Every off-season my phone prepares itself to get a lot less use; not checking it every five minutes to see stat updates makes my wife happy. For me, there’s a bittersweet feeling. It almost seems like the baseball season isn’t six months long (wait, yes it does). In a week it’s bye-bye to Stat-tracker, Yahoo! and ESPN apps, MLB Network and MLB AtBat; now it’s time for just watching baseball.
I’m talking a whole nine-inning game, not just highlights and live look-ins or catching three innings of a game when I can; or hitting up a few games, getting a hot dog, complaining about parking and overpriced beer, never catching a foul ball, leaving early because it’s a blow out; I’m talking playoff baseball. My Cubs are in it and I’m ready to see them get to that World Series. Yes, this is the year. No more curses, stupid goats or nerdy scapegoats. This is the year! And now that I’ve sufficiently jinxed the Cubbies, back to fantasy baseball.
As we end the season, celebrate my 20th post along with me (I brought streamers and funny hats!). Since it’s only this season it isn’t a long look back; I hit on a some guys this year (Adam Duvall and Trevor Story) and even a good two last week (Ryon Healy and Tommy Joseph); while of course there were a few duds (Ben Paulsen and Michael Taylor, I’m looking at you) I even dropped Justin Upton so you could pick him up and enjoy his killer end of season run. We had some fun too; it’s like the school year is over, but in reverse (please sign my yearbook. In any case now it’s time to take a little baseball break (but not too long, draft prep is calling me).
In the short term find me over on the Razzball fantasy football side of things; for baseball the plan for next season is OPS rankings (using Gray’s with minor tweaks, I have my guys that I love and hate too!) so keep an eye out for those in the spring. I know that’s what all you OPSers want. Saying OPSers out loud sounds too close to posers; maybe us OPS aficionados should take it back? Nah, poser is good as it is. Though it makes me think of a better name: OPSonados? Opsonados. Say it like OP-Ed, OP-so-nad-os, say it with me. If you’ve got a better one, I’m all ears, but for now, it’s Opsonados.
So, my fellow Opsondos I hope you’re in the running for a fantasy title. In a few leagues how I finish determines how much my buy-in is next year so I’m still in, regardless. Also, bragging rights. Winning the title (in my home league especially – another name for home league, though not as classy, is bottom bitch league – the league that sticks with you year in, year out and even if you gave up fantasy baseball you’d still have to do this league) means a lot, especially when you see these people. I can list off the winners of that league; it’s a part of me. I hope you have a league like that. If you’re reading this you’re probably still in it (or you’re my Dad, hi Dad!) and there’s a week left. Once it’s over, celebrate like you deserve to, you’ve earned it!
