A Fantasy Challenge. Whether You Want One Or Not.

If you recall, a little more than a month ago we offered up the potential to join our own DOT Fantasy Baseball League.  We offered some unique features, a modest buy-in price, and the camaraderie of friendship and fandom that many other sites offer.

We had the exact same success rate as did Senator Blutarski did during his college days.  Zero point zero, as the beloved Dean Wormer intoned.

My business partner and I lamented that perhaps we got a late start, overestimated the appeal of our insurance policy, or simply didn’t have a clue as to what we were doing (he’d dispute that, but, frankly, upon further consideration, I admit I overestimated my own capacity),

But if we are correctly gauging the interests of many of you who do read this, we know that at least some of you, or perhaps your kids, are going to play fantasy baseball this year.  And, once again, so will I.  My “BALLERS” league, made up primarily of former colleagues and sports enthusiasts.

We used to gather at restaurants, sometimes people’s homes.  We had actual camaraderie.  In recent years, schedules became too jumbled, so we scrapped that.  During the pandemic, it was all but impossible to convince people to gather.  We’re not alone in moving to an online format; indeed, the entire draft last night took roughly an hour and a half, about a third as long as our protracted in-person gatherings used to.

So since my team is as readily available for scrutiny as is yours, let me show you how I did.

My starting lineup is at the top of this column.  I needed to draft Pete Alonso, not just because he’s my favorite current Met, but he is a consistent, prolific power threat.  And unlike last year, when plenty of Mets fell my way, he’s one of only two that I have.  I rounded out my infield with versatility–my current second baseman, the Padres’ Jake Cronenworth, will actually play first place and bat cleanup for the Pads, and stands a great chance for RBIs with the likes of Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Xavier Bogaerts hitting in front of him.  I have Bo Bichette of Toronto at short; though I took a flyer on the Yankees’ Anthony Volpe as an option knowing he had a great spring, and while he might not be the next Derek Jeter, he certainly could be a Rookie of The Year candidate.  At third, the Braves’ Austin Riley seemed to get a lot of key hits against the Mets down the stretch, so if nothing else my drafting of him will at least calm my anger when he ultimately does that again.

In my outfield, Julio Rodriguez of the Mariners was a breakout last year, and I believe he has even greater upside for the Mariners.  A friend and I attended his first-ever start in Seattle last Easter Sunday, and she hasn’t stopped glowing from the experience.  So I’m personally and professionally invested in him.  The Mets’ Mark Canha is my other personal favorite, but truth be told I had Canha as an Oakland A and I know he’s capable of being a steady hitter,age notwithstanding.  My outfield is currently rounded out by the Indians’ Amed Rosario, who is scheduled to be their shortstop, so I actually have some true depth at the position.  His teammate Josh Naylor is my utility choice; he, too, is eligible at multiple positions (first base and outfield), so I have flexibility in case of injury or slump).

My pitching staff is below.  Our league is a weekly head-to-head league where the value of two-spot starters is enhanced. We award top points for wins, which can be a crapshoot, but pitchers with two starts can chalk up strikeouts and innings to a greater extent than even an excellent one-spot starter can.  So my NL West-exclusive quartet of the Dodgers’ Dustin May and Noah Syndegaard, the Padres’ Blake Snell and the D-Backs’ Zac Gallen are strong, though not necessarily aces, and could easily be trade bait or swapped out.  I do believe in relief pitchers, with my recent favorite Edwin Diaz gone for the year I chose to go for quality with contenders–the Brewers’ strikeout machine Devin Williams and, in case his proclivity for an occasional long ball rears its head, the Mariners’ Paul Sewald should get a bunch of chances.

On my bench, I also have versatility.  The Yankees’ D.J. LeMahieu and the Orioles’ ROY candidate Gunnar Henderson qualify at multiple positions.  My current pitching option is the Cardinals’ Jordan Montgomery, who I picked up when he got traded from the Yankees last summer as a two-spot fill-in and was in the midst of a winning streak when he switched leagues.  I have some confidence in him continuing, but I’m not married to him.

So that’s my lineup.  I’d like to offer you at least the chance to compare yours with mine, and if you want to make a friendly wager (small stakes please!), message me,  Even for an individual week.  I truly miss the camaraderie of what my home league once had, and if we’re going to be relegated to a virtual world, I want all the action I can handle.  This year, there’s an especially crying need in my case.

As many of you may have read, this season is particularly poignant, as one of our former commissioners died suddenly this winter at the age of 47.  In his honor, our typically twelve-team league expanded to a thirteenth team, with AutoDraft ostensibly doing the selection, though I’d like to believe somewhere divine intervention was guiding his choices.

“His” team is at the bottom of this column.  Juan Soto AND Kyle Schwarber.  Yep, I actually do believe he’s managing from the uppermost deck.

If I lose to that team, I won’t mind.  I’d like the chance to make up for it by beating one of you.

Message me.  Let’s play ball together.

Courage…