After
his controversial decision to rebuild in 2009,
Prolonging
The Magic and owner Jeffrey Romero found themselves
all-in as the 2010 season approached – but there
was little doubt around the league that the
Magic entered
the year as the favorite to win it all. The
Magic were
loaded with talent – from Troy Tulowitzki ($18),
Andrew McCutchen (free), Kendry Morales ($11), and Justin
Upton
($11) to head the offense, to Tim Lincecum ($16) as the
ace of the pitching staff, Romero’s squad featured
some of the best young talent the HCBB had to offer.
And offensively, the
Magic would be as good
as advertised, as not only would Romero’s keepers
produce, but the young owner would strike gold with arguably
the greatest
reserve pick in the history of the league in Jose Bautista
(.260-54-124 in 2010) and a comebacking Vladmir Guerrero
($13), leaving the
Magic with the league’s
best offense. But the pitching staff would have its issues,
as Lincecum would uncharacteristically struggle at times,
Scott Baker ($21) and Derek Lowe ($13) would both be
a
complete waster of money, and controversial keeper Jim
Johnson would fulfill everyone’s expectations by
pitching so badly, he ended up in the minors before the
season had barely gotten underway (resulting in a
Magic buyout of his contract). Despite this, Romero’s
team would be in contention from the beginning, and remained
solidly in the money as the season unfolded. The major
move the franchise would make in their attempt to win
would be a mega-deal with
Clueless???, in which
Upton and free keeper Michael Stanton would be the prize
targets
for the rebuilding squad. Romero’s team would be
one of three contenders chipping away at the leader
Half
Cajun all summer, but despite a great effort, the
Magic would not prevail.
Prolonging
The Magic would briefly
hold the lead during the season’s final week, but
a wild last weekend of the season would see the franchise
finish in 2nd place a scant half a point behind the eventual
champion
Ball Hogs in the closest race in the HCBB’s
long and illustrious history.
By
the time the 2010 season ended, Prolonging The Magic would
find themselves a mere half a point away from their first
championship – but it might have been a different story
for owner Romero if he hadn’t rostered Minnesota starting
pitcher Scott Baker. The Twins righty was supposed to be
a key component of the Magic staff, and it was with that
in mind that Romero had dropped $21 on the pitcher – making
him the highest-priced starter on the team’s staff.
But Baker got off to a terrible start for his fantasy squad,
and even though he would improve somewhat in the second half,
his overall ERA of 4.92 and whip of 1.431 over 130 innings
would be enough to cost the Magic precious points in pitching – any
one of which would have given Romero’s squad the title.