Uncategorized News & Rumors

Aside from my own websites, I’ve been a regular contributor of fantasy baseball columns for RotoWorld over the past few years.

This year, I have joined forces with them for their Draft Guide, contributing a ton of articles and analysis.  At just $14.99, this is hands down the best way to spend your fantasy baseball dollar.  I know, because I’ve tried practically every $8 magazine and online service out there over the years.  Those magazines go to press in early December – they’re mostly useless.

Projections, cheatsheets, player comments, AL/NL-only values, custom scoring, updates, feature articles, closer info, mock drafts, sleepers, busts….need I go on?  The 2008 RotoWorld Draft Guide has it all.  Get a jump on your league and buy the guide today.

Always interesting when Baseball Prospectus uses their PECOTA system to project the standings.  Click here to take a look, and consider subscribing if you haven’t.

PECOTA sees the Yankees winning the AL East and the Angels taking the AL West.  They have the Indians and Tigers playing a tiebreaker for the AL Central and the Red Sox as the league’s wild card entry.

As for the NL, the Mets take the East.  The Cubs win the Central, while the D’Backs and Dodgers tie for the West.  The wild card would be the Brewers.  BP’s Nate Silver discusses the standings a bit more here.

Today I contributed to the Spring Training ’08 website with a piece called Most Likely Trade Candidates.  I highlighted ten players who might be on the move before Opening Day.

After you read my article, browse the general Spring Training ’08 site.  It was created by a friend of mine.  He recruited bloggers for every team to create team-specific Spring Training guides.

Today I contributed to the Spring Training ’08 website with a piece called Most Likely Trade Candidates.  I highlighted ten players who might be on the move before Opening Day.

After you read my article, browse the general Spring Training ’08 site.  It was created by a friend of mine.  He recruited bloggers for every team to create team-specific Spring Training guides.

Many MLBTR readers are not satisfied with the current commenting system, which is called TypeKey.

Next week I will join a call with the TypeKey people, who are promising major changes to the system in ’08.  I would love for readers to use this post as a chance to give feedback on TypeKey.  What doesn’t work right?  What bothers you?  What features need to be added to be on par with other commenting systems?  Let’s hear it – your feedback is incredibly valuable here.

I am not planning to do away with the TypeKey commenting system, because it is tied to my blogging service TypePad.  I love TypePad for many reasons and I’m sticking with it.

I know many of you have complained about TypeKey though.  TypePad’s CEO, Chris Alden, recently asked for suggestions to improve.  I emailed him passing along the complaints about TypeKey, and also suggesting that users be able to use their TypeKey logins for message boards.  He replied:

I also appreciate your suggestions on TypeKey. We will be making major changes and improvement to TypeKey this year and your thoughts are valuable. We also have been and are continuing to invest heavily in our spam fighting system. I also like the suggestion on message boards.

I (Tim Dierkes) will be doing a couple of radio appearances soon.

• I have one at 4:30pm CST today, so very soon.  It’s for Villanova Radio, 89.1 FM if you are in that area.  Otherwise you can listen live here (click the button in the upper right-hand corner).
• I will be doing XM Hot Stove with Chuck Wilson on MLB Home Plate XM 175 on Tuesday at 11:40am CST.

Hi everyone, Tim Dierkes here.  There is a weird fake rumor going about, being propagated by someone pretending to be me.  I am not sure what email address it comes from, but it claims some kind of Erik Bedard/Angels nonsense.  It’s 100% fake and wasn’t sent by me. 

The only thing I ever send to my mailing list subscribers are exact copies of the posts on MLBTR, nothing else.  And my email address is dierkes@gmail.com.

Stepping in from the MLBTR Bullpen today to helm the site is Mike Glab.  If you find rumors and don’t see them on the site, feel free to drop him a line at bigmikeglab@hotmail.com.

I’m proud to announce two more additions to the MLBTR Bullpen.  At this point I will probably not add anyone else.  However I am keeping all the applications on file and regret not being able to act on many excellent ones.  Thanks for all the interest in helping out.

Cork Gaines is the editor and lead writer for Rays Index. He is a Tampa native and University of Iowa graduate that is currently lost in New York City.  Despite this, he still maintains his status as a Tampa Bay Buccaneers season ticket holder and often makes trips back to the Bay Area just because he has an urge for a grouper sandwich from Hurricane and to see people wearing jorts. In addition to Rays Index, Cork wrote a chapter in the "The Hardball Times 2007 Season Preview". Outside of baseball writings, Cork has authored several scientific publications about whales and DNA that are written in a language even he does not understand.  Cork can be reached at corkgaines@gmail.com.

Matt Birt is currently a high school English teacher in Ohio, hoping to head to graduate school in the fall to pursue his doctorate in English Literature.  This is Matt’s first sports writing gig, though he has held a post at a small-town newspaper covering school board meetings and potluck dinners, and he can often be found about town in various restaurants and coffee shops writing and rewriting his fantasy baseball line-up (a compulsion only the fantasy baseball gods can fully understand).  His most bizarre baseball memory involves a Cincinnati Reds winter basketball barnstorming team, his best friend’s house, and Barry Larkin in bib overalls staging a wrestling battle royale with his two brothers, Stephen and Byron.  Matt can be reached at mattbirt.mlbtr@gmail.com.