This is funny, ironic, and sad.

I just played and won my first live draft league. I was excited to participate in my first live draft but my old ass fell asleep in my chair and I missed it. At 140 mil I thought I was doomed because the other guys had a chance at the non draft guys first too. So in the morning I looked to see the damage. I kept 4 players. Walter Johnson, Barry Bonds, Hugh Duffy, and Lou Gherig. At the halfway point I was in 3rd I think in my division. Then I finally hit on a good lineup and that started scoring runs. Finished with the end best record. YIPPEEEEEEEE! But wait. I didn't really draft this team. HAL is 1 for 1 in drafting my team's. He gets the credit for the nucleus because I never pick Bonds. I use Duffy and Gherig only when I can't get someone else and I rarely use Johnson. I filled in the rest of the team with the best players that were available and not the best players I normally would pick but some were. Heilman was available so I got him. Browning was available for dh so I got him. I picked up Porter to catch. Somebody turned in Carew so I took his 2nd base card. Rolfe was available for 3rd. Rizzuto was the best I could get for SS. I had no bullpen. Regan was available to close. Lefferts and Gather were available and I got Sambito and Garman. Bender, Young, Camnitz, and Jericho filled out the starters.

My starters were awesome and had very little need of the pen. Bonds was a BEAST! Everybody on the team did the roll I picked them to do. Rizzuto was a good Glover and his defensive contributions really saved some games and he came through with bat at times too. I am thrilled with the win. But what does that say about my draft abilities? Honestly the choices I made for the team had nothing to do with me figuring out who to get. I just got the best player for the position out of who was left. The guy that was picked was an obvious choice.

The only thing I did was figure out the lineup and set up pitching and team parameters. I think the biggest thing was picking the ballpark after picking the players. In auto draft you pick your park and you are stuck with it regardless of the players you get. I can't tell you how many times that has turned out bad. I want a lefty team in a lefty park and get eighth hitters and pitchers and have to redo everything. I really like picking the ballpark to fit the players after they are picked. Maybe the powers that be would make that an option for autodraft. Anyways I'm tickled I got a ring in my very first live draft. But HAL, as much as I hate to admit it, really deserves the credit. Here is the team.

http://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/1443481

Quite an interesting story!! Thanks for sharing and Congrats!!

Congratulations!

It was still YOUR team who won the championship, you made the decision to stick with many of Hal's picks. The best coaches and GMs in MLB rely on computers and dozens of scouts and other coaches.

Of course the team is managed by Freddie the Freeloader

No doubt, Red Skelton, made up as a hobo, kept the team loose and ready for baseball throughout the season.

Congratulations.

the team is managed by Freddie the Freeloader.
No doubt, Red Skelton, made up as a hobo, kept the team loose

Red's Freddie was great but I prefer Miles' Freddie as described by Emilie-Claire-Barlow's lyrics. Talk about keeping a team loose....:

there's this cat
his name is freddie
this cat's a bartender
well known by anyone hip
and he can mix the kind of drinks
that you won't forget
one sip and you'll flip

Maxie