So lots of folks (myself included) had some hope for the Reds this year, mainly due to the starting rotation. Cueto was supposed to keep improving. Harang was supposed to bounce back. Arroyo was going to be his usual slightly above average self. We'd get some help w/ Chapman and Leake, and maybe Volquez could put us over the top in August.
Leake's been about what you'd hope for. But Harang, Cueto, and Arroyo are not owned in the UPL, and have a combined ERA of about 7. Ouch. Volquez has been suspended for taking unicorn hormone extract. And Chapman is still in the minors... and by the way, we're already 3 games under .500 and 4 games out of first - in late April. Damn Reds.
Between the Reds, Red Sox, White Sox, Cubs, and Brewers, the majority of the UPL is 9 games under .500 in real-life. Only Pauly's Fish are doing well (2 games over .500). If it wasn't for fantasy baseball, we'd probably have a dozen baseball fans grumbling through the marathon season that is Major League Baseball. In the past, my only recourse was to lease my soul and root for the Yankees once my Reds were out of contention (the typical change-over date would be May 15 or so).* While hope springs eternal, it seems to die pretty early for most baseball fans. However, fantasy baseball has given 2nd life for us suckers, who would otherwise spend the dog days of summer in purgatory. I'm a little less vested in the Yankees, while the O.N. Thugs make their annual pilgrimage to the top of the UPL. But win or lose, once October rolls around, I can't help but keep rooting for Derek Jeter and those Damn Yankees.
What's interesting is that in real life, I've started to actually like the players that put on the O.N. Thugs' fantasy uniform. Ascending fantasy gods (I hope) like Clayton Kershaw, who play for a team that I dislike (always hated the Dodgers - they always killed my Reds), would have ordinarily become a hated player, instead becomes "my guy" in real life. Established fantasy gods like David Wright (sans 2009) and Tim Lincecum, who I'd likely admire, but probably dislike, become some of my favorites. Guys like Julio Borbon, Akinori Iwamura and Shin-Shoo Choo, who normally would get mocked for their funny names and their ethnic heritages... well, they still get mocked, but only in a mildly racist way. Players like Jay Bruce or Joey Votto, who are on the Reds? Well, I want them to do well... good enough for the Reds to win, but maybe not so well that their fantasy owners really see a huge benefit :-)
And once in a great while there is an aspiring hero like Aroldis Chapman (or Deron Williams for me in hoops a couple years ago)? The prospects on my real life team, as well as my fantasy team? He ends up being Church. The Word. The Gospel. The One who bridges the gap between two worlds, the real life world and the fantasy world that we often look to when the tides of the real world are overwhelming. Sometimes we find a savior, and sometimes we find a false prophet. We don't necessarily know which path our aspiring heroes will take. But the matter takes on additional importance. Our fantasy salvation is at stake.
-Chairman (aka O.N. Thugs)
*In my defense, I moved up to Albany, NY in 1993 at the start of high school, right when the Yankees were turning things around. Lots of games on TV. And we had the AA team right there in Albany, where I got to meet a young Derek Jeter, who was great with the fans and always stayed to sign every last autograph, including the small stack of rookie cards that he was gracious enough to sign. The leasing of my soul has become less and less painful over the years, to the point where I sort of look forward to rooting for a winning team in May or June.
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6 comments:
Between the Reds, Red Sox, White Sox, Cubs, and Brewers, the majority of the UPL is 9 games under .500 in real-life. Only Pauly's Fish are doing well (2 games over .500).
What about Westy's Minnesota Mauers?
I have a hard time separating my hate for players as a Marlins fan from my fantasy strategy.
I never would have drafted Halladay last year if I knew he would wind up being in Philly...and I would never take a closer from any team in the NL East, period.
It's probably my Achilles heel in fantasy, but I just dont want to be pulling for these scumbags from the Mets, Braves and Phillies.
I've already passed through the worried stage, to "Angry" and "how much value can the white sox get from the players who are producing now, and will it be enough to contend within 2 years?"
The sox stink.
Greg - Point noted. We'd still be 1 game under .500, and again, only 1 of us is really looking like they're going to have a good real-life baseball experience :-)
Thankfully the Chairman's Yanks will kick the crap out of the Twinkies. A Twinkie World Series championship is the 2nd worst possible outcome possible. Cubbies first. Why ruin 102 years worth of solid tradition?
I did catch "Silly Little Game" on ESPN last week. I can relate to the story Peter Gethers told, explaining that within minutes of playing fantasy baseball he no longer had a favorite team--he just rooted for his own players.
And for the most part, that's been the case with me. I still care about the outcomes of (most) games and in general want the Cubs, Sox, Reds, and co. to do well, but I still root for my fantasy team first. For instance, I wouldn't root for the Cubs to make a 9th inning rally against Matt Capps. (Besides, blowing 9th inning leads is what I have Chad Qualls for.)
I suppose many people would despise my thinking. Heck, even Theo Epstein quit playing fantasy after one year because he couldn't stand the thought of rooting against his beloved Red Sox. But I can't help it. I want to win at fantasy baseball, and since the Cubs are going to lose anyway, my fantasy players might as well rack up stats against them too. ;-)
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