Fantasy Baseball

Creating Your Own Fantasy Baseball League

2006-05-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

Baseball Fantasy Step #1 Calling all Teams

The first baseball fantasy step to creating a league is getting your teams together. This basically means you need to get 8-12 friends together to create teams. Remember, if you have less than 8 teams or more than 12 your season will not be as enjoyable. The suggested 8-12 baseball fantasy teams mean you will be able to have a competitive season.

Baseball Fantasy Step #2 Elections

Every baseball fantasy league needs a commissioner, or someone who is in charge. This person will be responsible for compiling each team's statistics on a weekly basis and distributing them to all of the players. Be sure you elect a commissioner who is responsible and takes the position seriously. Baseball Fantasy Step #3 One League or Two

This can be a tough decision, but it must be made. This is the decision of whether or not to use only one league or both the American and National Leagues.

Baseball Fantasy Step #4 The Draft

Acquiring players can be done in many different ways, and the best way for your baseball fantasy league to do this is what works best for all teams. Sometimes a draft works, other times an auction, decide what works best and then stick with it.

Baseball Fantasy Step #5 Rules

Each league has rules so far as statistics and how points are accumulated. Whatever rules apply to your league make sure all teams are aware and follow the rules.

Baseball Fantasy Step #6 Have Fun

Remember to have fun and enjoy your baseball fantasy league. This has been going on for years and millions of Americans really enjoy this activity. Some play for money, some play for trophies, and others simply play to win. Whatever you choose to play for, make sure all teams are in favor.

Jay Moncliff is the founder of www.baseballcenter.info - a blog focusing on Baseball Fantasy, resources and articles. This site provides detailed information on Baseball.

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2006-05-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

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Top Ten Things I Would Like To See Regarding Baseball

2006-03-06T17:19:00.000-08:00

1. Put the designated hitter in the National League or remove the DH in the American League.
Let's create some uniformity.

2. Re: Ground Rules or Grounds Rules or Grounds Rule - Not Grounds Round
If, in the opinion of the umpire. I know I know, some of you do not like opinions, especially by umpires. But the umpire thinks that Derek Jeter should score on a well hit ball by Alex Rodriguez. Derek Jeter may have been running on the pitch. Whatever. The umpire thinks that Derek should score even though the ball went into the stands or a fan touched the ball. Let the man score already. Do not send him back to third base.

3. Food and drink at the ball park costing less than a mortgage payment. I suggest having a special night where people can eat at � the regular price for a hot dog, all other foods and drink.

4. Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Derek Jeter, Tony Lazzeri, Graig Nettles and Bill Dickey play as a team. Today. So what if I am a little wacky.

5. The plastic bag liner that is used in the Metrodome is torn down and replaced with Saran Wrap. For no good reason, except to see how it would look.

6. All stadiums with domes. In case I am at a game and it starts to rain or the weather gets too cold. Hey close the roof.

7. Mel Allen is announcing games again.

8. People that at one time loved baseball. Now because of a strike, or steroids, or corked bats or exorbitant salaries, or whatever issue they had with the game turned away from baseball. They rekindle their love for the game and have some baseball fun.

9. My daughter (she plays softball) bats over .600 this year.

10. Your team wins.

About the Author:

Aron Wallad has been a baseball lover for over 45 years. His passions have included; playing, watching, reading, evaluating, and coaching the game he adores. Do you love inspiring quotes, unusual statistics and most of all, heartwarming baseball stories? If you love baseball you will love his baseball ezine. Go here right now to join his ezine http://www.baseballsprideandjoy.com/index.php?tag=isnare Contact Aron at aron@baseballsprideandjoy.com

Best of MLB's Ballparks

2006-03-02T19:53:00.000-08:00

Here's some interesting info about some Major League Baseball Parks...

When baseball fans feel that a ballpark is a shrine rather than just a place to watch a baseball game, then there must be something about the park that makes it so great. Whether it's the view, the enthusiasm, or the game itself, not many activities beat watching an intense game at a place you love. If you want to watch a game where the prices are good and the crowds are even better than these are the parks for you.

First is Miller Park in Milwaukee. With an average ticket price of just $16.86 fans are sure to get a bang for their buck. The building itself almost surreal with its brick fa�ade and steel arches looming above, which makes the park seem as if it would be seen in a videogame rather than in real life. If you're a fan who likes tailgating then this is the place for you. With the largest tailgating scene in all of MLB's located here, it's hard not to be friendly with other fans.

PNC Park, home of the Pittsburg Pirates comes in second place with an average ticket price of $17.08 and more than 36,000 parking spaces available near the park. Not only does the park sell tasty concessions but an Outback Steakhouse is located in left field where fans can enjoy the game while enjoying a great meal. Located in right field is a kid's section with a mini PNC Park and multipurpose play set for kids ages 5-10. With its throwback design and up-to-date conveniences, this is a park almost any fan will enjoy. Ranked third in fans' opinions is Coors Field home of the Colorado Rockies. An average ticket price of $14.92 gives the fans the ability to watch a game without putting a strain on their bank accounts. For fans who like to enjoy a beer or two while watching the game, located in the park is Sandlot Brewery with a wide variety of brews and behind the bullpen is an interactive area with everything from tee-ball cages to a fantasy broadcast booth. Even if you don't get a good seat in the park you will still have a good line of sight for the game and fans sitting along the first base line there is an excellent view of the sunset over the mountains during evening games.

Number four on the list of best ballparks is Angel Stadium home of the Anaheim Angels. This park has an average ticket price of $17.36 and plenty of handicapped accessible seating. Angel Stadium has a program that allows wheelchair-bound fans to watch batting practice at lower level seating areas. Plus there's even a 400 seat picnic area beyond center field for fans who like to bring their own snacks. With a new owner whose first priority is fan experience, the park is sure to make you want to be there. Fans support teams in this park so well that people leaving with hoarse throats is not uncommon.

Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves is the ballpark that comes in fifth. With an average ticket price of $17.51 and plenty of other attraction in the park fans get what they pay for. Scout's Alley in left field allows fans to practice their batting and pitching with the interactive exhibits. If you're a fan with a hearing problem, this is the park for you thanks to the audio amplification devices offered. Fans at this park are able to really get riled up when the tomahawk chop comes out. And finally the new high definition scoreboard in the middle of the park allow fans to have a great view of the score, inning, count, and everything else they need to know.

New 2005 Fantasy Baseball Book Series Delivers the Most Accurate Player Values Ever Published

2006-02-27T15:33:00.000-08:00

The 2005 fantasy baseball dollar values you are using to select your team could be off by as much as 85% depending on your league. Fantasy Baseball Strategy has published six new league-specific books that give you accurate 2005 projections, dollar values, contextual rankings, projected category points, player profiles quick lists, and keeper picks. All in a format designed to be practical for any fantasy baseball auction or draft.

3 New Books with Projections Customized for 5x5 Leagues: 2005 Fantasy Baseball Scouting Report: Combined AL &amp; NL Players $9.95- 2005 Fantasy Baseball Scouting Report: NL only Leagues $9.95- 2005 Fantasy Baseball Scouting Report: AL only Leagues $9.953 New Books with Projections Customized for 4x4 Leagues:- 2005 Rotisserie Baseball Scouting Report: Combined AL & NL Players $9.95- 2005 Rotisserie Baseball Scouting Report: NL only Leagues $9.95- 2005 Rotisserie Baseball Scouting Report: AL only Leagues $9.95. Visit http://www.2005fantasybaseball.com for ordering information.

http://www.2005fantasybaseball.com

Fantasy Sports: A Popular Hobby

2006-02-23T17:47:00.000-08:00

A Fantasy Sport is a game where a person builds a team comprised of individual players of a professional sport. These team "owners" compete against others based on the individual professional's real statistics. Simple versions of this convert statistics into points earned by each team, then determine the outcome. Other more complicated versions create a computer model of the game by inputting the statistics of each player generated by their professional sport. Examples of fantasy sports are Fantasy Football, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Hockey, etc.Fantasy Football is played by football fans who assemble a team of real NFL players with their real statistics. These teams join a league of from 8-12 teams, then compete throughout a regular season. Often these leagues even have playoffs at the end of the season. A typical roster is made up of 2 quarterbacks, 3 running backs, 5 wide receivers, 2 tight ends, 2 placekickers, and 2 defenses. Points are scored similar to real football, with extra points added for running or passing for many yards at a time, and points subtracted for turnovers.Fantasy Baseball has a very similar format to Fantasy Football, with players who manage baseball teams made up of real life baseball players. It is the earliest form of Fantasy Sports, with origins in a form called "tabletop baseball". This form of Fantasy Baseball was made up from customized baseball cards with stats from recent seasons. Players then made up fantasy teams from these cards and played imaginary baseball games against each other. Tabletop baseball evolved into a form called Rotisserie Leage Baseball, where stats were taken from the current season and events such as injuries were counted into the game. Methods of choosing players for a team include an auction, where players pay for which professionals they want, or a round-robin draft until teams are filled.Fantasy Hockey is similar to the other popular versions of Fantasy Sports. Players are chosen from real NHL players. A typical Fantasy Hockey team is made up of 2 centers, 2 left wings, 2 right wings, 4 defensemen, and 2 goalies. Two types of leagues are Head-to-Head, where owners play one on one games each week, and Rotisserie, where all owners are trying to win the most amount of points, with no weekly competition.Fantasy Sports online has grown into a huge business, generating over $100 million in revenue. Over 30 million Americans play fantasy sports. Each year the number of internet leagues and websites grows substantially. Visit www.allfantasysports.net for more information.

Jeff OReilly is an author of several books on many topics and a leader in seo and website production. www.allfantasysports.net

Fantasy Baseball and that Sweet Electronic Candy

2006-02-19T12:39:00.000-08:00

The 1992 Summer Olympics were the first to feature NBA players, and the squad from that year was known as the 'Dream Team'. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird are just three of the legends that played on that historic and unbeatable team. Although Fantasy Baseball, Football, or even Basketball did not begin in 1992, these thrilling and interactive pastimes do carry on the tradition of that squad. By trying to assemble the best line-up of players from the game in any given year, and seeing how they would match up, fans can rearrange the leagues as they see fit and pretend to be owner, coach, and player all at once. Now, this may sound like a recipe for insanity, but it's actually a lot of fun - and it gives you some control over the game, even if only in your head. Fantasy Baseball is one of the more popular games for people to play, and there are even draft kits to help players navigate through the draft and auction process.

A draft kit? Is assembly required?

Ouch! Now, back in the olden days, before the Internet became the venue of choice for fantasy baseball enthusiasts, you had to keep track of your teams and players with a newspaper. Plus, you had to keep in contact with the other members of your league to keep tabs on who was winning the pool. Now, the Web keeps players from around the world connected, and brings a level of intensity to Fantasy Baseball and other such leagues that was not there before. To navigate through the maze of statistics and player data, the serious fantasy fanatic needs a Fantasy Baseball starter kit to best position himself for the upcoming season.

So..I get a Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit to use on the Internet? Do I actually get anything?

This is the Information Age, my friend, and that is precisely what you are getting with your Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit. Every kit is filled with "electronic candy" to fuel your dreams and propel your team to success. Analysts who live the dream of getting paid to study, breathe, and live baseball devote hours of hard work and energy to bring you:

- strategy to use during the draft and auction - a list of potential "sleepers" who are just waiting to take their game to a new level in the next season - predictions about who is going to falter and fade in the coming year - the best rookies to bring to your team - cheat sheets filled with the must-know facts to be successful on draft day.

Some Fantasy Baseball draft kit options include a mock draft for "newbies" to the game, and a host of other useful tips, to position you to bring home a championship - and hopefully some of that "play money" that everyone poured into a pool at the beginning of the season!

Hey look, if you like baseball, you are going to love Fantasy Baseball. Players and coaches change teams more often than lovers on some silly soap opera, so it is hard to be loyal to "traditional" teams. But, with Fantasy Baseball, you can build your own 'Dream Team', and bring an exciting new element to a classic game. If you are new to the process, or just want an edge for the next season, a Fantasy Baseball draft kit is just what you need.

Albert Medinas has developed and maintains the website Fantasy Baseball Guide, which answers the most common questions players have about Fantasy Baseball. Please visit us at www.fantasybaseballguide.net today.

New 2005 Fantasy Baseball Book Series Delivers the Most Accurate Player Values Ever Published

2006-02-16T19:07:00.000-08:00

(PRWEB) February 22, 2005 -- The most critical mistake fantasy baseball owners make when considering players for their draft is looking at valuations that were not calculated for their league. The typical player guides and fantasy baseball magazines need to be generic in their valuation approach. The reason for this is simple; It is much more profitable to print a one size fits all player manual and concentrate their marketing dollars in one place.

The problem is, one size does not fit all leagues. There are many variations of fantasy baseball leagues that can alter individual player values by as much as 85% or more. You can compare player values for yourself at http://www.2005fantasybaseball.com/ but here is one example:

Kerry Wood, a tremendous strikeout pitcher, is valued very differently depending on the league you are in:

4x4 NL & AL: $14 and Ranked 93rd Overall
4x4 NL Only: $18 and ranked 54th Overall
5x5 NL & AL: $20 and Ranked 41st Overall
5x5 NL Only: $26 and Ranked 15th Overall

The range of values for this one player has an amazing 86% variance!

Which league are your projection made for? The 2005 Fantasy Baseball Scouting Reports give you specific player valuations for the league you are in, not just the one most people are in. You will find six different 2005 Fantasy Baseball Scouting Report books at Amazon.com and BN.com or visit http://www.2005fantasybaseball.com/ today:

3 New Books with Projections Customized for 5x5 Leagues:
- 2005 Fantasy Baseball Scouting Report: Combined AL & NL Players $9.95
- 2005 Fantasy Baseball Scouting Report: NL only Leagues $9.95
- 2005 Fantasy Baseball Scouting Report: AL only Leagues $9.95

3 New Books with Projections Customized for 4x4 Leagues:
- 2005 Rotisserie Baseball Scouting Report: Combined AL & NL Players $9.95
- 2005 Rotisserie Baseball Scouting Report: NL only Leagues $9.95
- 2005 Rotisserie Baseball Scouting Report: AL only Leagues $9.95

Visit http://www.2005fantasybaseball.com/ for ordering information.

FantasySportsNuts.com Offers the Highest Fantasy Sports League Payouts Online

2006-01-30T12:41:00.000-08:00

Fantasy Sports Nuts recently launched its new web service http://www.fantasysportsnuts.com for rotisserie football, baseball, and basketball fans. Players have access to the most flexible head to head scoring, league owner independence, and free message forums.

Miami, FL (PRWEB) March 27, 2005 -- Fantasy Sports Nuts recently launched its new web service www.fantasysportsnuts.com for rotisserie football, baseball, and basketball fans.

Players have access to the most flexible and unique head to head scoring in the industry, plus the chance to win thousands with national prizes and the highest payouts available.

Team members can also participate in the free sports forums, highlighting the most current fantasy sports news available. Leagues have total owner independence on an easy to operate and multi function website.

Details for registering, with multi- team transfer or referral discounts, can be found on the Fantasy Sports Nuts site.

"The Internet has allowed more people to get involved in fantasy sports and it is easier than even to become a part of it...and all of the major sports Web sites are making it easy to transition from sports fan to fantasy sports fan," said Greg Ambrosius, president of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, in a statement. The association details that more than 29.6 million American adults are playing fantasy sports.

Fantasy Sports Nuts was founded by a group of former fantasy owners and fantasy sports nuts; dedicated to providing timely pay-outs and immediate responses to player inquiries and suggestions, for the best fantasy sports service in the industry.

Start your own baseball fantasy league

2006-01-25T19:54:00.000-08:00

Over the last ten years there has been an incredible increase in people participating in baseball fantasy leagues, and fantasy sports in general. There is really only one rule for those involved, and that is they must have a real and ongoing interest and appreciation of the game of baseball. Starting your own fantasy league is easy follow the simple steps below and you will quickly have a league you can enjoy throughout the season.

Fantasy League Step #1 Get your teams together The first step to creating a baseball fantasy league is getting your teams together. You need to find between 8 and 12 friends to participate and create their own team. Why 8-12 teams? This is the range of numbers that will give you a competitive league, which you will need for it to be as enjoyable as possible.

Fantasy League Step #2 The Commish Just like Major League Baseball, someone needs to be in charge. Elect a responsible and committed Commissioner to manage the statistics weekly, and is someone who has the opportunity and resources to distribute them to every player in the fantasy league.

Fantasy League Step #3 One League or Two? One of the oldest questions in baseball do we need both the American and National Leagues? Your group will need to decide whether to play with the traditional favourites, or establish a single league.

Fantasy League Step #4 Player draft or auction Teams need players, and the group will need to decide the best way to individually acquire players. Both draft and auction methods work, but whichever method you choose, stay with it throughout the season.

Fantasy League Step #5 Rules You cant escape rules, even in a fantasy league. Accumulation of points and recording statistics need to be done consistently and to a standard. Agree the rules, and ensure all teams are aware of the compliance requirements, and what happens when they dont follow them!

Fantasy League #6 Enjoy yourself Americans in their millions play fantasy league baseball to win money, trophies or simply for the sake of it. No matter what your reason, make sure the final prize is agreed by all as this gives you every player the best chance of enjoying themselves.

Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.baseballcenter.info, a website specialized on baseball, resources and articles.

Fantasy Baseball - Why Traditional 5x5 leagues are outdated

2006-01-18T13:04:00.000-08:00

The "fantasy" in fantasy baseball stands for what a team would be like with a collection of stars gathered together, not for an alternate universe where value has no relation to reality. Fantasy baseball is all about capturing players' performance on the field and translating it into a competition. To capture the offensive and defensive sides of play, both hitters' and pitchers' statistics are monitored. Runs, RBIs, battting average, home runs and stolen bases comprise the typical hitting categories, while ERA, strikeouts, wins, WHIP (walks and hits allowed per inning pitched), and saves are the usual pitching categories. At first glance these categories (noted as the traditional 5x5 categories) seem fair enough.

The first two pitchers most commonly drafted are Johann Santana and Randy Johnson. It is hard to argue that these two are not the premier pitchers in baseball. The batters most commonly drafted in the top three are Albert Pujols, Carlos Beltran, and A-Rod. Here again are guys with high name recognition, and great stats, and all in the upswing of their careers. But here is where the traditional 5x5 goes off track.

By far the best current hitter in baseball, steroids controversy notwithstanding, is Barry Bonds. Historically, one could point to Joe DiMaggio, Ty Cobb, or Ted Williams, but presently, there is no argument. Bonds makes the greatest impact in the game. Last year he reached base over 60 percent of the time, thanks to both his high walk rate and .362 batting average. The next closest in on-base percentage was Todd Helton at a mere 47 percent. Before you think, "big deal - that's a difference of 13 percent," know that a similar 13 percent reduction from Helton's number would give you Mark Grudelzniak, or Miguel Cairo. Quite a difference. And that doesn't even bring in Barry's slugging percentage, which is also incredible. The man hit 45 homers in 373 at-bats last year!

What Bonds has been doing to the game is historic in every sense of the word. That his accomplishments have not translated into fantasy sports strips any claim of realism. In a normal 5x5 league, Bonds is usually drafted late in the first round or early in the second. Yahoo has him ranked as number 12. Number 12 for a man who is arguably one of the best hitters ever, and who, as a hitter, dominates the game on a day-to-day basis.

The steals category should also be rethought. In a traditional 5x5 league, the number of steal attempts a player successfully converts gives him his value. This leads to fairly obvious cases of a player being valued much higher in fantasy terms then in real life, even if you do subscribe to the belief that the number of steals a player gets is in fact as telling as his batting average in determining his overall value. For example, Player A steals 20 bases in 40 attempts, as his coach believes strongly in the run. Player B steals only 18 bases, but out of 20 attempts, for a stellar success percentage. Player B obviously helps his team more, and had a more positive impact on the field, but the owner of player A is the more successful fantasy owner.

Why does it matter? So what if fantasy baseball is detached from the reality of baseball? That's why it is called fantasy, right? And everyone hates Bonds anyway. Unfortunately, the vastly divergent criteria used by the fantasy sports world and the real world to evaluate players drives a wedge between the hobby and mainstream sports fandom. Fantasy players become more geeky as the hobby (some would rather call it an obsession) drives itself away from real baseball. The 5x5 system demands that participants learn a new set of rules, and each new rule drives the hobby further away from acceptance and relevance. Bonds is not the best player in baseball. He's actually the twelfth. Alex Sanchez of the Detroit Tigers, a prominent starter on many fantasy teams last year with his 19 stolen bases, was cut from the Tigers this spring. The list goes on, but the point is, fantasy baseball is a reflection of baseball, and derives its legitimacy (if it has any) from its place as an extension of a real-life activity. Fine, a traditional 5x5 player argues, "then why was 5x5 created with these stats to begin with?"

The answer is simple. Fantasy baseball didn't start with the computer age. People actually went through box scores to accumulate the data necessary to play fantasy sports. Imagine the effort taken after each and every game, scanning newspapers, adding hits, then dividing by the total at bats, noting the stolen bases for each and every player on your team. That would take a lot of work. It's obvious why the traditional 5x5 stats were chosen. They were in fact the stats given by the box scores!

Thanks to computers, we are no longer limited by the constraints of newspaper box scores and division on scratch paper. Yahoo! alone offers 54 total categories with which to customize your league. This gives you the power to organize your league in whatever way you believe players in real baseball are really valued.

The most popular version of this is the SABR ("saber") leagues. The popular categories are: runs, RBIs, OBP (on base percentage) and slugging percentage for hitting, and wins, saves, ERA, and WHIP for pitching. This doesn't even begin to touch the value of a team's defense, but since there is no objective or standard way to measure defense, that problem has not been effectively tackled yet. The home team's scorer gives out errors, while defensive range is difficult to pin down as a measurable statistic game to game. It may be some time before Torii Hunter's spectacular home run-saving catch is a part of fantasy baseball, but undoubtedly the statisticians will come up with some method.

However you plan to do it meanwhile, if Bonds isn't the clear first pick in your draft, then your league is long on the fantasy, short on the baseball.

aworldofhelp.com is the best place to get your questions answered on the internet. Questions are answered by real people quickly and for free. Visit the site at: aworldofhelp.com/ Read this article at: aworldofhelp.com/home/articles/sports/031705_fbaseball_1.php This article and the entire contents of aworldofhelp.com is copyright A World Of Help, LLC.

Baseball Cards Going For Big Bucks on Naxcom.com

2006-01-14T13:35:00.000-08:00

Naxcom is selling a lot of high end baseball cards recently because buyers like the exclusive Naxcom buyer protection guarantee, which guarantees that buyers will receive their item or get their money back. This has enabled Naxcom buyers to feel confident about buying on Naxcom; particularly high end baseball cards and sports collectibles.

(PRWEB) May 4, 2005 -- On Thursday April 21, Graig Santos, a long-time collector of Baseball Cards, went into his local Baseball Card Shop and purchased one pack of Timeless Treasures, which was just released by the Donruss Company. To Graig's surprise, inside the pack was a Babe Ruth Autographed Card that contained three pieces of Babe Ruth Memorabilia (a piece of Babe Ruth's Bat, his Home Jersey and a Road Jersey).

Graig, then listed the card on the Naxcom.com Sports & Collectibles Marketplace and within just two days, he had several buy offers and he accepted one for $9,500.

Graig has decided to take his wife on a nice vacation with his good fortune.

The following day, Dmitri Young, All-Star for the Detroit Tigers, purchased a $4000.00 Dave Winfield Rookie Card from Greg Magusin off the Naxcom Marketplace. Dmitri Young, a collector of High-end Rookie Cards, purchased the card because it was graded by PSA (a Sportscard Grading & Authentication Company) a Gem Mint 10, the only Dave Winfield 1974 Topps Rookie Card that has ever received the Perfect Score.

The Naxcom Marketplace, launched in 2002 as a Safer, Faster Alternative to eBay, has attracted a lot of the High-end Sports Cards & Collectibles because of its Buyer Protection Guarantee. Many buyers were fed up with making purchases at Online Auction companies and the seller not shipping their item nor returning their money. Naxcom's Buyer Protection Guarantee protects the buyer with all their transactions, and with over a half a Million items sold on Naxcom, never once has a buyer paid for an item and not received their item or their money back.

For more information about NAXCOM, go to http://www.naxcom.com

10th Anniversary Symposium to Bring Top Baseball Analysts and Fantasy Leaguers to Phoenix

2006-01-13T12:18:00.000-08:00

Over a dozen of the industry's top baseball analysts will be in Phoenix this October 29-31 for the 10th annual First Pitch Arizona conference. Popular writers from ESPN.com, Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus and Fox Sports Radio will speak at this 3-day event that looks at the fantasy baseball industry against the backdrop of the Arizona Fall League.

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) August 28, 2004 -- Over a dozen of the industry's top baseball analysts will be in Phoenix this October 29-31 for the 10th annual First Pitch Arizona conference. Popular writers from ESPN.com, Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus and Fox Sports Radio will speak at this 3-day event that looks at the fantasy baseball industry against the backdrop of the Arizona Fall League.

First Pitch Arizona, sponsored by popular website BaseballHQ.com, is a rare opportunity for national writers, industry vendors and fantasy leaguers to congregate outside their March draft rooms. During a time of year when Major League Baseball is mostly dormant, they'll attend games and watch baseball's best prospects at MLB's premier off-season league. Leading the group are the top baseball writers and analysts in the industry, experts in everything from the minor leagues to statistical analysis to Rotisserie strategy.

The 10th annual First Pitch Arizona will take place at the DoubleTree Guest Suites in Phoenix, Arizona. The event's web site can be found at http://www.firstpitchforums.com/arizona/

This year's conference will feature:

- John Sickels, ESPN.com's columnist and minor league author
- Jim Callis, Baseball America's Executive Editor
- Joe Sheehan, Baseball Prospectus columnist
- Ron Shandler, author of the Baseball Forecaster
- Matthew Berry, Fox Sports Radio personality
- Rick Wilton, founder of the Sports Weekly Hot Sheet
- Deric McKamey, BaseballHQ.com's minor league director
- Doug Dennis, BaseballHQ,com's bullpen analyst
- Jeff Barton, Scoresheet Baseball founder
- Todd Zola, Mastersball.com columnist
- Dony Levy, Department of Sociology, University of Connecticut

Shandler, McKamey and Dennis are also advisors to the St. Louis Cardinals.

"This is the only place where you'll ever get all of these people in the same room at one time, ever," stated Ron Shandler, publisher of BaseballHQ.com and sponsor of the symposium. "And it's a terrific group. All of our speakers are down-to-earth and accessible. They would be more than happy to share a beer with you at the ballpark and talk about your fantasy roster. It's that type of environment."

The 2004 program has been designed to provide attendees with a one-to-one, interactive experience that they cannot get just by reading industry publications or browsing the web. This year's theme is "The Challenges of Winning" and will focus on overcoming the obstacles to success. Highlights include...

- Keynote address by Don Levy, a sociologist who will share his research results on what makes fantasy leaguers tick.

- Three of the industry's leading minor league analysts will share their opinions on the projectability of prospects.

- In a takeoff on a popular television show, "Expert Eye for the Fantasy Guy," attendees will be given the chance to have a "roster makeover" by some of the experts.

- Several top strategists will discuss rules issues that cause unrest in many fantasy leagues.

- Every year, the program features a special guest from within the ranks of major or minor league baseball. Past guests have included: Al Pedrique, now manager of the Diamondbacks, Thad Bosley, former batting coach for the Oakland Athletics and Brent Strom, Minor League Pitching Coordinator for the Montreal Expos. This year's guest speaker will be Kimball Crossley, professional scout for the Toronto Blue Jays.

- The 3rd annual Xperts Fantasy League draft, with some of the top analysts in the industry competing head-to-head.

- The 5th Annual Arizona Challenge, a unique Rotisserie-style competition that tests attendees' ability to assemble the best
team against the clock.

And finally, there are ballgames. During the weekend, attendees get to see baseball's top new talent compete in MLB's highest level off-season league. Last year, attendees watched players like Joe Mauer, Khalil Greene, B.J. Upton, Bobby Crosby, Casey Kotchman, David Wright, Scott Hairston and many more who have already made it to the bigs in 2004. This year's crop includes such rising prospects as Rickie Weeks, Delmon Young, Jeff Francouer, Jason Kubel, Josh Barfield, Ian Kinsler, Ryan Howard, James Loney, Adam Loewen, Gavin Floyd, Joey Gathright, Houston Street and dozens more.

This event brings out the highest caliber of fantasy leaguers, including top Rotisserie players, Scoresheet champions and perennial contenders in national salary-cap contests. The speakers are experts in their fields, but often serve as no more than facilitators for the discussions that take place. Attendees depart Arizona having been enlightened and challenged, and over 75% of them return every year.

Even the speakers are some of the event's biggest fans. ESPN.com's John Sickels wrote: "First Pitch Arizona is a lot of fun, and a great way to meet fellow baseball fanatics. There's nothing like a room full of diamond maniacs throwing tough questions at you rapid-fire to keep your mind sharp."

And first-timers, like attendee Brian Sank, also dole out the accolades: "The direct interaction with the foremost experts is tremendous and beyond all expectations. Couple that with the opportunity to share ideas with other fantasy players and AFL games is the best money spent on Roto."

Complete information about the 2004 First Pitch Arizona can be found at http://www.firstpitchforums.com/arizona/

Early bird rates are currently available. Those wishing to register can do so at https://www.baseballhq.com/subafl.html or by calling 1-800-422-7820.

Welcome Fantasy Baseball Fans!

2006-01-12T08:53:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow fantasy basebal enthusiasts,

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