Unwinding

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DOUGHBOYS
Posts: 13088
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:00 pm

Unwinding

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Sat Jun 23, 2018 9:15 am

I am in a snide, cynical mood. The guy on radio was full of himself. I was coming home from work and wanted unwind in the car by listening to a fantasy station on XM.
"The value of getting Roethlisberger in the seventh round over Aaron Rodgers in the fourth round is a great value!"
I sneered.
Not only over his over use of 'value', but because he has no idea how the season will unfold.
The week that Roethlisberger plays against a tough defensive team, he will wish he had another quarterback. But, that is for the real season.
During draft season, it is all about 'value' and how there is more 'value' with this player over that.
He is just another 'expert'. Spouting more of what experts do on radio.
I changed the channel.

The Royals were playing.
Alex Gordon was up, Alcides Escobar in the on deck circle.
I thought about how Escobar has played something like 400 straight games.
Why?
He sucks!
Players that suck should not have consecutive game streaks.
Consecutive game streaks are for Lou Gehrig, Cal Ripken, and Steve Garvey. Men of iron.
Escobar is more like a man who irons.
It speaks little of the Royals who continue to give him those games.
Escobar is a 'blocker'.
Taking a lineup spot from a kid who could develop at the big league level.
It was surprising that the nowhere-headed Royals signed Escobar. Since, I guess they want their moneys worth.
They are getting the results in the form of taking up space, little else.
Give him (and us) a rest, KC.

I turned the channel to the Dodgers game.
Last year, when I thought of Cody Bellinger, I thought of a kid who could be a star for many years.
This year, I think of how pitchers have found that hole in his swing, above the belt and on the inside of the plate.
He won't be a star till he patches that hole.
Yasiel Puig hits a homer. They talk about his launch angle.
I think of my Little League coaches preaching the art of the level swing.
Those coaches, most likely as dead as the level swing themselves. A mental shout out to those coaches. RIP.
And RIP, level swing.

I changed the channel to the Nats.
I wondered why there was so much love for Trea Turner in the NFBC.
Besides a brief period of power a couple of years ago, he has really shown little in that way.
He is fast.There is that.
But first round? Even high in the first round? Fourth? No way.
It made me wonder about the 2019 draft.
Does Kershaw stay in the first round if he finishes out this year in Kershaw fashion? Is there enough faith left in him?
JD Martinez, Jose Ramirez, and Freddy Freeman, welcome to the first round.
Goldschmidt? Bryant?
Is Scherzer, Sale, Kluber, and Severino the new 'Fab four'?
As I pulled into the driveway of my house, I pictured an expert saying, "There is way more value in Cody Bellinger in the fifth round over Paul Goldschmidt in the first round!"
The word, 'value' has become a projection word in fantasy.
Using the word in this way, has taken away the value in the word, value.
Where's the value in that?
Value should be an in-season word when we are, you know, receiving the value of our draft choice.
Instead, it is all about the drafting season with 'value' at every turn.
Ass backwards.
I groaned.

Only the folks reading this would understand about this being a way to 'unwind' after a day of work. :D
.
.
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I haven't been on the Boards for awhile. Sorry 'bout that.
It started off as Greg pissing me off.
Enough, that I really didn't want to use the Boards for awhile.
Then, life took over and I found myself too busy to check in.
Thanks for the e-mails and notes that were shot to me. You guys are the best.
I'll try to be more productive here and maybe even use this as a way to unwind after work.
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

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Ando
Posts: 632
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2010 6:00 pm

Re: Unwinding

Post by Ando » Sat Jun 23, 2018 11:23 pm

Glad to have you back, Dan.

Nice to see you see fire back in a "Value" based rage.

:D
"Luck is the residue of design."

-Branch Rickey

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Edwards Kings
Posts: 5878
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2004 6:00 pm
Location: Duluth, Georgia

Re: Unwinding

Post by Edwards Kings » Sun Jun 24, 2018 10:54 am

DOUGHBOYS wrote:
Sat Jun 23, 2018 9:15 am
Yasiel Puig hits a homer. They talk about his launch angle.
I think of my Little League coaches preaching the art of the level swing.
Those coaches, most likely as dead as the level swing themselves. A mental shout out to those coaches. RIP.
And RIP, level swing.
We are from the same era in that regard. Same mantra from my coaches. They preached staying level through the strike zone and promised good thinks would happen. God forbid you had an uppercut swing or even worse, chopping wood.

DOUGHBOYS wrote:
Sat Jun 23, 2018 9:15 am
Does Kershaw stay in the first round if he finishes out this year in Kershaw fashion? Is there enough faith left in him?
I bet not. He will fall all the way to...second round...UNLESS...big September will cause most to forgive all. What if's rule.
DOUGHBOYS wrote:
Sat Jun 23, 2018 9:15 am
Goldschmidt? Bryant?
Second half and playoff results will tell.

DOUGHBOYS wrote:
Sat Jun 23, 2018 9:15 am
Is Scherzer, Sale, Kluber, and Severino the new 'Fab four'?
Bring back Peter Best and have a "Fab Five"? DeGrom?

Good stuff, Dan!
Baseball is a slow, boring, complex, cerebral game that doesn't lend itself to histrionics. You 'take in' a baseball game, something odd to say about a football or basketball game, with the clock running and the bodies flying.
Charles Krauthammer

Bronx Yankees
Posts: 1238
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:16 pm

Re: Unwinding

Post by Bronx Yankees » Sun Jun 24, 2018 7:21 pm

Glad you’re back, Dan. A few quick responses:

I think Kershaw is no higher than third round next year. Right now, I don’t think I’d take him there.

I think Goldschmidt and Bryant are second rounders. Maybe, if he stays scorching, Goldy sneaks into the backend of Round 1, but I doubt it unless he starts running.

Agree that Scherzer, Sale, Kluber and Severino are first four SPs off the board in some order next year, barring injury, with deGrom as my current pick for fifth (possibly higher if he’s wearing a different uniform). I can see all four - or maybe five - going in the first round. Could also see Scherzer as a top five pick.

Jeez, kind of ready to start drafting again. :D

Mike
Mike Mager
"Bronx Yankees"

DOUGHBOYS
Posts: 13088
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:00 pm

Re: Unwinding

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Sun Jun 24, 2018 10:02 pm

Let's run with this....

We have Trout, Betts, Arenado, Altuve....Locks for the top of most first rounds

We have Scherzer, Sale, Kluber, Severino.... Locks for top pitchers

We have JDMartinez, Ramirez, Freeman, Machado, Lindor, deGrom....as early favs for moving up into the first round

We have Votto, Blackmon, Correa as maybe they do, maybe they don't

This leaves Harper, Stanton, Goldschmidt, Bryant, Turner, and Rizzo, Sanchez, Bellinger, and Strasburg.... as wild cards.

This last group are potential first round, second round, and beyond draft picks. What they do the rest of the year marks where they will be picked next year.
Harper and Machado will probably get a boost from signing with whoever they sign with...
Without stolen bases, Goldschmidt is basically Freeman or Rizzo...with a humidor.

Albies, Baez, Story, and Benintendi will be SEXY.....

Soto, Acuna, and Guerrero will be the even Sexier players without much of a past at the top level to bank on (see Bellinger, Turner, etc...)
It is in our DNA. At least one in 15 of us will overdraft young players. We can't help ourselves.

Like Mike (Mager, not Jordan), I already can't wait to draft....

All this with more half the year to come!
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

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