In the world of sports we tend to acknowledge and celebrate athletes that reach certain feats of accomplishment. Take baseball for instance, which creates exclusive clubs for players that reach special statistical milestones such as the 3,000 hit club, the 500 home run club, the 300-win club, and so on. Now, although my playing career has been over for several years (partly due to a crippling ankle injury but largely due to the fact that I just wasn’t that good), I have an important baseball milestone to share with you.
Last Saturday marked the 10th anniversary of my annual participation in a fantasy baseball pool-I think I just shed a tear. In a nutshell, a fantasy pool (also known as a rotisserie league) tests your ability to predict which players will have the most statistically productive season. Thousands of males across North America take part in this yearly rite of passage which marks the beginning of summer and the fact that most of us have severe issues we need to deal with.
What started out as an informal event in a high school cafeteria with five buddies each picking their favourite players, has turned into a $65 venture with conference calls, weeks of compiling seemingly important research, and a web site that tabulates every type of statistic imaginable.
To give you an idea of the complexity of last Saturday’s extravaganza held at a friend’s downtown condo, let me set the stage. Two laptops were being used to make sure all of the information was properly recorded, three tables were setup with magazines and Excel sheets to make sure every single piece of useless information was at our fingertips, and one case of beer was chilled in case of dehydration. I’d like to compare it to the White House war room, only with much more intelligence and much less mention of the Lord.
Over the last 10 years, my team has finished on top only once. However, the prize money has never been the issue. For the 12 individuals involved it is about pride, and more importantly, bragging rights. It is about knowing that you picked that 19-year-old prospect that turned out to be an all-star or that you took that pitcher not because you needed him but because you knew your friend really wanted him. Spite becomes a very important part of the drafting process.
The pool then starts to take over your life. As soon as the season starts, questions regarding school, job, family, significant others, takes a back seat to more important issues such as working out a blockbuster trade that will enable you to fill your pitching needs. I am not kidding.
Like a girlfriend or renting a season of The Sopranos, participating in a fantasy pool takes commitment. One must not take this responsibility lightly, so I hope I have shed some light on the trials and tribulations of the fantasy baseball pool, and in conclusion here’s hoping that Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Alex Cintron becomes the next Alex Rodriguez. My pride is on the line.
