RotoChamps.com - February 2005 Newsletter

What a glorious time of year! Players have started reporting to training camp and the first spring games are not far off. There are position battles to be won, pitching rotations to be decided, and a chance to see some of the young prospects auditioning for "The Show". This is a great time of year as all the teams are still tied and hope is in the air. The same holds true for our fantasy teams as well all start formulating our latest strategy to dominate the competition. We are constantly trying to add new content to aid you in your quest for glory and we have several new enhancements for the 2005 season. A few are highlighted in this issue of the newsletter.

gamedayritual™ - The Next-Generation of Fantasy Baseball

gamedayritual represents the next-generation of online fantasy baseball games. Based on its patent pending AI-based technology, gamedayritual offers its users a more realistic, more challenging fantasy game experience:

negotiate multi-year contracts and sign players to kick-off the season;
build a new stadium to take advantage of team strengths;
draft prospects in June;
track finances and attendance;
set batting line-ups and manage pitching rotations;
pitch around tough hitters, and more!

gamedayritual has all the intricacies of a complex simulator but with the ease of use and excitement of using real-life baseball stats!

Sign up today through RotoChamps and receive a 25% discount (for a limited time only).

http://www.gamedayritual.com/landing04.htm/?source=02042

New Columnists

The articles page is back online and with it comes new content for the 2005 season. New to the rotochamps team are columnists Ross Keyser and Robert Stapleton.

The Prospector
Ross Keyser (Ross) is our new minor league analyst. During the pre-season he is breaking down 10 Prospects each week that you should have on your radar. Once the season gets going he will be providing a weekly recap of the significant performances, injuries, and potential call-ups.

The Bench Coach
Robert Stapleton (Auggie) brings a lighter side to our fantasy baseball content by sharing personal anecdotes and reminds us that this is a GAME and we should be having fun.

New Moderators

We continue to find knowledgeable site members who want to step up and be your resource for their local team. Please welcome these recent new staff members:

Chicago Cubs - machopr
LA Dodgers - OPEC
STL Cardinals - ProzakkPushaa

Spring Training Notes

Spring Training has barely begun but already we have some interesting things to watch.

Justin Morneau - this off-season Morneau has had appendicitis, chicken pox and a lung infection that led to pneumonia. Will he be full strength by Opening Day? This is alot of trauma for the body to overcome in a short period of time. Watch him closely this spring to see if he looks ready.

Jimmy Rollins - Manager Charlie Manuel is giving Rollins a green light this season which he never had under Larry Bowa. Manuel thinks he can steal 60 bases. We don't think that will happen but certainly an increase from prior seasons is likely.

Sidney Ponson - Sidney Ponson has lost at least 30 pounds. If he can keep the weight off it may allow him to regain some control on the mound.

Ivan Rodriguez - Ivan Rodriguez showed up at camp weighing 193 pounds, the lightest he's been since his rookie year. He says it is due to a running program he started this winter. This extra training should help him maintain his endurance throughout the season which gets harder as he gets older.

Player Spotlight

Dave Roberts - SD - OF
Roberts is off the radar for many people due to his time-share on the Red Sox. Throughout much of his career Roberts has been platooned, yet when he does play he is perhaps the most prolific base stealer in the game. As long as San Diego is in contention he should get full time at bats and the leadoff role. If he holds onto the job he should lead the NL in stolen bases. The worst case scenario is that the Padres would fall out of contention early and decide to give Freddy Guzman a long look. Roberts average will hurt you, but he provides alot of SB much later in the draft than Crawford, Pierre, and Podsednik.