Today is the day, the day I have to declare my fantasy baseball league keepers for the 2021 season. I love fantasy sports, who wouldn’t want to be a team’s GM and build a team built of all-stars to get that prize! I’ve been an avid fantasy sports participant since 2002, just when online drafts started to become mainstream. In baseball alone I’ve won 3 titles, been runner up 6 times and have always made the post season in at least 1 of the leagues I play in. Yes, I play in multiple leagues. Typically 2 each baseball season, one keeper/dynasty league and 1 standard league.
So why do I love this time of year so much? Next to pitchers and catchers reporting, is there any other day that can get your juices flowing that baseball is around the corner? I’m a life long baseball fan. My Dad played college ball, was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1950s….and also the other fine American institution, the US Army. My Dad had to go the US Army way, serving 2.5 years and working on Nike missiles and Redstone rockets. Yes, my Dad was a scientist, Physicist to be exact. My Dad was also my baseball buddy. I was a kid when Nolan Ryan kept getting those no-hitters, and my Dad would wake me up at the 9th inning so we could watch the end together. We had a lot of late night moments watching a pitchers shut down a team. My Dad was the one I’d have a catch with and we’d talk baseball, he and I were always the GMs of teams figuring out what moves a team should make to make the post season. Every year I’d save up money to take my Dad to a baseball game on Father’s Day. He and I would talk baseball all the time, and he and I would talk fantasy baseball at dinner. And you know what? He was usually right on what players would do well.
Fantasy baseball time and keeper declaration is the moment that signifies the start of baseball, going to games (hopefully this year!), enjoying the warm evenings on the deck watching the game with family and friends along with fond memories of my time with my Dad. Fantasy baseball takes that excitement to the next level. It’s the excitement of securing your keepers for the new season in hopes that you made the right call, it’s getting trade offers for Freddie Freeman or Aaron Judge (yeah, no way am I getting rid of those 2…unless it’s for Tatis, Jr and deGrom), it’s trying to figure out the sleepers in 2021 and, in my league, what minor leaguers to snag. Stats, stats, stats and more stats! Oh, and gut instinct…a far underrated fantasy sports too. Next week I’ll be struggling making my first pick (4th overall), hoping I can align all of the talent I kept with the right pick to make my team complete and compete the entire season. 16 rounds to do the best I can and a long season to make adjustments. And in 3 more weeks, I’ll be drafting in my other standard league, hoping All-Stars remain All-Stars and I can make the perfect combo to take the crown.
Fantasy baseball lets you have a dream team that can take you to the finish line or a dream team that tanks in round 1. The ups and downs of the season, spending time with competitive like minded people who love the game as much as you do, wondering if you have the right pitching rotation in the middle of the work day, and providing a break from the day-to-day grind/realities. Let the games begin!
Time Out With Jenn & Lisa 