|
Category: Hobbies & Recreation
 1. What is fantasy baseball?
Fantasy baseball is a game in which you get the opportunity to live out the dream of any major league baseball fan...to be a big league manager! In fantasyland, you draft players from the major league roster, and how they perform on a daily basis dictates the success or failure of your team. Like a real manager, you decide whether to bench a slumping player, to pull off a haymaker of a trade, or to just ride the wave of success. It is a game of strategy, wits, baseball know-how, and, most importantly...fun!!!
2. How to play...
There are many different ways to play fantasy baseball, but the groundwork of rules are basically the same. You first are placed in a league with other managers (ideally, 10-12 teams). Next, a draft is held in which each manager subsequently chooses a player from any given major league team. Once a player is chosen, nobody else can select him. Once the draft is complete, the season can begin; if a player on your team hits a home run in real life, then that counts as a home run for your team. Come the end of the season, all of the stats are totalled up, and the team with the best cumulative hitting and pitching stats comes out victorious.
As I alluded to, there are many variants of the game. Some leagues will restrict their draft to players only in the American League or the National League. Some drafts will give you a salary cap and will allow you to bid on players to draft them. Whatever the case, the same rules apply for how the statistics come into play. Generally, you have to draft a complete starting team, both hitters and pitchers. How your team performs is based on your starting team's daily performance in the major hitting categories (HR, RBI, Runs, SB, Avg.) and pitching categories (Wins, ERA, K's, Saves, Walks plus hits/IP).
Now, let's get to building that winning franchise...
1. Getting started...
The key to any successful draft is preparation. I say this because the majority of baseball fans will know the "big names"-- Griffey, A-Rod, Maddux, Mcgwire, etc. However, once the big names are gone in your draft, it is the owner who knows the 'best of the rest' that usually separates himself from the rest of the pack. Fantasy baseball magazines usually hit newsstands around Christmas time!!! Look for one that breaks down the players by their positions and gives their stats; you might find out that while it would be great to have Big Mac at first, that Tony Clark, the "tenth best" first baseman, isn't all that much worse. Starting early insures that you will know the up-and-coming players, the multi-position players, and the players to watch come the time that spring training rolls around.
2. Draft well-rounded players...
It will be the gut instinct of the majority of owners to go after the guys who dominate one category, be it saves, stolen bases, or home runs. I say that is silly. When all is said and done, a category like saves or SB is just that...ONE category. A player like Tom Goodwin, who steals 50 bases but does nothing else, does nothing for me. Give me a guy like Andruw Jones or Sean Green that can hit .300, steal 30 bases, hit 30 home runs and drive in 90 RBI. The same goes for saves; don't waste your early picks on getting the best relievers. Settle for later-round picks and worry about trading for a good one somewhere later down the line. The best teams are those that are well-rounded across the board, not those focused on the domination of one or two out of ten hitting and pitching categories.
3. Focus on starting pitching...
 Many owners, especially first-time owners, love to draft the big boppers; let's be honest, these guys are the most fun to watch (who wasn't watching Sosa and Mcgwire last year???). However, these same owners tend to forget that the pitching categories make up HALF of the stats. That being said, it is also important to recognize that number-wise, there are much LESS talented front-line starting pitchers than position players. If you draft a few top-notch pitchers early, not only will you dominate the pitching categories, but you will hold all of the cards when teams come begging to you to make trades because they need a pitcher. In every draft that I have done for the last 5 years, I have made my first pick a starting pitcher.
4. Stay active and make trades...
Once the season begins, it is up to you as the manager to follow your team's progress. Are your pitchers not getting the job done? Is your first baseman in a slump?? Did your shortstop tear his ACL and now is out for the season??? Most leagues give you the option of picking up "free agents" out of the pool of players that did not originally get drafted. This is where all of that preparation you did early on comes in handy-- if you did your homework and continue to do so throughout the season, you will be able to make the most informed decision about which player to pick up to fill an injury void or to replace a slumping player. This is important, because if you don't stay active, you will have guys that are not producing in your starting lineup.
The other option you have is to make a trade. To me, this is the epitome of what fantasy baseball is all about. Where else can you trade Curt Schilling for Ken Griffey Jr.??? My advice is to BE PROACTIVE; don't wait for offers to come to you. If you want someone, go ahead and make an offer; the worst the other manager can say is "No." Wheeling and dealing can be the most fun and satisfying part of the game. Don't let your team be stagnant throughout the whole season (unless, of course, you are going to run away with first place!!)-- the fun of fantasy baseball lies in the effort you put in as a manager to get your team better and to take it to the top.
 5. It's only a game...
Lastly, remember that fantasy baseball is only a game inside of THE game. Don't let it consume your life or take the joy out of the real game of baseball. So, if your fantasy team has Pedro Martinez and you are a diehard Yankee fan, and if Pedro is coming to the stadium to pitch against the Bronx Bombers...you BETTER NOT ROOT for the STINKING Red Sox!!!
Best of luck to all, and let the games begin...
GO YANKS!!!
|
Submitted By
|
Adam S. Cohen |
|
Description
|
physician/baseball aficianado |
|
Web Page
|
not
available |
Other Articles in this Category
 How to Make a Lap Quilt
by B.K. Tortorici
How to Body Board in One Afternoon
by John Espino
How to Begin to Understand Akido Feeling (Unbendable Arm)
by Ravi Iyer
How to Play Texas Holdem Poker (Rules)
by PokerGuy
Introduction to Magickal Gardening
by Caeridwyn
How to Get a Skydiving License
by aaron_ingram
How to Spin a Basketball on Your Fingertip
by k tombs
Billiard Tips: The Basic Angled Shot
by Chris Bernick
Solo Hiking: What are Bear Bells?
by tgogl
How to Mend a Broken Glass Piece
by Marg
How to Get Cheap Movie Tickets
by Anonymous
Other Sites
Storkin.com - Baby and
Pregnancy Tips and Discussion
Health Articles
Menopause
Symptoms
HIV/AIDS
Symptoms
West Nile
Symptoms
Diabetes
Symptoms
Pregnancy
Symptoms
Tech Sites
Dell DJ Hacks
Read other Articles -
click here.
|
