Rockem Sockem

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2020 Preview:

==== Intro : ====

{{https://i.imgur.com/Lq3yO9A.gif?nolink&500x228}}

Seriously who knows? It is July 20th as I am typing this. I have written a few paragraphs earlier in the year, and never published them because that gif above this sentence says it best…

We have no idea what is going to happen. The 60 game season is set to start this week, Rockem voted to keep all of our scoring, DL spots the same and the Covid-19 virus is still rising all across the country taking out players randomly and for various lengths of time and severity, thankfully no one has died from this decision (that we know of).

  * There should not be baseball.
  * MLB is going to try to play baseball.
  * We shall see what happens.

Most years I deliver t stupid thoughts on everyone's teams, but this year, with only 60 games and a deadly national outbreak, there is no way to predict anything. A team with three hot players could run away with this…Plus…we drafted in March before a NL DH was instituted and all the other variables had come into play…like you know, a deadly disease which can knock out players for a week or for…ever.. I will skip the write-ups of each team and just give a guess at the final standings based on gut feeling, shirking Commish duties as much as possible…

I did however send out questions after our draft in March, so here are the answers. BK Bull and myself answered them then, the rest answered them in July. Does it matter? Does anything?

There is your Rockem 19 Motto in 2 questions.

Here are the questions that were sent in March 2020:

//Been a wild week, just seven days ago I was waking up with a hangover and no memory of drafting certain players…Now the world is a different place. I have not written the preview yet, but I wanted to get these questions out while the draft was still in the memory banks. I won't read your answers until after I have written things, but in case you need a distraction this week, here you go://

1) How would you rate your draft (feel free to create your own scale)?

2) One pick you were stoked about, one you should have changed?   

3) Whose team are you most impressed with?

4) Rockem 19 will always be tied to the CoronaVirus as it was held hours before the Mayor shutdown bars and restaurants to contain the spread, what Corona related thought/memory/idea do you want to spread? err remember?

5) How will the huge delay between the draft and the season starting affect your squad (or will it) and when do you think the season will actually start?

6) Favorite moment of Rockem 19 Draft?

7) Anything to say to your competitors?

Responses in draft order:

==== Mike: ====

Answered on 7.21.20

1) How would you rate your draft (feel free to create your own scale)?

On a scale of video conferencing apps used to join the draft, with 1 being any of the Slack, Facetime, Zoom or Google Hangouts we talked about using, individually, and 10 being all of the above being used at once, my draft was a 10. I was positively ecstatic walking away from the table… not the draft table… the dining room table… and it wasn’t just to get more crumbcake… ok, it was to get more crumbcake.

2) One pick you were stoked about, one you should have changed?  

I was fired up for Tim Anderson! Not on my original radar, but Eben taking Jose Abreu really shook up my plans and Tim was a pleasant (hopefully pleasant) surprise.

Aaaaaaaaaand, I gotta say? I’m happy? Not sure I would have changed anything? I really think this was the result of being all but sober for these proceedings! Haha. It was an ENTIRELY new experience! I knew what was happening. I was focused. I made use of this thing called THE INTERNET, you guys! A tablet, a laptop and a smartphone, all rotating in and out of charging stations. I felt like Iron Man with the amount of tech I was deploying.

Usually, I go into our drafts with just my wit, my guile and a magazine… you know, like Captain America. :-D

3) Whose team are you most impressed with?

I remember liking Tom’s team and Moon’s team day of. Both look pretty sweet still with July eyes.

Caught up with BK in Maurice Park last week. And in between a few socially distanced baseball throws, we were talking teams. He rattled off his first 4 picks to me and now with Aaron Judge back in action??? They all sounded like first round options! (Much respect to Kershaw there. Not quite round 1 in 2020, but the guy has certainly spent his share of time in that window). With the 60-game sprint absolutely anything is possible, but I do like that BK squad.

4) Rockem 19 will always be tied to the CoronaVirus as it was held hours before the Mayor shutdown bars and restaurants to contain the spread, what Corona related thought/memory/idea do you want to spread? err remember?

Two things will always stay with me from this season. The first is a build on answer #1. And I was definitely talking about this on Draft Day, but for those who weren’t in on it…

The mad scramble for how we could possibly draft fantastical, baseball men with so many of us not in the same, physical room was positively delightful to me. “So do I need to join this slack workspace or no?” “Love the idea of a text base system for the day’s proceedings” “Bird says Jeff is setting up a conf line.” This is a game that is played ON THE INTERNET you guys! Drafts happen all the time, ON LINE, without everyone being in the same place! Haha. They can be done AUTOMATICALLY they are so common! It shouldn’t be this hard. But for us, it is. Because we are not like everyone else. We are not like anyone else. We are Rock’em Sock’em. And because we are all about face-to-face, hugging, screaming, raucous revelry whenever there are two or more of us together, we have no working knowledge of such digital substitutes when it comes to Draft Day.

And thank God for that.

The second is just the pure fact that Covid-19 couldn’t stop us. Seeing other people try and rush to put fantasy leagues together now (late July). Or punt the season altogether. We had our shit together since March. Take a lesson, MLB.

5) How will the huge delay between the draft and the season starting affect your squad (or will it) and when do you think the season will actually start?

I think it starts Thursday! Haha. I hope it starts Thursday?

I do remember my original call on Draft Day, though, was that we’d have baseball by Memorial Day weekend. Or at least that’s what Dr. Oz said at the time.

6) Favorite moment of Rockem 19 Draft?

Getting sent team sheets post-draft via text. It is my favorite part of Draft Day. I have squandered it in previous seasons. And I appreciate it all the more now as the years roll by.

7) Anything to say to your competitors?

Hmmm…

I was pretty bummed to start out this year. Not having a job is really starting to get creepy. Stopped doing much of anything at all because I can’t afford to. But more than that, I specifically don’t wanna go out if it can’t be done the way we know it can be done. If that makes sense. A wise Life Coach once told me, “it’s about the body of work at this point.” And I agree.

Draft Day was going to be the rare exception though. Flat Fee! Sounds good to me. No waking up to look at the Amex app with bleary eyes and saying, ‘when did we go Black & White?’ So Draft Day getting put into jeopardy because of health concerns was a bummer ON TOP of my generally bummer existence.

What was so cool about that day, though, was that I had a total blast. Being there virtually with Eben and Moon and Fatone for the entirety was really fun. Seeing everyone’s families run through frame. Gallagher holding down the in-room connection. Eben crushing a massive amount of carbonated beverages. It all made me smile.

Wait, is this to my competitors? Or my therapist? Oh well, there it is. Maybe someone can forward?

OH, RIGHT! I love you guys. That was the point.

==== Eben: ====

1) How would you rate your draft (feel free to create your own scale)?

My draft was a preview of the future. I had never been on a video chat for social purposes. This was, as they say, either the beginning of the end or the end of humanity's beginning. It was weird, mildly amusing, and after an hour or so the video-draft-call felt uncanny…it's like you were watching television programs featuring your friends, and every so often you'd scream at the television just like always. Only sometimes the actors would break character, look straight at you (breaking the 4th wall) and scream back.

2) One pick you were stoked about, one you should have changed?   

I wanted Cole first round. I went with Yellich because of the charts and he seemed like an agreeable fellow at the Baseball Writer's dinner. In retrospect it was a reminder that you should do what will make you happy, not what the numbers and black tie dinners recommend.

3) Whose team are you most impressed with?

Vig's.

4) Rockem 19 will always be tied to the CoronaVirus as it was held hours before the Mayor shutdown bars and restaurants to contain the spread, what Corona related thought/memory/idea do you want to spread? err remember?

Tom was our relay drafter on the ground. I remember feeling grateful to Tom for doing that, and also feeling weird that I was having a positive and authentic feeling for maybe the first time in my life, and that when one finally came it involved being grateful to Tom.

5) How will the huge delay between the draft and the season starting affect your squad (or will it) and when do you think the season will actually start?

This is the year for players who benefit from long vacations. Giancarlo Stanton, etc. (I say et cetera because it sounds like I'm casually dismissing hundreds of other examples to prove the point, but Stanton is actually my only reference point). I don't know what any of it means and doubt it matters because this is all moot.

6) Favorite moment of Rockem 19 Draft?

All of it. All of it happened before they put that ridiculous Nike swoosh on the front of the jersey, thus ruining televised baseball for thoughtful people. Back during the draft, watching baseball made me feel good and forget most other things. Then I saw the swoosh. The Nike swoosh doesn't matter in soccer and basketball because everything moves fast. Baseball's slow cadence is part of its appeal…the mind can drift, the cadence is honest, and the distractions are minimal. Then that swoosh appeared, and now it's all I can see. It's the most prominent thing in the dugout camera shots for hitters, and it's perfectly affixed on the catcher's uniform for the pitcher's windup by the center field camera. It's obnoxious and I've now resorted to the radio.

7) Anything to say to your competitors?

I was intent upon keeping my championship. It seems this will now be possible by default.

==== Tom: ====

1) How would you rate your draft (feel free to create your own scale)?

On a scale of 1 -10 with 10 being the best I rate my draft…why the fuck would Bull bring a giant bag of chips to the draft for everyone to stick their filthy, meaty hands in during a fucking pandemic?! What the fuck was that all about?!

2) One pick you were stoked about, one you should have changed?

Stoked about Trout at number 3, obviously - even if he doesn't end up playing. One thing I would have changed was the giant, communal bag of contaminated COVID chips in the middle of the room.

3) Whose team are you most impressed with?

Can't say yet. The team that has the fewest dead guys by the end of the year (or the end of society, whichever comes first).

4) Rockem 19 will always be tied to the CoronaVirus as it was held hours before the Mayor shutdown bars and restaurants to contain the spread, what Corona related thought/memory/idea do you want to spread? err remember?

Seriously, I can't think of a worse decision regarding chips that didn't involve Erik Estrada.

5) How will the huge delay between the draft and the season starting affect your squad (or will it) and when do you think the season will actually start?

I can imagine it will have a positive effect. Six months has proven to be far too long of a season for my teams, so we'll see how 2 works. The season will start "on time" but I will be very surprised if it gets through one month.

6) Favorite moment of Rockem 19 Draft?

When I got the first slice of pizza before anyone else could touch the box.

7) Anything to say to your competitors?

Suck it. And I hope all of us live through the season. And the trophy should remain docked this year. And it will be good to have an actual dinner after Rock'em 20. And there should be an official league rule that disallows Bull from bringing snacks. But mostly suck it.

==== Bull: ====

| \\ 1) How would you rate your draft (feel free to create your own scale)? \\   \\ 9 out of 10 Mookies \\  \\ 2) One pick you were stoked about, one you should have changed?    \\  \\ Probably the Suarez, Sano picks. This was the first draft where the guys were falling to me in the right spot at the right time for the needs my team needed. Horribly written sentence but you get the point \\  \\ The obvious answer is Chris Sale since we went on the shelf 2 weeks later, however he was really the first “flyer” I took in the entire draft so I don’t feel bad about it. Can’t say I would have changed this but I have no idea how Trey Mancini isn’t on my team. Who takes a guy with cancer in the 14th round or wherever the hell he went??!!!! \\  \\ 3) Whose team are you most impressed with? \\  \\ McNally’s. He managed to pull together a decent offense after a big early Pitching investment. \\  \\ 4) Rockem 19 will always be tied to the CoronaVirus as it was held hours before the Mayor shutdown bars and restaurants to contain the spread, what Corona related thought/memory/idea do you want to spread? err remember? \\  \\ I’m a Man \\  \\ 5) How will the huge delay between the draft and the season starting affect your squad (or will it) and when do you think the season will actually start? \\  \\ Who knows…..answer to both question. A little frustrating since this was the first draft I left feeling really good about in 6 years. \\  \\ 6) Favorite moment of Rockem 19 Draft? \\  \\ Learning Don had his kid earlier in the week and being totally oblivious to it. \\  \\ 7) Anything to say to your competitors? \\  \\ Looking forward to watching Opening Day at Jeff’s Mansion in July.|

==== Fatone: ====

| \\ 1) How would you rate your draft (feel free to create your own scale)? \\   \\ Solid draft, took some risks on Astros and injured players assuming there would be a delay to start the season allowing time for players to be ready. Hope it pays off. \\  \\ 2) One pick you were stoked about, one you should have changed?    \\  \\ Stoked about Verlander in the 4th and instantly regretted taking Corea in the 10th but hopefully that was late enough to ease the disappointment thats sure to come. \\  \\ 3) Whose team are you most impressed with? \\  \\ Toms \\  \\ 4) Rockem 19 will always be tied to the CoronaVirus as it was held hours before the Mayor shutdown bars and restaurants to contain the spread, what Corona related thought/memory/idea do you want to spread? err remember? \\  \\ Miss you all but so glad I didn’t get on that plane and stayed home for the draft. Tough last minute call but the right one. \\  \\ 5) How will the huge delay between the draft and the season starting affect your squad (or will it) and when do you think the season will actually start? \\  \\ I’m counting on the delay to have a significant impact on my team. Got a couple banged up pitchers and some Astros coming out of a major scandal. Hoping time will help both blow over. \\  \\ 6) Favorite moment of Rockem 19 Draft? \\  \\ I enjoyed the Zoom crew, it worked out well but look forward to getting together and doing the next in person. \\  \\ 7) Anything to say to your competitors? \\  \\ Good luck fellas, enjoy the short season and stay well.|

==== McNally: ====

1) How would you rate your draft (feel free to create your own scale)?

On a Covid scale from Florida to New York, I'd rate myself Vietnam.

2) One pick you were stoked about, one you should have changed?

I'm stoked for the DeGrom/Scherzer "one-two punch"! What would I change? Well, there are a couple of guys I drafted because of something I read the night before the draft. I have no recollection of what that something might have been or what my thought process was at the time. Also, Will Smith has the Covid.

3) Whose team are you most impressed with?

Definitely not Tom's.

4) Rockem 19 will always be tied to the CoronaVirus as it was held hours before the Mayor shutdown bars and restaurants to contain the spread, what Corona related thought/memory/idea do you want to spread? err remember?

Dr Oz for the win.

5) How will the huge delay between the draft and the season starting affect your squad (or will it) and when do you think the season will actually start?

The delay will obviously help for injured players that were drafted.

I'd say the season will probably start on July 23rd.

6) Favorite moment of Rockem 19 Draft?

I wouldn't say it's my favorite moment, but the standout to me was probably the drama of the night before. The text message chain? Who would show up? Who wouldn't? Overreacting or being cautious? Can I give a friend a hug? Get away from me?!?! Only time and Dr Oz would ultimately answer these questions. It was pretty crazy and I was all about everyone being there that could. In hindsight, I probably wouldn't have gone knowing what I know now. Regardless, I love you guys and I'm glad we did it and glad that baseball is back.

(I still don't think they're gonna play)

7) Anything to say to your competitors?

A catcher's mask does not a covid mask make.

==== Vig: ====

1) How would you rate your draft (feel free to create your own scale)?

Being that this was the most Dungeons and Dragonsesque draft for me in terms of not knowing if the team I picked was even going to take the field, I am happy! I wanted more yankees than usual even for me and I got them. I gotta look back and see how many times I picked pitcher in the first round. I don't think I've done that much.

2) One pick you were stoked about, one you should have changed?   

I can't remember much in the blur of all this haha

But I am really, really happy to get G Torres.

As things stand now, Ryan Ohearn could have been somebody different. Covid got him

3) Whose team are you most impressed with?

I like Donnie Mac

4) Rockem 19 will always be tied to the CoronaVirus as it was held hours before the Mayor shutdown bars and restaurants to contain the spread, what Corona related thought/memory/idea do you want to spread? err remember?

Not being able to hug my friends was the very first taste for me of the reality of our times.

5) How will the huge delay between the draft and the season starting affect your squad (or will it) and when do you think the season will actually start?

It's so crazy and hard to believe we are gonna get any season at all.

It'll probably be the year my team wins and all the purists in the league will simply denounce the relevance haha

6) Favorite moment of Rockem 19 Draft?

Bull made me laugh a lot that day and I genuinely appreciate him for that. Nobody else was funny!

Haha, just kidding of course. But Bull definitely kept things light for me and it helped to digest the seriousness of the day as well as what was to come in the days that followed.

Seeing everyone and knowing that we were all ok and that the new babies in the family were healthy was what made me happiest.

7) Anything to say to your competitors?

Can we all go to Jeffs pool PLEASE

==== Moon: ====

1) How would you rate your draft (feel free to create your own scale)?

Phase 1: Strict Stay at Home. Fatty and I debated, but in the end getting on a plane just didn't feel like the right move. Also, who is on my team?

2) One pick you were stoked about, one you should have changed?   

I repeat, who is on my team? I mean my infield is solid. Freeman, Altuve, Bichette, Arenado. OF is suspect and no real closers and most of my players have COVID.

3) Whose team are you most impressed with?

Tie between the 9th/10th draft spots. That's right the Commish and the Champ.

4) Rockem 19 will always be tied to the CoronaVirus as it was held hours before the Mayor shutdown bars and restaurants to contain the spread, what Corona related thought/memory/idea do you want to spread? err remember?

Wear a mask.

5) How will the huge delay between the draft and the season starting affect your squad (or will it) and when do you think the season will actually start?

It will start, but when will it end? Hopefully as planned, but not holding my breath. I think all teams are on an even playing field with all players being impacted equally.

6) Favorite moment of Rockem 19 Draft?

Ebens empty chair.

7) Anything to say to your competitors?

Pool party at Winston's house!

==== SPD: ====

1) How would you rate your draft (feel free to create your own scale)?

On a scale of Van Halen frontmen ranging from David Lee Roth being the best and that kid from Extreme being worst…I think this team is Sammy Haggar.

I can’t remember if before he joined people thought this would be a good idea, I can’t remember if people think it was a success now that it is done and I can’t remember anything about Van Halen at the moment…that is my team.

2) One pick you were stoked about, one you should have changed?   

Lots of personal favorites ended up on the squad this year and that probably isn’t a good thing. Love that I got Stanton late (will probably be a bust) and I got high hopes for Madonna’s son Lourdes Guriell Jr. but the one that I am super stoked about is Yoenis, not gonna lie, if the season starts that kid is going to play simply to be paid as much as possible…contract year has never been more of a reason to draft anyone IMO.

Changed? I probably should have drafted an actual living breathing third baseman. That might have helped the squad. The end of my draft is drunk with upside and might-not-be-in-the majors-side so I should have changed Polanco with a guy who will actually play this year like say Tanaka Perralta or Mazara to name just 3 of 3000.

3) Whose team are you most impressed with?

Read the preview!!! (Update 7/20: Checks, realizes I am not writing anything…Ummm Check my final predictions…I will write something down there…maybe).

4) Rockem 19 will always be tied to the CoronaVirus as it was held hours before the Mayor shutdown bars and restaurants to contain the spread, what Corona related thought/memory/idea do you want to spread? err remember?

I never saw LIC bar so packed..the flock of people trying to get one last one in was scary/inspiring in its stupidity. Brunch and Bloody Mary’s pre draft is a nice new feature, but I can’t tell if this one was super awkward because of Corona or just because we are all awkward.

5) How will the huge delay between the draft and the season starting affect your squad (or will it) and when do you think the season will actually start?

Who the fuck knows? I am guessing no season, so I think that helps my squad….

6) Favorite moment of Rockem 19 Draft?

Unlike most years there weren’t a ton of amazing moments because of our situation, but I will go with every time we could make fun of Mike for listening to his team’s newly hired consultants Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz and The Chew…I’m A Man!

7) Anything to say to your competitors?

Keep breathin’….for real.

==== BK: ====

1) How would you rate your draft (feel free to create your own scale)?

I'll liken it to most Wes Anderson films. Seemed kind of boring and basic as it was going on, but after further introspection could give me sublime joy, a content heart, or leave me in tears.

2) One pick you were stoked about, one you should have changed?   

Stoked: Matt Boyd. I moved him up on my list because I thought he was underrated, but didn't want a starter when he came up. 3 rounds later, I was psyched to see him there.

Changed: Rhys Hoskins. How could I pick him when my parrot-walking talisman, Edwin Encarnacion was right there? Oh…and Wade Davis (ugh).

3) Whose team are you most impressed with?

I'm not usually enamored with NOLA's sexy youth movement, but they may have tempered that enough this time for the Commish to get an asterisk championship this year if he swings some of that OF on the bench into a good pick-up or two.

4) Rockem 19 will always be tied to the CoronaVirus as it was held hours before the Mayor shutdown bars and restaurants to contain the spread, what Corona related thought/memory/idea do you want to spread? err remember?

I suppose the constant wonder: should this many people be here? Should I be here? The outside of LIC bar was never MORE crowded, and I found myself holding my breath walking through toward the bar.

5) How will the huge delay between the draft and the season starting affect your squad (or will it) and when do you think the season will actually start?

Think it starts in June with no crowds, with a fully healthy 4th-Round Aaron Judge ready to go.

And maybe Vlad Jr. remembers that he's good during the hiatus.

6) Favorite moment of Rockem 19 Draft?

A random conversation with a couple outside, toward the end of the draft, who asked with bated breath: "What the hell is happening in there?" After explaining our league, she nodded with: "That is ultimately awesome!" A nice moment of validation after a surreal draft.

Also the hugs on the way out. The last physical contact (other than wife and daughter) since.

7) Anything to say to your competitors?

What's more depressing on a daily basis: watching Trump, Cuomo, and de Blasio or seeing "PPD" and grey note boxes on the team page?

==== Jeff: ====

| \\ 1) How would you rate your draft (feel free to create your own scale)? \\   \\ 7.5 out of 12, for those who were in attendance. Half a point for Bird, who was having a poor wifi signal induced panic attack in the bar by himself. Seriously though, we need to fix that. \\  \\ 2) One pick you were stoked about, one you should have changed?    \\  \\ Tatis and Mondesi, in tandem? Excited to have them both and watch them play, but taking them both in the first 4 rounds was excessive and unlikely to lead to a podium finish. \\  \\ 3) Whose team are you most impressed with? \\  \\ Tracey's \\  \\ 4) Rockem 19 will always be tied to the CoronaVirus as it was held hours before the Mayor shutdown bars and restaurants to contain the spread, what Corona related thought/memory/idea do you want to spread? err remember? \\  \\ I got a call, literally right as we were walking to LIC bar, that I guy I occasionally ride the train with and that sits about 25 feet away from me at work had tested positive and was patient zero at work. I announced this to all Rockem members, those physically present and those virtual. The anxious looks I got back were equal regardless of medium of delivery. Bull wasn’t nervous at all, he knew lox grease was practically as good as hand sanitizer. Thank you to Tom for letting me cough on him all day long. I also loved the internal debate before reaching into the communal cookie bucket. “Should I be eating these cookies? Will I get sick? God dammit this sucks, I really want a cookie. Just eat the fucking cookie." \\  \\ 5) How will the huge delay between the draft and the season starting affect your squad (or will it) and when do you think the season will actually start? \\  \\ I am writing this on July 20, which is crazy. \\  \\ 6) Favorite moment of Rockem 19 Draft? \\  \\ By far the weirdest, most subdued draft of all time. Still always great to see everyone’s faces, whether in person or on a screen. In person is always preferable, but I will take whatever I can get. \\  \\ 7) Anything to say to your competitors? \\  \\ Wash your hands you dirty fucks.|

==== Bird: ====

1. 3 out of 5 wifi bars. Started off fine, but in the middle rounds, the running back and forth to connect took me out of my game. Plus now I know why the 12th spot has never won.

2. Stoked about the snake of Turner/Martinez, covered all 5 categories.

<code>
Not pumped about Hader, Round 4 a bit too early.
</code>

3. While it will be a crap shoot this year, BK is my pick with a solid rebound from Rockem 18

4. Rockem lives on even through pandemics! Glad we have a season to look forward to.

5. With so many variables (who will get sick, shorten innings for starting pitchers, multiple closers per team) should be a wild ride. July 23, 2020

6. As always, seeing everyone face to face and hanging out.

7. Stay safe boys….see you all soon!

==== Final Standing Predictions: ====

Who knows? More than any other year this is a mess….It is impossible to predict who will win…that didn't stop Yahoo from doing it’s projections over 60 games:

{{:yahooimage2020.png?nolink&512x225}}

If I did the math right…which is doubtful….this is the way it shakes out according to Yahoo!'s robot preview:

| \\ Tangled Upton Blue| \\ 96|
| \\ FOREVER M. YOUNG| \\ 94|
| \\ Dogzilla| \\ 93|
| \\ The Spearmint Rhinos| \\ 89|
| \\ C-Town Highpockets| \\ 86.5|
| \\ -SooCitySasparilla| \\ 83|
| \\ ephedraheartstoppers| \\ 79.5|
| \\ Nimmogrant Song| \\ 79|
| \\ Honey Nut Ichiros| \\ 70.5|
| \\ Rocky Racuña| \\ 58|
| \\ Bone Droppers| \\ 56.5|
| \\ Scioscia Distancing| \\ 51|

Just like two years ago, the robot loves McNally, I think he and Yahoo! are having a kinky relationship…Anyway, that year McNally finished 6th. Last year Yahoo! picked BK to win it all, he finished 11th. HAHA! Stupid robot…(checks last years preview, sees I picked BK to win as well…whoops!) Robots and commish’s are normally wrong so take these predictions for what they are worth, nothing.

Here is how I see things happening, with a mini blurb about your squad. This is all with the caveat that I have no idea what is going on:

12th Fatty - No sir, I don’t like it. Anything can happen and Yahoo! fucking loves this squad so I can be wrong, but I don’t see the Eets A Boat floating back to Manhattan Beach this year whether it is from the Zoom Crew, Screw Crew … PeeUuu; it stinks!

11th Birdie - The no wifi really threw Bird for a loop, this is a very curious squad and if it was a 162 game season I would confidently predict him in the bottom 3rd, but…60 games? Anything can happen…still think he is close to the basement though, hope the wifi is better down there…

10th Vig - I mean I gotta pick the big man in the bottom 3rd, it just wouldn’t be a preview if I didn’t…as it stands, no one jumps out from J’s team minus some pitching. I think the Dropper of Bones is in for a long fall…or short Fall? Whatever…

9th Moon - This is an interesting squad with lots of solid bats and lots of iffy pitching. If the manager boycotts then obviously this prediction will be revisited but I doubt he can resist the lure of possible free eats in 2022 or whenever we can all get together again.

8th McNally - Every year a team confounds me and it is usually Bull’s but this year it was McNally’s. This team seems well rounded and reasonable…perhaps a touch boring. Don’t think that cuts it this shortened season. Docked a few spots for 60 games, if this was a full 162 I think this team would even out and finish higher honestly…

7th SPD - I see a possibility, especially with a shortened season, where things click and all the gambles taken on draft day pay off (Stanton, Cespedes and Polanco), but if the history of Rockem is any indication, some will, some won’t and I will end up in the middle.If anything the 60 games gives this squad a boost.

6th Mike - The team who all the day time experts pick to win finds an odd road forward as young players need to repeat greatness (Acuna, Devers, Flaherty) and old farts (Gardner, VIllar, Melancon) need to stay healthy. Think the 60 games lead to a mixed bag and Judge Judy finds for the morons…whatever that means…

5th Tom - Think this squad is sneaky good and could have def been fighting for EETS a boat over 162 games, and would have rated them even higher for a full season. As things are, if players like Goldschmit and Davis do what they’ve done the last few seasons and start cold, it could get ugly quick so I docked the squad a bit.

4th Bk - C-town is always a dangerous place to be during a pandemic, they better be scrubbing up bats like Brantley and Hoskin’s lubing up arms with hand sanitizer on Kershaw and Glasnow. BK has the veteran leadership and management to guide the shopping cart of a squad to the check out…or some analogy….

3rd Jeff - The youngest, most athletic squad, one team I bumped up a few places in this prediction due to the shortened season. Had it been 162, I am not sure how much faith I would have in consistent health/performance, but it will be a wild ride to the shortened finish in SooCIty this Fall.

2nd Bull - Bull seems stacked with the bat, and a bit weak on the pitch, but I like this team and think he has a real shot at coming in the money during this shortened run. Forever M. Young would have probably been my pick to win the whole shebang had this been a 162 game season but as it stands….

 \\ 1st Eben - Since things are whacky why can’t Eben win two years in a row? I actually really like this squad for a shortened season and see Neezer fighting with all his energy to be a back to back champ….but this is going to be a fucking shit show, just hope smarter heads prevail…

Hahaha! That seems like the most pie in the sky prediction in this whole write up….Jesus what a time to be alive…let's all stay that way.

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