Category: Business Day One

[Business Day One] Now We’re That Couple

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Boston College’s own Ron Brace was drafted by the New England Patriots this past week. ??? ???? ????? ?? ???????? In other words, a player from my favorite team has been drafted by my girlfriend’s favorite team. We’re getting matching jerseys. So if you see us, don’t make fun. Yes, we’re that couple now, but we have a very good reason. ????? ????

Thank you, and Let’s Go Eagles. ????? ??????? ?? ????????

[Business Day One] Today In Boston

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So here’s what’s happening today in Boston.

9:30 a.m. – The Boston Marathon began.

11:00 a.m. – The Red Sox play the only morning game of baseball in MLB.

7 p.m. – The Celtics take on the Bulls at the Garden.

7 p.m.- The Bruins try to extend to a 3-0 series lead against Montreal.

See that, right there?  That’s what happens when you live in a sports city.  You start wondering how the heck you’re going to watch the marathon and the Sox game at the same time, and then you spent three hours deciding which bar to go to (my vote is Common Ground in Allston Rock City) to see both the B’s and the C’s play their way through the postseason.

Find what your city does well and embrace it.  That’s the way to love where you live.

[Business Day One] A Week Into Fantasy Baseball And…

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Fantasy baseball has two different types of league play: rotisserie and head-to-head, where the winning team takes all of the games. But even in the best of rotisserie leagues, some teams don’t win all of the games. In this article, I’d like to address what I believe are the top ten teams for every fantasy baseball season.

One thing that I’ve noticed over the years is that there is a great correlation between how good a team is playing, and how high they will finish in the standings. ?????? ????? With that in mind, I’ll be starting this article by discussing the fantasy-relevant teams in the top ten. ?????? ??? ???? ????

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Rank Team League 1 Boston Red Sox AL 2 St. Louis Cardinals NL 3 Los Angeles Dodgers NL 4 Arizona Diamondbacks NL 5 Atlanta Braves NL 6 Texas Rangers AL 7 New York Mets AL 8 New York Yankees AL 9 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 10 Chicago Cubs NL

I personally believe that the Boston Red Sox will win the American League, and that there will be no other team in the game with a better chance at making the playoffs than the Red Sox. The Red Sox have a top-five offense in the league, and a top-three pitching staff that is led by the best pitcher in the game right now in Rick Porcello. I’m betting on him to carry the team on his back as he has done so many times in the past, and when the Boston season comes to an end, the club will be excited to watch a parade of his teammates as they come to terms with the new era.

#2 Red Sox vs. Cardinals (July 24th)

One of the toughest division races to pick in baseball this season, it is tough to even try. St. Louis has been the class of the division in 2016, but they’re going to have to prove they belong if they want to win the division, which means a return to the top of the division or at the very least a first round playoff exit.

The Cardinals have an impressive pitching staff, and if they can get a handle on the hitting and defense, they have a chance to make a deep playoff run. This game pits Boston vs. Arizona, and if the Sox keep winning, it will make for a good time. (NOTE: Arizona has an impressive pitching staff, and if they can get a handle on the hitting and defense, they have a chance to make a deep playoff run. Boston has an exciting rotation with breakout stars Steven Wright, Joe Kelly and Rick Porcello. This game is just about a big deal.)

Thursday, June 6:

Mets at Braves 5:20pm

If you are going to take a chance on a team in a down season, why not do it during a weekend series in a pitcher’s park like Citi Field? The Mets have an offense led by Yoenis Cespedes and David Wright, and a talented rotation led by Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom. ???? ??? ???? Meanwhile the Braves are in a rebuilding phase, but are still loaded with talent with Freddie Freeman, Freddie Freeman, Freddie Freeman and Freddie Freeman. The series is being played under the best possible conditions for the home team (see above). Friday, June 7: Mets vs. Braves 9:10am Sunday, June 10: Royals vs. Rangers 4:10pm A home game in Arlington, Texas is always exciting, but this time it might not be as great as many of us are expecting. The Rangers have had some injuries at the

[Business Day One] Opening Day, Same As It Ever Was

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Good morning, everyone. You’re waking up to baseball today. ?????? ??? ????

I love Opening Day more than any other day in sports for one very simple reason – ridiculous full-season projections. For me, there is no greater joy in sports fandom than extrapolating an entire season’s worth of events based only on one game. It is the height of comedy, and let no one tell you otherwise.

For instance, as of right now, the Red Sox are on pace for 162 consecutive rain-outs. Amazing, right? And Derek Lowe, after his impressive performance last night, is right on track for a stunning 33-0 season with a 0.00 ERA. Give that man an award! See how fun it is? And it’s not even noon!

I downloaded an old game for the PC last night called Escape Velocity. 365 bet You play a pilot that travels the galaxy running cargo and passengers between various ports of call. ?????? ??? ???? ????? You upgrade your ship from time to time, or save up and buy a new one. Mostly, the game is a long slog that consists of resource and energy management, maximizing profits on good trade routes, and enjoying the vastness of space. There are more exciting PC games out there to be sure, but for me, I love the comfort of knowing there’s a nice, comfortable game that you can casually play for a couple hours on a quiet weeknight. I feel the same way about baseball. Welcome back.

[Business Day One] The Monster

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I spent 4 hours at my computer on Saturday, drafting a fantasy baseball team.  The Monster League, populated by NoS posters Willis and RJ and frequent commenter Angry Ed, is a beautiful mix of friendly and competitive.  During our Winter Meetings (a once-yearly gathering for pizza and rules adjustments) and our Live Online Draft, we throw playful jabs between orders of business, mocking our own fantasy management inability as often as we make fun of the skills of others.  It’s not a bad situation; in fact, it’s been the best league I’ve ever been in.

Sixteen teams, twenty-five rounds, twenty-five roster spots (including minor leaguers).  Roto league with five offensive and five pitching stats.  Thousands and thousands of players to choose from.  The Monster League is big compared to other fantasy baseball leagues, but not that much bigger.  All fantasy baseball is that unwieldy.  Compared to fantasy football, basketball or golf, putting together a baseball team is a bear.  Too many combinations of players, too many positions, too many scenarios in which you are suddenly without a viable starting catcher.  It’s a rough game, and it’s a complicated one, and therein lies the joy of it.

Fantasy baseball drafts are big enough that you can’t plan for it all.  You have to draft based on instinct and knowledge. ???? ?????   You get better with experience – eventually you begin to understand the opportunity cost of waiting to draft certain positions in favor of others – but in the end it is complex enough that it really does tend to separate out those that manage well from those than don’t. ????? ???????   In fantasy sports, luck becomes less important as the roster size goes up.  You may hit the jackpot in fantasy hockey and have two hot hands carry you into the playoffs.  But it takes a thoroughly deep team to survive a roto baseball league.  And teams like that come together when you have encyclopedic knowledge and a good sense of value.

The season, the real season, is days away. ?????? ???????   Right now, all the fantasy baseball owners are undefeated.  Enjoy it while you can, because we’ll soon discover how good we are at all of this.

[Business Day One] I Need A New Drug

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So Boston College Basketball got bounced in the first round of the NCAA’s, squandering a 7 seed to those surfing long-hairs out of Southern California.  About an hour later, the BC Hockey team coughed one up to those Phish-listening  train riders out of Boston University. ???? ???? ??? ??? ????   Crappy night for me.

The BC spring football game is about a month away, and I wish our baseball team the best but can’t possibly sit through collegiate baseball more than once every six years.  As such, I need a new college sport to follow. ?????? ???   It’d be preferable if it was Boston College related.  So here’s a mission.  If you’re a current BC student, start an intramural league of some sort and apply sabermetrics to it.  Then, e-mail them to me and let me analyze them and right snarky stuff about it.

Go, time’s a wastin’! ??????? ???? ???? ?????