BY ADAM RONIS
Wouldn't it be great if every girl you asked out said yes? Wouldn't it be great if our draft plan came to fruition the way we drew it up? Well, it doesn't happen this way. Lets take my draft last night as an example.
Catchers and closers didn't come off the board early. That meant starting pitchers went more frequently. I had the No. 10 pick overall and when it came to round 6, I had to decide to go with a starting pitcher or best bat available. Chris Young, the hitter, was there and his 30-30 potential was too much to pass up. I was close to taking Aaron Harang or Felix Hernandez and hoped one of them would be there when I picked 19 picks later. They weren't.
Now, my pitching is a little weak. I could have caved in and started to select a bunch of starting pitchers. I went for the best value. Beltre at No. 106. Good value. Andruw Jones at No. 130. Good value. I have three closers with jobs now and two that could potentially close. I could turn one of those into a trade for a starter. I think my offense is well-balanced, except possibly average, so I could always pick up a free agent and trade an offensive player for a starter.
The point is don't panic during a draft. Take the best value pick. The draft is only the beginning. The league is won on waiver-wire pickups and trades. A bad draft doesn't spell defeat, it just means you need to work hard, so make sure you accumulate sick days. You will need them, unless you take my advice.