Anyone for fantasy baseball?

March 17, 2012 3:02 PM

I'm eager to give this 'fantasy baseball' thing a go, but I'm a complete n00b. Anyone here want to start/join a novice league?

I'm eager to give this 'fantasy baseball' thing a go, but joining a group of complete strangers is too random and intimidating, and starting a league to play on my own doesn't seem worthwhile.

So I thought I'd turn to MeFi to see if there were any other newbies like me (or people with the patience to join a league with the inexperienced) who might want to give it a go for the new season.

FWIW I was looking at ESPN's Fantasy Baseball set-up (since it's free - don't want to do a paid thing when I'm only starting out) but if anyone else has or wants to start a league elsewhere that's fine with me.

So, any takers for a MeFi newbie fantasy baseball thing?

posted by macdara to MetaFilter-Related at 3:02 PM (17 comments total)

I would be game to join. I am currently running a MeFi hockey league on Yahoo and have commished several (non-mefi) Yahoo baseball leagues in the past, you might want to look at that platform. It is free.
posted by cgk at 3:56 PM on March 17, 2012

Ya know, I've never done this before either. But a newbie-ish league with MeFi folks sounds pretty good.
posted by mollweide at 6:22 PM on March 17, 2012

I'm a complete and utter noob. I'd like in!
posted by codswallop at 6:31 PM on March 17, 2012

Baseball-loving noob here, I'm in if y'all promise to be nice to me.
posted by headnsouth at 6:47 PM on March 17, 2012

Just a friendly warning from a former fantasy baseball n00b: if you let it, if you're the kind of person easily consumed by games, fantasy baseball can consume your life. 162 games spread over 6 months. Games almost every day in that span. More positions to keep track of than most other sports. The first year I played fantasy baseball, I was not only a n00b to that but I barely even knew the rules to baseball.

By the time the season ended, Baseball Tonight was my new favorite TV show, I'd followed the waiver wires like a hawk, read every analysis and tips article on Yahoo, ESPN, CNNSI, and The Sporting News, and knew the stats of every utility infielder in the NL (we were an NL only league).

It was fun as hell, and I ended up winning that league (most of whom were fantasy baseball vets) by the skin of my teeth, but I only had that kind of free time because I was in college and barely had a social life. No way I can play it now, with a job and a family and adult responsibilities and all that. If I dive in at all, I know I'd be going for the deep end.
posted by kmz at 9:03 PM on March 17, 2012

As an ultra-noob to both baseball and fantasy leagues of any sort, I'd love to get in on this, Could anyone recommend a general guide to rules/strategy/protocol?
posted by a box and a stick and a string and a bear at 2:35 AM on March 18, 2012

No way I can play it now, with a job and a family and adult responsibilities and all that. If I dive in at all, I know I'd be going for the deep end.

It's good that you bring that up, because from reading around a bit I can see how crazy involving it can get.

I don't want to take it too seriously - maybe a good idea to restrict roster curation to one night a week, or something like that? Just so everyone's having fun with it and not letting it consume them wholly.
posted by macdara at 3:03 AM on March 18, 2012

As regards a general guide, About.com has a good intro from the looks of it.

But again, I think it's the wrong approach to get bogged down in oodles of stats and complicated rules, at least for a first attempt (and that's aside from the fact that we're likely all in different time zones). I'm sure there's a method we can all agree upon.
posted by macdara at 3:15 AM on March 18, 2012

I'd love to get in on this! Another total newb, but I like baseball and would love to join MeFites who were learning too.
posted by tomboko at 5:22 AM on March 18, 2012

Absolutely in! Yahoo Sports is pretty solid as far as platforms go.
posted by Rodrigo Lamaitre at 6:32 AM on March 18, 2012

I renewed the MeFi baseball league for this season. All who want join may do so.

It's on Yahoo!. The league ID is: 147792 and the password is mathowie.

Let's get it on!
posted by reenum at 2:59 PM on March 18, 2012

Just signed up to the MeFi league; my team is the Dublin Corps. Hope everyone else is up for it!
posted by macdara at 5:13 PM on March 18, 2012

In as the Steve Sax Offenders.
posted by Rodrigo Lamaitre at 6:00 PM on March 18, 2012

I am currently running a MeFi hockey league on Yahoo

I think it's pretty clear that in fact it is I who is running that league.
posted by Hoopo at 9:21 AM on March 19, 2012

I think it's pretty clear that in fact it is I who is running that league.

On a technicality, I will allow the use of your definition and stipulate to your dominance.
posted by cgk at 1:30 PM on March 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

I'm in!
posted by TwoWordReview at 1:36 PM on March 20, 2012

Last chance to join, the draft is just a few hours away. Shame we didn't get more taking part, but I'll look at it as a building year.
posted by macdara at 5:03 AM on March 25, 2012