Fantasy draft can ruin careers
Things I ponder as the summer winds down and another scholastic sports year looms on the very near horizon: n How I am able to ruin the careers of some of the finest NFL players by simply selecting them in my fantasy league draft? (I drafted Ryan Leaf back in the day and he actually once completed more passes to the other team than to his Chargers. I also held Barry Sanders on my roster for a season just in case he decided to un-retire. Credentials like those should qualify me to be the GM for the Detroit Lions, right?)
n Why were Roman architects able to construct roads that are still used centuries later, yet those highways and byways constructed with available (and supposedly superior) modern technology are a maze of cones and barrels nine months out of the year?
n How it is some infomercial broadcast in the wee hours of the morning can turn my pocket change into millions, yet I can’t seem to correctly match three of 11 (out of 77) numbers in the Super 7 so I can get my $2 investment back?
(Unlike other aspects of my life, I’ve set the bar really low – breaking even – as far as gambling goes.)
n Why do I apparently have a better shot at getting my money back in the Super 7 than the Pirates have of winning a MLB baseball game?
I have a 1-in-20.2 chance of correctly matching three numbers for my initial investment. Pittsburgh has lost more than its won, currently winning at about a 40 percent clip with a much larger money layout. Why can’t the Pirates win?
(Heavens, it’s not rocket science; it’s a game. Besides, the boys at NASA and the jet propulsion lab have bigger fish to fry, like getting things up into space and then making sure they don’t fall back down to Earth later.)
This might be a bit unconventional, but I don’t think the Pirates are awful. They might not be very good, but awful, not yet. Zach Duke pitches a good game, and Matt Capps, who hasn’t quite been the same since the injuries, blows it in relief.
The way things have been going of late, it’s almost as though the Boys of Summer are looking for ways to disappoint the home crowd, where at least they used to win with regularity. Booted ground ball, poor baserunning and game management, general lethargy, you name it and it has happened in the post-All-Star Game swoon.
I’d like to think the Black-and-Gold have a little more pride in their production than just simply going through the motions. At least, I’m hoping Frank Coonelly and Neil Huntingdon and the rest of the Pittsburgh brass aren’t going through the motions.
Yes, I was upset when Jack Wilson was traded. It sure would’ve been nice to see Wilson, who never went through the motions, retire a Pirate, but Ronny Cedeno seems to be filling the gap. Freddy Sanchez is a nice guy and good ball player, but seemed to be injured a lot of late and Delwyn Young came not to sit on the bench.
Nate McLouth’s departure was aggravating, but it sure is fun watching Andrew McCutchen play. Nyjer Morgan could fly, but Garrett Jones is a threat to go long with regularity. (The management needs to find a place for Jones so he can improve his defense.)
The lackluster play of Brandon Moss makes the trades of Jason Bay and McLouth more frustrating. If Moss would play like it’s believed he can, and should, than the loss of those two All-Stars might be mitigated some.
A recent Associated Press story extolled the measures the Pirates have taken with securing players through the draft, especially those selected in the 2009 draft. Pittsburgh has come to terms with its first 10 picks, and wasn’t afraid to open the checkbook.
Pedro Alvarez, last year’s No. 1 pick, received a contract worth $6.355 million while Tony Sanchez, this year’s top pick, agreed to $2.5 million. All in all, the Buccos have already spent around $8 million on this year’s signees with a few more expected to come into the fold.
Yes, I believe a strong future can be secured by the draft.
The Steelers have been doing it for years, and the core of the Penguins, on the heels of some miserable seasons, has been assembled with top-round draft picks.
Both teams then use free agency to fill in the gaps, not to rebuild the team.
I understand it’s difficult to be patient after so many years of poor play, but that’s what fans do. Kids in high school have no idea what it’s like to see the Pirates win, while those of us who used to be kids do. The Steelers weren’t necessarily setting the world on fire before the AFL-NFL merger, but there’s always been gung-ho Steeler fans.
At least the Pirates have won three World Championships in my lifetime. Can the same be said of those end of the era baby-boomers who live in Cleveland or Chicago?