If you’ve played Doubt Wars you’ll want to sign up for this year’s contest, which will go live later today.
If you haven’t played Doubt Wars a description is here.
So is the link to the signup form. Registration is closed.
Month: March 2020
Post Tout Wars Auction/Draft Write Ups 2020: Get Em Here.
Here are some links to what the Tout had to say about their teams.
AL: Colton/Wolf | Podhorzer | Gianella | Bloomfield/Dennis/Davitt (article) | Bloomfield/Dennis/Davitt (podcast) | Liss | Collette |
|Bender |
NL: Walton | Mason (live stream of auction) | Mason | Hertz (for BBhq members only) | Kreutzer | Albright | Cockcroft | Hertz (for everyone) | Gardner | Zola | Zinkie (podcast) |
Mixed Draft: Short | Ronis | Gamble | White |
Mixed Auction: Pisapia | Melchior (podcast w VanRiper) | VanRiper (podcast w Melchior) | Zimmerman | Karabell | Hershey | VanRiper (podcast with Kahn and Nando DiFino) | Sayre | Swanay | McCaffrey/Pianowski (podcast) | Zimmerman ($1 player analysis) | Pianowski | Steinhorn |
Draft and Hold: Stein | Hegglund| Sedler | Anderson/Harrison (podcast) |
Head to Head: Link | Chamberlain | Sporer/Pollack (podcast) | Mass |
Hallam | Kahn (podcast with VanRiper and Nando DiFino) | Behrens | Cohen Pt. 1 Cohen Pt. 2 |
Todd Zola Receives First Lawr Michaels Zen and Now Award
Note: 2020 brought an important new addition to Tout Wars weekend. While the presentation could not be held in person, Ron Shandler, representing the Tout Wars board, appeared on SiriusXM Fantasy Radio and delivered the following important message.
When we lost Lawr Michaels 15 months ago, we were looking for a way to honor his legacy. We thought the best way would be to present some type of award each year to the one Tout participant whose contributions to the league, and the industry, best reflected the values that Lawr instilled.
Lawr was called the Zen Master because of the way he conducted himself in fantasy drafts – in life, actually – and so we are calling this award the Lawr Michaels Zen and Now Award, which is a play on words he would have appreciated.
This could be considered the Tout Wars MVP and the winner was determined based on peer nomination.
Lawr Michaels Zen and Now Award
For demonstrating the most positive energy, providing the greatest contributions to the overall competitive experience, and inspiring others in the Tout Wars community and across the fantasy baseball industry.
Our first recipient is Todd Zola of Mastersball.com
Like Lawr, Todd has been instrumental in molding Tout Wars from just a competition into a community. While Lawr was our emotional heart, I like to think of Todd as our functional heart, working hard to keep the blood flowing into every aspect of the competition and to every person in that community. He is about the hardest worker I know, he’s involved in everything, and he’s always there for you – and he’s a pretty funny guy too.
I can’t imagine a better inaugural recipient of this award than Todd. I think Lawr would have approved as well. Congratulations.
Tout Head 2 Head Coverage is Here, Chat and Draft Board
Follow the draft board here. The reserve rounds will be here.
No radio coverage of this one, but the transcript of the Derek VanRiper chat below.
[Mar 15, 2:45 PM] DerekVanRiper: Hello!
[Mar 15, 2:45 PM] DerekVanRiper: I had to prep some chicken for quinoa chicken soup…exciting times here at home in Madison.
[Mar 15, 2:50 PM] KingerThePW: What time is this draft supposed to start?
[Mar 15, 2:51 PM] DerekVanRiper: 3p ET
[Mar 15, 2:54 PM] DerekVanRiper: Very curious to see how the league adjusts to the scoring settings for today.
[Mar 15, 2:54 PM] rotoman: Hi Derek, I just gave you magical moderator powers, in case you need them.
[Mar 15, 2:54 PM] DerekVanRiper: Thanks, Peter!
[Mar 15, 2:54 PM] Chamberlain: it looks like fantrax successfully imported the scoring settings, or else the similarities are but a pleasant coincidence
[Mar 15, 2:55 PM] rotoman: You may see me here later, but I’m zonked from hearing the auction call some 280 times in the last five hours.
[Mar 15, 2:55 PM] DerekVanRiper: Totally understandable
[Mar 15, 2:56 PM] Guest7477: Very interested to see how a delayed season would affect pitcher adps
[Mar 15, 2:56 PM] rotoman: You heard it about 330 times yesterday afternoon. How did you stand it?
[Mar 15, 2:56 PM] DerekVanRiper: I played music over it during the Mixed Auction
[Mar 15, 2:57 PM] DerekVanRiper: I think the going once/going twice/sold audio in every auction room can lag a little anyway, so it doesn’t help me much.
[Mar 15, 2:57 PM] rotoman: The big thing with the pitchers is the guys injured now regain their standing, depending on when you expect the games to resume.
[Mar 15, 2:57 PM] rotoman: Very wise, Derek.
[Mar 15, 2:57 PM] Guest7477: i just wonder if the end pitch count for most big arms will be like 160 ip instead of 210+
Tout NL Auction Chat and Draft Board Links here.
Click here to see the Draft Results. Here is the link to the Reserve Rounds on a Google Sheet.
SiriusXM covered the auction live on channel 619.
Ray Murphy’s chat transcript is below.
Justin Mason’s video blog is awesome. And hypnotic.
[Mar 15, 8:20 AM] Mgianella: Good morning.
[Mar 15, 8:42 AM] RayHQ: good morning gang!
[Mar 15, 8:43 AM] rotoman: Good morning Ray and Mike.
[Mar 15, 8:43 AM] Mgianella: nice to be done (well, until whenever my home league reconvenes)
[Mar 15, 8:54 AM] Guest7561: Good morning! Thanks for doing this. Any chance of a twitch tv stream like DVR did for the AL yesterday? It was great to be able to watch the bidding.
[Mar 15, 8:56 AM] RayHQ: I’m your host today and I’m not set up for that, sorry…
[Mar 15, 8:57 AM] Mgianella: Justin Mason is doing something on Twitter that includes a stream.
Partying Down At Foley’s NY, Not Tonight.
There’s no prize money in Tout Wars. We tried that once and decided not to try it again. The league is about community, competition, bragging rights and getting your name on the Foley’s NY menu.
The cancellation of the 2020 Tout Weekend because of COVID-19 meant the cancellation of the Foley’s party that should have happened tonight. We hope the Touts in town visited Foley’s and partook of the Tout menu.
For those of us who didn’t, here is the highest honor a Tout Wars winner can get.
True story: Ian Kahn asked for the regular burger not only because that’s what he gets when he eats at Foley’s, but also because he thought that’s what the most people would order. He’s probably right.
Or visit Foley’s when you’re in NYC and prove him wrong.
Tout Mixed Auction chat and draft board links here.
Follow the draft grid here. The reserve rounds are on this Google Sheet.
SiriusXM is covering it on Channel 619.
And what follows is a transcript of the chat with Jason Collette.
[Mar 14, 2:50 PM] JasonCollette: I think it’s all set — back in my hotel now
[Mar 14, 3:02 PM] JasonCollette: Joel……are you ready?
[Mar 14, 3:03 PM] JasonCollette: I SAID, ARE YOU READY????!!!!!!!
[Mar 14, 3:04 PM] DVR: LOL
[Mar 14, 3:04 PM] DVR: I got my five minutes of backwards walking in, I’m ready!
[Mar 14, 3:05 PM] rotoman: Doesn’t look like Joel’s ready!
[Mar 14, 3:05 PM] JasonCollette: Peter — do I need admin access or anything or just chat in here?
[Mar 14, 3:05 PM] DVR: Counting on you, Joel!
[Mar 14, 3:05 PM] rotoman: You can just chat and that works fine for chatting.
[Mar 14, 3:06 PM] JasonCollette: but what if I want to block DVR?
[Mar 14, 3:06 PM] JasonCollette: I mean, that guy annoys me
[Mar 14, 3:06 PM] JasonCollette: wait – is this not private? Shit
[Mar 14, 3:06 PM] JasonCollette: 🙂
Tout Wars AL Chatroom and Draft Board
You can follow the auction here. Listen to commentary on SiriusXM Channel 619. Reserve rounds will be on this Google Sheet. Look for the AL tab.
The auction is over but you can read the chat transcript
[Mar 14, 8:40 AM] rotoman: Good morning world.
[Mar 14, 8:41 AM] rotoman: We should be getting underway in about 20 minutes.
[Mar 14, 8:41 AM] rotoman: Derek VanRiper, your MC today, is on his way.
[Mar 14, 8:47 AM] DVR: Good Morning!
[Mar 14, 8:49 AM] rotoman: Hey Derek!
[Mar 14, 8:49 AM] B_Walton1: Looking forward to your commentary, DVR!
[Mar 14, 8:53 AM] Jay-Z: So DVR, if you were in say a 15-team mixed auction with OBP instead of AVG, what would you be willing to go on say Mike Trout?