Live from New York…..it’s TOUT WARS

03/30/2010 2:45 PM -  Perry Van Hook

Live from New York it’s TOUT WARS…..or at least a simulated real time blog of my draft in the 15 team mixed league held on Sunday at Citi Field.

As you know  if you  have read our previous articles on TOUT WARS or followed the competition at all (www.toutwars.com if you haven’t  or want current information) these are the premier “industry leagues” for fantasy baseball writers.

I drafted Sunday morning and below I am going to reveal my team in a blog mode, but here was my plan going in:

• Spend no more than $30 on any hitter….spreading the risk and going for a balanced team
• Spending a little more for pitching than you have seen in previous articles that Jason and I have done where I normally allocate $50-60 for pitching and trying to dominate the hitting categories and having all full time players. In this draft I would try for the best staff that $70 could buy
• My hitting/pitching allocation would be $190/70
• Try and get as much money out of my competitors early – they spent like crazy last year so that worked pretty well  and since I wouldn’t be buying the most expensive players it would give me a good nominating strategy
• Get two productive catchers….dollar catchers don’t work in this league format
• HAVE FUN

Okay, so here we go….Alex Cushing of MLB.com was on my left and had the first nomination and put up Tim Lincecum who was bought for $30. I thought this was a good way to go and put up Roy Halladay who fetched $29. I really didn’t like this beginning as today the opponents were very controlled and I feared this would lead to too much money available later and thus bidding wars in the middle of the auction, not the top where I wanted it.

Pujols went for $45….better but he went much higher last year.

I got the fifth player nominated – David Aardsma for $12….I liked that price (not realizing the closer market was going to top out at $20)

Almost a round later I bid $24 to get Brian McCann…just where I have him projected…and while I don’t rate to make money on that investment I won’t lose as others will.

$25 got me Zach Greinke….less than all the other Tier One pitchers at a price with some upside but very solid

Marlon Byrd was put for a dollar and few bids – got him for $4 which will be a very nice small profit (will earn at least $10)

Went the extra dollar to $31 for Justin Upton and think he will earn more than that…very nice…he will be my STUD hitter

Another long wait  for a player, but I like Kendry Morales at $25….less than the other Tier 1 and 2 1B…and more BA

Arizona outfielder Chris Young for only $7 – well I have the BAvg ballast to handle him

Shin-Soo Choo, hopefully one of my 20/20 outfielders for $23

Bengie Molina for $10…still a good run producer with plus BA for a catcher

Elvis Andrus….and Karabell costs me an extra two dollars but happy to land the speed at $18

VERY happy to get Wandy Rodriguez for my second SP at $13…very good value there

Asdrubal at 2B for me at $11….I think people are sleeping on him this year

Now getting buys very close together in the middle of the auction as I roster Chipper Jones for $9….sure he may miss some time…always does but at that price for a near .300 average and twenty home runs, I have good profit

Jorge Cantu for another $9 – giving me solid CI and 3B if Chipper misses time

$7 for Matt Capps as my second closer is Excellent

At this point, two hours into the draft, all of the $20+ players but one are gone, and most of the $15s, so while I had to push, I made a huge steal getting Adam Jones for $14

After that there are either value plays or bidding wars….so I wait

Finally we get to the end of the auction and I am in great shape….have $18 left for seven players. I need a MI and a UT and it would be nice if one of them qualified at CI….but the best hitter on the board is an “Angel in the outfield” so we will see….also have to be careful with the nominations. There are a couple with more money, one with way too much.

I nominate Daniel Bard for $2 and get him….good strikeouts and slight but possible odd save potential

I get Randy Wolf as my SP3 for $4….very nice

Martin Prado would have have been great for my team goes to moneybags for $12! most don’t have that total left

Arizona pitcher and very nice sleeper Ian Kennedy is nominated and I get him for $4 as well

Long time now but finally I nominate KC’s Alberto Callaspo for $1 and get him. I now have seven dollars left for my UT and two pitchers.

I nominate Juan Rivera for my final hitter at $2 and smile when I get crickets (no bids)

Aroldis Chapman is nominated for a buck and I get him for $2…..Sensational…sure he might start in the minors, but he will earn a lot more than that when he finally arrives.

Mat Latos, very promising young starter for the Padres is nominated and I say $THREE and get him with my last three dollars.

Wow, lot of fun but lot of work and that strategy requires a lot of discipline and some dry spells, but here is the final team

C – McCann (24) & Bengie Molina (10)

CI – Morales (25, Jones (9), & Cantu (9)

MI – A. Cabrera (11), Andrus (18) & Callaspo (1)

OF – J. Upton (31), Choo (23), Adam Jones (14) Chris Young (7), Byrd (4)

UT – Juan Rivera (2)

SP – Greinke (25), Wandy (13), Wolf (4), Kennedy (4), Chapman (2), Latos (3)

RP – Aardsma (12), Capps (7), Bard (2)

Reserves (drafted after auction) – Coco Crisp, Sergio Romo, Tim Wakefield, and Daniel Murphy

I think it looks pretty good. Callaspo might have been my one error as I may be lighter on stolen bases and could have used a Luis Castillo or Cliff Pennington there (assuming I could get them for the same dollar).

Pitching should be very good

Glad to answer any questions or discuss the mixed TOUT league on the message boards if you want.