Damn my team sucks!

So it’s the fourth week of fantasy baseball and I’m losing – AGAIN!  apparently it’s 7-run week for my pitchers – every single one that has thrown so far has given up 7 runs!  Aghhh!  Last year I helped a friend move from dead last in week 11 to 2nd place and eventually into the championship game – so I know there’s still hope…but this is frustrating!

It started with a not-so-good draft.  It was entirely my fault, but I also blame a shortage of time – as I was told that I was being allowed into the league only a couple of weeks before the draft.  (And I was on vacation for almost a week of that time.)  Of course I ran out and picked up a couple of fantasy baseball magazines – and started checking out the scoop on sleepers, potential comebackers, overrated and underrated players, etc.  I somehow forgot about those veteran guys who have already proven themselves to be solid and, in many cases, have become household names.  Mostly I got wrapped up in rookies with tons of potential – ie. Pedro Alvarez, Corey Luebke, Madison Bumgarner, and the underrated guys who could surprise everyone – ie. Angel Pagan, Mike Pelfrey, Jarrod Saltalamacchia.  Unfortunately – none of these guys panned out – AT ALL – and so none of them remain on my team today.

In all reality – I should have done more research and snagged just a few of these guys as fillers and back-ups, instead of stacking my roster full of them, but, well, hindsight is 20/20.  And it’s not like I drafted them in the first few rounds or anything.  Actually – my early rounders are worse if you can believe that.  Since they have proven pasts I’ve talked myself off of several ledges, where I’d have dropped them – not myself, and decided to stick with them a little longer.

My top 3 picks were A. Gonzalez/BOS, M. Kemp/LAD, and Ian Kinsler/TEX.   Gonzalez and Kinsler are a combined 44/175 – a batting average of .251 – with 23 walks and 27 strike outs.  They’re struggling, at best – Gonzalez has only hit 1 homer in 93 at-bats for crying out loud!  Being in a contract year is historically good for players – they tend to have stellar years so they can get the big bucks at the end, but seeing as he just signed a gazillion dollar contract extension I don’t think he’s too worried about showcasing his potential net worth.  All I can say is THANK GOD FOR MATT KEMP!  He is my glimmer of hope on an otherwise dismal team.  He’s cooled off a bit from his incredible start where over the first dozen or so games he was batting somewhere around .999 and stole like 26 bases!  (Ok – maybe I’m exaggerating a bit here, but he did get off to a ridiculous start and I’m ever so grateful.)

Sooooo, I’ve been searching the free agency pool – and honestly – I’ve just been picking up and dropping players left and right.  In fact I’ve actually circled around and added back some of the players that I originally drafted, had no patience for as they slumped, and dropped in the second week.  Now that their performances have leveled – I’ve taken them back.  What’s really driving me crazy – is I’ll pick up a pitcher who has had a few stellar starts, is maybe 3-0 with an ERA around 2.50, and once I put him in he’ll go out and give up 7 runs in 2.1 innings.  SEVEN RUNS!  I’ve had 4 pitchers in 3 days give up SEVEN RUNS!  EACH!!!

FML.

Seriously – if you’re reading this please send good vibes my way.  I’m currently in 11th place out of 12 – and sinking.  Maybe I can hire Vladimir Shpunt, the Russian “healer” that former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt paid to send positive energy to the team during the 2008 playoffs, although I believe he charges upwards of 6-figures.  )Hmmmm…and you wonder how their finances are in such shambles.  But that’s a whole other blog for another day.)  For now – I just need my boys to step it up – BIGTIME!  Good grief!