I am so in. You know my 411.

I'm in. Also a vote for standard roto over head to head. Maybe more like OBP/Slug type stats then BA/SB if they are easily available.

lynchj3 at aetna.com

In order to make things as easy as possible (Japanese stats are relatively hard to come by) I'd like to go with a fantasy-point system if possible, with mostly fixed rosters. We can talk about all this later, though.

Standard roto would also be quite good... I've always liked standard 5x5 and it uses widely available data.

I'm totally in on this. I've been trying to absorb as much as possible about the Japanese league, but its not easy. Craig how do think you'd handle the point system. I bet CFiJ might be interested, although, he may know too much ; )

Jack, if worst comes to worst I think Japanese nwespapers carry the full league stats on a semi-regular basis, and I can go from that. NPB's English-language stats site no longer works (too bad, it was excellent) but I'm sure there's something we can use.

I'm interested, of course.

If you need someone to get totally, painfully slaughtered, I will offer myself up.

If the drafting is done by auction, remember: The Orix Blue Wave are always overvalued by roto players.

(Kidding. I think.)

Well, if the photographer with orange shoes can enter...count me in!

Aaron, time to battle for second-last place.

I know nothing of Japanese baseball, but am a fanatic for baseball pools. Can I be of any use?

Perhaps there should be a separate division called "The Chaff" or something like that for those of us who are dolts. ;)

Though in my Yahoo pool I've managed to get into second place by picking up guys whose names make me giggle.

So, you have Jung Bong as well, eh NFH? ;-)

Heh.

All these guys thought I had some brilliant inside track when Belliard turned out so great for me.

You know, I can't even name one player in Japan. I guess I'll look at the 2004 numbers and whoever I see first becomes my Adopt-A-Player, and I will draft him in the first round, even if it means drafting the Japanese Enrique Wilson.

I'm in.

Maybe I should hold off on my follow-up piece on Japanese relievers....

Oops. Forgot to post my e-mail. COMN.

count me in!

I'm in, mainly because I trust everyone will be as ignorant as me.

COMN for the email.

I'm game. I tried with some friends in the mid 90s, when stats were really, really hard. As Craig B noted, English stats disappeared from the league site. I've found them on www.japanesebaseball.com, a site run by (I think) Michael Westbay, but he himself notes that he's taking them from a TBS site (Japanese TV network) and running them through a translator, and there are problems. I'm not sure on how to either incorporate my e-mail address, nor provide a nifty link to his site, but I think I've got about two months to figure that out.

Doom Service, you can insert your e-mail in the "E-Mail" box where you enter a comment at the bottom of the thread, or alternatively you can e-mail it to me at craig@battersbox.ca if you're fanatical about your privacy.

So far we have

Craigers
Mikey
Jim
The Legendary Jack Vincennes
Greg "The City That Never Sleeps" Tamer
The Cheer Club Prez - he seems reluctant though
Rob
Thomas
Gwyn "The Animal" Price
Doom Service

So we already have ten guys, which normally would be enough for a pretty darn deep draft, since Japan has 12 pro teams. Keep posting your names and e-mails if you're interested... some will drop out and there's always the opportunity to double up as partners (I like playing roto as partner teams).

there's always the opportunity to double up as partners

If anyone's up for that, I'm game. I wouldn't mind being the guitar-jammin' assistant G.M. ;)

So far we have [insert list]. . . .

Uh, hi?

So we already have ten guys, which normally would be enough for a pretty darn deep draft, since Japan has 12 pro teams

If you only want 10 teams, that's fine, there's nothing worse than a league with too many teams. If someone's game, I'm willing to play Dave Stewart to someone's Gord Ash (er . . . Depod to someone's Beane might be a more optimistic analogy, but I don't own a laptop). I'm interested, seriously.

I get so frustrated with Yahoo fantasy games... first off, only 1 or 2 people actually follow the team to the end (me being one of them), and secondly, I know so much about baseball, and players, yet always scrape the bottom of the barrel. I did yahoo fantasy hockey once, and literally not knowing a thing got first place. I think I have high hopes for my chances here. Count me in.

I think my team will consist only of non-Japanese players. (a la Pete Walker!!)

One of my college roommates grew up playing wiffle ball with Angel Echevarria 275-31-84 wasn't a bad line last year.

No, sorry, I left out 6-4-3, and now we also have DGriebeling. So that's 12. I'm sure we'll have dropouts, etc. along the way. Keep posting your names, we'll all go on a list! We can always have two leagues (Central and Pacific, naturally) if it turns out we have too many guys.

I am not interested in playing, but that's not why I'm posting. The writer in me says "I spy a terrific 'okay, have we finally gone over the top in fantasy sport?'" storyline to pitch to ESPN: TM, or to a magasine my sister the former Japan Economic Institute liaison to the U.S. Senate can tell me about, aimed at Japanese natives in the English-speaking world. a draft diary with some backgrounder. and a kind of different draft-and-follow through the season approach with a short preview piece just before wehenever their season starts and a long wrapup feature after it ends.

Here's my pitch lede:

Sure. you've heard of fantasy baseball. You might think of it as a harmless pastime, a crashing bore, a mysterious and collossal waste of time or even a personal obsession.

And thanks to the omnipresence of the ESPN brand, you probably even know the names of Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui; if you're a diehard fan, you vaguely recognize the names Shingo Takatsu and Roberto Petagine.

But let's step into an parallel world, where Craig Burley, lawyer by day and the Bobby Valentine-wannabe of Toronto, Canada by night, can confidently look up from his laptop at his latest of several fantasy baseball drafts and announce "With the fifth pick in the fourth round, 'Ya Gotta Have Wa' selects Yoshinobu Takahashi, outfielder, Yomiuri Giants."

Don't expect to question marks pop up over heads around the room. Not at all. In fact, Aaron Gleeman shakes his head vigorously and sighs, "Oh, dammit, Burley I was gonna take him next. He hit 26 homers last year." The proud new owner of Takahashi grins, adding "And he's not even 30 yet. With him and Petagine on my team, 'Wa' will do well in the power categories."

As they say in Japan ... what the hell?

Like I said earlier, I know nothing of Japan but love pools. If that's alright with you chaps I'd love to join. (if you need a team of course) COMN

I'm living in Japan right now and though I have not spent too much time soaking up the pro yakyu cirquit a pool like this would give me a good excuse. Count me in.

'okay, have we finally gone over the top in fantasy sport?'

I would have answered sooner, but I'm preparing for my draft in the Original Stars Hockey League pool.

I went undefeated in an XFL head-to-head league. That's got to count for something.

Bless you, Tommy Maddox.

The Cheer Club Prez - he seems reluctant though

No, I'm just explaining away my poor position in the standings before the season starts. ;)

We have 101 names so far. If this continues we'll either let every player in the pool twice (interesting idea!) or have two leagues in one.

Craigers
Prof. Mikey
Jim
The Legendary Jack Vincennes
Greg "The City That Never Sleeps" Tamer
The Cheer Club Prez - he seems reluctant though
Rob
Thomas
Gwyn "The Animal" Price
Doom Service
6-4-3
DGriebeling
Jobu
Jonno101

I'd be interested if there's still any room.

By the way, we do NOT have 101 names. :) We now have 15.

I'm game, if there's room.

Also, Korea and Taiwan have pro baseball leagues... why stop at Japan?

COMN for the e-mail of a buddy of mine who'd also like to join in the fun.

This sounds like a lot of fun. Please count me in.

Well my Sudanese Curling Fantasy League has shut down due to small arms fire, so Id love to join in and waste some more time, push back some more dealines, and continue to see the "how the hell did you not get that finished last week" look in my bosses eye.

Ill probably have to rent battlefied baseball before the draft though..

scott

im up for it

im up for it

im up for it

Doom Service, I need you to send me yor contact details!

Craig, sign me up.

I admit that I am fairly ignorant about Japanese baseball, but this will be a great way to get myself acquainted with the league. Actually, I'd also like to know more about the professional leagues in Taiwan and mainland China too. With all the activity going on over there (plus my feeble attempts to learn Mandarin), it looks a fun investment of my time.

I am with Brent in being ignorant about Japanese baseball. I am game if you have room.

Japanese immigration officer: Your reason for visiting our country sir.

Jeff Geauvreau: Umm , hmm , you see I am in a Japanese fantasy baseball league and I am owner. I am here to scout for potential players on my team.

Japanese Immigration officer: Security !!!!!!!

Damn, all I here in my head now is that song " I am learning Japanesa I think so think so" from the 80's.

Where did I put my coffee !!!

http://sports.yahoo.co.jp/stream/baseball/cl/01/tbs/sound/
Well here it is 1.53 am Central time Monday morning and I am doing some online studying of the Japaneses Baseball League to get a head start on you guys in the Japanese Baseball Fantasy League.

Well what have I learned so far.

1)I must download Japanese language plugin for Windows XP.

2)There is a Central and a Pacific league( I am ahead of the curve now watch out guys).

3) I do some intricate studies on how many calls I should place to Japan monthly to some Japanese friends of mine and potential clients.

4) Can I squeeze a business trip to Japan into my budget and what will my reasoning be.

5)I find some web links for live web streaming for some Japanese Baseball league teams. This is good stuff but should I tell Craig Burley.

6) Imagine this ,Mr. Burley you 9 o'clock is here.

Craig B:Tell them I am delayed due to a critical matter for another 15 minutes.

Secretary: Yes Sir

Craig B:(talking into the phone) Yes so what do I owe you at Japanese translation service for translating the game live for me.

JTS: $175 a hour for 2 hours and 14 minutes ,Sir.

Craig B: What the /$*$ do you think you are a /*^*&*$ lawyer.

JTS: No sir but by the way our bill is in American funds.

Craig B: Okay , puts down phone. Damn Jeff for giving me the web stream links to these games.

7) Post some of the Japanese baseball streaming sites for Craig Burley to get him thinking.

COMN for one of JBL TEAMS web streaming links

8) Tokyo time is 13 hours ahead of eastern time and 14 hours ahead of central time.

9) Battersbox road trip ( ok you lawyers a plane road trip)to Japan.

Jobu and Moffat go to Japan!!!!!

SUB PLOT: Jobu meets, romances and marries after one night Japan's 19 year old Crown Princess in a hush hush secret ceremony.

Jobu is arrested at the airport on numerous charges related to the secret wedding while the couple is leaving the country.

Craig Burley , Jordan , Smirnoff and 77 other Battersbox posters who are lawyers catch the next plane to Japan to rescue Jobu from his ill advised quickie marriage to Japan Royal Princess.

Meanwhile Moffat has been arguing economics in Karaoke bar in Tokyo for 14 hours straight and misses the baseball game he flew thousands of miles to see. (Will this help his Nobel Prize hopes for the future? Stay tuned. )

Moffat is miffed at Jobu for not being invited to the secret wedding.

As the Baseball blog world turns...

To be continued.......

You are returned back to your normal baseball posting.

I'd be in to this as well. Email me at jonathanreimer at yahoo.ca