May 30, 2003

SpoFi Fantasy Baseball League Update. This week's leader is catfish! [complete standings and trash talk inside]

posted by corpse to navel gazing at 10:02 AM - 49 comments

RankTeamSpoFi NamePointsChangeNotes
1catfishcatfish183.5--Leads in R, HR, CG and RBI
2London Monarchsgrum@work176.5--Leads in AVG, K, ERA, WHIP, K/BB, and IP, tied for W
3ATL Crackhouse Gangtrox151.5-- 
4Springfield Isotopesjerseygirl150-- 
5Rockport RassafrasswfrazerjrB144+1 
6The Bash Bumsag Man142.5-1 
7Creative Punch 135+1Leads in SV and K/9
8BlackTable.comwilliamfleitch134-1 
9Albequerque Isotopesdjacobs129.5-- 
10the showjbou111--Tied for W
11Spacemenjasonspaceman108.5+2 
12Da Hecklerzjmd82105.5-- 
13Pedros PummelersPeteyStock99.5-2Leads in OPS
1437 Push Upscorpse91.5+1I suck monsters
15The Revs Levitestherev91+1 
16JackBootedThugsdjspicerack86.5-2Leads in SB

posted by corpse at 10:03 AM on May 30, 2003

Not many changes at the top, but this is quickly becoming a two team race, with both catfish and grummy leading in nearly all of the statistical catagories. Grum did make a brief appearance in the top spot this week.

posted by corpse at 10:04 AM on May 30, 2003

Can I pop in to ask what stat WHIP is? I've never heard of this and can't break it down on my own. Oh, and Go Topes!

posted by Ufez Jones at 10:41 AM on May 30, 2003

Walks + Hits / Innings Pitched

posted by therev at 11:18 AM on May 30, 2003

I hit 3rd once this week, but otherwise it's been a stagnant week at #4. I am hoping everything starts to come together for my team, soon. happy birthday to my favorite outfielder, (who should be tearing the cover off the ball for the S-Topes any day now) Manny Ramirez.

posted by jerseygirl at 11:27 AM on May 30, 2003

is JackBootedThugs even participating anymore? Not that it matters I guess, but it piqued my curiousity the other day when looking over the teams and noticed he hasnt has any activity since Mar 12.

posted by jerseygirl at 11:33 AM on May 30, 2003

I'm going to need a bit of help to overcome catfish. I've pretty much maxxed out my points in the pitching categories and I don't see myself gaining too much ground in the hitting ones any time soon. I don't have the sluggers/cleanup hitters that you need to get the RBI and HR totals, and I don't have any of the leadoff guys on good teams to get the Run totals. And I deliberately slagged the SB category because it's too one-dimensional (except for studs like Soriano).

posted by grum@work at 11:54 AM on May 30, 2003

I proposed a trade to JackBootedThugs and it sat unanswered for 4 days. I think that time might be standing pat : )

posted by therev at 01:48 PM on May 30, 2003

Rev, so low WHIP, like low ERA, is better? Not sure I see the need for such a similar measure.

posted by billsaysthis at 01:49 PM on May 30, 2003

Same here, rev. Let's contract him!

posted by jerseygirl at 02:09 PM on May 30, 2003

It's possible to have a high WHIP and a low ERA, and vice versa. If I give up: a single a walk a double play another walk an error scoring a run a walk a strikeout that's a 4.00 WHIP and 0.00ERA If I give up: a strikeout a strikeout a solo-home run a fly-ball out that's a 1.00WHIP and 9.00ERA The first one indicates a great deal of luck, the second one indicates a bit of bad luck. In general, I'd rather draft pitchers with a low WHIP than a low ERA. Usually they are concurrent, but if there is a difference, I go for the WHIP number. (a WHIP lower than 1.30 is considered good and anything below 1.00 is fantastic)

posted by grum@work at 02:16 PM on May 30, 2003

Thanks for the WHIP info. Is this a commonly used stat, or is it pretty much only for fantasy league? I'd never heard of it before.

posted by Ufez Jones at 02:47 PM on May 30, 2003

It's used by lots of places for evaluating a pitcher, especially relief pitchers. The last thing you want is a pitcher who gives up a lot of hits/walks in his appearances when they usually come into the game with men already on base. In terms of common use, it's only appearing in baseball-only locations. So it's rare to see the stat pop up on TV or in your local newspaper. In comparison, a ranking from common to very rare: Wins -- ERA -- AVG against -- K/9 (strikeouts per 9 innings pitched) -- WHIP -- K/BB (strikeouts/walks ratio) Surprisingly, this is also the reverse (in terms of future success, in my opinion) of measuring the effectiveness of a pitcher.

posted by grum@work at 04:00 PM on May 30, 2003

I suck. That is all.

posted by wfrazerjr at 04:54 PM on May 30, 2003

Does anyone else not like the K/9 stat? I'd rather a guy who throws 220 innings and strikes out 165 than a guy who throws 150 innings and strikes out 150. Total strikeouts, that's a much better stat, IMHO.

posted by therev at 01:30 PM on May 31, 2003

Oh, and I suck as well. That is all.

posted by therev at 01:30 PM on May 31, 2003

I don't like that our pitching stats are so heavily weighted towards strikeouts. Three categories?

posted by wfrazerjr at 03:51 PM on May 31, 2003

I don't like that our hitting stats are so heavily weighted towards "getting hits" or "driving in runs". Man, if this thing was all about striking out and hitting into double plays, Pat Burrell would be winning all by himself! ;-)

posted by therev at 05:03 PM on May 31, 2003

last year we had a Ground Into Double Plays pitching stat. I found that odd.

posted by corpse at 05:18 PM on May 31, 2003

I feel like we could fight about stats, position assignments and trade buffers for ever. The league has been pretty smoothly run, and I'm happy that so many of the owners are so active.

posted by djacobs at 06:53 PM on May 31, 2003

You want to have a good balance of rate stats (ERA, WHIP, K/9, K/BB) with counting stats (IP, Wins, CG, K, SV). Having just counting stats would allow someone to win the categories by simply rotating through a large set of pitchers (by dropping and picking up new ones every day, based on when they start), and having just rate stats would allow someone to win by removing all their pitchers after the first week when their stars build up insurmountable results (1.00 ERA, 12K/9, 6.00K/BB by throwing a complete game 1ER, 12K, 2BB game). As it is, we have a good balance (5 counting and 4 rate). I think having an emphasis on strikeouts is probably a good thing since that's the single most important thing for a pitcher to do: throw strikes. If you have a non-power pitcher, he's probably a control pitcher and has few walks as well, meaning he's helped by the K/BB instead of the K/9 or K categories. If you have a power pitcher, he builds up a good K/9 and total K, but might be too wild to have a great K/BB rate. My only suggestion is that we either increase the number of hitting stats to equal the number of pitching stats. With a 6/9 ratio of hitting/pitching, it becomes obvious that whoever is near the tops in pitching has an advantage by leading more categories (unless they are absolutely brutal in hitting). My choice for non-pitching stats would be: Runs, RBI, SB, Hits, HR, OBP, SLG, K (inverted...less is better), Assists, Errors (inverted...less is better). This would cover the gamut of contact hitters (Hits, OBP), sluggers (HR, RBI, SLG, but punish those with high K rates), on-base machines (Hits, OBP, Runs), typical leadoff hitters (Runs, SB) and good fielders (high assists, low errors). Jeez...I just don't shut up sometimes...

posted by grum@work at 10:12 PM on May 31, 2003

I'm having a great night! +8.5 points so far. I've got almost no where to go but up. I considered trading some of my pitching for some runs/rbi producers, but I think I'll stick with what I have for now.

posted by corpse at 10:31 PM on May 31, 2003

I personally think defensive players should be recognized in Fantasy ball leagues. Making errors can absolutely kill your team and I think that fantasy baseball never recognizes how crucial good defense is. My team is collectively achieving about 3 hits and 1 run per day over the last week. Everyone is in a slump and my has stunk. I've watched Wakefield, Thomson and Valdes all blow large leads and wins this week. I'd be depressed if, you know, I didn't have a real life too.

posted by therev at 03:24 PM on June 01, 2003

my has stunk = my pitching has stunk. Judge yourself accordingly.

posted by therev at 03:24 PM on June 01, 2003

Therev, i agree, and would love to see some defensive stats. Stink. Stank. Stunk! — the narrator of "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas"

posted by wfrazerjr at 03:31 PM on June 02, 2003

I'm kind of glad (at this very moment) we don't have defensive stats. Manny Ramirez couldn't find the ball in left field if it was in his glove.

posted by jerseygirl at 08:29 PM on June 02, 2003

Manny Ramirez wears a glove?

posted by wfrazerjr at 11:04 AM on June 03, 2003

I can never see it because it gets lost in his overly baggy jersey/trousers.

posted by corpse at 11:51 AM on June 03, 2003

"Yes Manny, those pants do make you look fat."

posted by therev at 02:43 PM on June 03, 2003

curt schilling has broken bones in his hand! why does the fantasy baseball god hate me!?

posted by jerseygirl at 08:19 PM on June 03, 2003

Trade him to me! I take ALL players headed for long stints on the DL!!!! You NEED Derek Lowe now!

posted by wfrazerjr at 09:50 PM on June 03, 2003

tell me about it. i now have 3 - count 'em three! - pitchers on the DL. It's starting to look like a rehab center over at the S-Tope clubhouse.

posted by jerseygirl at 05:30 AM on June 04, 2003

Uh, jgirl ... I had FIVE guys on the DL as of last week. Take your violin and go home. :P Oh, anyone want Sosa? LOL!

posted by wfrazerjr at 11:09 AM on June 04, 2003

I would have had as many as you wfrazerjr, but since they only let you store 2 of them on your roster at once (as I complained on the league comments section already), I've had to dump them as I go. The tough part is trying to decide if it's worth hanging on to the star player and get some decent AB out of him in the time he comes back, or just ditch him for the year to use the roster spot for someone else.

posted by grum@work at 12:05 PM on June 04, 2003

Uh, jgirl ... I had FIVE guys on the DL as of last week. Take your violin and go home. :P whoa. my sympathies. definitely sucks more to be you :P

posted by jerseygirl at 01:59 PM on June 04, 2003

I guess all that sweet talk paid off AI. Kearns for Kazsu is a hell of a deal.

posted by catfish at 07:09 PM on June 04, 2003

No. I still don't like AI, but I'm a business woman. So there.

posted by jerseygirl at 04:34 AM on June 05, 2003

You don't like me? *cries*

posted by djacobs at 07:27 AM on June 05, 2003

You mean I could have gotten Kearns for a reliever? You were asking for Kevin Brown from me!

posted by corpse at 08:53 AM on June 05, 2003

needed saves and now needed Ks since schilling is out. yeah, i lose a bit in HRs from kearns, but he's slowed down lately. manny is starting to pick up, so hopefully he'll make up the difference.

posted by jerseygirl at 10:19 AM on June 05, 2003

Manny. Make a difference. Did you just use those two things in the same sentence? And it always sucks more to be me. :P Haha!

posted by wfrazerjr at 04:57 PM on June 05, 2003

Yep. I said 'em. ... and? :)

posted by jerseygirl at 07:30 PM on June 05, 2003

Number of titles Manny has helped the BoSox win? Your Honor, I rest my case. :P

posted by wfrazerjr at 10:00 AM on June 06, 2003

You know, I'm not really sure why you're crossing lines and comparing real life baseball teams with fantasy baseball... Manny won the batting title last year, hitting .349 with 33 HRs, and 107 RBI, despite being out for 6 weeks in the middle of the season. What difference does it make where the Red Sox finish? If you went by your comment, A-Rod, and Sosa for that matter, would be junk because their teams didn't win anything. Oh. Here's the obligatory emoticon, :*), so you don't call me sensitive or defensive, etc.

posted by jerseygirl at 01:00 PM on June 06, 2003

I thought we WERE talking the real game, otherwise why would we have started with his shortcomings with the glove? And I don't think you are being defensive or sensitive — you're sticking up for your guy. You'd make a good manager. :) Oh, and I just like emoticons.

posted by wfrazerjr at 01:40 PM on June 06, 2003

No butthead, we were talking about the Kearns for Sasaki trade. Not obligatory this time :P

posted by jerseygirl at 01:53 PM on June 06, 2003

Ummm, ok ... now I'm lost. Who was? I was just commenting on ... oh, nevermind!

posted by wfrazerjr at 03:20 PM on June 06, 2003

It's so cute watching you kids flirt like this.

posted by grum@work at 03:31 PM on June 06, 2003

hush, Grum, or I shan't invite you out for baseball, pints and poutine when I visit Toronto in a couple months.

posted by wfrazerjr at 05:06 PM on June 08, 2003

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