Does this smell like collusion- WHIR

[AEMRICH]

Hey guys i'm the commish in a yahoo h2h/re-draft- money league. A team that is in 3rd place and a team in 11th place with little to no chance to make the playoffs have made a trade. The two are brothers and live near each other. This is the trade the team in first gets Joba Chamberlain and Rickie Weeks team in 2nd to last gets Mike Mussina- a just added yesterday Chan Ho Park- and a just added two days ago Andy Laroache. What makes it more interesting is that the team in 2nd to last place already has James Loney and Ryan Howard- now he is adding LaRoache to sit on the bench, he also needs pitching and i wouldn't say Mussina and Park are an upgrade to his pitching. Does this smell like possible collusion???

[Matthias]

Yes it does.

How well do you know these guys? You think they're the type to do some funny business?

[AEMRICH]

i know them very well and while they are both good guys i could see some side deal worked out like i will give you this much of the winnings if you do this trade type of deal

[Matthias]

What is your veto mechanism? Commissioner review?

I would try to handle it quietly for right now... too often postings on the league page denigrate into a spitting match that leaves everyone upset. Quietly suggest to the guy in the toilet that you don't see his upside in this deal and see what he says.

[AquaMan2342]

Yup, pull the 11th place guy aside and ask him what's going on. If he just brushes it off, make him explain his side or nullify the deal. Obviously an unfair trade where the motives need to be discovered before any action taken.

[kfix19]

I agree with the last two posts. You need to talk with the owner that is near the bottom and tell him you don't see his upside to the trade. Talking with the owner near the top will only upset them and possibly get ugly (even though they will talk to each other anyways).

Good luck - isn't being the Commish fun

[Motown Blues]

Unless I am missing something, I COMPLETELY disagree. This does not look like collusion AT ALL. Why do you all think it is? Because everyone has a Man-Crush on Joba the Hut? Whatever. Fine. The guy strikes out a lot of guys. HE HAS TWO WINS on the season, for *#%$@#'s sake. Furthermore, why is Rickie Weeks even playing in your league? HE'S HITTING .217!!!!!

On the other hand, Mike Mussina is having the best year he has had in a long time, single-handedly keeping the Yanks in the race. He second in the majors with 12 wins and has a 3.49 ERA. I think your first (or is it 3rd?) place guy is thinking that Moose will drop off second half, and is taking a chance on Chamberlain. I think Weeks is irrelevant.

Perfect example - in my opinion - how people jump to conclusions and assume it's collusion. VETO VETO VETO Everyone is cheating!! Sometimes it's easier to work out deals with other managers that you know better, perhaps talk on the phone or in person. The offer / counter process often falls apart because there is no real negotiation.

I am curious to see what happened.

[Matthias]

Unless I am missing something, I COMPLETELY disagree. This does not look like collusion AT ALL. Why do you all think it is? Because everyone has a Man-Crush on Joba the Hut? Whatever. Fine. The guy strikes out a lot of guys. HE HAS TWO WINS on the season, for *#%$@#'s sake. Furthermore, why is Rickie Weeks even playing in your league? HE'S HITTING .217!!!!!

Chill out, guy.

Why does it look like collusion?
First, because 2 of the 3 guys one guy got just came off of the WW within the last 2 days.
Second, because one of the guys just added (LaRoche) won't even play behind Howard and Loney.
Third, because one guy who would seem to be getting the better deal is in 3rd and the other in 11th.
Fourth, because the two guys are brothers.
Fifth, even though Mussina is having his best year in a long time, his ERA of 3.49 is almost a full run over Joba's ERA of 2.62.
Sixth, because Mussina has 74K's in 113.3 innings; Joba has 76K's in 65.3.

I'm not saying it definitely is or isn't, but to say that it does not look like collusion, "AT ALL" is to be in complete denial.

[bpizle]

This is definantly collusion. Sorry for the Mo-Town guy that has no sense at all, but it would be collusion anyway. But since they live by each other, brothers, and one is in contention to win the title and the other isnt just justifies the point even more. Whatever your method of review or rejecting is. DO IT>

[Motown Blues]

Chill out, guy.

Whatever, Matthias. This "Mo-town Guy" is just expressing an opinion THAT WAS ASKED FOR. Was it too emphatic for your sensibilities? Sheesh. So many are quick to call out collusion and it's a problem in fantasy football/baseball. If they weren't brothers, would you still call it collusion? You can throw around the other names all you want, but it basically comes down to a trade between Mussina and Chamberlain. And just because a guy is in 3rd place does not mean he cannot trade with the bottom. Look, EVERY single post immediately assumed collusion, and I think it is because of: A) the sibling factor and B) because everyone just LOOOOVEEEESS Joba and Moose has been not-Fantasy worthy the last 3+ years. I call it like I see it. I think it's two brothers who are talking out a reasonably fair trade with some throw-ins. If I "have no sense at all," then consider these numbers, which include Joba's no-desision tonight:

* Chamberlain has given up 9 ER and 9 BB's in his last 22 innings, with your respectable 28 K's.
* He has exactly ONE win in his 10 starts.

* Mussina has given up 5 ER and 3 BB in his last 24 innings, along with 24 K's.
* He has 6 wins in his last 10 starts.