General commentary
BABS is MOVING
The BABS system will begin moving to BaseballHQ.com for the 2025 season. (NOTE: The BABS Database is undergoing maintenance and will be inaccessible for a few weeks.) It makes too much sense. The Broad Assessment Balance Sheet (BABS) was derived from a system called the Mayberry Method, which I developed when I ran BaseballHQ.com. It…
Read MoreHow to deal with the DL
This is my weekly article from ESPN Insider. On average, fantasy owners had about five players on the disabled list at any one time during the 2017 season. For some particularly snake-bitten clubs, it was not unusual to have as many as 10 on the shelf. And thanks to the new 10-day DL, the turnover…
Read MoreWhat to expect here in 2018
It’s been an exciting few weeks in baseball, what with Giancarlo Stanton lining up his appearances on late night TV and Shohei Ohtani being fitted with mouse ears. Bum elbow? Ha! Here at RonShandler.com, I’ve been spending a bunch of time with BABS, usually late nights over dinner with a bottle of fine wine. My…
Read More2024 Annual Disclosure Statement
An Op-Ed columnist in my local paper once wrote a piece that she called her Annual Disclosure Statement. She said, “I have regular readers and new readers, but I can’t assume that everyone knows where I stand on the issues. Someone reading me for the first time might pass judgment on my work without knowing…
Read MoreThe Ethics of Tanking
In many leagues, free agents are awarded to teams in reverse order of the standings. This is intended to promote some measure of parity during the season and keep all teams engaged. The practice is common and helps a league’s bottom-dwellers stay competitive despite encountering bad luck, particularly if an owner has been hard-hit by…
Read MoreForaging for Florida Fandom, Part 7
Epilogue The goal of my journey was an attempt to figure out why First Data Field in Port St. Lucie, FL was a bustling center of activity in March and a cavernous sinkhole in April. Was it just the downgrade from the majors to the minors? Was it the lack of good food and family…
Read MoreForaging for Florida Fandom, Part 6
Sunday, May 21 Clearwater Threshers at Lakeland Flying Tigers (Phillies at Tigers) The final stop on my tour was the opposite end of the home-and-home series from the previous night’s game. Driving up I-4, I made good time, arriving just 97 minutes after the first pitch. My goal was to catch the last three or…
Read MoreForaging for Florida Fandom, Part 5
Sunday, May 21 This was my most challenging travel day as I was going to try to catch two games, both with 1:00pm start times and 40 miles apart. I figured I could see the first few innings in Tampa, leave around the fourth inning, then catch the last few innings in Lakeland. Daytona Tortugas…
Read MoreForaging for Florida Fandom, Part 4
Saturday, May 20 Lakeland Flying Tigers at Clearwater Threshers (Tigers at Phillies) The 90-minute drive to Clearwater was mostly uneventful, though I always do enjoy the magnificent views crossing over Tampa Bay on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. As I turned onto the street that the ballpark was on, I was immediately redirected into an overflow…
Read MoreForaging for Florida Fandom, Part 3
Saturday, May 20 My two stops this day took me to Port Charlotte and Clearwater. These parks were 97 miles apart, but I benefited from a 3:05pm start time for the early game. I figured I could stay for most of that contest before heading north for the 6:15pm game in Clearwater. Jupiter Hammerheads at…
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