The long-running Real Life Progressive League is looking for a new owner for the Astros. We are approaching game 120 and will be starting the draft off the clock around 14 June. The Astros have truly awesome long-term hitting ((Scott Rolen (70.5 remaining WAR!), Kenny Lofton (35.5), Andres Galarraga, Henry Rodriguez, Ray Lankford, Gary Sheffield (42.6), Barry Larkin (18.7), Tony Batista (12.5)), but a pitching staff in need of rebuilding (plenty of IPs as you pursue better starters). The Astros will have a pick around #17 in a draft with 24 teams. With all those great hitters, you can probably trade a few away for future pitching or high picks.

This progressive league is like most, except that any player who started his career in a season is available to be drafted that season in the first round. In other words, in 1997, David Ortiz, Torii Hunter, Paul Konerko, Jason Varitek, Orlando Cabrera and some others started their careers -- but they are not WIS eligible (just prospects) until 1998 or later. A prospect (we keep a separate draft list to make it easy) joins any players you have on the DL/IR until he is WIS eligible. If you select a prospect in the 1st round (meaning someone who first played in MLB in 1997, but wasn't WIS eligible), you can pick up your 25th player in the supplemental draft round, which occurs after the normal draft is finished. We have a separate list of draftable prospects to make it easy. The rest is pretty standard, with 4 AAA that you select from the 1997 season, and a DH is used in the AL.

Please sitemail if interested, and for further explanation of the rules.

Houston Astros
C Jeff Reed, Eddie Perez, Carlos Hernandez
1B Andres Galarraga
2B Mike Lansing, Keith Lockhart
SS Barry Larkin, Rafael Bournigal, Tony Batista
3B Scott Rolen
OF Kenny Lofton, Henry Rodriguez, Ray Lankford, Gary Sheffield, John Vander Wal

P Carlos Perez, Tim Belcher, Cal Eldred, Mark Leiter, Rick Helling, Kevin Tapani, Mike Myers, Alan Mills, Rod Beck

DL: P Jeff Tabaka (until 1998)

Likely drops: P Xavier Hernandez, P Mike James, P Doug Linton, P Mark Petkovsek, P Pete Schourek, P Terrell Wade, C Steve Decker (DL)