With Spring Training in full swing and opening day only 26 days away, it’s time to start talking ‘smack’ in fantasy baseball leagues, listening to Fantasy Focus Podcasts, arguing over who has the best team name in the league (side note, my name going four years strong is the best), reading Rotoworld’s daily columns, and of course watching the game to see who looks good, and who just doesn’t have it this year. In honor of prepping for ‘Kung Foo Panda’ to have yet another dominant year, I am going to put together my ‘fantasy’ fantasy team. I realize that this team would never be possible, and also realize that some of my fantasy picks are emotional picks and thus may not make sense. But it’s fun to do, so I am going to do it!
I play in a ten team, daily lineup, head-to-head, mixed league. We have 7 batting and 7 pitching stat categories. I am the only girl in my league and when I first joined in 2008, the guys couldn’t stop with the ‘you belong in the kitchen’ jokes, in addition to all living in extreme fear of ‘losing to a girl’. Well, let me just say that they got over that quick. I have always been a strong competitor and a hawk on the waiver wire. And I will continue to dominate!!
So, all draft rules aside, I am going to lay out how my team would look if I could pick whomever I wanted based on how our league is set up. I will start tonight with my dream team outfield…
My ideal starting three are:
Mike Trout: Ok, who wouldn’t say Trout. Despite being highly underpaid which is another conversation, he is 21, has been a monster in the Bigs and is looking great so far this spring! His 49 stolen bases last year should stay pretty stable if not increase (and no, his ten added pounds are not going to jeopardize that), his .326 batting average will only get better with more experience under his belt, and he should outdo his 30 homeruns with a few extra pounds behind his swing. I am psyched to watch this kid play this year… I bet being underpaid will only serve as motivation for him to kill it!
Josh Hamilton: We all know how much I love Josh Hamilton. I love his story both on and off the field and have more fun cheering for him than any other player in the MLB. If Texas really wasn’t a very conducive environment for him to thrive, as he has made clear in the offseason, I can’t wait to see what he does in Anaheim. I can only think that his RBIs will stay close to 128, and I feel like he has the potential to win a triple crown before his career is over. I also love watching him play with my bobble head doll next to me, bopping around with excitement similar to my own.
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| I love that Colleen and I are creepin' in the backgroud! Ha |
Carlos Gonzales: The third starter was a tough one to nail down, but CarGo’s stats are ridiculous. He is still in his prime at 27, and both his .303 batting average and health are huge upsides. Plus, he is good for at least 20 stolen bases as he had last year. Not to mention that he is nailing the ball this spring.
Now on to my dream team outfield bench (in no particular order):
Andrew McCutchen: In addition to being hilarious, and a face of the MLB, this guy is FAST, gets on base, steals bases, drives in runs, and is a leader. I LOVE fast guys who get on base when it comes to fantasy. And Cutch plays with 100% intensity at all times.
Michael Bourn: Speaking of fast, Bourn also falls in this category. I am still bummed that he is not in a Phillies uniform this year, but I am excited to see him do great things for Terry Francona!
A final bench spot would be a fight between Bryce Harper and a long-time favorite Curtis Granderson. I just don’t know if I could cheer for Harper all year, and am afraid that as he gets more ‘cred’ in the league, he is going to start flapping his mouth too much. And then I would just straight hate him, and could not even think of cheering for a Nat. Honestly, the whole ‘Natitude’ thing rubs me the wrong way. And they are beyond obnoxious to Phillies fans. Ok, I digress. So, at the end of the day, Granderson just may win out that last spot. He is a great, reliable veteran player who I want to see succeed…
Being that I do not have any Phillies in my outfield, I just want to throw in that I think Dominic Brown is going to have a monster breakout year, so definitely draft him and be proud of it. I am not sure what spots on my ‘fantasy’ fantasy team I will fill in next, but definitely tweet, email or send me a Facebook message if you have any thoughts after reading this. After all, in addition to being entertaining, these discussions also serve as a good way to prepare for your upcoming draft
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