GAA Board Fantasy Baseball 2008

[AZOffaly]

Hi All,

Spring is in the air and training camps are starting in Arizona and Florida, which means that it's time to start thinking of the 2008 GAABoard MLB (Baseball) Fantasy League.

Coming off the successful 2007 NFL Fantasy League, it'll be interesting to see if the MLB one throws up the same sort of drama down the stretch as we had in December.

Reminder emails have been generated for the league to all managers who participated last year, but I'm sure some spaces will be available for any of you who missed the boat last year. Last years winner, the Res Dubs will be keen to defend their crown, while runner up Father Joe's Dynamos may be looking to go a step further this season.

The league has some similarities to the NFL version, in that you will fill out positions in the draft, and from that roster, select a team to take the field, and just like the NFL version, every week sees you playing against another manager in a head to head.

There are a couple of significant differences between the two games though, and the most important of these is down to the intrinsically different nature of the NFL and MLB seasons.

In the NFL, your players will only play once a week, and you just need to have your roster set before the first game kicks off. In the MLB, games are on all week, and a player may play 3 or 4 times a week at least. You may still set your roster once a week, but it's no harm to check on them during the week, and make sure you are happy with who is picked to play over the next couple of days.

The second major difference is in the way the scoring is calculated. In the NFL version, all your players points are added up, and the team with the most points wins the game for the week.

in the MLB version, because of the vastly different and varied types of stats recorded, each stat in itself becomes a game within a game for the week. There are 11 stat categories which means there are 11 'games' to be played against your opponent every week.

For example, if your batters hit 11 homers, and your opponent only 7, you win that category. If the RBIs are 24-19, you win that category, and if his pitchers get 4 wins as opposed to your 2, you lose that category. Each category win counts as a game, so by the end of the week you have 11 games to win or lose. Your record after the week might be 8-3, 10-1, 2-9 etc etc.

The next week you take on a different opponent in the same categories, and the standings are based on the cumulative records across all stats.

I realise it sounds a little complicated, but it isn't really, once you see it going.

The positions you must fill in the draft to fill out a full weekly roster are (at least):
1 Catcher, 1 First Baseman, 1 Second Baseman, 1 Third Baseman, 1 Shortstop, 3 Outfielders, 1 Utility player (any position), 2 Starting Pitchers, 2 Relief Pitchers, 3 other pitchers (either starters or relievers). You can also have 5 on the bench (non scoring) and 1 on the Disabled List (Long term injury).

The scoring categories are :
R - Runs Scored (i.e. your player actually crossing home plate)
HR - Home Runs
RBI - Runs Batted In (RBI - runs scored as a result of your player's appearance at the plate)
SB - Stolen Bases
BB - Walks earned (Bases on Balls) (i.e. If the pitcher throws four bad balls, and your man gets to walk to first)
AVG - Batting Average (The percentage of the time your batter gets the ball in play safely with the bat, as opposed to making an out)

W - Wins - If your pitcher wins a game (i.e. Had the lead when leaving the game after 5 innings completed, or at the end).
SV - Saves - A relief pitcher gets a save if he comes in with his team in the lead, and the tying run on deck (the next lad up after the current batter), and manages to keep the lead to the end of the game. A relief pitcher that comes in with a huge lead won't get a save.
BB - Walks given (Bases on Balls) - You will win this category if your pitchers give up less BBs than the opposition.
K - Strikeouts - A pitcher earns a strikeout each time a batter is retired with 3 strikes (rather than a catch or a run out).
ERA - Earned Run Average - A pitchers earned run average gives an indication of how many runs he gives up, that are actually his fault, i.e. not caused by an error. The lower this number is, the better.


Anyway, that's the spiel. Any questions post them here, and I will try to answer. Otherwise go to
http://baseball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/b1 and register. The League ID to join is 133297 and the password is diamondbacks

The draft is an online live draft as well, and I have provisionally set it for Friday March 14th at 2pm. That can change if enough people want it to, but bear in mind we have people on both sides of the Atlantic. Also, it'll waste a couple of hours of work on the day before Paddy's weekend.

Cheers

[bombidal]

only going to be one winner

[AZOffaly]

Well that's true anyway bombidal. There usually is.

[Billys Boots]

Could ye not organise a booby prize for Bombidal AZ?

[rdw]

I'm in.

[the onion bag]

The reigning Christy Ring holders are in 

[bombidal]

recruitment drive needed I believe

[the Deel Rover]

i study this over the weekend Az and enter on Monday looking forward to beating Bombidal again hope he doesn't peak too early

[bombidal]

i study this over the weekend Az and enter on Monday looking forward to beating Bombidal again hope he doesn't peak too early

I do believe I gave you one hell of a beating. As regards the Baseball numbers I suppose it would be better to have active members than a few duds. Wont make the live draft for this either. Week After would be great. Cheltenham is getting in the way.

[AZOffaly]

Alright lads,

Draft this friday.


I got a query from someone about not being able to make the live draft. I said I'd answer here...

If you cannot make the draft, there is a facility to 'Pre-Rank' your players, and this will determine the order the computer selects a player for you. For example, if you rank Albert Pujols as #1, and Johan Santana #2 (for example), and you get the first pick in the draft (which is decided just before the draft kicks off) the computer will select Pujols for you.  If you are not first pick, and someone selects Pujols before you, the computer will select Santana first for you, as the highest ranked player left available when your turn comes around. Towards the later rounds, the computer might skip a ranking if you have not selected enough players in a particular position, but at that stage it's more about padding than anything else.

In my opinion it is worth EVERYONE pre-ranking their players, in order of preference, before the draft begins. This means that if there is a problem with your connection, or you get called away, the computer will take over, and select based on your rankings. If you do not pre-rank, the computer will use the default Yahoo pre-rankings.

[AZOffaly]

10 in at the moment lads, we could do with another 2 or 4.

[AZOffaly]

Howye lads,

The draft is scheduled for 2 o'clock, but I've just looked at the league, and we have an odd number of entrants. Unless we get a 12th by 1.30, the draft won't go ahead (Yahoo rules).

[heganboy]

can we move it back until next week? see if we can get someone over the weekend?

[AZOffaly]

I can. How does next Thursday sound?

[Gabriel_Hurl]

It was me who pulled out lads, sorry. Had a change of heart - don't think I'd be able to put the time into it this year.