It's Drafty In Here

Well, it took a little longer than normal - about eight hours this year - but my first fantasy baseball draft for 2008 is under my belt.

We drafted today for "Swing Room Baseball," a league I co-founded with a dozen coworkers back in 1989. It's hard to believe that this is our 20th season of play.

It's even harder to believe that I've never won this furshlugginer league. I've won other leagues in which I've played, but never in the one nearest and dearest to my heart.

And if the projections I've just finished running are even close to accurate, it looks like another long year for my squad. But hey, that's why we play the game every day, right?

More than any other "fantasy" sport, fantasy baseball takes true grit and stamina. It's a long, grueling, grinding six months of paying attention to league transactions, studying the scoring categories to calculate where you can make up the most points, and making smart trades with your fellow owners that will enhance both of your chances (but give you the slight edge, of course).

I don't believe you can win a fantasy league pennant on draft day. I do believe you can lose a pennant on draft day. The winning comes through the in-season roster management, for the most part.

I studied the player population as well as I could, given the time constraints my schedule puts me under, and I thought I did a credible job today. A good chunk of winning is simply having a healthy team of players who go out and play every day. To that end, I tried to make sure I drafted a mix of good, young players, with lots of positive upside, and seasoned veterans who have a history of just getting the job done.

I won't completely bore you by listing my players, but let's just say that the pitching staff is full, but largely untested, the bullpen is thin, and the rest of the squad needs to step up and have a few breakout and career years for me to finish in the money.

The baseball season truly beings in earnest this coming week. If I can remember, I'll let you know how things went come October.

Play ball!