BABS 2017: What’s new, early charts, more
While we all know the inherent beauty that BABS possesses, she readily recognizes that there is always room for improvement. The challenge, though, is to improve while maintaining simplicity. I didn’t want to add complexity to her natural beauty. In the end, the only changes I made were to provide a bit more consistency and…
Read MoreThree Named to Rotisserie Hall of Fame
While the the baseball universe waits impatiently for the always-controversial Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) Hall of Fame announcement, the fantasy industry has named its 2017 picks for the Rotisserie Hall of Fame: Prince Fielder, David Ortiz and Mark Teixeira. They are the 95th, 96th and 97th members of the Roto Hall. Eligibility for…
Read MoreHow BABS Optimizes the First Round
Sections of this article appear in The BABS Project. As we start inching our way into the 2017 draft season, one of the hottest topics will be the handling of the first round in snake drafts. Intuitively, you would think that first round players are the most projectable. We obsess over our draft slot positioning.…
Read MoreThe BABS Project – Introduction
This is a free preview of the Introduction to The BABS Project. ME: Hey, welcome. YOU: Hi Ron. I see you’ve written another book. Oh, this thing? Yeah, a writer’s gotta write. What is it this time? BABS? Mayberry? LIMA? Some other arcane acronym? Sort of. Way back in 2016, I wrote “Ron Shandler’s Other…
Read MoreAn early look at 2017
During these apparently quiet off-season periods, it’s easy to lose sight of how much work is being done behind the scenes at baseball information sites. I’ve been busy working on The BABS Project ebook and laying the foundation for 2017 content here on this site. So, to keep you engaged, here is a preliminary look…
Read MoreThe Need for Speed
In the upcoming edition of the Baseball Forecaster, you will read about the ever-changing shifts in the statistical landscape. By now, it’s common knowledge that home runs left ballparks at historic rates last year, and stolen bases took the opposite path. If you were to assume that these trends will persist, then there is one…
Read MoreXFL Draft Results
The 15th annual Xperts Fantasy League (XFL) draft took place in Scottsdale, AZ on Friday November 4. The XFL is the fantasy baseball industry’s only keeper league, although it has been described as a keeper-dynasty hybrid. The 15-team mixed league drafts 40-man rosters, with the 23 players auctioned in November and the remaining 17 snake-drafted…
Read MoreFirst Pitch Arizona Preview: Why BABS?
On Saturday, November 5, I will be making a presentation about BABS at First Pitch Arizona. It will be a 45-minute look at what BABS is, why we need it, some 2016 successes and an early look at 2017. Here is an excerpt from the “why we need it” section. We can’t integrate risk elements…
Read MoreMy Keeper List Decision
Last week I asked for your help! My decision appears below. I have a keeper list due this Friday, October 21 in advance of the November 4 XFL draft and am still on the fence for my last few picks. This is a great exercise for all of us in using BABS to support the…
Read MoreFinal 2016 BABS Ratings
Even with the massive in shift in the balance between power and speed this season, Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw still ended up atop the BABS rankings. Planetary alignment is a good thing. Those two are this era’s no-brainers, but the rest of the 2016 final rankings reveals a wealth of information. A quick scan…
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