**Since this draft was delayed to take place during the Academy Awards 2015, I will provide draft analysis with Movie titles and references to explain THAT THING YOU DO when drafting this year**
Kind of like GROUNDHOG DAY, i found myself without a computer leading up to the draft...The result...THE NOTEBOOK was incomplete and with inaccurate information...i had at least 3 mis-informed players listed along with THE USUAL SUSPECTS that may or may not have affected the outcome of the draft...Suffice it to say, THE NOTEBOOK was compiled in less than SIX NIGHTS AND SEVEN DAYS, and like RAIN MAN, i had to absorb all that information quickly to memory, and as you know, i am no TALENTED MR RIPLEY.
Having been BLESSED with the #1 pick..."Things are going to start happening to me now"_(THE JERK)...My immediate thought was Trout as i sat as a BARFLY at Emils with Tonk and Keith, but quickly realized that Trout did not STAND AND DELIVER better than McCutchen or several others, while Kershaw was the only player in A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, better than the next best at any position and then "a plan" fell into place....Just like Mortimer and Randolph Duke in TRADING PLACES, we added Clarence Beeks to the staff/payroll so we could corner the pitching market...now...with this plan, several things have to happen...#1 TOP GUN...the best pitchers had to be available, which meant the rest of the league had to pass on the top pitching talent...luckily this happened. #2 THE COMMITMENTS...looking at league history, some have attempted to take pitching early, to include myself, but not fully committed, ending up with a few less than desirable pieces on the staff and a DEATH TO SMOOCHIE result. I did waiver however,...if this works out, you can all BLAME IT ON RIO...or Ken, because in round 4, my CONVICTION was tested and i was fully prepared to take Russel Martin in the fourth but GLORY sakes alive, FATE stepped in and Martin went to Corcoran, Lastly #3 CRUEL INTENTIONS...looking at top tier pitching going back in league history, I can reasonably expect 100+? complete games from this staff? and potentially record setting team era? that is a SILVER LINING PLAYBOOK if ive ever seen one? The potential is too PICTURE PERFECT not to give it a DIE HARD attempt and see what happens.
There is DOUBT and DOWNFALL and even DOUBLE JEOPARDY to this approach...OLD SCHOOL,("Blue, your my boy!") thinking is to take the best 2 hitters to win the spit cup...history proves this works. To be honest, Greg's draft last year was THE PERFECT SCORE and it would appear he is following PROTOCOL again this year...Loading up on as much hitting as possible and still have a very solid, almost INVINCIBLE staff based on their ratings. Flushing SACRIFICED offensive production...and here in lies THE DILEMMA....will Great Pitching outlast good hitting over the course of an entire season?? Do we need a PERFECT STORM of events, on both sides of the ball? is the pitching all that is needed? Does the manager cost this teams wins, or is he THE MAN considering the expectation of low scoring close games?
Team Pitching- THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION....for the first time in league history? Someone OBSESSED went with pitching for the its first 5 picks....Kershaw 21GZz, Cueto 18, Sale 17Z, Hernandez 17Z, and Wainwright 16ZG are THE A TEAM and should be AN ABSOLUTE POWER. GREAT EXPECTATIONS are pressed upon these 5 guys...THE GAME PLAN... let them pitch and pitch often! Concerns FOCUS with Kershaw and Sale as they will likely miss starts due to 27 & 26 GS apiece...#6 Starter Pineda is up as THE REPLACEMENTS.... Our HUNT FOR THE RED OCTOBER begins and ends here. THE BENCHWARMERS, aka the bullpen, will consist of only 4?! THE GREAT UNKNOWN...uncharted waters, but we feel, as stated earlier, 100+ complete games is not unreasonable...thats only 20 per starter. Bullpen is nice?! Giles 24H, Neshek 18ZzG, Edgin 20Z & Chapman 20HW are all thats out there...Somewhat limited innings and games? But It may SILENCE THE LAMBS when I don't need to use what I have?
Team Hitting- Here we most resemble THROW MAMMA FROM THE TRAIN, and hope for the best. We have a low OBP, decent BA team with serviceable power. We are collectively, THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY on offense but have lots of parts...next man up philosophy. Plenty of PLATOON ratings on both sides and arguably the best offensive weapon, Carlos Santana, does not have a starting job to begin the season, hopefully he will STAND BY ME and hit when called upon? By the end of the season, I hope they are referred to as the INGLORIOUS BASTERDS by the rest of the league?
Team Defense- This team was assembled behind its rotation, and to support that rotation, offense was overlooked and strong defensive position players were selected and with a little spit and elbow GREASE, this collection I shall refer to as THE INCREDIBLES. Kinsler 2b9, Peralta ss9, Morneau 1b5, Seager 3b5, and Molina C9+6 are a FIELD OF DREAMS defensively and should only help the pitching limit runs against. THE ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD consist of Gordon 3/34, A.Jones 3/33 in center for 159g, & Heyward 3/33 which should be solid if not A REQUIEM FOR A DREAM. We added a few Utility players Don Kelly/Alexi Amarista/Eric Young to support a limited group of starters on the bases and they will be GONE WITH THE WIND and then fill any position needed after scoring as pinch runners. Weakness foreseen leading to 12 ANGRY MEN, is the "plan" to at least try Carlos Santana C6+2 for starts behind the dish while Molina sits out 52 games as THE DEPARTED, but C8+2 Castillo was added late if Santana is the ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOS NEST and "Cant handle the truth".
Expectations...it is not A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH, but we are more optimistic about what we have assembled this year than ever before...Partly because of the uniqueness, but party because of the TITANIC advantage a top tier pitching staff can provide. If each starter just goes 2 games over .500, we have had a good year..we anticipate better...not to be LOST IN TRANSLATION, considered a PSYCHO, or even have A CLOSE ENCOUNTER OF THE THIRD KIND, management in Flushing expect to compete for a title. Now im sure there will be BOOGIE NIGHTS and ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND playing with and against you fine gentlemen, and its A WONDERFUL LIFE to be able to play another season... Good Luck to all!