting his work in this spring before pitching four innings against the Mets (allowing two earned runs) earlier tonight. It's clear that the Orioles have been cautious with Wright, and I still feel that his reunion with Leo Mazzone could be a successful one. I will say, though, that after seeing Wright throw this spring I no longer see a 15-win, sub-4.00 ERA as a realistic possibility.

4. Jon Lieber of the Phillies was my fourth choice, although at the time I felt it was likely that Lieber would be traded at some point this season...and I still feel that's the case. In fact, I think it's more likely now than ever -- Lieber has pitched well this spring (one earned run in six innings) and the Phillies are beginning to talk as though he might beat out Adam Eaton for the fifth starter's job. Don't buy into that, though -- it's simply Pat Gillick building up Lieber's trade value before the inevitable deal.

5. Can I have a mulligan for my last pick? I selected Kerry Wood of the Cubs and said that he'd notch 30 saves this season. Now it looks as though Wood will open the year on the disabled list (hard to believe, isn't it?) and I'm stuck with what looks like a ridiculous prediction. Don't worry, though -- if somehow Wood does save 30 games I'll pretend I stood by my prediction all along...

Draft Day Nightmares

Every year I have the same, Groundhog Day-like dream night after night for approximately two weeks...and it always happens at this time of year: just prior to my annual AL-only auction. I suspect – although many of you may not admit it – that I’m not the only roto geek in the world who has dreams like this. So I share this with you today as sort of a public service. One way or another, you’ll feel much better about yourself after reading this. I figure either you’ll now know that someone else suffers as you do, or, more likely, you’ll realize that compared to my problems yours are really just a drop in the bucket.

Before I begin, however, let me take a step back. Since 1995, I’ve been in a highly competitive AL-only league in the Baltimore area. It’s been fun every year – we’ve ranged from 10 to 12 teams and we have a good group of owners who know are very knowledgeable, to say the least.

This is the league I take most seriously – I’ll generally play in two to four leagues per season – and I spend much more time preparing for this draft than any other. We’re a $260 auction league with 10-man keeper lists and 10-man minor league rosters. So you need to do your homework before heading into the auction every year or else you’ll have to endure a long, tough summer full of ridicule as your team languishes near the basement.

Anyway, back to the dream...or, I should say, nightmare. (And, yes, I realize that having dreams about a rotisserie baseball draft probably means I should seek professional help. Believe me, that’s nothing I haven’t heard before.)

So the dream always begins the same way. I show up a half-hour or so early for the auction and immediately I see a few of my fellow owners in the parking lot. It’s a warm, sunny day so we spend a few minutes just standing in the parking lot, talking about which players we each feel other owners will pay ridiculous prices for.

After a few minutes of trading what amounts to mostly misinformation, we decide to head inside. I always pick a spot in the corner of the room where I can see every other owner’s face, but no one else can see my notes.

As usual, we have a few owners who show up late, and after an hour or so of ordering drinks and waiting on the late-arrivals, we finally get started.

The first name is thrown out for bid and there are the customary ooohs and aaahs, along with the usual wisecracks about how this player is likely to get injured or that he should go for no less than $50.

In every single dream of late, I should point out, Vlad Guerrero has been the first player brought up for bid. I have Vlad on my list and I jump into the bidding at the $20 level and continue on up into the $30s before backing off.

The bidding, however, keeps on going well past the $40 mark and climbs into the $50s. Once the bidding hits $56, I hear, “Once...twice...sold.” I find it a bit odd that Guerrero sells for more than I expected him to, but I cross him off my list and we move on to the next player.

But here’s where it starts to get strange. (And, again, I realize that the whole concept is strange to begin with; so cut me a break on that...)

Each time a player comes up he always sells for a much higher price than I had forecast. I can’t force myself to overpay for players early in the draft, so I jump out of the bidding and watch as the players begin to fly by. Player after player comes and goes...and I’m not getting any of them.

Joe Mauer comes up and I become determined to finally land my first big name. After the bidding opens at $10, I jump in and try a pre-emptive surprise bid by pounding my fist on the table and yelling, “$35 FOR MAUER!!”

The commissioner repeats my bid, saying “OK...$35 for Mauer going once...going twice...”

But then I hear “$36.” I figure someone is bidding me up, so I jump over $37 and go straight to $38. But it’s no use, as I soon hear “$39...$40...$41...”

At this point a full-scale bidding war breaks out and Mauer's price jumps to $50. I figure that’s too rich for my blood, so I back off and feel secure in the knowledge that I’ll soon have control of the auction as everyone else will have over-spent way too early.

This continues for several rounds. Each time a player comes up for bid I jump into the fray but the bidding always carries on well beyond what I feel comfortable spending on that player. So I wind up dropping out.

I come close to getting Aubrey Huff for $25 but then get blindsided by another owner who suddenly bids $30. I make a run at Mariano Rivera – in fact I come within a half-second of hearing the word “sold” – before someone else jumps in and bids him up into the mid-$40s. This just goes on and on...player after player.

But for some reason, each time we do a recap of how much money each owner has left to spend, everyone else always still has plenty of money. 30 or 40 players have sold for $40 to $50 each yet somehow everyone else still has more money than I do and they have complete control of the auction.

Let me stop here and point out that I realize – in the light of day – that this makes absolutely no sense. I understand completely the idea that each time a player sells for more than he is forecast to, that means another player will sell for less than I thought. I get that.

It’s just that it never works out that way in my dream. After a few more rounds, I become the butt of nearly every joke as I still have NO PLAYERS. Everyone else has a team loaded with all-stars and I’m sitting there with an empty roster.

The dream gets fuzzier for a bit, but then near the end I select each of my players – for $1 each – as my fellow owners pack up and leave. A few stop by to console me on their way out but most of them just shake their heads and laugh, as if they’ve gotten away with some sort of hilarious crime.

As I drive home I keep trying to piece it together and figure out why I’m left with a roster full of $1 players and more than $200 in unspent draft dollars. I go over the numbers in my head again and again but I can just never figure it out.

The dream always begins and ends the same way. We always start with Johan Santana, and I always wind up completely frustrated and confused as I leave the room having left over $200 on the table. As it’s happening I know it makes no sense but I am absolutely powerless to stop it.

This has gone on now for five straight years – I just keep having this very same dream over and over in the nights leading up to my draft. It’s not something that keeps me awake or causes anything more than mild curiosity and slight annoyance...but for the life of me I can’t figure out why it keeps happening.

So as your draft approaches, I hope you sleep much more soundly than I do...and I hope you leave your “real” roto draft with not a dollar to spare.

As for me, I have a few more nights to figure out a solution to this puzzle, as my draft isn’t until March 31. That’s 14 more nights of settling in for the best day of the year – Draft Day – only to have each draft quickly dissolve into a baffling dream fit for the likes of Bill Murray.

So, again, I wish you the best of luck on draft day. But if the first player brought up at your draft is Johan Santana, you may want to spend whatever it takes to get him...just to be on the safe side.

Seven Annoying Things About Spring Training

Now that we're into the middle of March, we'll soon begin hearing from some of MLB's veterans that they can't wait for spring training to end.

I can't say I agree with that sentiment -- after all, I still feel like I need more time to prepare for my fantasy draft -- but I will say that I find myself becoming more easily annoyed with certain parts of spring training.

So today, I plan to vent a little bit. Here are the seven things I find most annoying about spring training...

1. Closers pitching in the middle innings -- Listen, I understand that managers want their closers pitching against legitimate big league competition rather than the prospects and suspects typically in the game for the ninth inning. But there's just something odd about seeing pitchers like Mariano Rivera or Bobby Jenks entering a game in the fifth inning. More importantly, when I see a pitcher -- like Tampa Bay's Juan Salas -- pitching the ninth inning, I get excited about the prospect of finding a new closer...only to realize later that the ninth inning was completely meaningless.

2. Spring training broadcasts filled with features -- The people who produce spring training television and radio broadcasts have become incredibly annoying. Over the past couple of years, it seems, it has become fashionable to run an interview with a player -- or, in some cases, an entire press conference -- while virtually ignoring the action on the field. I realize the producers are trying to appeal to a mass audience, but a junkie like me really wants to know what's happening on the field. And speaking of that...

3. Identify all the players, please -- Nothing bothers me more than watching a telecast of, say, a Colorado Rockies game where the Rockies telecasters completely ignore the names of the opposing players. And what's more -- the production staff doesn't even bother to identify the players with graphics once the regulars leave the game. Listen, if you're going to go to all the trouble to actually broadcast the game, you could at least tell me who's playing.

4. Teams that send down their prospects too soon -- One of the great things about watching spring training baseball on television is you get the chance to see both the big leaguers and the top prospects on the field in the same game. But some teams have gotten into the habit of sending their top prospects down to their minor league camp after just a week or so of exhibition games, leaving only the big league players and a bunch of 30-year-old career Triple-A types. Here's an idea for Bud Selig: why not mandate that teams not make cuts any earlier than March 15? And for the first two weeks of the exhibition schedule, why not "strongly suggest" that teams feature three of their top prospects and at least four of their regular players in the starting lineup at all times?

5. Fans on cell phones waving behind the backstop -- I appreciate the fact that NESN and the Boston Red Sox televise so many games from City of Palms Park in Fort Myers. But do any of the ushers actually work there? Or is it just accepted practice that fans take turns walking down to the seats behind home plate so they can wave furiously while telling their friends back home to "Look at me, I'm on TV"? And this isn't a problem exclusive to Fort Myers. Again, I think the commissioner should step in here and have these people banned from attending ballgames for life.

6. Non-apology-apologies -- Seems like this has become another rite of spring. A couple of years ago we had Jason Giambi's apology -- for "something" -- just before spring training began. Then we had the infamous Congressional hearings in 2005, with plenty of doubletalk. And this year, we've heard Gary Matthews Jr. apologize for the "distraction" on one day and then deny that he did anything wrong soon after. The way I see it, unless you're planning to tell me what you're apologizing for, don't bother. Think of it this way: would your wife accept a general apology without details? Not a chance -- in fact, we all know that a stunt like that would actually make things worse than if we didn't apologize in the first place.

7. Fashion sense -- I think we can all agree that the new spring training caps look terrible. I understand wanting to market new gear, but shouldn't someone check first to make sure the new gear actually looks good? And beyond that, I'm sick of seeing those batting practice jerseys. Here's another rule proposal: All MLB teams are allowed to wear batting practice jerseys until March 17. On March 17, of course, all teams should wear green for St. Patrick's Day. And from March 18 until Opening Day, all teams should be required to wear their regular season uniforms.

OK -- rant over. My apologies for throwing so much negativity out there during such a positive, relaxed time as spring training. I'll be back with more tomorrow...

The Weekend That Was

While most of the country focused its attention on NCAA basketball this past weekend, a few of us -- including those of you reading this blog -- remain locked in on MLB spring training.

So instead of filling out brackets and talking about Cinderella, people like us prepare draft lists and talk about guys like Mirabelli.

(OK...that's an awful line -- but you get what you pay for with this blog.)

Here are some observations from the weekend...

* Orioles starter Jaret Wright looked strong against the Washington Nationals on Friday, pitching two scoreless innings and striking out three while allowing just one hit. It's still too early to say for sure whether or not Wright will regain his 2004 form under pitching coach Leo Mazzone, but I think it's possible. Before jumping on the Wright bandwagon with both feet, though, I'd like to see how Wright looks when he gets stretched out to four or five innings in spring training.

* I turned on the Cubs-Padres game on Friday afternoon for just a little while, but in the short time I was watching I saw Alfonso Soriano misplay yet another ball in center field. Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a fly ball just over Soriano's head that went for a double in the second inning, but it was a ball that should have been caught. Kouzmanoff, by the way, later homered in the game and is hitting .353 (6-for-17) so far this spring with a .765 slugging percentage.

* So were you wondering how Adam Wainright's transition from World Series closer into 2007 starting pitcher was going? Here's an update: Wainright pitched 4 2/3 innings of shutout ball against the Orioles on Saturday in Fort Lauderdale, scattering five hits and a walk. Those five hits, by the way, were the first allowed by Wainright all spring. So far he has pitched 11 2/3 scoreless innings.

* The Daisuke Matsuzaka hype continues. (And, yes, I realize I have both contributed to and bought into this hype so far this spring.) But I found it interesting that the Orioles sent six regulars across Alligator Alley on Sunday to face Matsuzaka in Fort Myers. Matsuzaka was hit around a bit -- he allowed a pair of homers -- but the players who did the damage aren't exactly regulars: Jon Knott and Jason Dubois.

* What cracks me up about the Matsuzaka story is the latest tact taken by the media: suggesting that Matsuzaka is overhyped and that there is too much attention being paid to him this spring. Well, who exactly do you think created this hype? And who's paying so much attention? The media, perhaps?

* Has there ever been a player who has dropped off the face of the earth as quickly -- and completely -- as Javy Lopez? Think about it: just four years ago, a then-32-year-old Lopez hit .328 with 43 home runs and 109 RBI in his free agent season for the Atlanta Braves. Lopez signed on with Baltimore, where he his numbers declined in each of the next two seasons (.316-23-86 in 2004 and .278-15-49 in 2005.) The 2006 season was a disaster -- he was replaced by Ramon Hernandez in the Baltimore lineup...he failed miserably in an attempt to play first base in spring training...and he was sent to Boston after hitting .265 with 8 home runs and 31 RBI in just 76 games. With the Red Sox -- who were desperate for catching help at the time -- Lopez hit just .190 in 18 games before being shown the door. And now -- with three weeks to go in spring training -- Lopez has been released by the Colorado Rockies. What's amazing is that Lopez is still only 36 years old...but it seems as though his skills have declined to the point where he's truly 46.

* Here's a potential sleeper for late in NL-only drafts: Washington outfielder Chris Snelling. Snelling, the former Mariners' prospect, has battled injuries and has never quite developed into the player many expected. But he's hitting so far this spring: a .294 average (5-for-17) with a game-winning, three-run 8th-inning home run against the Mets earlier today. Snelling will clearly get a long look in Washington, as the team is not hiding the fact that 2007 is a year for evaluating talent.

More tomorrow...

18 Wins for Daniel Cabrera?

I've said it before in this space, but it bears repeating: I'm an Orioles fan. A long-suffering Orioles fan.

So take the following with a grain of salt:

Daniel Cabrera has turned the corner.

Yes, I realize it's still early in spring training. But Cabrera looked very strong this afternoon against the New York Mets. And so far this spring, he's pitched five innings, struck out six, allowed two base hits and -- most importantly -- he hasn't walked a single batter.

Cabrera has all the talent in the world, and his inability to throw strikes last season so frustrated the Orioles that they sent him to the minors. But after Cabrera returned, he seemed to look like a more mature pitcher. And he very nearly no-hit the New York Yankees in the final week of the season.

The difference this spring with Cabrera -- and I've seen both of his appearances on television -- is that his delivery seems more consistent. In short, he looks like a veteran out there. And that newfound poise -- combined with his immense talent -- is why I'm predicting a minimum of 18 wins for Cabrera this season.

Now...on to more observations from today's game...

* Orlando Hernandez started for the Mets, making his first appearance of the spring. So how did he get things started? With a 63-mph curveball that leadoff hitter Ruddy Yan could only stare at. That's just not fair.

* El Duque pitched a scoreless first inning, but then was roughed up in the second. Hernandez allowed five runs -- and faced ten men in the inning -- allowing six hits and a walk.

* Cabrera, as I mentioned earlier, got the start for Baltimore and looked great. He's changing speeds more often it seems, and that makes his fastball simply overpowering. He ended all three of his innings with strikeouts, including called third strikes to close out the first and second frames. In all, Cabrera struck out four and allowed just one hit in three innings of work.

* Orioles outfielder -- and former Met -- Jay Payton doubled to right field in the first and fifth innings. Every time I've seen Payton hit this spring, he's gone the other way with the ball.

* One thing that always fascinates me about spring training is the fact that in many parks, the managers and coaches sit on lawn furniture. Am I the only one who thinks this would be a great idea for the regular season as well? Imagine it -- the players stay in the dugout, while the coaching staff sits on oversized, white plastic lawn chairs near the on-deck circle. This might even present a great sponsorship opportunity, as companies would have to bid for the rights to be the official managerial lawn furniture of Major League Baseball.

* Baltimore catcher -- and Rule V selection -- Adam Donachie hit a three-run bomb to left field off Hernandez in the second inning. I still think he's a longshot to make the team, but a couple more drives like that and he could stick as Ramon Hernandez's backup...and it looks like he has some power.

* Mets right-hander Mike Pelfrey -- the team's top prospect, according to Baseball America -- took over for Hernandez to begin the third and was very impressive. Pelfrey allowed two runs (both unearned) in three innings pitched. But here's the impressive part: 12 of the 13 batters Pelfrey faced hit the ball on the ground. (Of course, the Mets misplayed a couple of those, leading to the runs.) But Pelfrey seems like a very strong groundball pitcher who has a bright future -- I could easily see him in the Mets' rotation at some point this season.

* Shawn Green finally ended his slump -- which had climbed to 0-for-15 -- with a single to right field off of lefty Kurt Birkins in the sixth inning.

* I also had a chance to catch some of the game in Viera, Florida between the Astros and Nationals. The Nats wore their "camo" hats for this game and I have to say those could be the ugliest baseball caps I've ever seen. Seriously. I'm color blind, yet I still know that the mix of colors in those hats was awful.

* Former Rockie Jason Jennings got the start for Houston and he struggled early. Jennings allowed three runs in the first on a walk, a double and two singles. In the second, Jennings surrendered an RBI double to deep center off the bat of Christian Guzman...but he did settle down to pitch a scoreless third inning before calling it a day.

* I'll be back tomorrow with more...

Dice-K, Bay-bee!

That's right -- I got him.

After obsessing over Daisuke Matsuzaka all spring long...I landed him earlier tonight in the FantasyAuctioneer.com AL-only Experts League.

And for the low price of just $29.

Tonight's auction meant I didn't get to see much in the way of games today (although I had the YES Network broadcast of the Reds-Yankees game on in the background and saw the Roger Clemens love-fest...and the scare early in the game when a shattered bat came flying at Andy Pettitte.)

I'll go over the championship team I assembled in just a moment. But first, a public service announcement: My sportsblurb.com column is up for this week. You can check it out at http://sportsblurb.com/baseball/game.asp.

OK, now onto the squad. The league is a 13-team (ugh!) AL-only league with a $260 cap...no keepers...and a five-round reserve draft following the auction. Here's what the boys look like for '07...

C - Greg Zaun, $6
C - Vance Wilson, $1
1B - Shea Hillenbrand, $11
2B - Brian Roberts, $26
3B - Akinori Iwamura, $12
SS - Juan Uribe, $6
CI - Aubrey Huff, $21
OF - Jermaine Dye, $27
OF - Raul Ibanez, $18
OF - Reed Johnson, $11
OF - Willy Mo Pena, $9
OF - Marcus Thames, $4
DH - Jay Gibbons, $9
P - Daisuke Matsuzaka, $29
P - Adam Loewen, $12
P - Jon Garland, $9
P - Kevin Millwood, $6
P - Luke Hudson, $1
P - Francisco Rodriguez, $35
P - Justin Duchsherer, $4
P - Danys Baez, $1
P - Jesse Crain, $1
Res - Travis Buck
Res - Adam Jones
Res - Juan Salas
Res - Edison Volquez
Res - Francisco Rosario

So there you have it -- the 2007 Fantasy Auctioneer AL-only Experts League Champions.

More tomorrow...

Why Javier Vazquez Was Distracted Today...

I can’t tell you how great it is to have electricity again. After high winds knocked out power for most of Monday, Tuesday was back to normal…although there was just one game available on television: the White Sox vs. Rockies from Tucson.

* Kind of an interesting day for White Sox starter Javier Vazquez. The veteran right-hander took the mound at Tucson Electric Park against the Colorado Rockies and did not look good at all, allowing a pair of runs in both the first and second innings before settling down a bit to pitch a perfect third.

* But during the fourth inning, it was learned that Vazquez may have been a bit preoccupied during this start. After all, if you had just signed a three-year, $34.5 million contract extension wouldn’t you have your mind on how you could best go about spending that money?

* Vazquez had two outs and no one on in the top of the second before hurting himself with his glove. He allowed back-to-back infield singles to Chris Ianetta and Willy Taveras but he got a glove on both and should have gotten an out on either ball. As you’d expect, the next hitter – Kaz Matsui – tripled down the right field line to make it a 4-0 game.

* Call me crazy, but I just can’t see the marriage of Rodrigo Lopez and Coors Field working out so well. Lopez allowed opponents to hit him at a .302 clip in 2006…not exactly the type of numbers that will spell success in Colorado.

* Lopez had been cruising along until the third, when he allowed a single by Darin Erstad, an RBI double by Juan Uribe…and a long, line drive home run to right by A.J. Pierzynski on a changeup left up in the zone.

* Got a good look at Rockies’ #1 prospect Troy Tulowitzki in this game, as he played shortstop and hit eighth in the order. Tulowitzki struck out against Vazquez in the second inning and then swung and missed at a 1-2 curveball from left-hander Matt Thornton in the fourth. In the sixth, Tulowitzki ripped an 0-1 curve from Adam Russell into left for a solid double to finish the day 1-for-3.

* Rockies catcher Chris Ianetta, the team’s #8 prospect, according to Baseball America, singled off of Vazquez in the second, but was overmatched by Thornton in the fourth inning, striking out on three pitches. In the sixth, Ianetta worked a walk off of Adam Russell and finished the day 1-for-2 with a run scored.

* Yet another Rockies prospect – right-hander Jason Hirsh – also made an appearance in this game and was very impressive. Hirsh came over to Colorado along with Willy Taveras in the deal with Houston for Jason Jennings, and Hirsh currently ranks as Colorado’s #3 prospect, according to BA. Hirsh pitched three scoreless innings and allowed just one hit. In his first inning of work, Hirsh retired the side in order on a pair of pop-ups and a grounder. Then in the fifth, Hirsh retired the first two hitters before allowing a two-out single by Junior Spivey, who was quickly erased attempting to steal. Hirsh finished his day by retiring the White Sox in order in the sixth and showed off a hard slider that fooled several hitters.

* 6’8” right-hander Adam Russell, the White Sox #8 overall prospect according to Baseball America, came into the game in the fifth and pitched two innings for Chicago. Russell pitched a 1-2-3 fifth, but then struggled in the sixth. Russell allowed an infield single to Matt Holliday and then gave up a monster home run over the batter’s eye in center field to Brad Hawpe. Russell did show an above-average pickoff move, nearly picking off Holliday just before allowing the long home run.

* MLB.TV provided a glimpse of the Padres and Diamondbacks earlier this evening, in a game where both Chris Young and Brandon Webb pitched three innings. Arizona’s Scott Hairston touched up Young for a two-run home run in the second, but nothing else of note happened in the four innings I saw.

* Three televised games are on tap for tomorrow but I may not have time to watch them and post a blog entry. My first draft of the season takes place tomorrow night – the FantasyAuctioneer.com AL-only experts league…where I’m looking to get back in the winner’s circle. Much like the White Sox, I had a great 2005 – winning a championship – but I was unable to repeat in ’06.

If it's not one thing...

If it's not one thing, it's another.

After complaining for days about how Directv was keeping me from watching televised spring training games, today I can't blame them at all.

Today, I can blame Mother Nature. High winds knocked out the power at my house just before the 1:00 games were to begin and I've only recently gotten the lights back on. (I won't even mention the piece of siding that has blown half-off my house and keeps slamming into the wall, making an incredibly loud noise...)

So no recaps from today; my apologies. If the house is still standing -- and the lights remain on -- I'll have more tomorrow.

Directv is KILLING me

It happened again.

The Twins-Red Sox broadcast was supposed to appear at 1:00 p.m. today on channel 660. So I set up my Tivo accordingly.

What did I get? About a half-hour of an ACC Women's Basketball Tournament game, followed by three hours' worth of a Directv logo.

It seems like it's impossible for Directv to get through an entire weekend without a programming error that takes away all or part of a spring training broadcast.

But I've spent time in this blog ranting about Directv for days...I'll simply keep the rest of my screaming to myself for now and get on to the games I was able to see.

* The Cubs and White Sox did battle today in Mesa, Arizona and it was Alfonso Soriano's first televised game as a Cub. Soriano got the start in center field and took a terrible route on a flyball hit by Junior Spivey in the third inning. Soriano made the play, but he turned a routine ball into a bit of an adventure; it seems like this will be an ongoing story this spring.

* White Sox starter Jon Garland pitched three scoreless innings, allowing only two hits -- both off the bat of Soriano. Other than that, Garland looked strong.

* Right-hander Julio Mateo -- the Cubs' #11 prospect, according to Baseball America -- took the mound for the Cubs in the third inning. Mateo pitched a scoreless third inning before imploding in the fourth, allowing a pair of walks before delivering a belt-high fastball to Jermaine Dye. Dye crushed that pitch well over the wall in left field for a three-run homer. Two batters later, Rob Mackowiak got a fastball down-and-in and golfed it over the wall in right. As Mackowiak circled the bases, Lou Piniella began his walk to the mound to end Mateo's day.

* For the second time in just four days, I got a chance to see knuckleballer Charlie Haeger take the hill for the White Sox. Haeger pitched a pair of scoreless innings against the Rockies on Thursday, leading me to praise him for his 84-mph fastball. Maybe I should take that back -- Haeger fell behind the first hitter he faced today, Derrek Lee, and grooved a 3-1 fastball clocked at 82 miles per hour. Needless to say, Lee deposited that pitch over the left field wall for a home run.

* In the fifth inning, Paul Konerko hit an absolute bomb to left field off of John Webb -- a mammoth shot that cleared the bleachers beyond the wall and landed in the parking lot. It was Konerko's second home run of the day...and it could easily be the longest home run hit in Mesa all spring.

* Former Rangers prospect John Danks took over for the White Sox in the sixth inning. Danks, of course, came over to Chicago in the deal that sent Brandon McCarthy to the Rangers. Danks was hitting 92 mph on the radar gun with his fastball; he allowed a leadoff single in the sixth before retiring three straight hitters.

* Because the Twins-Red Sox game wasn't available on Directv, I fired up the MLB.TV and watched some of the Phillies-Yankees game from Clearwater. Neither Derek Jeter nor Alex Rodriguez made the road trip, but I was pleasantly surprised to see Jose Tabata -- the Yankees' #2 prospect, according to BA -- hitting cleanup for the Bombers.

* Tabata squared off against Cole Hamels in the first inning and bounced to third. Tabata finished one-for-four.

* Hamels looked very strong, allowing just two hits in three scoreless innings. Hamels seemed to have mid-season location on his pitches, and he threw a great fastball on the outside corner to get Johnny Damon looking in the third inning.

* For the Yankees, Carl Pavano got the start. Yes, you read that correctly -- Carl Pavano pitched in a game. Pavano was quoted after the game as saying he felt great and was happy with his performance, but I thought he looked rusty. Pavano allowed a hit and a walk in the first, and allowed a long single off the wall in right to Wes Helms in the third inning.

* Finally -- since there wasn't much else of interest on the field during this game -- I will say that it was a bit strange listening to Gary Matthews in the Phillies' broadcast booth. Matthews, of course, has been an analyst before (with Milwaukee, I believe) but his voice will take some getting used to this season...

* Three televised games on the schedule for tomorrow -- assuming Directv cooperates -- so I'll have some observations tomorrow evening...

Another year, another analyst

Today marked the debut of the new Washington Nationals broadcast team on MASN, as Don Sutton made his debut alongside Bob Carpenter.

This makes three color analysts (Ron Darling and Tom Paciorek came before Sutton) and two play-by-play men (Mel Proctor handled the duties in 2005) in three seasons for the Nationals.

Don't get me wrong: I think Sutton is strong and he'll form a solid team with Carpenter. But at some point a little continuity might be in order for the fans' sake...

Now on to some observations from today's telecasts...

* Washington starter (likely the only Nats' starting pitcher you can name) looked good in his first two innings of work this spring. He allowed three hits in the first inning, but he kept the Orioles' hitters off balance; those three hits weren't exactly hit hard. In the second inning, Patterson looked especially strong...and that's a good sign considering his injury troubles in 2006.

* New Orioles' outfielder Jay Payton went the opposite way for an RBI single in the first and then grounded up the middle for another RBI single in the third. In his next at-bat, Payton flew out to left -- proving that he could, in fact, hit the ball in three different directions in three straight at-bats.

* Joel Hanrahan took over for Patterson in the third, but he'd have been better off had he not shown up at the ballpark. Hanrahan looked terrible, allowing three hits, three walks and five earned runs while retiring just one batter.

* Baltimore right fielder Nick Markakis looks like he wants to put any talk of a sophomore jinx to bed immediately -- he went 3-for-4 with two singles and a double; he still looks like a star in the making to me.

* Nats' third base prospect Kory Casto had a single up the middle off of lefthander John Parrish in the eighth. I've seen Casto play in the minors a few times and he still has that good-looking swing I remember. Only problem is...there's a fellow named Zimmerman blocking his path in Washington.

* Directv screwed up again today, causing out-of-market fans to miss the first three innings of the Phillies-Red Sox game. So I got to see none of Tim Wakefield's outing. Directv does this every spring; they incorrectly make spring games unavailable...then they realize their mistake an hour or so into the broadcast. It's incredibly frustrating, and their customer service department provides absolutely zero assistance.

* From what I did see, however, Jonathan Papelbon was very impressive. His fastball looked strong, and he used it to strike out Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Aaron Rowand and the immortal Greg Dobbs in his two perfect innings.

* Joel Pineiro isn't having the kind of spring that will help him win the Red Sox closer's job. Pineiro came on in the fifth for Boston and -- with a runner on first -- left an 0-2 pitch to the aforementioned Dobbs right in the middle of the plate. Dobbs smacked it over the right field wall for a two-run homer.

* Pineiro was lifted after allowing four hits, four earned runs and two walks in just 1 1/3 innings. Not good.

* Even though it's only spring training, Mike Lowell still murders the Phillies. Lowell went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer in the fifth.

* It looks like tomorrow will bring us telecasts of the Red Sox-Twins game from Fort Myers as well as the Cubs and White Sox from Arizona. I'll see you after tomorrow's games...

Daisuke Goes to College

There was only one full spring training game televised today (and that was rather uneventful) to go along with the NESN coverage of Daisuke Matsuzaka's start against Boston College.

Let's get right to what we learned...

* Atlanta starter John Smoltz was snapping off some mid-season curveballs in the first inning and making the Pirates' hitters look foolish. In the second, Smoltz threw a first-pitch knuckleball to good friend and former teammate Adam LaRoche...but I don't think Tim Wakefield has anything to worry about. Smoltz's knuckleball didn't look like the kind of pitch you'll see in the regular season.

* In the fifth inning, Bob Wickman came on to pitch for the Braves. I don't want to sound rude here, but I actually started to wonder if ESPN was showing a replay of a game from the mid-'80s with Terry Forster on the mound. Wickman is not quite as wide as Forster at this point...but he's getting close.

* Braves right fielder Jeff Francouer got a fat fastball from Pirates prospect Franquelis Osoria in the bottom of the fifth and crushed it over the left field fence.

* Former Pirate Mike Gonzalez pitched the sixth for Atlanta, and he didn't look good. Gonzalez walked the first hitter and then allowed a wind-blown home run to Brad Eldred before settling down.

* In the seventh, Pirates shortstop Brian Bixler (the team's #8 prospect, according to Baseball America) crushed a high fastball from Oscar Villareal. There's no doubt the home run was wind-aided, but still...it cleared the fence with plenty to spare.

* Josh Sharpless, Pittsburgh's #6 prospect according to BA, pitched the eighth inning but doesn't look overly impressive. His fastball topped out at 90 mph and he doesn't appear to have anything more than an average breaking ball.

* Aside from the few highlights listed above, today's game between the Pirates and Braves was one of the more uneventful spring games you'll see -- very few top prospects and nothing noteworthy from any superstars.

* NESN provided live coverage of Daisuke Matsuzaka's first start in a Red Sox uniform, although they cut away from the game after Matsuzaka departed.

* Daisuke's first pitch was a 91 mph fastball that was slapped the opposite way for a double by the B.C. leadoff hitter. That, however, would be the last hit Matsuzaka would allow.

* Matsuzaka finished up the first inning strong -- striking out the last two hitters to strand a runner at third.

* As for Matsuzaka's stuff, his fastball topped out at 92 mph on the NESN gun, and he displayed a sharp, downward-breaking curveball. He also threw at least one slider and may have even mixed in a changeup (although I didn't notice one.)

* In the second, Matsuzaka was perfect...and then his night was over. He certainly benefited from two "generous" (according to one B.C. player interviewed in-game) third strike calls during this outing. All in all, Matsuzaka threw 25 pitches (19 strikes), struck out three and allowed just one hit.

* Tomorrow (Saturday) looks like a much better day, with three games available via satellite and one more via MLB.TV. I'll post items of note from those games tomorrow evening.

* Before I wrap up today's entry, though, I wanted to comment on the news reports suggesting that the MLB Extra Innnings deal with Directv may soon be announced. A story hit the wires earlier tonight about a letter sent by Directv to the FCC in response to their inquiry. What's interesting about this is the fact that Directv spelled out some of the improvements to the E.I. package, which include more games in hi-def and a channel that features live cut-ins to games (similar to the NFL's "Red Zone" channel.) Now if only they could figure out a way to include Phillies, Padres and Blue Jays games in the package on a regular basis...

The Full Schedule

There was a full slate of games earlier today in both the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues -- which means baseball addicts like me now have plenty of box scores to review.

It doesn't matter if the starters are gone after just a few innings -- what matters is the chance to see how those starters look...and the chance to see how the prospects who replace them fare as well.

Here are some notes from the games I was able to watch today...

* I will confess -- I did not watch any games live today, as I instead opted for the radio broadcast of the Orioles-Marlins game at 1:00. As a lifelong Orioles fan, I love the fact that the team always broadcasts the spring training opener. It's great to hear the voice of Joe Angel once again; it's like an old friend has returned from a vacation and now plans to drop by for a few hours every day for the next seven months.

* Judging by the performance of Birds starter Steve Trachsel, I think I was better off with a radio description, anyway. Trachsel allowed the first five batters he faced to reach and the Marlins lead 3-0 before he had retired a batter. Ouch.

* Fortunately -- through the miracle of Tivo -- I was able to catch a few other games today. In Tampa, Johnny Damon led off the bottom half of the first with a home run off of Twins starter Carlos Silva. And then in the second, Jason Giambi hit an absolute bomb -- well over the right field wall -- on a sinker that Silva left hanging in the middle of the plate.

* "Phil" (not "Phillip", according to Michael Kay of the YES Network) took the mound for the Yankees to start the third inning after starter Chien-Ming Wang opened the game with two perfect innings. Hughes looked like a young pitcher with good stuff, but he did struggle with his control at times.

* For the rest of the spring, I think I'm going to keep a running count of how many times a Yankee broadcaster says that Hughes reminds him of a "young Roger Clemens." I didn't keep an official tally today, but I know I heard it at least three times.

* Hughes allowed a hit, two walks and one earned run in 1 1/3 innings (33 pitches) and he finished his afternoon with an impressive punchout of American League MVP Justin Morneau.

* Twins' right-hander Kevin Slowey -- Minnesota's #3 prospect, according to Baseball America -- also entered the game in the third inning. Slowey struggled a bit (two hits and two walks in two scoreless innnigs) but it's easy to understand why. After pitching in Double-A New Britain last season, Slowey faced Hideki Matsui, Jorge Posado, Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera to begin his afternoon. Talk about a step up in class...

* We got a chance to see 6'4" right-hander Russ Ohlendorf for the Yankees in the fifth. Ohlendorf came to the Yankees as part of the Randy Johnson trade; prior to that deal he was Arizona's 10th best prospect, according to BA. Ohlendorf threw two scoreless innings, but what was most notable (and ironic, given the opponent) to me was the fact that Ohlendorf's windup is very similar to that of former Twins ace Brad Radke.

* I didn't realize it when I first started watching the game, but apparently there was a special promotion at Legends Field for this game. That's right...it was sidearm left-hander's day. Randy Choate and Mike Venafro did the honors for Minnesota while Mike Myers did likewise for the Yankees. I would not have wanted to be a left-handed hitting minor leaguer during the middle innings of this game.

* Before I move on to the next game, let me pause ten seconds to complain about Directv. Listen, I understand these spring training games are coming through as part of the sports package and I'm not actually paying any more for them as part of MLB Extra Innings. But it's very frustrating to try and watch a game when Directv mistakenly blacks it out for an hour, as was the case with the Cardinals-Mets telecast from Port St. Lucie this afternoon. When my recording began, it was already the bottom of the fourth inning. It's stuff like this that has me very concerned about the potential deal with MLB to make Directv the exclusive provider of the Extra Innings package. These kind of mistakes happen all the time -- and not just with baseball -- and it's virtually impossible to get someone on the phone who can do anything other than read from a script about territorial blackouts...

* OK, rant over -- and my apologies for not having anything to report on the Cards-Mets game.

* In Tucson today, the White Sox and Rockies squared off for the second day in a row. And while we're on the subject of technical glitches, I guess it's OK for me to assume that Jeff Francis really wasn't hitting 102 mph on the radar gun even though that's what it said on the FSN Rocky Mountain score line?

* In the second inning, White Sox starter Heath Phillips (three hits, one walk and one earned run in two innings) made what was quite possibly the worst pickoff throw I've ever seen. The left-handed Phillips fired to first base and missed the target by at least ten feet to the left. Seriously...his pickoff attempt looked more like a single between first and second than a pickoff throw. The runner (Matt Miller) made it all the way to third, but I don't know how he got that far without stopping to laugh.

* White Sox knuckleballer Charlie Haeger took over for Phillips in the third and pitched two scoreless innings. By rule, any knuckleballer named Charlie deserves and demands your respect. But Haeger also has an 84 mph fastball (assuming the gun was accurate) that keeps hitters honest.

* Rockies right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez (Colorado's #6 prospect, according to BA) looks like he has good stuff. He showed a good curveball and changeup to go along with a 94 mph fastball in his two scoreless innings. He got Joe Crede swinging on a nice high fastball in the fourth inning. The only issue with Jimenez may be his control; the stuff looks like it's there.

* Oscar Rivera came into the game for Colorado in the fifth. Rivera was signed out of the Mexican League on the recommendation of front office assistant Vinny Castilla (yes, THAT Vinny Castilla.) If Rivera makes the team, Colorado will owe his Mexican League squad a $1.3 million bonus. Not exactly Daisuke money, but also not chump change.

* The Rockies' broadcasters said that Castilla referred to Rivera as a left-handed Greg Maddux. That officially makes three ridiculous comparisons (Hughes-to-Clemens...Ohlendorf-to-Radke...and now Rivera-to-Maddux) in just one blog entry. Who do I think I am, anyway -- Jim Callis? (OK, OK...I'll stop.) Anyway, Rivera looked impressive in his first inning of work, but gave up a 2-run homer to Crede in his second inning. He did strike out three batters in two innings and showed an above-average curveball.

That's all for today -- back with more tomorrow, including observations from the Braves-Pirates game (1:00, ESPN) and Daisuke Matsuzaka's first start for the Red Sox against Boston College (6:00, NESN). See you tomorrow.

Opening Day

That's right -- today was Opening Day.

Well, sort of. It was Opening Day in the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues...and that's good enough for me.

There were four games played earlier today -- and two of them were televised. Here are some of the highlights...straight from my Tivo to your eyes:

* Nine minutes -- that's how long it took for "pitcher's fielding practice" to be mentioned during the first broadcast of a Tigers game this spring. Before Detroit's game against the Mets had even begun, Mets' play-by-play man Gary Cohen made a joke about the Detroit staff's post-season fielding woes on the SportsNet New York broadcast. So much for the American League champs getting any respect...

* Mets starter Oliver Perez didn't look good at all against a less-than-stellar Detroit lineup. Perez had trouble locating his pitches and left too many balls in the middle of the plate. The result? Five hits, one walk and four runs -- all earned -- in two innings of work.

* Detroit's top pitching prospect, 6'6" left-hander Andrew Miller showed off a good, high fastball in his two innings of work. Miller didn't have great control, but he posted two scoreless innings with four strikeouts, including a great 0-2 slider to get Paul LoDuca looking in the fourth.

* Another top Detroit prospect -- outfielder Cameron Maybin -- seemed overmatched by Aaron Heilman in the eighth innings; he took a 2-2 fastball right down the middle of the plate for strike three.

* In Fort Myers tonight, the Twins and Red Sox opened their exhibition seasons. And check out the six-and-seven hitters in the Twins' lineup: Designated hitter Matthey LeCroy and first baseman Ken Harvey. (Yep, that Ken Harvey.) What's going on with the Twins these days? Were Sam Horn and Bob Hamelin not available?

* Twins pitcher Matt Garza -- the team's number one prospect, according to Baseball America, had his fastball registering at 94-95 mph on the NESN on-screen radar gun. Garza shattered Kevin Youkilis's bat on a well-placed 95 mph fastabll in the first to retire "The Greek God of Walks" on a bouncer to short. In the second, Garza made one mistake -- he hung a curveball to Jason Varitek to lead off the inning, but Varitek failed to take advantage, lining out to right. During the regular season, Garza likely wouldn't have been so fortunate. All in all, though, Garza pitched two very strong innings without allowing a baserunner.

* Red Sox starter Curt Schilling certainly looks heavier than ever, but his weight does not appear to be out of control. He'll likely be back to -- or very near -- his normal playing weight by the time the regular season rolls around.

* Potential closer Joel Piniero pitched the third inning, allowing two hits and an unearned run. He appears to be throwing more from the side than he has in the past. Brendan Donnelly pitched the fourth for Boston, and he appeared to be in mid-season form. His herky-jerky delivery had the Twins' hitters off-balance, and Donnelly turned in a very easy inning of work.

* That unearned run allowed by Piniero was the result of a Julio Lugo throwing error, by the way. Here we go again...

* Not that we should be surprised by this, but Joe Mauer is pretty good. He hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning to tie the game at 4-4 (and, oddly, the game would end in a 4-4 tie after 10 innings.) Anyway, Mauer waited on a slider from Julian Tavarez and sent it the opposite way over the left-field wall for a home run.

There's a full slate of spring training games tomorrow -- and three of them (Cards-Mets, Twins-Yankees and White Sox-Rockies) are scheduled to be televised. I'll post again tomorrow to let you know what happened in those games.

Five Pitchers Who Will Surprise in 2007

Now that the exhibition schedule is about to begin, draft prep kicks into high gear for fantasy owners everywhere.

Years ago, fantasy (or rotisserie) drafts were much easier. If you did your homework, you'd have a significant advantage over the other owners in your league. And it was easy to come away from Draft Day with a couple of legitimate "sleepers."

But those days are gone. Now most leagues are loaded with laptop-toting owners who have instant access to expert opinions and analysis. So even if you do put in the work ahead of the draft, you're likely just staying even with the competition...not getting ahead.

And forget about sleepers -- those don't exist anymore. Everyone knows the names of all the best prospects...and they have cheat sheets loaded with lists of darkhorse candidates to pick up saves later in the season.

Obviously, the game has changed. But the search for Draft Day bargains goes on.

So today I'll give you a few. No -- these aren't sleepers...trust me, you've heard of all of these guys before.

Instead, your best bet these days is to look for good "scrap heap" players who have the potential to deliver surprisingly good numbers. But at the same time, these players have to have been bad enough in the recent past to scare everyone else away...and the price ($1 or $2 in auction leagues) has to be right, so you can easily unload one of these players who doesn't pan out.

Today we'll focus on pitchers -- here's a quick list of seven "scrap heap" pitchers who will surprise you in 2007...

1. Tim Wakefield, Boston -- Wakefield has so many things working against him. First, he's now 40 years old (he'll turn 41 in August) and he battled injuries during a disappointing 2006 season. Most owners will be scared away by Wakefield's 4.63 ERA and 1.33 ratio in 2006...but take a look at Wakefield's splits from last season. Before the All-Star break, Wakefield was 7-8 with a 4.05 ERA...and opponents hit .233 against the knuckleballer. But after the break -- when Wakefield was pitching in pain -- he went 0-3 with a 7.40 ERA...and opponents hit .314 against him. It's not a sure thing that Wakefield will rebound in 2007 (but then again, we are talking about "scrap heap" pitchers, aren't we?) but given his history -- he won 16 games just two years ago -- and the strong Red Sox offense, a 15-win season is not out of the question.

2. Zack Greinke, Kansas City -- Let's be clear about this: I don't see any scenario where Zack Greinke wins 15 games in 2007. But I can envision a scenario where the talented right-hander overcomes last year's struggles to rejoin the Kansas City rotation and get his career back on track. In order to take that first step, it appears Greinke will need to beat out Brian Bannister this spring. A look at Greinke's Double-A numbers for 2006 show that he actually pitched well, but fell victim to some bad luck. There's no question he'll be available at a very low price this year -- and remember, he's still only 23 years old. Throwing that $1 or $2 at Greinke late in the draft could prove to be a steal; and if he disappears again, well, that middle reliever you'd have gotten will still be there on the waiver wire.

3. Jaret Wright, Baltimore -- Was 2004 really that long ago? Because it was in 2004 that Jaret Wright posted a 15-8 record and a 3.28 ERA while pitching for Leo Mazzone and the Atlanta Braves. Wright heads to Baltimore this season for a reunion with Mazzone, and it will be interesting to see if the two of them can get Wright straightened out. If you're looking for a positive in Wright's 2006 numbers, he was 5-5 with a 4.99 ERA in 70 1/3 innings of work at Yankee Stadium. But away from the Bronx, Wright was 6-2 with a 3.99 ERA in 70 innings pitched. The same thing happened in 2005, as well: Wright was 2-3 with a 7.86 ERA in seven Yankee Stadium starts, but 3-2 with a 3.99 ERA on the road. Is it possible that leaving Yankee Stadium and reuniting with Mazzone will mean another 15-win, sub-4.00 ERA season? It's certainly possible...

4. Jon Lieber, Philadelphia -- Dear Jon...I don't know any easy way to say this, but let's face it -- this just isn't working out. Don't worry, though, it's not you...it's us. You see, we should have never brought a flyball pitcher like you to Philadelphia to pitch in this bandbox of a ballpark. I really wish it hadn't come to this, since you've still got a lot going for you -- and I know you'll make some team happy later this season in your free agent year. Best of luck. Sincerely, The Philadelphia Phillies. Seriously...I have no idea where Lieber will wind up before the season is over, but it seems likely he'll be traded somewhere. I say it's worth a small risk to stash him away at the bottom of your roster and see what happens. The upside, as we all know, is something approaching a 20-win season.

5. Kerry Wood, Chicago Cubs -- I don't know if Wood qualifies as a guy you'd be able to get for $1, especially if he looks good in spring training. I realize I may be the only person in the world who feels this way -- and I have absolutely zero evidence to back this up -- but I think Wood gets 30 saves this season and launches a second career as the Cubs' closer. Of course, I could be wrong and he could spend the entire season on the disabled list. But if he stays away from those slippery hot tubs, he just might get back on track.

What We've Learned So Far

Position players have now been in spring camp for roughly a week...and we're on the verge of the first pitches being thrown in the 2007 exhibition schedule.

So with the games set to begin in just a couple of days, what have we learned about the 2007 MLB season since camps have opened?

* First, we've learned that it's not easy to pitch with a torn rotator cuff...even if the tear is "just" a partial one. Angels' ace Bartolo Colon is now likely to miss the season opener with his injury, and Baltimore's Kris Benson looks like a lost cause for the entire season. Colon presents an intriguing draft day decision for fantasy owners. You could wind up getting a staff ace at a deep discount, or you could end up with a great big bag of nothing.

* Speaking of nothing, that Manny Ramirez soap opera sure was fun, wasn't it? While I'm not a Red Sox fan, I must admit even I have grown tired of his act. Although it was interesting that a major league player attempted to pull a "Johnny Fairplay" in an attempt to go to a car auction.

* We've learned that the Philadelphia Phillies use Google to look for talent. (OK, sort of...)

* Perhaps the most interesting storyline of spring training so far comes out of Fort Myers, as the investigation into Daisuke Matsuzaka's "gyroball" continues. We've reached the point where the suspense is killing me. Sure, I realize it's probably nothing...but the potential impact of a new pitch unleashed on big league hitters is difficult to ignore.

But what we haven't learned yet is whether or not baseball fans will be able to watch out-of-market games this season on any outlet other than Directv. It's absolutely amazing to me that the season is now nearly a month away and there has been no announcement regarding the Extra Innings package for 2007.

I consider myself lucky, as I'm a Directv customer. But I can understand the frustration of those fans who are wondering if they'll be left in the dark -- or scrambling to activate Directv service -- when the season rolls around.

And as the exhibition season kicks off on Wednesday, let's keep a close eye on Directv (and others) to see if preseason broadcasts are blacked out. In the past few years, most games have been available with no blackout (via the sports package) but one has to wonder if that policy will change going forward.

Here's a simple idea for Bud Selig: As a die-hard baseball fan, Bud, I am prepared to pay you roughly $200 for the privelege of watching out-of-market games on TV. (And, please, don't tell me about MLB.TV...that's a separate issue.) So, Bud, if you wouldn't mind just telling me where to send the check, that would be great. Oh, and while you're at it...how about stepping up to the plate like your NBA and NHL counterparts and making all of the games available? Your blackout policies are absolutely archaic...and the fact that you continue to insist that out-of-market broadcasts of classic games remain blacked out in the off-season is laughable.

The fans are ready to hand over the money, Mr. Commissioner. All we're asking for is a little common sense in return.

What is Your Draft Prep Style?

So here we are at what everyone would have you believe is that “magical” time of year. A time when every club still has World Series dreams. A time when every player has come up with a new stance – or a change in his mechanics – that will lead to great improvement in the season ahead.

The blue skies…the green grass…the smell of hot dogs and the sound of vendors hawking beer and scorecards.

Spring training: the most relaxing and enjoyable time of any baseball season.

At least that’s what the television talking heads and the newspaper beat writers would have everyone believe.

But you and I both know that nothing could be further from the truth. Because depending on when your league holds its annual draft you could be weeks, days…or even minutes away from sitting down to select this year’s team.

(Seriously – if you’re only minutes away from your draft, I’m afraid this blog won’t help you. For that matter, nothing will help you at this point – why are you surfing the Internet when you’re about to draft? What’s wrong with you?)

Anyway, since the majority of fantasy leagues have yet to hold their drafts or auctions, let's spend some time examining the five distinct methods of draft preparation.

Which of these descriptions fits your draft preparation style?

1. The Osmosis Method – I can honestly say that this described me perfectly for two or three years until I realized it wasn’t working. I would hit the newsstand at least twice a week and buy every new baseball magazine – fantasy-related or not – that appeared on the shelf. Of course, I never got around to reading all of these magazines…but I still felt my intentions were good. Looking back on it, I have no idea what I was thinking. Did I think that just by purchasing the magazines I’d absorb the information? Or was I hoping to intimidate other owners on Draft Day when I walked into the room with a dozen magazines? Take a look around the room before your draft gets started this year – if you see anyone with a stack of magazines piled up to his eyes, you’ll know exactly what’s going on: that guy didn’t prepare at all.

2. The Information Junkie – Given the fact that you’re reading this blog, I’d say there’s a good chance you fall into this category. The Information Junkie makes a conscious decision on the date that pitchers and catchers report to spring training that he’s going to read everything he possibly can in order to get ready for the season. This means checking all of his favorite fantasy sites three or four times a day. This means reading the local papers online from every major league city every day. And this means saying things out loud such as, “It’s been over 72 hours since Gammons has posted a new column – what does he think this is…a vacation?!?!” The Information Junkie is very dangerous during the entire month of March and should be avoided as much as possible.

3. The Wannabe Scout – Sadly, this is yet another category that I’ve fallen into from time to time. OK, OK, I confess – I’m still there. The Wannabe Scout makes up his mind that he’s going to watch every spring training game that’s broadcast on television. (And with Directv and three Tivos firing on all cylinders in my house, well, let’s just say I know more about the dimensions of Space Coast Stadium and City of Palms Park than anyone really deserves to know.) The problem with watching dozens of spring training games, of course, is that you’re bound to become overly impressed with a handful of players based on just a small sample size. Because, let’s face it – the Wannabe Scout isn’t watching these games for enjoyment…he’s doing it to try and find a sleeper. I can remember very vividly watching a Detroit Tigers spring training telecast a few years ago with a friend of mine and seeing two pitchers that were ridiculously impressive. We both wound up going after these players in our major league auction when they clearly weren’t ready for the big leagues. (By the way, the pitchers? Matt Anderson and a younger, slimmer Francisco Cordero.) But we were convinced that we had seen future dominant closers before anyone else, so we had to go after them. Much like the Information Junkie, the Wannabe Scout is a pathetic figure and deserves no sympathy.

4. The Numbers Geek – I’m not sure why the Numbers Geek even plays fantasy baseball. Because it doesn’t seem like this person really enjoys the sport at all. He simply puts together a complicated spreadsheet that measures the true dollar value of every player in his league. Then on Draft Day, the Numbers Geek refuses to spend any more than what his spreadsheet tells him to. This could mean missing out on the top-tier talent – or it could mean having no money left for the end-game. But the Numbers Geek isn’t really worried about any of that. He’s not out to prove that he has superior baseball knowledge. Nope – he’s simply out to prove that all that time he spent paying attention in math class back in school was really worth something. The Numbers Geek is not dangerous at all, but it is unwise to try and engage him in any sort of baseball discussion. If you do, you’ll likely get a 20-minute monologue about how Morgan Ensberg was way overpriced at $15 given the linear progressions of his three-year stat trends. (Yawn.) Excuse me, I got bored just thinking about that.

5. The List-Maker – We’ve all seen this guy, haven’t we? He marches into the draft with a binder full of lists. He’s taken the time to list his top ten sleepers…his top ten rookies…his top ten pitchers to stay away from…even the top ten left-handed hitting backup corner infielders. It looks like he spent hours making these lists and he’ll spread them all around as the draft begins and begin systematically crossing the names off as the players are taken. This guy is very protective of his lists – he won’t let you see any of them – and covers up his workspace like a smart kid covering up his answers on a calculus test. The problem with the List-Maker approach, obviously, is that at some point you become a prisoner to all of those lists and your entire strategy gets ignored. The best way to deal with a List-Maker on Draft Day is to sit right next to him. Take a handful of fake lists into your draft with you – seriously, just put down a bunch of names on paper – and then spread the lists out next to him. He’ll inevitably start trying to look them over and he’ll spend more time wondering what your lists are all about than worrying about his own team.

So now that we’ve identified the five types of draft prep styles, which one best describes your approach? Chances are – whether you’ll admit it or not – you’ve nodded your head while reading at least one of the descriptions above. And if you’re like me, you’ve probably tried each and every one of them.

But no matter what type of preparation you do, you’re likely to face a bit of anxiety at some point between now and Draft Day. Don’t sweat it, though – this is perfectly normal.

Each year, as a matter of fact, I usually wind up with some awful nightmare about every player in my AL-only league selling for more money than I have available…so I wind up with no players. I realize it’s completely irrational, but at some point – after studying the names, numbers and stats for so long – I work myself up into a panic I guess. And after a day or so it simply goes away.

So what does all of this mean – the draft prep styles and all of the anxiety? The truth of the matter is that it’s all part of the game. After all, you wouldn’t be reading this blog – and identifying with much of it – if you didn’t have a passion for baseball.

Keep that in mind – that all of this really is fun – over the next few weeks as you cram for the most enjoyable “final exam” of the year: Draft Day. As you watch all the spring training games…read every last notebook column from the Minnesota Twins’ beat writer…compile list after list or crunch those dollar values one more time…well, it’s worth pointing out that this is the fun part.

So while you may not be relaxing in Florida or Arizona with a fat expense account – like those writers and television reporters – just remember that even in the middle of all this draft prep that you really are having fun…and you are tied for first place.

Around the Majors for Friday

Lots of interesting stuff going on in spring camps -- and I'm not even counting the ongoing soap opera involving Manny Ramirez and that Atlantic City car show.

* In Yankees' camp, it's beginning to look like the New York media has identified Mike Mussina as this year's punching bag. Murray Chass of the New York Times got the ball rolling with this story in Friday's paper...

* White Sox fans -- and keeper league owners (like yours truly) locked into a contract with Juan Uribe -- breathed a sigh of relief on Friday when news broke that the shortstop had been cleared of all charges in an off-season shooting in the Dominican Republic ...

* At Blue Jays' camp, apparently ace Roy Halladay has grown jealous of all the attention given to new Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka and his alleged "gyroball." Find out how he plans to grab his share of the spotlight...

* I always hoped Edgar Martinez would make a comeback...

* Mark your calendars -- the Phillies and Mets meet in a three-game set at Citizens' Bank Park beginning April 9th. And somebody's gonna get beaned...

* One thing we heard all during the Carlos Lee Sweepstakes this past off-season was that teams were concerned about Lee's conditioning. So what did the Astros do when he reported to camp? They gave him pancakes, of course...

Lastly for today -- am I the only one who feels like he stepped into a time machine? A quick glance at the baseball headlines for today revealed that Randy Johnson feels good...Roger Clemens doesn't know what his next move might be...Sammy Sosa put on a big-league uniform...and Pedro Martinez is trying to get healthy.

Even though the calendar says "2007" I could swear it feels like 1998...

7 Common Draft Day Traps (Continued)

In my last post, we examined the first three of our “Seven Draft Day Traps” and looked at how these traps might easily be avoided.

Now we’ll continue that discussion by looking at four more common – but dangerous – traps and identify ways to steer clear. As I wrote in my last post, many of these ideas may seem like common sense…but common sense is usually the first thing thrown out the window when Draft Day rolls around.

So take a few moments to consider these remaining “traps”.

Trap #4 – Ignoring the Competition

I’m always fascinated by “rookie” owners. Their wide-eyed optimism, huge stack of pre-season magazines and their all-too-common rookie mistakes never fail to amuse me. You’ve seen the mistakes time and time again. Failing to cross off players on their list…not knowing how much money they have left to spend…or not understanding position eligibility are some of the most common.

But one of the mistakes they almost always make is ignoring their competition. They’re so enthralled with their own “wish lists” – and so consumed with their neatly highlighted pre-season magazines – that they have no idea what is going on around them.

They are truly missing out on one of the most important considerations for any owner: position scarcity. Knowing just how many teams need shortstops, for example, can dramatically impact the price you may be willing to pay for a quality shortstop during your draft. A solid, “middle-of-the-pack” shortstop might be worth, say, $9 or $10 early on…before most of the shortstop positions are filled. But if, say, only three owners are still in the market for a shortstop, it can dramatically affect the price that player will command.

It’s important to remember that you are not drafting your team in isolation. As the Earl Weaver quote says, “Everything matters.” So you should be sure to record every selection – and fill in every roster – so that you know exactly who needs what player…and how much they have left to spend.

I should point out that this is not a mistake that is only made by “rookies.” I’ve seen plenty of experienced, well-respected owners go through an entire draft without really paying attention to what their fellow owners are doing.

It might sound like common sense to say that “paying attention” is important during Draft Day…but it’s an important enough point that it warrants mentioning. And remember – paying attention by itself isn’t enough. You must be sure to not only record each move that is made but also carefully consider its impact.

In many cases, in fact, it is good to actually anticipate your competitors’ moves BEFORE the draft. If you expect Team A to spend around $30 on C. C. Sabathia…make a note of it before the draft. If your prediction was correct, you’ve already prepared for that outcome. And if things go differently than you had planned, you will recognize this fact and be able to react accordingly.

Trap #5 – Putting Too Much Stock in the “Endgame”

This is a fantasy trap that has actually reversed itself within the past five years. There was a time – not all that long ago – that every fantasy advisor would encourage owners to “wait out your opponents” and “save your money for the end of the draft.”

The basic spirit of that advice is still valid: you do not want to overpay for players at the beginning of your draft and it is important to have enough money left in the later rounds to grab a few bargains.

But the advice was repeated so loudly – and so often – that now nearly everyone plays a waiting game. Many owners – thinking they’re doing the right thing – let several good values pass them by in the early portion of their draft, waiting for some “bargains” that never materialize.

Don’t get me wrong – in many cases there are bargains to be had in the “endgame” portion of a draft. But those bargains – a top rookie catcher for $1, for example – are much different than an early-round bargain like a proven, All-Star 1st baseman for $10 below his estimated dollar value. Don’t pass up on any bargain – as long as that bargain fits into your strategic plan – hoping for a better bargain later. There is NO guarantee that other bargains will materialize…or be as good as the one sitting in front of you.

In order to be successful in this game you must have the courage – and the vision – to “buck the trend”. And you must also be conscious of everything that is going on around you. Just like in the stock market, the time to buy is when prices are low…and the time to pass is when prices are high.

Make sure you have worked out reasonable estimates for all of the top players available in your draft. DO THE MATH…the time you spend will be well worth it. If – according to your calculations (which must take into account “draft inflation”) David Ortiz is going for $5 too much…let him go. If, though, Oritz is available for $7 or $8 less than you had expected – and he fits into your strategic plan – then by all means grab him.

Remember – you NEVER want to leave a draft with points left over. Too many owners save so much money for the “endgame bargains” that they wind up with as much as $10 or $15 left over…and that is inexcusable.

Trap #6 – Hometown Stars and Postseason Heroes

Another classic fantasy trap involves overpaying for last year’s postseason heroes…and current hometown favorites.

The beauty of baseball’s postseason is that its global stage creates new stars each fall. Problem is… not all of those “stars” turn out to be worthwhile fantasy investments.

While it’s true that the last “meaningful” baseball you saw happened last fall, that doesn’t mean you need to pay a penny more for any of the players on the field during the Fall Classic. In fact – if anything – you should be skeptical. (See Cabrera, Francisco.)

That’s because novice owners almost always fall in love with the players who were all over SportsCenter – and on the cover of Sports Illustrated – last fall. “Gosh,” the novice owner thinks, “If he’s that valuable to the league champs, imagine what he’ll do for my team.”

Smart owners recognize this as a trap and will act accordingly. It might be a good idea to toss out the name of a postseason hero early in your draft just to see if anyone will take the bait and spend an extra $5 to get last fall’s Glamour Boy.

The other half of this common fantasy trap is also an obvious one. Hometown stars typically go for a few dollars more than they should, just because everyone is so familiar with them.

And, hey, if your goal as a rotisserie owner is to have a few of the local nine on your squad so you can cheer them on when you head out to the park…more power to you. Just don’t plan on having any Yoo-Hoo baths in the near future.

Just like the postseason heroes, it may be a good idea to throw out the name of a local star early in your auction and see if anyone falls into this trap. If so, you’ll have squeezed a few extra dollars out of a competitor’s budget that might come back to haunt him later on.

A word of caution: The “hometown hero” effect can also work in reverse. For those teams whose fans are unhappy with their team’s management, the net result might be that hometown players actually go for LESS than full value. This is easy to spot, of course. As long as you know how your fellow owners feel about their hometown team, you should be able to guess how they’ll bid on their “heroes” during your draft.

Trap #7 – Assuming Too Much Risk

Risk assessment might sound like something only insurance agents need to worry about, but it’s an important concept for rotisserie owners to grasp as well.

For rotisserie players, there are many types of risk that you need to be aware of when selecting a player. For example, those of you who play in NL-only league certainly run the risk of seeing your $40 outfielder traded to the American League in July.

Another type of risk you must concern yourself with – and is the most measurable of all the risks in the game – is the risk of injury.

It might be reassuring to some fans to read all the spring training “puff pieces” on the ace pitcher’s surgically repaired elbow. But those stories will do nothing for your team if you spend big bucks on this player only to find out that he’ll wind up on the DL for the season.

Everyone knows that injuries are a factor in rotisserie baseball. What you must do – as a successful owner – is measure the risk involved with each player you draft. Are you loading up with too many injury-prone pitchers? Do you have more than one outfielder that missed more than 35 games last year? You MUST ask yourself these questions as you prepare for your draft…as well as during your draft. If you forget to evaluate your risk you might wind up with way too many “If’s” on your roster for a championship run.

Injuries – and trades to different leagues – are not the only risk factor that must be considered. A commonly overlooked risk factor is the “Weak 2nd half” effect. Be sure you have confidence in each player you plan to select who had a less than stellar second half to the previous season. And – by all means – take caution to avoid having more than two or three of these “If’s” on your squad.

One more risk factor to account for: Starting pitchers who might kill your entire staff. Has this happened to you before: You spend an entire draft putting together a pitching staff that is rock-solid. You have low-ERA and low-WHIP starters who should get you plenty of wins and your relievers are all top-notch. But just before you finish your draft you pick up one last pitcher whom you figure “can’t be all that bad.” (Can you say “Ken Hill?”)

Before you know it the season is underway and that “top-notch” pitching staff is being murdered by one or two horrible starting pitchers. Your ERA and WHIP are climbing higher and higher and soon you’ll need to burn a free agent signing in order to right the ship.

All of that could have been avoided with proper preparation. Make a list of “Torpedo Pitchers” who will kill your pitching stats and take that list to your draft. If you find yourself about to bid on any pitchers on the list, you should immediately leave the room and return only when the bidding on that player has finished. Trust me…it’s the only way.

7 Common Draft Day Traps

Since we still have a week to go before exhibition games begin, let's get this blog kicked off with a look at the one day that will have more influence over their team’s performance than any other – Draft Day.

To help prepare you for this all-important day, I've identified the seven most common draft day traps...and I've tried to give you easy suggestions for avoiding them.

Some of these traps may seem obvious to you – and some of the suggestions for avoiding them may seem like common sense – but it’s amazing how many owners throw common sense out the window and ignore the obvious once the players and dollar figures start flying.

So then, without further adieu, let’s dive right into the seven most deadly “Draft Day Traps”…

Trap #1 – Failure to Plan Is a Plan For Failure

It may sound like common sense, but failure to create – and stick to – a solid plan for a draft is the most common Draft Day Trap that owners fall into.

And when I say, “plan” I do not mean reading a pre-season magazine or two. I don’t even mean putting together a “wish list” of players. What I’m talking about is a carefully constructed strategy for success that takes into consideration not only your team’s needs and tendencies…but also the needs and tendencies of all the other owners in your league.

Think about it. How many times in the past has one of your fellow owners either failed to plan…or planned poorly? Most likely it’s the same two or three owners year after year. They show up with a couple of hand-written notes and nothing more. They constantly bring up players who have already been drafted or protected by another owner. And by the time you get to the final rounds of your draft, they are most likely asking, “Who’s that guy?” Or, “What position does he play?”

Obviously by reading this column and visiting this web site you are a step – or several steps – ahead of those owners. But in order to truly dominate your league you must go the extra mile and create a plan that takes everything into consideration.

As Earl Weaver once said, “Everything matters…and everything changes everything.” That’s true on the field and in a Rotisserie draft room.

If you break Weaver’s quote down, you realize that each and every bid that is made – not just who gets what player…but every single bid made by an owner – is important to you.

Let’s say, for example that an owner with Jimmy Rollins on his roster suddenly bids $30 on Jose Reyes. Is the owner simply trying to drive up Reyes's price? Is he trying to stockpile middle infielders for a potential trade? Or is Reyes just one of his favorite players and someone he’ll spend any price to own?

These are the types of things that must be considered. If you prepared properly for your draft, you will already know the answers – or at least have an educated guess for each answer – to the questions above. Before the owner finished making his $30 bid you’ll already know what it means – as well as how you should respond.

Here are a few essentials that you must take into consideration when constructing your Draft Day strategy:

How much will it take? – No…I’m not talking about how much you’ll need to spend to get your favorite player. Instead, I’m talking about what statistics you’ll need over the course of the year to accumulate points in every single category. Look back at the final statistics from your league over the past few years and write down clear goals for each category. (A typical goal is to finish second in each category.) Then – as you begin to think about how you’ll build your roster – make sure you’re adding stats in those categories that you need. Also – it’s important to take into consideration moves other owners might make that will impact these goals. If, for example, two or three owners are stockpiling closers then you may find yourself lowering your expectations for saves in order to avoid a bidding war.

What happens if…? -- Having a fallback position is an important step that 95% of all owners fail to take. As we said earlier, establishing a plan – and sticking to it – is critical. But you must maintain a degree of flexibility within that plan. In many leagues there are several owners who might be a bit unpredictable in their ways. Or – even worse – there might be an owner or two who doesn’t have any idea what they’re doing. Those kinds of owners can throw a wrench into even the best-laid plans. So…if, for example, adding a power-hitting first baseman is important to your team, be sure to have a backup plan in case a few other owners drive up prices way beyond reason. In this instance you might have to settle on a lesser-known first baseman and make up the power you need at a position – like 2nd base or catcher – that is not normally noted for power production.

Who’s in and who’s out? -- Usually by the mid-point of each draft you can tell which owners are on their way to contention and which owners will drop out of the race by Memorial Day. Take this into account as you move into the final rounds of your draft…as these “non-contenders” will most likely be looking to make trades with an eye toward the future in just a few months. Be sure you are familiar with their roster and use one or two of your $1 picks on players that might be appealing to an owner with no chance to finish in the money. Some of the best trades you can make as an owner might take months to develop…so it’s best to make plans for mid-season acquisitions at draft time.

Offense vs. Pitching – In the weeks leading up to your draft, you must make a determination about how much you plan to spend on offense as compared to your spending on pitching. There are several theories on this topic, the most common of which recommends a 65%-35% split in favor of offense. (Typically, this imbalance is due to the lack of predictability among pitchers.) It’s important, though, to realize ahead of time that every league is different…so the “65/35” rule may or may not apply to your situation. But whatever you come up with…having this budget prepared prior to Draft Day will put you one step ahead of the competition.

Trap #2 – Draft Day Distractions

Distractions. They’re everywhere on Draft Day. Have you seen one – or more – of these?

* Late-arriving owners

* Owners more concerned with food than their teams

* Owners more concerned with beer than their teams

* Chain-smokers…or cigar smokers

* Owners who call “time out” every three minutes

* Owners who start their own conversations while bidding is going on

* The owner who makes a wisecrack about every player drafted – except theirs

* Having a television on in the background

* Owners who constantly bring up players already on other rosters


Here is the only advice I can give you on how to deal with Draft Day distractions: Block them out. Don’t fall victim to them at all. While it might be fun to throw in a wisecrack or two throughout the draft…any more than that and you’re most likely just encouraging more distraction.

Don’t get me wrong – Draft Day is the most important day of the year for a rotisserie owner…and you should absolutely have fun during yours. But don’t let that fun get in the way of drafting a good team. Otherwise you’ll take away the six months worth of enjoyment you’ll get from a wire-to-wire first place finish.

Think of your draft this way: A good hitter always “visualizes” his at-bat before getting in the box. You can do the same. Using your plan, take an hour or so to try and go through the list of available players and anticipate how much they will sell for and who will wind up with them. That way – on Draft Day – you’ll have already gone through the exercise once and if you do get distracted for a moment or two you won’t feel as lost when your focus returns.

Another word of caution: don’t attempt to distract others. While the idea of throwing someone else off their game might sound appealing…you’ve got too much to worry about to spend your time and energy on someone else. Stay focused on the task at hand: building a championship ballclub!

Trap #3 – Seeing Stars

At some point in your pre-draft preparation you must ask yourself why you are playing rotisserie baseball. I’ve always found that there are essentially two types of owners. The first type is the guy who is “just happy to be there.” He always picks up his favorite players and spends the entire season talking trash about how great his top two or three players are. Of course…he also spends most of the season at or near last place, so that’s just about all he has to talk about.

The second type of owner is more interested in winning than in collecting his favorite players. He would rather see Johan Santana go to someone else for $48 than spend the money…even though he may be wearing a game-used, autographed Santana jersey during the draft.

Falling in love with star players is one of the oldest fantasy traps there is. And it’s an easy one to fall into. Let’s face it…there is something rewarding about owning the player who’s on the cover of all the pre-season magazines. The trash-talking power alone is enough to make you consider wrecking your budget.

But…don’t do it. No matter how tempting it might be to say “I’ll bid $49 for Giambi” you have to remember that – unlike George Steinbrenner – you are operating under a strict salary cap. Spending too much on one player might give you some short-term feelings of invincibility…but you’ll be left out of the rest of the draft with no money to spend.

Another problem with “superstar” players is that they are not always “rotisserie superstars.” You have to remember that the game you are playing – rotisserie baseball – is very different from “real” baseball. Being a great team guy…or a leader in the clubhouse…or even a defensive wizard – is worth absolutely nothing to you.

Think of the slugger who only produces when the game is out of reach. The rotisserie equivalent would be a power hitter who produces for you in the HR category but kills your average…provides no speed…and is only mediocre in the RBI department. Those are the kinds of players that are usually overpriced. Novices are in love with the long ball…let them have the Dave Kingmans of the world while you spend your money on more productive alternatives.

OK...that's all for now. In my next post, I'll identify the four remaining Draft Day traps and how you can avoid them.