Published 00:51, May the 14th, 2009
Approach the bench
New site will examine and rule on your fantasy disputes
FANTASY. When CC Sabathia was robbed of his no-hitter last August, the oversized pitcher wasn’t the only one that got hosed. Millions of fantasy owners were complaining, as well.
So when the Brewers formally filed an appeal, hoping to turn the one hit Sabathia gave up into an error, it left fantasy commissioners in limbo. Could head-to-head matchups be put on hold while baseball mulled a ruling?
Mike Stein happened to be one of those commissioners and also a Sabathia owner. He was in a sticky situation. And that’s when fantasyjudgment.com was born.
“I thought it would be great if there was a third party, a neutral that could work out the facts and make an objective decision,” said Stein, a New York lawyer who is behind the site.
If you’ve played fantasy sports, you know arguments come with the territory. Trade vetoes, waiver wire disputes and rule interpretations have ruined many a friendship over the years.
Stein and his four other panelists hope to eliminate these problems. For $15 a dispute, or $100 for a season, they will examine cases and render verdicts within 48 hours.
If the idea catches on, Stein sees bigger ventures on the horizon.
“When I came up with this idea I kind of tried to work backwards and say what’s my endgame?
And my endgame was well, I go to CBS, ESPN, Yahoo!, all the major fantasy providers, and say, ‘Hey I have this service.’” Stein said. “Ideally, I’d like to be linked directly with one of those fantasy providers.”
visit 
www.fantasyjudgment.com
TOP MLB Pickups of the week
Cheap steals
One of the easiest categories to make up ground in is stolen bases. Here’s three guys to target for easy speed:
[4] Elvis Andrus, SS, Rangers — He only has three steals so far, way under expectation. Expect 30 before it’s said and done.
[3] Emmanuel Burriss, 2B, Giants — Has a lock on the leadoff spot, which is the first ingredient for swipes.
[2] Juan Pierre, OF, Dodgers — Now that Man-Ram is out for 50 games, the Dodgers are going small.
[1] Jerry Hairston Jr., MI, Reds — Steals, average, multi-position eligibility and playing time. What else is there in life?
Offseason Notebook
Keeping up with the NFL’s news from a fantasy perspective:
The Bills reached a deal with Fred Jackson, meaning he’ll start the three games Marshawn Lynch is suspended. ... Rumor has it Brady Quinn is a lock to start Week 1 for the Browns. He’s an interesting sleeper. ... Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith will likely be the Giants starting wideouts. Hixon is worth a flier, but Smith doesn’t have the upside. ... Bubba Franks is on the Jets again, but is no longer a fantasy option.