In Over My Head

A couple of weeks ago I got myself talked into joining a fantasy baseball team. I don't know what I was thinking (I know what they were thinking...'We need a patsy and more cash for the prize pool'). I guess I'm expecting that by having a team I will be forced to follow baseball on a day-to-day basis. I haven't done that in many years. And I've come to sort of miss it.

I still like baseball. I go to an occasional Astros game when my sons are in town because they are big fans. And I hit college games when I can because I really enjoy the atmosphere at those, the parks are fun and the tickets are cheap. But as far as MLB... well I am one of those that bailed during the strike/lockout/stoppage of 1994 and never came back.

Obviously success at fantasy baseball requires an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the players. And that presents a problem. I know a handful of players on the Orioles and barely any others.

I'm not proud of that or anything, it's just how it is. So I decided to plunge in. If I was going to do this I was going to try and do some research going into the draft (online ESPN league) so I'd not embarrass myself to badly. I found a 'cheat sheet' online, unearthed the meaning of '5x5' and figured I was ready. Once the draft started I learned how quickly 90 seconds go by when you're trying to choose a middle infielder from a rapidly dwindling pool of guys you've never heard of.

I think I did OK. Time will tell. I know I made two errors. I drafted these guys:

Why didn't I figure out that they were available late for a reason. Doh. I've replaced them but it sure starts me out behind the eight ball.

Anyway this whole story has been to introduce my latest collection. I'm going to pick up one card of each of my players. I've done this for fantasy football since I started that in 1980. I've got a jumbo sized binder nearly full with cards of the players I've had through the years. I've had a few players with no known card so I made my own (poorly I'm afraid). 

My quest began today. I usually buy a pack of two of Topps when they arrive each year so I had this card, the first of my collection of members of the Baltimore Elrods:

I'm giving myself until the middle of May before I lose interest.