Fantasy Baseball Manager of the Year

MOTY Talk

Archive

Just because MOTY Talk entries get dated doesn’t mean we relegate them to the recycling bin in the garage. There are always good nuggets to come back to and re-read — whether you missed them on the Recent Entries page when they were first posted or just want a refresher on the topic they cover.

2008

Week 7: Hot and Not — The Ballparks

May 22, 2008 — “… three reasons: PETCO truly is a Pitcher’s Park, Jake Peavy, and the Padres’ lineup really is that bad. Add ’em all up and you get ‘Suck City.’”

The “James Method,” Part 2

May 8, 2008 — "Now, to make the 'James Method' a killer way to find the best free agents in your league and improve your team, you simply have to apply the “Secret Feature … "

The “James Method,” Part 1

May 7, 2008 — Introducing the "James Method" — the smartest, quickest way to find the best free agents in your league to improve your team … developed by James L., a MOTY subscriber just like you.

Week 4: Hot and Not Players

April 29, 2008 — “Who’da thunk that the #4 outfielder, after 4 weeks, would be … Nate McLouth. Not Andruw Jones, that’s for damn sure.”

Week 2: Hot and Not Players

April 18, 2008 — “… guys who’ve both risen to the top in the Last Week (LW) MOTY rankings AND, more than likely, are available in your league.”

Week 1: Hot and Not Players

April 8, 2008 — “The most important thing to remember isn’t merely having the best “season-long” players in your lineup, it’s having the best producing players in your lineup “all season long” ... nothing tells you who’s trending up or down better than the Weekly MOTY Rankings and the “HOT and Not” lists. ”

Spring Training 2008: Hot and Not Players (NL)

March 31, 2008 — “… the Marlins aren’t going to lose 162 games and somebody’s gonna be credited with the wins. Could be a nice late-round pick …”

Spring Training 2008: Hot and Not Players (AL)

March 28, 2008 — “Okay, a couple of nice late-round value guys making the Hot list too — Westbrook, Robertson, even …”

2008 MOTY Subscriber Q&A #2

March 23, 2008 — MOTY rates a draft: “We like John’s pitching staff, too. We wouldn’t call it ‘league elite,’ but solid: The B- to B range with nice potential upside. He made some smart picks here as well.”

Secret Feature: Best on the Board

March 22, 2008 — “If you’re willing to take some time and keep up with the picks in your draft, MOTY can show you the hidden gems and give you some insight into the best players left on the board.”

2008 MOTY Subscriber Q&A #1

March 15, 2008 — Our first Q&A for 2008 looks at the value of holds and the arm of Pujols. Will it blow? That is the question.

Dominate Your 2008 Fantasy Baseball Draft, Part 2

February 28, 2008 — “… exactly what the MOTY Scope does, in a fraction of the time. You define the player pools – position, team, league – and stat parameters using any combination of up to 3 stats, click the “Apply Filter” button, and ba-da-bing, ... Your own custom cheat sheets.”

Dominate Your 2008 Fantasy Baseball Draft, Part 1

February 28, 2008 — “… don’t expect the same old “how to draft” litany here that you can read in any fantasy magazine. No, the MOTY System looks at the fantasy game and players from a totally different perspective.”

2006

Week 24: Hot and Not — The Home Stretch

September 24, 2006 — “Hey, at this point who cares if you bench a slumping superstar? This is no time to be sentimental — you’re trying to win this bad boy, aren't you?”

Fresh Blood: September Call Ups — Pitchers

September 3, 2006 — “Pay closer attention to pitchers called up by teams well out of the divisional and wild card races — Pirates, Royals, Orioles, Cubs, Mariners, Devil Rays — teams building toward the future…”

Fresh Blood: September Call Ups — Batters

September 1, 2006 — “…plenty of productive minor leaguers are about to get a cup of coffee in The Show. And some of these players could offer you that little extra “oomph” you need down the wire…”

Make a Run at Stolen Bases

August 7, 2006 — “In a word, the key to finding these small time thieves is “opportunity.” … For example, a singles hitter finds himself standing on first base quite often — with second, third and home ahead of him. All bases he could possibly steal.”

Week 17: Hot and Not — The Ballparks

August 4, 2006 — “Coors Field, Ameriquest Field (formerly Ballpark at Arlington), Minute Maid Park, Citizens Bank Ballpark — everybody knows these are “hitter's parks.” Or are they? … Listed below are all 30 MLB ballparks ranked by their overall hitting MOTY#s.”

Second Half Moves — A Run at the Pennant

July 20, 2006 — “Problem is, while you and, say, half your league, have a shot at the championship, the other half has slipped out of contention, and their owners gone off the radar.… But whattaya gonna do?”

2006 National League “All Snubs”

July 13, 2006 — “Bill Hall. He got robbed. Frankly, so did one of this trio — Rollins, Lopez and Hanley — all of whom would have been better replacement picks than David Eckstein.”

2006 American League “All Snubs”

July 12, 2006 — “How is Travis Hafner, the #1 AL hitter in the MOTY Week 13 YTD rankings, not an All-Star? He should be there.”

Week 13: Hot or Not Players

July 6, 2006 — “This week's Not list includes a certain player who mans the hot corner. Note that said player historically turns up the heat in the second half — go get him. There's nothing but upside to be had there.”

Week 12: Hot or Not Players

June 29, 2006 — “… it will be the smart little moves, pick ups and roster adjustments you make throughout the season that will win your league. Tweaks other managers in your league might not even notice …”

Week 10: Hot or Not Players

June 14, 2006 — “… we're starting to see some disturbing trends develop. Many the kind that, if you don't use the MOTY Scope™ to help find a strong replacement player or two, could sink your season.”

Week 9: Hot or Not Players

June 8, 2006 — “… some guys who started hot and cooled off are heating back up. As always, we pinpoint a few guys who may be available in your league or prime trade targets/bait.”

MOTY Update: Multiple Position Eligibility

June 6, 2006 — “Starting with MOTY’s Week 9 weeklies, you’ll find Soriano in the 2b rankings (#1) AND the outfielder rankings (also #1). Berkman shows up with 1b (#8) AND of (#14). Figgins: 2b (#13), 3b (#22) AND of (#48) …”

Finding the Justins: Improving Team WHIP and ERA

June 5, 2006 — “In the end, two guys on the wire would’ve improved 3-of-5 categories for your staff without sacrificing too much in the other 2 cat’s — and would’ve been more help winning your league.”

Week 8: Hot or Not Players

May 31, 2006 — “… “impact rookies” were called up and quickly began putting up nice fantasy numbers during Week 8 (ahem … Angels … cough, cough …). A few early free agent “finds” are proving to be more than flash-in-the-pan newcomers.”

Week 7: Hot or Not Players

May 24, 2006 — “… players who were red hot or ice cold last week (some repeat performers). From sleepers coming into their own to undroppable fantasy studs suffering through slumps … ideas for free agent pick ups, bench moves and potential trade targets/bait.”

Week 6: Award Candidates

May 21, 2006 — "... let’s now turn our attention to other players doing well through Week 6, guys who are shaping up as potential 2006 Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player and Breakout Player candidates."

Week 6: Hot or Not Players

May 17, 2006 — “… these players may be on the wire in your league — or prime trade targets if they scuffled early in the season …”

Week 4: A Snapshot

May 4, 2006 — “… players or scenarios that raise an eyebrow, or furrow both, as we rifle through the YTD and Last Week rankings — guys that might be available in your league or possible trade targets/bait.”

Don’t Freak Out — One or Two Games Does Not a Season Make

April 10, 2006 — “But both their stat lines are based on a single game (or swing), which, taken on their own, lead to telltale sportscaster comments like: ‘You know, Jack, at this rate, he’s on pace to hit 324 homers this season … <chuckle, chuckle> ….’”

MOTY Subscriber Question #4: 2006 Stats

April 8, 2006 — "… to make smart, calculated roster moves, you need timely insight. Anything more than a week isn’t timely. And not much help. But anything less that a week can just as easily only reflect a 2–3 game “spike” and lead to rash managerial moves."

MOTY Subscriber Question #3: RPS

April 4, 2006 — "For drafting purposes, Adj. MOTY# accounts for position scarcity by raising more-valuable players at thinner positions above less-valuable players at other positions …"

MOTY Subscriber Question #2: Customizing the Player Rankings

April 1, 2006 — “… when you get any table or any roster/list sorted the way you like, click the printer icon and you’ll have a customized cheat sheet — your way for your draft.”

MOTY Subscriber Question #1: Player Rankings vs. Talent Tiers

March 30, 2006 — “If the #2 projected first baseman happened to be the standard, Helton would easily qualify as an “Elite” 1b. … Bottom line, Pujols “blows the curve” for all 1b, Helton included.”

The Writers Radio Invitational League Draft Recap: Rounds 1–8

March 17, 2006 — “We’ll follow the picks and examine how 12 different managers maneuver and react through 23 rounds of selections.”

Dominate Your 2006 Fantasy Baseball Draft, Part 2

March 10, 2006 — “… C.T.S. has ruined many a fantasy career, especially since it takes a full season to recover from Tammy John surgery, made famous by the executive assistant who resurrected her secretarial career at a big ad agency.”

Dominate Your 2006 Fantasy Baseball Draft, Part 1

March 4, 2006 — “… don’t expect the same old “how to draft” litany here that you can read in any fantasy magazine. No, the MOTY System looks at the fantasy game and players from a new perspective.”

2005

NL Comeback Fantasy Player of the Year

December 12, 2005 — “Chan Who What?!”

AL Comeback Fantasy Player of the Year

December 5, 2005 — “… And, look who’s in the middle of the pack — Mr. Giambi. Which basically tells you that the MOTY projections expected him to do better than MLB fans did. Who knew?”

Two Weeks to Go. $11.99 to Sign Up. What’s the Point?

September 19, 2005 — “Fair question — if, that is, you’re 20 points out of first place, legally changing your name to “cellar dweller,” burning your baseball card collection and moving to a remote island off Sri Lanka to take up spear fishing.”

The Player Who’s Improved Your Pitching Staff the Most

September 12, 2005 — “… the most surprising factor affecting the game this season is one you might not have even noticed.”