Feb. 28, 2008 - Our baseball contributors get together for a little spring training version of "Would you rather ...?" Thirty answer to 10 questions that cover the usual topics - fantasy baseball, real baseball, spring training, steroids and commissioner Bud Selig in a street fight.

FANTASY
Would you rather ...
1. Begin the season with Jose Reyes or Hanley Ramirez as your starting shortstop?
Dustin Hockensmith: Give me Jose Reyes right now. He has the potential to kill stolen bases, maybe even crack triple digits, and can hit 20 home runs. With that high of a pick, I'm not avert to any risk, like the one Hanley's new lineup could present.
Steve Kwan: I would also have to pick Reyes. He's in a stacked Mets lineup, as opposed to Hanley's threadbare Marlins. Had Reyes not gone into that late season slump last year, this wouldn't even be up for debate. If you have the choice, take Reyes and don't look back.
Zach Freeman: I'll take Reyes as well. He's looking to steal a base every time he gets on the base paths, and with his batting average around .300, that could mean lots of steals. Ramirez is a great young player, but with very little talent around him. Reyes gets the nod for the time being.
 
2. Build your fantasy teams around pitching, hitting or a solid mix of both?
DH: Big-time offenses win fantasy championships. Weaknesses can be covered up in the pitching categories, but offensive flaws will be exposed instantly. Put up premium numbers in home runs and steals, and there's a good chance you put up the biggest number in total offense.
SK: A team with a dominant and consistent offense will always trump a team with five staff aces. The pitching pool, especially for starters,  is always rich and deep, so build your team around quality offense. In fantasyland, the difference between Johan Santana and Matt Cain is much smaller than the difference between David Wright and Hank Blalock.
ZF: I would take the solid mix of both. I think most people want the offense, so if you can steal a couple of wins every week with your pitchers, look to do that. It's tough to get a good mix of both pitching and hitting, but if you can, you should be in the top half of your league all year long.
 
3. Take the sleeper with big talent or the veteran with a proven track record?
DH: In a perfect world, I don't have to choose. If my team is stocked with veterans, then I'll be looking for a premium sleeper with a high ceiling. If the team's starting to take on too much risk, then it's time for some reliable veterans to balance it out.
SK: Usually, the veteran should get your pick. Remember that you're not playing to be champion in 2011; you're playing to win this season. How many owners were burned for wasting a high pick on Alex Gordon last year? You might want to fill bench spots with hot prospects, but veterans who don't show signs of decline should come first.
ZF: Tough call here. Veterans wear out quickly and sleepers with big talent can be busts. For this one though, give me the veteran with the proven track record. They've got the track record for a reason and until you see their numbers tapering off, stick with them.
 
4. Use a high draft pick on a top closer or pick up scraps later?
DH: I'm a bad one to ask about this because I always build pitching staffs with a priority on closers. The top tier doesn't usually fit into the plan, but I like to assault the second and third tiers when fewer people are paying attenion.
SK: The flow of the draft usually dictates when I take closers. I never like to be the one to start the closer rush, but if top closers start slipping and my team is looking good through the first five or six picks, I'll jump for someone like Papelbon.
ZF: As I said before I like a mix of power and pitching. With that in mind, if a closer is out there on a succesful team, that will usually translate into a good amount of saves. I wouldn't take a closer too early, but if you see a guy you want and think you can surprise people during your draft, go for him.
 
5. Be panicking to fill an empty starting spot at catcher or second base?
DH: I'll take strength in the middle infield over strength behind the plate. Because nobody carries any more catchers than what is absolutely necessary, a decent one always seems to be available on the waiver wire.
SK: I usually leave catchers for one of my very last picks unless a stud like Mauer slips big-time, so second base panics me more. Second base is traditionally the shallowest of all fielding positions, and this year is no different.
ZF: I agree with Dustin here. Catchers are usually easy to pick up off waivers and if you can find one more great player from the infield who can hit and put up decent numbers, go for him. Most catchers are more defensive minded anyway and won't provide many of the numbers you want.

REALITY
Would you rather ...
1. Pick the Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers or "Other" to win the World Series?
DH: I'll take the other, no telling who the hottest team will be come September. The field includes the Rockies, Cubs, Angels, Brewers, Phillies, Diamondbacks, Indians and White Sox, too, so you've got plenty of darkhorses.
SK: In a perfect world, The Toronto Blue Jays would win the World Series after going 162-0. But because the world isn't perfect, I'm picking the Detroit Tigers to cash in on their blockbuster trade and win it all this year.
ZF: As a huge Mets fan, I'll try not to let my strong bias come into play on this one. I will take the other. There are a lot of good teams going into the season who have a lot of core players that can win games for their teams. Darkhorses like the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals can come from nowhere and beat the teams that are "supposed" to win.
 
2. Be Roger Clemens, Miguel Tejada or Barry Bonds facing possible perjury charges?
DH: Bonds seems the most likely to get off the hook. Clemens and Tejada both have more concrete, contradicting statements under oath. Former trainer Greg Anderson is Bonds' only incriminating loose end, and he's not likely to break his silence now.
SK: I'll be Tejada. At least I'm still picking up a paycheck from an MLB team for now. Besides, Tejada isn't a national icon like Bonds and Clemens are, so there's less pressure on him.
ZF: I agree with Dustin on this one. Bonds has Anderson on his side and won't be breaking his silence anytime soon. Tejada though can go with the "I don't speak english" defense and try to speak spanish the rest of his career. It ended up working for Sammy Sosa, very few people talk about him anymore.
 
3. Take Bud Selig's or MLBPA executive director Donald Fehr's side in a street fight?
DH: Selig is 12 years Fehr's elder, but has got a real mean streak buried under his bad haircut and big glasses. Whisper in his ear that the drug problem in baseball is his fault, and he'll go crazy like a rabid badger.
SK: If these two were having a street fight I would take the side of a video camera and turn myself into a YouTube legend.
ZF: I'll take Selig, too. Being as small as he is, he has to have some martial arts background or something. I feel like he would bust out some nunchucks and go crazy.
 
4. Keep the designated hitter or force American League pitchers to bat for themselves?
DH: I say balance the two leagues out and make AL pitchers hit. It's compelling to see how the different AL and NL philosophies match up in the All-Star game or World Series, but the rules difference puts the National League at a disadvantage.
SK: I would rather have the NL change its rules to allow a DH. Honesty, do fans want to see pitchers bat? Do pitchers even want to bat? What I know for sure is that I don't want to see Big Papi field that often.
ZF: I think the National League should go to the designated hitter. It would provide more offense, and fans of the game will like seeing the extra home runs. The bottom of the orders in the NL are generally weaker than those of the AL and pitchers in the NL take full advantage and can usually get an easy out with the pitcher coming up.
 
5. Take Indians' center fielder Grady Sizemore, Twins' catcher Joe Mauer or Nationals' third baseman Ryan Zimmerman as your team's franchise player?
DH: Zimmerman and Mauer have both emerged as young leaders for their teams, moreso than Sizemore. But, Sizemore has gold glove type abilities in center field and is one of the game's best leadoff hitters. I'll go with him.
SK: I like Zimmerman from a fantasy standpoint, but he hasn't shown me enough to be a franchise player. Mauer has nagging injury problems. Sizemore excels both on the field and at the plate, so give me Sizemore for right now.
ZF: I'll take Mauer in this one. He had an off year last year, but the year before he was flirting with .400 until August. That isn't by accident. If he can catch for a few more years and put up great numbers and then move to first base, he'll be good for a while. Zimmerman is good, but strikes out a lot. Sizemore is a great outfield and is a great leadoff hitter, but Mauer has the power and the average.