I hate fantasy diaries, but I'm bored and have been thinking about this a fair bit so I'm posting one.
I'm in a 30 team Keeper Sim league (50 players deep) and I'm looking for opinions on my top 10 prospects. Any feedback would be welcome and anyone who wants to post their own top 10 prospects from their own team, I promise to comment on it (provided you comment on mine).
So, here it is (I included John's grades plus an occasional comment of my own)

1. Andy Laroche, 3B (A-)
   
2. Jed Lowrie, SS (A-; I agree with John, I love his bat and think his D will be good enough to stick at SS)
   
3. Michael Bowden, RHP (B)
   
4. Ryan Tucker, RHP (B; I like Bowden's polish a bit more, at least until Tucker's slider comes around)
   
5. Josh Donaldson, C (B; love his bat)
   
6. Brian Duensing, LHP (B-; I keep going back and forth between 6 and 9 for Duensing, his ceiling isn't great, but I like his chances of getting there. For now it's 6.)
   
7. Josh Reddick, OF (B-)
   
8. Caleb Gindl, CF (C+)
   
9. John Tolisano, 2b (C+, future OFer IMO)
   
10. Joe Benson, CF (ungraded, raw but I love the tools)

Some Others
Anthony Rizzo, 1b (my big choice for Boston Sleeper)
Craig Hansen, RHP (I still like his chances)
Shelby Ford

Any comments are welcome and again, if you comment on my top 10, I promise to comment on yours.

Today, the playofs finally begin. I don't say that just because I'm a Patriots fan, I say it because if the op four teams in the game haven't started playing yet, it's not really the playoffs, it's more like a 'play-in'. That may just be me though.
Anyone have any thoughts on today's games?
Personally, I'm going with the Pats, Colts, Packers and Giants. I think a combination of Tony Romo not being half as clutch as people want to believe he is, Dallas peaking in November and TO being not TO results in a Cowboys collapse.

The older threads seem to have been bogged down and then fizzled out. Given Yesterday and last night's developments, it seems a new thread would be necessary.

To sum up:
Last night the Yanks and Twins seemed to be negotiating exclusively and there were some reports that a deal was close, with a Hank Steinbrenner imposed deadline of midnight in place.

The Yanks were unwilling to include both Kennedy and Hughes in their offers.

Late last night (not long after midnight), talks between the Yankees and Twins died.

Somewhat surprisingly to some people, the Red Sox stepped in and resumed negotiations. I say surprisingly because a lot of people seemed to believe the Sox were in this only to drive up the price on the Yankees. (As if they wouldn't actually WANT the best pitcher in baseball).

Several packages were reported, but it now looks like Lester, Crisp, Masterson and Lowrie is the deal on the table.

Talks reached the point where the two teams have exchanged medical reports on Santana and Lester before turning in for the evening.

I'm still catching up myself, so feel free to correct anything in here that isn't correct.

If it's possible, perhaps you might want to find 1-2 dependable, rational posters to the forums who could serve as admins on the diaries to lock or delete posts such as the one just made by MasonDMB.
Policing the diaries to keep out the trash that you've specifically asked people not to post isn't something you should have to do and I'm sue you could find some eager volunteers.

it's official, Hamilton is NOT eligible. I have to admit, I'm rather shocked. MLB almost NEVER gets anything right, but this time they did.
Some eligible contenders...
NL
Dmitri Young
JJ Hardy
Kelly Johnson
Kaz Matsui
Oliver Perez
Rick Ankiel
Ben Sheets

AL
Jon Lester
Carlos Pena
Jose Guillen
Fausto Carmon
Casey Kotchman

Yes, yes, I'm contentious, opinionated and occasionally obnoxious, but the IBC is a great league and I'm not running it anymore (We're run by a 6 member committee since I retired this spring as Commish).
We're a 5yr old Diamond Mind Baseball league
Use DMB Projections
Daily Boxscores
Using MLB injuries
50 player roster
30 teams
Annual rookie draft
Free Cookies (not really)

The Indians and Pirates franchises are available, they and the Washington franchise will be placed in a minidraft so you'll have an opportunity to build your team the way you want it.
Contact me on AIM at brendilon or post here if you're interested.

One of the ESPN wiseguys recently put Clay Buchholz, who recently outpitched his idol Roger Clemens, as one of the top 5 pitching prospects in baseball, specifically in front of Phil Hughes.  Any thoughts, opposed to or in favor of this position?  Where do you see Buchholz in comparison to his peers?  For that matter, what about Michael Bowden, where does he rank now in your eyes?                        

Nobody has mentioned this (which is surprising) but Gary Matthews has been implicated in an illegal HGH ring.  Supposedly Matthews was getting prescriptions for the drug and having it mailed to an associate who probably passed it on to him.
I'm surprised to see that HGH actually came to the forground as quickly as this.  it's not covered in the CBA but presents many of the same benefits of anabolic steroids.  I'm not sure there will be any implications for Matthews beyond the public scrutiny and shame since the prescription was from a doctor at an 'anti-aging' clinic.
Any thoughts?

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=gyroballsearch
Got this link from Baseball Prospectus (since I never head to ESPN.com anymore).  It makes for a very entertaining read about the gyroball but, more importantly, the mystique behind the gyroball.  Basically, it's a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying... nothing.

In an interview with the Boston Globe's Gordon Edes that will air Wednesday on NESN, Red Sox GM Theo Epstein hinted that Jonathan Papelbon remains an option to be the team's closer this season.
There's some speculation that Papelbon may soon be named the team's closer, with owner Tom Werner indicating that a decision on the role had already been reached. If Papelbon is going to close, then it's likely Jon Lester, Joel Pineiro and Julian Tavarez would compete for the fifth spot in the rotation.

Not surprising really given the less than impressive talent lined up for the Closer role.  Personally, i suspect they'll have Papelbon prepare to be a starter for most of ST, then if no one really emerges as a strong candidate to close reliably, switch him over.