Post by glasspoet on Jan 2, 2012 12:12:46 GMT -5
GST's most maligned stat is the Grand Slam. The Grand Slam is the most important stat for a hitter. For GST it SIGNIFIES clutch hitting--currently the only stat Yahoo provides for such. Though it doesn't sit well with slide-rule drafters, there is no stat like it for those of us who live baseball in real time with our fantasy players. No other stat compares when one of our players comes up with the bases loaded! No matter the score of the game, we know it is a clutch situation for our fantasy team and a moment to cheer our hardest for that player! In GST leagues where I am only a co-commissioner and the Grand Slam has been removed, I feel the league has been (somewhat) lessened. Here is a fantasy Grand Slam story for you:
The year was 2009/2010? and David Murphy, a young player at the time, was getting a lot of starts in the Texas outfield and performing pretty well. He was batting over .300 and had shown some power. I had picked him up in quite a few leagues. On this particular day he came up with the bases loaded and I happened to be watching him in real time. I thought--this is the time to really show me what kind of player you are going to be! Maybe a jewel in the rough--a Keeper in the Keeper league!!
I cheered with him through every ball and strike, and he took the count full and then continued to foul balls off. Eventually he grounded out to first for the third out. Ugh, not very satisfactory. Little did I know he would get a second chance!
His next time up the bases were full again! I thought to myself -- here's his chance to make up for it-- and I NEEDED the Slam! Once again I cheered him on as he battled a full count and fouled off some pitches. Eventually he swung at ball four in the dirt, missing by a mile. Super UGH! Once again, little did I know he would get a THIRD chance that day!!
I remember thinking how unreal it was that he would get a third chance, but more importantly to me was that THIS time there was only one out and I had the next batter also. Surely with two batters getting a chance with the bases loaded, something good was going to happen for me! By this time I wasn't expecting too much from Murphy, but I still found myself cheering him on with each pitch-- third time the charm! AGAIN I cheered him on pitch by pitch and again to a full count! He swung and hit a hard grounder to first -- INTO A DOUBLE PLAY! If you know GST scoring--you know my swing in emotions at that moment!!! I was jumping up and down cursing his name!!!
By this time it didn't even surprise when he came up in the 9th with the bases loaded again! I didn't expect much from him by then -- but I remember thinking, with nobody out, FINALLY something good was going to happen! Even Murphy couldn't ruin my chances this time! On the first pitch the pitcher pitched a fastball inside and he swung and was strong enough to punch a line drive just left of 2nd base. Just as I lifted my arm up in triumph, the SS leaned heavily on the run and snagged it in the tip of his glove, stepped on 2nd and threw to first for a TRIPLE PLAY!!
Did I mention that was during the playoffs??!! And that is why you will NEVER see David Murphy on a Glassbreakers team EVER AGAIN!!!
The year was 2009/2010? and David Murphy, a young player at the time, was getting a lot of starts in the Texas outfield and performing pretty well. He was batting over .300 and had shown some power. I had picked him up in quite a few leagues. On this particular day he came up with the bases loaded and I happened to be watching him in real time. I thought--this is the time to really show me what kind of player you are going to be! Maybe a jewel in the rough--a Keeper in the Keeper league!!
I cheered with him through every ball and strike, and he took the count full and then continued to foul balls off. Eventually he grounded out to first for the third out. Ugh, not very satisfactory. Little did I know he would get a second chance!
His next time up the bases were full again! I thought to myself -- here's his chance to make up for it-- and I NEEDED the Slam! Once again I cheered him on as he battled a full count and fouled off some pitches. Eventually he swung at ball four in the dirt, missing by a mile. Super UGH! Once again, little did I know he would get a THIRD chance that day!!
I remember thinking how unreal it was that he would get a third chance, but more importantly to me was that THIS time there was only one out and I had the next batter also. Surely with two batters getting a chance with the bases loaded, something good was going to happen for me! By this time I wasn't expecting too much from Murphy, but I still found myself cheering him on with each pitch-- third time the charm! AGAIN I cheered him on pitch by pitch and again to a full count! He swung and hit a hard grounder to first -- INTO A DOUBLE PLAY! If you know GST scoring--you know my swing in emotions at that moment!!! I was jumping up and down cursing his name!!!
By this time it didn't even surprise when he came up in the 9th with the bases loaded again! I didn't expect much from him by then -- but I remember thinking, with nobody out, FINALLY something good was going to happen! Even Murphy couldn't ruin my chances this time! On the first pitch the pitcher pitched a fastball inside and he swung and was strong enough to punch a line drive just left of 2nd base. Just as I lifted my arm up in triumph, the SS leaned heavily on the run and snagged it in the tip of his glove, stepped on 2nd and threw to first for a TRIPLE PLAY!!
Did I mention that was during the playoffs??!! And that is why you will NEVER see David Murphy on a Glassbreakers team EVER AGAIN!!!
