Batter up … pt 2

In Batter up part 1, I wrote about the singly most important influence that led to becoming a fan of baseball (my friend Ted Smith). In this post, I will tell you about the activity that has cemented my interest in and love for the game: fantasy baseball.

If you are unfamiliar with fantasy sport, the entry in Wikipedia provides a good overview. The article states that, “In September 2015, Forbes reported that Eilers Research was projecting that daily fantasy games will generate around $2.6 billion in entry fees this year and grow 41% annually, reaching $14.4 billion in 2020.” That’s a lot of dough coming from the pockets of the estimated 15% of the US population that participates. These days, nearly every sport features a fantasy component, and, anecdotally, my impression is the Americans are more likely to choose football over baseball. It’s easy to see why. The football season is shorter, and it’s easier to follow one game per week. The MLB season runs from April through mid-October, and fantasy participants need to monitor the performance of their players over a combined total of 2,400 games. It boggles the mind to think about the effort this required back in the days when newspaper box scores provided the only source of statistical data. Since dipping my toe into the game back in 2003, the Internet has saved the day, affording would be team owners with a means for automatically tracking and compiling daily statistics in any number of categories.

When it comes to fantasy baseball, loyalty to a particular team can be a hindrance. No matter how a big a team fan you might be, success lies in choosing the best players for the fantasy squad you manage. This could well mean holding your nose and selecting someone from a team you despise. In the end, it is the day to day performance of each player that determines your team’s standing in each of the scoring categories. I have always played in what is called a Rotisserie League. A Google search will tell you that, “Rotisserie, or ‘Roto,’ is the most common way to play fantasy baseball. In this scoring type, teams are ranked from first to last in each statistical category. Points are then awarded according to the order in each category, then totaled to determine an overall score and league rank.” Got it? The statistical categories that the Eugene Fantasy Baseball League uses are divided into two types: offensive stats and pitching stats. The offensive stats that are tracked for each player include: Home Runs (HR), Runs Batted In (RBI), Runs, Batting Average (BA) and Stolen Bases (SB). The pitching stats include: Earned Run Average (ERA), Walks Plus Hits Per Inning Pitched (WHIP), Saves, Wins and Strikeouts Per 9 Innings (KD9). There are a myriad of stats to choose from, but these ten are probably the most commonly used with the exception of KD9 (used instead of total Strikeouts Per Plate Appearance in order to elevate the importance of the Relief Pitchers).

At this point, I’ve lost some of my readers who cannot equate such gobbledygook with the idea of having fun. I get it, but hear me out. As the owner/manager of a fantasy team, you derive a vicarious thrill in trying to solve the same problem facing each major league team. How do you assemble a pool of talent that proves to be a winning combination? It’s not easy, and no one has ever won the League by fielding a less than balanced group of hitters and pitchers.

To assemble this balanced team, every would-be owner/manager prepares for draft day or, in the case of the Eugene Fantasy Baseball League (EFBL), a multi-day draft that is conducted entirely online over a period of about 2 weeks. EFBL uses a snaking format where the previous year’s last place finisher makes the first pick, followed by the other owners in the reverse order of last year’s standings until the reigning champion makes the 12th and 13th picks and then the draft “snakes” back around toward the beginning. As so it goes until each owner has selected a complete roster.

Preparation for the draft and the initial assemblage of players involves the investment of some time and mental energy, but that’s just the start. The MLB regular season runs from April through September, so the key to winning the League, placing in the top six finishers for a cash prize or claiming victory in one or more of the scoring categories takes perseverance. It takes daily vigilance to slot starting pitchers and monitor your team for injuries that could land a given player on the disabled list (DL) for days, weeks or even months. For example, I have high hopes for Giancarlo Stanton this year, but he has been recuperating from a shoulder injury since the beginning of the season.

Once I developed an appreciation, even love, for the game of baseball, playing fantasy has kept my “head in the game.” In order to watch all the players on my team, I’ve invested in the MLB Extra Innings package so that I can watch out of market games in addition to the one or two regional match-ups that are featured on cable each night. Short of actually getting out to the ballpark, flipping on the TV after work takes me there and provides the vicarious satisfaction and enjoyment associated with the sounds and sights of the game. It’s a wonder what major-leaguers can do with a small, hard ball. How pitchers can vary the speed, angles, spin and direction of the baseball never ceases to amaze.

Do I recommend playing fantasy baseball to my friends and family? Not very often. It’s an acquired taste–in my case developed over many years. Kind of like coffee. But, at this point in my life, I can’t do without either. Play ball!