I decided to forego my annual TWW Fantasy Baseball League this year because too many people drop out a week into the season. In its place I present the First Annual Home Run Game Thing That I Stole From Another Site.

Here's how it works

Players are divided into five categories based on an average of their 2007 HR total and their projected 2008 total. The projections come from fangraphs.com. Last year's total counts as 75% of their "HR Score", the 2008 projection counts as 25%.

Players with a HR Score > 40 are in Group 1
Group 2 is 30-40
Group 3 is 25-30
Group 4 is 20-25
and Group 5 is < 20

There's a handy spreadsheet here (http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pHzzLeZNk0NNou5OWbwQjbA&hl=en)

All players who hit 20+ HR in 2007 are included, and most players projected to hit 20+ in 2008 are as well. Any player not listed is in Group 5.

So, the game is Fantasy Baseball, but home runs only. You pick players from each group and the person with the most total HR at the end of the season is the winner of Absolutely Nothing.

There are of course limits as to how many players you can pick and how many from each group.

Each group has a point value associated with the players in that group.

Players in Group 1 are worth 5 points
Group 2 is 4 points
Group 3 is 3 points
Group 4 is 2 points
Group 5 is 1 point

You are allowed 20 points with which to pick your players.

There is a limit to the number of players you can pick from each group.
1 player from Group 1
2 players from Groups 2, 3, and 4
and 3 players form Group 5

You can mix and match as much as you want, as long as you don't exceed 20 points or the maximum number of players from any one group.

So that's basically it

HOWEVA


To add a little variety to the game, once a week you can adjust your team. After the season begins, players will be grouped by their current HR pace (available at http://www.hrpace.com).

So, if you choose Carlos Pena from Group 1 and he's not hitting for shit, you can drop him and free up five points. You can use those five points on on a player who according to his current 2008 HR pace is in group one (> 40 HR) OR you can divide those points up over multiple players from multiple groups. The same max players per group limit still applies.

If this doesn't make any sense, here's a sample team:

R. Howard (5 pts. / Group 1)
A. Dunn (4 pts / Group 2)
M. Cabrera (4 pts / Group 2)
P. Burrell (3 pts / Group 3)
A. Rowand (2 pts / Group 2)
M. Stairs (1 pt / Group 1)
J. Giambi (1 pt / Group 1)

5+4+4+3+2+1+1 = 20 points, get it?

I know it's still over a month before the season starts, but I wanted to get this started so (hopefully) we can get enough people playing to make it worth a damn. If you want to play, you can pick your team now, or not, whatever. Any teams picked now can be changed as much as you want before opening day.

The end

[Edited on February 21, 2008 at 4:26 PM. Reason : ]

2/21/2008 4:10:50 PM

INTERNET SPORTS DISCUSSION

SERIOUS BUSINESS

2/21/2008 4:23:35 PM

hmmm

i may do it

i hope mlb.com brings back beat the streak this season

2/21/2008 4:25:04 PM

meh, seems like picking before the season doesn't do shit for ya.

everyone will have the same people in the end.

2/21/2008 4:34:45 PM

HOWEVA

2/21/2008 4:37:58 PM

STEROIDS

2/21/2008 4:40:21 PM

I'll do this. Not because it sounds interesting or fun, but because I have an unhealthy obsession wtih trying to win things.

[Edited on February 21, 2008 at 5:19 PM. Reason : matt stairs? 1999 called, it wants its power hitters back]

2/21/2008 5:17:29 PM