Congratulations Tarrell. I'm looking forward to the articles this year, and I'm also looking forward to this year!!! Can't wait to get started. I hope you have a GREAT time writing this year, it's nice to see dreams come true.
2009 ELITE FANTASY MANAGERS OF THE YEAR
Breakfast of Champions
By Tarrell Graham
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6.
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8.
9.
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11.
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17.
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20.
Jeffrey Barker
Justin Dalia
Sean Scampton
Jamey Reeder
Chris Gerber
Jim Botsch
Tim Taylor
DavidFairchild
John Macleod
Toheeb Taiwo
Paul Skupen
Michael Winpigler
DavidDalrymple
Peter Kim
Bryan Wackler
Benjamin Richards
Luke Malmborg
Chris Meek
Ryan Collins
Chapin Cole
20
19
26
15
60
30
8
21
22
16
6
9
3
14
29
17
41
5
25
136
1
4
6
13
3
10
31
19
26
39
59
51
100
71
57
93
56
109
95
12
5455
5176
5086
5044
4998
4945
4900
4888
4812
4715
4658
4656
4473
4434
4384
4265
4245
4231
4197
4188
Wednesday January 20, 2010
Kids dream and I suppose that most of childhood aspirations have a commonality – girls want to be vets and writers and teachers, boys want to be astronauts and baseball players and Craig Finn. For me the only thing I ever wanted was to write for a fantasy baseball website. Well as of today its official – I was official accept into the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. Impressed? Yeah, well neither was my wife but it’s a big step for the site and I am really excited. It’s really nice for our fledging community to establish some credibility and makes me feel like we are really making head way. This past year has been great for me fantasy wise; the site has doubled in size, I joined the FWSA, and I absolutely crushed the Elite baseball league. Also, thanks to Joel Petrie I now play in a league with Jason Grey, Joe Sheehen, Brendan Roberts, Matt Beagle, Lawr Michaels – I mean are you serious??? How in the heck did that happen? These guys are people I have been reading and listening to for years and now we are emailing about trades. It is insane! Okay, I don’t mean to name drop but come on I had to mention it once. If I came off as braggadocios don’t worry my wife keeps me humble. As I am typing she looked over my shoulder and while smirking said “name dropping? Baby, no one knows who those people are!” She then proceeded to mock and laugh at me for the next 5 minutes. Leave it to my lovely wife to keep me grounded like DJ Tanner after she cut school to get a Stacey Q autograph.
I cannot wait to see what 2010 has in store and I am ecstatic to be back writing full time for the site as well. Last year I didn’t write because I was concentrating on other things and also I didn’t want my competition in the Elite league to know everything I was thinking. This season I have decided to write instead of play. It was a hard decision but ultimately it is better for the site to have steady content. Besides there is no way in hell that I beat Jamey Reeder twice, so I am not even going to try. So without further ado let’s get to some baseball…
“Bottom of the barrel guys I will be watching heading in 2010” or “ I picked some random names and hope they stick and make me look smart”
Alex Avila - Gerald Laird looks old. I am actually two years his senior but when I see his player bio photos I think “my god I hope I don’t look like that”. The point of this is not to undermine Gerald’s self confidence – in fact given his propensity for brawling that would be the last thing I want to do – instead I am simply pointing out the fact that it he is post 30 and playing a very demanding position. Avila has been one of my favorites, somewhat irrationally, since last season and I am all over him in 2010 as a late round flier. He has showed good pop, good strike zone control and he impressed in limited time last season. For those of use that wait till late to grab a catcher this is your guy – he is official target #1 in the bargain catcher bin.
Tom Gorzelanny: What the hell?? I know, I know this really does seem like I pulled a random name but I truly like TGorz as a late round flier. I like him so much that I nicked named him TGorz – well that and I have trouble spelling his last name. He posted a really nice 40/13 K/BB in 38.1 IP after he was traded to the Cubs and maybe this spring he will work his way into the rotation. Do I love him? No, but he has shown good K ability in the past and has a decent minor league track record. As an end game pick he could present some value.
Luis Valbuena - With Asdrubal Cabrera at SS the Indians don’t really have a ton of 2B options. Right now it looks like Jason Donald and Valbuena will platoon to start the year with Luis grabbing the right handed side. Donald makes some experts get all gushy but the truth is that Valbuena is the player with the most fantasy upside. He hit well in limited time last year – cranking out 10 HR in only 368 ABs and posting a 22% LD rate. The guy is only 24, in the good half of a platoon and on a team with few options. Valbuena reminds me a little of a Jose Lopez type and presents some excellent value as a late flier. If the Indians are smart they will upgrade to a designer second base and have LV all over that bag.
Ryan Raburn - He isn’t sexy and he isn’t young, but my man here put up some solid numbers last year for the Tigers. In only 261 ABs he launched 16 HR – according to hit tracker he didn’t get a whole lot of cheapies in there either. The real question right now is will Detroit add another hitter before spring training? Assuming they don’t then Raburn is in for steady playing time as an OF and occasionally DH. He has the ability to hit .270+ 20+ next season and would be an excellent Util/bench player to start the year.
Other guys that I am too impatient to write about:
Sean Rodriguez - MASSIVE power and will qualify at 2B is some leagues. Where will he play? Well, I don’t know that but honestly his bat will win out.
Garrett Mock - Yes, I am serious. I said “watching” not marrying.
Wily Mo Pena - Someday. Don’t forget he is only 27.
Andrew Miller - If he cuts down on the walks he could breakthrough. The guy has potential and I believe. Two notes here: First, I really wanted to work in a Andrew WK refrence but I am not clever enough and secondly there a lot of young Marlins I like. I am a fan of Vandenhurk and Anibel Sanchez this year as well – one of these guys has break out, they just have to.
2009 EFB LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS
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Elite
Gulf Coast
Pacific Coast
International
Frontier
NY-Penn
Cape Cod
Midwest
Eastern
Florida State
California
Appalachian
Centennial
Southern
Pioneer
Northwest
Carolina
Texas
Ohio Valley
South Atlantic
Great Lakes
Elite
Rookie
AAA
AAA
AA
A
Rookie
A
AA
A
A
A
Rookie
AA
Rookie
A
A
AA
Rookie
A
Rookie
246
238
218
190
169
168
167
156
154
151
150
131
119
119
117
111
93
91
82
76
57
2008 FINAL STANDINGS
RESOURCES
Comment on this article
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(Posted on 2010-01-21 04:24:00 by )
no nonononooooo....not Wily Mo :-)
I am with you on Anibal....Luke would agree on Miller....and your Gorz pick..........ahhh how a lifetime strat keeper league slips players into your brain. Your Wily Mo is my Khalil Greene (crazy bastage that he is).
Is it spring yet?
Glad to see you writing again, though I think you do us a disfavor by not playing. This is Elite, and by removing a top contender you only weeken us. You won for gods sake. You soundly thrashed me last year.......and now have eliminated my chances for eventual redemption (I stress eventual)?