CRL NEWS

 

 

February 5, 2023

               

 

“Some friend.”

 

--Tim McCarver, Mets broadcaster on May 5, 1987, when Eric Davis went over the wall to rob boyhood friend Darryl Strawberry of a home run.  Strawberry finished with 39 homers that year and never hit 40 in his 17-year career.

 

Gang,

 

While reading in preparation for this newsletter, I came across an article on homerun saving catches on mlb.com.  One of them happened in the Japanese league and was an inspiration for a young Ichiro Suzuki.  You’ve got to see it here:

https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/q_auto:best/mlb/qyawixyfv4ecsaczd4r9.mp4

 

Baseball season is almost here.  Pitchers and catchers report in 10 days.

 

For the first time in a while, we are drafting over a week after Opening Day.  That is a factor of both the MLB schedule, and our long-held rule (which we voted on as a league a decade or two ago) of drafting the first Friday in April.  Unless MLB decides to move up Opening Day in the future, this is the latest we should ever have the draft.  On a positive note, it should make it easier to have Opening-Day rosters since all 30 MLB teams open the season on Thursday, March 30.

 

Speaking of opening-day rosters, I could use a volunteer to help me with that.  In recent years (due in part to the continuing demise of print journalism), OD rosters have been increasingly hard to come by.  But for us, they are extremely important.  As you all know, if someone comes up from the minors on or after OD rosters are finalized, but prior to the draft, they are ineligible to be drafted.  They may be drafted in the Minor League draft or picked up to replace a drafted DL player, however.  If you are willing to take on the challenge, let me know.

 

The reason I’m asking for a volunteer is that Thursday is a regular work day for me.  I work four 10-hour days, Wednesday-Saturday and don’t have time to much outside of those 12+ hour days (including commute, OT, etc.)  And, starting February 22, I become a vampire.  When we opened this station a little over a year ago, the boss told the original four of us that we would experience every facet of station operation.  My noon-10:30pm shift will change and I will start working 2:00am-12:30pm (still the same days – so Monday moves are unaffected).    I’m only giving you this information as a precursor to some of the important dates I will outline below.

 

One bit of news to report – Glenn will not be joining us in Vegas this year.  His wife, Tina, is undergoing knee replacement surgery in March and he will be grounded at home helping her out for 60 days.  Craig and Dennis will be drafting for Team 3 (although, I’m betting, one of them will have an earpiece with a microphone in their ear so Glenn can give them his comments during the draft).  Our best wishes for Tina (and Glenn) in her (and his) recuperation.

 

As we are entering the third year since our last scratch draft, I need to update everyone on option/long-term contracts.  The rules are here;

 

www.c-r-l.org/rules/crlconst.htm#XVI

 

For those of you that have to send in your additional pre-season payments, make your check payable to Glenn and send them to:

 

Glenn Cekala

614 Mangrove Thicket Blvd.

Ponte Vedra, FL 32081

 

As to initial payments, here are teams that have balances left over from last year.  If you have a credit balance (shown below), you only need to send the difference between what you have in your account and $250:

 

Team

Off season acct totals

1

 $                               12.50

2

 $                               31.00

3

 $                            538.50

4

 $                            500.00

5

 $                            501.00

6

 $                               60.00

7

 $                               66.00

8

 $                            300.00

9

 $                                      -  

10

 $                            766.00

 

Now for some important dates:

 

Saturday, March 18 – Your initial $250 buy in is due to Glenn.

 

Friday, March 31 – Roster freezes due.  I’m extending the normal 10 pm central time to midnight because I will be at work that night anyway.  My goal is to get home mid-afternoon Saturday and update the rosters on the stats site so people will have some of Saturday and all day Sunday to finalize draft lists. (I’ve already taken vacation for all of my shifts the following week.  Great thing about working a 4-day week is I take four days vacation and am off for 10 – normal days plus three before and three after.)

 

Wednesday, April 5 – My flight gets in about 2:30.

 

Wednesday April 5 (about 10 pm) – I’m already down about $300.

 

Thursday, April 6 – Farabee is setting up golf.  If you are interested, contact him at steve@txhometech.com 

 

Friday, April 7 – Draft – Same place as last year, Studio 1 at Harrah’s.

 

I do not know yet if we will have a get-together on Thursday night.  I will update everyone as soon as I know.

 

Now to the players everyone protected the rights to between linked guys (I’ll have these updated in On-Roto by tomorrow):

 

Team 1 – Chisholm, Soler

Team 2 – Bryant, Bauer, Keller, Martinez

Team 3 – Morel, Taylor, Bard, Visia

Team 4 – O’Neill

Tram 5 – Nootbar, Contreras, Garcia, Albies, Escobar, Strider

Team 6 – Ramos, Pallante, Gonsolin, Diaz

Team 7 – Stephenson, Conforto, Graterol, Gore, Anderson

Team 8 – Smith

Team 9 – Sanchez, Steer, Phillips, Rainey

Team 10 – Tatis, Cavalli, Soroka

 

Good luck to all!

 

See you in Vegas and let’s play ball!

 

Jim