FANTASY BASEBALL!

For those of you with a gag reflex when it comes to fantasy sports, just turn your heads now. I’m going to be devoting the next few hundred words to a term that for some odd reason still has a strong opposition from fans of a sport it is meant to attract. You can’t not be a baseball fan and like fantasy baseball, but apparently you can be a baseball fan and hate fantasy baseball.

Fantasy sports are seemed as somewhat geekish. In its basic definition it’s a game designed to use stats from real players to create points for a team assembled by you in a GM-duty-like draft. Basically someone created a whole new, and interesting way, to talk trash among your friends.

I love fantasy sports for a few reasons:

1. It allows you to get closer to the game. I would NEVER have paid attention to minor leaguers prior to playing fantasy baseball, but thanks to my leagues, I now know that Johnny Cueto is going to be an all star soon, I knew about David Wright prior to his breakout year, I know that Joey Votto and Jay Bruce will be stalwarts in Cincy, and I know that David Price will be up by mid season and add to an already good pitching rotation in Tampa. Names like that don’t just pop up by being a casual fan.
2. Understanding the importance of more than just HR’s, RBI’s and average stats. I used to play fantasy sports (in the rather ignorant phase of my fantasy career) and draft according to basic stats like homers, average and RBI’s. Now those are good, but the league is never won in the first ten rounds where you will get your can’t miss guys. The league is won from your drafting in rounds 11- wherever your league ends drafting. Your championship is earned by searching the waiver wires for guys that are under the radar gun of most players. Its easy to pick an Alex Rodriguez in the first round, but how many know about Yunel Escobar of the Braves with his multi-position eligibility and his incredible August-September for the Braves. The Braves knew what they had so they were able to trade Edgar Renteria to the Tigers. You have to know a player’s OBP (on base percentage) OPS (on base plus slugging), or a pitcher’s K/9 (strikeouts per nine innings), WHIP (walks plus hits per innings pitched), K/BB (strikeout to walk ratio), and HR/9 (number of homers per nine innings). There’s more to it than the bare essentials.
3. Understanding of how hard it is to actually GM a team. Its tough to know that as a GM you have to face all these factors, make important changes, but not have the benefit of having a lot of these guys in the same line up. It would be nice to have David Wright, Troy Tulowitzki, and Ryan Howard in your infield, but in real life that doesn’t happen. Makes the success of guys like Billy Beane, and Larry Beinfest that much more amazing.

But fantasy baseball faces more criticism than any other fantasy sport because of the length of the baseball season (162 games) and just the grueling process of 6 months and having to update your team every single day sometimes. Basketball has almost the same amount of time but teams play, 3 out of the seven days, but baseball usually plays, at the very minimum 5 out of 7 days so owners have to play the game almost every single day making it an incredible investment of both time and patience. Those who do take the challenge of looking at it everyday have mastered the art of time management or have way too much time on their hands and no real job.

But its funny in someways, that fantasy sports has caught hold of a wave on both internet and television. Now fantasy stats can be seen on those bars on the bottom of your screen, flashing names of players you may be overlooking, or in fantasy slang: fantasy sleeper (isn’t that a redundant phrase? How is that even possible given the English language?). It’s the classic case of a cult following, dictating its will over the major public. Even sports players do fantasy leagues.

Fantasy is also interesting in that your rooting for players in other teams that you may normally never root for. If your completely stubborn and a Yankee fan, you’ll avoid a Josh Beckett or a David Ortiz or a Johnathan Papelbon, Manny Ramirez, but you do so knowing the competitive disadvantage you’re putting yourself in. Most owners of both the Yankees and the BoSox have players from their hated rivals on their fantasy teams. Most die hard fans may consider that unholy, but that’s what fantasy does. I have Jeff Francouer of the hated Braves in one of my fantasy teams. See, even miracles can happen with fantasy sports, it can make me root for a Brave.

Ok, so in order for you to understand why I love this so much, I am now going to show you my draft picks and a brief description of why I picked them where I did.

1. (4) David Wright 3B- I’m not just saying this as a Met fan but I project .330 avg, 35-40 hrs, 110-120 RBIs, with 110 runs and 30 SB’s. Now that is a fantasy feast.

2. (13) Ryan Howard 1B- In a down year he hit 47 HR’s. I believe he’s in for a bounce back year which means 50+. I’m going to have live with the K’s but I’ll take it given the other numbers he’ll produce.

3. (20) Brandon Phillips 2B- He’s hitting 3^rd in the line up that should have some young boppers coming up. He’s a 30/30 threat that should benefit from seeing a lot of good pitches.

4. (29) Curtis Granderson OF- The Tigers miss this guy more than they know. A table setter. I don’t expect him to be as good as he was last year, but 15-18 Hr’s, a decent average and steals for a team that loves to manufacture runs even though with the power in this line up, they don’t need to try that hard.

5. (36) Erik Bedard SP- This guy’s stuff is absolutely ridiculous. K/9 last year was 10.9 which is fantastic and he had 13 wins on an absolutely horrible Orioles team. Bedard is going to be heading a fantastic one two punch in Seattle, with Mel Stottlemyer as pitching coach, his stuff should only get better.

6. (45) Chone Figgins 2B,3B,OF- Multi position eligibility, hits for average, scores a lot of runs and steals, cant ask for more from this guy.

7. (52) Troy Tulowitzki SS- Probably in the discussion of top 3 best all around shortstops in the game, given his defense, leadership, and offense. Comparisons to Jeter in his prime are very noteworthy. Plays in an offense where he will see a lot of pitches because of the thumpers behind him.

8. (61) Francisco Rodríguez RP- He’s taken the lack of contract discussions personally and is pitching for a new contract. Ahh, I love walk years.

9. (68) Aaron Harang SP- Another strikeout master, should be getting a lot of help from the offense this year, so his win total should go up. Perennial 200 k guy in the majors.

10. (77) Corey Hart OF- Young guy who will hit 25/25 this year if he has the season I expect him to.

11. (84) Javier Vázquez SP- Another 200 k guy, took him just to add to strikeouts, but I don’t expect wins.

12. (93) Bobby Jenks RP- 40 save years back to back, and should see another one coming soon. Has a filthy WHIP which means he’s not giving up that many hits and not many baserunners causing him worry.

13. (100) Paul Konerko 1B- I know, I know, three straight WHITESOX? But he’s due for a bounce back year.

14. (109) Brad Lidge RP- Drafted before he was injured. Lidge may have trouble locking down saves but he had 88 k’s in 67 innings which means he still has filthy stuff.

15. (116) John Maine SP- I expect a huge year from this guy who in spring training had two straight double digit scoreless inning streaks. Came close to pitching a no hitter on the day before the final day of the season. Has the stuff to be filthy and I believe he’ll put it together this year.

16. (125) Yunel Escobar 2B,3B,SS- Multi position eligibility, and there goes that word again, he’s a fantasy sleeper.

17. (132) Shane Victorino OF- Steals, more playing time, average might shoot down a bit but it doesn’t hurt playing in Citizens Bank park.

18. (141) Pedro Martínez SP- Ok, so I was believing that hype about Pedro feeling awesome for a good minute before he got injured. I expect him to have a good second half.

19. (148) Billy Butler 1B,OF- Fantasy stud that has been shoved down our throats by those of you who have been paying attention to the Yahoo fantasy home page. Could be a batting champ with the ability or a major bust that would make us roll our eyes for not trusting our instincts.

20. (157) Geovany Soto C- Probably the best offensive catcher that was still available.

21. (164) Tim Hudson SP- He’s going to win 18 games this year, and as my final pick, I couldn’t have done better.

I will have you know that this draft was done with just 8 teams and these guys would not be available this late in most 12 team drafts so don’t get your hopes up about these guys being available this late in most drafts.

I will be updating you on transactions this coming year, and hopefully you can email suggestions as well to help me lock up this fantasy championship. Call it collective will being exerted, but let’s just make sure that we call it a championship!