October Surprise!

Yes, I made my own logo.

Well, it's almost here. In 25 minutes (3:00 AM, Barcelona time), the draft will be here.

I'll be posting draft updates as things progress, because I have to stay awake somehow...

We play in an 18 team, five keeper league. This means that each team selects five "keepers" from last year's team to form the core of this year's team. My keepers, following a respectable but inches from the money finish, are Alex Rodriguez (3B - NYY), Placido Polanco (2B - DET), Derek Lee (1B - CHC), Torii Hunter (OF - LAA), and Aaron Rowand (OF - SF). Over the next few hours, the rest of the roster will be filled out. We have one player at every position, one "utility player" who can be from any offensive position, two starting pitcher slots, two relievers, and three pitcher slots, which can be filled by any pitcher.

October Surprise 2008

Position Players

C - Yadier Molina
1B - Derek Lee
2B - Placido Polanco
3B - Alex Rodriguez
SS - Felipe Lopez
OF - Aaron Rowand
OF - Torii Hunter
OF - Juan Pierre
Util - Chris Duncan

Starting Pitchers
Brad Penny
Jeff Francis
Derek Lowe
Tom Gorzelanny
Chris Carpenter
Aaron Cook
Hiroki Kuroda
Jon Garland
Carlos Silva

Relief Pitchers
Jonathan Papelbon
Brad Lidge
Joaquin Benoit
Dennys Reyes

Bench
Mike Cameron
Andre Ethier
Alfredo Amezaga
Coco Crisp
Scott Hatteberg
Nyjer Morgan
So Taguchi

DRAFT ORDER
1) Jonathan Papelbon (RP - BOS)
2) Brad Penny (SP - LAD)
3) Jeff Francis (SP - COL)
4) Juan Pierre (OF - LAD)
5) Brad Lidge (RP - PHI)
6) Felipe Lopez (2B/SS - WAS)
7) Derek Lowe (SP - LAD)
8) Chris Duncan (OF/1B - STL)
9) Tom Gorzelanny (SP - PIT)
10) Chris Carpenter (SP - STL)
11) Aaron Cook (SP - COL)
12) Yadier Molina (C - STL)
13) Hiroki Kuroda (SP - LAD)
14) Mike Cameron (OF - MIL)
15) Joaquin Benoit (RP - TEX)
16) Andre Ethier (OF - LAD)
17) Alfredo Amezaga (2B/3B/SS/OF - FLA)
18) Jon Garland (SP - LAA)
19) Coco Crisp (OF - BOS)
20) Scott Hatteberg (1B - CIN)
21) Dennys Reyes (RP - MIN)
22) Nyjer Morgan (OF - PIT)
23) Carlos Silva (SP - SEA)
24) Scott Spezio (1B/3B/OF - STL)
25) So Taguchi (OF - PHI)

EARLY UPDATE - 2:45 AM Rich (our commisioner) has already screwed up the draft and switched two teams. Not as bad as last year when we had to scrap and reschedule the draft, but now you know team names like "Hansen Eats Babies" and "Richwillfupthedraft" are well deserved...

3:15 AM - Keepers are drafted. Now it counts.

3:48 AM - No one can say I didn't try to address pitching needs. Three rounds, three quality pitchers.

3:58 AM - Playing in a league with Chicago partisans has its advantages. Picked up Juan Pierre (first non pitcher), who's rated #56 in Yahoo!, for like the 160th pick (including keepers). Just cause he sucked for a year in Chicago.

4:16 AM - Welcome back, Brad Lidge. And hello Felipe Lopez.

4:32 AM - Lots of Dodger blue so far... and the first Cardinal - Chris Duncan

4:47 AM - Fifteen minutes later, I get to pick again. We're going to end up drafting more than half of the active Major Leaguers (and some prospects, too) before the night is over. It makes the mid-late rounds grind to a halt.

4:56 AM - Drama in Mudville! My browser crashed during my pick, and I had Yadier Molina selected. Fortunately, it automatically selected the guy I wanted, Chris Carpenter. That will either be the move of the season or the worst pick in history. Either way, another Redbird.

5:15 AM - Yadier Molina in the 12th round can only mean one thing. HUGE man crush.

5: 25 AM - Only players left on my pre-ranking list: Brian Bannister, Carlos Silva, Jon Garland, Ryan Church, Andre Ethier, Randy Winn, & Wes Littleton. Did I mention the draft is only half over? Also, I now have 60% of the Dodgers' rotation. That's probably not good.

5:40 AM - Susie just came out for some water, seems impressed with my team. Also, I just gave up on the contacts. Glasses are a go.

5:46 AM - Forget the pitchers. I now have what seems like half of the Dodgers' likely opening day roster. Andre Ethier joins the club, since Pierre might find himself out of a job.

6:00 AM - Yup, we've hit the three hour mark. I teach in eight and a half hours, and I just drafted Alfredo Amezaga. He qualifies everywhere (2B, 3B, SS, OF). You might think a super-bench guy isn't worth anything in fantasy, but when someone has a day off, you can plug him right in. And he was a decent OPS guy last year, too. I had a Brewer last year that filled that function admirably. Not so admirably that I remember his name, though.

6:16 AM - At this point last year, I set my draft list on every remaining Cardinal and called it a night. Not this year. I'm going all the way, baby!

6:31 AM - Nyjer Morgan is a top 20 prospect, according to ESPN. And I got him in the 22nd round.

6:39 AM - I just drafted Carlos Silva. I have no idea why. All I know is he was on my pre-rankings list.

6:57 AM - And it's finished. I bow out with personal favorite So Taguchi for the hell of it. Mr. Irrelevant is Jonathan Meloan, a relief pitcher for the Angels. The highest rated player left on the board? That would be Braves starting pitcher Antony Larew. Total draft time: 3 hours 57 minutes.