by Moonlight Graham

Once upon a time, before the evolution of the internet, Fantasy Baseball information was hard to come by.  News regarding critical issues such as day-to-day injury situations, rookie callups and even trade rumors were rarely current.  Often, it was necessary to directly call the MLB club in question but, even then, it was as likely as not that you’d reach someone that didn’t already frown on the entire concept of Fantasy Baseball.  Which brings me to the kid in Milwaukee.  I  never got his name so, I couldn’t say if he’s still in baseball but, wherever he is, there’s a former, public relations intern of the Brewers that, probably, still curses ole’ Moonlight at the very mention of Dan Plesac.

Sometime in the early nineties, Plesac, the Brew Crew closer, was nursing a bad elbow while a member of Moonlight’s Master Batters.  After a few absences from the daily box scores and no mention of an injury, I placed my first call to the unsuspecting intern.  Surprisingly, he really didn’t seem all that interested in the fact that a tight Saves race might decide my league.  He was equally unsympathetic when I explained that I couldn’t pick up a replacement unless Plesac was disabled by Milwaukee.

So, I asked, “Hey, what’s up with Plesac?”  “Is he going on the DL?”  “Not to my knowledge”, came the reply and thus started a daily correspondence over the course of the next six days.  Exasperated, he finally admitted to me that Plesac was likely out for awhile but, as rosters were about to expand on September 1st, would not go on the DL.  If he’d have only told me that in the first place, I’d have had another relief pitcher and he; an enjoyable week.

As the Rotisserie Baseball world has evolved, that episode has become more and more ironic to me.  Here I was, being sneered at and stonewalled by the MLB franchise owned by Bud Selig, who would become the money hungry commissioner that recognized Fantasy Baseball for the cash cow it is.  By charging exclusive rights fees to online services run by CBS, ESPN and Yahoo, Major League Baseball has helped advance an industry now so stuffed with the very news it once protected, that Fantasy Baseball owners must discern the Good info from the Bad and the Ugly.  What follows is a Moonlight Guide through the media.

The Good
If you’re in a league that holds Minor League players, you’ll want to listen to Grant Paulsen, host of MLB Network Radio’s Minors and Majors on XM channel 175.  Paulsen, just 22 himself, is as impressive as the young phenoms that appear on his show.  Infinitely more knowledgeable than his experience would have you believe, he balances MLB analysis with guest spots featuring the top prospects from each organization; kids he’s obviously taken the time to meet before they go on the air. It’s a funny, informative two hours each Sunday morning at 8AM that’ll give you an edge and put a smile on your face.

Once a daily staple for Fantasy Baseball players, The Fantasy Focus, hosted by Rotowire’s Jeff Erickson, disappeared from the MLB channel on XM radio in 2009.  Now Rotowire Fantasy Sports Today, Erickson and co-host Chris List share their expertise on XM channel 241 and Sirius channel 125 from 11 AM to 2 PM EDT.  Long a Tout Wars opponent of stats guru Ron Shandler, Erickson has a great feel for Fantasy trends, supports his views with statistics without becoming married to them and enjoys a seamless and often funny banter with the equally likable List.

The Bad
When MLB Network launched last year, it seemed like a natural fit for the Roto industry.  However, it took more than a year for The Fantasy 411 to debut. Hosted by Mike Siano and Cory Schwartz, the show is a disappointment in both its insight and timing.  The opinions offered are rarely better than any you’d already made, yourself and the 5 PM EDT slot does not allow for transactions involving day games.  What a shame that the network doesn’t cater to what is obviously it’s largest audience.

The Ugly

Imagine you’ve landed a date with the prettiest girl in school and she shows up wearing curlers and a house dress.  That’s, essentially, what MLB Network has accomplished by simulcasting its nightly Quick Pitch on its Sirius XM channels.  Harold Reynolds, possibly the best analyst in all of sports, becomes impossible to follow if you’re listening to his TV broadcast on the radio.  Discussing highlights and making demonstrations you can’t see, Reynolds and his cohorts instantly become a terrible listen.  Amazing that anyone earning his living in the profession would sign off on such a disaster.

Fantasy Baseball Pre-Season Draft Prep

Happy New Year.  Now that we’re just about a month from pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, it’s time to stop whining about that one point loss in your Fantasy Football championship game and turn your attention to the National Pastime.  It’s been three months since you put a lid on last season and you’ve got some catching up to do because you can bet there’s at least one geek in your league who’s already started.  What follows is a list of resources that are Moonlight favorites and will lay the groundwork for a successful season.

Fantasy Baseball Websites-

If your league uses CBSSportsline, you already have access to a valuable tool that will cost you nothing.  You’ll find positional rankings, a top 300, mock drafts and, most importantly, player profiles that are updated whenever there is news.  Yahoo Fantasy Sports and ESPN are also very good but not on a par with CBS.  Another Moonlight staple is Ron Shandler’s BASEBALLHQ.com.  Shandler is the preeminent Fantasy numbers guru who has been publishing analyses since 1986 and serves as an adviser to the St. Louis Cardinals.  There is even a free weekly newsletter available that will provide you with anything from draft strategies to sleeper picks from now until the end of August.  The last I’d recommend is MockDraftCentral.com where you can enroll and participate in mock drafts that will give you an invaluable insight as to how other owners are evaluating players.  The free access is limited but still very helpful.

Fantasy Baseball Periodicals-

I’ve yet to find a more comprehensive preview magazine than The Sporting News Fantasy Baseball Preview.  On the newsstands last week, it provides in-depth analysis of every Major Leaguer, Minor League prospects, Mock Drafts and Fantasy Baseball Draft strategies.  Positional rankings,three year stat lines and player projections are also included.  Fantasy Sports Fantasy Baseball Preview is another terrific resource.  Originally named Fantasy Baseball, the magazine has always had its roots in our favorite sport. It was there that I first read about theories like “the 27 year old breakout” and others that helped put a few dollars in my pocket. If  you’d like to dig a little deeper into the pocket as well as the statistics, it’s back to Shandler for his Fantasy Baseball Forecaster.  Packed with in depth statistical overviews such as batting average on balls in play and percentage of runners left stranded by pitchers, it is a mathematician’s dream.  I won’t kid you about understanding all of Shandler’s strategies or equations but I annually find a ton of information exclusive to the Forecaster.  And let’s not forget the Thursday online edition of the Brooklyn Eagle, and FantasySportsDirt.com where I trust many of you turn for guidance.

Fantasy Baseball Broadcasts

With the merger of Sirius and XM, all satellite radio subscribers have access to MLB Home Plate.  (Sirius 210 and XM 175).  Their Fantasy Baseball coverage leaves much to be desired, with just one hour dedicated weekly, but The Power Alley, hosted by Seth Everett, is full of late breaking news and transactions while being an entertaining listen.  The Fantasy Focus hosted by Jeff Erickson of Rotowire.com. is on Blogspot Radio along with a number of Fantasy Baseball podcasts.  Erickson’s show is an invaluable source of info regarding injuries, trades and scouting.  The daily Hot Stove Report on MLB Network is a must watch, as well, especially when Harold Reynolds is on the panel.