Yahoo! Fantasy Baseball '07 Result - Winner's League
Bridesmaid Finish
Just like the Mets, who collapsed in the end, my team just ended up second place in the Yahoo Winner 58021 Baseball League.
I was in sixth place during most part of the first half. But I dropped some key players and got hot ones which helped me lead the league through some parts of the final half. It was a very close race between me and the eventual champion, that there were a lot of lead changes.
During the final weeks, I ended up (regrettably) with the strategy of piling wins and strikeouts. I didn't think my ERA or WHIP would get affected much because I had very good pitchers with low ERA and WHIP.
Then I also acquired batters who could give me a lot of HR and RBI.
Unfortunately, my WHIP suffered because Yovani Gallardo imploded like hell. And some acquired pitchers didn't live up to expectations.
My top batters went cold in the final days.
But, in a way, it was a very good result being second in a winner's league. That's the highest rank I got in one. I was champion in public leagues in 2004 and 2005. I didn't get to play in 2006 because of career change.
Anyway, here are the lessons that I learned this year:
1) Get big batters early in the draft and very good closers. In past, I won with decent batting and great closing pitching. I normally have 4-5 good closers who give me very good ERA and WHIP. I used to believe you can win with pitching. This year, the classic strategy of using big hitters prevailed.
2) Do not drop players who got cold but are currently ranked below 90. I dropped Mike Lowell who ended up leading the Red Sox in RBI with very good AVE.
3) Be quick in acquiring hot talent or heating up players. I was too complacent to pick Ryan Braun, Pat Burrell and Troy Tulowitzki when they were starting to heat up.
4) Be quick in recognizing players who will get cold for good. I didn't drop JJ Hardy too soon in the second half. He gave me almost nothing for a couple of weeks before deciding to drop him.
5) Be aware of past performance by players against certain matchups. But, be aware that a unbeaten streak could end tragically.
Here are some personal awards for the players that I picked:
1) MVP - David Wright. He scored and driven more than a hundred runs. He also had a 30-HR and 30-SB season.
2) ROY - Chris Young. He was a midseason pick who had a 30-HR and 20-SB year.
3) Best Pickup - Aaron Rowand. He was ranked 251 overall but ended up 39th.
4) Cy Young - Josh Beckett. 20 wins, 194 K's, 3.27 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.
5) Best Closer - Jeremy Accardo. 30 saves, 2.14 ERA, 1.11 WHIP.
Overall, playing the game requires balance with zen-like qualities. I can't wait for Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball.
Here's my current Trophy Case:
Just like the Mets, who collapsed in the end, my team just ended up second place in the Yahoo Winner 58021 Baseball League.
I was in sixth place during most part of the first half. But I dropped some key players and got hot ones which helped me lead the league through some parts of the final half. It was a very close race between me and the eventual champion, that there were a lot of lead changes.
During the final weeks, I ended up (regrettably) with the strategy of piling wins and strikeouts. I didn't think my ERA or WHIP would get affected much because I had very good pitchers with low ERA and WHIP.
Then I also acquired batters who could give me a lot of HR and RBI.
Unfortunately, my WHIP suffered because Yovani Gallardo imploded like hell. And some acquired pitchers didn't live up to expectations.
My top batters went cold in the final days.
But, in a way, it was a very good result being second in a winner's league. That's the highest rank I got in one. I was champion in public leagues in 2004 and 2005. I didn't get to play in 2006 because of career change.
Anyway, here are the lessons that I learned this year:
1) Get big batters early in the draft and very good closers. In past, I won with decent batting and great closing pitching. I normally have 4-5 good closers who give me very good ERA and WHIP. I used to believe you can win with pitching. This year, the classic strategy of using big hitters prevailed.
2) Do not drop players who got cold but are currently ranked below 90. I dropped Mike Lowell who ended up leading the Red Sox in RBI with very good AVE.
3) Be quick in acquiring hot talent or heating up players. I was too complacent to pick Ryan Braun, Pat Burrell and Troy Tulowitzki when they were starting to heat up.
4) Be quick in recognizing players who will get cold for good. I didn't drop JJ Hardy too soon in the second half. He gave me almost nothing for a couple of weeks before deciding to drop him.
5) Be aware of past performance by players against certain matchups. But, be aware that a unbeaten streak could end tragically.
Here are some personal awards for the players that I picked:
1) MVP - David Wright. He scored and driven more than a hundred runs. He also had a 30-HR and 30-SB season.
2) ROY - Chris Young. He was a midseason pick who had a 30-HR and 20-SB year.
3) Best Pickup - Aaron Rowand. He was ranked 251 overall but ended up 39th.
4) Cy Young - Josh Beckett. 20 wins, 194 K's, 3.27 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.
5) Best Closer - Jeremy Accardo. 30 saves, 2.14 ERA, 1.11 WHIP.
Overall, playing the game requires balance with zen-like qualities. I can't wait for Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball.
Here's my current Trophy Case: