The 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…

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An early look at 2017

New Braves stadium

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…

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The 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…

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XFL 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…

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First 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…

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My 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…

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Trout, Freeman pace the field as we enter the homestretch

I should have a little more faith in BABS. She’s been good to me; I should support her even when her ratings seem a little off. To wit: A few weeks ago, I was a guest of Patrick Davitt’s on Baseball HQ Radio. He was looking over the late July BABS update and noticed some…

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This is how I remember it: Baseball HQ’s 20th Anniversary

The following article appears concurrently at BaseballHQ.com. This week celebrates the 20th anniversary of the site’s launch and I was asked to contribute some memories.  Once upon a time, there was no internet. It was a period of great struggle for fantasy leaguers looking for an edge. We had to rely on ancient forms of…

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Ron Shandler on BaseballHQ Radio

I am the featured guest on this week’s BaseballHQ.com podcast, with Patrick Davitt. My segment starts at the 44:50 mark of the 2+ hour pod and it runs for almost an hour. But I give you nearly 7 hours of content because I talk very, very fast. Here are the major topics we discuss: How…

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Luck and the law

Some people make their own luck and some have luck thrust upon them. We all resign ourselves to the fact that winning in this game requires a good amount of the “L” word, though there is some disagreement over how much. 25%? 33%? 50%? 75%? I’ve always felt close to the 33% figure, but the…

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