League Meetings League Updates Logistical Notes

Griffey was #1. Piazza was #1390. So who cares if an expansion team sneaks into the #1 spot in our rookie draft?

Here are the key sentences I read today:

The Mariners made Ken Griffey Jr. the first overall pick in the 1987 Draft. The following year, the Dodgers selected Mike Piazza with the 1,390th pick, in the 62nd round.

What could better warm the hearts of EFL owners worldwide?  The Wolverines once had the 30th pick in the rookie draft.  We felt like it might as well have been the 1,390th. But wasn’t that the year we got Manny Machado?  I’d have to go back and check, but it was something like that.  No Ken Griffey, with his 99.23% of the Hall of Fame vote.  But there are still all those Piazza’s out there. One can always hope.

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By the way — I had a very pleasant conversation with Rob Bohall today.  By “pleasant conversation,” of course, I mean “thoroughly enjoyable near-monologue” as I told him all about the EFL.  It must not have been pure torture for him, because at the close Rob said he’s inclined to join us.

I told him to think about it, and then send me his chosen home city (or street) and team nickname.  When I get that I will officially poll all of you as to whether you want to let him in.

For those of you who don’t know him: Rob is a reference librarian on the Newberg campus.  He is a quiet, relentlessly cheerful man and — this is so exciting — a total newby when it comes to fantasy baseball leagues.  He recognizes he’ll probably take a while to get the hang of things.  Unless he is totally playing me — now there’s a horrific thought! Maybe he’s just setting us up and will immediately dominate the league!

He asked me why we were interested in having him join.  I hadn’t expected the question. I think I emphasized that we enjoy competing with likeable opponents, but I did let slip that the league was getting too smart and we needed to correct that problem. He thought that was funny, so I knew we had a good candidate.

Anyway, his candidacy is not official yet. I’ll let you know as soon as the fateful email arrives.

Here are some things to consider:

  • It means we’ll have an expansion draft. which requires a minimum of two teams drafting.  We can get the second team one of three ways:
    • A second expansion team.
    • A current team wanting to do an Elephante-like restart.
    • A dummy team comprising a group of current EFL owners. I know when you think of a “dummy team” your first thought is “Ron is a perfect candidate,” but I would rather, as Commissioner, not play that role, and would prefer two or three other EFL owners to volunteer for the dummy team, even if they don’t really qualify.
  • The expansion draft will slot in after the Rule 5 draft.
    • For the Rule 5 draft you protect 20 players, and can lose up to 2 of the unprotected ones.
  • Then will come the Expansion Draft.
    • Each of us will have to post a list of 15 protected players.
    • I will set up all 30 MLB teams with a list of 15 protected players (8 hitters with the most PA, 5 pitchers with the most starts, 1 pitcher with the most saves, and 1 other player I deem most valuable to that team).
    • The expansion team and the other team will rotate serpentine style taking players from EFL and MLB team
    • No EFL or MLB team can lose more than one of its unprotected players.
    • Expansion draft picks are tradeable, even to existing EFL teams.  Hubba hubba hubba!
  • Then will come the Rookie Draft. The expansion team will get the #1 pick in the rookie draft. (Sayonara Bryant. Or maybe Correa.)  That pick is also tradeable.

 

 

 

 

1 Comment

  • I remember well the drafting of Manny Machado. It was not in the first round, I think, because we bid against each other and I let you win. He was on my list, but I was afraid to spend enough money to outbid you. At least that’s the way I remember it. I’ve never forgiven myself.