Sim League insanity

Hey all --

With pitchers and catchers reporting, the excitement level is palpable among baseball fans. Don't know if it was any higher than among a group of baseball dorks (of which I am a proud member!) in the Mid-West Baseball League, a simulation league that held it's annual draft this past Saturday. I love it because it's all prospect-driven (the draft, anyway). I was excited, for instance, that I got Chase Headley and Austin Jackson with my first two picks.

But rather than me tell you, I've decided to hand the reins of the ATM blog to the commissioner of the league, a guy who's known (somewhat mysteriously) as "Stray." Here's his report on Draft Day:

Would your fantasy Baseball Draft start out with the No. 1 overall pick being a pitcher who has yet to throw an inning higher than High School?   Would your fantasy draft have a pitcher from Japan being a high target by one of your owners?   College players who have yet to be drafted into Major League Baseball?  Rick Porcello, Yu Darvish, and Brian Matusz were all big names in this years Mid-West Baseball League Draft this past weekend. 

It was the Mid-West Baseball League’s 11^th annual Draft Day.  The Mid-West Baseball League (MWBL) is the Ultimate Dynasty / Alternative Reality type baseball league.  Twenty-four franchises (from California to New York) hunkered in a chat room on Saturday and, as baseball geeks do, “Drafted Away.” 

Draft Central was located in Detroit, Michigan at the home of the League Commissioner.  Six League members were in attendance -- not only did the commish's wife allow the house to be open to a bunch of baseball geeks, she actually ran the draft! She kept the guys at Draft Central in-line, and kept the on-line drafters locked in to a 2-minute timetable for Draft Picks.

 The 1^st pick of the Draft at 9:45 ET went to the Ann Arbor Blue Birds who selected Rick Porcello of the Detroit Tigers.  The draft ended with the Severn Express taking Cincinnati Reds minor league pitching prospect Kyle Lotzkar at 4:25 PM.  In between went 95 players who have never played a game in the Major Leagues, along with 175+ players who might help your team.   

There were no real stars in the MWBL Draft.   Each MWBL franchise has a 38-man active Major League roster as well as a 12-man Minor League roster, and starts with 12 Draft Picks.  Picks are traded before and during the Draft, and it’s fast and furious the whole way through.  Each MWBL franchise gambles on their 12 Man Minor League Roster, as these players (Such as Porcello, Darvish, Matusz and Lotkzar) all must make a Major League Baseball appearance by 2010, or be lost as a Free Agent (Usually to be drafted again).

The MWBL is an APBA / Baseball for Windows League that plays using the past MLB years statistics. It's such an in-depth league that they have full career statistics for every player.  They give out league awards such as Cy Young, MVP’s, Rookie of the Years.  They have a Hall of Fame, and one of the best Draft Days around .  If you’d like to see how crazy it is, take a moment to check out the 2008 MWBL Draft in its entirety.