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2010 Clueless Team Capsule |
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| 14th PLACE - 66.0 PTS
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 After two outstanding finishes in a row, Clueless??? owner Mike Tate went into the 2010 season, not just looking for a third consecutive money finish, but to make a run at an HCBB title. His pitching staff would be headed by young phenoms Yovanni Gallardo ($11) and Jonathan Sanchez ($6), and backed by dependable veterans Ted Lilly ($9) and a returning Joe Blanton ($8). The big offensive piece returning to the team would be Pablo Sandoval ($11), though while still not catcher-eligible, looked like one of the best young third baseman in the game. But while high-priced draft day acquisition Jayson Werth ($39) would live up to Tate’s expectations, other expensive talent would not; Carlos Pena ($32) would hit for power but be a huge drain on the team’s, while Manny Ramirez ($31) would only accumulate 70 at-bats before being dealt away. Clueless??? would start the season strong, challenging for a money spot for the first month of the season, but the team’s solid start proved to be merely a mirage, as struggles by Blanton (a 4.80 ERA in 160 innings) and Sandoval (only 4 HR in 198 at-bats) among others began to drag the team down in the standings. As the team dropped further, Tate began to make plans for the future, eventually trading for keepers Michael Stanton and Justin Upton from Prolonging The Magic in a mega-deal during the summer. The remainder of the season saw Clueless??? continue to fall in the standings, as Tate continued acquiring keepers – some who were potentially shaky (Carl Pavano from the TazmanianDevils) and some who were downright bizarre (Seth Smith from Time To Run). By the end of the season, Clueless??? had bottomed out in 14th place, the team’s worst finish since 2004. |
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| TEAM MVP - JAYSON WERTH |
On a roster where few players traditionally last for an entire season, it’s those who manage to put up impressive stats in a short period of time who end up as the most valuable parts in any Clueless??? season. In 2010, Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth would be one of those players, putting up poutstanding numbers for his fantasy team until owner Tate dealt him away in late summer as part of a dump deal with the Tazmanian Devils. But before he left the Clueless??? clubhouse for good, Werth would club 16 HR and 58 RBI, while adding 67 runs (which would still be good enough to lead the team for the year, even after he was traded away) 7 SB, and a solid .301 average at the plate – making him one of the few player’s on Tate’s squad to earn their keep in an otherwise disappointing year.
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| TEAM RO-SHAM-BO - SETH SMITH |
 There were a lot of things that went wrong with Clueless??? 2010 season, but the poster child for the lost year would be Colorado 4th outfielder Seth Smith. Smith had shown flashes of power in his brief career, but otherwise, his career had been that of an undistinguished journeyman. Despite only playing part-time, somehow Time to Run’s ownership managed to sell owner Tate on Smith as a solid fantasy option, not just for the remainder of the season, but for 2011 as well. It didn’t take long for the trade for Smith to be what everyone thought it was – a huge error – as the backup would hit am abysmal .160 with just 3 HR over only 100 at-bats for the squad – amazingly accrued over a full two months of the season.
Even ShamWow Vince couldn't have done a better job selling Seth Smith to Clueless??? as a keeper. |
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| OUTLOOK FOR 2011 |
l in all, it was a pretty quiet off-season for Clueless??? and owner Tate – or not. Clueless??? wouldn’t just be the most active team before the spring roster freeze, the franchise would set HCBB records for the most off-season trades, the most players under contract going into the draft, and the most salary spent before draft day. Incredibly, Tate’s squad goes into the draft more than 2/3 of the way put together. Fans of the franchise need a scorecard to keep track of the comings and goings – new arrivals Adam Dunn ($42), C.C. Sabathia ($41), Tim Hudson ($11), Jose Reyes ($36), Josh Hamilton ($21), Michael Bourn ($16), Rafael Furcal ($19), Brett Anderson ($11), Huston Street ($15), Aaron Hill ($13), Ryan Rayburn ($8), Johnny Venters ($6), and Freddie Freeman (free) will form the core of the 2011 Clueless??? squad. Is Tate’s strategy brilliant or insane? That won’t be known for several more months, but what is certain is that Clueless??? is always one of the most dangerous teams in the HCBB – and no more so when Tate is working the phones.
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