Fantasyland Question

[BronXBombers51]

I realize I'm late (like years and years late) to the party here, but I just finished reading Fantasyland for the first time. Great read for sure. My question involves the part when Doug Mientkiewicz is being shopped by the Twins and the Pirates and Red Sox are the most likely suitors. Walker doesn't want Boston to get him because he'll likely lose all fantasy relevance by becoming a defensive replacement. So he calls Pittsburgh's GM to lobby them to trade for Mientkiewicz.

My issue: Walker was playing in an AL-only league. Why would he lobby for Pittsburgh to make a deal? I kept waiting for him to resolve this in the book but he never does. Has he ever commented on this?

[ayebatter]

I read the book so long ago I can't remember the facts, but is it possible that Walker already owned Mientkiewicz in an AL only and if he was traded to Boston he would still be on Walkers roster, but if he went to the NL Walker could dump him and get a worthy replacement ??

[BronXBombers51]

I read the book so long ago I can't remember the facts, but is it possible that Walker already owned Mientkiewicz in an AL only and if he was traded to Boston he would still be on Walkers roster, but if he went to the NL Walker could dump him and get a worthy replacement ??

I just re-read the section to make sure I didn't miss something. Here's what he writes:

Sad as I am to see one of my players shipped out, it also presents an opportunity. Reports say the two teams most interested in Mientkiewicz are the Red Sox, who would probably use him as an occasional defensive substitute, and the Pittsburgh Pirates, who would play him every day. In Rotisserie terms I'd much rather see Mientkiewicz go to Pittsburgh, where he'll be a mainstay in the lineup.

Neither that nor the paragraphs that follow indicate a dump-for-replacement or anything of the like. I was fully expecting him to eventually say, "And then I remembered I was in an AL-only league." It never happened though haha. Anyway, was just curious if anyone else had noticed it or if he had addressed it at some point over the past few years. Google didn't yield any results so I figured I'd throw it up here.

[GiantsFan14]

Read it a long time ago so I don't really remember much. Was this in-season? I've never played an AL or NL only league but I would assume some leagues allow you to keep a player throughout the rest of the season even after being traded to a different league.

[BronXBombers51]

Read it a long time ago so I don't really remember much. Was this in-season? I've never played an AL or NL only league but I would assume some leagues allow you to keep a player throughout the rest of the season even after being traded to a different league.

It was in-season, right before the trade deadline in '04 when Mientkiewicz eventually went to Boston in the Nomar deal. I was always under the assumption that you lost a player who was traded to the opposite league in an AL or NL only, but I've never played one either so you could be right about that.

[GiantsFan14]

This is from ESPN:

Additionally, in an AL or NL only league, if a player is traded to another team, in the other league (AL to NL or vice versa) mid-season, that player will remain on your roster and continue to accrue points upon joining the new MLB team (even though that team is not in your league universe). If the player is subsequently traded to another team in your fantasy league, that player will still accrue points. Only when that player is dropped to waivers, will he be removed from the player universe for the league. An example of this would have been C.C. Sabathia leaving the American League Cleveland Indians for the National League Milwaukee Brewers in July of 2008.

Found a Yahoo link that says that players do not accumulate points after the switch to the other league, so it seems to be dependent on which site you play on.

[ayebatter]

I've never played an AL or NL only league but I would assume some leagues allow you to keep a player throughout the rest of the season even after being traded to a different league.

This is true, in some ONLY leagues you can keep the player on your active roster for that year.

[BronXBombers51]

That seems to explain it, thanks fellas.