The Capital Baseball League -- Strat-O-Matic

RECENTLY ADDED

Monday: About My Team; Mitt Section; ad; deals!!!!; Left Coast View; Revival Tent; Capital Ideas (TWO polls)
Sunday: Lighter Side; Mitt Section
Saturday: Lighter Side; Capital Ideas
Friday: Left Coast View; Mitt Section; Stepping to the Plate
Thursday: Lighter Side; Mitt Section

Table of contents for this page:

CBL Links

Recent Results

Deals

Tradewinds (classifieds)

Left Coast View

Under The Revival Tent

It's A Mav Mav Mav Mav World

About MY Team

What A Game!

Stepping to the Plate

Capital Ideas

The Lighter Side

The MITT Section

Connections --CBL and Others

CBL LINKS

CBL ROSTERS

2010 DRAFT PICK GRID

CBL RULEBOOK - as pdf file

Article: The Unwritten Rules of the CBL

2009 CBL DRAFT - Nov 8th 2009

Ballpark info - graphic

Ballpark info - pdf file

MY POLICY REGARDING TRADE CONFIRMATIONS

I believe I have been in charge of the rosters for six or more years.
I don't recall a single instance in the CBL where a trade was announced and then found to be counter to what both parties had agreed upon.
For this reason I have never compelled members to "confirm" trade announcements.
I realize that most other leagues require this and given the idiosyncrasies of those organizations it is probably an advisable maneuver.
But I still don't see the necessity for a CBL member to announce to me, or to the whole league for that matter, that they confirm a trade that has been announced.
A trade, in my opinion, becomes official when notification has come to me and I have posted the trade on the webpage. I try to not post the trade until I've updated the database and adjusted the draft pick grid (even though I do not usually upload the draft pick grid to the webpage link at that time).

FINAL 2009 REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS

Suggestions for submitting results:

(1) start off with the team nickname "at" other team's nickname. Don't use the city in the top line.
(2) Keep it short - one or two sentences per game OR one paragraph for the series.
(3) PLEASE USE " at " rather than the ampersand " @ "

We play for this prize

RETURN TO TOP

Managers may trade draft picks for the next free agent draft only. As soon as the free agent draft begins, picks for the subsequent draft may be traded. A manager may trade as many of his draft picks as he wishes, but must have at least six draft picks at all times, two of which must be in the fourth round or higher.

Guys. Please submit your trades in the following format. Make it easier for your old webmaster.
Team nickname (not city) trades player X, player Y to Team for Player Z + Team's #whatever pick.

=======================================================================

Titans trade Luke Scott to Cubs for Randy Choate

TRADES MADE ON DRAFT DAY (SUNDAY NOV 8th)

Whiz Kids trade Heath Bell to Cubs for Cubs 2010 #1
Whiz Kids trade 2009 picks #10 and #110 to Rogues for Rogues 2010 #1 pick and 2009 pick # 58
Whiz Kids trade pick # 90 to Comets for Comets 2010 #5
Ungulates trade pick #36 to Sluggers for Sluggers 2010 #2.
Ungulates trade pick #14 and #32 to Ponies for #9 and #69
Baseball trades Todd Helton + picks #38 & #41 to Titans for Neftali Feliz & Delmon Young
Revival trades Drew Stubbs and 2010 #3 to Titans for Marco Scutaro
A's trade Pick #48 to Mavs for 2010 #2
Ungulates trade picks #69 and #74 to Zips for pick #54
Baseball trades picks #87 & #118 to Titans Revival 2010 #3
Ungulates trade Brandon Morrow and pick #112 to Bombers for pick #92
Zips trade Brandon Phillips, 2010 Zips #1 and pick #74 to Ungulates for picks
#20, #24, and #40
Zips trade pick #54 to Ungulates for picks #69 and #74
Ponies trade Joe Thatcher to Titans for Titans 2010 #3.
Ponies trade pick #42 to Canes for pick #116 and Canes 2010 #2
Zips trade picks #134 and #154 to Dream for Dream 2010 #6.
Bombers trade Bombers 2010 #5 to A's for pick #108
Ungulates trade 2010 #7 to Sluggers for pick #153
Mitts trade pick 142 + Mitts 2010 #8 to Comets for Comets 2010 #6
Revival trades Carlos Ruiz and Kaz Matsui to Comets for Jose Lopez and Koyie Hill

(pre-draft trades)
A's trade Mavs #2 + Baseball #6 to Cubs for Casey Blake

Ungulates trade A's #1 and Ungulates #4 to Ponies for Curtis Granderson + Ponies #4

Ungulates trade Erick Aybar to Sluggers for Hiroki Kuroda + Hurricanes #2

A's trade Hurricanes #2 and Comets #6 to Sluggers for Raul Ibanez

Ponies trade Justin Verlander + Javier Vazquez + Matt Thornton to Ungulates
for Ungulates#1, Cubs#1, Huskers #3, Cubs#4, Johnny Cueto, Dallas Braden, Cory Hart and Ian Stewart

Huskers trade Huskers #1 + Sluggers #2 for Baseball # 1

Ungulates trade Ungulates #3 to Mitts for Mike Adams

A's trade Kevin Correia to Revival for Cody Ross

POST DRAFT AVAILABLES

Mike Hampton, Bobby Jenks, Chad Qualls, Clayton Richard, Miguel Olivo, Jamie Carroll, Mark DeRosa, Adam Everett, Placio Polanco, Edgar Renteria, Chris Coghlan, Corie Hart, Manny Ramirez

Jorge de la Rosa, Howie Kendrick, Adam LaRoche, Homer Bailey, Aaron Harang, Jr Towles, Yusmeiro Petit, Andy Sonnanstine, Ramon Hernandez.

....articles written or found by Eric "the Comet" Johns...

So how'd the Comets do in the draft?

Better than expected! How did I end up with Andrew McCutchen? If I had held the second pick of the draft, I still would have taken him. I was very surprised to get him. I was offerred a decent deal to trade up, and now I am glad that I didn't. During the chat, I was surprised that it seemed Gordon Beckham would fall to me (which he did) and I started making plans to work him into my team. But when McCutchen was there, my plans changed fast.

Luke Gregerson perhaps was not the best player for me to take in the second round, especially with Wuertz's card sitting out there for a similar role. But Gregerson is the West Coast guy, and anyone who strikes out 93 guys in 75 innings has to have something going for him. Mat Gamels was another surprise in Round 3, and I would love to see him move into my clean up spot as the DH in a couple of years. Of course, he has no position to play for Milwaukee, so I have no idea how he will pick up his at bats. But even though I cannot recall the name, I did pass on somebody a few years ago because he did not have a position on his team, and he was immediately traded and became an all star. The Comets need a big lefty bat desperately, and I could not let that happen again.

After that, I was happy to fill out my bullpen with young tough lefty Eric O'Flaherty and short righty Sergio Romo. And honest to God, I did not know I had that late fourth round pick! With all the preparation I did for the draft, you'd think I woulda checked a little closer on what picks I had. Anyhow, being pretty well planned for the rest of the draft, I decided to take a flyer with it and grabbed Washington's hopeful future SS Ian Desmond. I don't know much about him, but he did fairly well in his brief September callup, and I hear rumors of defensive woes for current National SS Christian Guzman. Utility infielder Augie Ojeda came on board in the sixth round with nice on base and good defense (and enough at bats to start some games).

Then it was catcher time. The Comets had only Nick Hundley and Chris Snyder behind the plate, with a few too few at bats to make a full season. What I really needed was a fulltime catcher. Andy and I had exchanged e-mails earlier, and I was hopeful of picking up one of his two starting catchers, Carlos Ruiz and Kurt Suzuki. At the same time, with Jason Varitek leaving the Comets last season, I was worried about catching for future seasons. As the draft wound down, I noticed that Josh Thole of the Mets was still available, and I recalled that someone had asked Larry about him during our Friday chat session. I checked a couple of my "secret" scouting sources and found very good reports on him (despite a lack of power). Lamanna predicts him to have a decent arm. A great pick for me that I had not even considered as the draft began. I immediately noticed that Mets' booster Larry had two picks coming up before my final selection and realized that he was planning to pick up Thole with one of them. And that's when I went a little nuts trying to get him to trade me his next pick! Which he finally did, and then told me that he had no interest at all in Thole. Which doesn't say much for me taking Thole. But I'm still happy because the guy does have some good press.

My final pick was Cub catcher Koyie Hill at Andy's suggestion, because Hill immediately went to Andy in my trade to get fulltime catcher Ruiz.

By the way, I think my score on Round 1 predictions was 80 per cent this year. One guy was an obvious mistake (Reimold over Rasmus), one was a long-shot Met that fell to the third round (as predicted by Larry), and two were replaced by well-made fliers on low-appearance players made by league gurus. I was sorry to see that I missed in my expectation that Matt would take both Bailey and Aardsma in the first round, though he did gobble up Bailey mid-round.

So are the Comets ready to open the season?

I'd be satisfied with what I have, but I'm hoping to do some fine tuning. I think at last I have a fulltime, long-term centerfielder and, for at least now, a real leadoff guy. I also have a real bullpen, after sufferring greatly without one this past season. I am not sure that Ryan Franklin will ever repeat his closer heroics, but for this year he is a stud. Gregerson, Feliciano, Betancourt, O'Flaherty, and Romo should greatly outperform my 2009 relief corps. Despite the luxury of having five 175+ IP starting pitchers with ERAs under 5.00 (same guys as last year), it would be nice to upgrade one of my rotation spots, but I'm not sure that can happen.

My outfield looks solid, though I will be platooning in left and right, not always a good thing with HAL managing. Outfield defense jumps way up from last year, as I'll probably be able to put 2's in center and right (and perhaps sometimes have an all-2 outfield). In fact, right now I think my only defensive weakness is 3b, where Chase Headley will have to play again with an even worse e-rating than last year. I'm just waiting for the Padres to ditch Kevin Kouzmanoff and let Headley play his natural position. Waiver draft pickup Jose Bautista will again provide some welcome relief for Headley, especially against lefties. I could use some offensive improvement at first and second bases, and that could be where I make a move or two before the season starts. I'm real happy with how my shaky catching situation has ended up, as the team now carries four catchers with Ruiz, Snyder, Hundley, and Thole.

My big headache right now is what to do with Magglio Ordonez! With no power, even wth his Hurculean effort that got his batting average to .300 in the Bigs, Ordonez has ended up with no position on the Comets for 2010. He's been the Comet headliner for several years, and it would be almost be sacriligious to trade him away for a 5th round draft choice. Radio talk show hosts and fans would be all over me! Carlos Lee also lost much of his power this season and is in a similar situation, though right now is hanging onto at least half of his DH job.

And what does the Comet roster look like for 2010?

As of this second, the Comets plan to open with an 11-man pitching staff, including all five starters and all six relievers expected to make the team. All positions are covered, though as usual that includes more platoons that I would like: Headley-Bautista at third, Hermida-Juan Rivera in left, Chris Dickerson-Rajai Davis in right, and Lee-whoever at DH. Dickerson and Davis have more than enough appearances to just cover RF, so Dickerson will probably take some time away from Lee against righties, playing LF and moving Hermida to DH. The 7-man taxi squad is Hundley, Thole, Rickie Weeks, Desmond, Coco Crisp, Ordonez, and Gamel. Not one pitcher in the group. I'd be happy to keep five of those guys on the active team if I could. They'll get some playing time off the bench in September.

Rule Changes

Why can't I ever remember those great rule changes I think of when it's time to submit rule proposals?

Seriously, can't we 1) use a clock during the draft (three minutes?) and 2) suspend trading during the draft? If you go past the time limit, you don't lose your pick. But the next guy can pick (and his clock starts running). You put in your pick whenever you decide who to take. (And, yes, I realize whoever runs the draft will occasionally have to make allowances for computer problems.) And you can go ahead and trade all you want. But no trades are announced during the draft, and the clock keeps running. No trading of picks during the draft. If a guy wants your next pick and you want to trade it to him, you just have to pick the guy he wants and then announce the trade after the draft. I mean, geez guys, even I delayed the draft a few minutes to make an 8th round trade!

Also, I think it is time that we coordinate the innings pitched rules for eligiblity. Right now, if I recall correctly, it is 30 innings to be drafted, 35 innings (or 35 games) to be active if you are a reliever, and 40 innings if you are a starter only. The starter only rule is especially antiquated, because it is based on our once-upon-a-time sixth starter who was expected to start eight doubleheader games (and needed to be able to pitch at least five innings in each game). I think any of those numbers of innings (or games) would be a nice round number to work with, but I don't think which one we decide on is all that important. I just think it would be easier to make them all the same.

Is somebody writing this down?

POST-DRAFT NOTES

November 9, 2009

It was quite an experience - the entire Chicago Division (eventually, we'll get to that in a minute) in one room for 6 hours. Hardly anyone other than good host Carl moving a muscle the whole time. But an intensity level that makes the day so unique and maybe the funnest day of the year. PCs humming, private messages, phones ringing lots of intra-divisional chatter. Black ink all over our fingertips from pouring through Bill James, Baseball Prospectus and Baseball America bibles.

In Friday night's chat, it almost seemed like most managers were giving up on the 2010 CBL season and building for the future. Several attempts were made to get a count on how many managers consider themselves playoff contenders. Well - I'll tell you that most of us at Chicago Division HQ think we are - and it seems like most managers were drafting and trading as if they intend to contend in 2010. I wonder what that count is NOW - maybe 15 contenders? (I need that magic poll that Larry has!) Of course, we in the Chicago Division are ashamed that we had only one playoff participant in 2009 - so we're determined to improve on that.

The draft started fast and furious. Chat room technical difficulties! Everyone's Friday night chat room lies getting exposed! Beckham and McCutchen falling below their projected draft slots! After about 10 picks, we realized that Don was missing. We had an e-mail from him, declaring his intention to contend by trading a #1 for Heath Bell. But no Don! We're well into Round 2 - still no Don. Finally, at 12:55 Carl's phone rings - it's Don asking to be let into the house. He asks who has been picked - and he's writing on a small piece of paper. Finally he realizes - he's an hour late! The draft was at 1 PM EASTERN time, Don. Anyway, all that mattered was that Randy Wells was still there - and Don, predictably, snarfed him up with his late 2nd Round pick.

It really is a treat to compete with the passionate managers we have in the CBL.

Finally, I've decided to stop turning down all the offers I've been getting for Alfonso Soriano. (And you thought that the lies might be limited to the chat room on Friday night before the draft?) But I do want more that Garret Anderson for him.

articles by Mark L

Ungulate 2009 CBL Draft

by Matt

First, I regret to inform you all that I will not be doing the comprehensive draft evaluation that I have in the past. I have been real busy at work. Many of you know I also teach at a local university and have two young boys who need more and more of my time. My draft prep was not nearly as thorough, as I focused only on the things I needed. I didn’t have roster space for prospects, which the draft was full of and take the most time to research. Without doing my homework I have no basis to judge anyone’s picks for the future. I will go over my draft here and will do a separate overview like the one I do for Somworld each year. But I do not have time for the details this year.

I came into the draft in the fortunate position that I had no major holes. I needed a right-handed bullpen, a left-handed hitting outfielder, and lefty 2B/SS to save a roster spot. The key to my draft was Andrew Bailey who reminded me of the one Keith Foulke card that led to me to a title years ago. After Bailey and Mike Wuertz, there were about thirty really good bullpen cards. I had pick #14 and that seemed fine to get Bailey, as closers usually last a long time.

Then Jordan offered up pick #10 at the draft chat and I envisioned ensuring I got Bailey there with the potential of Garrett Jones at #14. I could trade my #1 next year and replenish it by trading Ponies #1 and/or my #2 for #1’s next year. But the Rogues beat me to the punch and acquired #10. Mike is always competitive and I feared he envisioned a Bailey/Mariano pen that would be, I felt, unstoppable. So I dealt pick #14 and the Bombers #2 for pick #9 and a fourth rounder. I knew #9 was too early for Bailey, but I was afraid the Rogues or Mavs would take him. Bailey was the key to my draft, as Aardsma, the only other closer, had a good but no great card and was much older.

I figured I could easily trade Ponies #1 for a #1 next year. Jim Loyet and I do that deal nearly every year. Then I would try to trade my #2 for a #1 which, if it didn’t happen, would yield me Wuertz. Then I would trade Ponies #2 for a #2 next year. But Mikc McMonagle was determined to trade me Brandon Phillips. I needed AB’s for Kendrick anyway and we discussed several things leading up to the Ponies #1 pick. With no offers for that pick, Mike offered me his 2010 #1 which I coveted, Phillips who gets me to a full-time 1 at 2B, and a #4 for Ponies #1 and #2 and my #2, This is how great trades get done. Mike didn’t goof around, he came with a solid offer that helped both teams and the deal got done. He participated where he thought the sweet spot of the draft was and I got value for my picks, improved at 2B, and got a #4 which was where I figured I could still get good bullpen cards.

As I watched rounds 2 and 3 unfold, I saw my long list of LHB OF dwindle to one. Mike was again looking to trade down, so I sent him two #4’s for a #3 a round earlier. Talent-wise, this was certainly in his favor. But I had few needs and Tony Gwynn, Jr. was the last standing good LHB OF.

Now I was scrambling to pick up #4’s to fill out my bullpen. I felt, and still do, that Brandon Morrow was worth at least a 3 in this draft. But with no takers, when my pick rolled around, the last in the fourth, there were still plenty of bullpen arms left. There was one impact card on the board, so I took it in hopes that I could trade Morrow or a future pick for bullpen. I took David Ross who should provide a defensive sub for Montero with a monstrous RH pinch hitting card.

I then gave Mitch Morrow and a #6 for a #5 to get Claudio Vargas. He had arguably the best card after Wuertz and I got him 3 rounds later. He has limited innings, but should make a good split year player with Mike Adams. In the sixth, I got my LHB middle infielder in Ramon Santiago. Santiago is only 30 and could start at SS for Detroit this year. Finally, I traded next year’s #7 for Evan Meek, a heavy sinkerballing young reliever with 57 usable innings and a nice future if he can find the plate.

I still have ton of players available for trade including: Jorge de la Rosa, Howie Kendrick, Andy LaRoche, Homer Bailey, Aaron Harang, Yusmeiro Petit, JR Towles, Andy Sonnanstine, Ramon Hernandez, and Mike Jacobs.

I am looking for a RH closer or great bullpen setup card and/or picks next year.

STEPPING TO THE PLATE

SI ARTICLE EXPLAINS

how Yankees cheat to be the Best Team Money Can Buy

If you'd care to write an article about baseball, strat, and/or the CBL please send it to me and I'll put it up in this section.

POLLS!
YOU WANT POLLS YOU SAY

Here's a grand mystery. We have run polls on this page for a few years now. The less popular ones normally get about 10 votes, perhaps a dozen. The more popular ones can get from 15 to 17 votes.
To my knowledge everyone in the CBL looks at this webpage at least occ'ly.
So who are the three or more managers who don't participate in our polls?????

Andy asked for one of these and the other is one that I drop here after our November draft each year. So let's throw them both out there.

AND THIS IS WHAT ANDY CRAVES TO KNOW

The amazing golf ball

A golfer, playing a round by himself, is about to tee off, and a greasy little salesman runs up to him, and yells, "Wait! Before you tee off, I have something really amazing to show you!"

The golfer, annoyed, says, "What is it?"

"It's a special golf ball," says the salesman. "You can never lose it!"

"Whattaya mean," scoffs the golfer, "you can never lose it? What if you hit it into the water?"

"No problem," says the salesman. "It floats, and it detects where the shore is, and spins towards it."

"Well, what if you hit it into the woods?"

"Easy," says the salesman. "It emits a beeping sound, and you can find it with your eyes closed."

"Okay," says the golfer, impressed. "But what if your round goes late and it gets dark?"

"No problem, sir, this golf ball glows in the dark! I'm telling you, you can never lose this golf ball!"

The golfer buys it at once. "Just one question," he says to the salesman. "Where did you get it?"

"I found it."

WHAT A DRAFT ---- YAWN

No surprise that it was a pretty quiet draft for the MidHudsonites. A shattered pitching staff made it necessary to grab one hurler after another. And since our picking didn't start until round 2 the glamour guys were gone.
For the time being we do have a closer and you can find him at the front of the phone book: David Aardsma. Like "Second Hand Rose" he was but the second best closer in the draft but, of course, Matt was moving up to #9 to get his.
After that we got starters: Jason Hammel (later in the 2nd round),
Kenshin Kawakami (Mitch immediately sent me a private message saying "You suck!". I think he meant my taking that guy but maybe he just meant it in general.)
Our pitcher-du-round-4 was Craig Stammen.
We went with a reliever in the 5th. It was Mark Lowe.
We finally took a non-pitcher in the 6th round and took a flyer on Bosox prospect Josh Reddick. I flip-flopped between him and Met Fernando Martinez but settled on the devil I didn't know.
Another reliever came aboard in round 7, Shawn Camp.
We dithered in round 8 and then just opted to package it with our 8th rounder next year and got the Comets 2010 #6 back for it.

Like I said it was a kind of yawner of a draft. Now we get to see what the rest of the off-season holds in store.

MITTS TRADES

The members of the CBL will never forget our friend and charter member Mac McConchie

Connections to some useful sites:

CBL CHAT ROOM

Rumors-Pro Sports Daily
MLB Trade Rumors
Strat Fan Forum - the SOM Online Community

Strat-o-Sphere
John Skilton's Baseball Links Page
SOMWORLD
Gary's Strat-o-matic Page
Baseball Reference.com

article on programming SuperHal
Online Ballparks Museum

Lamanna's Baseball Bulletin
USA Today Baseball
Sporting News Baseball

Strat-O-Matic Game Company

Free viewer for Microsoft Excel files
Fox It Reader (reads pdf files)
Adobe Acrobat Reader (reads pdf files)

CBL WEBMASTER CAN BE REACHED AT

dr4sight@hvi.net

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How did YOU do in Sunday's draft?
	Much better than expected!
	Somewhat better than expected.
	As expected.
	Somewhat worse than expected.
	Much worse than expected!

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How would you assess your team's chances of getting to the playoffs in 2010?
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