FANTASY DRAFT MOCKERY TIME:

Sorry if this is in the wrong place and formatted like crap, but I wanted to see which BTFer involved deserves the most mockery and I was afraid of the lounge. So feel free to tell Shooty why he's going to lose. Or just ignore and move on to trivia.

It's a 12-team roto league, cumulative, snake draft. The stats we are using this year are: R, H, HR, GIDP, E, OBP, SLG; W, SV, ER, K, HLD, TB, WHIP, QS

Shooty, who had 1st pick -

Decatur Commies
1. (1) Hanley Ramírez
2. (24) Nick Markakis
3. (25) Brian McCann
4. (48) Garrett Atkins
5. (49) Dan Uggla
6. (72) Brad Lidge
7. (73) Nate McLouth
8. (96) Scott Kazmir
9. (97) Zack Greinke
10. (120) Matt Wieters
11. (121) Joey Votto
12. (144) Ricky Nolasco
13. (145) Clayton Kershaw
14. (168) Matt Garza
15. (169) Pat Burrell
16. (192) Randy Johnson
17. (193) Ted Lilly
18. (216) Grant Balfour
19. (217) Ian Stewart
20. (240) Édgar Rentería
21. (241) Dioner Navarro
22. (264) David DeJesús
23. (265) Gil Meche
24. (288) Travis Snider
25. (289) Melvin Mora


My team, picking 6th:

Multiple Parks
1. (6) Grady Sizemore
2. (19) Tim Lincecum
3. (30) Brandon Phillips
4. (43) Brandon Webb
5. (54) Jason Bay
6. (67) Chris Davis
7. (78) Carlos Delgado
8. (91) Jhonny Peralta
9. (102) A.J. Burnett
10. (115) Chris Iannetta
11. (126) Jayson Werth
12. (139) J.J. Putz
13. (150) Jose Arredondo
14. (163) Elijah Dukes
15. (174) Mike Pelfrey
16. (187) Scot Shields
17. (198) Miguel Tejada
18. (211) Jordan Zimmermann
19. (222) Mark Reynolds
20. (235) Jack Cust
21. (246) Kelly Shoppach
22. (259) Clint Barmes
23. (270) Clay Buchholz
24. (283) Paul Maholm
25. (294) Kyle McClellan


Howard Megdal -

Team Harry Chiti
1. (7) José Reyes
2. (18) Johan Santana
3. (31) Adrián González
4. (42) Geovany Soto
5. (55) Álex Ríos
6. (66) Dan Haren
7. (79) Ryan Zimmerman
8. (90) Joba Chamberlain
9. (103) Lastings Milledge
10. (114) Oliver Pérez
11. (127) Vernon Wells
12. (138) Nelson Cruz
13. (151) Kelly Johnson
14. (162) Andre Ethier
15. (175) Justin Upton
16. (186) Johnny Cueto
17. (199) Adam Jones
18. (210) Conor Jackson
19. (223) Khalil Greene
20. (234) Willy Taveras
21. (247) Adam Lind
22. (258) Coco Crisp
23. (271) Jonathan Sánchez
24. (282) Adam LaRoche
25. (295) Sean Marshall


And finally, Mark Donelson, 8th -

Cubanos
1. (8) Evan Longoria
2. (17) B.J. Upton
3. (32) Álex Rodríguez
4. (41) Russell Martin
5. (56) Troy Tulowitzki
6. (65) Félix Hernández
7. (80) Hunter Pence
8. (89) James Shields
9. (104) Jay Bruce
10. (113) Robinson Canó
11. (128) Bobby Jenks
12. (137) Raúl Ibañez
13. (152) James Loney
14. (161) Heath Bell
15. (176) Josh Johnson
16. (185) Hideki Matsui
17. (200) Jered Weaver
18. (209) John Maine
19. (224) Jair Jurrjens
20. (233) Shin-Soo Choo
21. (248) Billy Butler
22. (257) Troy Glaus
23. (272) Matt Lindstrom
24. (281) Mark Ellis
25. (296) Mike Cameron

I'd love for you to all think that Donelson really picked Raul Ibanez, but he was on auto-draft because he was dealing with his LIFE or tax accountant or something.

This just in: Schilling retires

Trivia question:

What team had the best single season home run differential of all-time? (By home run differential, I mean homers hit minus homers allowed).

This just in: Schilling retires

Wonderful. This means that he'll have even more time in which he can pontificate about the greatness of Schilling.

he was on auto-draft because he was dealing with his LIFE or tax accountant or something.

Nah, I was actually all set, but then the seven-month-old kept my wife up all night. As the appointed hour rolled around I suspected that saying, "Honey, you can't recover sleep past noon, because I need to do my fantasy baseball draft" would lead to a very quick death.

I did manage to pop in for five minutes to pick Loney, though.

But yeah, I am annoyed about Ibanez. I hate him. How did I forget to put him on the "don't draft" list in my preranking?

What team had the best single season home run differential of all-time? (By home run differential, I mean homers hit minus homers allowed).

I'm going to guess the '61 Yankees, but I'm sure that's wrong.

homers hit minus homers allowed

If it were a rate instead of a total, I might guess the 1921 Yankees, who hit 2.6 HR for each of their opponents'. But that was "only" 83 total HR more than their opponents hit. And of course, there might be a team even better than the '21 Yankees in that rate.

What team had the best single season home run differential of all-time? (By home run differential, I mean homers hit minus homers allowed).

Does it involve late 90s Seattle? They were hitting so many homers, I could see it outdistancing their generosity in allowing them.

I'm going to guess the '61 Yankees, but I'm sure that's wrong.

Close - they had the second best differential ever: +103.

Hey Al I half a question. Yesterday Ozzie Guillen told me that there is a good young catcher called Matt Wheaties I think I am spelling his name right. He plays for the Baltimore Oreos only as you know Al they trane in Fla. and even though I know all the guys in the Cat Dust League I cannot keep track of any 1 who plays in Fla. this time of year. Any way have you heard of this Matt Wheaties and is he any good and why has no 1 talked about him at all here on Primer you'd think they would be gaga over the lad and all telling us what their spread sheets think he will do in POCOROBA this year.

What, the 7-month old was running around like a rabid Riki-Tiki-Tavi? Those things barely move. How hard could it have been to give child #1 a book and put him under a laundry basket, then hold child #2 in your lap as you drafted? Especially if your lovely wife was asleep?

Seriously, Raul Ibanez?

(Also, my reason was dead right, as I mentioned "LIFE", which I think that falls under.)

If it were a rate instead of a total, I might guess the 1921 Yankees, who hit 2.6 HR for each of their opponents'. But that was "only" 83 total HR more than their opponents hit.

At +83, it's still the fourteenth best home run differential of all-time.

Does it involve late 90s Seattle? They were hitting so many homers, I could see it outdistancing their generosity in allowing them.

Nah. They topped out at +72 in 1997, which ties for the 38th best differential ever with 1995 Cleveland, 1977 Dodgers & 1998 Cards.

Does it involve late 90s Seattle? They were hitting so many homers, I could see it outdistancing their generosity in allowing them.

Was it '97 when they set the team HR record? I'd guess either that, or the Windowbreakers Giants team ('47?)

hold child #2 in your lap as you drafted?

You haven't been around him lately. I would have ended up picking Rey Ordonez every round. (You may say that's impossible, but he would have found a way to make it happen.)

Anyway, you miss the point: Given the night's events, my even being at the computer for the draft for any stretch of time would have been grounds for murder.

The '05 Texas Rangers are not the answer, but they were at +101. I remembered that they hit a huge number that year, but didn't remember them as being so good at preventing the HR.

Was it '97 when they set the team HR record? I'd guess either that, or the Windowbreakers Giants team ('47?)

Yeah, that was them, but (as Dag Nabbit points out) they were only +72. Looking it up, the 1947 Giants were 221/122, for a +99, which is still behind the 1961 Yankees.

This is going to be the first (and only) time this happens, so everyone pay attention: I think you're being a little harsh on Ibanez. I assume UZR isn't a stat in this league, and last year Ibanez's numbers, translated to Philly come to .303/.369/.494 with 24 HR. Obviously that's not great, and he might decline somewhat but he's not the worst 12th Round pick ever.

The '05 Texas Rangers are not the answer, but they were at +101.

That's the third best score ever.

Was it '97 when they set the team HR record? I'd guess either that, or the Windowbreakers Giants team ('47?)

Seattle already covered. The '47 Giants were +99, fourth best ever. It was, however, the best in NL history.

Well, the second, third, and fourth highest totals have been named, but no one's got the prize, yet.

Anyway, you miss the point: Given the night's events, my even being at the computer for the draft for any stretch of time would have been grounds for murder.

Two words: Sleeping pills. For your wife, not the kid. Geez, what do you think I am, a monster?

No, wait, those aren't the two words. "Abject pleading" may have been what I was going for.

However, what we really need is Shooty and Megdal here, as no one else seems to give a ####. Oh well.

EXCEPT RB!

Usually I have one pick I'm super-thrilled about every year, but this year, my draft was kid of blah. Maybe Burnett I think will mow people down, because he's kind of the joke signing around here.

So NL teams are out... how about the '27 Yanks? Almost seems like too obvious of an answer, though.

'27 Yankees?

Looks like it.

158 for, 42 against.

So NL teams are out... how about the '27 Yanks? Almost seems like too obvious of an answer, though.

Which I suppose why no one guessed it. But it's the correct answer: 158 hit, 42 allowed, for a difference of +116. No one has even remotely approached it.

Anyone want to guess what team had the worst single-season home run differential? Hint: the four worst homer differentials were all achieved by the same franchise in a six year span.

Dag, did you submit a proposal? I never got around to it. I was hoping to get some face time and talk about Bowie Kuhn, but couldn't figure out what aspect of him to spend 20 minutes on which would be informative and entertaining.

Anyone want to guess what team had the worst single-season home run differential? Hint: the four worst homer differentials were all achieved by the same franchise in a six year span.

I'd go with the Phillies in one of their utterly awful stretches... '37-'42, or something like that. They certainly played in a park where they'd allow quite a few.

Mariners or Angels in their first half-decade?

I'm going down to Tampa for a few Sox games this year? Anyone been? Any tips for before/after or misc ?

GGC, I submitted one on Saturday. Never got the confirmation e-mail, though.

Eric J - Not a horrible Phillies team. There weren't that many homers allowed back in those days. This is a Silly Ball Era team.

EXCEPT RB!

Yeah, which is great because I'm going to look real stupid when Ibanez hits .231/.299/.334 this year.

This is a Silly Ball Era team.

'03 Tigers?

The 1987 Orioles have to be in the mix. I believe they allowed to most homers ever up to that point.

Mariners or Angels in their first half-decade?

Nah. In their first half-decade, Seattle bottomed out at -61 homers in 1977. The Angels bottomed out in 1963 at -25 in their first half-decade.

The record is -115 homers. This franchise is the only one to ever do worse than -90.

GGC, I submitted one on Saturday. Never got the confirmation e-mail, though.

I really should have; even if I just redid what I wrote for THT. That was based on a presentation for a regional.

Here's a question about Bowie Kuhn; even though he was on the wrong side in literally everything (the reserve clause, the suspending Mays and Mantle, no Negro Leaguers in the HoF, even the nighttime WS games), how the hell did he get into the HoF?

2003 Tigers: -42 homers.

1987 Orioles: -15 homers. They also hit a lot.

You guys are going about this the wrong way. In recent years, everyone gives up a bunch. You need to find a team that doesn't hit any.

158 hit, 42 allowed

Which is 3.8 HR for each of their opponents', demolishing that 1921 rate mark.

I'm guessing AL; I remember the late-90's DRays sucked at hitting homers; the '99 Drays?

e:nope.

'99 Twins are close at 105 for and 208 against, but not -115.

Must have been some manager in like 1935 that still thought homeruns were bad for the game and were unsportsmanlike

Craig K is on the right track.

I already noted this one club has all of the bottom four, all in a six year period and are the only club to ever do worse than -90.

He just noted the '99 Twins were -103. Yup, that's the second worst season of them all. Should be easy to check what the worst was from there.

'99 Twins are close at 105 for and 208 against, but not -115.

Well based on that, and this:

This franchise is the only one to ever do worse than -90.

It seems the late '90s Twins are the team of choice. '96?

Yup: 1996 Twins: 233 allowed, 118 hit.

Then it's:

1999 Twins: 208 allowed, 105 hit.
2000 Twins: 212 allowed, 116 hit.
1995 Twins: 210 allowed, 120 hit. Please note this was a strike-shortened season, too.

At -89, you have the 2000 and 2006 Royals.

I would have gone with one of the recent Royals team under Allard. They don't hit HRs, but give up a lot of them.

EDIT : Just a bit late!

I originally thought it was a team with Eric Milton on it, but it's not so much the pitching (though Brad Radke didn't help)as it's more of the Twins having absolutely nobody with power. When your team leaders in HRs are people like Marty Cordova and Matt Lawton, you need help.

Edit: Too late.

When your team leaders in HRs are people like Marty Cordova and Matt Lawton, you need help.

Your HR numbers are also depressed when you take David Ortiz and try to make a slap hitter out of him.

Since we're now getting ads on the news page for the new book Forever Blue, maybe I'll ask this again:

Is there a reasonable consensus that O'Malley made a good faith effort to build a new park in Brooklyn, and when presented with the Queens stadium idea instead, then went to LA for a backup option?

I read the 1989 book The Dodgers Move West a while ago, which pretty much presented this take. A few weeks ago, SI excerpted Forever Blue, which basically has the same take on the move. Amazon reviews rip the former book for being sycophantic towards O'Malley. But supposedly Kahn was pretty hard on O'Malley on his books and maybe popular opinion is still shaped by that.

Is there a reasonable consensus that O'Malley made a good faith effort to build a new park in Brooklyn, and when presented with the Queens stadium idea instead, then went to LA for a backup option?

I think that's a fair assessment, although there's plenty of argument to be had over what constitutes "good faith." O'Malley pursued LA (and talked Stoneham into pursuing SF) to build some leverage against Robert Moses and the Flushing stadium plan. Of course, at that time no amount of leverage could deter Moses from getting what he wanted. When it looked like Moses could stonewall O'Malley for good, O'Malley jumped for LA.

Miko, there was a thread about that book this morning. Unfortunato, it only garnered 5 posts; three of them by me. My interest in a topic is often responsible for killing a thread.

My interest in a topic is often responsible for killing a thread.

You should post more in the political threads.

Tom, when I do that, I wax more about political threads then politics. I guess that they call that meta.

Thanks, GGC. I went back to look for that thread. I hope someone posts a review of the new book, it looks interesting.

BA transactions up.

Found the following bit by Bryan Smith from June '06. He and I have similar tastes in general, I think, and we were both interested in a lot of the same players at that time - but his description of Maine Soph. SS Curt Smith is amusing in retrospect...

Deep Sleeper: Curt Smith (Maine). I saw Smith play at the Chapel Hill regional a few weeks ago, and I came away very impressed. A shortstop from Curacao, Smith's body type envokes instant comparisons to Deivi Cruz. His play supports it, and I think he could have a similar career under the right scenario. He won't go highly in the 2007 draft, I don't think, but I'll support the pick wherever he ends up.

If the name doesn't ring a bell, you may have seen Smith in the WBC, as a backup 1B/LF for the Netherlands. He can hit (Appy league MVP, was a late Cards pick (think roster filler, not seeking a big bonus) in the '08 draft) but he's already a short, chunky have-bat/will-travel type.

Yeah, why he didn't start is beyond me. No no, far better for guys who flopped in the majors than a young stud (albeit at A-).

Hey, what are the mechanics of a "player to be named later"/"future considerations" trade?

Player A goes to Blue Team for PTBNL.
Time passes.
Red Team called up Blue Team.
Red Team says, "Hey, we'd like Player B back."

How does the negotiation work?

Hey, what are the mechanics of a "player to be named later"/"future considerations" trade?

"We'd like to name... Albert Pujols."

I think there's a mutually agreed-on list of players at the time of the trade, any of whom can be picked. But then, I'm not sure that explains the Harry Chiti for Harry Chiti trade.

While I'm sure a Keith Law type (there's a type?) could answer with far greater depth, here's my layman's response: It depends.
In the case of Sergio Miranda (is that what triggered your question?), I think there's not much to the deal - the White Sox probably let teams know that he was available and the Brewers said 'OK'. In other cases, the clubs draw up a list of available names / terms ahead of time and the selector makes their choice as the appointed time - those terms may also be conditional (for instance, I bet the Rangers would have gotten more from the Red Sox had Littleton made the team this ST than they will not they he was waived). Of course, there have been literal cases (case?/Chiti) of the PTBNL actually being the guy who was originally dealt.
Hmmm - that was vaguer than I think you meant. Anyhoo, here's wikipedia.

I think there is also a reasonable segment of PTBNL trades where the PTBNL is known in advance but can't be traded at the time of the trade, e.g. if they were signed out of the amateur draft less than 1 year (?) earlier, or for 40-man purposes.

From bbref's beta version...
Teal and Black (iirc) was asking about league quality the other day. One quick n' dirty way of measuring it is to look at fielding percentages (this has several limitations, which are magnified when you cross national borders - that said...)

Here's league error percentages for '08 (1 - FA*100):

Majors: 1.6 (so, an FA of .984)
AAA: 2.2 (IL, PCL)
AA: 2.5 (EL, SL, TL)
A+: 2.6-3.0 (CAL, CAR, FSL)
A: 3.2 (SAL, MWL)
A-: 3.4-3.5 (NWL, NYP)
B: 3.6-4.0 (PIO, APP)
C: 4.0-4.6 (GCL, AZL)
D: 4.5-4.9 (DSL, VSL)

Atlantic League: 2.7
Northern League: 2.9
Can-Am League: 3.0
American Association: 3.0
Frontier League: 3.1
Golden League: 3.9
United League: 4.0
Continental League: 4.9

Dutch League: 4.7
NPB/Japan: 1.5 (source: japanesebaseball.com)

I'll add Japan, Cuba, and Mexico (if I can) when I get home...

Mexico: 2.4

Cuba: 2.6