Hacking Mass 2006

[NCCubFan]

Hacking Mass is a fantasy contest on Baseball Prospectus's web site, where the objective is to pick the worst team you can. You pick 8 position players and 2 pitchers. Scoring is based on a system called Exuded Stiff Points, Net (ESPN). For hitters, ESPN is determined based on (.800 - OPS) X PA. For pitchers, [(ERA - 4.50) X IP]/3. Points can be positive or negative; high point total wins. There is a special rule that you cannot use a pitcher projected as a starter for the Rockies. Because ESPN is weighted by plate appearances for hitters and innings pitched for pitchers, you need players who are putrid, but somehow still get playing time. The prize for the winner is $500 plus a copy of a print of Bud Selig with reproduced signature. In addition, the top 10 finishers win a one year BP premium subscription. To enter you must be a BP subscriber; this can include their free basic subscription. Rosters are frozen Saturday, April 8 at midnight PST.

 

It isn't possible to formally set up leagues for this contest; however, we can simulate an NSBB league here. Everybody who enters can post their team names and rosters here. Periodically throughout the season I'll ask for people to check their scores and post them here, and based on that we can keep standings as if this were a league.

[NCCubFan]

My team is called Dusty's Base Cloggers:

 

C--Brad Ausmus

1B--Scott Hatteberg

2B--Kazuo Matsui

3B--David Bell

SS--Christian Guzman

LF--Scott Podsednik

CF--Tike Redman

RF--Jacque Jones

P--Eric Milton

P--Chan Ho Park

Edited April 8, 2006 by NCCubFan

[nilodnayr]

My team is called Dusty's Base Cloggers:

 

C--Brad Ausmus

1B--Scott Hatteberg

2B--Tony Womack

3B--David Bell

SS--Christian Guzman

LF--Scott Podsednik

CF--Tike Redman

RF--Lew Ford

P--Shawn Estes

P--Chan Ho Park

 

Poor Lew Ford...goes from a potentially great pick in last years draft to this.

[SouthSideRyan]

Eric Milton's Whiplash

 

Paul LoDuca

Scott Hatteberg

Tony Womack

Tony Batista

Juan Castro

Scott Podsednik

Darin Erstad

Casey Blake

Eric Milton

Scott Elarton

[NCCubFan]

We've both picked Hatteberg, Womack, and Podsednik. Hopefully they'll live up (er, down) to our expectations.

[Mark_R]

C: Brad Ausmus

JT Snow

Aaron Miles

Vinny Castilla

Adam Everett

Scotty Pods

Willy Taveras

Alex Rios

Russ Ortiz

Doug Waechter

[imb]

Hey, at least they can catch the ball

 

Jason Kendall

Bernie Williams

Mark Bellhorn

Vinny Castilla

Cristian Guzman

Steve Finley

Willy Taveras

Jeromy Burnitz

Russ Ortiz

Eric Milton

 

Eagerly anticipating winning again

Edited April 3, 2006 by Bunts Lick Butts

[Mark_R]

IMB, I thought you needed guys who would play lots and suck while doing so. Greinke just got put on the DL and can't even re-join the team til mid June, which he'd probably make a lengthy rehab assignment afterward.

[imb]

wtf, didnt know he was on the dl

[NCCubFan]

You can make changes to your team up until the April 8 deadline I mentioned in my original post. After that you're stuck with your team for better or worse. If a player on your team gets benched, goes on the DL, or gets sent to the minors, he's still on your team.

[Mark_R]

wtf, didnt know he was on the dl

 

he'd been weird all spring. Here's the note on him:

 

Greinke was placed on the 60-day disabled list Saturday as the Kansas City Royals made their final roster moves before Monday's season opener. The right-handed pitcher can't rejoin the Royals before mid-June. "When he does get back, it will be like he has to start with spring training all over again," Royals GM Allan Baird said.

[NCCubFan]

I believe he took some personal time away from the team during Spring Training. My understanding was that he was whining about the fact that he was actually expected to EARN a spot in the starting rotation. He apparently thought that his 5-17 record and 5.80 ERA last year should have automatically entitled him to a starting spot.

[Butterscup1679666578]

In the midst of creating my team, BP went down. Devastation.

[Butterscup1679666578]

C: Toby Hall

1B: Scott Hatteberg

2B: Aaron Miles

3B: Mark Teahen

SS: Royce Clayton

LF: Scott Podsednik

CF: Willy Taveras

RF: Alexis Rios

P: Casey Fossum

P: Russ Ortiz

[SouthSideRyan]

IMB, I thought you needed guys who would play lots and suck while doing so. Greinke just got put on the DL and can't even re-join the team til mid June, which he'd probably make a lengthy rehab assignment afterward.

 

Shhhhh

[karenmac]

this looks like it could be fun :)

 

My team name: Hopelessly Bad Baseball

 

Made up of:

Mike Matheny

Justin Morneau

Nick Punto

David Bell

Jack Wilson

Shannon Stewart

Corey Patterson

Alexis Rios

Eric Milton

Mark Hendrickson

 

best of luck to all!

Karen

[sweetpeteman]

Who's on First? No one.

 

Catcher Mike Matheny

Bernie Williams

Second Base Tony Womack

Third Base Joe Crede

Shortstop Cristian Guzman

Left Field Steve Finley

Center Field Luis Matos

Right Field Jeromy Burnitz

Pitcher 1 Bronson Arroyo

Pitcher 2 Eric Milton

[sethuel1]

Catcher Brad Ausmus

First Base Bernie Williams

Second Base Kazuo Matsui

Third Base Vinny Castilla

Shortstop Angel Berroa

Left Field Scott Podsednik

Center Field Darin Erstad

Right Field Jeromy Burnitz

Pitcher 1 Eric Milton

Pitcher 2 Runelvys Hernandez

[NCCubFan]

Reminder: You have until midnight tomorrow (PST) to enter, or to change your team if you think you've identified even bigger stiffs than you started with. I changed my team, replacing Lew Ford with Jacque Jones.

[sethuel1]

Reminder: You have until midnight tomorrow (PST) to enter, or to change your team if you think you've identified even bigger stiffs than you started with. I changed my team, replacing Lew Ford with Jacque Jones.

 

I had also made that change (from Beernuts).

[texascub]

I'll try this again.

 

Team Name: The Fighting Neifi's

 

C: Brad Ausmus

1B: Bernie Williams

2B: Orlando Hudson

3B: Pedro Feliz

SS: Royce Clayton

LF: Scott Podsednik

CF: Chris Duffy

RF: Jeromy Burnitz

P: Eric Milton

P: Casey Fossum

[NCCubFan]

Other late changes to my team:

 

Kazuo Matsui for Tony Womack at 2B (with the Reds acquiring Brandon Phillips, they have too many options at 2B to need to stick with Womack if he sucks)

 

Eric Milton for Shawn Estes (Estes went on the DL today; he can't suck from there)

[Productive Outs]

i made my team tonight without even noticing this thread.

 

Catcher Jason Kendall

First Base Scott Hatteberg

Second Base Aaron Miles

Third Base David Bell

Shortstop Cristian Guzman

Left Field Jay Payton

Center Field Corey Patterson

Right Field Jeromy Burnitz

Pitcher 1 Sidney Ponson

Pitcher 2 Russ Ortiz

[NCCubFan]

Scores are available now, so if everybody could check their results and post their scores, I'll put it together and come up with standings for our pseudo-league. My team (Dusty's Base Cloggers) is in 1078th place (out of 1342), with 57 points. It doesn't help that I have one player (Christian Guzman) missing the entire year with an injury, one (Tike Redman) who has spent the entire season in the minors, and one (Jacque Jones) who has actually shown recent life. I need my stiffs to start stinking like they're capable of to fill the void.

[sweetpeteman]

1106. sweetpeteman Who's on first? No one. 52