Opening Day Renewal and Hope

The Counselor is IN: 

The air is full of the smells of the Spring.  Scents of cut grass and pollinating pollinating trees hang and mix with the oxygen. Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is upon us.

Opening day of Baseball season brings me a sense of renewal. After a cold hard winter, it is the gateway to warm weather. The grass, trees, flowers, and plants are renewed and coming back to life. Even at age 40, the start of baseball season brings the promise of playing outside and the upcoming summer months (no longer 12 weeks of summer vacation but still).

Every baseball fan anticipates opening day. His or her team is undefeated. This could be the season that their team breaks out, returns to dominance, and could win the World Series. As a Texas Rangers fan, I am hopeful for a return to the Series and  this time a championship. Even my family and friends that are Kansas City Royals fans believe that this could be their break out season. Opening Day is all about Renewal and Hope and I am grateful for it.

 The Counselor is OUT:

 

Interview with Cardinals Minor Leaguer- C.J. Beatty

The Counselor is IN:

(Original article posted in the March Edition of Sports Jabber Magazine)



Recently, St. Louis Cardinal Minor League Outfielder, C.J. Beatty, agreed to an interview with me for Sports Jabber Magazine. C.J. is a prospect who was the Top Athlete at North Carolina A&T for two years prior to being drafted. I gathered questions from the Sports Jabber community and made my list. I found C.J. to be a down-to-Earth guy who just loves to play baseball and who has high aspirations playing for the Cardinals in St. Louis.

I am sure you will enjoy his responses to our questions.

1) The first question and comments are from Sports Jabber’s Co-Owner Reg.
“First of all, I want to thank CJ, on behalf of SJ, for doing this interview.
Secondly, since you play in the organization of my favorite MLB team AND you & I attended the same GREAT school, you are now one of my favorite players. ;-)
What are some of your goals...in baseball and in life?
GO AGGIES!”

MY ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO ONE DAY BE A MAJOR LEAGUER! and SECOND....BE ABLE TO HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE ACHIEVE THIER DREAMS!

2) As Reg mentioned, you attended college at North Carolina A&T, near your hometown. Please tell our readers more about North Carolina A&T: size of enrollment; what is the school known for; and why you selected North Carolina A&T?

I THINK THERE ARE ABOUT 12,000 STUDENTS AT A&T. THE AGGIES ARE KNOWN FOR THE BEST HOMECOMING ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH...ALSO I THINK OUR HOMECOMING WAS RANKED IN THE TOP 5 IN THE NATION AT SOME POINT.

I COULD HAVE WENT TO ANY SCHOOL OF MY CHOICE....UVA, OHIO STATE, NC STATE, LSU, JUST TO NAME SOME… I CHOSE AGGIE LAND BECAUSE THEY ARE D-1, 30min AWAY FROM HOME, AND THEY GAVE ME A FULL SCHOLARSHIP.

3) You were twice named Athlete of the Year at North Carolina A & T. You were the big man on campus. Now you are in the minors. How does it compare going from being the best athlete on campus to playing in the minors?

FUNNY YOU ASK! I WAS USED TO BEING TREATED AS A KING, NOW I’M AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL AGAIN TRYING TO CRAWL BACK ON TOP! BUT IT’S FUN.

4) You were drafted in the 26th round in the 2009 Draft after your Junior year. At that point, did you consider staying in school for another year in hopes your draft stock might rise? If so, what convinced you to go to the minors?

WELL....IN BASEBALL, IT’S DIFFERENT. WHEN YOU ARE A JUNIOR, YOU HAVE SOME PULL. BUT WHEN YOU GO PRO AFTER YOUR SENIOR SEASON, REGARDLESS OF WHO YOU ARE, YOUR STOCK IS NOT AS VALUABLE. ONLY BECAUSE SCOUTS KNOW YOU "HAVE" TO SIGN. PLUS THE CARDINALS PAID FOR THE REST OF MY EDUCATION!

5) You had a wrist injury your rookie season that cut your season very short. Last season, your batting average was significantly down from your college stats with North Carolina A&T. Were you still recovering from the wrist injury or was it from a learning curve of professional baseball?

NO....MY WRIST WAS TOTALLY HEALED. IT’S THAT LEARNING CURVE THAT EVERYONE GOES THROUGH. EVERY YEAR I LEARN MORE AND TRAIN HARDER....SO WE SHALL SEE :-)

6) The Cardinals are a storied franchise. They have the second most World Series rings. The have a long list of great players from Stan the Man to Ozzie Smith to Mark McGuire to Albert Pujols. Is it intimidating or inspiring to be with an organization like the Cardinals with such history and iconic greats? Who is your favorite Cardinal of all time?

Noooooooo noooo! MAN I FEEL LIKE A KID IN A CANDY STORE BEING IN THE CARDINALS
ORGANIZATION! IT’S A JAW-DROPPING EXPERIENCE. I REALLY DO LOOK UP TO ALBERT
BECAUSE OF HIS STRONG WORK ETHIC!

7) This is your second Spring Training with the Cards. How are you approaching it this season?

THIS SEASON, I PICKED A DIFFERENT THEME! LAST SEASON, IT WAS "SHOW ‘EM WHATCHA GOT." THIS SEASON IT’S "COME EARLY...LEAVE LATE, STAY HUNGRY AND HUMBLE."

8) C.J, I live in Springfield, MO. It appears likely that you will be sent to AA Springfield Cardinals this season at some point. Any thoughts on how life may change being so far from home in a small city in Missouri?

UMMMMM.....NOT TOO MUCH THOUGHT! I’M SO FOCUSED ON CLIMBING THE CHARTS THAT IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW FAR OR HOW COLD OR HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AT THE GAMES! I WANNA PLAY FOR TONY ONE DAY AND IMMA TRY MY VERY BEST TO GET THERE.

9) You have been involved with the group L.E.A.D. Tell our readers a little bit about L.E.A.D.

WELL, IT STANDS FOR LAUNCH, EXPOSE, ADVISE, DIRECT. IT’S A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION GEARED TOWARDS HELPING INNER-CITY KIDS OF ATLANTA, GA PLAY BASEBALL AT A HIGHER LEVEL. JASON HEYWARD IS A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE AND HE AND I WORK REAL CLOSE WITH THIS GROUP.

Here are some other questions from our readers.

10) CJ, who inspired you to be so involved with the kids at school and the youth groups
that you speak to?

WELL TO BE HONEST....I KINDA INSPIRED MYSELF. I USED TO ASK MY PARENTS GROWING UP, WHY, WHY, WHY SOME PRO ATHLETES HAVE A PROBLEM SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS OR SPEAKING TO SCHOOLS! FROM THEN ON, I MADE A PROMISE TO MYSELF TO BE AN ATHLETE THAT WOULD SIGN EVERY AUTOGRAPH AND TALK TO KIDS AND HELP THEM BE ANTHING THEY WANNA BE.

11) What got you interested in baseball to begin with?

FUNNY STORY TOO! MY MOTHER WAS A MOM THAT COULDN’T STAND SEEING HER SON AT THE BOTTOM OF A FOOTBALL PILE.....SO MY DAD DIRECTED ME TO BASEBALL....GOTTA KEEP THE WOMEN HAPPY RIGHT?!?! lol

12) Who was your favorite team/players growing up?

NEW YORK YANKEES BABY! DEREK JETER WAS AND STILL IS MY IDOL.....HE PLAYS THE GAME THE RIGHT WAY AND IS A CAPTAIN.

13) Can you tell us about your first experience of attending a Major League ballgame?

IN ONE SIMPLE BUT STRONG WORD! "WOW"
EVEN TIL THIS DAY I GO AND SAY TO MYSELF......
"I CAN’T WAIT TO PLAY HERE." IT’S LIKE HEAVEN TO ME .

14) What are your other hobbies besides baseball?

I LOVE PLAYING CHESS, XBOX LIVE, POKER, AND SPADES.

15) Do you play fantasy baseball or any other fantasy sports?
How good are you at them if you play?

NO, I’M NOT INTO THAT YET.... BUT MY FRIENDS HAVE TALKED ME INTO PLAYING THIS
SEASON....I HEARD IT GETS REAL COMPETITIVE! SO I’M READY BABY!

16) How long do you expect it to take before you are promoted to the big club?

UMMMM....I’M NOT SURE. HOPEFULLY IF IT’S GOD’S WILL, I WILL BE PINCH HITTING IN
2 YEARS FOR TONY IN A TIGHT SITUATION :-)

17) Final question for you C.J. You have your own website and you are well known on Twitter and Facebook. Can you give our readers your contact information for these sites?

SURE NO PROBLEM....

WEBSITE: WWW.CJBEATTY.COM
EMAIL: cjbeatty44@yahoo.com
TWITTER: @cjbeatty44
FACEBOOK: FOR MY PERSONAL PAGE: CJ BEATTY
FOR MY FAN PAGE: C.J. BEATTY

Thank you once again for your time and willingness for this interview.
If you are assigned to AA Springfield, I hope to have an opportunity to interview you
in person.

NO NO NO.... THANK YOU! I REALLY ENJOYED IT.....TAKE CARE.

The Counselor is OUT:

National League Preview

The Counselor is IN: 


(Original article posted in the March Edition of Sports Jabber Magazine)


Spring Training is in full swing.  The fans are optimistic about their teams since every team is undefeated.  The itch for green grass, cold beer, and the smell of hot dogs entangle the fans. Hope springs eternal during Spring Training.

It is also the time of the year where the prognosticators bring out their crystal balls in an attempt to clearly see October.  I will pretend I am Carnac the Magnificent and give my predictions.

NL East
1) Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies have the best rotation in baseball: Halladay; Lee; Hamels; Oswalt; and Blanton.  They won 97 games last season before adding Cliff Lee. At times last year, they struggled to score runs and having lost Jason Werth is not going to help.  They should have more than enough starting pitching to make up for it and to have the best record in the National League.

2) Atlanta Braves
The Braves are an up and coming team.  Too bad they are in the same division as the Phillies.  The team’s big names are Heyward, McCann, and Uggla. The pitching staff is lead by Tim Hudson, Derrek Lowe, and Jair Jurrjens. I expect the Braves to contend for the Wild Card.

3) Florida Marlins
The Marlins are a good team that could compete in most other divisions.  They have a good starting pitching staff: Johnson; Nolasco; and the inconsistent Javier Vazquez.  Hanley Ramirez is the star of this team as a Short Stop.  The Marlins can make some noise but it will be tough in this division.  

4) New York Mets
Just examine the big names (at least before they become Mets): Santana; Beltran; Wright; Reyes; Bay; and Rodriguez.  Every season, this team looks great on paper but they do not fulfill their potential.  I don’t think this season will be any different. It looks like the same old Mets to me.

5) Washington Nationals
I really like the Nationals in five years if they keep their young players and do not trade them away. They are building something special in Washington but they are not there yet.  They did bring in Jason Werth to add to the veteran presence of Livan Hernandez and Pudge Rodriguez.  This team will surprise some people but will not win more than 75 games.


NL Central
1) Milwaukee Brewers
This division is the hardest to judge. I could see any of the top four teams winning this division.  The addition of Zach Greinke tips the Brewers over the top for the division in my opinion.  Braun, Hart, and Fielder lead this team’s offense. The Brewers should win this division in a tight race.

2) Cincinnati Reds
The Reds won the division last season with 91 wins and will compete for it this season. The offense will be good with Votto, Bruce, and Rolen leading it.  The pitching staff should be decent but they do not have the one good Ace on their team.  They will be in the hunt for the NL Central and the Wild Card.

3) Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have a good rotation if they can stay healthy but their offense is not frightening too many people.  The addition of Garza to the rotation with Dempster and Zambrano should be formidable.  They will put pressure on the Brewers and Reds but in the end they will fall apart as usual.

4) St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals went from the top of the division for these rankings to the fourth when Adam Wainwright injury requring Tommy John elbow surgery.  He is done for the season.  The Cards still have their “Co-Ace” Carpenter but he will be 36 in April.  Albert is still a stud but will the non-contract extension lead to distractions later in the season.  The Cards could still win this division but I think the odds are becoming stacked against them.

5) Houston Astros
The Astros will miss Oswalt, who they traded last year at the trade deadline.  Wandy Rodriguez is close to becoming the Ace of this staff.  Brett Myers is a good pitcher.  This team looks like they have too little offense to make a run at the division title but they should be close to being a .500 team.

6) Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates lost 105 games last season.  It appears they will lose another 100+ games this season.  They have a few really good pieces like 3B Pedro Alverez  and OF Andrew McCutchen. But the Pirates do not have enough talent to be competitive.  


NL West
1) San Francisco Giants
The World Champs should win the NL West.  Their rotation is really good with Lincecum, Cain, and Sanchez leading the way.  In the Bullpen, Fear the Beard will continue to close games down.   Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey are young cornerstone to the offense of this team.  The Giants will be hard pressed to win the series again but they should make the playoffs and anything can happen once you make the playoffs.

2) Colorado Rockies
The Rockies have a lineup of young position players who have a ton of upside. They will soon be a team to be feared with Ian Stewart, Carlos Gonzalez, Seth Smith, and of course SS Troy Tulowitzki. They have a decent pitching staff lead by Ace Ubaldo Jimenez and Closer Huston Street.  This team is good and could fight for the NL West and the NL Wild Card.

3) LA Dodgers
The Dodgers have a decent team with a good pitching staff. The rotation is solid with Kershaw, Billingsley, Lilly, and Kuroda. They have a couple of outfielders leading their offense in Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier.  They should be around .500 again this season.  They could get hot and contend but I would not count it.

4) San Diego Padres
The Padres overachieved last year when they won 90 games. I would not look for them to overachieve again. They will be lucky if they go .500 this season.  Mat Latos is a stud young pitcher who is developing into a true Ace.  The rest of the staff is decent but not good enough to content for the NL West this season.  

5) Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks have a good offense.  They are going to need it if they are going to win games.  Justin Upton, Chris Young, Kelly Johnson are upper level players that have major upside.  Their pitching staff is below average.

NL Wild Card: Atlanta Braves
NL Champion:  Philadelphia Phillies
World Series Champ: Philadelphia Phillies

NL MVP: Ryan Braun
Runner Up: Albert Pujols

NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay
Runner Up: Zach Greinke

 The Counselor is OUT:

Fantasy Baseball- What Kind of League is right for you - part 3

The Counselor is IN:

This is a series to assist fantasy owners in selecting the best kind of league for you. Fantasy Baseball has numerous variations and differences which can either enhance your fantasy experience or lessen the enjoyment. I hope to bring some understanding for those new to Fantasy Baseball and give some options to the savvy veteran owners.

Fantasy Baseball Draft vs. Auction

Draft Leagues uses a method of taking turns to pick the players you want for your team.  The most common draft style is the snake draft.  The snake draft has the teams set in order.  If there are ten teams in the league (most leagues have between 8 and 16 teams), then it will go from 1 to 10 in order for the first round. Then the second round goes back from 10 to 1. This order is usually set up as either random or the inverse order of where teams finished from the last season.  

Ideally the draft should set up teams to have the teams have a fairly even superstar, great players, good players, average players, and sleepers.  The teams rarely work out that way but ideally by taking turns, the teams should be evenly matched.

Auction leagues are set up with each team having a set amount of auction dollars (not real money) and bidding on players.  The most common dollar amounts allotted teams is $260 since that was the amount used in the original rotisserie leagues. This can vary from league to league. In most leagues, the auction dollars are only tracked during the draft but some leagues will ensure that you stay under the cap during the entire season.

The auction owners take turns with one owner throwing out a player for a specific dollar amount (usually in $1 increments).  Each owner is given a chance to bid more on the player. When no one else bids a higher amount on the player, the owner who bid the most gets the player.  The money bid on that player is subtracted from owners allotted money. Then the next owner throws out a player and the process begins again.  You do have to have enough money to fill your entire roster.  There is equal opportunity for every owner to get specific players.  

There are very different strategies for each style.  The snake draft strategy is to spend the early round picking the stud players.  You need ;to get the big names early or you will not pick them up.  The middle rounds should be used to pick up good players to fill in your active roster.  The last rounds are used for picking up those flyer players and the undervalued guys.

The auction is a very different creature.  In the early rounds when people have a ton of money, you are often better served by throwing out players either you do not want or you do not want at the price that others will want them for. You do not want to sit back and wait for all the good players to be taken but you can be wise on what players you are willing to pay for early.  Some owners will draft early and overpay for players and be left with very little money for the rest of their team.  Other owners will sit back and keep all their money and not be able to get the top level players.  You do not want to be either team.  
If your auction is a live in person draft, then there is strategy to reading the other owners and bidding up players so they get the player at a higher amount of money.  Be aware of this strategy because you can find the other owner was doing the same thing to you or they had a hard number they were willing to pay for players.  Never bid a dollar more for a player than you are willing to get the player for.

The Counselor is OUT: