Check your Man Crush at the Door

A wealth of energy and time is spent debating the rational approaches to fantasy stardom on the UPL blog. And, I'm glad it's here because I learn a lot from people who think more strategically than I do. However, competition is inherently emotional, so I'd like to touch on the irrational phenomenon known as the "Man Crush".

We all have them. We fall head over heels for a hurler's "stuff", or become enchanted by the sweet swing of a switch-hitter, even when the numbers suggest that our burning love is misplaced. And yet, there's something about that player that makes you draft him just one more year, in the hopes that he meets your unmet expectations. I remember Roland's infatuation for all things Tony Armas Jr. in the early 2000's. He would always wax poetic about how great Tony Armas' stuff was, and then be let down by a sub-par, injury riddled season. For me, that "man crush" is Francisco Liriano.

Despite Roland's declaration that the Liriano Era should be over for the Jabrones, I found myself taking him in my top 18 draft picks. Why you ask? Although Liriano's magical 2006 season is a distant memory for many, for some reason, Liriano's dominating employment of the changeup/fastball/slider in that season that lead him to a 12-3 record with a 2.16 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 144 Ks in 121 innings gets my heart racing. He looked like Johan Santana's protege and mini-me. Since then, he's dealt with Tommy John surgery, confidence issues, and overall bad control. I was all set to let him go as Roland espoused, and then this came out in January - "Francisco Making Strides in Winter Ball", "Francisco Liriano Shows Serious Stuff", and "LIriano's Winter Work Has Twins Excited". So, like a teenager who can't let a past relationship die, I did the comparison of calling back an old flame who calls you after a year of radio silence. I asked him to be on my team, yet again, hoping to have the Liriano that is closer to the '06 version, rather than the disasterous '09 version.

So, why do I share all of this? Because it's important to identify these tendencies in all of us and manage them accordingly. Some of us may have the discipline to say no to the pitcher with the scintilating stuff who we know is bad for us, but some of us don't. And, if we recognize it early on, we can begin to develop more rationally based strategies for managing it. For me, I knew that I couldn't resist Francisco Liriano, but I also know that I don't have to rely on him to put up great pitching numbers this year. Knowing this, he becomes a nice 18th round lottery ticket and potentially frees up some room for me to trade one of my better starters. He offers me talent that we've seen in the majors that no other player available to me does.

Perhaps, you're facing or did face this same scenario. What do you do? Counter your emotional impulses for certain players by making sure you can run the risk of chasing a player that may be harmful to your UPL health. And, if he ends up being a heartbreaker, make sure you have some other able-shouldered players to cry on.