2010 Middle Earth Fantasy Baseball League - Keeper Analysis

It's time to look at how the teams in our ultra-competitive keeper baseball league stack up. I know what you're saying. "Joe, you could've done this weeks ago." True, but had I done that, it might've affected our draft, and I'd never want to do that. I prefer that everyone make their moves, and I only look back in retrospect.

The first phase of this analysis will be to look at the keeper lists and give each one a rating out of 80, with 0 being eight unworthy keepers (think the Nationals' pitching staff) and 80 being eight first-round caliber keepers. With eight keeper slots, it'll be 10 points per slot, and I'll break it down slot-by-slot. We'll go in reverse draft order, starting with the #1 picking Those Guys, and moving on down to the Feisty Mosquitoes.

Those Guys

• Adrian Gonzalez, 1B - 8 points
  Gonzalez is an upper tier power hitter, and while he'll never pierce that fifth category (steals), his upwards potential upon his inevitable exodus from San Diego is very exciting.
• Grady Sizemore, OF - 7 points
  You have to think Sizemore will bounce back after a disappointing and injury-plagued 2009, but you also have to take into account that his strikeout numbers weren't really getting better, and his batting average has been going down for a few years now.
• Shane Victorino, OF - 6 points
  I'm not sure that Victorino can provide anything above his expectations, but with solid runs, batting average, and steals, along with not terrible power numbers, he can be a valuable piece to a championship puzzle
• Bobby Abreu, OF - 4 points
  It's not that there's anything wrong with Abreu's production. But he's 36 years old, and you can't expect his speed to hold up for much longer.
• Josh Beckett, SP - 7 points
  Outside of a rocky 2006, Beckett has been one of the most reliable and effective starting pitchers in baseball. He hasn't let down anyone who's paid for him in the past three years, and he's a safe bet for good production once again.
• Josh Johnson, SP - 6 points
  Johnson was everything fantasy owners could've hoped for and more in 2009. The problem is that it was the first time in three years that he'd been healthy. If he's healthy, he should be good again.
• John Lackey, SP - 4 points
  I'm not sure Lackey was ever as good as I used to say he was, but he's certainly solid. I don't think going from the AL West to the AL East helps his potential, though.
  
• Jonathan Papelbon, RP - 3 points
  Good closer, but just a closer.

Dunedain Rangers

• Brian McCann, C - 3 points
  You're not generally crazy about keeping a catcher, but McCann is good enough to justify it. He wouldn't be a keeper at any other position, though.
• Derrek Lee, 1B - 6 points
  Lee had a revitalization of sorts last year, and the hope is that he's back on track. Because of his up and down history, though, there is some risk.
• Chone Figgins, 3B - 6 points
  Figgins is a superstar when it comes to steals, and he generally does well in batting average and runs as well. His utter lack of power numbers mitigates his value somewhat, though.
• Jason Bartlett, SS - 5 points
  The worry here is that Bartlett had his first great year in 2009, and even his great year wasn't earth-shattering. A small step backwards and he's a borderline keeper.
• Denard Span, OF - 4 points
  I've seen Span valued very differently by different sources, so I'll put him somewhere in the middle. He'll need to take a step forward in speed or power to justify a keeper slot, though.
• Dan Haren, SP - 8 points
  While he's historically a first-half pitcher, his overall statistics are still very good. And if you can somehow dodge his end-of-season let-down, you've got a sub-2.00 ERA and sub-1.00 WHIP over 20 starts.
• Brandon Webb, SP - 5 points
  If he comes back healthy and effective, he's a great keeper, probably a top 10 pitcher. But with the risk that all pitchers face in coming back from injury, the value is curtailed.
• (no 8th keeper) - 2 points
  Because you can get talent out of a supplemental pick, the lack of an 8th keeper still carries some value.

The Usual Suspects

• Matt Wieters, C - 4 points
  Plenty of upside, but it's as yet unrealized. What if he's just Ramon Hernandez?
• Albert Pujols, 1B - 10 points
  Duh.
• David Wright, 3B - 9 points
  His power outage in 2009 was of concern, but even a tiny bounce-back puts him on the cusp of the first round again. His across-the-board production is virtually unmatched at third base.
• Adam Jones, OF - 6 points
  Every expert I've read has declared Jones as a great guy to have this year, but in every mock I've seen, he doesn't go until the sixth or seventh round. Put your money where your mouth is, "experts."
• Nelson Cruz, OF - 4 points
  I really don't know what to expect out of Cruz, this year or any future year. But people say he'll be alright.
• Justin Verlander, SP - 8 points
  He's on that third tier of starting pitchers, just behind King Felix and CC Sabathia, and there's not really any reason he couldn't move up with another year like 2009.
• Tommy Hanson, SP - 6 points
  All offseason his value has gone up and up. It's not wrong that it's gone up, but I think you have to temper yourself a little bit when you're talking about a second-year pitcher.
• Ubaldo Jimenez, SP - 3 points
  He doesn't post completely replaceable stats, but he'll need to take a small step forward to justify being kept again.

Cleveland Enforcers

• Ben Zobrist, 2B - 7 points
  All the signs point to Zobrist being the real deal, even if it doesn't feel like he should be a star. I do wonder how his stats might fluctuate with the likely upcoming changes to the Rays' lineup.
• Alex Rodriguez, 3B - 10 points
  After years of being the consensus #1 pick, he's now only going 3rd or 4th. The title of "Best Player Since Barry Bonds" is split between him and Pujols.
• Gordon Beckham, 3B - 5 points
  I think we all expect him to continue to improve, but we've been waiting on Stephen Drew to improve for a while now without any luck. So you always have to be wary of youngsters.
• Jose Reyes, SS - 8 points
  I feel like I can't penalize Reyes for his subsequent health issues, since at the time keepers were submitted, he was generally healthy. His condition is obviously a concern for the Enforcers, though.
• B.J. Upton, OF - 5 points
  I know he's valuable and fairly well thought of. But I hate him.
• Josh Hamilton, OF - 4 points
  Even four points might be a reach, but he showed in the first half of 2008 that he can be a superstar. Here's hoping injuries don't put him away for good.
• Carlos Quentin, OF - 4 points
  His upside is a little bit lower than Hamilton's, but his likelihood of a rebound back to 2008 form is greater.
• Cole Hamels, SP - 6 points
  The thinking is that he was overworked in 2008, with a ton of regular season and postseason innings, causing his drop off in 2009. If he can get back to 2008 form, though, he'll be pitching a ton again.

DamKnights

• Joe Mauer, C - 9 points
  His huge leap forward in power numbers in 2009 makes Mauer a guy to consider late in the first round of a standard draft. The only concern is how much all these catching games are going to affect his offense.
• Pablo Sandoval, 1B/3B - 6 points
  He's just got the one year under his belt, and he doesn't look like he'll develop into a premier power source, but he sure can hit. You just hope the Giants can give him some kind of help in that lineup.
• Robinson Cano, 2B - 4 points
  I never know what to make of Cano, with his whole year ups and downs. But he's got the ability to hit well over .300, and he's in a stacked lineup.
• Michael Young, 3B - 5 points
  Young is quietly one of the more consistent hitters in baseball, and there's value in reliably productive players.
• Matt Holliday, OF - 9 points
  His underwhelming performance in Oakland last year is a taste that's hard to get out of my mouth, but his NL career is outstanding. Hitting in a lineup with Pujols doesn't hurt, either.
• Jake Peavy, SP - 6 points
  His health has become a legitimate concern, but when healthy, he's one of the best pitchers in baseball. Word is, he's healthy.
• Matt Garza, SP - 5 points
  If Garza can cut down on the gopher balls and get a little more consistent, he can move up next year's draft board in a hurry. He's got the Ks and the ability to dominate.
• Joe Nathan, RP - 4 points
  Again, I won't penalize the keeper rating because of a subsequent injury.

Mercer AutoWreckers

• Joey Votto, 1B - 7 points
  It looks like Votto is just a really good hitter, but the concern is that he's only got a little more pop than James Loney. He might be a lot better, but emphasis on the might.
  
• Dustin Pedroia, 2B - 8 points
  He's not a superstar, and if you remember, neither Joe nor myself though that he deserved the MVP in 2008. But he's certainly solid, and the Red Sox still boast a potent lineup.
  
• Derek Jeter, SS - 6 points
  He's getting up there, but he's obviously still got the talent to produce at a high level.
  
• Nick Markakis, OF - 5 points
  Markakis might be one of the more over-valued players in fantasy baseball. He's got a solid batting average and decent run production, but doesn't offer exceptional production with regards to power or steals. Doesn't that put him just a tick above Chris Coghlan?
  
• Andre Ethier, OF - 5 points
  In 2008, Ethier showed he can hit for average. In 2009, he showed he can hit for power. Can he combine the two? If so, he's a stud.
  
• Felix Hernandez, SP - 9 points
  King Felix was one of the premier pitching prospects in baseball, and now he's just one of the premier pitchers in baseball.
  
• Roy Halladay, SP - 9 points
  Halladay isn't as old as you think, but he's got plenty of miles on his arm. Still, the move to the NL will give a whole new group of hitters the opportunity to be mystified by him.
  
• Heath Bell, RP - 3 points
  A solid closer, but he's on a bad team. There's talk of him getting traded, but you never know; sometimes those trades turn closers into setup men, and that would obviously kill most of Bell's value.
  

Vandelay Industries

• Lance Berkman, 1B - 3 points
  It was curious that Vandelay traded for Berkman when they had Billy Butler as an option. Berkman's fine, but Butler is a better long-term option.
  
• Aaron Hill, 2B - 5 points
  He probably won't hit 35+ homers ever again, but he's got enough pop at second base to be valuable for a long time.
  
• Evan Longoria, 3B - 9 points
  If he could just move his batting average up a tick, he'd be right there with Alex Rodriguez at the top of the 3B heap.
  
• Ichiro Suzuki, OF - 5 points
  Is the 36-year-old Suzuki taking the standard path of an aging hitter? Lower speed, higher power? Unfortunately, his power won't grow high enough, and if he steals 26 bases again in 2010, his value will take a beating.
  
• Curtis Granderson, OF - 6 points
  I'm less excited about Granderson than other people, but in the Yankees lineup, he's obviously got the potential to explode. Time will tell.
  
• Jon Lester, SP - 8 points
  Eventually traded by Vandelay, Lester is an elite pitcher in the making. Young, lots of strikeouts, good team, he's a quality #1 for most teams.
  
• Adam Wainwright, SP - 8 points
  Part of the reason Vandelay could afford to trade Lester is he's actually got 2-3 aces, with Wainwright competing for the NL Cy Young last year. He's just a tick below Lester, and he's still plenty young.
  
• Yovani Gallardo, SP - 7 points
  One of the more exciting pitching prospects out there, many experts see Gallardo taking a Felix-like step forward this year. If he does, look out.
  

Stewies SexyParties

• Chase Utley, 2B - 10 points
  The best second baseman, bar none. Kinsler looked like he'd challenge, but Utley remains the best all-around option.
  
• Aramis Ramirez, 3B - 5 points
  Though he's had trouble staying healthy most of his career, he's been productive when he's been on the field. And surprisingly, he's still just 31 years old.
  
• Hanley Ramirez, SS - 10 points
  Worth slightly more than Freddie Sanchez these days.
  
• Ryan Braun, OF - 10 points
  The best waiver pickup in league history, Braun has continued to develop into one of the elite fantasy players at any position. A very worthy top five pick.
  
• Andrew McCutchen, OF - 6 points
  McCutchen spells his last name wrong, but other than that, he's got a lot going for him. His power/speed potential makes him particularly interesting.
  
• Jason Bay, OF - 6 points
  You wonder what the move to a pitcher's park in the National League will do for his production, but he should still be keeper-worthy.
  
• Cliff Lee, SP - 7 points
  At some point, I'll have to start believing in Cliff Lee. That point is now.
  
• Chris Carpenter, SP - 6 points
  Carpenter is always an injury concern, and he turns 35 in April. But when healthy, he's on the same level as the very best pitchers. It's a risk/reward type deal.
  

Huber Heights Heroes

• Mark Teixeira, 1B - 10 points
  Not a perfect fit for the Heroes with his ~.300 average, but value-wise, he's as good as first base gets outside of Pujols.
  
• Ryan Howard, 1B - 9 points
  The poster boy for the Heroes' agenda, Howard is a machine when it comes to power and runs.
  
• Mark Reynolds, 3B - 8 points
  Again, the batting average is of concern, but he was so good by the end of last year that you can't really fault him for that any more than you can fault Teixeira for not stealing bases.
  
• Jacoby Ellsbury, OF - 8 points
  Might be overvalued right now, as it doesn't look like he'll develop much power. He's not as good as Carl Crawford, but he's getting drafted around there. I'll value him the way I see him.
  
• Adam Dunn, OF - 4 points
  Straight power broker, and I'm glad he's on the Nationals. It gives my local team a little something to cheer for.
  
• Johan Santana, SP - 7 points
  Santana is coming off of his first serious injury, but we all expect him to be dominant once again. Still, you have to account for the possibility that it'll take some time for him to recapture his magic.
  
• Matt Cain, SP - 7 points
  Cain finally broke through and posted a nice amount of wins last year, and if he can keep that up along with his averages and strikeouts, he'll be the next Josh Beckett.
  
• Wandy Rodriguez, SP - 6 points
  All of his numbers are headed in the right direction. Another year of that, and he'll really catch some people's eyes.
  

Akron Pronks

• Victor Martinez, C - 7 points
  Martinez really thrived after his trade to Boston, and a whole season of that production has fantasy owners salivating. Wipe your mouth, though, folks. He's still a good deal behind Mauer.
  
• Kendry Morales, 1B - 6 points
  Morales had a breakout season, posting very good numbers across the board. You worry about a letdown after that kind of explosion, but hitters are generally able to keep pace.
  
• Brian Roberts, 2B - 7 points
  His spring training injury is a concern. There's no "but" after that. It's a concern.
  
• Kevin Youkilis, 3B - 6 points
  It's probably time to accept that Youkilis isn't getting any better. He's a .300-.320 hitter with solid power and run production, but he won't be jacking 40 homers ever.
  
• Jayson Werth, OF - 7 points
  Werth was kind of a shocker in 2009, in that he had bounced around for five years, then followed up his breakout 2008 with an explosive 2009. His production is actually pretty similar to Mark Reynolds.
  
• Shin-Soo Choo, OF - 6 points
  His numbers might startle you, but Choo was an across-the-board performer last season. If the rest of the Indians lineup can provide a little pop, he could be Beltran-esque.
  
• Tim Lincecum, SP - 10 points
  Come on, don't make me say it.
  
• Jonathan Broxton, RP - 5 points
  Probably the strongest closer option, with his torrid strikeout rate and his favorable situation. If he gets 7 wins again, though, I'll punch Joe Mandi.
  

Riders of Rohan

• Miguel Cabrera, 1B - 10 points
  His level of commitment seems to be questionable, but his production is steady and spectacular.
  
• Prince Fielder, 1B - 9 points
  I'd be a little surprised to see him hit .300, but the power numbers are impossible to ignore. He also played in all 162 Brewers games last year.
  
• Ian Kinsler, 2B - 8 points
  Injuries and a weak batting average have bumped Kinsler out of the first round in most mocks, but he's still a potentially explosive player. Don't give him a bonus for playing second base, though; the position is stronger now than it's been in years.
  
• Jimmy Rollins, SS - 8 points
  Rollins was the other side of the aforementioned Lester trade. Apparently Rollins had one of the most noticeably unlucky BABIPs in baseball last year, so his .250 average was likely an anomaly. Look for closer to .275 in 2010, with plenty of runs and steals.
  
• Matt Kemp, OF - 10 points
  Kemp vaulted himself into the first round of most drafts with a great power/speed combo performance. If he gets moved into a more favorable lineup spot next year (he had 350 ABs in the 6-8 slots), his run production could put him into top three discussions.
  
• Carlos Lee, OF - 4 points
  Lee's hitting is still there, but his baserunning seems to be deteriorating, both in the forms of steals and runs. A reversal of fortune isn't impossible, but projecting more than 80 runs seems silly.
  
• Zack Greinke, SP - 9 points
  The AL Cy Young overcame confidence issues to have one of the best seasons by a pitcher this decade. Who knew that a guy could have a 2.16 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 242 strikeouts and still be uncomfortable. Chip up, brother. You're the man.
  
• Clayton Kershaw, SP - 7 points
  Kershaw managed just 8 wins last season despite great numbers, owing partly due to the fact that he went seven or more innings in just 8 of his 30 starts. If he can get deeper into games, even if it sacrifices some of his strikeouts, he can be a superstar.
  

Feisty Mosquitoes

• Justin Morneau, 1B - 7 points
  Morneau seems to have trouble putting together both power and batting average in the same season. In fact, the only time he's ever combined a .275+ average with 25+ home runs was his MVP 2006 season. If he matches them up again, another MVP might be in the works.
  
• Brandon Phillips, 2B - 7 points
  Phillips has quietly had three straight 20/20 seasons, and last year he added in a career 98 RBI. Cincinnati may not be a hitter's paradise, but I can see Phillips having another very good season.
  
• Ryan Zimmerman, 3B - 8 points
  Zimmerman had a completely predictable breakout in 2009, and if there's any development at all by the lineup around him, he could be in line for 120 runs and 120 RBI.
  
• Troy Tulowitzki, SS - 10 points
  Everything bounced back about Tulowitzki in 2009, and he's now going in the first round of many drafts. If he can reproduce his numbers from last year, he'll be well worth the investment.
  
• Carl Crawford, OF - 9 points
  Mark it down, 2009 was just another great year by Carl Crawford. Mark it down. I'll wait.
  
• Justin Upton, OF - 7 points
  Upton is probably the sexiest pick in most fantasy baseball drafts this year, as just about everyone expects him to develop into an elite player. Just go compare his numbers to Shin-Soo Choo, though, and you'll see that the expert community is wrong about one of them; they're either too excited about Upton, or not excited enough about Choo.
  
• Adam Lind, OF - 5 points
  Hopefully Lind is the next Shawn Green, and not the next Pat Burrell. Either is possible, though.
  
• CC Sabathia, SP - 9 points
  While New York didn't see nearly as dominant a CC as Milwaukee did, they got one of the best pitchers in the junior circuit. Additionally, his performance was right in line with his career numbers, so you can justifiably expect similar numbers in 2010.
  

Totals (in order)

1. Riders of Rohan - 65 points
   Makes sense, though, right? I'm the one doing the rankings, so I'm inevitably going to like my guys a little bit more. Still, I think any reviewer would put my squad in the top 3 or 4.
2. Feisty Mosquitoes - 62 points
   Last year's champion still has a damn good team.
3. Stewies SexyParties - 60 points
   All that top-end talent will keep Stewie competitive for a long time.
4. Huber Heights Heroes - 59 points
   It's possible that on a functional level, the Heroes would be number one, since the points they "lose" based on their players' low batting averages are less meaningful than they would be to other teams.
5. Akron Pronks - 54 points
   He's got Lincecum and a bunch of guys at 6 or 7. The math makes sense.
6. Mercer AutoWreckers - 52 points
   Slowly but surely, the AutoWreckers are undoing the damage of some of their more tragic trades.
7. Vandelay Industries - 51 points
   With solid keepers and a good draft position, Vandelay put themselves in a position to compete.
8. The Usual Suspects - 50 points
   Naturally, the Suspects' draft looks nothing like a regular draft. To their credit, it's top-heavy, and they maintained a solid keeper list.
   
9. Cleveland Enforcers - 49 points
   The Enforcers' list would've rated in the top three last year. It's a risk/reward list, with the most potential for a rebound in value next season.
10. DamKnights - 48 points
    One thing you can be sure of, with the DamKnights' keepers, they're going to hit .300.
11. Those Guys - 45 points
    Though their keepers rank fairly low, there's enough potential and talent here to field a solid team...in 2011. They culled most of their draft to put together a solid keeper list.
12. Dunedain Rangers - 39 points
    Sort of the opposite of Those Guys, they traded their top two pitchers in the middle of 2009 for extra 1st and 2nd picks in 2010. They even re-acquired Dan Haren at a slight discount. Could be one of the big movers for next year's list.
    

Sweet 16 Bracket

Yahoo's got a Second Chance Tournament Bracket that we can use to run our Sweet 16 bracket. Click here to join.

Bold MLB Predictions 2010

American League

AL East: New York Yankees - Both Hughes and Joba spend time setting up Rivera. Yanks end with a 108 win season.
AL Central: Detroit Tigers - A sober Cabrera drives in 115+. Tigers win central by 5+ games
AL West: Seattle Mariners - Loss of Vlad (LAA) and a lack of pitching (Tex) leaves Seattle at the top of the division with all three finishing within 5 games of one another.
AL Wild Card: Boston Red Sox - A great rotation of Lackey, Lester, Beckett keeps them around Wild Card until deadline deal brings in Adrian Gonzalez.

AL Surprise: Baltimore Orioles - Led by their young talented outfield the O's finish third in the AL East and get to .500
AL Disappointment: Tampa Bay Rays - A slow start due to injuries leads to Tampa trading Crawford at the deadline. Never able to get back on track Rays finish 4th in AL East.

AL MVP: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
AL CY Young: Felix Hernandez, Mariners
AL ROY: Austin Jackson, Tigers

AL Champion: Boston Red Sox

National League

NL East: Atlanta Braves - Hudson, Lowe, and Glaus all have bounce back years. Heyward has solid rookie season and Chipper plays 130 games.
NL Central: St. Louis Cardinals - A full year of Holliday and Pujols together and development of second year player Rasmus leads to great offensive numbers for the Cards.
NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers - Young stars Ethier and Kemp continue to improve. This combined with a motivated Manny leads them to division title.
NL Wild Card: Philadelphia Phillies - Slow start but way too much talent. Hamels pitches like its 2008.

NL Surprise: Pittsburgh Pirates - A fast start leads to the Pirates being in second place at the end of April. Alvarez, a June 1st call up, gets serious ROY consideration and leads Pirates to a 72 win season.
NL Disappointment: San Francisco Giants - Wear on Lincecum starts to show. His two trips to DL derails quick start to the season as Giants fall out of contention.

NL MVP: Ryan Howard, Phillies
NL CY Young: Yovani Gallardo, Brewers
NL ROY: Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (Wins 10 games after May call up)

NL Champion: Los Angeles Dodgers

World Series Champions: Boston Red Sox

Apparently, March Is as Mad as Ever

So, you remember last week how I said, among other things, that talent generally bears out in the tournament? Well, either these lower seeded teams are more talented than I realized (not impossible), or I was simply wrong about how today's NCAA championship bracket plays out. The whole weekend was a kind of upset special, with particular shockers happening on Thursday and Saturday.

• Early Thursday, #13 Murray State hit a buzzer-beater to knock off #4 Vanderbilt, and the avalanche had begun. Before the day was over, two #6's and #3 Georgetown would all fall victim to upsets.
  
  
• Friday was mostly upset-free, but Ivy League champions Cornell blew #5 Temple out of the building.
  
  
• Saturday, the first #1 seed fell as Kansas lost to #9 Northern Iowa. Washington proved that the Pac-10 was under-estimated as they shrugged off their 11-seed and laid the lumber to #3 New Mexico. And as boldly predicted by ESPN's Digger Phelps, #10 St. Mary's kept Villanova on their heels all game, eventually pulling off the upset.
  
  
• On Sunday, things almost came back down to earth, but #12 Cornell ran roughshod over Wisconsin to make the Sweet 16, and #6 Xavier bounced #3 Pittsburgh in the battle of teams that most frequently disappoint their fans in the tournament. Don't count on the Musketeers to give Kansas State any trouble next round.
  

The best game of the weekend had to be #4 Maryland vs. #5 Michigan State on Sunday afternoon. The Spartans had the lead most of the game, often double-digits, but late in the second half, ACC Player of the Year Greivis Vasquez turned it on and brought his team all the way back. What followed was a series of back-and-forths with the lead changing hands several times. Vasquez made an off-balance runner with six seconds left to put the Terrapins up one, but those six seconds were too much time, as Michigan State was able to run back down the floor and nail a three-pointer at the buzzer to advance. It was disappointing, because it would've been nice for Maryland to have a deep run, but still a satisfying game to watch.

What can we take away from this weekend of insanity? Well, on a personal level, I wish I had watched a little more college basketball so that some of these upsets would have more weight to them. If I had watched Kansas a few times and appreciated how good they really are, the upset might have been more gratifying. And perhaps watching some Villanova games might have allowed me to see their front-court deficiencies, allowing me to make the same kind of prediction that Phelps made about St. Mary's.

More importantly, now that we've all watched some college basketball, and we think we know these tournament teams, let's do a Sweet 16 bracket. Post your predictions as a comment. Give your Elite Eight teams, then your Final Four teams, then your championship matchup and the victor.

To give you an example, here are my Sweet 16 predictions:

Elite Eight
Michigan State
Tennessee
Syracuse
Kansas State
Kentucky
Washington
Duke
Baylor

Final Four
Michigan State
Syracuse
Kentucky
Baylor

Championship
Syracuse
Kentucky

NCAA Champion
Kentucky

Wager? I'll leave that up for discussion. Could be money, could be a dare, or something else. Something really cool that I don't even know about.

MLB Predictions - 2010

American League

AL East: New York Yankees - How can you pick against them?
AL Central: Chicago White Sox - Rios and Pierre should give their lineup a jolt.
AL West: Anaheim Angels - I'm not sold on Seattle's "defense" moves just yet.
AL Wild Card: Tampa Bay Rays - One last hurrah with Crawford.

AL Champion: New York Yankees

AL MVP: Mark Teixeira, Yankees
AL Cy Young: Jake Peavy, White Sox
AL ROY: Brian Matusz, Orioles

---

National League

NL East: Philadelphia Phillies - Halladay will probably win 25 games.
NL Central: Milwaukee Brewers - Although I don't think Randy Wolf will be the difference.
NL West: San Francisco Giants - Pitching wins championships?
NL Wild Card: St. Louis Cardinals - Swap them with the Brewers if Carpenter can stay healthy.

NL Champion: San Francisco Giants

NL MVP: Ryan Braun, Brewers
NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Phillies
NL ROY: Jason Heyward, Braves

---

World Series Champion: New York Yankees

Drafting For Wins

Fantasy baseball is a funny thing. I'm in a competitive, 12-team keeper league that's been running since 2004, and I've got one championship and another season in which I finished in second place. But for the life of me, I can't figure out how to get wins. In six years, only once have I finished any better than 9th in wins, and that year I finished 6th, the year I took home the title. I've never eked into the top five in wins, making it seem less like an anomaly and more like a problem.

So, naturally, I came up with a list of ways to try to fix this problem. Six ways, in fact, which I've sorted from most important to least important, and which I've tried to take into account during my off-season and draft. Now that the draft has concluded, I'll share with you my logic, and give some examples of players that suit the examples (players on my roster will be bolded).

1. Talent
   (examples: Tim Lincecum, Zack Greinke, Roy Halladay)
   First and foremost, the best pitchers are the most likely to get wins. The reason being, of course, that they tend to give up the fewest runs, and put their offenses in a position to be able to score enough runs to win. Moreover, drafting pitchers who aren't the best available is a surefire way to get yourself into trouble quickly. I generally used talent as the main determining factor, and went to the subsequent factors when talent was very close.
2. Winning Teams
   (examples: Jon Lester, Javier Vazquez, Scott Kazmir)
   Teams that are perennially successful will put their pitchers into positions to win more games. The logic is simple, but it's something that I've let slip my mind in the past. This year, I traded for Jon Lester and drafted Scott Kazmir, hoping that their teams' successes would continue to provide winning opportunities for starting pitchers.
3. Frequent Favorable Opponents (aka the Central divisions)
   (examples: Adam Wainwright, Jake Peavy, Max Scherzer)
   Sort of a partner to #2, if you draft a starter who pitches against below average teams often, he's more likely to win games. The AL Central boasted two 65-win teams (Cleveland and Kansas City), and four of the six teams in the NL Central finished below .500. The logic here also follows with spot-starters. If Jeff Francis has a start against the Padres coming up, maybe grab him for that game. Of course, I've used that logic in past seasons, and it's blown up in my face as often as not, but something to keep in mind at least.
4. Innings Eaters
   (examples: Cliff Lee, James Shields, Bronson Arroyo)
   This concept is based on the idea that the more innings you pitch, the greater your opportunity for wins, as per the rules of baseball. And, generally, if your pitcher pitches a lot of innings, he's pitching well enough to win most of the time. I didn't end up taking a specific "innings eater," but I've got plenty of guys who pitch enough.
5. Great Bullpens
   (examples: Daisuke Matsuzaka, Brett Anderson, A.J. Burnett)
   Through similar logic to the innings eaters, drafting players on teams with great bullpens also should increase your chances at your starter getting a win. You'd like for your starter to be able to hand a lead over to the bullpen and have it hold up for the win. Our two local teams, the Nationals and Orioles, had utterly dismal bullpens last year, and that was part of the reason their pitchers were mostly un-ownable (another part was that they mostly weren't any good).
6. Pitchers' Parks
   (examples: Jonathan Sanchez, Kevin Correia, Rick Porcello)
   Getting a guy who spends his home games in a pitcher's park is always favorable. The problem, though, is that it favors the pitchers for both teams. This can put your pitcher's supporting offense in just as undesirable a situation as your opponent's. Going with a pitcher's park is much more conducive to finding low ERA and WHIP numbers for your pitching staff, rather than wins.
   

So how did my pitching staff shape up after trying to revitalize my approach towards acquiring some wins? Well, I think it's pretty good, actually. Below is my full list of starting pitchers, along with the round they were taken in (adding our 8 keeper rounds to get a more usable number for all of you who aren't in our league; K for keeper), and ESPN's projected statistics for them.

• Zack Greinke (K) - 15 wins, 223 Ks, 3.00/1.19
  
• Jon Lester (K) - 18 wins, 209 Ks, 3.23/1.22
  
• Clayton Kershaw (K) - 8 wins, 211 Ks, 3.31/1.22
  
• Max Scherzer (12) - 10 wins, 177 Ks, 3.78/1.31
  
• Scott Kazmir (13) - 12 wins, 142 Ks, 3.95/1.31
  
• Jonathan Sanchez (15) -12 wins, 210 Ks, 4.18/1.41
  
• Phil Hughes (18) - 13 wins, 146 Ks, 3.74/1.29

First off, I'm not sure how you can project Kershaw to pitch well enough to put up all those other numbers playing for the Dodgers and only get eight wins. Eleven or twelve I could see, but eight just seems silly; last year's performance had to be an aberration...right?

Scherzer is kind of a question mark, though I like the fact that he'll play Cleveland and Kansas City several times this season. I'm expecting a bounce back season from Kazmir, who pitched lights out in his brief stint in Anaheim at the end of 2009. Sanchez basically just seemed like a guy who had far too much strikeout potential to leave on the board any longer. Plus he's got San Francisco as a home ballpark, not too shabby.

Phil Hughes could be the linchpin. If he can make the rotation and pitch effectively, he'll be in one of the better situations out there, with a very solid bullpen and of course an elite offense backing him up.

Two things I didn't take into account but I'm going to watch this year, and consider incorporating next year:

Defense
For the most part, I'll be looking at Seattle, since they're lauded as having made several defense-first moves in the offseason. But I'll also look at the whole league and find the best defenses and see how their starters fared.

Rotation Spot
Obviously the very elite pitchers are aces, and you'll find some very good #2 pitchers out there. But theoretically, a high caliber pitcher who's slotted as the #3 or #4 starter will frequently have favorable pitching matchups, giving his offense more chances to give him run support. Jonathan Sanchez could be a beneficiary of a favorable rotation spot this season. Again, it's something I'll look at as the season goes on.

This was a fun mental exercise, and I feel pretty good about its potential to help my team. I've got a couple of other ideas for next year, too, to chase other statistics. Keep tuning in.

March Madness - Jake and Amir

Even if you're not a huge fan of March Madness, these videos are a riot.

http://www.jakeandamir.com/search/march

NHL MVP 2010 - Is It Even Close Right Now?

Despite his lapses in judgment with regards to checking, Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals is far and away the NHL's best offensive player, statistically.

You'll find people (particularly in western Pennsylvania) who suggest that Sidney Crosby should win it, but the statistical disparity between the two players is staggering. Crosby/Ovechkin are 1/2 in goals scored (at 45 and 44, respectively). Ovechkin leads the NHL in total points (96, 9 more than Crosby) and +/- (41, +30 above Crosby). Add on top of that the fact that Ovechkin is the most important and best player for the best team in hockey (101 points, a full 14 points above Crosby's currently second-seeded Penguins), and there's simply no way any other skater can be rated above Ovechkin. Oh, and Ovechkin missed 8 games, so if he keeps up his goal-scoring pace, he'll pass Crosby before the year is over, too.

Henrik Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks has also had a great season thus far, but ranks behind Ovechkin in virtually every offensive category other than assists. He's earned a mention in the discussion, but won't be winning the award.

Ryan Miller, who many of us really just came to know with his Olympic heroics, deserves equal consideration for the Hart Trophy, as the NHL's MVP. Buffalo currently leads the Northeast division, despite having no players in the top 25 in goals scored or points scored. Miller is first in save percentage and second in goals-against-average. But the Hart Trophy generally goes to a skater, and Miller hasn't distanced himself from other excellent goalies (such as Ilya Bryzgalov, Miikka Kiprusoff, and Evgeni Nabokov) enough to warrant a change of that. And remember, this is the NHL's MVP award, not hockey's MVP award. Miller's performance in the Olympics doesn't (and shouldn't) be a factor. He earned and received the Olympic MVP award for his outstanding play in the Vancouver games.

I'm not a hockey fanatic, nor would I consider myself a hockey expert. But at this point in the season, with a dozen games to go, it sure seems like Ovechkin is a no-brainer to receive his third consecutive Hart Trophy.

Top 5 Best-Developed Cartoon Characters

Cartoon television shows are a larger part of today's popular culture than I think people grasp. To try to illustrate this, here's my Top 5 Best-Developed Cartoon Characters (based on my own lifetime and experiences). There's also another point I want to make on this subject, but I'll do it after the list.

5. Eric Cartman, South Park

From his hatred of hippies to his lust for authori-tah, we've seen quite a bit of what makes Cartman tick. He's been the featured character on South Park from the very beginning, always the most compelling (and funniest). He also offers the most frequent social commentaries in the show, acting as Trey Parker and Matt Stone's little political machine.

4. Peter Griffin, Family Guy

I actually think we've got a pretty good grasp on the depth of Peter Griffin; there's just not all that much there. Seth McFarlane took the concept of Homer Simpson, magnified the stupidity, and eliminated pretty much everything else. But he's got a whole mess of quotes and one of the most recognizable laughs in the world. Is it possible that Family Guy is the American version of the fake Extras TV show "When The Whistle Blows?" Think about it.

3. Marge Simpson, The Simpsons

Of course Homer Simpson is #1, but over the course of the 20+ seasons of The Simpsons, we've come to know Marge and Homer as one of the more enduring and (surprisingly) realistic couples on television. They deal with legitimate problems, albeit in wild and wacky ways, like infidelity, financial problems, gambling, alcoholism, and raising a family. Our understanding of Marge is really just in those two regards (wife and mother), but it's extensive. And while I'd pick my mom over anyone else's, you could do worse than having Marge as your mother.

2. Stewie Griffin, Family Guy

Stewie has become the star of the show, offering the highest LPMs (laughs per minute) of pretty much anyone on television. But through the various experiences of Stewie, we've found more than just a baby that talks like an adult. He's dealt with a hard-swinging love/hate relationship with his mother, had a bout with alcoholism, and (sometimes) attempted to hide his homosexual tendencies. And try this on for size: the most famous gay fictional character in American culture might be a cartoon baby. So, in case you were wondering why the world thinks we're fucked up, there it is.

1. Homer Simpson, The Simpsons

He's basically got all the development that Marge has as far as a family man, but we've also seen Homer extensively in his work and social environments. Through 20+ seasons of animated mayhem, we've seen Homer in a thousand different situations. While his stupidity has ranged from childish to dense to oblivious to downright brain-dead, I'd venture to say we all feel like we know him. And although we wouldn't really want Homer as our father, we've seen his redeeming qualities and not just his flaws. Remember? The one thing he could offer Marge that other guys couldn't: complete and utter dependence. See? Redeeming.

So what's interesting about this list? All five of these people are, for the most part, physically unattractive. Three of them are fat guys. Compare that to the ratio of fat people in standard, live action television, and you'll find that fat people are either over-represented in cartoons or under-represented in live action television shows. Walk down any street in the country and you'll see that it's an under-representation.

In last summer's "The Hangover," Zach Galifianakis was often called a fat guy. He's not skinny, but he's not really all that fat either. He's just noticeably thicker than the average American actor. Ricky Gervais uses his unexceptional physique as a point of humor as well, and while he is completely unexceptional, he's not a true fatty. And of course, if you've ever seen Dan Castellaneta (voice of Homer) in real life, he's a skinny guy. People who aren't really fat are using fat jokes as if they were, and it's unfair. Get your own jokes, marginally overweight guys.

Are there successful fat actors? Of course. John Goodman is a heavyweight in both senses of the word. Jonah Hill has had an up and down beginning to his career, but he's certainly been solid. Jorge Garcia has become one of the most (only?) endearing characters on ABC's super-hit Lost. But when you look at "headliner" level actors, or even B-list actors who are the stars of their own TV shows, you'll only very rarely find heavy people. Roseanne was a particular anomaly, with a cast that was perfectly middle-America. And at least for a while, the show kicked ass, too.

I guess what I'm saying with all of this is that it seems strange that main characters in cartoons can be as fat as we want, but for live action shows, the main characters had better wear medium shirts. I wouldn't mind seeing an overweight main character/hero sometime, Hollywood.

What Does March Mean For The Slightly Less Mad?

I like the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament. I even used to get a little insane for it, creating journals of the impact players for each team and watching games every waking hour. I don't regret putting that time in, either, because college basketball was in its heyday when I was a youth. Some specific memories? Well, sure, I've got a few:

• Joe Smith helps Gary Williams take Maryland to the Sweet Sixteen and a 26-8 record in his first season on the job.
  
• Marcus Camby leads an upstart UMass team past my dad's alma mater Georgetown on their way to the Final Four in 1996.
• I watched UConn beat Duke in 1999 with the girl who would end up being my first girlfriend (hey, we remember what we remember).

But these days, I'm not quite so crazy about March. There's nothing wrong with the tournament; it's still a great format, and a ton of fun for people who like college basketball, or just like their alma maters, or just like gambling. The problem for me is that I don't really fall into any of those categories.

College basketball is entertaining enough, I suppose, but for all the points that are scored and plays that are made, basketball feels surprisingly slow to me. There seems to be an inordinate amount of dead time, particularly in the college game with a 35-second shot clock. And it's no surprise that basketball has become notorious for having no drama until the last five minutes. That's the point that fans can see strategies play out and plays drawn up. The problem, of course, is that if the game isn't within a few points, you see desperation fouls and bad shots at the end of the game. It's frustrating to see the worst basketball played at the most dramatic point in the game.

Regarding alma maters, maybe I'd be more into basketball if I went to Maryland or Pittsburgh or Georgetown, but I went to Penn State. The Nittany Lions, NIT champions last year, finished this year 11-20 and just 3-15 in the Big Ten. They have exactly one signature win in the past twenty years: a second-round upset of North Carolina in the 2001 NCAA Tournament. That puts them on par with teams like Wichita State and Hampton. But to be fair, I'm not rabid about Penn State football either, so it can't all be that the Lions stink.

Gambling is alright from time to time, but I can't usually bring myself to gamble on something I don't care about. And that's why I'll be losing $40 when the Washington Wizards don't win the Eastern Conference this year. Probably should've just bet on the Caps.

Has the lure of the NBA and its money sapped college basketball of top-tier talent? I'd say that's probably true. But I think that we were less aware of it when high school players immediately went into the draft. Players who had the option of going straight to the NBA out of high school and chose instead to go to college seemed to be more interested in college basketball, seemed to stay longer, and helped to create more of an identity for their universities.

I don't think forcing young players to spend a year in college (or in the case of Brandon Jennings, overseas) improves college basketball. I think it hinders the ability of coaches to imprint themselves on a team, and instead you see the most talented teams be successful, because chemistry and coaching aren't as much of a factor with teams that play 28 games together. That's why Kentucky is my pick to win it all. Not because John Calipari is a superior coach, but because he's a superior recruiter. In today's NCAA basketball, more often than not, the talent will bear out.

So, while I'm sure I'll watch my share of tournament basketball in 2010, I'm once again expecting to spend more time focused on baseball spring training, and tweaking my fantasy baseball roster getting ready for opening day, and trying to analyze the Washington Redskins offseason moves (or, so far, the lack thereof). I guess I'd better fill out a bracket all the same, though. It wouldn't be March if I didn't.

Little Hockey Trash Talk

Todd Bertuzzi's hit on Steve Morse is widely regarded as one of the most brutal acts in hockey history:



And then there's this...



They're not the same, since one occurred after fights had broken out, and the other instigated a series of fights. But they're less different than I think people have suggested.

Is He A Keeper? - AL West, 2010

Anaheim Angels

No-brainers

• Bobby Abreu, OF
  

Keepers

• Torii Hunter, OF - I always say no at first, then I look at his stats, and have to give it more though. If he can somehow repeat his career-high .299 batting average from last year, he's a top 10 OF.
• Kendry Morales, 1B - Another year like 2009 and he's a no-brainer, but there's always a chance that he's a one-hit wonder.
• Jered Weaver, SP - Did he finally start to realize his colossal potential last year, or is he just teasing us before he goes back to a 1.35 WHIP?

Non-keepers

• Maicer Izturis, 2B/SS(/3B) - If he gets regular playing time, he might play himself into a 2011 keeper list, but with Kendrick, Erick Aybar, and Brandon Wood, he's probably destined for 400-450 at-bats.
  
• Scott Kazmir, SP - He only gets a mention because he was lights out for the Angels at the end of last season. If he can recapture some of the old magic, he could be a great find.
  
• Howie Kendrick, 2B - He projects out well, but he's had such trouble staying healthy and consistent that I don't think you can't invest a keeper slot in him. He's definitely intriguing, though.
• Joel Pineiro, SP - I invested a high pick in Pineiro back in 2004. I won't get fooled again. (Cue crazy drums and/or CSI)
  
• Juan Rivera, OF - No, but the talent is there to take one more step forward and match stats with Morales.
  

Oakland Athletics

No-brainers
(none)

Keepers

• Andrew Bailey, RP - The 2009 AL ROY gives the A's their only keeper-worthy player. And even this one is close; despite his dominant performance, the list of one-and-done closers is long and fraught with disappointment.
  

Non-keepers

• Brett Anderson, SP - He's one of the most talked about guys on sleeper and prospect lists among fantasy experts, but you have to think of a keeper list as your first eight picks in a dynasty league. I just couldn't see drafting him that high.
  
• Jake Fox, 3B - On another team, he probably doesn't get a mention, but the A's are thin, and I have to talk about someone here. He's an up-and-comer, but probably will have trouble cracking any starting lineups this year.
• Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B - He's got a good name at least.
• Ben Sheets, SP - He's not. He's just not.
  

Seattle Mariners

No-brainers

• Chone Figgins, 3B
  
• Felix Hernandez, SP
• Cliff Lee, SP
  
• Ichiro Suzuki, OF
  

Keepers
(none)

Non-keepers

• David Aardsma, RP - Aside from a few outings in the dog days of summer, Aardsma was sensational as a fill-in closer. Plus his name is first alphabetically. Still, he's an unproven closer, so not a keeper.
  
• Franklin Gutierrez, OF - His numbers look alright, but I generally use Randy Winn as a cautionary tale in these situations. A slight uptick and he's a keeper, but a slight downtick and he's a drain on your squad.
• Jose Lopez, 2B/1B - If he can prove his power bump was legit, 25 HR and 96 RBI is extremely good at 2B. Just don't draft him to play him at first. You can do better.
• Ryan Rowland-Smith, SP - It seems like he can clearly pitch, but a low strikeout rate means he'll never break a keeper list.
  

Texas Rangers

No-brainers

• Ian Kinsler, 2B
  

Keepers

• Elvis Andrus, SS - You'd like to see him boost his HR or AVG in 2010, but he showed enough speed to at least merit consideration for a keeper spot. And of course, the upside is Jimmy Rollins.
  
• Nelson Cruz, OF - Cruz is one of the toughest guys to project for 2010. I've seen him projected at anywhere from 20 HR and 12 steals to 35 HR and 28 steals. If he falls in the middle (say, 28 HR and 20 SB), he's worth carrying.
• Michael Young, 3B - He posted his highest batting average and HR total since 2005. While he loses SS eligibility this year, he's still a reliable bat and a solid producer across all five categories.
  

Non-keepers

• Chris Davis, 1B/3B - We had such high hopes for Davis last year, but he seemed to have trouble finding the ball at the plate, striking out 150 times in just 391 at-bats. He's optimistic about 2010 and so are the Rangers, but optimism won't put a trophy in your case.
• Neftali Feliz, RP - If we knew that Feliz would be in the rotation, he'd be in the running for a potential keeper slot. But Texas (inexplicably) wants to keep him in the bullpen for now. So play it cool.
  
• Frank Francisco, RP - As a first-time closer, he was solid but not spectacular. Well, except for his blown saves; he gave up 15 combined runs in his four blown saves. Ouch.
  
• Vladimir Guerrero, DH - Guerrero really couldn't have gone to a better place to put a bow on his career, but I still don't think it'll be enough to bring him all the way back to a keeper list. Draft him, though, if your utility spot is open.
  
• Josh Hamilton, OF - He's really just had one huge half of baseball so far. I think you have to look at him early and often come draft time, but I'd be wary of keeping him, after he's shown an ability to be just an average power hitter.
• Rich Harden, SP - Last year was a rough one for Harden and his owners. He was mostly healthy (though he still missed a few starts), but he was surprisingly not terribly good. He'll likely provide a good K rate and improve on his ERA and WHIP from last year, but you should probably be skeptical enough to ignore him early in the draft.
  

Is He A Keeper? - AL Central, 2010

Chicago White Sox

No-brainers
(none)

Keepers

• Gordon Beckham, 3B - He'll be a second baseman before too long, and his numbers project out to a top five 2B option.
  
• Jake Peavy, SP - He was quietly very good in his three starts for Chicago last year. The talent is all there to be a great pitcher again.
  
• Alexei Ramirez, SS - I see more of 2008 in his future than 2009, which means he's a power/speed guy with a .290+ batting average. At shortstop, I'll take that.
  

Non-keepers

• Mark Buehrle, SP - He's good, just not good enough. Go draft him as your third or fourth starter, though, and you'll be pleased.
  
• John Danks, SP - He wasn't a keeper last year, and he took a small step backwards in 2009. So, again, not a keeper.
  
• Bobby Jenks, RP - No no no no no.
  
• Paul Konerko, 1B - Too much of a wild card, but he'll definitely give you some pop. He'll also definitely suck in May (career in May: .231 average, .713 OPS).
  
• Juan Pierre, OF - He'll have an opportunity to play every day, but he'd have to completely recapture his highest career performances to be keeper-worthy, because he's got no power at all.
• Carlos Quentin, OF - The power was still there, but his average took a nosedive. I expect a marginal turnaround, but his best comparison is probably Pat Burrell.
  
• Alex Rios, OF - His 2009 seems like it could be a blip, but he was so bad in his brief time in Chicago that you can't justify keeping him.
  

Cleveland Indians

No-brainers
(none)

Keepers

• Shin-Soo Choo, OF - Choo had a nice little season that nobody noticed. He could be a guy who regresses and makes everyone regret keeping/drafting him (see Corey Hart), but he could be a nice power/speed guy who anchors your outfield.
  
• Grady Sizemore, OF - Here's hoping that his subpar 2009 was a result of injury and happenstance, and that he's back and better than ever in 2010. He's still just 27, so it's not crazy to think he can get better.
  

Non-keepers

• Russell Branyan, 1B - You can't. You just can't.
  
• Asdrubal Cabrera, SS/2B - He's a nice player who can give you depth at both middle infield spots, but doesn't do enough for you in power or speed to warrant keeping him.
• Travis Hafner, 1B - He quietly bounced back a little bit from his horrid 2008. Not enough to keep him, but enough to keep an eye on him.
  

Detroit Tigers

No-brainers

• Miguel Cabrera, 1B
  

Keepers

• Johnny Damon, OF - I guess? He's a prime candidate for a drop-off, as he hit 17 of his 24 HR at Yankee Stadium last year. But occasionally that doesn't matter, and it's not like Detroit has a bad lineup.
• Jose Valverde, RP - Valverde was a tough guy to evaluate for a while, and I still have trouble trusting him, but apparently he's good. He'll have more save opportunities and a bigger park to work with in Detroit.
  
• Justin Verlander, SP - He's been inconsistent over his career, but last year he was consistently dominant. He should be good again, we hope.
  

Non-keepers

• Brandon Inge, 3B - Check this out: .268, 21 HR, 58 RBI before the All-Star break, .186, 6 HR, 26 RBI afterward. He's also not catcher-eligible anymore. Thus ends the Inge fantasy baseball experiment.
  
• Magglio Ordonez, OF - His power seems to have dissipated almost completely, so you can't keep him. He's alright for outfield depth, though.
• Rick Porcello, SP - He had a nice rookie season, and could develop into a #3 fantasy starter. But he'll probably never strike out enough guys to merit being kept.
• Max Scherzer, SP - Sort of like Porcello, except that Scherzer already does strike out enough guys. He just needs to pitch better.
  

Kansas City Royals

No-brainers

• Zack Greinke, SP
  

Keepers

• Billy Butler, 1B - Had a great second half, and he's got the hitting pedigree to expect even more going forward. But you may see him as a UT-only player in the future; he's just ghastly in the field.
• Joakim Soria, RP - He's getting to be one of the most productive and reliable closers out there. Just think what he'd do for a team that won more than 75 games, like, ever.
  

Non-keepers

• Scott Podsednik, OF - No, but the fact that he's being mentioned again as a potential keeper is a sign of how far back he's come. Congrats, Scottie.
  

Minnesota Twins

No-brainers

• Joe Mauer, C

Keepers

• Justin Morneau, 1B - It'd be nice if he could partner a .300 with 30+ HR like he did in his MVP 2006 season, but he's a keeper regardless.
• Joe Nathan, RP - One of the best closers in baseball, year in and year out. He's 35, though, so his window may be closing.
  

Non-keepers

• Scott Baker, SP - He's already 28, so it's probably too late to expect a big step forward. He's useful, but not particularly valuable.
• Michael Cuddyer, OF/1B - His production has been unreliable, and he'll probably never hit .300, but he should probably be a starter in any league as long as he's healthy.
• J.J. Hardy, SS - He wasn't a keeper off of back-to-back 24+ HR, 74+ RBI seasons. A season of 11 HR and 47 RBI (with a .229 average) isn't going to boost his value.
  
• Jim Thome, DH - Not a keeper, but I love the move for Minnesota. Give Thome a chance to beat up on his old teams.
  
• Delmon Young, OF - Yuck. He was a 10-10 guy who stopped stealing bases. Go find your .284 average somewhere else.
  

Is He A Keeper? - AL East, 2010

Baltimore Orioles

No-brainers

• Brian Roberts, 2B
  

Keepers

• Nick Markakis, OF - Looks like he's going to get 100 runs and 100 RBI every year, with a high average and power and speed. Keeper.
• Matt Wieters, C - The potential is elite level, and he had a sizzling September.
  

Non-keepers

• Mike Gonzalez, RP - He was a matchup guy in Atlanta, and I don't expect him to be able to translate 2.40 and 1.20 to the AL East when he's facing equal amounts righties and lefties. Could be a candidate for biggest disappointment in fantasy baseball.
  
• Adam Jones, OF - He's got no-brainer potential, but that's all it is right now. Plus his second half was just horrible. I still like him long-term, though.
• Brian Matusz, SP - Not yet, but keep an eye on him. He could be one of several Orioles starting pitchers to become keepers sooner than you think.
• Nolan Reimold, OF - I think he's going to be an exciting player, but the depth charts I'm looking at have Felix Pie above him. You can't keep a guy who might not play every day.
• Miguel Tejada, SS - Not a keeper, but he'll be 3B/SS eligible a couple weeks in, and if he can hit .310 and produce runs again, he'll be valuable for some team.
  

Boston Red Sox

No-brainers

• Jacoby Ellsbury, OF
• Jon Lester, SP
  
• Victor Martinez, C/1B
• Jonathan Papelbon, RP
  
• Dustin Pedroia, 2B
• Kevin Youkilis, 1B/3B
  

Keepers

• Josh Beckett, SP - Rebounded after a horrid April to put together a nice season. You have to wonder, though, if he'll ever be as dominant in the regular season as he's been in the postseason.
• John Lackey, SP - He's missed several starts each of the past two seasons, but if he can stay healthy, he should be very productive.

Non-keepers

• Clay Buchholz, SP - Hasn't been able to put together a whole season of productivity since his no-hitter as a rookie in 2007. But he finished strong last year, so keep an eye on him all the same.
  
• J.D. Drew, OF - Only Red Sox fans need to be told he's not a keeper, but in case there are any of you out there...he's not a keeper.
• David Ortiz, 1B - He's dropped off a lot, and become virtually useless against left-handed pitching. I smell a platoon.
  
• Marco Scutaro, SS - He set career highs in R, AVG, HR, and SB in 2009. Uncle Andy Behrens says to never pay for a career year.
  

New York Yankees

No-brainers

• Derek Jeter, SS
  
• Alex Rodriguez, 3B
• CC Sabathia, SP
  
• Mark Teixeira, 1B
  

Keepers

• Robinson Cano, 2B - He's kind of up-and-down from year to year, but in a stacked lineup, a guy who can hit .340 is almost always going to be a keeper.
  
• Curtis Granderson, OF - An uptick of the batting average and he's right back to no-brainer status, but even if he only hits .255, he's a keeper.
• Mariano Rivera, RP - He's 40 years old, but I can't bring myself to say that I actually think he'll be a disappointment. He's like Hoffman except I trust him more.
  

Non-keepers

• A.J. Burnett, SP - While his strikeouts are always good, he's otherwise unreliable.
  
• Joba Chamberlain, SP - He's just not an exceptional starting pitcher. Toss him back in the bullpen and he's at least interesting, but in the rotation, I'm just not willing to take a chance on him again.
• Phil Hughes, SP - Hughes, like Chamberlain, was a disappointing starter but an exceptional reliever. Someday, one of them might pan out, but in the meantime, only take them with mid-round fliers.
  
• Jorge Posada, C - He might go .300-20-90 this year. But he will turn 39 this year. Too risky.
• Javier Vazquez, SP - I really don't know what to think of Vazquez. He was blisteringly good last year, but his career numbers, specifically those playing for the Yankees, make me nervous. Risk/reward.
  

Tampa Bay Rays

No-brainers

• Carl Crawford, OF
• Evan Longoria, 3B
  

Keepers

• B.J. Upton, OF - He's still got plenty of upside (he's only 25), but I feel like people are still paying for his crazy run in the 2008 playoffs. As long as you only expect 40 steals and 15 HR, you won't be disappointed.
• Jason Bartlett, SS - Finally came into his own last year, proving his trade (along with Matt Garza) for Delmon Young to be a really foolish move by the Twins.
• Rafael Soriano, RP - He's got elite talent, and as a full-time closer, he should be able to double his 43 career saves this season.
  
• Ben Zobrist, 2B/SS/OF - Position flexibility aside, he's got pop at second base. As long as he can hold steady at .300, he'll be a keeper for years to come.
  

Non-keepers

• Wade Davis, SP - I'm always wary of keeping an unproven pitcher, mostly because I'm wary of keeping pitchers altogether. Davis has the pedigree to be great, but he hasn't done enough to warrant being kept.
  
• Matt Garza, SP - It's very close, and he should probably be among the first players drafted after keeper lists are turned in. He's going to make some fantasy owner very happy someday.
  
• Carlos Pena, 1B - The power is there, but so is a steadily declining batting average. If your league uses OBP instead of AVG, then Pena is fine, but not many leagues do. His negative impact on batting average is just too severe.
• James Shields, SP - He's good, just not good enough. He also seemed a lot more hittable last year.
  

Toronto Blue Jays

No-brainers

• Aaron Hill, 2B
  

Keepers

• Adam Lind, OF - It took him a while to hit his stride, but he was always supposed to be a big time hitter. And getting 114 RBI in Toronto is pretty impressive.
  

Non-keepers

• Vernon Wells, OF - Perhaps the worst active contract in baseball. His only competition? Barry Zito.
  

Is He A Keeper? - NL West, 2010

Arizona Diamondbacks

No-brainers

• Dan Haren, SP
  
• Mark Reynolds, 3B/1B
  
• Justin Upton, OF
  

Keepers

• Brandon Webb, SP - He was too productive and too reliable to not think he'll be able to bounce back from his shoulder injury.
  

Non-keepers

• Stephen Drew, SS - He's got pedigree and he turns the magic age of 27 this year, but there's still way too much of a risk of him being more Bobby Crosby than Cal Ripken.
  
• Edwin Jackson, SP - Jackson reminds me of guys like Ryan Dempster or Justin Duchscherer, who had keeper-type seasons, but you just know you shouldn't keep them.
  
• Chad Qualls, RP - He had far too rocky a road to get to his final numbers. Also his final numbers were just okay.
  
• Chris B. Young, OF - He's got the power/speed combo that we look for in potential keepers, but his issues with batting average have gone from bad to worse. Worth a flier, not worth keeping.
  

Colorado Rockies

No-brainers

• Troy Tulowitzki, SS
  

Keepers

• Carlos Gonzalez, OF - One of the very few risks I'm taking in these keeper calls, Gonzalez has the potential to be a really exceptional power/speed guy. And two different teams used him as the cornerstone of huge trades.
• Ubaldo Jimenez, SP - His strikeout rate has always been pretty good, and last year he took leaps forward in learning how to pitch. The upside could put him right there with guys like Lester and Cain.
  

Non-keepers

• Jorge De La Rosa, SP - If Ubaldo Jimenez hadn't learned how to pitch, he'd be De La Rosa.
  
• Dexter Fowler, OF - He's got good speed, but hasn't proven he can contribute anywhere else in the 5x5 system. Draft him, though.
• Brad Hawpe, OF - Hawpe can get you .285, 25 HR, and 90 RBI. And you can get the same stats from twenty other guys.
• Ian Stewart, 3B/2B - The potential for high power output from second base is there, but until he can give you a palatable batting average, he's not worth starting.
• Huston Street, RP - The question isn't talent; it's opportunity and health. I don't keep closers unless they're mortal locks for a good performance.
  

Los Angeles Dodgers

No-brainers

• Jonathan Broxton, RP
• Clayton Kershaw, SP
  
• Matt Kemp, OF
  

Keepers

• Andre Ethier, OF - He's shown the ability to hit for power and hit for average. If he can put them together in the same season, he's as good as Lance Berkman.

Non-keepers

• Chad Billingsley, SP - He still walks way too many guys, and his strikeout rate slipped last season. He can be a keeper, but right now, he isn't.
  
• Rafael Furcal, SS - He doesn't even steal bases anymore. The lineup is so good that there's upside, but not enough.
• Hiroki Kuroda, SP - His strikeout rate isn't good enough to warrant keeper status, but he's definitely someone to draft if you can. His ERA and WHIP are tasty.
  
• James Loney, 1B - Not good enough. He's like Todd Helton except worse across the board.
• Russell Martin, C - One bad season doesn't make Martin an unworthy acquisition, but his value dropped a ton after last year's dismal performance.
  
• Manny Ramirez, OF - While his 2008 was exceptional, he sandwiched it between two just okay seasons. Manny might just be a .290, 25, 90 guy now.
  

San Diego Padres

No-brainers

• Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
  

Keepers

• Heath Bell, RP - Good averages and good strikeout rate. The only concern is whether the Padres can win enough games to give Bell sufficient save chances.
  

Non-keepers

• Chase Headley, OF - He's yet unproven, but he does have some talent. Unfortunately, he's in perhaps the worst lineup in baseball.
• Chris Young, SP - He was worse on every level last year. You can dream, but don't expect too much of a bounce back.
  

San Francisco Giants

No-brainers

• Tim Lincecum, SP
  

Keepers

• Matt Cain, SP - He took big steps forward across the board last year but his strikeout rate dipped a little. Or maybe because he stopped working for the strikeout so much. Either way, he's reliably productive.
  
• Pablo Sandoval, 3B - This big guy can hit. In another, non-Padre lineup, he's a no-brainer.
  

Non-keepers

• Brian Wilson, RP - I don't like him, but one more year like 2009 and he'll slide into the keeper discussion.
  

Is He A Keeper? - NL Central, 2010

Chicago Cubs

No-brainers

• Derrek Lee, 1B
  

Keepers

• Aramis Ramirez, 3B - Last year aside, Ramirez had become one of the more reliable power hitters in the NL. He's only 31, so there's no reason to think he'll fall off.
• Alfonso Soriano, OF - I don't love the idea of keeping him, but his upside is .280 with 30 HR and 20 SB, which he is exactly one year removed from.
• Carlos Zambrano, SP - Big Z is still only 29, still posts about a strikeout per inning, and had five straight seasons of 14 wins before last year's 9-7 record.
  

Non-keepers

• Ryan Dempster, SP - Honestly, Dempster played better than I expected in 2009, but he still had a (predictable) let-down after his 2008 career year.
  
• Ted Lilly, SP - I wish I could say yes, because it'd be funny with how often he gets overlooked in our drafts, but I just can't. A career 4.25 ERA makes Lilly just another pitcher.
• Carlos Marmol, RP - He's got some legitimate ability, but he has the capacity to put way too many guys on base. If he were a starter, it might be worth the risk, but you can find cheap saves.
  
• Geovany Soto, C - A bounce-back isn't out of the question, but if he doesn't bounce back, he makes your team a lot worse.
  
• Ryan Theriot, 2B/SS - Multiple position eligibility does not a keeper make.
• Randy Wells, SP - Wells had a nice season, but an unimpressive strikeout rate and the fact that he's got zero track record means you can't invest a keeper slot in him.
  

Cincinnati Reds

No-brainers

• Brandon Phillips, 2B
  
• Joey Votto, 1B
  

Keepers
(none)

Non-keepers

• Bronson Arroyo, SP - No?
  
• Jay Bruce, OF - Bruce is looking eerily similar to Adam Dunn, except without the big power and with an even worse batting average. You've got to see more before you can justify keeping him.
• Francisco Cordero, RP - He's been a solid producer of saves and relief Ks for years, but you generally pay a price in WHIP. Don't pay that price with a keeper.
  
• Johnny Cueto, SP - He's still only 24, so he's still developing as a pitcher. But let him develop as your 12th or 13th player, not as one of your top eight.
  
• Aaron Harang, SP - It doesn't look like he'll ever recapture his 2007 near Cy Young performance, which is a shame for a guy with one of the all time great nicknames.
• Edinson Volquez, SP - Tommy John, won't be back until after the All-Star break. Keep an eye on him, though.
  

Houston Astros

No-brainers

• Carlos Lee, OF
  

Keepers

• Lance Berkman, 1B - One of the closest calls in this whole exercise, but I still have faith. Besides, he's hit .310 in every other year for the past six years, and he's due for another .310 season.
  
• Michael Bourn, OF - I hate to say it, because Joe Mandi will call me a liar, but 60 SB is no joke. If he can approach .300 and get 100 R, he's a keeper, despite his utter lack of pop.
  
• Roy Oswalt, SP - I just don't believe he's done. I expect a return to form, with a WHIP around 1.20 and 16-18 wins.
  
• Hunter Pence, OF - His upside goes beyond Carlos Lee, but so does his downside, hence him not being a no-brainer. But their values are pretty close.
• Wandy Rodriguez, SP - First off, I don't like Wandy. But all of his numbers are headed in the right direction: ERA, WHIP, K/9, BAA. He's got to be doing something right.
  

Non-keepers

• All Relievers - Nobody knows who's going to end up closing in Houston, but regardless of who it is, they're not worth keeping.
  

Milwaukee Brewers

No-brainers

• Ryan Braun, OF
• Prince Fielder, 1B
  

Keepers

• Yovani Gallardo, SP - You'd like to see more dominant stats out of Gallardo, but they'll come. His talent is too big to disappoint.

Non-keepers

• Corey Hart, OF - Hart still has the capacity to be a power-speed combo guy who can fill out your roster, but until he starts making good, consistent contact, that's all he can be.
• Trevor Hoffman, RP - He's an all-time great, maybe the best closer of all time. But you can't keep a closer unless he's been great AND you can expect him to be great again. At 42, you just can't expect that out of Hoffman.
  
• Casey McGehee, 2B/3B - He's a compelling guy in a lot of ways, but the presence of Rickie Weeks and Mat Gamel throws McGehee's playing time into question.
• Randy Wolf, SP - At 33, Wolf turned in one of the best years of his career. Don't expect him to do it again at 34.
  

Pittsburgh Pirates

No-brainers
(none)

Keepers

• Andrew McCutcheon, OF - After being the Pirates' best prospect for McCutcheon has arrived. Look for more steals, about the same power.
  

Non-keepers

• Ryan Doumit, C - He was in a position last year to get himself onto a keeper list, but injuries and ineffectiveness quelled that. Still, don't you (bum bum bum bum bum bum) forget about him.
  
• Garrett Jones, OF - This isn't to say that Jones couldn't help your team. I just have a hard time saying that he'll help your team any more than twenty other guys who can hit .290 with 25 HR.

St. Louis Cardinals

No-brainers

• Matt Holliday, OF
  
• Albert Pujols, 1B
• Adam Wainwright, SP
  

Keepers

• Chris Carpenter, SP - He's had a litany of injuries over his career, but when healthy, he's a top ten starting pitcher. Just pray for that.
  

Non-keepers

• Ryan Franklin, RP - Franklin was a saves machine last year, but ever since Danny Kolb, I've become wary of closers who don't strike people out...or who become closers for the first time at age 36.
  
• Ryan Ludwick, OF - I know I told you to keep him last year, and I'll take the blame for that one. This looks like Pat Burrell 1.1.
• Colby Rasmus, OF - He's got better batting average potential than Jay Bruce, but less power potential. Either way, he hasn't shown enough to keep him yet.
  

Is He A Keeper? - NL East, 2010

Atlanta Braves

No-brainers
(none)

Keepers

• Tommy Hanson, SP - He was an elite prospect, and he produced like one. There's always the concern of a sophomore slump, but Tim Lincecum proved that you can just win a Cy Young instead.
• Brian McCann, C - He's not flashy, but he's productive and consistent. Let's just hope he doesn't catch whatever Russell Martin had last year.
  

Non-keepers

• Matt Diaz, OF - If playing time were assured, this decision would be much more difficult.
  
• Tim Hudson, SP - Age and health have him headed in the wrong direction. Don't even think about it.
  
• Chipper Jones, 3B - Apparently age 37 is when Chipper finally hit a wall. A small bounce-back is possible, but you can't keep him.
• Jair Jurrjens, SP - He had great ratios last year, but so did Randy Wolf, with the same strikeout rate. It's close, but for now, he's on the outside.
  
• Nate McLouth, OF - He's a 20/20 threat, but on a Braves team without any real offensive lynchpin, you can't count on run production.
  

Florida Marlins

No-brainers

• Hanley Ramirez, SS
  

Keepers

• Josh Johnson, SP - He finally put together the kind of season we were all expecting after his breakthrough 2006 performance. Expect more of the same.
  

Non-keepers

• Emilio Bonifacio, SS/3B - One game into the 2009 season, Bonifacio was a superstar. Now, not so much.
  
• Jorge Cantu, 1B/3B - He's got RBIs and position flexibility, but he's not a plus in homers, speed, or average.
• Chris Coghlan, OF - I wish I could say yes, because he used to live in my house. But in the outfield, he's essentially David DeJesus.
  
• Dan Uggla, 2B - The one exception would be if you're assembling a team designed to punt batting average. On that team, Uggla is a star.
  

New York Mets

No-brainers

• Jason Bay, OF
  
• Jose Reyes, SS
  
• Johan Santana, SP
• David Wright, 3B
  

Keepers
(none)

Non-keepers

• Francisco Rodriguez, RP - You can foresee solid production, but K-Rod has just been a good closer the past two years, and you can't keep a closer who isn't great.
• Carlos Beltran, OF - He's supremely talented and a great contributor when healthy, but it's sounding more and more like he's going to miss extensive time.
  

Philadelphia Phillies

No-brainers

• Ryan Howard, 1B
  
• Chase Utley, 2B
  
• Roy Halladay, SP
  

Keepers

• Cole Hamels, SP - His 2009 was a step backwards, but I have faith in the talent.
  
• Jimmy Rollins, SS - His .250 average in 2009 seems an aberration, which means you can count on top 25 production again in '10.
• Shane Victorino, OF - Across the board solid performance, and the lineup is still going to be great.
• Jayson Werth, OF - Surprisingly close to a no-brainer, but since his explosion was fairly quiet, figured I ought to explain: 36 HR, 99 RBI, 98 R, 20 SB. Got it?
  

Non-keepers

• J.A. Happ, SP - I like everything about Happ except that he's very average in Citizens Bank Park. It's a tough park, but you can't bench a keeper for half of his starts.
  
• Raul Ibanez, OF - Had he not missed time, Ibanez would've likely finished with 100+ RBI for the fourth straight season. But I have trouble trusting a 37-year-old bopper, even in this lineup.
  

Washington Nationals

No-brainers

• Ryan Zimmerman, 3B
  

Keepers

• Adam Dunn, 1B - There's value in reliability, and Dunn has had at least 38 HR and 92 RBI in each of the past six seasons. Plus, you can partner him with Uggla if you're punting AVG and get 70 HR and 180 RBI from 1B and 2B (yes, Nick, I'm talking to you).
  

Non-keepers

• Stephen Strasburg, SP - Not yet.
  

Twenty for Thirty Update - 2/16

So it's been a month and a half, and I've converted two of the easier goals from my list:

2) Move out of my mom's house.

This was in the works before the list was even released, but it was still one of the things I wanted to do this year. Living at home has its perks, but getting out of my mom's house has far more perks. I'm hoping that, by getting out of the house and living much closer to my work, I can use this as a jumping off point for trying to lose weight (through complete diet control) and having a successful party.

18) Host a Joe and Joe trivia show.

As I had mentioned, this has been in the works for a while, so it was nice to finally get it done. You can listen here; the show is just under an hour, and I think it's one of our best shows yet at Joe and Joe Sports. In fact, one of the contestants, my cousin Michael, had such a fun time doing the show that he has taken it upon himself to arrange the next baseball trivia show. Success!

2009 Games of the Year

And so, as we bid farewell to another essentially worthless year, we look back on the video games that helped us pass the time between sleeps.

My 2009 Top 5 Games of the Year:

5. Saints Row 2

I don't often anticipate new games, and even less often do I actually purchase a game within the first month of its release. But I so deeply enjoyed the original Saints Row that I felt compelled to spring for the sequel immediately. The fact that Best Buy had it on sale for $40 for the first week tipped the scales, and I bought my only new game of the year.

It didn't disappoint. Saints Row 2 has a lot of the same game mechanics as the Grand Theft Auto series, but on a much less realistic level. From hairpin turns to flaming ATVs, it's a more fun and funny take on the sandbox style game. I enjoyed the game thoroughly, and while the best feature from the original Saints Row (insurance fraud) was sort of bastardized for this version of the game, everything else was improved. Good for number five on the list.

4. Plants vs. Zombies

In looking back at the year, I'm glad I was able to include a PC game. I spent a good amount of time playing Civilization II and Rollercoaster Tycoon, but neither of those qualifies as a "new" game for me; I've been playing them since high school.

My cousin Michael posted in his AIM profile a video from the game (this video, specifically), and I was intrigued. I did a little research, and the game turned out to be a tower defense game, where you plant plants to kill zombies. The premise is simple, the execution is fantastic. There are funny little parts like the descriptions of different zombies and plants, but it's also got a good deal of strategy involved. Between the Story mode, where you face off against progressively more challenging waves of zombies, and the Puzzle and Mini-Game modes, there's plenty of variety to keep you coming back for more.

I'm always happy when I can get a lot of play out of a $10 purchase, and PvZ made me happy.

3. Gears of War

No, not Gears of War 2. The original Gears of War. The first time I played this game, I played the first level on two-player with my brother, and I really didn't see what all the fuss was about. The controls felt clunky, the action seemed slow, and while the graphics were nice, they weren't enough to carry the game alone. So it got sent back to the minors, maintaining its rookie eligibility until this past year, when I called it back up to the show, this time just playing one-player.

The difference was night and day. While the first level was still kind of tough to get into, the game blossomed into a more action-oriented version of Metal Gear Solid, one of my favorite games of all time. The futuristic/alien component allowed the developers to create a variety of terrifying enemies, each requiring a different strategy. Some are small and fairly easy to dispatch, others are tough and require some caution. Then there's the occasional huge boss enemy with a minute weak point to exploit. And some enemies you just avoid, and focus on staying alive. The game really strikes a great balance between ass-kicking and discretion.

I haven't played the game online at all yet, mostly because I'm wary of getting waxed. I can enjoy myself while not being the best player in the game, but it's a bit tougher when you're the worst player in the game, and I find myself falling into that category more often than not. Still, I'll likely be giving the online component a shot at some point this year, because I really did enjoy the campaign. But I'm not holding out much hope for doing particularly well.

2. MLB Front Office Manager 2K9

When I first heard about MLB Front Office Manager 2K9, I had just finished reading Moneyball, and was completely in the mindset of how to create a baseball team. As such, I was in a perfect mental place to be an early adopter of the new (and hopefully long-lived) franchise. Chip and I used to play Madden 2005 and ignore the actual football games, just doing the team management part. I loved it, and I expected to love this game as well.

I remember buying the game at GameStop the day it came out. I asked the clerk to ring me up for it, and she said, "You know it got really terrible reviews, right?" I hadn't read any reviews, and had no intention of reading them or listening to them regardless. I was buying the game that day, and that was that. I brought it home, and so began a run with the Washington Nationals that continues today.

The game isn't without its flaws. Other teams seem to get fed up with their players at a frightening pace, and they'll cut players who are very early in very long and very large contracts. Just by watching the waiver wire and free agency, I picked up Scott Kazmir, Joba Chamberlain, Jonathan Papelbon, and Joakim Soria. Not exactly the kind of talent you'd normally find sitting around waiting for a phone call. Even though the system isn't perfect, though, the game is just fun to play. And as you may remember from my description of Gears of War, I love finding and exploiting weaknesses in my opponents. And as you may remember from my other blog, I love baseball.

1. Dead Rising

I had thought about purchasing Dead Rising on several different occasions, but had trouble bringing myself to lay the money down. I finally downloaded a demo, and played it briefly (maybe five minutes?) before deciding to purchase the game. Cousin Michael was there. For all the time it took me to decide on the purchase, it was one I'm very glad I made.

The game plays sort of like a Grand Theft Auto clone, with a third-person view and relative freedom within the game's setting (a small town shopping mall). By the game's title, you can guess what's going on in the mall: zombies. It's your job to, well, actually, all you have to do to complete the game is survive for three days. You can ignore everything else, stay in the safe room, and receive an ending after 20-30 hours of gameplay, but that's not fun at all. Besides, there's a mystery to solve: where did these zombies come from? Also, there are folks to find and rescue all throughout the mall, and if a hero like you doesn't do it, no one else will.

The most fun part of the game for me, though, is the way it handles new games. Say you get to a point in the game that you just can't beat ("the convicts" is often a trouble spot). In most games, you'd have to re-load an old game, or start over from scratch. In Dead Rising, you can start a new game, but keep your character's level progression (which means keeping your expanded health bar, physical strength boosts, inventory space, and special moves). So even if you get stuck, you can restart your game and have gotten something out of your previous efforts. I like that.

Also the zombie-killing is fun, and there's something gratifying about saving dozens of innocent folks from certain doom. The sequel is supposed to come out in 2010, and it may be one of those rare games that I purchase new. We shall see.

Oh, and fuck Valentine's Day.