Fantasy Baseball and all that

As I've said before, ESPN's 30 For 30 series is better than 90% of the films I've seen since the ambitious series began back in November of last year. Last night's episode focused on a silly little game called fantasy baseball and its (obsessive) humble beginnings in 1980 by a group of fervent baseball fanatics. While I can honestly say I've only jumped into the fray of the fantasy leagues a year ago, as a kid (also obsessed by baseball, both playing it and watching it), this type of interaction with a sport I dearly love is beyond words. I can remember spending endless hours playing old baseball board games as well as inventing my own: placing my baseball cards on the ground with the players in their respective positions and rolling dice for results. One was a single,two double, three triple, four out, five strikeout and 6 homerun, calculating the stats on pieces of paper over a month long period. Oh, if only these kids today could get off their cell phones.....

So I find myself in a very enjoyable league this season with some dear friends and some complete strangers, but it's just as time-consuming and possessive as "Silly Little Game" purports it to be. I log in 5-6 times a night to study the stat lines. I watch Baseball Tonight (after a Rangers loss, I'm sure) and closely watch for 'my guys' and their results. Really, what other reason would I have to care about how the Milwaukee Brewers do on a Tuesday night? Bottom line... its a helluva lotta fun. And depressing. I was in a solid fourth when I went to bed last night, and find myself eight out of ten tonight. A 3 point slide can do that type of destruction. As I type this post right now, listening to the Rangers/Red Sox in the background, I've checked my stats twice! But, if that's all I have to lament about, then I suppose I should be a very happy guy.

My Fantasy team in all its 2010 splendor:

Ivan Rodriguez- as a fan of Carlton Fisk since I was 10, I refuse to use the "Pudge" moniker! A week into the season, I dropped Geovany Soto and picked up Rodriguez. A great choice, as he currently leads the NL in batting average.

Ryan Howard

Dan Uggla

Ian Stewart- hopefully a small hidden homerun secret that will help me this year. Playing in Colorado helps too.

Erick Aybar

Jose Lopez

Adam LaRoche- really hurting me so far... under performing due to injury.

Jayson Werth

Shane Victorino

Jason Kubel- damn that new Target field looks nice. Maybe if work takes me back up there eventually, I can score tickets.

Jason Heyward- a steal on my part, if I may be so humble. My jaw dropped open when I drafted him for my last pick, stunned he was still there.

David Ortiz- had him on the bench since game 3. Big Papi looks to have lost it.

Carlos Gomez

Rickie Weeks

BJ Upton- steals mean so much in fantasy baseball

Jason Bay- man, he's gotta get thing going. I snapped him with one of my first picks, thinking a hot NY deal will energize him.... plus the low left field in Mets stadium when he was bashing homers over the Green Monster last year? Still early though...



Pitching:

Jon Lackey
Naftali Feliz- if only he'd get a chance over Frank Choke-sisco right now.
Mariano Rivera
Jake Peavy
James Shields
Octavio Dotel
Edwin Jackson
Darren O Day
Barry Zito

my WHIP is giving me great results. If you don't know WHIP, then this whole post probably made your eyes glaze over.