Boys Of Summer

For me there is no better time of the year than now. For in less than one week the new baseball season will be under way. Baseball is my religion. I simply love the game and every year around this time I get as excited as Bill Clinton at the Miss America Pageant. I usually take the first week of the season off and hit a Cub s game. This year I am taking the week of the 11^th off and am hitting the Cubs-Padres game on the 12^th.

On top of all of that I have my baseball draft this Saturday. Yes, I am enough of a geek that I am in Fantasy baseball league. I have won the league two out of the last three years. The draft is the day that we pick our players for the season. I am studying depth charts, spring training injury reports and position battles like it is finals week in college. The draft is my favorite time of the whole season.

It takes place at my friend Rob’s house. We get there a little early to barbeque and bitch about rule changes and complaints from the previous year. After that the shit talking and the draft starts. It is usually the only time all ten of us are together for the entire season. I excel in the art of trash talking so, I lay it on pretty thick. I usually sit in the corner with my friend Chuck and we laugh at all the picks that we disagree with. (Such as a certain owner drafting Hideo Nomo in the second round last year.) Then when it is all said and done I analyze it and go over what I did right and wrong.

This will be the second season that I run the league. I used to do it back in the early 90’s but I got tired of dealing with all the headaches that go along with it. So, Chuck took over for six years and then he started having kids so, he didn’t really have time to do it. So, not trusting anyone else to run it, I again took the reigns and again am in charge of the league. My duties include collecting money, keeping the website updated, settling arguments, and most importantly following DL moves. It is almost like a non-paying part time job. The benefit is that by running the league you get to know players better and it gives you somewhat of an advantage. With all that said, I still wish I didn’t have to do it.

However, I love getting on the train each morning and turning to the baseball pages and checking the box scores. Analyzing box scores is something I’ve done from an early age and is a must for any good fantasy baseball owner. Baseball is a marathon season and it takes dedication to keep up with it. On top of box scores I catch Baseball Tonight on ESPN almost every night to try to get as much inside information as I can. My friends I go to lunch with at work call me Rainman with my ability to remember players and stats from past era’s.

Opening Day is better than any other day of the year, even the Superbowl. It takes me back to when I was a kid. I can remember watching Ivan DeJesus winning the 80 opener with a base hit in the 10^th. Than in 1985 going to opening day to watch Rick Sutcliffe pitch eight brilliant innings and the Cubs winning a 2-1 game against the Pirates. Or, Mitch Williams walking the bases loaded in the ninth only to strikeout three consecutive Phillies to win the 89 opener. Or in 2003 as a sign of things to come Corey Patterson hitting two home runs as the Cubs started their roll to the division title.

So, as I said I am in deep thought and trying to find this years Oliver Perez. Hopefully, I can do something I’ve never done and repeat as champion. I’ve won the league four separate times but never repeated. To all my fellow owners I wish you all luck. I look forward to another fun season.