First Pitch Arizona
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2011
12:35 PM: AFL ballgames for early arrivals (on your own)
Phoenix Desert Dogs at Mesa Solar Sox (HoHoKam Park)
Scottsdale Scorpions at Surprise Saguaros (Surprise Stadium)
5:30 PM: Welcome Reception at Salt River Fields
Our annual ice-breaker... For first-timers, a chance to meet the speakers and fellow attendees. For our returnees, your chance to reconnect with old friends. Enjoy free hors d'oeuvres and cash bar. (Meet at 5:00pm in hotel lobby for game tickets.)
6:35 PM: AFL evening ballgame
*Peoria Javelinas at Salt River Rafters (Salt River Fields at Talking Stick)
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2011
8:00 AM: Introductions and Welcome
RON SHANDLER, Baseball HQ
9:00 AM: Arizona Fall League Scouting Report: The Batters
JASON GREY, ESPN.com
KIMBALL CROSSLEY, Toronto Blue Jays
Find out about the players you need to watch at the parks this weekend, with insightful, multi-media scouting reports. Our experts will highlight the most upwardly mobile prospects in this rapid-fire double session to kick things off.
10:00 AM: Arizona Fall League Scouting Report: The Pitchers
JASON GREY, ESPN.com
KIMBALL CROSSLEY, Toronto Blue Jays
The AFL scouting reports continue.
11:00 AM: Prospects and the Fantasy Perspective
JOHN SICKELS, Minorleagueball.com
JASON GREY, ESPN.com
ROB GORDON, Minor League Baseball Analyst/BaseballHQ.com
Fantasy leaguers are an impatient bunch. They lust after new talent and place highly inflated value on prospects. For them, Brett Lawrie over Howie Kendrick is a no-brainer. For them, it's inexplicable that Mark Trumbo would succeed while Brandon Belt would fail. And why did Mike Trout make his MLB debut while Jesus Montero still toiled in Triple-A? Where is the justice? This panel discussion will attempt to present some perspective so that fantasy leaguers can better fit minor league prospects into their pre-season and in-season roster management planning.
12:00 PM: Lunch (on your own)
Congregate with fellow attendees before the ballgame at Chipotle, Schlotzsky's or a host of other local eateries.
12:35 PM: AFL afternoon ballgames
*Salt River Rafters at Mesa Solar Sox (HoHoKam Park)
Peoria Javelinas at Surprise Saguaros (Surprise Stadium)
3:00 PM: 10th Annual Xperts Fantasy League (XFL) Draft
Jeff Winick, Brian Feldman, Trace Wood, Peter Kreutzer
Perry Van Hook, Gene McCaffrey, Jeff Erickson
Doug Dennis, Todd Zola, Brian Walton, Greg Ambrosius
Ron Shandler, Don Drooker, Steve Moyer, Lawr Michaels
Join the grandmasters of the fantasy baseball industry for the XFL's 10th annual keeper league auction. Following the draft, join the group for a post-mortem as they reveal their strategies, discuss how the draft went, and answer your questions.
- Analyze your AL fantasy roster (Matt Dodge)
- Analyze your NL fantasy roster (Lenny Melnick)
- Analyze your Mixed league fantasy roster (Nick Minnix)
- Scoresheet Baseball (Jeff Barton)
- Head-to-head gaming (Steve Gardner, Tim Heaney)
- Tips for new players to fantasy baseball (Eric Karabell, Cory Schwartz)
- Gaining an edge with Twitter (Jason Collette)
- How to choose keepers (Derek Van Riper, Nate Ravitz)
6:35 PM: AFL evening ballgame
*Scottsdale Scorpions at Phoenix Desert Dogs (Phoenix Municipal Stadium)
* Symposium attendee game
NOTE: SCHEDULE IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
