Category: About Tout Wars

Jason Collette’s Tout NL midseason review

If you were a subscriber to baseballprospectus.com you could have read Jason Collette’s midseason Tout Wars roundups two weeks ago. Jason and BP, however, are making them available to us all now, for which we are thankful. Jason Collette’s column appears at every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at baseballprospectus.com.

Playing in Tout Wars is a rewarding experience because of the exposure the league gets. It, like the LABR (League of Alternative Baseball Reality), are the two best gauges fantasy players have to see how the “experts” apply their knowledge at the draft table. It is one thing to read the work each of them publishes online, but it is another to see what they do with their imaginary money, or in the case of playing in high-stakes leagues such as the ones in the NFBC leagues, real money.

Last week, we looked at the AL-Only league and how Larry Schechter and Jeff Erickson have turned their profits into the top spots in the standings and how others have suffered some serious losses from the prices they paid at the draft table either due to bad valuations or bad luck related to injuries. This week, we look at the NL Only League that was won by ESPN’s Nate Ravitz last season.

Here are the current standings for the 12 team AL-Only League:

  1. Brian Walton – 103 points
  2. Chris Liss – 80 points
  3. Steve Gardner – 79 points
  4. Tristan Cockcroft – 78 points Continue reading “Jason Collette’s Tout NL midseason review”

Jason Collette’s TOUT AL midseason review

If you were a subscriber to baseballprospectus.com you could have read Jason Collette’s midseason Tout Wars roundups two weeks ago. Jason and BP, however, are making them available to us all now, for which we are thankful. Jason Collette’s column appears at every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at baseballprospectus.com.

Playing in Tout Wars is a rewarding experience because of the exposure the league gets. It, like the LABR (League of Alternative Baseball Reality), are the two best gauges fantasy players have to see how the “experts” apply their knowledge at the draft table. It is one thing to read the work each of them publishes online, but it is another to see what they do with their imaginary money, or in the case of playing in high-stakes leagues such as the ones in the NFBC leagues, real money.

Over the next three pieces, I will examine each of the three Tout Wars leagues to see which touts have done the best job so far in 2011 in terms of current player values compared to what those players went for at the draft table. This will allow us to see who did a good job in player valuations, who struggled, as well as who was affected by injuries. Lastly, it will show any kind of correlation between value attained and current place in the standings.

Here are the current standings for the 12 team AL-Only League:

  1. Larry Schechter – 97.5 points
  2. Jeff Erickson – 90.0 points
  3. Jason Grey – 79.5 points Continue reading “Jason Collette’s TOUT AL midseason review”

A Liss and a Swing

You may have heard him on XM, but here it is in pixels: Chris Liss describes the Tout Wars FAAB reclaim rule in less than flattering terms, and explains why he failed to redeem Buster Posey on time.

The rule reads:

If a player is placed on the major league 60-day disabled list, his Tout Wars team may release him and add his salary back to this year’s FAAB. If this transaction occurs prior to Monday 5 pm EDT of the All Star Break, the team may reclaim 100% of the player’s salary. If the transaction occurs after Monday 5 pm EDT of the All Star break, the team may reclaim 50% of the player’s salary. Odd number reclaim amounts will be rounded down (e.g. a $1 reclaim will be rounded down to $0). The salary reclaim decision must be made within the first 30 days that the players has been DLed. FAAB units acquired in this manner cannot be used for bidding purposes until the following week’s transaction period. If a 60-day DLed player is released in this manner, he will be placed back in the free agent pool and will be available for FAAB acquisition. If a player is deemed out for the year but is not placed on the 60-day DL, his team may not reclaim his salary.

The FAAB Hatchet

Only Baseball Prospectus subscribers can read all of Jason Collette’s excellent look at the Tout Wars FAAB reduction rule that went into effect this year, but enough is available before you hit the paywall to be worth a look, if you’re interested in what JC dubs the “FAAB Hatchet.” Non subscribers will unfortunately find their palates whet, their thirsts unslaked.

No Schadenfreude Here!

Brian Walton has such a giant lead in NL Tout that it is hard not to be upset that he’s lost Albert Pujols to a fractured forearm for a month. Too bad! I feel really badly that his great season has been tarnished, and I really really hope he’s able to hold onto his lead.

USA Today’s Steve Gardner, another Tout NL competitor, feels badly for Brian, too, though he doesn’t come right out and say it.