Homework

Hitting the books in preparation for the IRBL draft in two weeks time.

The IRBL is a very long running Diamond Mind Baseball keeper league. There are 30 franchises though with resignations some of these are being run as dummy teams.

I joined the league halfway through the 2005 season. Not reading the rules properly and a stupid mistake on overusing players means the Mariners pick last and get just 5 selections in the draft. That wouldn't be too bad as I'm set at every position bar one. Trouble is that at that position I have zero at bats. Okay, it doesn't take much to figure out that I'm lacking a third baseman.

There is hot corner talent available in the draft. The question is whether it will last until the 29th pick.

Meanwhile, I'm trying sort out the Pete Orrs from the Dan Ortmeiers. Ten years ago - as a regular DMB player, a subscriber to the now defunct USA Today Baseball Weekly and watching at least one game a week on tape - I could rattle off the reserve third baseman around MLB.

Back then the internet was in its infancy - I first went online in 1995. Prior to that, I relied on the Stats Scouting Notebook, John Sickels' Minor League Scouting Notebook and Bill James Handbook. Once online I found some statistical stuff - CBS Sportslin, for one - but the web was not nearly as overflowing with update stats, depth charts and profiles as it is now.

Time to do some catching up.