Introduction

Well, here we are. 93 days away from another glorious season of baseball. We all know what that means. That's right, we're just about three months away from another year of fantasy baseball.

sbr took the crown just a few months ago, breaking up the dominance the Gauchos and Horkers enjoyed over the previous three seasons. Now we're just a short time away from the NinjaFish defending that title, and the rest of the league looking to take it away.

It's time for positional rankings, draft dates, and waiver moves. It's time for pulling off perfect trades, studying match-ups, and dreading the ill-fated season ending injury.

It's time for TES League Fantasy Baseball!

Talking Points

Now, I know we can't do much yet, seeing as the new season hasn't officially started on ESPN. However, I want to be sure we have plenty of time to plan for it.

We've discussed changes in the past,and now's a perfect time to do that. We also need to get a head count, which we'll get to later. First things first, following will be a short list of key changes that I feel should be discusses and decided upon.

• Realignment: I've been thinking it wouldn't be a bad idea to shift the divisions around, as the Septim League seems to be continually dominant.
  
• Scoring Categories: Adding new ones, negative scoring, etc.
  
• Auction Draft: We've traditionally done a Snake format, but the auction format might add some challenge.

In an auction draft, teams begin with a set budget and take turns nominating players to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

• Expansion/Contraction: Should we include more teams, or maybe even go back down to ten?
  
• Keepers: Should we keep certain players throughout each season?
  
• Roster Settings: Should we go with a traditional baseball line-up, or keep what we have?

Any other ideas or suggestions are more than welcome.

Roll Call!

Aside from myself, who is coming back next year? I'll keep tabs here in the OP.

1. North Texas Gauchos

2. sbr

I'm in.

• 
  
  Realignment: I've been thinking it wouldn't be a bad idea to shift the divisions around, as the Septim League seems to be continually dominant.

No preference. It isn't a terrible idea though.

• 
  
  Scoring Categories: Adding new ones, negative scoring, etc.

I don't like negative categories myself, it isn't as much fun and the ratio categories include enough negatives for a reasonable balancing act. I like where we are with scoring to be honest.

• 
  
  Auction Draft: We've traditionally done a Snake format, but the auction format might add some challenge.

I would really like to do an auction league, as I never have but we will NEVER be able to get everyone in the same virtual room at the same time and I don't know how someone could miss the auction and still be relevant.

• 
  
  Expansion/Contraction: Should we include more teams, or maybe even go back down to ten?

I think we should contract. We always have inactive teams and the more we add the more we get. I understand there will always be inactive teams but to be honest I would rather have an 8 team league with the core group of us we know will be there every week all season, than to have the 8 of us beat up on 4 other inactives.

• 
  
  Keepers: Should we keep certain players throughout each season?

I would like to do a keeper league but I think we would need to contract and address what happens with the inevitable turn-over there will be in a on-line community.

• 
  
  Roster Settings: Should we go with a traditional baseball line-up, or keep what we have?

I like what we have. The only thing I would suggest would be to make the Pitcher slots more specific: SP, RP etc. Though leaving it alone would be fine as it's the only league that I am in that does it that way and variety is always good.

So, with an auction draft, we can't be in the same lobby as in a snake format?


EDIT: Nevermind, I just realized what you were meaning. Yeah, we would definitely be missing a few people come draft night.