Posted by slim senior on 2/10/2024 10:27:00 PM (view original):
I'm sorry that I was later than I expected and that I held up the draft. I had two friends in from out of state and this was the only time that I could see them.
That said, I disagree with the idea of granting someone "power of attorney" for drafting players. Like me, I am sure that every other owner has specific criteria for the players we draft. This is particularly salient as we get closer to the end of the draft and there are more considerations for the players we draft. These include positions needed, salary levels, plate appearances/162, specific hitting or pitching statistics, fielding and range levels, and so on.
Most of the time when someone picks for me, for example, I am not happy with the player taken. The wrong player or salary level can mess up an owner's strategy and set back the development of the team.
Like all of you, I try to make my draft picks as soon as possible, after the owner ahead of me picks. I am sympathetic about rmarksduke's need to complete the draft by the 22nd and I do everything that I can to make my picks as timely as possible. But that is an arbitrary date and there was nothing in the league's rules that said that owners need to pick within three hours between 9:00 am and 9:00 pm.
If this proposed rules change comes up for a vote, I would vote "no" and I would hope that other owners would do the same.
Let's take a step back.
First, I want to be clear that I'm not going to mandate anything to anyone. The rules that I enforce vigorously are ones that have to do with making valid picks based on the rules of the league. Beyond that, I don't really want to start setting arbitrary rules that alienate owners or make the draft onerous for people. This is all meant to be a fun distraction, but I understand that everybody has a life outside of this, and that WIS has to fit into people's lives rather than vice versa.
So let's table this issue for now. If anyone has extended windows where they are unable to pick, let the league know (like Slim Senior did), and that way we will at least know to expect a lull in the action. And if there are any owners out there who are more open to the "draft power of attorney" proposal, I welcome you to avail yourself of that option if you need it. (There may be rounds near the end of the draft where certain teams have very little cap space left, so those owners may be making pretty mundane, low salary picks. In a situation like that, maybe the option isn't so unattractive.)
Anyway, I need to put my 3 month old down (she just woke up... again), but I will pick before I go to sleep for the night. (Or until she wakes up again in 4 hours.)