So Baseball!

❄️ pic.twitter.com/FU2aDsvmrA

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 17, 2020

Those of us who are a little too baseball like to consume baseball chat on a daily basis. For years, there were only a few choices. Yes, there’s Buster Olney’s daily podcast, the Athletic’s daily show, and other awesome flashcasts, but they take a while to hit your feed, so mostly your only option in the morning are the various MLB Network shows (High Heat, MLB Central, Intentional Talk, et al.).

I’m not saying MLB Network is unwatchable. Sometimes they’re the first to give you breaking news. I’m just saying, they’re the only game in town (TV-wise) and that’s not a good thing.

What I’m advocating is that you get your morning MLB fix from Jomboy, Jake and Trevor Plouffe‘s “Talkin’ Baseball” livestream (available on Periscope, YouTube, Patreon, and all the other places). It’s good stuff and it makes me laugh.

Get on this bandwagon!

[UPDATE] I realize that my headline says “Why Jomboy Media is Better,” but I didn’t really tell you why. Mostly because they’re real people, they’re like you and me (well, Trevor is a former pro), and very funny and disarming. They’re not slick or trying to be cool like some other shows.

Baseball on the West Coast is so weird. It starts early, and it ends early. Not that I’m complaining. The weather in California this week has been brutally hot. Some say the hottest ever.

I probably need to start looking at my lineups for this week, but it’s really hot, and I have paralegal work to do.

On the East Coast, I could put off all this fantasy baseball stuff until the afternoon.

Stuff out here starts way earlier.

Image: Phantasticphans

I’m in three fantasy baseball leagues. All Roto. A 15-team NFBC league, a 12-team daily league on Yahoo, and a 12-team daily league on ESPN.

1. The NFBC league is a TGFBI (The Great Fantasy Baseball Invitational) satellite, i.e. the winner gets to play in TGFBI next season. I don’t think I’m going to win this league (I’m currently in 9th place). I’ve had some real disappointments this year, particularly with my pitching, but it’s been an amazing experience. This is the first league I’ve ever been in with weekly FAAB as the only way to pick up players. And no trading. I like to switch my lineup daily, so I’m figuring this out as I go. [Team name: Red Zone Touches]
2. The Yahoo league is a 12-team daily league with some pals I met in the Discord for the Pitcher List site. It’s more fun being in leagues with people you can communicate with, rather than some anonymous league. I drafted first in this league, so I have Mike Trout. I’m currently in third place. One quirk of this league is that even thought you can change your lineup at any time, the only way to pick up players is a nightly waiver run, utilizing a $100 FAAB budget. So if Travis D’Arnaud isn’t playing, I can’t drop him and pick up someone to use today. [Team Name: Brooklyn Stoop Dwellers]
3. Lastly I’m in a 12-teamer on ESPN with some folks I met on twitter. Again, nice to be able to chat with other players. This league is fun, but I am really blowing it. COVID has really screwed with me I this league. Jack Flaherty has pitched once. [Team Name: Red Roof Inns]

These teams are exciting because they are winning more than people expected:

• Orioles
• Tigers
• Marlins
• Rockies
• Cubs (?)

These teams are bad:

• Red Sox
• Pirates
• Giants

Braves are going to struggle with Ronald Acuna, Jr. out of the lineup.

Nationals are really bad, except for Juan Soto.

Javy Baez is really struggling, and I’m not sure why, because the rest of the Cubs are crushing.

Vlad Guerrero Jr. keeps falling down the Jays lineup. He’s currently fifth.

Daniel Murphy should always DH.

I wonder how much Kyle Tucker’s playing time will suffer with Alvarez back.

Ryan McMahon is super inconsistent.

Jacoby Jones continues to bat ninth for Detroit. Why?

David Fletcher is still my favorite player.

Eloy Jimenez is still my favorite player.

Tatis Jr. is still my favorite player (but I don’t have him in any leagues).

Jo Adell is off to a rocky start, but he’ll be fine.

The Angels should be winning more games.

This feels like Spring.

It’s winter!

It’s definitely summer.