[Mikey]

I can't log into ESPN. Got up this morning, and I was logged out of my home computer. Couldn't sign in. Same here at work.

This a problem for others, too?

[The Jewish Cunthead]

I can't get in either

[Jack Quinn]

I had no problem

[Sparty]

I haven't been logged out, but I guess I don't want to close my browser now.

[Pun]

I can't get in.

[Jack Quinn]

yep, it stopped working for me too.


On another note, has everyone been keeping up with the Yahoo league? I was shocked to find I was in 6th place, despite not checking it for like a month. I had 3 guys that were NA still in the lineup, and one on the DL. I think I covered it pretty well, I got Theriot, Fontenot, Ledezma, Dobs and some reliever from Cleveland who's name escapes me.

[Lucky]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one. God I hate ESPN. This was a horrible decision. Stupid Sheets on the bench.

[Jack Quinn]

it's back up for me now

[Mikey]

Up for me too.

[Jack Quinn]

well I see one of my problems this year is holds and WHIP. I know how to scout holds better for next year, but what is a good-decent WHIP? I know anything below 1 is excellent, but where do you start getting to the high side? 1.30? This is one I still don't know as well as I should.

[Lucky]

You're cutting it too short. A 1.30 WHIP would be fine and probably slightly above average. I believe 1.75 is what is just flat out in the bad territory but once you hit 1.50 we're talking struggles.

Under 1.00 isn't so much "excellent" as it is friggin great. Going under 1 means you're doing something exceptional. Anything under 1.25 or so is very good-great.

For comparison's sake Yahoo says the average WHIP this season is 1.38 and the league leader has a 0.89.

It might help you take take the stat apart and think of it as a stat line. Realize you're basically counting baserunners.

Holds are hard to scout but you're looking for reliable setup men who will consistently get playing time and be brought in to hold leads. Its hard to predict how middle relievers will perform and harder to predict how they'll be used by their managers. There's maybe a dozen established guys who will just always get that 8th inning call but if you're that good and consistent you tend to be a closer. And guys flame out quick.

[Jack Quinn]

ok, I have a question about the minor league system.

Right now, I could send Bailey down if I wanted to, he is under both the IP and the days in the majors. My question is this. Let's say I send him down, but the Reds don't, and he reaches the 50IP or 45 days in the majors he needs to be no longer minor league eligible. When that happens, does that mean I HAVE to bring him up? Or can I still keep him in the minors? I realize that after this point, if I do bring him up, I can't send him down, but do I have to bring him up once he is no longer minor league eligible?

[Lucky]

You can't send him down if the Reds don't. The rules say that he can't be on a major league roster when you put him on your Minor League list. Its dual requirements. Can't be on a major league roster, so Bailey or Gallardo (who I'd like to demote) don't qualify. Can't be a rookie, so Anthony Reyes can't be added even though he's in the minors.

Now IF you have a player on your minor league list who gets added to the majors you are not required to call him up at all. You can leave him on your minor league squad all season if you wish. MKid never called up Tyler Clippard during his stay in NY. If he fills the rookie qualifications it doesn't matter. But once you call him up he has to again pass qualifications to get sent back down. What he does while he's on your squad is irrelevant until the end of the season. At the end of the season we lock the rosters and anyone who has qualified as a rookie is no longer elligible. You either make him a full fledged keeper or cut him with the rest of your non-keepers. For the sake of fairness we'll cut out the "on a major league roster" part of that so as not to eliminate September callups who just were there for show.

[Jack Quinn]

oh shit, I forgot about that and thought I could send him down. well, as soon as he clears waivers I will put him back on the roster, or, if you want to as an admin put him back and I can drop someone

[National Champion Chris Cole]

Lucky, has Clippard fulfilled the rookie requirement?

[Jack Quinn]

looks like Clippard has 27.1 IP, but his 45 days are up today

[National Champion Chris Cole]

He is already down in the minors so I think he is safe there. What is the inning limit?

[Jack Quinn]

50IP

I forgot he was sent down, regardless, if today would have been 45 days since his debut, he is fine because I assume he has been down for a couple of weeks

[National Champion Chris Cole]

He's been down at least two weeks. They brought up Igawa in his place who has 2 starts and one skipped turn already.

[Lucky]

Ok, Moose. I tried to reverse your deal but Bailey won't be available to move until tomorrow. Mosely's back in the free agent pool and you have some bum using up the roster space. Just because I added someone. But I'll put Bailey back there as soon as I can. In the meantime technically you should have Bailey filling that roster space. So don't drop the bum and replace him. If you do it will essentially mean you dropped Bailey.

[Jack Quinn]

but I can drop someone else to get Moseley back?

[Lucky]

Absolutely. I would have offered you the opportunity to drop someone other than Moseley but technically that's not fair.

[Jack Quinn]

ok after all that work to get Bailey back, the Reds sent him down today so he could stay on schedule. So I am dropping Bailey and calling up Garza

[Lucky]

So I drop Nick Johnson and curse at myself for dumping my 15 round pick who has wasted a roster spot all season. And as I curse myself again for realizing I did it about 15 minutes too late to DL Fuentes and add someone I start thinking. Hmm.

1. Chase Utley - Traded
2. Lance Berkman
3. Ben Sheets
4. John Lackey
5. Felipe Lopez
6. Adam LaRoche
7. Freddy Sanchez - Traded
8. Bobby Jenks
9. Richie Sexson - Cut
10. Brian Fuentes
11. Jose Valverde - Traded
12. Adam Wainwright - Traded
13. Scot Shields - Traded
14. Jonathon Broxton - Traded
15. Scott Olsen
16. Alex Gordon
17. Jonny Gomes - Cut
18. Chris Duffy - Cut
19. Nick Johnson - Cut
20. Daniel Cabrera - Traded
21. Chris Burke - Cut
22. Pedro Martinez - Cut
23. Johnny Estrada - Cut
24. Jonathan Sanchez - Cut

Boy... I had a hell of a draft! My last 8 picks all gone. 9 guys remaining from my draft and 3 of them have had outright bad seasons to date and have been riding my bench (LaRoche, Lopez, Olsen). Berkman and Gordon had horrible starts that crippled me early on.

Seriously, I think my 2006 draft might have been the greatest I will ever have. My 2007 is hopefully the worst I will ever have.

[Jack Quinn]

1. Alex Rodriguez (3B - NYY)
2. Ichiro (RF - Sea)
3. Joe Nathan (RP - Min)
4. Dontrelle Willis (SP - Fla)
5. Ryan Zimmerman (3B - Was) - Traded
6. Stephen Drew (SS - ARI) - Traded
7. Corey Patterson (CF - BAL) - Cut
8. Ramon Hernandez (C - BAL) - Cut
9. Pat Burrell (LF - PHI) - Cut
10. Ian Kinsler (2B - TEX)
11. Brad Penny (SP - LAD)
12. Bob Wickman (RP - ATL) - Cut
13. Brad Hawpe (RF - COL)
14. Clay Hensley (SP - SD) - Cut
15. Nate Robertson (SP - DET) - Traded
16. Aaron Heilman (RP - NYM) - Cut
17. Placido Polanco (2B - DET)
18. Matt Garza (SP - MIN)
19. Vincent Padilla (SP - TEX) - Cut
20. Geoff Geary (RP - PHI) - Cut
21. Jay Payton (OF - BAL) - Cut
22. Juan Rivera (OF - LAA)

The bottom half of my first ten picks was brutal. Add in that I traded one of my keepers from last season and it seems to be a miracle that I am hovering near the playoffs