Viewpoint - Rantings of a Fantasy Sports Fanatic
March 6, 2004
Written by MadAlan

(Read archived articles here)

Here it is, snow across the country and I am going to talk about Fantasy Sports. Baseball Spring training is one-week old and I am already in seven Baseball Leagues. Of course the two Madalan Leagues are included. Four leagues have already had their drafts and trades are more prevalent than popcorn or peanuts. I love this stuff. Fantasy Sports are so much fun all year round, even the ones I know so little about. Last football season I finished near the top in more than a couple leagues and I know little there. Being good with numbers has helped me and here is when being disabled is a good thing. I can check players and news all day long and be on top with trade and injury news. In the two Madalan Leagues I was lousy as always. I am in three basketball leagues and in first in one, in second in another and in the Madalan League I am in seventh place.

I began the Madalan Leagues about six years ago and it was for league “winners only.” It was a very tough league even then. Now it is so difficult to win that it has become a popular league to join to see how good you actually are. It’s a credit that many Fantasy leaguers are aware of - the winner in the Madalan Leagues. We are beginning the second year on a free keeper league. I will let you know how that works out. I still win in many leagues I join, other than the Madalan ones. It amazes me when people I am in contact with for my sports reporting that know the leagues and some do mention the winner.

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I found it interesting that so few outfielders are making the draft lists for the first time. Yahoo only lists seven-pages of outfielders where last year there were thirteen.

All the Joe Mauer talk has me convinced he is a catching super rookie. Although he has yet to face a Major League pitcher … and there is this guy in Cleveland named Victor Martinez, also a catcher, who has already seen and hit Major League pitching last year. The scouting reports on him are he “starts slow and then begins to hit” from then on. He is someone to keep your eye on in a soft position for number collecting.

Here is an interesting group of numbers; Rafael Palmeiro last year drove in his 112 R.B.I.s and 38 home runs – yet he had just 285 total bases! Furcal had more then that.

This is going to be a grand season for these young outfielders:
Kerry Robinson - Sfg
Ryan Ludwick Cle
Jason Bay - Pit
Ramon Nivar - Tex
Mike Cuddyer - Min
Jason Lane - Hou
And Len Ford – Min

See you soon.
madalan