15-man ‘most efficient draft ever’ blows all other drafts away

Perhaps we should have gone to this 15-team format years ago. After years of drafts that dragged on for seven, eight, nine hours — when we had just 9 or 12 managers — the I75 League pulled off its most efficient draft ever to kick off its 33rd year, conducting a 14-round, 15-team draft plus [...]

‘We’re not off Poinciana anymore, Toto!’

Before you blindly point your rental car or personal vehicle to Poinciana Blvd. this weekend, be aware this year’s Strat House is in a completely different location from past years. See Dave’s 2/26 e-mail for directions.  Here’s the relative lay of the land with key landmarks for this year’s festivities. (Not shown: Tigertown…) From Disney, be [...]

Convention forecast: Hot, then not

A look at the 10-day Orlando weather forecast spanning the convention period. Looks like we need to pack for two different climates…

Presenting YOUR 2012 mock draft

With less than two weeks to go before the 33rd I-75 League convention, we fire up the mock drafting ovens one more time to see what delights are being cooked up for the first round when we gather in Kissimmee the first weekend in March. What’s diferent about this mock draft? Well… this is the draft [...]

Less than two months to the draft!

Here in the Washington, D.C., area, we’re still waiting for our first snowfall of the winter, but already spring is on our minds. Draft Day, Saturday March 3, is less than two months away. If history is any indication, the ratings ‘disk’ (now a download) should be available next week. Last year it was available [...]

First known photo of I-75 League surfaces!

At the recently concluded 32nd annual convention of the I-75 Strat-O-Matic League, Mike Renbarger presented an envelope postmarked July 3, 1982, from Shirley, Mass., with a 15 cent stamp on it. Inside were six photos from the 1981 convention in Knoxville, Tenn., the site of the convention that started our second season, and the first [...]

Trading frenzy highlights 2011 draft

The start to our 32nd season will be as memorable for the deals flying about the room during the draft as it will be for the picks themselves. (See photo gallery.) A total of six deals were swung during the 5-hour, 20-minute draft, including Ike Davis being traded not once but twice. (Trade recap.) The exciting [...]

Titans, Dogs swing late deal

The Demo Dogs and Titans swung a deal late Friday night, less than 24 hours before the draft, that saw a swap of players and picks. Moving to Superior is closer Francisco Rodriguez and pick 30. Moving back to Detroit is pick 90 along with infielder Omar Infante.

We’re back, and the countdown is on…

We’re back from Vancouver and turning our attention to Saturday’s draft, 7 p.m. ET. Details on drafting tool to come soon. Sorry to have been off the grid for an extended period, there just wasn’t time for other tasks in the last three weeks. Draft preparation may have suffered but draft fever continues to run [...]

Is Arizona draft a done deal???

After consulting with noted about-facers Billy Donovan and Urban Meyer, Hickory manager Mike Wilson stepped forward Monday wondering if it’s too late to change our minds about drafting in Arizona this year. Read why in his comment he posted here in response to an earlier thread.

To start our 31st year, a first

This just in from Commissioner Dave Renbarger: Fellow managers:  After numerous e-mails, telephone calls and lengthy deliberations and consultations, I have decided to schedule our 2010 convention in Phoenix on the weekend of March 5-7.  Although I realize that several managers face unavoidable conflicts and will have to draft online this spring, I am hopeful the [...]