Fantasy baseball: It's a marathon
It’s in the top of the first inning at Citi Field in New York and Comerica Park in Detroit.
I have Justin Verlander on the mound as the Tigers play Cleveland. Johan Santana is starting for the Mets against Washington. But on this particular Sunday, nothing could go worse from the start.
Verlander allows two singles before giving up a walk. Cleveland’s Travis Hafner hits a sacrifice fly to bring in a run but, before you know it, Matt Laporta draws another walk. Bases loaded.
Simultaneously, Santana has gotten himself in his own little debacle against the Nationals. A leadoff triple, walk, ground out, walk. Bases loaded.
Two aces that I depend on are struggling. Santana has just one out, Verlander two. And as Josh Willingham clobbers the cover off the ball to empty the bases, it’s dawned on me how terrible this day will be.
I text my roommate: “Verlander and Johan are (expletive) (expletive)’s”
He replies: “Lol.”
I get back to the computer monitor and scroll to the Tigers-Indians game. Cleveland’s Luis Valbuena — Luis who? — just went yard. I’ve never even heard of the guy, yet he insists on inflicting emotional damage to my well-being.
Two grand slams and not a complete inning pitched between the two.
These are supposed to be two of my horses I ride to another pennant. But on this day, they’re rendered useless. Check that, they’re harmful.
It’s just another day of fantasy baseball. But any fantasy baseball manager who knows anything about fantasy baseball knows this: It’s not a sprint to the finish, but a marathon.
A FANTASY LIFESTYLE
To an avid sports fan, fantasy sports is like heaven. Without the strings to pull or the managerial and sports-related background to get in a real front office, it gives us the chance to be our own general manager.
And unique to any other sport, baseball’s 162-game season lets us know from the beginning that you better prepare for the long haul. There is no 17-week schedule like in the National Football League. If you’re in, you’re in for six grueling, grind-it-out months.
As for fantasy hockey and basketball, they just don’t have the same draw for some reason.
But fantasy baseball is almost magical. Rotisserie style, head-to-head, draft or auction league — every style has its appeal to certain people. And it gives stat geeks like myself the opportunity to stay on top of the latest trends, hottest players and rising prospects.
It’s an easy way to get away, as well. I used to tell my girlfriend in high school I was going to bed at about 11 p.m. or so. Little did she know, I was watching the live updates roll in from the west coast games that started at 10 p.m. ET. Women and their phone conversations.
I’ve endured the situation a number of times. I lie in bed, nearly dosing into a coma-like state as she rambles about my terrible listening habits.
Instead, I’ll make sure my closer gets the save out in San Diego. To be honest, with the start of the season, the start of the NHL playoffs this week and the NFL draft next week, it’s probably not a good time to be chasing females anyway.
But my patience grows thin on days such as today. Both starters did their best toward damage control after their abysmal first innings. My batters have hit well in the early going as well. But pardon me for having higher expectations.
Maybe I’m a bit naive for expecting the Santana of old to show up in 2010 rather than the injury-riddled pitcher of a year ago. But a combined nine runs between two pitchers through the first inning? Nobody can make this kind of stuff up.
I swear I’m going to die of a heart attack before it’s all said and done. But I’m fighting to put perspective on things.
It’s still the first week, and this isn’t my first rodeo.
Any fantasy baseball manager who knows anything about fantasy baseball knows this: It’s not a sprint to the finish, but a marathon.
