Fantasy 411
Encyclopedia
The Fantasy 411 is an Major League Baseball
radio and television broadcast
on MLB.com. The hosts are primarily Mike Siano, Cory Schwartz, Casey Stern
, Fantasy Sports Guru Broadway CJ Reo and Zach Simon with occasional contributions from Vinny Micucci, Brandon Costa, Will Carroll
and Joe Sheehan
of Baseball Prospectus
. Jeffrey Ma of Protrade joins the show every Thursday at 12:40 p.m. The show airs Monday through Friday, from 2-3 p.m. ET, during the MLB season
. The show's main focus is fantasy baseball
. Schwartz and Siano answer fans' questions through calls
, e-mails or instant messages. In the offseason the Fantasy 411 airs once a week until the end of February, after which it airs twice a week. The show can be downloaded as a podcast
through MLB.com or iTunes
. The archives of the Fantasy 411 are available through MLB.com.
ers. Mike and Cory both vehemently support the Yankees
. One caller dubbed the Fantasy 411 as "infotainment" because the show combines lots of good fantasy baseball information while entertaining with pop culture references.
, especially since he has been a member of the Society for American Baseball Research
(SABR), hence his nickname: Cory "Stats" Schwartz. Schwartz tends to favor hitters who have good plate discipline, and proven track record (or performance record, as his father would say). When evaluating pitchers, Schwartz is a self-proclaimed "slave to the strikeout
." Schwartz is also responsible for providing insight on the minor leagues
and upcoming prospects. In May 2006, Schwartz questioned the Pitch and Ditch strategy and became depressed and annoyed after poor performances from Ian Snell
and Juan Cruz
but has since retracted his doubts. Schwartz also likes to taunt Siano during the show whenever Siano misses a show due to apparent injury or illness. Schwartz, and Micucci when he hosts, do not hesitate to "throw Siano under the bus", and to question his wisdom teeth surgery and innumerable other injuries.
, Jeff Suppan
, Jeff Weaver
, Ian Snell
, Esteban Loaiza
, and of finding surprise breakthrough performers such as Cliff Lee
and Chris Capuano
in 2005 and Erik Bedard
and Josh Johnson in 2006. Pitch and Ditch can be considered a risky strategy because it increases the likelihood of having a very poor performance, which can severely hurt a fantasy team.
Recently, the existence of a "Pitch or Ditch" curse has been suggested, citing that players whose names were included in the introduction montage to the segment often went on to get injured or perform poorly. The show's segment spawned a website dedicated to pitch or ditch in called pitchorditch.com.
pitched, they tend to improve significantly. Every preseason, Schwartz nominates his "List of 12 Special" for the season, and his 100% choices have been successful (Ben Sheets
in 2004, John Lackey
in 2005, Brandon Webb
and Jeremy Bonderman
in 2006 and Erik Bedard
and Dan Haren
in 2007.
in fantasy baseball
, that a pitcher earns is not consistent from year to year. Win accumulation is dependent on offensive run support, and is not a good reflection of pitching acumen. Thus, Mike and Cory tell the listeners to focus on improving other pitching statistics, such as saves
, strikeouts, ERA
, and WHIP
and that accumulating wins requires patience. It's important to note, while we don't chase wins, we don't fear them either.
away players who are outperforming their projected performance or are getting lucky and to acquire players who are underperforming and can be reasonably expected to perform better. An essential part of the strategy is to make sure to acquire a player who is more skilled than the one being traded away. Buying low and selling high is not useful if the players are of equal value or the one being acquired is less skillful.
26 - (The Round # in which the player was selected) = #Weeks after which a player can be released or benched due to poor performance
Thus, if a player does not meet expectations after being drafted in the 7th round of a fantasy draft, he can be cut or benched after the 19th week of the season.
pitched limits for pitchers. Schwartz often stresses that fantasy players need to use all of their innings to maximize the potential of their pitchers. The strategy is more complex than that however. Schwartz always mentions that it doesn't matter when one reaches his innings limit, as long as they get the best out of those innings. Using all of one's innings early can be beneficial because it allows a fantasy player to fill his/her team with position players in order to upgrade their offense after releasing all of their pitchers.
(or any other category), then Team A should trade a closer
to Team C as long as Team A wouldn't lose any points. The goal is for Team C to overtake Team B in saves, narrowing the lead over Team A and giving Team A a better chance to win.
Alternatively, when a potential keeper list is small (around 5) and a fantasy team has an excess of worthy keepers, Schwartz always reminds the owner to attempt to trade multiple good keepers for a smaller number of excellent keepers.
leagues, Siano and Schwartz always recommend to try to win in the present if possible (Win Now). Often listeners are too concerned with the future and with their keeper lists when competing in keeper leagues, but Siano and Schwartz always remind the audience that winning championships is the ultimate goal because "flags
fly forever."
which used "The Schwartz" as a parody of "The Force" from Star Wars
.
Throw under the bus
A common phrase within the Fantasy 411 community, especially for Schwartz and Siano, adopted from Seth Everett and Darryl Hamilton of the "Stayin' Hot" show on MLB Radio. Throwing someone under the bus is to blame or talk trash about someone even though they may not be responsible for what they are being blamed for (scapegoating) This is usually done while the person taking the blame is not present so that he or she can not defend themselves.
during 2006. Listeners often call in or email original Chuck Norris Facts, which Schwartz and Siano strongly encourage. The other spoof on the show is the use of the name "Coco." During the course of the show, Schwartz and Siano like to make references to Coco Crisp
and Francisco "Coco" Cordero
. Jeffrey Ma from Protrade, who appears as a guest every Friday, is sometimes referred to as Jeffery "Coco" Ma. More recent spoofs include referring to the BlackBerry
as the "CrackBerry" because of its addictive nature and jokes regarding the TV shows Entourage
and 24
, listeners writing fantasy baseball haikus and the movie Superbad during Ma's weekly segment.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
radio and television broadcast
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
on MLB.com. The hosts are primarily Mike Siano, Cory Schwartz, Casey Stern
Casey Stern
Casey Stern was a former contestant on ESPN's reality series Dream Job. At the time he was an executive recruiter. Casey currently is a host on Sirius XM radio's MLB Home Plate on XM channel 175 and Sirius 210. He recently departed MLB.com's BaseballChannel.tv, formerly MLB Radio where he was...
, Fantasy Sports Guru Broadway CJ Reo and Zach Simon with occasional contributions from Vinny Micucci, Brandon Costa, Will Carroll
Will Carroll
Will Carroll is a sportswriter specializing in the coverage of medical issues, including injuries and performance-enhancing drugs. He currently writes about sports injuries for SI.com...
and Joe Sheehan
Joe Sheehan
Joseph S. Sheehan, born in New York City on February 26, 1971, graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Southern California in 1994, and lives in the New York City area...
of Baseball Prospectus
Baseball Prospectus
Baseball Prospectus is an organization that publishes a website, BaseballProspectus.com, devoted to the sabermetric analysis of baseball. BP has a staff of regular columnists and provides advanced statistics as well player and team performance projections on the site...
. Jeffrey Ma of Protrade joins the show every Thursday at 12:40 p.m. The show airs Monday through Friday, from 2-3 p.m. ET, during the MLB season
Season
A season is a division of the year, marked by changes in weather, ecology, and hours of daylight.Seasons result from the yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of revolution...
. The show's main focus is fantasy baseball
Fantasy baseball
Fantasy baseball is a game where participants manage an imaginary roster of real Major League baseball players. The participants compete against one another using those players' real life statistics to score points...
. Schwartz and Siano answer fans' questions through calls
Telephone call
A telephone call is a connection over a telephone network between the calling party and the called party.-Information transmission:A telephone call may carry ordinary voice transmission using a telephone, data transmission when the calling party and called party are using modems, or facsimile...
, e-mails or instant messages. In the offseason the Fantasy 411 airs once a week until the end of February, after which it airs twice a week. The show can be downloaded as a podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
through MLB.com or iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. The archives of the Fantasy 411 are available through MLB.com.
The Hosts
Mike Siano, Cory Schwartz and are New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
ers. Mike and Cory both vehemently support the Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. One caller dubbed the Fantasy 411 as "infotainment" because the show combines lots of good fantasy baseball information while entertaining with pop culture references.
Tendencies and Ideas
Schwartz is the host that is more inclined toward statistical analysis and sabermetricsSabermetrics
Sabermetrics is the specialized analysis of baseball through objective, empirical evidence, specifically baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. The term is derived from the acronym SABR, which stands for the Society for American Baseball Research...
, especially since he has been a member of the Society for American Baseball Research
Society for American Baseball Research
The Society for American Baseball Research was established in Cooperstown, New York, in August 1971 by Bob Davids of Washington, D.C. The Society's mission is to foster the research and dissemination of the history and record of baseball, while generating interest in the game...
(SABR), hence his nickname: Cory "Stats" Schwartz. Schwartz tends to favor hitters who have good plate discipline, and proven track record (or performance record, as his father would say). When evaluating pitchers, Schwartz is a self-proclaimed "slave to the strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
." Schwartz is also responsible for providing insight on the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
and upcoming prospects. In May 2006, Schwartz questioned the Pitch and Ditch strategy and became depressed and annoyed after poor performances from Ian Snell
Ian Snell
Ian Dante Snell is an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. From -, he went by the name Ian Oquendo, adopting the last name of his wife, and during the 2009 World Baseball Classic he went by Ian Davila-Snell, adopting his stepfather's surname...
and Juan Cruz
Juan Cruz (baseball)
Juan Carlos Cruz is a Major League Baseball pitcher.-Career:Cruz was signed for the Chicago Cubs by scout Jose Serra. He began his pro career with the Cubs' Rookie Level team, the Mesa Cubs, where he went 2-4 with a 6.10 earned run average and 36 strikeouts in only 41.1 innings pitched...
but has since retracted his doubts. Schwartz also likes to taunt Siano during the show whenever Siano misses a show due to apparent injury or illness. Schwartz, and Micucci when he hosts, do not hesitate to "throw Siano under the bus", and to question his wisdom teeth surgery and innumerable other injuries.
"DTM"
Schwartz's signature phrase—which he actually adopted from Siano—is "DTM" which is an acronym for "Dead To Me." Schwartz uses the phrase during the Pitch and Ditch segment of the show for pitchers who have drawn his ire due to poor performance while on his fantasy team and much improved performance after Schwartz cuts them, such as Ted LillyTed Lilly
Theodore Roosevelt "Ted" Lilly III , is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He bats and throws left-handed...
, Jeff Suppan
Jeff Suppan
Jeffrey Scot Suppan , is a Major League Baseball pitcher, who is currently a free agent.-Baseball career:Suppan was drafted out of high school by the Boston Red Sox in the second round of the 1993 amateur draft, and rapidly ascended to the Majors making his debut at the age of 20...
, Jeff Weaver
Jeff Weaver
Jeffrey Charles Weaver is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has pitched in the majors for the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, St. Louis Cardinals, and Seattle Mariners...
, Ian Snell
Ian Snell
Ian Dante Snell is an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. From -, he went by the name Ian Oquendo, adopting the last name of his wife, and during the 2009 World Baseball Classic he went by Ian Davila-Snell, adopting his stepfather's surname...
, Esteban Loaiza
Esteban Loaiza
Esteban Antonio Loaiza Veyna [lo-EYE-sa] is a former Major League Baseball pitcher...
, and of finding surprise breakthrough performers such as Cliff Lee
Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee is a Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. Lee has also played for the Cleveland Indians, the Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers....
and Chris Capuano
Chris Capuano
Christopher "Chris" Frank Capuano is an American professional baseball player.-Early life:Capuano graduated from St. Thomas School in West Springfield in 8th grade...
in 2005 and Erik Bedard
Erik Bedard
Érik Joseph Bédard is a free agent Canadian professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball.Bédard previously pitched for the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners. With Baltimore, he was the staff ace, setting the franchise single-season strikeouts per nine innings record at 10.93 in...
and Josh Johnson in 2006. Pitch and Ditch can be considered a risky strategy because it increases the likelihood of having a very poor performance, which can severely hurt a fantasy team.
Recently, the existence of a "Pitch or Ditch" curse has been suggested, citing that players whose names were included in the introduction montage to the segment often went on to get injured or perform poorly. The show's segment spawned a website dedicated to pitch or ditch in called pitchorditch.com.
List of 12
The List of 12 is a list of pitchers that Schwartz nominates for breakout seasons before each season using a secret calculated formula. The theory of the List of 12 is that once talented but inconsistent pitchers reach a certain level of experience, usually around 500 inningsInnings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
pitched, they tend to improve significantly. Every preseason, Schwartz nominates his "List of 12 Special" for the season, and his 100% choices have been successful (Ben Sheets
Ben Sheets
Ben M. Sheets is an American baseball starting pitcher who is currently a free agent. He is a four-time All-Star, but has been hampered with injury problems throughout his career.-Prep and college:...
in 2004, John Lackey
John Lackey
John Derran Lackey is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Lackey was drafted by the Anaheim Angels in 1999 and helped the franchise win its first World Series title in 2002, which was his first season in the major leagues...
in 2005, Brandon Webb
Brandon Webb
Brandon Tyler Webb is a Major League Baseball pitcher. He was the 2006 National League Cy Young Award winner.-High school:Webb attended Paul G...
and Jeremy Bonderman
Jeremy Bonderman
Jeremy Allen Bonderman is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher who currently is a free agent. Bonderman is six feet and two inches tall and weighs 220 pounds. He bats and throws right-handed...
in 2006 and Erik Bedard
Erik Bedard
Érik Joseph Bédard is a free agent Canadian professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball.Bédard previously pitched for the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners. With Baltimore, he was the staff ace, setting the franchise single-season strikeouts per nine innings record at 10.93 in...
and Dan Haren
Dan Haren
Daniel John Haren is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.- High-school and college career :...
in 2007.
Don't Chase Wins
A strategy related to Pitch and Ditch. Statistical analysis shows that the number of wins, a fundamental statisticStatistic
A statistic is a single measure of some attribute of a sample . It is calculated by applying a function to the values of the items comprising the sample which are known together as a set of data.More formally, statistical theory defines a statistic as a function of a sample where the function...
in fantasy baseball
Fantasy baseball
Fantasy baseball is a game where participants manage an imaginary roster of real Major League baseball players. The participants compete against one another using those players' real life statistics to score points...
, that a pitcher earns is not consistent from year to year. Win accumulation is dependent on offensive run support, and is not a good reflection of pitching acumen. Thus, Mike and Cory tell the listeners to focus on improving other pitching statistics, such as saves
Save (sport)
In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...
, strikeouts, ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, and WHIP
Walks plus hits per inning pitched
In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base...
and that accumulating wins requires patience. It's important to note, while we don't chase wins, we don't fear them either.
Buy Low, Sell High
A strategy for trading where the optimal scenario is to tradeTrade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
away players who are outperforming their projected performance or are getting lucky and to acquire players who are underperforming and can be reasonably expected to perform better. An essential part of the strategy is to make sure to acquire a player who is more skilled than the one being traded away. Buying low and selling high is not useful if the players are of equal value or the one being acquired is less skillful.
The Player Leash Theorem
This rule of thumb was established by Schwartz regarding how long one should wait for a player having a disappointing fantasy season to produce. The formula is:26 - (The Round # in which the player was selected) = #Weeks after which a player can be released or benched due to poor performance
Thus, if a player does not meet expectations after being drafted in the 7th round of a fantasy draft, he can be cut or benched after the 19th week of the season.
Max Out The Innings Limit
Most fantasy baseball leagues have inningsInnings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
pitched limits for pitchers. Schwartz often stresses that fantasy players need to use all of their innings to maximize the potential of their pitchers. The strategy is more complex than that however. Schwartz always mentions that it doesn't matter when one reaches his innings limit, as long as they get the best out of those innings. Using all of one's innings early can be beneficial because it allows a fantasy player to fill his/her team with position players in order to upgrade their offense after releasing all of their pitchers.
Placing
This strategy is only useful in rotisserie leagues and towards the latter part of the season. The theory is that a team can move up the standings by hurting other teams that are slightly higher in the standings. Placing is a strategy that calls for a fantasy team that wants to leap over another team or separate themselves from another team in the standings, they should help other teams in certain categories in order to hurt the team that they are chasing. For example, if Team A is only a few points behind Team B in the overall standings, and Team C (or any other team other that B) only trails Team B slightly in savesSave (sport)
In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...
(or any other category), then Team A should trade a closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
to Team C as long as Team A wouldn't lose any points. The goal is for Team C to overtake Team B in saves, narrowing the lead over Team A and giving Team A a better chance to win.
Keeper League Strategy
In keeper leagues, many fantasy players feel obliged to keep as many players as they're allowed. Many callers ask Schwartz and Siano about what players to include in their keeper lists. When the keeper list that is trying to be filled is very large (more than 10), a fantasy team may not have enough good players worthy of being keepers. In such cases, Schwartz and Siano recommend to not keep less skilled players just for the sake of keeping them and to save the roster spots, because they have value, especially in shallow, mixed leagues.Alternatively, when a potential keeper list is small (around 5) and a fantasy team has an excess of worthy keepers, Schwartz always reminds the owner to attempt to trade multiple good keepers for a smaller number of excellent keepers.
Sayings
Schwartz and Siano use many original sayings that they use in the show that are very familiar within the Fantasy 411 community. Most of the sayings are strategy related, some are humorous references.Hitters Hit
Siano and Schwartz use the phrase "hitters hit" when referring to the idea that good hitters tend to balance out poor hitting with good hitting and that performance for hitters is much easier to project than pitching performance. This advice is very helpful for impatient fantasy players who are too eager to give up on their struggling offensive stars, despite good track records (or performance history).Flags Fly Forever
In reference to keeper or dynastyDynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
leagues, Siano and Schwartz always recommend to try to win in the present if possible (Win Now). Often listeners are too concerned with the future and with their keeper lists when competing in keeper leagues, but Siano and Schwartz always remind the audience that winning championships is the ultimate goal because "flags
Pennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
fly forever."
Strength Loves Certainty, Weakness Loves Risk
A very simple and self-explanatory strategy. Late in the baseball season, teams that are winning should be more conservative regarding Pitch and Ditch and free agent pickups. Teams that have ground to make up should throw caution to the wind toward the end of the season and take more risks in hopes of moving up the standings. This also applies to late season trades where strong teams should look for consistent performance, while weak teams should try to "catch lightning in a bottle."Don't Confuse the Outcome with the Decision
Schwartz and Siano often make this remark when listeners complain about poor performance from players on their fantasy teams when their decision making was sound. Schwartz and Siano remind the callers that a lot of luck is involved in fantasy baseball and that sound decision making will produce fruitful results in the long run.Premium Price for Premium Players
This idea is directed toward fantasy players who only like to make lopsided trades. The idea is self explanatory in that the one must pay a significant cost, whether with high draft picks or with other good players in trades, to acquire premium players. This is also a crucial guideline when determining keeper lists: focus on talent, not price.No Battle Plan Survives First Contact With the Enemy
An expression first stated by Prussian Field Marshal Helmuth Graf von Moltke, one of the great military strategists of the late 19th century. When applied to fantasy baseball, this means that an owner should have a careful strategy but must also be able to adapt to a different league environment or unpredictable circumstances such as injuries, trades, etc.May The Schwartz Be With You
Johnny Archives' greeting to Cory Schwartz when he calls into the Fantasy 411 to ask a question. This is a reference from the movie SpaceballsSpaceballs
Spaceballs is a 1987 American science fiction comedy parody film co-written by, directed by, Mel Brooks and starring Bill Pullman, John Candy, Mel Brooks & Rick Moranis. It also features, Daphne Zuniga, Dick Van Patten, and the voice of Joan Rivers. The film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on...
which used "The Schwartz" as a parody of "The Force" from Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
.
The Road to Fifth Place is Littered With Closers of the Future
Siano says that chasing saves "is kinda fun", but Schwartz maintains that having reliable and well-established closers is very important since turnover among closers is so frequent and often unpredictable. Fantasy players often try to "chase saves" with set-up men or young relief prospects, which, as the saying says, leads to mediocrity.Throw under the busThrow under the busTo throw under the bus is an idiomatic phrase meaning to sacrifice another person , who is usually not deserving of such treatment, out of malice or for personal gain....
A common phrase within the Fantasy 411 community, especially for Schwartz and Siano, adopted from Seth Everett and Darryl Hamilton of the "Stayin' Hot" show on MLB Radio. Throwing someone under the bus is to blame or talk trash about someone even though they may not be responsible for what they are being blamed for (scapegoating) This is usually done while the person taking the blame is not present so that he or she can not defend themselves.Spoofs
The most prominent spoof in the history of the Fantasy 411 were Chuck Norris FactsChuck Norris Facts
Chuck Norris facts are satirical factoids about martial artist and actor Chuck Norris that have become an Internet phenomenon and as a result have become widespread in popular culture. The facts are normally absurd hyperbolic claims about Norris's toughness, attitude, virility, sophistication, and...
during 2006. Listeners often call in or email original Chuck Norris Facts, which Schwartz and Siano strongly encourage. The other spoof on the show is the use of the name "Coco." During the course of the show, Schwartz and Siano like to make references to Coco Crisp
Coco Crisp
Covelli Loyce "Coco" Crisp is an American professional baseball center fielder. Crisp is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed...
and Francisco "Coco" Cordero
Francisco Cordero
Francisco Javier Cordero is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds...
. Jeffrey Ma from Protrade, who appears as a guest every Friday, is sometimes referred to as Jeffery "Coco" Ma. More recent spoofs include referring to the BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
as the "CrackBerry" because of its addictive nature and jokes regarding the TV shows Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
and 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
, listeners writing fantasy baseball haikus and the movie Superbad during Ma's weekly segment.
The Fantasy 411 Book
In September 2007, Schwartz and Siano announced their intention to pen a book encompassing everything to do with the Fantasy 411. The book is currently in its embryonic stages of idea collecting. No timetable for its release has been announced.External links
- http://fantasy411.mlblogs.com/mlbcoms_fantasy_411/ The Fantasy 411 Blog
- http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/audio/podcast/index.jsp MLB Radio Podcasts
- http://www.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/scripts/mediaplayer/mp_tpl.jsp?w=2006/open/mlbr06/show_archive/411/041406_fantasy411.wma Infamous feud between Schwartz and Siano between Brian BannisterBrian BannisterBrian Patrick Bannister is a former baseball starting pitcher who most recently pitched for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball.-Personal:...
and Félix HernándezFélix HernándezFélix Abraham Hernández , nicknamed "King Félix", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Seattle Mariners....
. - http://www.athomeplate.com/interviewschwartz.shtml A 2005 interview with Schwartz on AtHomePlate.com
- http://www.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/fantasy/mlb_fantasy_columns.jsp?story=insider0515 Schwartz's 2003 article on plate discipline