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As the commissioner of the only successful league in the history of VSN, I feel as though I have a lot of good information I could share with VSN. Here is my advice on running a successful league, and being good at fantasy baseball.
Advice #1: Listen to the Baseball Tonight podcast. Any time that a player is mentioned as showing up to spring training in the best shape of his life, he should be placed at the top of your draft board. Nothing else matters. These players are the breakout stars of the year. Don't believe me? Last week they talked about Mike Trout showing up with 15 extra pounds of muscle. Best shape of his life! I don't think anyone is dumb enough to argue that Trout won't be a great fantasy player in '13. I won't mention any other players because I believe you have to do your own scouting to be successful.
Advice #2: Always be trading. From April 1 to whenever the trade deadline is in your league (some obscure date in the middle of August in the VSN league), you should be working the chatbox, your AIM network, texting Warner...whatever it takes to get a deal done. Trade as much as possible. If you're not trading, then you're falling behind. If you don't trade your team will suck. Look at MvP, he doesn't trade in the VSN league, where has that got him? Never been to the playoffs and never been kissed [by a girl]. You do not want to be there. Don't be MvP, trade. If someone tells you they want your star player in a trade? Do it! Then trade your second and third best players too, if you're a good player this will improve your team.
Advice #3: Always make sure there are a few dumb asses in your league. This greatly improves your odds of victory. In the VSN league, this was Sigona. I was really sad to see Sigona go.
Advice #4: Vote to veto every trade. You don't want other people in your league to get ahead. And if trading is the way to get ahead (see advice #2), then you should stop them from trading. So veto every trade they make. There's no shame in vetoing, everyone is doing it. In the VSN league, Warner made a big trade to get ahead last year, but I worked with fellow division champion Bob Kuzzy to make sure the trade never happened. We won our divisions, and Warner backed into the playoffs as a wildcard. This year I'll be the favorite to win the division again, with Warner back to where he belongs spinning pizzas in third place in the division (he'd be in the cellar if it wasn't for cave troll FT). One successful trade veto will lead to multiple seasons of success for my team!
Advice #5: Stockpile players who are eligible to play multiple positions. If you have some scrappy hitter who can only play SS, he isn't worth much in fantasy. But if he can play SS AND 2B? |-|0L'/ $|-|17 L337 pL4'/3r! Now you definitely want one player like that on your team, but if you can get 3 or 5 players who play SS and 2B, that's great flexibility for you and the stuff of legend. For sure championship run if this strategy is used.
Advice #6: Stockpile 1B. Firstbase is the most valuable position. (According to Glenwillett). So you definitely want to stockpile these guys. Usually you can start 3 1B (one at 1B, and 2 at the utility spots). So you're going to want at least 6 1B on your roster. that way you can always play the hot hand. Players like Ryan Howard and Adam Dunn definitely go through a lot of cold spells so they're really not valuable for half the year. But you still want to draft them early in the draft and make them your keepers whenever possible.
I will update with more advice latter. Good luck with your fantasy seasons!
Advice #1: Listen to the Baseball Tonight podcast. Any time that a player is mentioned as showing up to spring training in the best shape of his life, he should be placed at the top of your draft board. Nothing else matters. These players are the breakout stars of the year. Don't believe me? Last week they talked about Mike Trout showing up with 15 extra pounds of muscle. Best shape of his life! I don't think anyone is dumb enough to argue that Trout won't be a great fantasy player in '13. I won't mention any other players because I believe you have to do your own scouting to be successful.
Advice #2: Always be trading. From April 1 to whenever the trade deadline is in your league (some obscure date in the middle of August in the VSN league), you should be working the chatbox, your AIM network, texting Warner...whatever it takes to get a deal done. Trade as much as possible. If you're not trading, then you're falling behind. If you don't trade your team will suck. Look at MvP, he doesn't trade in the VSN league, where has that got him? Never been to the playoffs and never been kissed [by a girl]. You do not want to be there. Don't be MvP, trade. If someone tells you they want your star player in a trade? Do it! Then trade your second and third best players too, if you're a good player this will improve your team.
Advice #3: Always make sure there are a few dumb asses in your league. This greatly improves your odds of victory. In the VSN league, this was Sigona. I was really sad to see Sigona go.
Advice #4: Vote to veto every trade. You don't want other people in your league to get ahead. And if trading is the way to get ahead (see advice #2), then you should stop them from trading. So veto every trade they make. There's no shame in vetoing, everyone is doing it. In the VSN league, Warner made a big trade to get ahead last year, but I worked with fellow division champion Bob Kuzzy to make sure the trade never happened. We won our divisions, and Warner backed into the playoffs as a wildcard. This year I'll be the favorite to win the division again, with Warner back to where he belongs spinning pizzas in third place in the division (he'd be in the cellar if it wasn't for cave troll FT). One successful trade veto will lead to multiple seasons of success for my team!
Advice #5: Stockpile players who are eligible to play multiple positions. If you have some scrappy hitter who can only play SS, he isn't worth much in fantasy. But if he can play SS AND 2B? |-|0L'/ $|-|17 L337 pL4'/3r! Now you definitely want one player like that on your team, but if you can get 3 or 5 players who play SS and 2B, that's great flexibility for you and the stuff of legend. For sure championship run if this strategy is used.
Advice #6: Stockpile 1B. Firstbase is the most valuable position. (According to Glenwillett). So you definitely want to stockpile these guys. Usually you can start 3 1B (one at 1B, and 2 at the utility spots). So you're going to want at least 6 1B on your roster. that way you can always play the hot hand. Players like Ryan Howard and Adam Dunn definitely go through a lot of cold spells so they're really not valuable for half the year. But you still want to draft them early in the draft and make them your keepers whenever possible.
I will update with more advice latter. Good luck with your fantasy seasons!
s in my league, is a good segue into my next bit of advice. Don't let retards into your league. I never understand why the madden leagues on VSN consistently let people like OOBL and Big Bucs play. These people are nothing but problems. Do not include them in your league. If you have trouble identifying the OOBL's of VSN, then use a simple test to identify such problem posters and stick to it. For example, use the test, "No one who doesn't have car insurance will be allowed in the league." A test like that will quickly weed out all of the problem posters mentioned above, and make the league a lot better for those involved. 
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