In-N-Out Week 12

While it may be a day later and the body a little shorter, it's still the best Weekly Recap of any Fantasy League within a 20 mile radius of Ashland, Ky. that I have read. I apologize if the delay of this post has caused you any emotional scarring or has generated psychotic behavior. I hope this was just a minor glitch and moving forward the posting day will return to Wednesday. Judging by the number of emails, text, and phone calls into the league office it is so much a part of your weekly lives. While this week marks the halfway point of the 2013 baseball season we are well beyond it in the 64/60. Ten games remain and 11 of 12 teams are within 20 games of the top spot while only 6.5 games separate 6th from 11th. While the season isn't over for the lowly Takeover they are certainly walking the tight rope. At 32.5 games out and 11 teams in front the top spot is out of the question. At 19.5 and 5 teams ahead that 6th seed is getting farther and farther away. .700 Baseball over 10 weeks is about what it will take to make up the difference in other words the second coming of the 1980 Miracle On Ice. As for the remaining 11 teams it is certainly shaping up to be our deepest league in terms of competition. I don't believe any team is without weakness, many have statistical black holes, some have been injury plagues, and many have potential roster composition issues. All of which provide plenty of variables for a 10 Week stretch of games. At the beginning of the season I projected the BCFP, BCPEDophiles, Free Hat, Stars, Walls, and 41129ers as playoff teams(this is all top of my head, like always no research into the statement was given. If I omitted a team I apologize for any emotional scarring that may occur.). So at the midway point I would like a redo if you will. A chance to perhaps learn from my mistakes, or like Bopp, a chance to go for a new model with a little less wear and tear and all the newest bells and whistles. 6 spots no particular order.

Free Hat- Most consistent team all season. With a healthy Harper producing as he was in the early going this is the leagues most dynamic offense. Speed had been an issue all season but has been better of late. Rotation is good and has depth. Assuming Putz returns healthy and effective two closers is better than 0 but given the closer heavy rosters of other teams it could be considered an issue at some point.

Walls Of Jericho- While the Offense has been league average one would have to think the likes of Castro and Stanton would have to start really raking at some point. Of all my projected playoff teams this offense has the least upside and a run of consistency could be problematic. Pitching could be leagues best in terms of roster composition. Samardzija, Harvey, Lee are perfect compliments to a closer heavy approach. Only question is the back end of the rotation and what type of talent can be placed to remain on the tightrope created by the limited innings?

BCPEDophiles- I would love to omit Bopp, I just can't. Too many top tier players, assuming Braun returns healthy, for this team to continue to struggle with the stick (an issue Bopp has had in the past according to some old flames). The pitching as he will tell you is good. And the biggest factor in why Bopp will make the playoffs is activity. Nobody is quicker to the trigger (another issue which has effected Bopp according to some past flames) when picking up the newly appointed closer or recent minor league callup.

HGH+ Factory- Took some time but this team grew on me. Offense has perhaps the best depth in the league and good star power to boot. Pitching has been suspect at times but new closer heavy approach should be a better fit for the makeup of this team. Another active owner who has purpose with every move and who more often than not betters his team.

Tom Emanski's Deathsquad- Generally speaking the offense hasn't been good this season. I believe at some point Kemp will at the minimum be well above average. I felt strongly in March that Reyes would produce a Top 10 Fantasy season, long DL stint ended all hopes of that but from this point forward I see a Top 20 player. Overall I see a Top slightly better than league average offense moving forward. Pitching is the strong suit. Best pitching in the league in my opinion and unquestionably the best "Roto" version. Any questions you may have with the back end or the regression of Iwakuma is negated by the likely resurgence of Price moving forward.

BCFP- Was there ever any doubt? Offense has started taking shape over the last month + and finally netting some decent results. Pitching may not be elite but it's balanced enough to play better than .500 ball from week to week. Certainly not my strongest team ever but despite a terrible offensive season thus far 4th place and 4.5 out isn't bad. Currently one player short on offense and one pitcher away from finding my grove. Either through the wire or simply a better second half what I need will surface resulting in another playoff appearance for the Factory.

* 64/60 2013 Fantasy Football League is now up. Invites have been sent. Want feedback at some point on scoring and roster setup. Draft will likely be August 10th, 24th or 31st. Feedback on availability would also be appreciated.

* Hope to have the 64/60 Board page up by next week. Will keep up on the board bets on a weekly basis. webpage will be 6460board.blogspot.com.








Weekly Recap

Walls Of Jericho 10 vs. Argumentative 9irons 2. It sure doesn't seem that long ago when Landon couldn't be handed a win and his departure from Barker could be the top story of the offseason. After a 1-4-2 H2H start left the Walls at 38-42 they've done nothing but post 5 consecutive victories with a record of 44-15 to move within a .5 game of the top spot. Nothing short of amazing when you think that perhaps no other team has gotten less from their keeper core than Bowe. Castro's been nothing short of terrible. Stanton has just recently started producing combining a slow start with injury. Zimmerman has played effectively yet in typical Zimmerman fashion games played hasn't been a strength. Luckily for the Walls it hasn't been all doom and gloom for the core. CarGo has been nothing short of the best player in fantasy this season. Meanwhile Allen Craig, who after a sluggish start, has paired with CarGo these past 5 Weeks to lead the Walls on the footsteps of the top spot. I pegged Bowe as a playoff team and despite the slow start my opinion hasn't wavered. Top shelf ownership, a lineup with starpower, depth, and balance, and the best 1-2-3 starter trio in the league, and a sound supporting cast with design built around it. For the 9irons the Loss keeps them winless over their last 3 contest and gives them a 25-34 mark over their last 5. Perhaps no other owner, outside of Junior, has been criticized more on these recaps then GRC3. Poor roster decisions combined with inactivity have certainly made him an easy target. Yet despite these verbal assaults, poor roster decisions, inactivity, and recent struggles, the 9irons still hold a playoff spot. Five straight wins will certainly build up some equity but could this simply be part of the fall for the 9irons? Without breaking down game charts it would seem their offense has relied heavily on streaks. Overall only Brown and Machado rank among the Top 40 players yet both have streaks to thank for that. Machado built his case over the early going while Brown has a #1 Ranking over 30 days to thank for his. The remainder of the offense is solid but not spectacular with maybe 3 replacement level options that the inactivity has failed to address. Pitching has been much the same way. Sale and the recently DL'd Sanchez have the makings of a nice core, Shields a solid 3. After that trio has been Matt Moore who while the 9irons were winning was a Top 50 pitcher, during this most recent stretch has been nothing more than frightening. The pitching hasn't had as much balance as the offense with the supporting cast not offering the same quality of support. Generally speaking lack of on hand ownership comes into play more with pitching then hitting. A sample case of what not to do can be found right here, with the likes of Davis and Norris being used every 5th day and Axford and Marmol even being rostered.


Barboursville Stars 9 vs. Marshall Maniac 3. The McClung Civil War. While it doesn't have the same hardware showcased in the Coleman Civil War in this game of losers there has to be a winner. This installment featured a big win for the Stars who improved their standings while hurting a team their chasing. The win brings the Stars to 8th in the standings and only 3 games out of the final playoff spot. To begin the season I had Senior pegged for a playoff spot with one of the best core of keepers returning. It's rather funny in many ways the play of the Stars mirrors the production of the keepers. While Cano, Fielder, and Starasburg have all been good I would say the majority of their owners would say they've been mildly disappointed. The Stars have posted a 4-6-2 H2H mark on the season but only have one back to back result all season. From a roster standpoint they have too many hit or miss positions Fielder and Cano have been joined by Trumbo, Cabrerra, and Segura as elite fantasy players. However on a down note as many as 5-6 regulars have produced around replacement level on the offensive side. Pitching has been bad. While Hamels hasn't been "COLE HAMELS" to have gotten nothing in return for him to this point has been detrimental. Strasburg has been solid but skipped starts and several "one bad inning" starts have kept him from being ace like. Burnett has been a productive #2 and the addition of Stults could be one of the best FA pickups of the season. Perhaps most maddening of all would be the terrible season thus far of Kennedy who's one of those players you hate to own. Too good and too much invested to cut ties yet it keeps looking more and more like a lost season. Much like the offense the Stars pitching has 4-5 active spots who are below replacement level. Every team has replacement level players generally speaking the more you have the more inconsistent you'll be. Cue up Free Fallin and prepare to hear a thump. After a big win last week the Maniacs get back to their losing ways. Losers of 7 of 8, Junior has nearly pissed away that 34-11 start where smacktalk was pouring like bourbon on a Sunday afternoon at Dave Kelley's. If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times, this team just isn't playoff caliber. It's a shame really. I preach and preach activity. Junior is certainly in the Top 5 in terms of activity. Perhaps that's why he's still clinging to the 6th spot. I just see a point in the near future he just won't be able to hold anymore. Offensively he has several Top 100 players, 6 to be exact, yet that list would include Gerardo Parra and Josh Donaldson neither has much of a track record. WHile I tend to believe Chris Davis's placement amongst the Top 50 players to be legit I do question his current ranking of #2 in terms of sustainability. Bottom line I look for some regression with this offense. As for the pitching the closer heavy approach serves him well. Darvish is certainly a fantasy 1, I expect much better results from Hamels moving forward but one does have to question the Top 50 status of Bartolo Colon and Ervin Santana as well as a Top 100 performance of Justin Masterson. Regardless given the roster structure and heavy reliance on closers it will be easier to mask deficiencies with pitching than the hitting. The one area I would take Brandon over Senior however would be willingness to shake things up if you will. Sometimes this works, sometime it doesn't, but in order to go beyond your current level sometimes it's necessity. Sadly JR sees that I don't believe Senior does.


HGH+ Factory 8 vs. Takeover 3. As a Commissioner,who wants nothing more than activity and league balance, very little brings more delight than an owner who voices his displeasure over missing out on a 9-3 Win. Look at the standings people. Outside of Holland any owner could find themselves at any place in the standings come seasons end. 6.5 Games is the difference between finishing 11th and having a chance in the postseason. One game could mean quite a bit. It's this passion, attention to detail, lack of social life, whatever the hell you want to call it, that will have the HGH+ as a playoff team come September. A 30-29 mark over the last 5 may suggest I could be overselling this squad, yet I look at the playoff contenders and will hold on to my faith that activity earns results. I really like the offense and this is despite my opinion that only Wright and Goldschmidt will finish as Top 100 players. The rest of the lineup features plenty of regulars ranked among the Top 250's and I really like Reddick and Wieters moving forward. If your getting technical it's not without faults, speed is certainly a concern. However the expanded rosters of September creates more specialized player openings generating more roster worthy additions in the playoffs. The pitching has been an evolving product all season and it appears Nate is taking the same approach as the Champ. Five closers built around Kershaw and Bumgarner. Still a work in process but another perk of an active owner is the willingness to tweak. Good players, good depth, active yet patient approach. A formula for playoff success. For the Takeover it could be a little to late. While the activity has improved over the last month there is a difference between scheduled time and the day to day grind. Scheduled time provides you with a best available. Day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute, creates a much bigger pool of best available. Trust me it's not for everyone. It is a dedication that others may find unhealthy but when I land that recent call up or newly appointed closer it makes it all worth while. Back to the Takeover. With only 10 to play and Fantasy Football soon to be on his mind I just don't see Holland doing what is needed to close the 19.5 game gap. Truth be told it's more about the number then the attention to detail at this point. WHile the offense has a number of pieces that can carry it from week to week the pitching will more often do enough damage to negate all the offensive positives. I would love to be proven wrong but I'm thinking we have are first proverbial asterisk for a non-contender.


Free Hat 7 vs. Tom Emanski's Deathsquad 4. Finally the team that couldn't lose returns to victory after a two game winless stretch. My thoughts on the Free Hats have been noted. About a month ago I felt this was the team everyone was chasing. The offense was the best in the league by a decisive margin and the pitching, though flawed,was among the Top 5. While my sentiments aren't the same today. I feel very strongly that this is a playoff team. The loss of Harper has diminished this offense. Moving forward upon his return the question is what will he be. If he's a Top 50 player the Free Hats return to the best offense. If he's more in the 80-100+ range their lack of speed no production from C becomes more of an issue from week to week. The pitching is still good although there is more cause for concern now than two months ago. While still getting the better end of the deal for Wieters, Verlander doesn't appear to be the #1 you would expect. Corbin, Locke, Chatwood, are all guys featured amongst his rotation that I feel regression will diminish their value, the question is how much. Still assuming all of the aforementioned regression candidates hold value. The addition of a healthy Garza and actual Save potential with Veras and Putz the overall pitching should produce around the same level as the first half. The Deathsquad is another team I had pegged for playoff glory. While injuries have certainly hampered that, will the return of Reyes make this team what I envisioned? Thanks to a 19-13 mark over the last 3 they currently find themselves 4.5 games out of the 6th spot. The pitching has been the leagues best and is the best "roto" rotation without a doubt(don't know what value that possesses in a H2H league but worth noting). Offensively is where the issues have been. Reyes paired with Kemp returns 40% of their disappointing keeper class and likely holds the key to the playoffs. If both return and perform at say 80% of their value combine that with the complementary pieces of Carpenter, Marte, Cruz, and Cespedes you could have something.


Seal Team 41129 6 vs. BCFP 5. I am often critical of Butch Lemaster. Not to the level of Jr. or GRC3 but critical of Ev none the less. Ev's approach and value is the polar opposite of mine. Ev is all about the young prospects and building around tomorrow. I value the boring consistent veteran and winning today and dealing with tomorrow. Ev's roster and talent evaluation is based on the what was and % owned, I tend to value track records and what reasonable expectations should be based on those. Given Ev's general distain for any opinion which differs from his own and my track record of success, it's only natural the BCFP is a circle game on the 41129's schedule. I'm certainly okay with that, it's not as if he's the only one who steps it up for the Factory. So congratulations Mr. Lemaster your talent rich roster was simply too much for the Factory over a 7 day period. You penned me down, spat in my face, and humiliated not only myself but the entire tradition of the Coleman Family name. Though the defeat was certainly humbling I can only hope to build from this a more solid foundation better equipped to handle adversity as we move forward in the 2013 Season. For most the win would have been just that but for Ev it's the very reason to play. Like everyone Ev has hopes for a title but push come to shove if Butch could have the choice between a roster of the under 28 crowd and a perfect record against myself, Bopp and Jesse or a roster of Paul Konerko types, a losing record against fierce rivals and a title, Ev takes the bragging rights every day of the week. So while the win keeps him within striking distance of the 6th seed it more importantly keeps him mentally in the game for another couple of weeks. Despite the loss the Factory gained a spot in the standings as well as closed the gap from the top spot. Perhaps most importantly the loss forced me to readjust my focus heading into the always intense Civil War with a chance at the top spot within my grasp.


Scrote Mashers 6 vs. BCPEDophiles 6. To the dismay of every member of the 64/60 living outside the state of Rocky Top the Scrote Mashers claimed the top spot two weeks ago. Though I have been very critical of this roster from keeper assignment, draft results, and throughout the schedule, the play on the ether has not been effected. In typical Ward fashion he is once again thriving despite the constant barrage of unfavorable analysis. Others crumble under the pressure of my approval. Jr. has fell from 1st to 6th in the standings and the grip is only getting looser. GRC3 continues to make questionable decision after questionable decision. Not Jesse. In perhaps the most controversial trade in the history of the 64/60, the embattled owner not only withstood the day to day verbal beatings he won the whole damn thing. Much like Butch, Jesse's motivation isn't as simple as Wins and Losses, for Ward it's the penchant for the role of the heel that makes him tick. Winning is nothing more than a bonus and thus far 2013 has provided a surplus. 8-2-2 is the second best H2H mark in the league. My skepticism has been noted, the offense is great the pitching horrible. It's to the point now he's employing a Red Letter heavy rotation relying on Lance Lynn and Hiroki Kuroda and crossing his fingers every 5th day with Lincecum. While the claim on the top spot was short lived he's still right there and I'm still considered a doubter. For the other owner I live to hate the tie restored some confidence after the 2-9 beatdown by the BCFP. A 5-6-1 H2H mark has left Chrissy 5 games under .500 yet only 2.5 games out of the 6th spot. While it is always fun to see Teeny cling to 5-7 "moral" victories, I can't help but think at some point it's got to turnaround. The pitching, while not the leagues best as he would claim, is really good and can produce 4-2 marks consistently. Offensively the likes of a healthy Ramirez and the returns of Ryan Braun and/or Andrew McCutchen to reasonable projected production is all that would be needed to make this lineup league average or better. And while I am quick to mock his gel filled hair, fat boy rims, or disgust for the female sex after 22, I cannot criticize his place as one of the top owners within the 64/60.


Head Scratcher Of The Week- GRC drops Kenley Jansen. Oh Richard. Just two weeks ago it was preseason Top 100 player Aaron Hill. Now we have a potential top 5 closer from this point forward. Can you really be that busy? Present day technology allows you to have up to the minute fantasy analysis right at your side. Rotoworld, Rotowire, are merely two great companies that have a top of the line app. One touch of the finger would have shown you that the 8th inning guy you had drafted and rostered, with this day in mind, had finally took over the closers role. Of course had you simply looked at your roster stats for the day that Save should have stuck out. It's not like your roster has had many of them since Marmol and Axford proved last year to be no flukes. Still yet in honor of Jansen taking over the job and earning the Save he's kicked to the curb for a middle of the rotation guy who's took a break from a miserable season and took the time off on the DL. I'm all for speculative adds. A guy like Morrow could have value moving forward. The issue once again is more about who was or wasn't dropped than who was added. The newly appointed Dodger Closer was dropped while the 6th and 7th inning ption for the BREWERS remained as well as the recently DFA'd Carlos Marmol, whose 30 Team Mixed League ownership finally realized his lack of value.

Pickup Of The Week- HGH+ Factory adds Kenley Jansen from FAAB for $51. Oh League. For the life of me I don't get this refusal to spend FAAB money. Just two weeks ago I blabbered on about the lack of difference making talent that will come available. While Richard is doing his best to refute my claim at some point he'll even realize enough is enough. How can the next highest bid for a talent like Jansen be a mere $2 with all but one team having more than the winning bid? I'm sure roster composition and perception of closers had something to do with it but talent is talent people. The HGH+ has got to feel good about it. Jansen offers them another late inning guy and gives them the ability to mask there biggest pitching flaw in K/9. Pair Kershaw and Bumgarner with his 5 closers, suddenly you figure to have a very solid ratio core. A team using the Wire and FAAB budget to get better that is how the money should be spent.