My First Fantasy Baseball Team: Lessons Learned #1

The "Chone" in Chone Figgins's name does not rhyme with "cone."

Absentee

BASEBALL IS UPON US

"Chicago Cubs pitching instructor Mike Mason sniffs a broken bat hit back to the pitching mound during workouts at the team's spring training baseball facility Tuesday, March 2, 2010, in Mesa, Ariz." Is this a Post-Sosa thing; is this how you see if there's cork in a bat?

Hello everyone! It's March, and at least in Chicago, the snow is melting and there's a weekend of 40 degree weather on its way. The internet is abuzzing and atweeting about baseball, spring training, and baseball cards. I think it's safe to say that spring is on its way.

The Marauders of Time draft is scheduled for Sunday, March 7, 3:00PM CST. If you don't have a draft plan, there are a variety of places to do some draft research. MLB.com has a list, complete with photos. I have no idea who these people are, but I found them on Yahoo's main baseball site, so here are some other rankings. Rotoworld is another possible resource and somehow CBS has a fantasy site. I don't really know much about these sites, but there they are. Anyway, drafts are the best part of fantasy, so don't miss it LIVE!

EDIT: The draft is no longer this Sunday, March 7, but the following Sunday, March 14, at 3:00 PM CST. MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

See You At The Draft(s)

The countdown 'til Fantasy Baseball 2010 begins.

Superlative Awards

The 2009 Marauders of Time Champions are The Poppersteins, who under manager Kei triumphed in a close and heated battle with Joe's CHUTLEY. Congratulations to our 2 all-star managers. Thank you to everyone for participating. Next year should be at least as exciting as our collective competency will be heightened.

Now for Managerial Superlatives:
Rookie of the Year: Kei (The Poppersteins)
Most Improved (through semi-legal self-correcting statistical probability databases): Joe (CHUTLEY)
Most Passionate: Jenni (Ladies Love Us)
Most Suprisingly Beastliest: Nar (Hit by Pitch)
Most Paternally Distracted: Ed (Vaggie Burgers)
Most Enslaved by Evil AI: Andy (Arbitup)
Most Metsiest: Mordecai (Impending Doom)
Most Invisible: Nate (The Zone)

Ch-ch-ch-changes

IS THIS GOING TO TURN INTO A FOOTBALL BLOG?

David & Goliath

It all really started yesterday when Brandon Inge and Miguel Cabrera were hit by Boston pitches, and when Edwin Jackson hit Youkilis. But today's "oh HELL naw" started with this 23 year old kid, Junichi Tazawa, when he hit Miggy in the hand and bruised him day-to-day. OMG MIGGY.

I wonder what Tazawa's intentions were, or if he was instructed to hit Miggy. This kid looks familiar, but I may be completely making things up. In any case, Tazawa seems to hail from Yokohama, so I can't totally hate on that. If he's known to hang around Isezaki-cho, then I can see why he'd try to hit someone to protect Youkilis Sempai. But that's not gonna go without consequences. The Tigers have a young lion with the spirit of SIMBA, RICK PORCELLO. I call him "Ricky P."

This is just sick to look at. Youkilis' face should be pixelated, like when people don't want the world to know what they look like, or when someone swears and a TV network blurs their mouth so the children can't read lips, except all over his nasty face. WTH, is Youkilis 12 years old or so?

Anyway, Porcello wins.

Porcello looks good angry with that Slam Dunk-esque hair. I like how Papa Leyland is taking him home.

PLACIDO POLANCO CAN ONLY HIT WITH PEOPLE ON BASE! Curtis Granderson had brought whoever was on base before him with a homerun, so bases were empty when Polanco went up to bat. Tigers lose, 5-7. But today, I share some of my infinite baseball love for Miggy with Ricky P. Baseball love, Tigers love, brotherly love, LOVE IS ALL!