Team Name: SF Mock Woodmen
Owner Name: Arnold Woods
Home State: California
Personal Bio
Long-time Sandbox sports gamer...this will be my fourth year playing Full Count. Am a big-time Colorado Rockie fan and season ticket-holder since their very first game. However, also very partial to my (now) hometown Giants.

Pre-Draft Strategy
I've always liked the good all-around players, power, speed, high average, as they are less hot and cold and will find a way to get you fantasy points. Unfortunately, there are very few of those players available after the first few rounds. Top pitchers are key in Full Count, so I'd like to get 3-4 solid SPs and a few good all-around players in the first half of the draft. This is my usual strategy and it has paid off in the past. We'll see if I can stick to it this year.

With the #10 draft spot though, the top pitchers will be gone, so will look for the best available talent in the early rounds, though should be able to pick up a top catcher or 3B (easily the two shallowest positions). 3B will also likely produce a run at some point in the draft. After C. Jones, Atl is taken early, the second tier of 3B will go quickly when they begin to get drafted. 1B is deep as always, but it may be difficult to pass up a T. Helton, Col or J. Bagwell, Hou if they are around for my 1st or 2nd pick.

As for sleepers and busts, the player with the obvious bust potential is M. Hampton, Col going into Coors Field, but I think he'll manage okay there (though with higher ERA). However, I do think D. Wells (whether he is traded or not) is due for a downfall. Age and weight will conspire against him. On the other side of the coin, I think this will be E. Chavez's breakout year with the A's./font>

Post-Draft Analysis
With the good possibility of the high strike being called this year, I was looking for hitters with high OBP and low Ks and power pitchers. On the hitting side, I did pretty well (with possible exceptions of S. Rolen, Phil and T. Hundley, ChiN). Whether or not the high strike is called this year, I've got hitters that should do well either way. Don't think I did as well with my pitchers. D. Kile, StL, R. Hernandez and J. Weaver, Det may be able to take advantage of the high strike. I'm less certain that B. Zito, Oak and J. D'Amico, Mil can. Because of the volatility of RPs, I waited longer than anyone else to begin picking them, but I think all 3 that I got can be effective.

I did emphasize hitting a little more in the early going of the draft than usual, but that was largely a function of my draft position. By the end of the 1st round, all the top SPs were gone and it was too early to start picking the next grouping of SPs. From my draft spot, I don't think I would have done anything differently.

What were your best picks?
My best pick may have been L. Walker, Col in the 9th round. He has been working very hard this off-season to be in top condition and hopefully reduce the chance of injury. If healthy, Walker is deserving of being chosen in the 3rd or 4th round. On the flip side, I may have chosen J. D'Amico, Mil too soon. I picked up D'Amico off the waiver wire early last year and he paid off big for me, but the high strike won't benefit him as much and in looking over the final draft, it appears that I could have waited a few rounds before going after him. L. Berkman, Hou and C. Leskanic, Mil were two sleepers that I wanted and got. Berkman should play full-time with trade of R. Cedeno, Det and Leskanic performed excellently once he became closer last year. The pick that got away from me was K. Millwood, Atl. I think Millwood will bounce back stro ngly this year and I almost picked him with my 5th/6th round picks, but decided he would definitely make it back to my 7th/8th round picks. But Baseball HQ swooped down on him.

What was the strangest pick?
Perhaps the pick I questioned most was the choice of D. Jeter, NYA as the 4th overall pick in the draft. Jeter is definitely a top SS, but he's not in A-Rod's and Nomar's class and I doubt he will be that much better than M. Tejada, Oak (who went in 4th round).

Swap teams?
If I could swap teams with someone, it probably would be with the Long Gandhi.com team. Their hitters are the types I like. Their pitching picks were a little riskier, but could pay off huge.