Bruins Take Commanding 3-0 Lead Against The Rangers

Doubront Suffers Tough Loss as Quintana Quiets Red Sox Offense

Jon Lester Served First Loss in 6-4 Defeat to Adam Dunn, Chicago White Sox

Avery Bradley’s Role With the Celtics: Present and Future

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TGIF: 2009 Sports of Boston Friends and Family Baseball Draft

Yes it is that time of year again. This is the 2nd coming of the SoB Fantasy Baseball League and tensions were high last Sunday as 12 teams (five SoB writers) took part on draft day. Included among our readers and friends was last year’s league champion who had no hesitation about defending his prestigious title. I, myself, am trying to avenge a painful 2008 that saw me miss the playoffs by just one game. Redemption is a cruel mother (Woah, that was deep). How did each team do? Luckily, I am in a position to judge harshly so lets get to it.

NOTE: League format is 12×12 with categories as such…

OFFENSE: R, H, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, SB, BB, K, TB, AVG, OPS

PITCHING: IP, W, L, CG, SV, HR, BB, K, ERA, WHIP, K/9, QS

SoB Dan aka Illume (former contributor Dan)

1. Hanley Ramirez
2. Alex Rodriguez
3. Prince Fielder
4. Curtis Granderson
5. Chris Davis
6. Dan Uggla
7. Hunter Pence
8. Javier Vazquez
9. Yovani Gallardo
10. Andre Ethier
11. Chris Ianetta
12. Jim Thome
13. Pat Burrell
14. Ted Lilly
15. Scott Baker
16. Justin Duchscherer
17. J.D. Drew
18. Adam LaRoche
19. Jason Giambi
20. Jonathan Sanchez
21. Travis Snyder
22. Kevin Kouzmanoff
23. Hiroki Kuroda
24. Brian Giles

What I Liked: A-Rod in the 2nd round? Who would have thought? Yes, the hip surgery dropped his value, but if he returns on schedule, then Dan’s offense is through the roof. I love Curtis Granderson. In this league, he is a goldmine due to all his across-the-board contributions. Leading off in Detroit will ensure the runs and his increased walks from ’07 to ’08 (increase of 19) means more runs scored and more stolen bases. 

Questionable Decision: Dan really stretched for Chris Davis in round five. In two other leagues, Dan did the same thing so I guess he really has high expectations for him. He will be good, just not fifth-round good.

SoB – Jeff

1. Albert Pujols
2. Carlos Beltran
3. CC Sabathia
4. Matt Kemp
5. Joe Mauer
6. Chipper Jones
7. Ryan Ludwick
8. Robinson Cano
9. Scott Kazmir
10. Jose Valverde
11. David Price
12. Kelly Johnson
13. Ricky Nolasco
14. Johnny Cueto
15. Delmon Young
16. Mike Gonzalez
17. Mark Reynolds
18. Ryan Theriot
19. Jair Jurrjens
20. Jeff Francoeur
21. Casey Blake
22. Phil Hughes
23. Jeff Samardzija
24. David Murphy

What I Liked: Ricky Nolasco in round 13. He was a very quiet 15 game winner last season and struck out over 180 batters. He posted sub-3.00 ERA’s in August and September while compiling a 5-2 record during that time: a great bargain pick.

Questionable Decision: Jeff’s bias toward Atlanta got him stuck with four Braves including the abysmal Jeff Francouer. Just keep in mind, when Atlanta has a bad offensive night, so will your team. David Price being optioned to Triple-A hurts too.

SoB – Chris

1. David Wright
2. Johan Santana
3. Justin Morneau
4. Jake Peavy
5. Alex Rios
6. Stephen Drew
7. Corey Hart
8. Bobby Abreu
9. Howie Kendrick
10. Carlos Pena
11. Raul Ibanez
12. Justin Upton
13. Chris Young (SP)
14. Willy Taveras
15. Brett Myers
16. Jered Weaver
17. Heath Bell
18. Denard Span
19. Dioner Navarro
20. Frank Francisco
21. Manny Parra
22. Todd Helton
23. Clint Barmes
24. Gary Sheffield

What I Liked: Corey Hart was on my list of must have players and Chris took him with the pick before me. Hart is having a ridiculous Spring where he is slugging .885 with 6 HR, 15 RBI and 3 SB. Usually Spring means nothing, but you can’t ignore these numbers.

Questionable Decision: I am sorry, but I am just not sold on Alex Rios as the next 25-25 guy. At most, he will barely reach 20 HR. However, the SB will be plentiful. Just don’t over bid or reach expecting a premiere power and speed guy.

SoB – Pete (Yours Truly)

1. Jose Reyes
2. Carlos Lee
3. Nick Markakis
4. Dan Haren
5. Aubrey Huff
6. Joey Votto
7. Felix Hernandez
8. Chone Figgins
9. Derrek Lee
10. Jose Lopez
11. Brad Hawpe
12. Erik Bedard
13. Pablo Sandoval
14. Jayson Werth
15. Josh Johnson
16. Gil Meche
17. Mike Fontenot
18. Oliver Perez
19. Kendry Morales
20. Billy Butler
21. Wandy Rodriguez
22. Paul Maholm
23. Mike Jacobs
24. Cristian Guzman

What I Liked: Jayson Werth in round 14. He finally has the starting job locked down in Philly and was 24-20 last season. A potential 25-25 player that late is incredible

Questionable Decision: Friggin’ Chone Figgins! I didn’t even want to draft him, but my timer ran out in the draft room and I was stuck. It is my fault for not having someone ready to go in that situation. This better not bite me in the ass. Erik Bedard better come through in his contract year too!

Falcones (our friend Dave)

1. Miguel Cabrera
2. Alfonso Soriano
3. Brian McCann
4. Aramis Ramirez
5. Francisco Liriano
6. Rich Harden
7. Troy Tulowitzki
8. Derek Jeter
9. Bobby Jenks
10. Zack Greinke
11. Chien-Ming Wang
12. Milton Bradley
13. Placido Polanco
14. Derek Lowe
15. Randy Winn
16. Brandon Morrow
17. Travis Hafner
18. A.J. Pierzunski
19. George Sherrill
20. Kevin Gregg
21. Ian Stewart
22. Michael Bourn
23. Ryan Garko
24. Mike Cameron

What I Liked: Troy Tulowitzki’s value took a hit after an injury-plagued 2008. Don’t be scared off though, he is still legit. When he returned from injury after the All-Star break, he hit .327 with 5 HR. He ended the season on a very high note hitting .330 with 14 RBI in 24 September games.

Questionable Decision: Right after drafting Tulowizki, Dave took Derek Jeter. Why he took two starting SS back-to-back is a mystery because he could have used the pick to address other position vacancies.

Juiceheads (our friend Gregg)

1. Grady Sizemore
2. Manny Ramirez
3. Roy Halladay
4. David Ortiz
5. Jacoby Ellsbury
6. Josh Beckett
7. Joe Nathan
8. Brad Lidge
9. Jhonny Peralta
10. Carlos Marmol
11. Matt Weiters
12. Conor Jackson
13. Ryan Dempster
14. Alex Gordon
15. John Danks
16. Orlando Hudson
17. Trevor Hoffman
18. Shin-Soo Choo
19. Cameron Maybin
20. Casey Kotchman
21. Joe Saunders
22. John Smoltz
23. Carlos Gomez
24. Jarrod Saltalamacchia

What I Liked: Matt Weiters is being hyped up like the second coming of Jesus Christ. He is said to be the next Mike Piazza, but with great defense. He’ll start the year in Triple-A, but with Greg Zaun holding down the fort for Baltimore, Weiters may arrive sooner than you think.

Questionable Decision: Matt Weiters is also a gamble. What if he spends more time than expected in the minors and now you have a player taking up valuable bench space. Even worse is what will happen if he doesn’t live up to the hype.

A-Roid (last year’s champion, Fu)

1. Ryan Braun
2. B.J. Upton
3. Carlos Quentin
4. Vladimir Guererro
5. Shane Victorino
6. Nate McLouth
7. Adam Dunn
8. Michael Young
9. Ervin Santana
10. A.J. Burnett
11. Edwin Encarnacion
12. Justin Verlander
13. Adam Wainwright
14. Bengie Molina
15. Aaron Harang
16. Kevin Slowey
17. Kaz Matsui
18. Chad Qualls
19. Joel Hanrahan
20. Nick Swisher
21. Adam Lind
22. Fausto Carmona
23. Fernando Rodney
24. Eric Byrnes

What I Liked: I don’t care if I am biased towards my favorite players. Two words: Adam Dunn.

Questionable Decision: B.J. Upton means crap to me. He is ranked higher than he should be for a guy who hit 9 HR last season. Yes, the 44 SB are great, but he is being over-valued and is being expected to deliver close to a 30-30 season. Sorry, he will not do that and without the 2B eligibility, he is just a middle-of-the-pack outfielder.

SoB – Mike

1. Mark Teixeira
2. Tim Lincecum
3. Ichiro Suzuki
4. Cole Hamels
5. Victor Martinez
6. Rafael Furcal
7. Cliff Lee
8. Francisco Rodriguez
9. Edinson Volquez
10. Jonathan Broxton
11. Mike Aviles
12. Jorge Cantu
13. Brian Fuentes
14. Brian Wilson
15. Fred Lewis
16. Jose Guillen
17. Troy Glaus
18. Coco Crisp
19. Mike Pelfrey
20. Melvin Mora
21. Brandon Lyon
22. Mark Buehrle
23. Juan Pierre
24. Kyle Lohse

What I Liked: Jorge Cantu is being called a fluke after his great ’08 season of 29 HR and 95 RBI. I hate to tell you, but he has done this before. In 2005 in Tampa Bay, he had 28 HR and 117 RBI. It is not like he had a sudden explosion of talent. It has always been there.

Questionable Decision: Edinson Volquez was a tale of two seasons in ’08. He was a top 5 pitcher in baseball in the first half with a 12-3 record and 2.29 ERA. Post break was a different story when he went 5-3 with a 4.60 ERA. His WHIP shot up to a staggering 1.46 in that time which means hitters finally figured his stuff out. Don’t expect to see amazing stuff in 2009.

A Bay Bay (former SoB writer Dev)

1. Josh Hamilton
2. Dustin Pedroia
3. Matt Holliday
4. Russell Martin
5. Adrian Gonzalez
6. John Lackey
7. Ryan Zimmerman
8. James Shields
9. Jon Lester
10. Joakim Soria
11. Matt Cain
12. Nelson Cruz
13. Adrian Beltre
14. Mark DeRosa
15. Max Scherzer
16. Matt Capps
17. Elijah Dukes
18. Mike Napoli
19. Jeremy Hermida
20. Jed Lowrie
21. Chris Volstad
22. Chris Dickerson
23. Ian Snell
24. Armando Galarraga

What I Liked: If Ryan Zimmerman bats in front of Adam Dunn then we will forget about his numbers from last season. Nelson Cruz is also good since he is slated to bat third in that incredible Rangers’ lineup.

Questionable Decision: I think Russell Martin is incredibly overhyped because he is a catcher who steals bases and now had 3B eligibility. I guess the stats are good for a catcher, but he is just being drafted too early.

wheredidyoucomefrom (our friend Ryan)

1. Ryan Howard
2. Ian Kinsler
3. Brandon Phillips
4. Carl Crawford
5. Jonathan Papelbon
6. Geovany Soto
7. Mariano Rivera
8. Jay Bruce
9. Vernon Wells
10. Ryan Doumit
11. Lastings Milledge
12. Miguel Tejada
13. Kerry Wood
14. Francisco Cordero
15. Carlos Guillen
16. Ben Sheets
17. John Maine
18. Gavin Floyd
19. Matt Lindstrom
20. Khalil Greene
21. Orlando Cabrera
22. Hank Blalock
23. Joey Devine
24. Mark Ellis

What I Liked: Even though Ian Kinsler was universally ranked to go in the first round, Ryan got lucky and was able to snag him at the start of round two. Hopefully he plays a full season this time.

Questionable Decision: Where do we start? In his defense, he had to leave the draft room early for personal reasons and left his fate up to the auto draft. It rewarded him with a crap load of closers and terrible starting pitching (except for Ben Sheets…who is still a free agent). Good luck this season!

On a Boat (a new face to our league)

1. Evan Longoria
2. Jimmy Rollins
3. Kevin Youkilis
4. Brandon Webb
5. Magglio Ordonez
6. Alexei Ramirez
7. Joba Chamberlain
8. Torii Hunter
9. Johnny Damon
10. Carlos Zambrano
11. B.J. Ryan
12. Jorge Posada
13. Rick Ankiel
14. Matt Garza
15. Huston Street
16. Paul Konerko
17. Rickie Weeks
18. Chris Carpenter
19. Kelly Shoppach
20. Troy Percival
21. Jack Cust
22. Felipe Lopez
23. Aaron Cook
24. Mark Teahen

What I Liked: Paul Konerko’s overall numbers looked bad, but look closer. After the break he hit .270 with 13 HR and nine of those came in September where he had 15 RBI. He adjusted his approach after a bad start and hopefully it can carry over to this season.

Questionable Decision: Can Alexei Ramirez hit 20+ HR again? I say no. His low K total (61) combined with abysmal BB total (18) means that he hacks at and tries to make contact with anything that comes across the plate. When pitchers exploit this, the power and average will drop.

SoB – KC

1. Lance Berkman
2. Chase Utley
3. Jason Bay
4. Brian Roberts
5. Chad Billingsley
6. Garrett Atkins
7. Roy Oswalt
8. Jermaine Dye
9. J.J. Hardy
10. Daisuke Matsuzaka
11. Chris Young (OF)
12. Carlos Delgado
13. James Loney
14. Clayton Kershaw
15. Hideki Matsui
16. Randy Johnson
17. Xavier Nady
18. Adam Jones
19. Ramon Hernandez
20. Yunel Escobar
21. Mike Lowell
22. Ubaldo Jimenz
23. Skip Schumaker
24. Jason Motte

What I Liked: Jermaine Dye may be turning 35 this season, but he can still bring the power and he is in a contract year. Randy Johnson moving to the pitcher-friendly confines of San Francisco can only help his numbers.

Questionable Decision: Dice-K’s BB total (94) suggests that his fantastic 2.90 ERA can’t hold up. If you allow that many free passes, then it will eventually catch up to you and he has allowed over 170 of them over the past two seasons. He won’t stay lucky for another full year.

Tags: Draft, Fantasy, Friends and Family, TGIF

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