To divide or not to divide?

Some of the sites we’ll be considering at the Commissioner’s Special Subcommittee on Yahoo Exit Strategy (Feb. 22, 7:30, location TBD) include the option (and in some cases, require) the creation of divisions. In such a scenario, the first place team in each division gets a bye.

We’ve talked before about creating divisions, and while there seemed to be some interest, we never established a formal plan. So my question to the group: If we decide to go with a division set-up next year, are you on board with it, and if so, how should we lay out the divisions?

Here’s a few non-radical options (you can read my Radical Realignment Proposal here).

Last Year’s Standings: The top 5 in one division, the bottom 5 in the other.
Positive: We guarantee at least one new playoff team.
Negative: We punish successful teams.

Age: Curt, Meer, Figgs, Feigh, Kirb (The Old School). Jason, Newman, Weiland, Tom, Colby (The Nu Skool).
Positive: It’s well balanced and relatively arbitrary.
Negative: None, that I can see.

Drawing Out Of A Hat
Positive: Completely random.
Negative: Might not be balanced.

AL Fans/NL Fans: Jason, Newman, Kirb, Colby, Feigh (AL). Curt, Meer, Figgs, Tom, Weiland (NL).
Positive: Well-balanced, and league biases would create an interesting dynamic.
Negative: It’s far from arbitrary. Although that could be considered a positive.

Core/Expansion: Jason, Newman, Kirb, Tom, Feigh (Original 5). Colby, Curt, Meer, Figgs, Weiland (Non-Original 5).
Positive: Plenty of natural rivalries.
Negative: It’s kinda divisive.

So, what's everybody think?

Volunteers, Mount UP

Per my email, here's a list of what I'm shooting for for draft day. Hit reply if anything strikes your fancy. Thanks!

*Two dry-erase boards. One would be where the commish writes each pick, one would be where teams can post needs/wants/availables, and where trades are posted. Bigger the better.

*A roll of scotch tape.

*A podium for Adam.

*The ICA Commissioner's Seal printed in color on a the biggest white cardstock paper you can do. 8 x 11 will suffice, but aim bigger.

*The ICA Seal printed in color on a the biggest white cardstock paper you can do. See above.

*I would like, but don't need, to see an attempt at a custom logo for the ICA draft. The NFL doesn't use the league logo on their draft, they have a special draft logo. Don't need it, but I'd like to see it.

*Each team's logo printed in color on white cardstock paper.

*A webcam and a microphone. We'll have to ask around for this. I intend to broadcast our the first two rounds of the draft on YouTube to enhance the marketability of expansion.

*I need a wi-fi ready laptop. Actually, I'd like a few. It'd be nice to set up an "information station." (Feigh's got this).

*A visible clock. Preferably something bigger and brighter than your microwave. LED light? This might be tough, too. Also, a small table that would be set up near the commissioner's podium, whereby he could quickly adjust it...

*We need a small table.

*I would like a volunteer page. Preferably a woman who would dress quasi-attractively and get her Vanna White on. Don't need it.

*Ten expansion applications printed out and stapled.

*Two rulebooks printed out for reference.

*One Choochlopedia printed out.

*Last year's statbook printed out (contact Meer).

*The NFL Soundtrack.

Commissioner's Special Subcommittee on Yahoo Exit Strategy

I'm calling the meeting for 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, at a Chicagoland location to be determined. Ideally the place will have WiFi. If you want to volunteer a place, please do. If the scheduled time proves unpalatable, and you really want to attend, let me know that also.

In the meantime, here's a list of league platforms we will consider. I'd like some input before the meeting from anybody. (Am I missing any sites?)

Yahoo
ESPN
CBS Sportsline
SportingNews

Different Arbitration Brainstorm

Crafted in the spirit of "Keeping it Simple, Stupid"

*It begins with the 2013 season (five full seasons from expansion).
*Owners request arbitration to mandatorily released players in a sealed envelope at the winter meeting.
*When said player is drafted, the drafter and original owner both brainstorm their own price for said player to be returned to the original owner.
*Other present owners vote on most fair price of the two offers.

Basically, this is exactly what I presented at the owners' meeting, minus the part where the player can turn down arbitration (the coinflip).

The Complete Fuggin Cup

I transcribed the entire Fuggin Cup. It's long, so I fudged the date so as not to take up this entire screen every time anyone checks the blog. Go here to see it.

Here's an interesting tidbit: In the five years of the Fuggin Cup, just three players have graced the cup three times. Can you name them? (Answer below).

While you ponder that, check out the list of two-timers:
Bobby Abreu
Garret Anderson
Joe Blanton (hello?)
Eric Gagne
Brian Giles
Guillermo Mota
Mike Mussina
Johan Santana
Curt Schilling
Jim Thome
Billy Wagner
Randy Wolf

And the three three-timers are:
Jeff Kent
Albert Pujols
Miguel Tejada

Application

One of the ICA's prospective applicants, Justin Metz, suggested a question for our next application:

"If you were a rapper, which melody would you lift for your next single?"

It has nothing to do with baseball, but it still made me laugh.

By the way, if everyone can round up 1 applicant, we'll be looking great. Email me for the details: warriorsofwalden@yahoo.com

Keeper Lists (Updated 2/19)

VP Golden Sox (2)
Berkman, Lance
Fielder, Prince
Helton, Todd
Martinez, Pedro
Pujols, Albert
Rolen, Scott
Smoltz, John
Tejada, Miguel
Wagner, Billy
Wickman, Bob
Willis, Dontrelle
Zito, Barry
Zumaya, Joel

Renegades (1)
Baker, Jeff
Capuano, Chris
Cordero, Francisco
Duncan, Chris
Dunn, Adam
Gagne, Eric
Hoffman, Trevor
Ortiz, David
Putz, JJ
Rios, Alex
Santana, Johan
Schilling, Curt
Young, Michael

Wyoming Pigs (3)
Beltran, Carlos
Burnett, AJ
Gonzalez, Adrian
Hamels, Chris
Harden, Rich
Kazmir, Scott
Mauer, Joe
Renteria, Edgar
Sanchez, Anibal
Sexson, Richie
Sheets, Ben
Soriano, Alfonso
Verlander, Justin

Oedipus and the Mamas Boys (8)
Gordon, Tom
Hall, Bill
Harang, Aaron
Jones, Andruw
Lugo, Julio
Pettitte, Andy
Ramirez, Aramis
Rogers, Kenny
Sabathia, CC
Santana, Ervin
Street, Huston
Swisher, Nick
Teixeira, Mark

Pine Tar Incident (9)
Baldelli, Rocco
Beckett, Josh
Bonderman, Jeremy
Crawford, Carl
Hernandez, Felix
Holliday, Matt
LaRoche, Adam
Markakis, Nick
Roberts, Brian
Rodriguez, Francisco

Rollins, Jimmy

Shields, Scot
Wright, David

DaFaze (10)
Cabrera, Miguel
Drew, JD
Johnson, Josh
Lowe, Derek
Martinez, Victor
Meredith, Cla
Oswalt, Roy
Otsuka, Akinori
Ramirez, Manny
Reyes, Jose
Ryan, BJ
Thomas, Frank
Wainwright, Adam

Walden Warriors (6)
Atkins, Garett

Duchscherer, Jason
Guillen, Carlos
Hafner, Travis
Lee, Carlos
McCann, Brian
Myers, Bret
Patterson, John
Peavy, Jake
Saito, Takashi
Utley, Chase
Wells, Vernon
Young, Delmon

Outlaw Stars (7)
Arroyo, Bronson
Carpenter, Chris
Cordero, Chad
Cuddyer, Michael
Guerrero, Vladimir
Halladay, Roy
Ibanez, Raul
Johnson, Nick
Jones, Chipper
Lackey, John
Nathan, Joe
Ray, Chris
Sizemore, Grady

The American Giants (4)
Figgins, Chone
Francoeur, Jeff
James, Chuck
Howard, Ryan
Lester, Jon
Liriano, Francisco
Ordonez, Magglio
Overbay, Lyle
Ramirez, Hanley
Reyes, Anthony
Sowers, Jeremy
Weaver, Jered
Weeks, Rickie

UD Bleacher Bums (5)
Fuentes, Brian

Furcal, Rafael
Glaus, Troy
Haren, Danny
Hill, Rich
Lee, Derek
Morneau, Justin
Olsen, Scott
Papelbon, Jonathon
Suzuki, Ichiro
Uggla, Dan
Young, Chris
Zambrano, Carlos

Draft picks breakdown (updated)

Mark (8)

1, 2, 10, 21, 41, 48, 51, 71

Weiland (9)

3, 13, 19, 23, 26, 29, 30, 33, 36

Jason (11)

4, 9, 14, 15, 24, 34, 39, 44, 67, 81, 84

Colby (11)

5, 22, 25, 32, 35, 45, 55, 59, 60, 61, 65

Curt (7)

6, 16, 46, 56, 66, 76, 86

Mike (9)

7, 17, 20, 27, 28, 37, 47, 77, 87

Meer (8)

8, 18, 38, 57, 58, 68, 78, 88

Tom (9)

11, 12, 43, 49 52, 62, 72, 82, 90

Adam (9)

31, 40, 42, 50, 54, 63, 70, 75, 80

Newman (9)

53, 64, 69, 73, 74, 79, 83, 85, 89

Trade to Report

UD Bleacher Bums send Jimmy Rollins, PHI to Pine Tar Incident for Brian Fuentes, COL and pick 48.

Let's play Who Would You Rather Have

Here's the 2006 stats from five players. You tell me which you'd want most:
R RBI SB BA SLG BB K
61 68 1 .292 .477 55 69
82 92 5 .310 .497 55 96
93 62 52 .267 .393 65 100
73 34 19 .279 .404 30 92
101 85 8 .270 .553 63 162


Top to bottom, Player No. 3 would seem to be the best of the bunch, followed by No. 2. It's a toss up for third place between No. 5 and No. 1 -- if you can afford the strikeouts, you would probably take No. 5.

But if you're Tom, you take Player No. 1 over any of them. Why? Because his name is Jeff Kent, and he is one of Tom's pet players. Anyone who doesn't share Tom's love of his pet players, such as Jason Smith and myself, gets his scorn.

As you'll notice, the other players in the comparison are, in respective order, Lyle Overbay, Chone Figgins, Rickie Weeks and Bill Hall. Those are the players that Jason kept instead of Kent, which Tom criticized, but only Weeks had clearly inferior numbers last year -- and besides being 14 years younger than Kent, Weeks missed about half the year with injury. Indeed, the best player of the bunch last year was Figgins, whom Tom has previously dubbed one of the most overrated players in baseball.

Keep that in mind next time Tom criticizes your personnel decisions.

Mock Draft #2

With the first pick in the 2007 ICA Draft the Upper Deck Bleacher Bums select Jason Bay (LF-Pitt). cue huge uproar from the Alex Rodriguez camp.

Trade to Report

Outlaw Stars send:
Picks 43, 49

to Walden, for:
Pick 36

If someone wants to turn that into article form, that'd be great.

Rating the draft board (updated)

At first glance, with the top two picks, Figgs would seem to be in the best position to improve his team heading into the March draft. But after crunching some numbers, that might not be so obvious.

I calculated the average draft position for each team below. For teams with less than nine picks, I ascribed #91 to each of their missing picks; for teams with more than nine picks, I disregarded their extras. Here are the average draft positions:

Weiland: 24
Jason: 28
Colby: 38
Mike: 39
Figgs: 41
Meer: 51
Tom: 53
Adam: 56
Curt: 59
Newman: 74 (!)

Now, certainly those numbers can be misleading. In reality, we all know there's not a huge difference between pick #65 and pick #90. Indeed, for some managers, the only thing that really matters is having a strong top of the draft. With that in mind, here are the positional averages for each team's top five picks:

Jason: 13
Figgs: 15
Weiland: 17
Mike: 20
Colby: 24
Tom: 33
Meer: 34
Curt: 38
Adam: 43
Newman: 67 (!)

Effects of old trade

Which option would you rather have right now?

Rich Hill (MR)
Pick 10

or

John Smoltz
Pick 31

Minor League Draft

Now that we have a formalized tiebreaker, here is your minor league draft picks:

Giants: 1, 18, 19
Oedipus: 2, 17, 20
Walden: 3, 16, 21
UDBB: 4, 15, 22
PTI: 5, 14
Renegades: 6, 13
Outlaw: 8, 11
DaFaze: 9
VPGS: 10