Mile High Minute :: 2011, Week 8

Sometimes you have good weeks, and sometimes you have weeks where your team gets outscored by the other team’s offense alone. Baltimore pummeled the Mackerel in Week 8, mustering only 290 points to the Devil Jays’ 465.

“Ugh,” Mackerel GM Jon Bielecki said, “what a frickin’ terrible week. Pretty much everyone was awful. A few guys had average weeks, but most of the team was awful. There’s no other word for it.”

Baltimore swept the weekly league honors, with team of the week, hitter of the week (Asdrubal Cabrera, 41), and pitcher of the week (Michael Pineda, 61). “We just got overpowered,” Bielecki said, “For my part, I need to re-consider the lineup completely. It’s time to stop considering what a guy might or could do and focus more on guys who are actually producing. Week 8 was an example of what happens when the entire team struggles at the same time. Awful.”

Tim Lincecum had the lone bright spot of the week for Mile High, pitching a shutout on Saturday night. “There’s not a whole lot I can take away from this week, other than the hope that it’s not a trend.”

Mile High plays crosstown rivals the Colorado 470s in Week 9 in Leg 2 of the battle for the Shield Of Gratitude. Colorado won the first meeting 248-222.

Mile High Minute :: 2011, Week 7

Mile High completed its second two week winning streak by knocking off a streaking Marshall Street squad which had won four of its previous five matchups. Led by the return of Victor Martinez (42 points), the Mackerel posted their second highest offensive total of the season (241). Eight hitters posted 15 points or more, and only one scored less than 10.

“It was a nice change from last week,” Bielecki said, going over the numbers, “we had four guys score less than 10 and only 5 over 15.”

The pitching roster delivered an average-if-medicore performance considering they had 10 starts for the week. The Mack staff avereaged only 13.1 points per start, getting only 17 points from Tim Hudson over two starts, and 23.5 from young Rockie Jhoulys Chacin.

“They got the job done, but obviously we were hoping for more,” Bielecki said, “Frankly, we got lucky that Marshall Street had a bad week. We lost Lincecum’s second start due to rain, but since we got the win anyway, it actually works out well that we’ll get him twice against Baltimore.”

Mile High will take on Baltimore in Week 8. The teams squared off in Week 2 with Mile High winning 412-301.

Mile High Minute :: 2011, Week 6

 

After a two week skid, the Mile High Mackerel snapped their late-April losing streak by topping the Speedway Starwipes 345-296 in Week 6 of the ECB. Despite a few struggling hitters, the Mack were lucky enough to matchup against Ryan Friedman’s Speedway Starwipes, who were going through some struggles of their own.

“It’s been a bit of a strange season so far,” Bielecki said, “It feels like a lot of GMs are not really sure what they got from the draft. Myself included, some weeks.” Despite that, the Mackerel lineup has remained relatively consistent considering they currently have three players on the disabled list.

Gaby Sanchez, who was acquired a few weeks ago to fill one of those spots, led the offense in Week 6 putting up 42 points. Craig Kimbrel led the well-balanced pitching attack with 33 points. Mile High takes on Marshall Street in Week 7.

Mile High Minute :: 2011, Week 4

Another year has begun and Mile High has still not figured out how to beat Chicago. The Tiger Army, aside from being the rivals of the Mackerel, are the only squad against which GM Jon Bielecki’s team has a losing record in the history of ECB. That trend continued in Week 4 with a 445-415 loss to Steve Adler’s Tiger Army.

“We put up 415,” Bielecki said in his Monday morning presser, “We do that every week, and we’ll be okay. We just can’t get past Adler for some reason.”

Bielecki hung the loss on sluggers Victor Martinez and Logan Morrison going on the DL before Wednesday’s games started. The Mackerel got only two points combined from them.

“Would that have made the difference? I don’t know. Even with Jhouls’ 5 points, we still had almost 200 points from pitching. We’ve got to point the finger at the offense this week.”

Andre Ethier led the way for the offense, putting up a steady 34 points while David Price won both of his starts for an output of 54 points for the week. Even after the loss, Mile High is still ahead of Chiaco, sitting in 4th place after four weeks. The Mack will take on New Haven (11-25) in Week 5.

Mile High Minute :: 2011, Week 3

Mile High continued their solid early season play and started its first winning streak of the young season by dispatching New Haven to the tune of 406-355.

Troy Tulowitzki took home HOTW honors with 50 points, joining Mark Teixeira as the second Mackerel to take home the honor in the season’s first three weeks. Mile High had 7 hitters score 22 points or more, putting up a season-high 263 points of offense. Jered Weaver  continued to not lose, racking up his fourth win in as many starts.

“So far, so good,” GM Jon Bielecki said, “Everything’s clicking right now. We’ve got a couple of concerns, but the rest of the squad is really firing right now.”

“Weaver has been unreal,” he said, “but the biggest thing last week was getting solid starts from Lester, Price, and Cahill. If we can get our pitching together, we’ll be really tough to beat.”

Mile High takes on rivals Chicago Tiger Army in Week 4 of ECB.

Adlerithmetic :: All-Time Single Season Teams : Marshall Street

By Steve Adler 

As baseball season approaches I thought it may be informative to look at the best single season performances at each position for each of our eight franchises.

 

Methodology: I decided to use total point for the FANTASY FRANCHISE. The players may have put up more points during our playoffs, but not for this purpose. I also opted not to use points per game as I didn't think it would truly provide the best representation of each team. I decided to allow players to have multiple years for a team, mainly because I want to see if anyone besides A-Rod and Pujols ends up on Woosta’s roster. I used the positions as they would occur in ECB, not the way the MLB organization does it.  The rosters were compiled using the stats from the almanac. Unfortunately these stats only went back to 2005 so the years 2001-2004 will not be reflected. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

MARSHALL STREET MENACE
POS	NAME	YEAR	POINTS
C	Joe Mauer	2006	428
1B	Jason Giambi	2006	500
2B	Ian Kinsler	2008	510
3B	Troy Glaus	2006	478
SS	Derek Jeter	2006	509
CI	Troy Glaus	2005	430
MI	Robinson Cano	2010	501
OF	Carlos Lee	2007	516
OF	Andre Ethier	2009	507
OF	Ichiro Suzuki	2005	456
OF	Carlos Lee	2008	438
UTIL	Dustin Pedroia	2008	453
UTIL	Derek Jeter	2005	453
P	J. Broxton	2009	541.17
P	CC Sabathia	2008	534.84
P	Rafael Soriano	2010	532.17
P	CC Sabathia	2007	506.5
P	Roger Clemens	2005	508.16
P	Mariano Rivera	--	490.36

What I Learned:

1. Marshall St? In case you haven't noticed I've been going in the order of most playoff appearances. I didn't expect Marshall St to be ahead of Speedway. And they're not. It's a tie, but such is the magic of the almanac.
2. Yankees. Watts has taken advantage of the Yankee hatred in this league and benefited from great seasons from a variety of Yankees like Jeter, Rivera, Cano, Giambi, Sabathia, and maybe Clemens (can't remember which mercenary year that was).
3. SWA. BAT. Andre Ethier is the first Keene Swamp Bat to make our list (fittingly for a former GM who was also a SwaBat), but definitely not the last. Well, maybe he is for this go around, but hope to see some more when I update this list in a few years. Long live the Swamp Bats!

Mile High Minute :: 2011, Week 2

Led by Pitcher Of The Week Jered Weaver’s 60.7 points, the Mile High Mackerel rebounded from a Week 1 loss to Colorado by picking up 7 wins against the struggling Baltimore Devil Jays. Weaver and Troy Tulowitzki (34 points) accounted for almost a quarter of the Mackerel’s league leading 412.5 points and vaulted the Mack to first place atop the ECB standings.

Pitching was the key to victory for the Mack, who got a total of 183.5 points from their six pitchers. “It could have been more than that if it weren’t for the Red Sox being so friggin’ terrible,” skipper Jon Bielecki said, “but overall, I was very happy with the pitching staff we went with last week.”

The Mile High offense contributed a stellar 229 points, which is somewhat impressive considering they got their first double of the season on Wednesday. “It was a team effort on that side of the ball,” Bielecki said, “No one person carried the team. That being said, we’re still looking for more from Uggla and (Austin) Jackson.”

Mile High takes on New Haven in Week 3 without the services of Ryan Zimmerman. “We should be okay,” Bielecki said, “but we’re really going to need Buster and Vladdy to pick up the slack this week.”

Adlerithmetic :: All-Time Single Season Teams : Baltimore

By Steve Adler 

As baseball season approaches I thought it may be informative to look at the best single season performances at each position for each of our eight franchises.

 

Methodology: I decided to use total point for the FANTASY FRANCHISE. The players may have put up more points during our playoffs, but not for this purpose. I also opted not to use points per game as I didn't think it would truly provide the best representation of each team. I decided to allow players to have multiple years for a team, mainly because I want to see if anyone besides A-Rod and Pujols ends up on Woosta’s roster. I used the positions as they would occur in ECB, not the way the MLB organization does it.  The rosters were compiled using the stats from the almanac. Unfortunately these stats only went back to 2005 so the years 2001-2004 will not be reflected. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

BALTIMORE DEVIL JAYS
POS	NAME	YEAR	POINTS
C	Joe Mauer	2009	454
1B	Prince Fielder	2009	570
2B	Dan Uggla	2010	482
3B	Michael Young	2009	443
SS	Michael Young	2005	484
CI	Prince Fielder	2007	543
MI	Michael Young	2006	474
OF	Grady Sizemore	2008	553
OF	Grady Sizemore	2006	538
OF	Grady Sizemore	2007	524
OF	Adam Dunn	2007	522
UTIL	Adam Dunn	2009	516
UTIL	Adam Dunn	2006	510
P	Chris Carpenter	2005	551.66
P	Johan Santana	2007	508.5
P	Felix Hernandez	2010	505.66
P	F. Rodriguez	2007	493.84
P	Chris Carpenter	2006	448.67
P	Brad Lidge	2008	416.84

What I Learned:

1. Dunn and Dunn. What were the rest of us thinking? Every year Grashow throws Dunn back in the redraft pool, and every year we all pass on him, looking for sexier picks. Until Watts took him this year. Well played Watterson.
   
2. A Man Named Grady. Almost forgot how great that guy was. Pretty incredible to see the production that Baltimore received from Grady and Dunn. Too bad for Cleveland, Baltimore, and baseball fans in general that he has been beset by injuries the last couple years.
   
3. Obvious. This team more than any that I have done so far I felt like I would have been able to fill in without even looking at the almanac, even more than Woosta. Michael Young falls in the same group as Dunn who Baltimore has redrafted frequently. Carpenter was a mainstay for many years and the new Baltimore generation of King Felix, Prince, and Joe Mauer have started to leave their mark.

Adlerithmetic :: All-Time Single Season Teams : Mile High

By Steve Adler 

As baseball season approaches I thought it may be informative to look at the best single season performances at each position for each of our eight franchises.

 

Methodology: I decided to use total point for the FANTASY FRANCHISE. The players may have put up more points during our playoffs, but not for this purpose. I also opted not to use points per game as I didn't think it would truly provide the best representation of each team. I decided to allow players to have multiple years for a team, mainly because I want to see if anyone besides A-Rod and Pujols ends up on Woosta’s roster. I used the positions as they would occur in ECB, not the way the MLB organization does it.  The rosters were compiled using the stats from the almanac. Unfortunately these stats only went back to 2005 so the years 2001-2004 will not be reflected. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

MILE HIGH MACKEREL
POS	NAME	YEAR	POINTS
C	R. Hernandez	2005	182
1B	Derrek Lee	2005	602
2B	Robinson Cano	2009	453
3B	R. Zimmerman	2009	497
SS	Jimmy Rollins	2007	565
CI	Mark Teixeira	2009	526
MI	Hanley Ramirez	2007	553
OF	V. Guerrero	2007	519
OF	Bobby Abreu	2005	518
OF	Nick Markakis	2008	516
OF	V. Guerrero	2006	512
UTIL	Hanley Ramirez	2008	535
UTIL	Hanley Ramirez	2009	526
P	Roy Halladay	2008	628.99
P	Tim Lincecum	2009	609.17
P	Bobby Jenks	2007	499.83
P	Tim Lincecum	2008	479.67
P	Mariano Rivera	2006	457.83
P	Mariano Rivera	2008	443.34

What I Learned:

1. There Is More Than One Way To Win. Woosta and Chicago were heavy on OF and 1B types, but Mile High has made 8 playoff appearances in 10 years as well and they have done it with tremendous strength up the middle with the likes of Hanley Ramirez, Jimmy Rollins, and Robinson Cano to the extent they filled his UTIL spots as well.
2. DRAFT A CATCHER! Ramon Hernandez ranks as the lowest all time player thus far. It looks like GM Bielecki was at least subliminally aware of this as he drafted both Buster Posey and Victor Martinez this year.
3. Keepers. The one that first comes to mind is Adrian Gonzalez after the 2007 season, but it seems guys like Robinson Cano, Roy Halladay, and Adrian Gonzalez (again) took great offense to being thrown back into the non keeper pool (Get it? MACKEREL!).

Adlerithmetic :: All-Time Single Season Teams : Woosta

By Steve Adler

As baseball season approaches I thought it may be informative to look at the best single season performances at each position for each of our eight franchises.

Methodology: I decided to use total point for the FANTASY FRANCHISE. The players may have put up more points during our playoffs, but not for this purpose. I also opted not to use points per game as I didn't think it would truly provide the best representation of each team. I decided to allow players to have multiple years for a team, mainly because I want to see if anyone besides A-Rod and Pujols ends up on Woosta’s roster. I used the positions as they would occur in ECB, not the way the MLB organization does it.  The rosters were compiled using the stats from the almanac. Unfortunately these stats only went back to 2005 so the years 2001-2004 will not be reflected. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

WOOSTA PIMP ROOSTAS
POS	NAME	YEAR	POINTS
C	Victor Martinez	2009	474
1B	Albert Pujols	2009	650
2B	Rickie Weeks	2010	474
3B	Alex Rodriguez	2007	653
SS	Jose Reyes	2006	520
CI	David Ortiz	2006	599
MI	Jose Reyes	2007	517
OF	Josh Hamilton	2008	543
OF	Vernon Wells	2006	519
OF	Manny Ramirez	2008	490
OF	Alex Rios	2007	462
UTIL	Albert Pujols	2006	541
UTIL	Albert Pujols	2010	566
P	F. Rodriguez	2008	654.68
P	Ubaldo Jimenez	2010	570.67
P	Roy Oswalt	2005	521.82
P	Josh Beckett	2009	461.34
P	D. Matsuzaka	2007	458.68
P	Cliff Lee	2008	452.62

What I Learned:

1. Rich Knows Pitching? I think everyone remembers/knows about Rich's love affair with K-Rod, but I never EVER would have guessed he was the all-time leader in single season points for a Roosta. It will surely help his MLB Hall of Fame resume.
2. Go Red Sox! Given that we have 6 years of data and only 4 spots for Pujols (if we went back further he could have gotten some of the OF spots I believe) I assumed he would sweep them. I didn't expect Ortiz to make it with his great 2006 season. As a side note Albert Pujols broke 500 points all but one year (when he had 490 points).
3. Strong Keepers. Many of the men on this list would likely wear a Woosta hat into the HOF as that is the team they would identify with and have spent the bulk of their career. It shows that Rich has identified and kept talent for a long time, likely leading to his 4 ECB titles.
4. BLUE JAYS! I will listen to Rich anytime he tells me a Blue Jay outfielder will have a great year, like Rios or Wells. So what's on tap for Adam Lind this year (fingers crossed)?

Mile High Minute :: 2011, Week 1

After months of anticipation, the 2011 Elm City Baseball season kicked off in abbreviated fashion last week. The Mile Mackerel welcomed the ECB’s newest member, the Colorado 470s, into the league in Leg 1 of the battle for The Shield Of Gratitude. Mile High finished just outside of the playoffs in 2010 and was looking to start the season off on a positive note for a potential playoff run. Colorado, under new ownership, has made no bones about the fact that their days of being the ECB doormat are over, and looked to prove their point by defeating their crosstown rivals in the Denver Derby.

In a week free of two start pitchers and very many closing opportunities, the focus was on hitting in Week 1, and the 470s answered the bell with a flurry.  Scanlan’s squad launched 11 homers as a team in just 4 days led by 3 from inaugural draft pick Ian Kinsler. Mile High kept pace with 10 homers of their own, putting both Colorado teams at the top of league in that category after Week 1. The 26-point win by the 470s can be attributed to the Mackerel’s all-or-nothing approach at the plate. As a team they registered exactly 0 doubles for the week (25 1Bs and 2 3Bs). Tack on an extra win late in the weekend for Colorado’s Gio Gonzalez, and the 470s ended the week winning their first ever series 5-4.

“Is was great to get our first series win,” Scanlan said, “but it was almost more important to make a statement coming into the league. Things worked out very well for the squad this week. Hopefully we can ride that wave into our first full week of action against the Tiger Army.”

Mile High GM Jon Bielecki spoke with a sense of subdued optimism after Week 1’s loss, “We’re not too worried about Week 1,” he said, “Lincecum could have gotten a win on Opening Day, and I’m fairly certain Tulo will get a few hits this year. Teixeira snagging Player Of The Week honors was huge after struggling early on last season. We’re pretty happy with the squad as-is for the moment.”

Mile High will take on Baltimore in Week 2 starting on Monday.

Adlerithmetic :: All-Time Single Season Teams : Chicago

By Steve Adler

As baseball season approaches I thought it may be informative to look at the best single season performances at each position for each of our eight franchises.

Methodology: I decided to use total point for the FANTASY FRANCHISE. The players may have put up more points during our playoffs, but not for this purpose. I also opted not to use points per game as I didn't think it would truly provide the best representation of each team. I decided to allow players to have multiple years for a team, mainly because I want to see if anyone besides A-Rod and Pujols ends up on Woosta’s roster. I used the positions as they would occur in ECB, not the way the MLB organization does it.  The rosters were compiled using the stats from the almanac. Unfortunately these stats only went back to 2005 so the years 2001-2004 will not be reflected. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

CHICAGO TIGER ARMY
POS	NAME	YEAR	POINTS
C	Russell Martin	2007	415
1B	Joey Votto	2010	550
2B	Marcus Giles	2005	415
3B	Michael Young	2010	365
SS	Troy Tulowitzki	2009	465
CI	Mark Teixeira	2005	547
MI	Brandon Phillips	2007	407
OF	Lance Berkman	2008	551
OF	Manny Ramirez	2006	528
OF	Manny Ramirez	2005	509
OF	Carlos Beltran	2008	508
UTIL	Ryan Howard	2009	543
UTIL	Mark Teixeira	2008	513
P	Joe Nathan	2005	534.66
P	Johan Santana	2005	533.31
P	Billy Wagner	2006	528.67
P	Bobby Jenks	2006	479.18
P	Fr. Cordero	2007	471.68
P	Jake Peavy	2005	460.99

What I Learned:

1. I have never been able to trade for David Wright. I have tried with many owners and many various trade arrangements. Nothing ever happened and that is why Michael Young had the best season at 3B with a mere 365 points in 2010. Other years have had me trying to find a solution at 3B with poor results.
2. The 2-start starter strategy may have skewed the pitcher totals. This is going to involve looking at other teams, but Zack Greinke didn't make my list and he won the Cy Young award in 2009. I'll update this theory later.
3. My success is due to good 1B and OF. My roster reflects not only the tinkering at 3B, but also appears to indicate a lack of success in finding 2B, SS, and C via the draft or early in free agency. This is likely due to the limitations of our numbers as Mike Piazza, A-Rod, NOMAH, and Bret Boone would likely have produced better numbers.

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Next up: Woosta

Mile High Minute :: 2011, Week Zero

Denver's oldest ECB franchise wrapped up their 10th season by missing the playoffs in 2010. The season was marred by inconsistent keeper play (Mark Teixeira, Nick Markakis) and a terrible draft (Jason Bay and Adam Lind were the first two Mackerel re-draft picks). Even perhaps the best team pitching season they've ever had could not make up for the shortcomings on offense, which lead to many curse words coming from GM Jon Bielecki's man cave.

 

At a pep rally consisting of his dog and cat, Bielecki promised that 2011 would see a return to the playoffs and to non-awful drafting. The latter began with the Mackerel selecting Buster Posey in the first round of the re-draft.

 

"Not many people remember that we actually traded for Buster last season," said Bielecki, "Then he slumped for like a week, I got super pissed, cut him, Woosta picked him up, we shat the bed, Buster won the Rookie Of The Year and, well, let's just say I almost fired myself."

 

Mackerel fans are hoping that Posey's growth as a hitter continues and he can become the solid fourth offensive keeper that the Mackerel have been missing for the past several seasons. As to his favorite draft pick, Bielecki was unclear, "David Price was our number one pitcher on the board and we were able to get him in the third round, which made us happy. Teaming him up with Lince and Lester is going to be a lot of fun. We're also excited to welcome back Jered Weaver, who we thought was our best pick last year, and Vladimir Guerrero. He's getting up there, but it's nice to see his name in the lineup again."

 

The Mackerel open their 2011 season on Thursday against the Colorado 470s in Leg I of The Shield Of Gratitude.

2011 ECB Mock Draft – Round 2

Now that Round 6 is over and we are all definitely 100% going to put our names in the cup, Round 7 is a time to figure out who you’ve always wanted on your team and/or who deserves the honor of receiving a championship ring at the end of the season. Who will owners choose as they start rounding out their squad? We know.

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Zack Greinke (P)
Round 7, Pick 1
Baltimore Devil Jays

GM Grashow (and Felix Hernandez) welcome Zack GreinKKKKKKe to Baltimore. Another player likely to benefit from his change of scenery, Greinke moves to the National League and a team that can actually hit. Grashow made a commitment to advanced metrics by keeping King Felix, who although not likely to dominate the win column, IS likely to dominate the American League! Greinke will look to do the same in his new home and Grashow will gladly collect the quality innings and lots of strikeouts that Grienke will add. – Steve Adler

Round 6 Prediction: Adam Dunn (1B)

Dan Uggla (2B)
Round 7, Pick 2
Woosta Pimp Roostas

It’s hard for me to imagine that this guy was ever NOT on GM Rich Gallup’s squad. Even when Uggla was a member of my beloved Mackerel, I felt like he was somehow on loan from the Roostas. For your consideration: The guy has Popeye arms (and face, sort of), he hits of ton of homers, and he has that look on his face that says, depending on the day, he might rather kick your fuckin’ ass and bang your girlfriend than play baseball. Kind of like A-Rod, except he likes boys. – Jon Bielecki

Round 6 Prediction: Jay Bruce (OF)

Andrew McCutchen (OF)
Round 7, Pick 3
Speedway Starwipes

It seems like every year when we do these mock drafts, we just assign Frieds “good, 23 year old, player X,” but not this year! We are done with that. We project that with their second redraft pick Speedway will take 24 year old Andrew McCutchen. McCutchen clearly impressed while playing last year in the finals against GM/Coach Friedman and this year will be employed by Speedway hopefully allowing him to hit even more triples. If this mock draft continues, you might see how much Carlos Zambrano impressed Friedman in the next round... or not. – Steve Adler

Round 6 Prediction: Clayton Kershaw (P)

Shin-Soo Choo (OF)
Round 7, Pick 4
Chicago Tiger Army

Wha—? Shin-Who Who? It might be a little too early for Choo at this spot, but Adler knows something you don’t know. Choo’s averages across 162 games: 94 R, 38 2B, 21 HR, 95 RBI, 22 SB, 83 BB. Oh, and he’s only 28. Homeboy is a stud. Adler knows this, and now so do you. – Jon Bielecki

Round 6 Prediction: Mike Stanton (OF)

Cliff Lee (P)
Round 7, Pick 5
Mile High Mackerel

GM and TIMMAY welcome Cliff Lee back for a second tour in Mile High. Lee helped Mile High to the playoffs last time and will look to do so again as Mile High cannot afford to be left in the cold this year with new owner Jeff Scanlan relocating the New Hampshire 603's to within a stone’s throw of the Mackerel's stadium... literally a stones throw... QUIT THROWING ROCKS YOU TWO! – Steve Adler

Round 6 Prediction: Justin Upton (OF)

Dan Haren (P)
Round 7, Pick 6
Colorado 470s

With the loss of Adam Wainwright, and no other serviceable pitchers to speak of, Dan Haren is a logical choice for Scanlan to start a bit of a run on pitching for his 470s. Aside from averaging about 14 wins over his career, Haren is returning to the AL West where he started his string of three straight All-Star appearances beginning in 2007. With Jered Weaver pushing him and a decent-if-healthy offense, Haren could be a force in the ECB this year. – Jon Bielecki

Round 6 Prediction: Buster Posey (C, 1B)

Nelson Cruz (OF)
Round 7, Pick 7
Marshall Street Menace

GM Watts is looking to put the Menace back in Marshall Street and at 6'2" 240 lb., Nelson “Muntz” Cruz will go far towards that end. When paired with the giant (albeit slimmed down) CC Sabathia, Cruz will hopefully scare up some wins. Nelson has been unable to find a permanent home, but if he is able to stay healthy he could do so in Marshall Street. His 40 HR potential makes him the pick here as he will join Ichiro in what GM Watts hopes is a perfectly complimentary tandem. – Steve Adler

Round 6 Prediction: Jose Reyes (SS)

Andre Ethier (OF)
Round 7, Pick 8
New Haven Traffic Cones

If New Haven can get through this pick with a solid pitcher (i.e. David Price) and a solid hitter with a little upside, like, say, Andre Ethier. The Ethier Bunny missed about 20 games last year, but was on pace to match his impressive 2009 totals. If he can stay healthy, there’s no reason to think that Ethier won’t put up some solid numbers in 2011. - Jon Bielecki

Round 6 Prediction: David Price (P)

2011 ECB Mock Draft – Round 1

As the remnants of winter hang around early March like a Dementor, one can always count on the looming ECB draft to dispose of any gloom quicker than you can say “expecto patronum.” As usual, this blog will predict the first rounds of the draft with 100% accuracy, so that when Netscape Gold v. 1.0 inevitably crashes on you, you can rest assured that you didn’t miss anything.

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David Price (P)
Round 6, Pick 1
New Haven Traffic Cones

Having almost an entire hitting lineup just from his list of keepers (and a decent one, at that), Jeff Stanley bucks his closer-heavy trend and picks up the best available young arm. It’s a virtual guarantee that there will still be closers around when Stanley next picks, but Price’s value and the T-Cones need is too high to pass him up with the first pick. - Jon Bielecki

Keepers: Carl Crawford (OF), Kevin Youkilis (1B), Brandon Phillips (2B), Derek Jeter (SS), Brian McCann (C)

Jose Reyes (SS)
Round 6, Pick 2
Marshall Street Menace

Jose Reyes is destined to play on Marshall Street. One of the fastest players in the league? Check. Middle infielder? Check. Possible Yankee by the time keepers are due next year as the possible heir to Derek Jeter? Check. There were surely cheers of joy on Marshall Street when Rich finally freed Mr. Reyes. If healthy, Reyes is the best SS available. After Round 6, GM Watterson will have his MI slots completely solidified (with keepers Dustin Pedroia and Robinson Cano) and focus his attention on the rest of the roster... unfortunately Randy Johnson is no longer around. – Steve Adler

Keepers: Robinson Cano (2B), Dustin Pedroia (2B), Ichiro Suzuki (OF), CC Sabathia (P), Mariano Rivera (P)

Buster Posey (C, 1B)
Round 6, Pick 3
Colorado 470s

Another former Roosta comes off the board as Jeff Scanlan’s debut draft pick simultaneously breaks the hearts of ECB veterans and sets the stage for a much needed turnaround for his 470s. Posey is one of the best hitting young players in the game and when one is saddled with keepers like Jose Bautista and Nick Swisher, a hitter with long-term upside makes for a great decision. The deal is further sweetened by the fact that Posey is made unavailable to GM Rich Gallup, who elected to keep two of Scanlan’s beloved Rockies. – Jon Bielecki

Keepers: David Wright (3B), Josh Hamilton (OF), Jose Bautista (3B, OF), Adam Wainwright* (P), Nick Swisher (OF)

Justin Upton (OF)
Round 6, Pick 4
Mile High Mackerel

It was a busy offseason at high altitudes as GM Jon Bielecki jettisoned stalwart Hanley Ramirez to Chicago for local hero Troy Tulowitzki. In his quest to find the next Hanley, Mile High drafts Justin Upton and his unlimited (although largely untapped) potential. Upton can do it all, at least that's what the experts insist, with a great speed/power combination. Mile High will also be able to keep a close eye on Upton due to his residence in the NL West. Upton gives Mile High their first outfielder and is a nice complement to his returning lineup core of Teixeira, Tulo, and Ryan Zimmerman. The pick would also reunite Zimmerman his old AAU teammate to pal around in the clubhouse.

Keepers: Jon Lester (P), Troy Tulowitzki (SS), Mark Teixeira (1B), Ryan Zimmerman (3B), Tim Lincecum (P)

Mike Stanton (OF)
Round 6, Pick 5
Chicago Tiger Army

If there’s anyone Steve Adler trusts about baseball more than himself, it’s Bill James, and Bill James loves him some Mike Stanton. The strapping young slugger has all the upside in the world, and along with new toy Hanley Ramirez, would give Tiger Army fans reason to flock to SoFla for the summer. Add Stanton to Votto, Howard, and Ramirez, and the Tiger Army could have as formidable a set of hitters as there is in the league for many seasons to come. – Jon Bielecki

Keepers: Matt Kemp (OF), Joey Votto (1B), Ryan Howard (1B), Hanley Ramirez (SS), Justin Verlander (P)

Clayton Kershaw (P)
Round 6, Pick 6
Speedway Starwipes

What can be said other than Frieds loves the kids? Kershaw will benefit from the tutelage of Speedway keeper Roy Halladay on the field, and hopefully NOT the tutelage of Miguel Cabrera off the field. Frieds has shown he loves high volume strikeout pitchers (who are also good in general). Kershaw fits the mould as well as being only 23 years old. GM Friedman can afford to wait a few rounds for offense as Ryan Braun, Evan Longoria, and Chase Utley join Miguel Cabrera to bolster the Wipes offense. – Steve Adler

Keepers: Miguel Cabrera (1B), Evan Longoria (3B), Ryan Braun (OF), Chase Utley (2B), Roy Halladay (P)

Jay Bruce (OF)
Round 6, Pick 7
Woosta Pimp Roostas

What’s the best thing about being GM Rich Gallup? With the stable of keepers assembled over the years by the Pimp Roostas, the draft can be all about gambling. Pujols, Adrian Gonzalez, and A-Rod alone give the Roostas potentially three of the top 10 scoring hitters in the league in 2011, add the pair of Rockies who can realistically have better seasons than their already impressive 2010 campaign, and Gallup has the luxury of being able to draft the 23 year-old slugger early on and hope for a breakout year. – Jon Bielecki

Keepers: Albert Pujols (1B), Carlos Gonzalez (OF), Adrian Gonzalez (1B), Alex Rodriguez (3B), Ubaldo Jimenez (P)

Adam Dunn (1B)
Round 6, Pick 8
Baltimore Devil Jays

This is the easiest and most obvious pick in the draft. It was forecasted last year and came to fruition, there is no doubt that it will happen again this year. Dunn has proven to be one of the rocks of Baltimore. Like Ray Lewis except in out fantasy league. Dunn will likely benefit from the warm Chicago summer air (if it ever comes) and help Prince Fielder, Joe Mauer, Matt Holliday, and Jason Heyward lead Baltimore back to the playoffs. That is, if they don't completely botch their next pick after choosing to pick at the back end of the draft for back to back picks. – Steve Adler

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* – Wainwright (injury) will be replaced with a player to be determined.

Mackerel, 470s Announce Annual Trophies

DENVER, Colo. -– Competing ECB owners and longtime friends Jeff Scanlan and Jon Bielecki agreed to terms Wednesday on a set of rivalry trophies to be awarded during each season. Scanlan’s 470s and Bielecki’s Mackerel lock horns for 2011’s Week 1 contest, the first ever meeting between the two teams, and the inaugural series for the 470s.

The Shield of Gratitude: In honor of the Starz series Spartacus, which is both mocked and enjoyed by both owners, the shield is awarded to the winner of the first 3 series of each season (total games won across all three series). Tiebreaker is total points across all three series.

The Govnr’s Cup: In honor of Govnr’s Park, a Denver establishment with fine foods, drinks, and douchebaggery, this trophy is awarded to the winner of the fourth and final series of the year (if played). This trophy will be held by the last winning team in years where the teams do not play a fourth time.