Adam to Bob: Bring it on, baby!

Here we are, exactly halfway through the season, and none other than Adam sits in a tie for first place in the Tiger Woods Division. Picked to finish 11th in the preseason rankings, Adam surely has surprised everyone.

Right now, Adam is 7-4 and on his way to a playoff berth. In fact, he's now set his sights on a division title.

"You know, it's something that I've been dreaming about," a genuinely excited Adam said earlier this week. "It's just a great feeling because my team has always been in the bottom tier for all these years. It's nice to see all this hard work paying off."


Take into consideration the following, and it makes Adam's run even more remarkable:

• He did not show up to the first few rounds of the draft.
• Two of his keepers - Manny Ramirez and Josh Beckett - have not produced as keepers should.
• He lost two high draft picks by resigning Ramirez and Beckett.
• He started the year with five relief pitchers.

Amazing, right? Adam isn't very surprised at this success, though.

Josh Hamilton and Matt Holliday have been great for him, and David Price is blossoming into a stud who Adam could very well have for the next few years. Nick Swisher's fantasy year has been comparable to Albert Pujols'. Everything has gone well for Adam thus far.

"I'm not that surprised about it because I have learned a lot about myself over the past few seasons about fantasy sports," Adam said. "Some of the reasons (for this year's success) are just thinking with my head and going with my gut."

Like good teams must do, Adam has beaten up on weaker competition. His seven wins have come against: Jack, Ken, Rick, Joe, Mike, Dave and Bob.

Of those, only Bob has a winning record. And, of course, Bob has the history of success in this league. The two are tied at 7-4 for first place. Adam edged Bob 11-9 this week - it was arguably his biggest win in the league.

It was also a statement: Look out, Bob.

"I need to out-think him by all means necessary," Adam said of Bob. "He has proven himself to be a tough manager to play against. However, with the right mindset, I think I can do it! BRING IT ON, BABY."

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Salary Showcase: Phightin Sillies

Welcome to the blog's new feature, the Salary Showcase. Here, you will get a brief but informative breakdown of each team's salary.

Now, we get to see who is overachieving, underachieving, and who is getting the most bang for their buck. Unsuccessful managers with a high salary team are sure to be feeling the heat from their fan base.

I am going based off the current roster, not the drafted roster. Big ups to Chris for the idea and Shea for the headline.


Phightin Sillies
Manager: Adam
2010 salary: $155,034,000
Hitting salary: $114,340,000
Pitching salary: $40,694,000
Highest-paid hitter: Manny Ramirez ($18,695,000)
Highest-paid pitcher: Josh Beckett ($12,100,000)
Lowest-paid hitter: Shin-Sin Choo ($461,000)
Lowest-paid pitcher: Andrew Bailey ($435,000)
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Assessing the draft: Phightin Sillies

(Editor's note: This is the latest in a series of posts briefly breaking down each team's draft. It will culminate in the debut of the 2010 Power Rankings at the end.)

Adam took us all on a great ride last year, winning some huge matchups and staying in the playoff race right up until the final month. But this year is not off to a good start, with him having missed most of the draft.


Focus: Hitting. Adam didn't take a live pitcher until the 11th round and that was a closer. His first starter was Round 14.

Storyline: When will Adam show up? We knew he was going to miss the first few rounds because he was at a Flyers game, but we didn't know when he would get there. He finally arrived in the teens to stop the bleeding.

Headscratcher: When Adam was unaware he didn't have Kendry Morales and B.J. Upton on his roster. Why didn't he know he was losing two draft picks for keeping Josh Beckett and Manny Ramirez, despite the rules being clearly told to him and posted everywhere?
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