We are now a third of the way through the MLB season, enough time for me to dust off my favorite gimmick - The Toby Awards! (Previous editions here and here).  Let's get right to it.

Punch-Out Award for Most Anticipated Arrival

When news broke that the classic Nintendo game "Punch-Out" was being resurrected and adapted for the Wii, I was giddy.  Outside of maybe Tecmo Bowl, there isn't a more iconic title that had yet to be updated.  I couldn't wait for release day so I could reunite with Little Mac and recreate his slightly racist rise to glory (even a Larry the Cable Guy show isn't as chalked full of stereotypes).

And The Toby Goes To - Matt Wieters: As much as I pined for Punch-Out, it didn't begin to compare to how hard the fantasy community sweated out Wieters' arrival.  It was amazing that following the announcement, a ton of writers wrote similar apocryphal stories from 25 years in the future describing all of his accomplishments.  If I had been hit upon the head and knocked out, I might actually thought I'd been in a two decade long coma and have taken them as fact.  How else could you explain everyone writing the same thing?

New York Skyline Award

I moved out of New York City five years ago this month and I must say I don't really miss living there anymore.  But every time I come back to visit, I cherish that first look of the Manhattan skyline.  No matter how many times you see it, it never gets old.

And The Toby Goes To - Raul Ibanez:  Speaking of refusing to age (and tenuous transitions), Raul Ibanez numbers are absolutely stunning so far this year and is going to end up on a lot of championship teams (hopefully mine).  Seeing him rake this season has been like owning a stock for several years that has provided consistent, but low-level returns that suddenly explodes for no real reason.  Please, oh please let this hypothetical investment not be in an HGH company.

Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution Award for Perfect Beginning

You know on your IPod how if you just press play without making a selection or choosing shuffle, the same song always comes on?  On mine, it's ACDC's "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution," so I've heard the beginning of this song many, many times.  And you know what?  The first 20 seconds are absolutely perfect.   It's a slow, clean guitar riff with the lead singer lighting a butt and taking a puff in the background.  It's exactly how a rock song should start. 

And The Toby Goes To - Zack Greinke:  The start to Greinke's season has been just as perfect and just like starting up the IPod, each time he takes the hill seems to turn out the same way.  He hasn't just beaten hitters this year, he's demoralized them.  Beginning the season with four consecutive shutouts was particularly inspired.  We haven't seen a Zach perform at this high of level since the Five Aces doowhop'd all over the Bayside High sock hop. (You knew a "Saved by the Bell" joke was coming, but probably not that one.  It happened during the Tori Senior Year, which even the show disavowed ever happened).

LeBron James Award for Best Performance Without a Supporting Cast

If you watched the Eastern Conference finals then this award needs no further explanation.  If it was a reality show, it could have been called "Lebron the Great Plus Eight."  While King James gave the performance of a lifetime, his eight teammates in the rotation ran around helplessly, causing havoc and doing more harm than good.

Winner - And The Toby Goes To:  Gonzo is wasting a career year in San Diego, as his offensive teammates have been absolutely terrible.  He's nearly doubled up his next closest teammate in Runs, RBIs, and Home Runs.  Click this link, you'll see the same face staring back at you everywhere.  Kinda creepy (mainly because he looks like a player from "Backyard Baseball" came to life), but a fitting tribute to his season.

Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King Award for Most Disappointing Hometown Performance

Growing up in Virginia and going to school in Charlottesville, the day the Dave Matthews Band released a new album was among the most highly anticipated of the year.  I remember popping in "Before These Crowded Streets" and driving aimlessly around my hometown for an hour while listening and then rushing home so I could play it again.  But their latest release is bland, uninspired and terrible.  It sounds like someone doing a Dave Matthews impression and doing it poorly.  If a band called "Lie in our Graves" played this album at a local coffeehouse, they would be booed out of the overly-pretentious building.

Winner -And The Toby Goes To:  Here is what you really need to know about the Nats bullpen - the team is going to score 200 more runs than they did last year, the starting pitching has been roughly equivalent, and they are still going to lose over 100 games.  At this point, I'd rather see the British Army enter Washington than a Nats reliever.  I hate them.

See you Monday.

This past week my team drew the hot hand, losing to Jon Williams and his endless cavalcade of two-start pitchers 7-3.  Overall, my squad didn't perform that poorly, they just got outplayed in one given week and when that happens, you shake hands and move on (unless you are Lebron James, then you storm out to show your "competitiveness."  I hope they make a commercial immediately where puppet Lebron refuses to shake hands after Kobe beats him.  Though to be fair, I probably wouldn't shake hands with Kobe unless I just saw him wash them.  Never know where they've been.  Even the puppet version.)  Besides, it's hard to get that upset when you are in first place and your lead in the standings actually grew despite suffering through your own beatdown.

What's of greater interest is the number of fairly big names that have ended up on the waiver wire recently in this league of experts.  As we explore each week in Marry, Bury, Date, there comes a time when it's necessary to completely give up on a guy.  For several ballplayers who received plenty of preseason hype, that time has apparently come.  Even in a league where 350 players are rostered, an expert thought they were no longer worth owning. 

Here is a list of guys who have been dropped so far in this expert league and a couple of brief thoughts on each.

Kevin Gregg (dropped 5/22) - After one owner decided to completely punt saves, he sent Gregg packing.  I thought this was the most shocking drop on the list, given the huge premium closers went for in the initial draft.  I know he's had a few blow-ups, but he still is the number one 9^th inning option for a contending team.  I actually burned the number one waiver priority to pick him up.  I think he'll be worth it in a league this deep.

B.J. Ryan (dropped 5/22) - Apparently this was moving day for disappointing relief pitchers.  Ryan has been a disaster this year and is now borderline unownable in leagues that don't count holds.  I say borderline because I picked him up.  With six bench spots, he's worth a flyer to see if he turns it around.

Garrett Atkins (dropped 5/20) - The big Colorado Rocky has been trending downward for several years, but might see a bounce from the recent managerial change in the Mile High city.  His new skipper immediately announced that Atkins would be his clean-up hitter and would no longer be losing at-bats to Ian Stewart.  The new found stability could help Atkins regain his stroke and makes him worth owning in virtually all formats to see if he turns the corner in the month of June.

Ricky Nolasco (dropped 5/26) - He's got to be the first opening day starter to be demoted before the calendar turned to June, right?  I mean, has this ever happened before?  It's like if you started dating Miss America and then she became a leper three weeks into the relationship.  I was a big fan of Nolasco in the preseason, so I'm as guilty as buying into the hype as anyone.  I'm still not over it -- I picked up Nolasco to try to fill the hole in my rotation caused by Brett Myers hip injury, which is fitting since the parallels between the two pitchers are so strong.  I can only hope Nolasco comes back from the minors with the same vengeance Myers did last season.

Jeff Francoeur (dropped 5/23) - Many of my friends are Braves fans and I can say this without hesitation -- they absolutely hate Jeff Francoeur.  I get calls once a week to talk about how bad he is playing.  I've long been a Francoeur defender, but after his terrible 2008 campaign and a month of May that saw him take exactly one walk en route to posting a .243 on-base percentage (nearly 100 points below the league average), I've thrown in the towel.  I look forward to the day when he changes teams and transforms into Carlos Quintin, but for now, he's far too frustrating to roster.

Other players dropped worth mentioning - Carlos Guillen, Gavin Floyd, Travis Snider (stunning when you consider he was traded for Matt Holliday in April), Huston Street, Hideki Matsui.

Hope this helps you decide whether to fish or cut bait with your own disappointing stars.  If you choose the latter option, at least can be confident you'll be in good company.  See you tomorrow for a new edition of Mary, Bury, Date.

Welcome back to the newest installment in our series of interviews aimed at giving readers insight into the minds and backgrounds of those fantasy writers and pundits who have reached the level of "expert." It seems there has been an explosion in the number of people claiming the title in the last few years, but no one seems to know where they come from. These interviews aim to change all that, while also giving aspiring "experts" (such as myself) some advice on both how to break into the industry and ways to improve your fantasy skills.

Our guest this week is Geoff Stein, the operations manager for Mock Draft Central.

You were recently elected to the board of directors of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association.  What do you hope to accomplish during your term?
 
It was an honor to be elected to the board by my peers, and I look forward to representing every member of the FSTA. My main goal is to make sure that everyone's -- regardless of the size of their company or standing in the industry -- voice is heard. I love ESPN, Yahoo and CBS, and love the work they do, but it's my goal to make sure the guy writing a blog in his mom's basement feels just as welcome in the FSTA and that their voice is heard and taken seriously.

As a member of the board, you get to help shape the future of the industry. What changes do you think are coming over the next few years?
 
I worry a lot about the line between fantasy games and gambling. The industry has already stood up to lawsuits from MLB and the NFLPA, but we're a board congressman away from some real challenges - especially with the anti-gambling laws the government has established over the past few years.

How many years have you been playing fantasy?
 
11 years
 
How many years have you been writing?
 
4.5
 
How did you get your start?
 
Replied to an ad on my college's website looking for a part-time Fantasy Sports writer.  I worked hard, and it's now my full-time job.
 
What made you want to get into the industry?
 
Always wanted to do something with sports -- whether Fantasy or not.  Have come to love the industry, and wouldn't trade it for the world.

What advice would you have specific for people who want to break into the industry?
 
Be different, do your own thing -- make yourself stick out.
 

Favorite team?
 
None

Favorite player?
 
Cecil Fielder
 
Favorite fantasy memory/moment?
 
My first draft/article to appear in a preview magazine.
 
What advice would you have for people who are playing in their first season?
 
It's a marathon, not a sprint.
 
Who is your single favorite fantasy writer at a site other than your own?
 
Not a huge fan of reading others' work.  There's plenty of good stuff out there, but I prefer to remain neutral, to try and keep my writings original.
 
Do you enjoy fantasy sports more or less since you entered the industry (as opposed to when you just played them)?
 
Less, for sure.  I'm extremely blessed to work full-time in the industry, but I need a break away from it every now and then.  That doesn't happen very much now-a-days; that's not a bad thing, though.
 
Do you enjoy sports more or less?
 
Less, again.  I love my job, but a lot of times, people think it defines who I am.  I still love sports, but a good chunk of it is still a job to me.

Mock Draft Central has become an absolute must-use tool for fantasy players. Anything new coming down the pike over there that will help owners prepare for upcoming seasons?
 
We're always looking for ways to improve the site, and do have some ideas. That's as much as I can let out of the bag right now :-)
 
Given that your site practically invented the term, do you stick strictly to Average Draft Position when selecting your own teams or do you deviate from it quite a bit?
 
Personally, I think people take ADP too seriously -- it's a guide, not a bible. I liken drafts to snowflakes, no two are the same, and all that it takes is one crazy pick to make an ADP list a little less useful. Don't get me wrong, it's a valuable tool, but it's not the be-all/end-all that many make it out to be.

This past weekend, I traveled to Arkansas for a wedding.  It was a great one.  You know how you go to a ballgame or stay out too late one night and when you wake up the next day you've lost your voice?  It almost always means you had a good time the day before.  Well I took that to the next level.  When I woke up on Monday, I had lost my hearing.  Couldn't hear out of my left ear.  Spent most of the recap lunch staring at my plate wishing the food would disappear without me actually having to eat it and pretending to follow the conversation around me.  Guess that means I had an awesome time on Sunday.

Because of the weekend events, I didn't follow my expert league match-up at all.  Even forgot to set my lineup for the weekend before I left on Friday.  You know what?  Didn't matter.  The results didn't change a bit.  I won 5-4-1, the exact same result that would have occurred had I scoured the wire for last second free agent fill-ins and stared at the scoreboard all weekend.

Like many fantasy players, I can get caught up in the obsession and pay too much attention to every at-bat, pitch, and play.  It's too bad "time spent hoping" isn't a fantasy category, as I would clean up.  While I usually enjoy following my players extremely closely, it's still nice to see that you can step away for a few days without consequence.  Fantasy baseball isn't like the Hatch in "Lost."  You don't have to push the button every 108 minutes to prevent the end of the world, even though it often feels that way.

Someday I might forget to put a pitcher in and it will cost me a few categories.  But today I take comfort in knowing that even in an intense expert league, it's possible to step back for a few days without changing a thing.  Gives me time to focus on other matters.  Like getting my hearing back.

I'll be back tomorrow with an interview featuring Mock Draft Central's Geoff Stein.  Until then.

Welcome back to another week of Marry, Bury, Date -- the childhood game I've hijacked to provide the framework for my initial foray into providing expert fantasy baseball advice.

The premise of the game is simple.  Three names are thrown out and the participants must pick which one they would Marry (ie commit to long-term), Bury (get rid of forever), or Date (could be fun in the short-term).  When considering trade offers or waiver wire pick-ups, fantasy players are faced with these same three decisions all the time, so in an effort to help aid these choices, I'll name one player who I like for the rest of the season, one player who I think could help in the short-term, and one guy I wouldn't touch in this space each week.

After I'm done, if you want to whisper to the player that I "like 'em, like 'em" that's up to you.  If you do, I look forward to the awkwardness that ensues all the way through the Junior High Prom.  Maybe I'll get my courage up and ask them to dance during Oasis's "Wonderwall."

This week's picks are below.

Marry

Ben Zobrist - Turns out I was right when I said a Tampa Bay Ray would be the best Rickie Weeks replacement out there, I just got the wrong guy (but I was right about him sounding like a villain.  While Iwamura could be the name of the next bad guy on "Heroes," Zobrist sounds more like an old-school comic-book criminal mastermind.  Most names that start with the letter Z have that feel though.  I'm pretty sure it's the evilest of all letters.) 

Now that Iwamura is out for the season, Zobrist's value skyrockets.  He's going to play every day and will qualify all over the field.  He's already eligible at SS and OF in most leagues and will be available at 2B soon.  That kind of flexibility is invaluable in deeper leagues.  He looks like he'll be this year's version of Ryan Theriot:  A midseason pick-up that will help you fill holes all over your roster as the season wears on and injuries pile up.  Additionally, while he won't keep hitting homers at his current pace, now that he'll threaten to get 475 at-bats on the year, he's got a shot at hitting 23-25 long balls while maintaining his current .289 average.  Put all this together and he'll be a great guy to own in 12 team or deeper leagues the rest of the year.

Bury

Kosuke Fukudome - When I got home from traveling last night and started looking at guys to consider in this space, I was shocked to see Fukudome's ownership rate was so high.  This might be the first time I've seen male immaturity directly affect a player's fantasy value in a significant manner.  A considerable number of people who are starting him have to be doing so only because of the team name factor.

While Fukudome has decent numbers right now, his splits from last year casts serious doubt upon whether he will continue to contribute to fantasy teams for the rest of the season.  His batting average got worse every single month last season as he hit .305 during the month of April before falling all the way down to .178 during September.  This year he hit .338 in April with four homers and 15 RBIs.  He's currently hitting .271 with zero homers and 3 RBIs in May.  This does not end well.  Trade him for whatever you can get before it is too late.

Date

Michael Cuddyer - Thanks to a recent power surge, Cuddyer is among the hottest names in fantasy and has seen his ownership percentage quadruple.  He's earned it, hitting .337 with seven homers so far this month.  Chances are pretty decent that he's already been picked up in your league, but if he hasn't you should grab him now.

However, I would not be hopeful that his recent tear continues.  There is nothing in his past that indicates he can keep this up, as he's had below average power numbers for a Major League outfielder for most of his career.  He did have a nice season in 2006 when he hit 24 dingers and drove in 109 runs, but he's been trending downward ever since.  If you own Cuddyer, you should be shopping him, marketing his recent hot streak as part of a two for one that might net you back a top-25 outfielder. Otherwise, like so many other "date" candidates, just enjoy the torrid hot streak while it lasts and be prepared to dump him when he reverts back to form. 

Thanks for reading, tomorrow is the mailbag, so leave any questions you may have in the comments below.

Welcome back to the newest installment in our series of interviews aimed at giving readers insight into the minds and backgrounds of those fantasy writers and pundits who have reached the level of "expert." It seems there has been an explosion in the number of people claiming the title in the last few years, but no one seems to know where they come from. These interviews aim to change all that, while also giving aspiring "experts" (such as myself) some advice on both how to break into the industry and ways to improve your fantasy skills.

Our guest this week is Todd Farino, the founder of Fantasy Baseball Search and the creator of our Expert League.

In your opinion, what makes you a fantasy expert? (basically the polite way of asking - why should people listen to you?)

I don't really like to call myself an expert.  I'll leave that to the readers.  I love to analyze baseball from a strategy POV.  I think the reason why I have success and hopefully why people should listen to me is I don't beat around the bush.  I tell it like it is.  Some analysts won't risk their reputation on tough calls, but I will.  I have a history of winning, playing tough competitors, and backing up everything I say.  If people want to take advantage of skills that I have built over the past 18+ years the more to them.  I still feel I have alot of growth left to do and I'm constantly revising my strategies every season.  The key to winning is to stay ahead of everyone else.  I do that the pretty well so far and I don't succumb to the pressures of the industry.  I'm very raw in that sense.

In addition to the traditional columns and blogs, what is it that your website does?  Specifically, what is the "search" aspect?

The search aspect was created years ago when Google and Yahoo weren't as refined as they are today.  Currently, we only allow fantasy baseball sites oriented into our index.  The bonus is, we give the site an initial rating based on certain parameters, then we allow the users to rate the sites based on their own experience.  We also will update our ranking at the sites request.  We also focus on customer service.  We enjoy chatting with the customers, so I try to do as much as I can to interact with fellow fantasy baseball fans. 

How many years have you been playing fantasy?

I've been playing fantasy baseball since 1991-92.  Back then me and my friends Aaron and Rusty carried around a purple spiral notebook with all the point totals for everyday of the season.  Eventually I wrote a MS Basic program to tabulate the totals, but data entry wasn't any easier.  It was fun to play, but the internet has definitely made it easier.  Nobody with a sane head could play in more than one league before the internet.

How many years have you been writing?

I've been writing fantasy sports for about 3 years now.  I've been actually writing since high school for the newspaper and as well as a reporter at UNLV while I was in college.  I've written lots of other stuff as well.  So you can say I've written off and on for about 18 years. 

How did you get your start?

My start in fantasy sports was simple.  I ran a web design company that I started in college and decided to launch a search engine for fantasy football and baseball.  Back in 2003 the search engines were really bad about clarifying what was fantasy sports and what was porn.

What made you want to get into the industry?

At first I wasn't that interested in getting into the industry, but fantasy sports is the wild west of sports right now.  Nobody really has a firm grip on it, so I threw my hat in with the hopes that when the dust settles I'll find success.  So far it's going pretty good.

What advice would you have specific for people who want to break into the industry?

If you want to break into the industry, stick to your guns and what made you successful.  Don't change anything just because someone says negative things about your advice.  Once you change, you've sold out like many of the fantasy baseball guys out there.

Speaking from a programmer's perspective, do you think there are further technical innovations coming to the fantasy industry or are the commissioner programs as good as they are going to get?
 

I think there are big strides that can be made in fantasy programming.  There is so much that can be done with player stats that the commissioner programs haven't even gotten into yet.  Yahoo! does some good things and so does CBS, but neither has perfected it.  I think the job will be done when all the users stop saying, I wish I could do this. 

What would you like to see improved?

I'd like to see the all around format improved.  For example in CBS, I'd like to see who my lineup is facing each day.  I'd like to know probable pitchers, and I like split stats to be worked into the overall stats.  Now if they can only force teams to accept bad trades the work would be done.

I'd also love to see league systems have the programming capability to allow managers to swap out injured players during the game just like it would happen in real life.  As long as both players were still playing that day, you designate backups for your starters and if they go down, your guy goes in.  That is something that needs to happen.  Roster changes on the fly.  Same thing if players sit, but you don't get to your lineup in time.  Have a designated back up to start.

Time for a round of favorites.  Team?

My favorite team since 1989 has been the Boston Red Sox.  Before then I followed Fred Lynn around.

Player?

Growing up, my favorite player was Fred Lynn.  I don't really have a favorite active player, but if I did I'd say David Ortiz or Jon Lester.

Fantasy memory/moment?

My favorite fantasy moment was beating my brother Chris Farino (www.profantasybaseball.com) for the first time in 2006 in his own PROFESSIONAL league.  He always had my number and as an expert himself he is quite the challenge.  He hasn't beaten me at baseball since.

Who is your single favorite fantasy writer at a site other than your own?

Right now I love Scott Engel from Rotoexperts.com.  I swear we are lost brothers from a bad hospital.  His philosophies and style are nearly identical to me, so I love reading his work. 

What advice would you have for people who are playing in their first season?

Read my fantasy baseball bible at www.fantasybaseballbible.com. It gives you a heads up if you are new to fantasy baseball.

Do you enjoy fantasy sports more or less since you entered the industry (as opposed to when you just played them)?

I have to admit that I enjoy it less.  There is a pressure to do well and sometimes playing great just isn't in my control.  I find myself far more frustrated when I have a bad week then I use too.

Do you enjoy sports more or less?

I love sports just the same as I use too.  Sports is one of the most important aspects of my life.  I don't know where I'd be without it.  My family comes first, but sports is right behind.  I'm the guy at the wedding checking scores on my Iphone.  My family understands and accepts it!

Do you enjoy podcasting more than writing?  You seem to have a good time on the air.

Podcasting is a ton of fun.  I can't say I love it more than my closer report, but I do love it.  My passion for fantasy baseball is strategy, so I get to scream about that for a couple of hours a week on the podcast.  The writing is great as well.  Right now I'm focused on building the most complete closer report on the web and so far I'm doing that. Check out www.thecloserreport.com.  Both are a joy, but the real kick is talking to the listeners in the chat room or answering emails about closers.  Its always a joy to talk baseball.  Frankly, I wouldn't have met my hero Cory Schwartz and you Toby if I didn't do the podcast, so it also helps create strong relationships. 

You are the commissioner of our league.  Do you think there is any extra challenge in being a commissioner in an expert league as opposed to a home league?

Not at all.  In an expert league there is really no work at all.  As you can see the league is fun and quiet.  Experts don't talk much, but they are very active with their teams.  Regular leagues talk more and that can lead to hurt egos, plus you have more bad trades and problems.  Overall, there is no need for a commissioner in a expert league.  At least mine.  However, if you don't stop winning, I'll have to pull out the "rookie can't win" clause and take away wins.  Back off Mergler, maybe next year.

 Thanks to Todd for taking the time to answer these questions.  On a quick programming note, I'll be taking Memorial Day off and will be back with Marry, Bury, Date on Tuesday.  Have a great holiday weekend everyone.

Any suggestions for how to replace Rickie Weeks? It's a 12 team league with an MI spot, so needless to say, the 2B and SS options on the wire are pretty Weeks.

I see what you did there at the end.  It's funny because his name is descriptive of the situation.  I get jokes.

Losing Weeks is a tough blow, but you should be able to survive it, especially since it sounds like you had him slotted into your middle infielder slot.  Playing in a league that uses a MI position is a mixed blessing in these situations.  It does thin out the overall player pool, but it also gives you much more flexibility when targeting a replacement.

I'm assuming you are exploring all your trade options and like all owners who lose a guy for the year, you're hairline deep in low-ball offers.  If it's clear you have excess in another category, you should move it to balance to fill your new hole, but only after you negotiate past all the insulting Scutaro-for-Santana type proposed deals and you check-in with Alexei Ramirez's owner to find out just how disgusted he is with the White Sox alleged budding star (you never know, it's possible you could get him with a low-ball offer of your own).  You might even have a power surplus, since you got a surprising number of bombs out of Weeks before his injury (though there was no chance he was going to keep it up and hit 30 plus on the season.  And since there is absolutely no way we'll ever know if that's true, I stand by it 100%). 

Assuming you can't make a trade, I'd look at the following guys who are available in many 12-team leagues.

Akinori Iwamura - He's a career .282 hitter and is batting over .300 so far this year.  He's also stole 8 bases this year as the Rays continue to be extremely aggressive on the basepaths.  He replaces Weeks speed in your lineup and doesn't hurt you anywhere but in homers.  He also has a sweet name which makes him sound like a villain in "Heroes."  You could do worse.

Christian Guzman - How a guy hitting .377 at the top of the lineup for a team that scores over five runs a game can be owned in fewer than half of all leagues is a mystery to me.  He won't contribute much to your power numbers, but he'll give you A+++ production in batting average and runs.  At MI, I'd rather have a guy who puts up huge numbers in two categories than a player who puts up slightly better than mediocre numbers in all five.

Alberto Callaspo - Another guy who isn't getting enough pub.  He's been trending upwards over the last several seasons and is now batting .338 with 16 ribbies and runs scored.  He's batting second in the Royals lineup, and while his RBI pace may slow down a little, he's still going to provide similar overall value to a dozen guys who have much higher ownership numbers.

If all those players are owned, send me an email and we can try to come up with another approach.  Thanks for reading.

Welcome back to the newest installment in our series of interviews aimed at giving readers insight into the minds and backgrounds of those fantasy writers and pundits who have reached the level of "expert." It seems there has been an explosion in the number of people claiming the title in the last few years, but no one seems to know where they come from. These interviews aim to change all that, while also giving aspiring "experts" (such as myself) some advice on both how to break into the industry and ways to improve your fantasy skills.

Our guest this week is Jon Williams, the founder of Advanced Fantasy Baseball.

How many years have you been playing fantasy?

I've been playing fantasy sports since the late eighties. Fantasy Sports appealed to me right away. I read an article in Inside Sports magazine (weeks or maybe even months after it came out) and then it was just a matter of finding a league. It turned out a co-worker had a league and I've been playing ever since. More than 20 years now of Baseball, almost the same with football.

How many years have you been writing?

I can remember composing stories in the second grade so I've been writing a long time.

What made you want to get into the industry?

It didn't start as a career decision. I just had ideas that I wanted to share. When I discovered that you could actually get paid to share ideas about fantasy baseball, nothing else would do.

How did you get your start?

I started writing about baseball on message boards in the late nineties and experimented with blogging. I ran a fairly successful New York Yankees blog called Bronx Pride for a couple of years. Then Mark Haverty invited me to do some writing for him on SportsBlurb.com. I entered a contest on talentedmrroto.com which was run by Matt Berry who is now with ESPN. That led to lots of other opportunities.

What are the best changes to happen in the industry in the last 10 years?

 
The league manager sites are amazing. It stuns me that I see people complain about OnRoto.com or CBS, or ALL-Star Stats. I remember all too clearly the hours it used to take to process the transactions. I recently read a pages long thread on one site where a group of people were complaining that their standings were not being updated live. I used to have to wait for the commish to mail me his hand calculated, typed and xeroxed stats and standings. I miss those days sometimes. Sometimes...

You recently made the move writing for your own site.  Are you enjoying the new challenge?

I love every minute of it but it is incredibly hard in some ways. The things that I never had to worry about elsewhere take up time that I wish I could spend writing. Then again, I love tweaking all the details. Figuring out what works, what people are actually interested in reading. 

What's the main difference in writing for your own site versus an established one?

Freedom is the obvious difference. I can do whatever I want, however I want. That is also what makes it difficult. There's no one to yell at me if I miss a deadline, which seems like a blessing but it really is not.

What advice would you have specific for people who want to break into the industry?

Write as much as you can for as many readers as possible. Don't expect to make much money, but if you keep at it anything can happen. Don't be derivative.

Time for a round of favorites.  Team? 

The Yankees.

Player?

Joe Mauer, Josh Hamilton, Chipper Jones and  Ken Griffey Jr are current favorites. Reggie Jackson, Don Mattingly, Ricky Henderson, Jose Canseco are alltime favorites.

Fantasy memory/moment?

My first year in a league I traded Al Martin (coming off a big steals season) for Shawn Estes. The league decided that I was being ripped off and forced the other owner to give me more. Al Martin was never heard from again and Estes won 19 games.

Fantasy writer at a site other than your own?

I love Jason Grey from his Mastersball.com days. His ESPN column is must read stuff.

Do you enjoy fantasy sports more or less since you entered the industry (as opposed to when you just played them)?

As long as I keep finding new challenges, and tougher and tougher leagues I'll love fantasy baseball more every day.

Do you enjoy sports more or less?

Fantasy sports have increased my love of sports a million-fold. I can rattle off the 40-man rosters for just about every team in MLB. I watch, read, write and listen to something sports related everyday and I wouldn't have it any other way.

What advice would you have for people who are playing in their first season?

Have fun and don't take it too seriously. And never ever pay full price for pitchers.

We are now a quarter of the way through the season.  What have you learned that might cause you to give different advice then you did on opening day?

I'm starting to wish I hadn't picked BJ Upton in quite so many leagues. But seriously, a lot has gone right with my primary sleeper picks. Russell Branyan has been awesome. Daniel Murphy has been solid. Josh Johnson has been amazing. 

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.  Last one -- any prediction for how our league finishes up?

I hope that improving health and guys like BJ Upton will propel me to the top of the standings. However, I'll hold off on the Ali-like predictions for now.