OK, the 17th annual Illinois-Carolina roto league baseball draft is over.  Here's what I ended up with:

Downtown Dunn:  Does Adam Dunn even have a nickname?  "The Red Menace" works, "The Redabomber" probably doesn't.  In any case, my first pick at #6.  Just drop the 40 HR's and 110 RBI off at the door, and whatever you do this year Mr. Dunn don't break any arms or legs trying to steal bases.  That's not why I drafted you. 

Multiple Mets:  Last year I had Jose Reyes, but this year he went #3 overall (behind Pujols and Howard).  I'm thinking that's too high, even if he is the next Rickey Henderson.  I didn't have alot of hope for this, but I had hoped he'd still be around in Round #2.  As it is, I met the USDA's minimum Met requirements.  Got David Wright in Round 2, Billy Wagner in Round 3, and Paul LoDuca in Round 15.  Don't ask me why LoDuca lasted that long.  Everyone gripes about catching, then doesn't draft it until the end when you get the 400 AB guys who hit .220 with 8 HR and 40 RBI.  Or (involuntary shudder) Brad Ausmus.

The tortoise and the hare:  Add Prince Fielder to Willy Taveras and we have a well rounded player.  Separately, they are a 35 HR first baseman and a 35 SB outfielder.  It all balances out.

The greatest player you'll never hear of, and Austin Kearns (International Outfielder of Mystery).  Chad Tracy is a very good hitter for Arizona who always is drafted low (round 5) because he's a doubles hitter and not a power guy.  I'm not picky, I'll take .290-20-90.  Austin Kearns used to be a hot prospect, now he's just a good hitter in a pitcher's ballpark (RFK in Washington).    But we've got "high hopes", we got.....well, you know the rest.

Did I tell you about the year Chipper Jones lasted in Round 11?  So, I'm sitting there with two third basemen and nobody is drafting Jones.  It gets funny.  I start to wonder.  Am I the only one who doesn't notice this?  In Round 11 it got to be too much and I picked him.  First question everyone asks.  Didn't somebody pick him already?

Jerry has his kids, I've got mine.  Is it Matt Murton, or Mutt Murton?  Anyway, I've got him (happily).  Good hitter with emerging power.  Ronny Paulino hit .310 with the Pirates last season, which did two things.  It told me he could hit, and it ensured that nobody else had heard of him (round #13).  Then there is Troy Tulowitzki, shortstop of Colorado.  He's 22 and has potential.  In 8 years he could potentially be 30.  I'm hoping he hits, which by reputation he can.  Scott Thorman can hit.  He's the new first baseman in Atlanta.

Who is John Patterson?  Glad you asked.  Really solid pitcher with Washington, before that Montreal.  Stays hurt, but is lights out when he is on.  He is the "ace" among my mediocre starters-Patterson, Zach Duke, Matt Morris, Noah Lowry, and Claudio Vargas.  I don't know why I drafted Vargas.  I think it may have been because nobody else was left.

Fortunately, we got relievers.  Wagner (see above), Jason Isringhausen, Mike Gonzalez (last year's closer in Pittsburgh, now a setup man in Atlanta), and Clay Meredith (a good prospect with the Padres).

Not to mention Ray Durham.  Which, of course, I didn't.  A good hitter for a second baseman, but his stolen base days are long over.  For some reason he hits 4th in San Francisco.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.

There they are.  This year's version of whatever I'm naming this year's team.  I change the name every year.  Two years ago they were the San Serif Islanders (San Serif is lovely this time of year), and last year the Baskerville Hounds.  This year, maybe something different.  Like, I don't know, the Mets?