Fantasy Baseball Draft Grades – Ken Griffey Jr. Memorial Whiffleball League

The 2013 Fantasy Baseball draft of the Ken Griffey Jr. Memorial Whiffleball League took place last night and it’s time to crank out some instant analysis on the results. But first, in order to appease the many attorneys & astrophysicists that are part of the league…a few caveats:

• I hereby acknowledge that this analysis is based off of ESPN’s projections for 2013 and thus will NOT be correct at the end of the year.
• I hereby acknowledge that WAR doesn’t really matter in Fantasy Baseball
• I hereby acknowledge that Fantasy Baseball is won as much (or more) by in-season moves as it is based on draft results
• I hereby acknowledge that being 4th best in a category by only 1 Stolen Base really shouldn’t matter as much as this scoring system makes it matter
• I hereby acknowledge that the rating system is pretty arbitrary
• I hereby acknowledge that it’s still cool to have these projections…

So with that being said, let’s get to the breakdown…

WAR (Wins Above Replacement player)

WAR is the only category that was pulled from last year’s statistics, thus I admit that injuries etc. impacted some of the ratings, but it is a nice way to measure the cumulative value of the players drafted on each team. Plus it is independent of Fantasy categories as well as it’s just fun to have. Based on the draft the WAR Rankings are:

1. Adam – 75.7
2. Brett – 73.7
3. T-Mac – 72.1
4. Jamie – 66.9
5. Kenny – 66
6. Trent – 65.4
7. Jon – 65.1
8. Doug – 62.8
9. TrevH – 51.6
10. John – 51

Offensive Rankings

1. Adam (Top 4 in all 5 categories)
2. John
3. Jon
4. Trent
5. T-Mac
6. Brett
7. Jamie
8. Doug
9. Kenny
10. TrevH (Top 7 in only 1 category)

Pitching Rankings

1. Kenny
2. Jamie
3. Trent
4. Brett
5. TrevH
6. Adam
7. Doug
8. Jon
9. T-Mac
10. John

 

Overall Draft Grades

Projected Playoff Teams

1. Trent – A+  (Top 4 in 6 categories, Next 3 in 3 categories, Bottom 3 in 1 category…Legality in question since Jamie drafted for him…)
2. Adam – A  (Top 4 in 7 categories, Bottom 3 in 3 categories…can you say PUNT 3?!)
3. Jamie – B+  (Top 4 in 4 categories, Next 3 in 4 categories, Bottom 3 in 2 categories)
4. Brett – B+  (Top 4 in 3 categories, Next 3 in 6 categories, Bottom 3 in 1 category)

Next Three

• Jon – B  (Top 4 in 4 categories, Next 3 in 3 categories, Bottom 3 in 3 categories)
• John – B-  (Top 4 in 5 categories, Bottom 3 in 5 categories)
• T-Mac – B- (Top 4 in 4 categories, Next 3 in 2 categories, Bottom 3 in 4 categories)

Looking to Make Moves

• T-Mac – C+  (Top 4 in 3 categories, Next 3 in 4 categories, Bottom 3 in 3 categories)
• Doug – C  (Top 4 in 2 categories, Next 3 in 5 categories, Bottom 3 in 3 categories)
• TrevH – D  (Top 4 in 2 categories, Next 3 in 3 categories, Bottom 3 in 5 categories)

So there you have it… WAY too much analysis for a fantasy draft, but you love it none-the-less!! So now the only thing left is to say, Let’s… PLAY BALL!!

Render Unto Seize Her – Fun With Latin (part 2)

There come points in a man’s life where he comes across inescapable truths that simply bring him to his knees. I have just had another of those moments. It’s not even the first time I’ve had this same epiphany, but it simply reinforces it further. I have come to this conclusion:

My brother and I are WAAAAY too similar

I could write an entire post supporting that point but I won’t. What I will point out is that his recent “Fun with Latin” post, which derived from a conversation between my wife and I, that led to the text exchange between the two of them that inspired his post, sent me down a rabbit trail that compelled me to write this equally life-altering post.

So with a full nod to my favorite attorney, I want to take a few moments to ponder other Latin terms that should be used in everyday parlance, particularly those using “carpe.” (with a nod to #3 for reinforcing the importance of Latin on me at an early age).  So here are the results of that mental exercise:

• Carpe Diem – Seize the Day – Most of you are familiar with this one so it’s a good starting point
• Carpe Crustulum – Seize the Cookie – I’ve often thought that if I got a tattoo…this would be it
• Carpe Wookie – Seize the Wookie – But if you do… do it at your Own Risk
• Carpe Momentum – Seize the Moment – The anthem of many short-sighted folks everywhere
• Carpe Pupa – Seize the Girl – But beware of her father…
• Carpe Puerum – Seize the Child – Often done in tandem with Afflige Puerum (punish the child…that’s called making a funny in Latin)
• Carpe Tempestas – Seize the Weather – Jim Cantore’s bumper sticker
• Carpe Partis – Seize the Party – Favorite song of the Niger Luscus Pisa (Black Eyed Peas…another Latin funny…you should be rolling by now)
• Carpe Frater – Seize the Brother – What I should do for being inspired to do this
• Carpe Brassicam Patch Puerum – Seize the Cabbage Patch Kid – Also translated as Seize the North Korean Dictator
• Carpe Diam Ludio Ludius – Seize the Basketball Player – Also translated as Seize Dennis Rodman
• Carpe Fumus Albus – Seize the White Smoke (The cousin to Habeus Papus) – There’s your six degrees of Kevin Bacon as to how this got started
• Carpe Simius – Seize the Monkey – Used in all Curious George writings when read in Latin

 

American Idol Preview

For over 10 years, American Idol was the top talent competition on television. It feels like that is no longer the case, as The Voice has taken a big leap, but it has still been successfully turning out talent consistently and more importantly, it’s currently on so that completely merits a preview column! It gets even better when you have access to the premier American Idol prognostication team* so we will give you a quick profile of the contestants as well as the the best predictions you will find anywhere.

*What determines the premier team? Well, a group that when you average out their predictions and create a composite prediction, the composite prediction wins an American Idol prediction competition of course! (Note…all that was won by this group was bragging rights, lest the United States Government worry.) 

The Prognostication Team:

• He’s been called many things… The Swami, The Admiral, Eye Candy, Baldy, Hey You, Torn, Jammie, Ice, and a few other things that we won’t repeat… It’s Me.
• Mrs. Swami, my lovely bride is the second person in the Prognostication Conclave. #ConclavesAreTheHappeningThing
• Previously introduced on RandomThoughtsIllustrated.com, we have one of my right hand contributors, The Homunculus of Hennepin County
• The embodiment of the proof that the HoH out kicked his coverage, the Queen of Political Correctness, her majesty IHeartHomunculus
• And as an enhancement to the system this year we have incorporated the Las Vegas oddsmakers as a 5th contributor.

So basically you have a formula that is more powerful than the BCS Rankings ever were for Football.

The Profiles:

Here is an overview of each competitor in the Top 10 with the kind of analysis you can only find from insiders that live in states that begin with the letter “M” who have no connections to anyone on the show.

• Amber Holcomb – There were a couple of other girls that we thought may make it over her, but that isn’t to say that she isn’t talented. She has the skills to deliver some big performances, but her personality doesn’t stand out as one that will have the complete package enough to bring it all home. Surprisingly, Vegas is higher on her than the rest of us.
• Angie Miller – Absolutely one of the favorites of the Conclave. Her songwriting, personality, musicianship, and connection have all been on display already. She’s made Keith Urban cry. The only questions are, “Did she peak too soon? Will there be some fan fatigue?”. I can’t answer, but she’s one of the few stars in this group.
• Burnell Taylor – This guy has the ability to be a sneaky pick, but it’s another case of whether or not his personality exists in a big enough way. Also, can we get some help on his wardrobe please? He’s likely to have a couple of weeks where he is one of the best couple of performances, but there could be theme weeks that cause him issues.
• Candice Glover – Probably the biggest voice out of the finalists. She can absolutely belt it and vocally there is no one that can say that they are better than her. Diversity of song choice and on-stage performing are areas to watch as potential pitfalls.
• Curtis Finch Jr. – Mr. Finch is talented. He also has more personality than many of the finalists. However, his personality strikes me as the x-factor that is most likely to actually take him down. There isn’t an inherent likability factor, and his behavior on group night won’t be completely forgotten. But, the boy can sing, so I don’t expect him gone too soon.
• Devin Velez – Through the auditions he kind of snuck up on folks. Looking at the finalists as a group, he seems like he could be the best total package among all of the guys. He’s good looking, likable, and talented in two languages. He doesn’t strike me as having the star power to win it all, but he’s one of the best in this group.
• Janelle Arthur – In her 3rd attempt to get on the show she made the finals. And she has a good country voice, but she doesn’t have one of the top voices out of this group. So the question that comes up is whether or not the country voters (who have seemingly grown stronger in recent years) will carry her farther than any of us anticipate.
• Kree Harrison – Somehow she had fallen off my radar until her past couple of performances. Of course those brought her to mind in a big way and vaulted hear toward being one of the true front-runners in the whole show. Definitely keep your eyes on her. If she has no issues with confidence and chooses the right songs, she will be a force.
• Lazaro Arbos – One of the truly feel-good stories of this show. In addition, he has a talented singing voice and his likability is very high. He does have flaws in his performances from time to time though and his emotions don’t seem fully controlled, so that could easily be his downfall.
• Paul Jolley – Good looking guy with the ability to shine in certain weeks, but when stacking up against his opponents he just doesn’t seem to have the “it” factor. I’ll throw an analogy out here that might make it clear: The University of Minnesota is to the Big Ten what Paul Jolley is to American Idol. (FYI…the HOH will not appreciate that analogy)

The Judges:

Ok, not much to say here, but I have to give 1 sentence or so on each of the members of the panel that was so expertly(?!) assembled by the producers. The only compliment I will give the producers is that they probably finally figured out the right lineup for how they sit at the judging desk:

• Keith Urban – Probably my favorite judge this year…has great chops as a musician…he’s sold tons of albums…and the ladies like him.
• Nicki Minaj – The dumbest idea in a long time…we watch all of her comments on closed captions so that the kids don’t hear them, just to be safe…she’s crazy and, though there are times she is right on, she really has no business being here. #IAmClearlyAFan
• Randy Jackson – If we didn’t have the cliches, it wouldn’t be American Idol.
• Mariah Carey – She fits as a judge…she just doesn’t fit appropriately into all of her outfits…but she clearly has the most authority on the panel when it comes to judging someone’s voice.

The Predictions

I didn’t want to bore everyone with 10 picks, so I asked the panel to come up with their Top 5 and then I compiled our synthesized prediction that you can use to make yourself look smart in front of your friends.

Prediction for IHeartHomunculus

IHH is a firm believer that your story will only take you so far, and your personality is often more of a hindrance than a help. So with those things in mind, her Top 5 are:

5. Amber

4. Devin

3. Kree

2. Candice

1. Angie

Prediction for The Homunculus of Hennepin County

HoH says that this year’s talent pool is as weak as the upcoming NBA draft and as disappointing as the T-Wolves’ season. His Top 5 are:

5. Kree

4. Candice

3. Curtis

2. Angie

1. Burnell

Prediction for Mrs. Swami

Mrs. Swami will make no apologies for picking her personal favorite first. And who is going to argue with a woman who is with child?! Her Top 5 are:

5. Curtis

4. Kree

3. Devin

2. Candice

1. Angie

Prediction for TornCartledge

In what is the least compelling season I can remember in a while, there are still some folks that could give some “Wow” moments. But enough about the Judges. #Bazinga There are also a handful of singers that could do the same, but I’m pretty sure the fast forward button on our good friend TiVo may get some use. It will be interesting to see how it all comes out and how this season will be remembered. My Top 5 are:

5. Janelle

4. Candice

3. Devin

2. Kree

1. Angie

Prediction for Vegas

Just because it seemed like a good component to the formula, here are the Vegas rankings. (Vegas had no comment when asked for thoughts on the season).

5. Amber

4. Lazaro

3. Janelle

2. Kree

1. Angie

Composite Prediction for the Conclave of Prognostication

5. Burnell

4. Devin

3. Candice

2. Kree

1. Angie

So there you have it. We guarantee the accuracy of these predictions up until the point where the first Top 5 person gets voted off early!

Empire State of Mind

From the Empire State of the South to the Empire State… 34 years later

I will not even pretend to tell you that this is a comprehensive guide to visiting New York, but after spending a week, split primarily between Brooklyn and Manhattan, I thought I would share just a few of my thoughts and experiences.

The Food

“If I lived here, I don’t know that I would ever cook” – I’m pretty sure that quote from my lovely bride, who is an excellent cook in her own right, sums up the food scene in New York. The list of places we had interest in eating could have kept us busy for months. If you can’t find something you like, then you are either too picky or you just aren’t looking hard. That being said, I thought I would try to give you some of my favorite items from various restaurants where we ate:

Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar – Onion Rings. Everything we had was excellent and the vibe was right up our alley so we had a great time. Of everything we had, the onion rings stood out as some of the best I’ve had. Ever. They were a little meaty, the breading stayed on perfectly and actually brought flavor, and the sauce was a perfect compliment.

 

The Bread Factory Cafe – Challah French Toast. As we got ready to tour New York we stopped off for breakfast and were not disappointed. The French Toast made with Challah bread was as good as you are thinking it would be.

Marinella Restaurant (West Village) – Tiramisu. The meal was excellent, but the Tiramisu was outstanding and was the most lasting impression of the meal.  Well, that and watching one of my cohorts stuff his own blue cheese olives. But that’s a different story.

Serendipity 3 – Frozen Hot Chocolate (or Peanut Butter Frozen Hot Chocolate) with Humble Pie. Ok, seriously this alone was the reason I was thrilled to have only gained 2 pounds on this trip. Absolutely spectacular dessert. One for the ages, and something you should definitely split with someone. 

L&W Oyster Company – Lobster BLT on Challah. Think of the best Lobster BLT you could envision… it’s not better than this one. A couple other folks were disappointed in their meal here, but I would go back for this dish regularly.

The Oyster Bar (Grand Central) – Catfish Strips in Panko with Wasabi Soy dipping sauce. New England Clam Chowder. Coconut Shrimp. I don’t know that I can put one over the others and they were all quite tasty. And the beauty of Grand Central Station doesn’t hurt your dining experience.

The Sights

There are tons of things to see and do and I probably recommend most of them, but I thought I would highlight the things that had a lasting impression on me from this trip. I will absolutely recommend taking a good guided tour if you want to make sure that you at least get to see a lot of the sights even if you don’t spend a ton of time anywhere in particular. We did an 8 hour tour and really got to see a lot and I’m very glad to have those memories. (Amusingly it makes many TV shows more interesting now as I try to spot things I recognize).

Times Square – It’s simply a sight to behold. You want the chance to take in the visual wonder of it all.

The Architecture – There are so many buildings, from a variety of architectural styles, that are simply beautiful. From the churches & cathedrals to monuments to the individuality of the skyscrapers, there is beautiful design and craftsmanship all over the place.

Rockefeller Plaza – Rockefeller Center is an impressive building, but the highlight of that area is being in Rockefeller Plaza at night, overlooking the ice rink and just taking in the sights and sounds.

The 9/11 Memorial – While I’m sure it’s even nicer in the spring when the grass and trees are green, visiting this was an extremely memorable experience. I think it is one of the quieter locations in Manhattan as there is a sense of calm, respect, and serenity that is palpable on the Memorial grounds. The fountains were a beautiful tribute and the Survivor Tree was very powerful. I also didn’t hide my pride in the fact that it was designed by a Georgia Tech alum.

Madison Square Garden – Certain stadiums and arenas just have an air of being special. This is one of them. As for my experience there…well you can read about it in detail at http://randomthoughtsillustrated.com

Grand Central Terminal – Absolutely beautiful. The marble. The stone. The clock (valued at $10-20 million). So much to just see and take in. It’s simply spectacular. If you really can take your time and take in everything there is to see there, you won’t run out of sights of interest.  

The Statue of Liberty – The effects of hurricane Sandy were clearly visible as all of the ground surrounding the statue was bereft of color and life. Yet, to me it helped reinforce the strength of the symbol that Lady Liberty is to the U.S. and the world. And seeing it from the water taxi nearby is a great way to take it in, with the sounds of Billy Joel and Jay Z playing in the background.

Transportation

Limo – I highly recommend accidentally getting a stretch limo from the airport to Times Square when you only requested a town car. But I will warn you that it’s a little weird if the one you get is playing Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker film. Bizarre.

Cabs – They serve their purpose and NYC cabbies drive like everyone has warned you they do.

Subway – The subway is a great way to travel. The one thing I will say is to download the free NYC Subway App for your mobile device. It makes it much faster to figure out how to get where you need to go.

In summary… if you haven’t gone, I really think you should. It truly did not disappoint.