1999 CFCL News Flash Archive

We've heard from almost all the owners, and it looks as thought we'll have a full set of 10 teams back for the 1999 season.    The overwhelming preference for Draft Day was once again the weekend of/before Opening Day.  The season starts on Sunday April 4 (just one game -- the Padres and Rockies playing in Mexico), which also happens to be Easter Sunday.  Assuming that drafting on Easter would present a problem for a significant portion of the league, we've opted to schedule the Draft for Saturday April 3.  Preliminary plans call for the Draft to start around 9:00 AM on Saturday the 3rd and to be held at Rich's new home in Aurora.  More information and directions will be forthcoming as D-Day draws near, but the date seems to be pretty well set.

Note that we're planning on drafting at Rich's house, not his office.  The old workplace tends to get kind of crowded on Saturdays, so the gracious Mrs Bentel has welcomed our unruly band into her home, as long as her brother Ken promises not to sing.

It's been our experience, of course that nothing is set in stone.  If you have a conflict with this date please contact David ASAP.

Total Quality Stats has made extensive revisions to our web pages for the 1999 season, and these new pages are now online and ready for review.  In addition to cosmetic changes, there is some new functionality for this year.  One of the main changes is that each CFCL team has their very own password-protected page.

You'll enter your team's page from the main CFCL page -- select your team name from the drop-down list under the message board, enter your password, and click the button.  Each individual team page includes the following:

Private Message Board -- other CFCL owners will be able to post private messages on your message board from their own page (they won't, obviously, be able to view your messages).

Private Message Sender -- you'll be able to send messages from your private page.  These messages can be posted on the league-wide message board (which appears on the main CFCL page), or you can post them on the private message board of any team.

Team Status Report -- a detailed listing of all the players on your team who are currently injured, indicating if they're on the DL and their prognosis for recovery.

Password Change -- you'll be able to go in and change your password for your private page yourself.

Check the new pages out at http://www.tqstats.com/_baseball/_leagues/_cfcl/index.pl or follow the link from the CFCL Internet Headquarters.

You should receive an e-mail from me with the password to your private page (it's the same as the one you used last year to post messages on the message board, but I'll assume you've forgotten it).  If you don't hear from me, drop me a line.

The CFCL today released the schedule of events that will culminate with Draft Day and Opening Day during the first weekend in April.  The scheduled dates are as follows:

Roster Cut Sheets Mailed Out Completed Roster Cut Sheets Should Be Mailed Back   Roster Freeze Day (for cuts submitted via e-mail) Roster Freeze Day (for cuts submitted via snail-mail) Keeper List Mailed Out Draft Day NL Opening Day (one game -- COL vs SD)

Monday, March 15 Tuesday, March 23 Wednesday, March 24 Friday, March 26 Monday, March 29 Saturday, April 3 Sunday, April 4

The Administrative Pre-Season will kick off on March 15 when Roster Cut Sheets will be mailed to CFCL owners.  Unless otherwise requested, owners who typically receive standings reports, etc via e-mail will also receive their Roster Cut Sheets via e-mail.

Owners will have the option of returning the completed forms via e-mail or via snail-mail.  If forms are e-mailed back to the Head Office, they must be received by the morning of Wednesday March 24.  Forms from owners who will be using the US Postal Service will not be due until Friday, March 26.  Whichever delivery system is used, the completed forms should be in the mail by March 23 to ensure they'll arrive on time.

On a personal note, I'd GREATLY appreciate it if cuts could be returned PRIOR to the scheduled deadline.  The scheduled due date for cuts (March 26) is also the date Michelle and I are scheduled to be closing on our new house, so I have a feeling I'll be exceedingly busy that whole weekend.  Any work I can get done prior to March 26 will make it more likely I'll get the list of keepers mailed out on Monday.

Executive Committe Develops New Draft Rules 2/25/99

The Executive Committe met in the CFCL Dugout Chatroom recently to discuss potential ways to address concerns many owners have expressed about the length of Draft Day.  The approach the Executive Committee took in their discussions was to attempt to shorten the amount of time spent at the Draft without actually impacting the structure and pacing of the Draft itself.

With that end in mind, the Committee adoped the following proposals:

New Rules.  We will no longer discuss new rules prior to the Draft.  Whenever we adopt new rules, plenty of information about them is sent out prior to Draft Day.  In the past, we've also spent a good 15-30 minutes before starting the Draft discussing the new rules.  From now on, we will assume that all owners have already read about and understand any new rules we've adopted.  NOTE:  Aside from these Draft-related issues, there are no new rules for the 1999 season.

Lunch Arrangements.  In the past we've spent a good deal of time prior to the Draft passing around menus and putting together lunch orders.  In the future, we'll ask all owners to submit their lunch orders prior to Draft Day along with their cuts.  NOTE:  The location of the 1999 Draft seems prohibitive for ordering food, so each owner will be expected to bring their own lunch to the Draft.

Fee Collection.  Typically we spend 10-15 minutes before each Draft collecting checks and cash for the yearly fees.  Starting this year, all fees should be paid upfront with a check that should be mailed in before cuts are due.

Bathroom Breaks.  Let me say in advance, that the following is going to sound very anal retentive (and please pardon the pun), but we've had a huge problem in the past with people leaving the Draft table mid-bid to use the washroom.  In order to try to reduce the time we spend waiting for active bidders to return from the washroom, we've decided to plan for 15-minute bathroom breaks at the end of selected rounds.  We'll decide as we go along which rounds we'll take breaks after.

Owners will, of course, be permitted to use the washroom whenever they wish, however, if an owner is in the washroom when it's his turn to bid, we'll wait one minute before considering the owner to be dropping out of the bidding.  Likewise, when bidding ends on a particular player, we will not wait for owners to return to the table before nominating the next player.  HOWEVER, if someone is in the washroom when it is his turn to nominate a player, we WILL wait for him to return, but he will receive a significant fine from the New Kangaroo Court.

The Rotation Draft.  Many owners have expressed concern about the amount of time it takes us to get through the 17-round Reserve List Draft following the auction.  The Executive Committee feels that part of the reason the Rotation Draft seems to take so long is that it comes at the end of a long day, however, they do agree that it can drag at times.  One of the main reasons for delay during the Rotation Draft is that owners sometimes try to select a player who is already owned by another team, and then spend a long time trying to find another player to pick.  Now, if an owner selects a player who is already owned, he will have one minute to find a replacement.  If he can't come up with a second choice within the minute, we'll move on to the next owner and return to the skipped owner after the next two picks.

It is hoped that these new Draft Day guidelines will streamline the whole process without affecting the pace of the Draft which we've all grown used to over the past several years.

Those CFCL owners who make a habit of forgetting which player we're bidding on or trying to nominate a player who's already owned had better watch out.  A revamped Kangaroo Court is headed for Draft Day 1999 and it's not going to stand for any BS. 

While the league has been very happy with the performance of the original Captain Kangaroo, Rich Bentel, Bentel's natural meekness and reticence caused him to feel slightly uncomfortable with his responsibilities in the Kangaroo Court.  Luckily, David Holian has volunteered to take over the task of ringing up his fellow owners for various Draft Day infractions and suggested that he share the job with Kelly Barone.  The Executive Committee was very enthusiastic about the possibilities offered by this potential pairing, and Barone was equally enthusiastic when offered the position.  

Co-Captains Courageous.  Kelly Barone (left) and David Holian (right) have volunteered to step in as the new Captains Kangaroo for the 1999 Kangaroo Court.  Co-Commissioner David Mahlan (center) has vowed to keep a close eye on Kangaroo Court proceedings to ensure that Barone and Holian don't abuse their office, but has given the Co-Captains full authority to "fine the begeezus out of each other."

In his acceptance statement, Barone said "Guys like me and Dave don't give a rat's ass what anyone thinks about us. In fact, I personally enjoy it when people despise me. Having two people handle it is a very good idea. If we approach in a fun manner, and especially if we don't hesitate to ring each other up, I think everyone will be ok with it."

The fact that Holian immediately fined Barone for using profanity in an official message to the CFCL Co-Commissioners For Life ("And I don't give a rat's ass what he thinks.") should foreshadow the type of interaction we can expect from the new Captains.

In two quick trades before the roster cut deadline, the Copperfields improved their standing in this year's Rotation Draft and traded away a couple of their young players who may have been squeezed out in the battle for the last spots on the 17-man pre-Draft roster.

In the first of the deals, the Copperfields sent SS prospect Alex Gonzalez and their 3rd and 6th round Rotation Draft Picks to the DoorMatts for the Matts' 2nd, 3rd, 7th, and 13th round Rotation Draft Picks.  The DoorMatts acted quickly to pick up Gonzalez while he was still on a minor league (M) contract.  This means the DoorMatts will receive the rights to sign Gonzalez to an X contract a couple years down the road.

The second trade had the Copperfields dealt P John Thomson and their 14th and 16th round Rotation Draft Picks to the FlatFeet for the 2nd, 7th, and 13th round Rotation Draft Picks of the Feet.  Thomson should bolster a FlatFeet rotation, which finished last in Wins in 1998.  Thomson can also contribute in the average categories as long as the Feet reserve him when he's scheduled to pitch in Colorado -- Thomson had a sparkling 3.45 ERA on the road last year.

While the Copperfields were reluctant to part with young players the calibre of Gonzalez and Thomson, the fact remains that there may not have been room for them on the roster this spring.  With these deals, the Copperfields will at least get something in return for their loss.

Lambchops and Copperfields Swap Pitchers 3/15/99

In the second Copperfield/Lambchop trade of the off-season, and the Copperfields' third trade of the last few days, the Coppers sent relief pitcher Wayne Gomes to the Lambchops for starter/long reliever Darren Dreifort.

Dreifort, along with Carl Pavano, was one of the most sought-after players in this off-season's Winter Waiver period.  The Copperfields had put in a claim for Dreifort, but were beaten out by the Lambchops, who had the pick immediately prior to the Coppers.  Copperfield GM David Mahlan had tried to trade for Dreifort earlier this year, offering Gomes and other players, but he was rebuffed by Head Lambster, Eric Lamb.  However, when the Lambchops lost closer Kerry Ligtenberg, possibly for the entire season, they felt it was imparative to bolster their bullpen.  In Gomes, the Lambchops pick up a reliever who has a very good chance to see significant time in the closer role this season.

Copperfields Swap Tucker, Draft Picks for Higher Rebel Picks 3/19/99

The Copperfields continued their trading ways on Friday, collecting more draft picks in exchange for outfielder Michael Tucker and some draft picks of their own.  In their fourth trade in a week, the Copperfields sent Tucker and their 8th, 10th, and 13th round draft picks to Dem Rebels for the Rebels' 8th and 13th round draft picks, plus the Ruffins' 9th round draft pick, which the Rebels had acquired in a previous deal. 

Tucker will give the Rebels some much-needed depth as he joins Jermaine Allensworth and Jeromy Burnitz as the only Rebel outfielders.  For the Copperfields, the deal marks the end of a week during which they traded away four players and seven draft picks in exchange for one player and ten draft picks, moving up considerably in this year's Rotation Draft.

Rebels Extend Trading Streak to 2 Days 3/20/99

Dem Rebels have apparently caught Copperfield Flu, making their second trade in two days.  After swapping draft picks with the Copperfields to get Michael Tucker, the Rebels traded infielder Andy Sheets and reliever Antonio Alfonseca to the Slackers for starting pitcher Jon Lieber and the Slackers' 5th round rotation draft pick. 

This is the first trade between the Slackers and Rebels since the Slackers traded Mark McGwire to the Rebels for Barry Bonds shortly following the 1997 Expansion Draft.  While this deal may not have the big names that the previous Rebel/Slacker trade did, Lieber has a chance to be a good starter for the Rebels and Alfonseca could pick up a handful of saves for the Slackers.

The trading frenzy that began a little over a week ago continued today as the CFCL Champions, David's Ruffins, sent star first baseman Jeff Bagwell and their 12th round rotation draft pick to Steve's Slackers for the Slackers' 3rd, 7th, and 13th round rotation draft picks. 

Bagwell will join Barry Bonds and Greg Vaughn to make up a formidible middle lineup for the Slackers as they aim for the money spots in just their second season.

This is the second salary-cutting trade of the off-season for the Ruffins, the first being their trade of Jeromy Burnitz for a bushelful of Dem Rebel draft picks.  The Ruffins save .43 by trading Bagwell.  Rumor has it that they have earmarked the .43 to put towards signing Andruw Jones to the longest contract in CFCL history. 

Coppers Deal Osborne to ForGoetz Me Nots 3/24/99

In an 11th hour deal, the Copperfields ended their pre-season trading spree by sending pitcher Donovan Osborne to the ForGoetz Me Nots in exchange for three Nots draft picks.  Osborne, attractive because of his .02 salary, despite his injury history, will join the ForGoetz Me Nots starting rotation.

In return for Osborne, the Copperfields acquired the Nots' 3rd, 7th, and 13th round rotation draft picks, giving them a total of 24 picks in this year's Rotation Draft.  While they obviously can't use all of the picks they have, the Copperfields could conceivably be done drafting their reserve list by the end of the 9th round. 

Draft Day Report from the Kangaroo Court 4/5/99

Prior to this year' Draft, the Executive Committee revamped the Kangaroo Court and put in place a pair of "Captains Courageous" to be responsible for dispensing fines during the Draft and throughout the year.  Co-Captains Kelly Barone and David Holian tracked infractions during the Draft (at least Kelly did -- see the list of infractions against the Ruffins below).  Today, the Official Report from the Kangaroo Court arrived from Kelly:

From the Office of Captain Courageous Kelly Barone:
Below is the official tally of Kangaroo Court fines for Draft Day, with specific infractions noted. There are a few common infractions that will be referenced as follows:
Card (Not flipping your card to the "in" position well into a new round of bidding.)
Bid (Not knowing it was your turn to bid, or not knowing who was being bid on, to the point where the flow of the draft was ground to halt.)
BPO (Bidding on player already owned.)
? (Asking a question that shows you've lost touch with the rest of us, or asking a question that does not need to be asked [see the Meisters' list].)

Each infraction is worth .25, with some .50 fines for those that did something very extraordinary.

Door Matts	$0.00	Well, okay, the "nobody's perfect" theory is out the window.
Flatfeet	$0.25	Bid
Lambchops	$0.50	BPO Bid
Copperfields	$0.75	Forgetting to pass out poker cards at the beginning of the draft. Bid (twice)
Ruffins	$0.75	Bid Lack of interest in the fining others. Co-Captain, ha! Gratuitous Profanity (self-assessed)
ForGoetz Me Nots	$1.25	Falling asleep (double fine). We all make jokes about the draft becoming coma-inducing, but I never thought someone would actually go out. Dave wins the "Most Relaxed Owner" award. BPO (twice) Card
Six Packs	$1.50	BPO (double fine for Greg Maddux) The Co-Captain had plenty of other embarrassing errors on his draft sheet that luckily didn't come to light. Of course, somehow, it was my wife's fault. Off-color joke (double fine, self-assessed) Bid Card
Dem Rebels	$1.75	Living someplace where you can't get lunch delivered (double fine). Sorry Rich, this is something I feel passionate about. Telling Kelly he can't bid on a player due to position eligibility when he could (twice). Delaying the proceedings for a personal bathroom break. BPO (twice)
Slackers	$2.00	League Fees paid at draft instead of mailed (double fine). BPO Card (three times) ?
Da Paul Meisters	$3.25	Special Note: My friend, Rich was not picking on you all these years. You really hustled for these. ? (seven times!!) Paul, a bit of advice. Say, hypothetically, someone gets Eric Karros, and their 1B and Out slots are filled. Safely assume he'll go into the Utility spot, or the Swing spot if Utility is taken also. Deductive reasoning is encouraged. Not bringing your own beverages Telling Ken he couldn't bid on a player when he could. Bid (twice) Card BPO

Many thanks to Captain Courageous Kelly Barone for performing his duties so well and for reporting to the League Office so promptly.  During the season, League Secretary David Mahlan will work closely with the Captains to track infractions related to transactions.  We'll look forward to periodic Kangaroo Reports throughout the season.

That was the first line of an e-mail sent by Co-Commissioner Bentel after checking the CFCL standings the morning of the final day of the season. The Six Packs and Copperfields stood tied at 67 points with only one game to go. Categories were so tight, that a single home run from the Lambchops, OR a win from one of the two relief pitchers the Ruffins had in the game, OR three scoreless innings from a Copperfield pitcher, OR a 2-ER in 1-IP outing from a Meister pitcher would have given the Copperfields the Championship. Likewise, a good night average-wise from the Six Pack hitters in the game OR a bad night from the Slacker hitters could have given it all to the Six Packs. All in all, 6 different ways the final standings could have been determined in the final game.

And it came very close -- Copperfield reliever Danny Graves pitched 3 innings, but gave up an earned run in his first inning of work. If he had made it through unscored upon, the Coppers would have ended up on top by a single point. As it was, the Six Packs and Copperfields remained tied at the close of the regular season. The tie remained after the first tie breaker, as each team led the other in 4 categories. The second tie breaker found the Six Packs with a handful more ABs and slightly more IP, making them the 1999 CFCL Champions.

The Six Packs certainly earned their first CFCL Championship, making some decisive trades early and a set of gutsy roster moves in the season's final week. Knowing he could pick up as many as 3 points with a good week in Wins, GM Kelly Barone reserved most of his record-setting relief staff and activated four starting pitchers, giving him a total of 9 starting pitchers on his staff. With as close as the ERA category was, this took a lot of balls, especially since none of the 4 starters he activated were studs by any stretch of the imagination. They came through better than Kelly ever could have hoped. They won only 4 games, but combined for a stellar 1.91 ERA in 66 IP, which vaulted Kelly over the Copperfields and into first place -- both in the ERA category and overall.

The Copperfields made a nice run of it and provided a thrilling finish to the season after appearing to be completely out of the race as late as the second week of September. In the end their pennant hopes were destroyed by their pitching. In contrast to the Six Packs' final week performance, the Copperfields put up a 5.29 ERA to end the season.

Third place went to last season's Champions, the Ruffins, who finished strong, despite taking themselves out of the race early with a couple of future-looking trades. The final money spot went to the DoorMatts -- taking home a prize for the first time in their 6 years in the CFCL.

A final week collapse by the ForGoetz Me Nots allowed Da Paul Meisters to squeeze by into 5th place and take the coveted #1 Draft Pick in the 2000 Rotation Draft. The ForGoetz Me Nots finished safely in 6th, just two points behind the Meisters.

The race for last place was almost as thrilling as the race for first. Ok, maybe not, but it was almost as close. Only 3.5 points separated the last four teams in the standings, with the surprising FlatFeet coming out on top and finishing 7th. The Feet were surprising in that they were able to finish so high despite not making a single roster move after the first week of the season!

With a strong finish, the Rebels were able to climb into 8th place, passing the disappointing 9th place Lambchops in the final week. The 10th place Slackers came close several times, but were never able to permanently climb out of the basement.