The best laid plans … I had tested the mobile app for doing the draft, it worked great. I was all set to start the draft using the app and felt good about it. The banquet I was at was going to go past 8:00pm, but not likely by much and I wasn’t worried about it all. Then I got the email that said the draft room was opening and confidently went to the app and clicked on it. It started to load … and timed out. My phone had very little signal and I started searching for a Wi-Fi signal. Luckily the banquet hall had an open and free Wi-Fi, connected to it and started to reload … nothing. I then switched over to Chrome and I would just go to the website and see if I could make that work. Go to the site, my team, click on the draft and nothing. Then a screen pops up saying that this site is not acceptable through the banquet halls Wi-Fi.
Ugh!
I switch back off the Wi-Fi and reload even with the weak signal on my phone. It eventually loads the site, I go to my team and click on the draft room and it then pops up that I need to update, I believe Adobe. By this time I am in full panic mode. If you have played fantasy sports long enough, you have had a draft that you couldn’t get on, especially if you go back when the internet wasn’t as good and the sites were newer. I go back to my team and see that I can do the draft “lite.” I try that and it loads. Very basic looking, I can only see the next seven or eight people picking, tough to see who has been picked and very difficult to sort by position. No big deal, I set my own order, but it must not have stuck or won’t work on this version as relief pitchers are well above all but the top couple of starting pitchers in my order and that was definitely not my order.
Now keep in mind, I am trying to view this all on a screen that is 4 ½ inches if I turn it long ways and I am at one of the front tables at this banquet where we have the 2nd place State trophy, won our conference trophy and lots of individual awards (my son received a $1000 scholarship which was pretty cool) and by the way it is my fantasy league that is about to start drafting and I can barely see it all the while my name is being announced to come see me afterwards if you are interested in being part of a college team I am trying to get started.
CCO League – Clark n Addison (my team)
First Round – Max Scherzer SP
On to the draft, which I had figured I would have to make a pick or two (from the app) on my phone before getting in the car and having my wife drive home, while I had my laptop running and did the draft. Of course the first round flies and as I look down it is my turn. I see Max Scherzer is still there and Kershaw is gone and take Scherzer. Ok, this may work drafting on my phone.
Second Round – Joey Votto 1B
As the banquet is finishing up, we now have to take individual and team pictures. Here I am with my phone out (looking like I will take a picture here and there and not possibly trying to make a draft pick in a fantasy baseball league) trying to keep up with who is being picked and as it is getting close to my turn, we have a team picture to take. Luckily some had walked away and I had a chance to see that starting pitching has had a run on it and Joey Votto is still there. Not going to go past the starting pitchers I deemed worthy of this pick and Votto I considered to be long gone, I take him.
Third Round – Matt Carpenter 3B
After I took Votto the run on pitching continues (I wonder what caused this). There are definitely no pitchers I was targeting for this round and I almost took him with my second round pick in the other league. This is a great example of not having a set plan when drafting and to take what is the best value as it falls to you.
Fourth Round – Adrian Beltre 3B
Um, I guess I was thinking about filling my utility spot here or completely forgot that I had already had Matt Carpenter at 3B. Either way, Beltre was my pick here and is available for trade. I like Beltre, but not sure I wanted two, Top 10 third baseman on my roster.
Fifth Round – Cole Hamels SP
Back to my rotation and getting into the car. We are now leaving and it is time to make a pick on the way out. I figured out how to sort my pitchers, but had to sort through all the relief pitchers in my way. I find Cole Hamels and liked that he was still available for my fifth round pick and was starting to worry about what my rotation would look like now that I took three bats in my first four picks.
Sixth Round – John Lackey SP
Get my laptop up and running, get my Verizon hotspot going and try to load the draft. It won’t load. Seriously what else could go wrong? I exit out of the site, reload it and try again. It took a while but finally loaded a few spots before my pick. Francisco Liriano was who I was hoping would still be available but he was taken by Rip and I see John Lackey there and figure I am good with him as my third (not that I had much I could do it about now). Lackey is my fifth in the other league, I would prefer fourth, but I will make it work.
Seventh Round – Julio Teheran SP
Almost home and trying to find a pitcher I like with this pick or a bat that has somehow fallen and all I can find that I like with this pick is Julio Teheran. Not one of my favorites, but to me, he was the best player available with this pick.
Eighth Round – Carlos Santana 1B
I am finally home and of course my pick is up as I am walking in carrying my laptop. I calmly go to my desk and put it down and have a seat with 30 seconds left. If my own order was there, this would have been easy but since it didn’t stick I am sorting through and at 10 seconds or so, just go back to the top and take Carlos Santana who should already be on a team. I like Santana with the 152nd pick, but I have no starting spot for him now that I have two third baseman and first base already filled. More trade options. Of course I didn’t realize I had no spot until I waited for my next pick and started to realize I just filled a bench spot while I have only three batters spots filled.
Ninth Round – James Shields SP
Not sure what it is about these rounds, but I just don’t get excited about them. It is best to take more sure things and not young unknown risks here, but Santana, Shields don’t really excite me like players earlier in the draft. Now, both these guys use to be early round picks and their production isn’t that much less, just older and more risk of injury and/or production falling off.
Tenth Round – Logan Forsythe 2B
I took Forsythe in the ninth round in the other league and find him to be really good value in the 10th round. I love that he has eligibility at first base as well.
Eleventh Round – Matt Holliday LF
This isn’t the first rounder of yesteryear, but I like Holliday in the 11th round. Plus he should gain first base eligibility this year making him a nice player to have, if he can stay on the field.
Twelfth Round – Domingo Santana CF
I need to fill CF, RF or SS at this point and felt Santana was the best option. High risk, but best option. This is a pick I will either look back and say what a great pick or look back and say what was I thinking.
Thirteenth Round- Nick Markakis RF
I have a few shortstops in the que along with right fielders and more centerfielders, along with starting to que catchers. At this point I am searching each of these positions for the depth that is left. Right field seemed to be the most urgent need as it looked like there was little more left behind Markakis.
Fourteenth Round – Eduardo Escobar SS / Fifteenth Round – Asdrubal Cabrera SS
I had Eduardo Escobar and Asdrubal Cabrera qued up with Cabrera my choice for just SS, but Escobar can also play LF. I took Escobar with the thought Cabrera will still be there in the next round.
Sixteenth Round – Danny Espinosa 2B
Not sure if Espinosa will play enough all year, but he looks to be the starter at shortstop until that Nats make a move on Trea Turner being ready. Sometimes this is two weeks, two months or even all season.
Seventeenth Round – Cameron Maybin CF
He may start the year on the disabled list, but I need another CF option and Maybin is a good option for this as if stays healthy, he should be a starter in a 20 team league.
Eighteenth Round – Drew Storen RP
I wasn’t intending to this, and not sure what happened. Either I spaced out or a glitch happened, because I could of swore it said it was my turn, I just started to look and the 10 second clock started beeping. He was the last guy I added to the que so he was already teed up and I started to sort through my que and noticed the top guy was one I didn’t want, so I just clicked draft with 2 seconds left. There are worse things, as just like in the other league, I like him for a late round relief pitcher, just would prefer the 20th or 21st round. Three players I would have taken over him for sure went before I picked again.
Nineteenth Round – Kris Medlen SP
I really like Medlen for my sixth starting pitcher. Lots of upside, but virtually no cost by using a 19th round pick and as the sixth starting pitcher, I won’t need him every week and for no more than one start usually until I can trust him.
Twentieth Round – A.J. Pierzynski C / Twenty-First Round – Chris Iannetta C
My best last round target (James McCann) was reached for way back in the 13th round before I was even putting catchers in the que (and backed up with Salty … ) so this is all I was left with that are going to play enough. I will have to watch daily match-ups for sure and do what I normally do at catcher, watch the waiver wire and prospect call-ups.
All in all, my team looks decent enough for not having my draft order set, not having a cheat sheet with me (my wife would have given me a real dirty look if I had one of those on our table at the banquet), connection issues and mis-picks that I would like a do over. I will be making some trades and trying to rework my roster a little over the first month for sure.
It is time to hear from the rest of the league and your best and worst picks. Which ones did you struggle on and which ones could you not believe were still there waiting for you.