Why Do You Play Fantasy Baseball?
In today’s hustle-bustle society, I find myself constantly on the move or doing something. Living in the DC area, it’s tough to get away from the overcommitted, high achieving mindset that this city seems to create.
Which is exactly why I play fantasy baseball.
Okay, so maybe my busy lifestyle and local area don’t exactly explain why I participate in this game. I mean, if I’m so taxed with other activities and a busy lifestyle, why bother adding more “work” on with a fantasy team?
As fantasy baseball players (or prospective fantasy baseball owners), before we play or participate in the game, we must first access our motives for participating in such a deep game. On the outside, fantasy baseball looks like a list of players with a lot of numbers. On the outside, fantasy baseball looks like a game merely based on chance and hitting on young players with skills.
I am here to tell you that fantasy baseball is much more than just names and numbers, and if played the right way, fantasy baseball is a highly beatable game in every way, shape, and form.
But we will leave all of that to a future post. Remaining focused on topic, why do people decide to play fantasy baseball in the first place?
Love of the game of baseball. This reason is probably the most common reason you find, as fantasy baseball does take a good amount of dedication and love of Major League Baseball. In recent years, however, I have personally seen a decline as this being the main reason, as I will explain later. Personally, fantasy baseball has had a strong impact on my appreciation and love for the game of baseball. It really is a beautiful thing.
Play to win some cash. I grew up on basic Yahoo Fantasy Baseball leagues, so I really dislike this as the main motive for one playing the game. Fantasy baseball is meant to be fun, but cash can be a huge motivator for any serious individual. Once I shifted to pay leagues with Sporting News and CBS Sportsline, I found the owners to be much more serious and active - possibly to the point where the league wasn’t much fun.
Play to keep socially active with friends. The fantasy baseball game takes up a great deal of time, so if you play with a bunch of friends, you don’t have to abandon your social life completely! It is a great way to keep in touch with relatives or friends from around the nation, and even the world. Embrace the game for the social benefits it can provide. The connections you make in fantasy leagues can be invaluable to your future with the game.
If your league emphasizes the use of a message board (read: you are playing with strangers), always attempt to start fruitful conversation and see if you can connect with owners to invite back to future leagues.
Play to win or for strict competition. If you know me in real life, you know the kind of competitive attitude I possess. I love competing year round, and fantasy baseball fulfills that hunger from March through October. Strategize with free-agent moves and shrewd trading, and you’ll find yourself really in control of a team’s destiny. Bottom line: if your team stinks, you will know it when you look at the standings. Hopefully, with the help of this blog, I can help you find the secret to winning any fantasy league: something I have been doing for the past five years with an incredible amount of ease.
In closing…why do you play fantasy baseball?
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August 4th, 2008 at 3:58 am
Good luck to your career!
August 4th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
I play largely for fun, but I’d probably play for money if I actually knew what I was doing.
August 4th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Franz: Thank you! Looking forward to bringing you some solid fantasy baseball content not available anywhere else on the web.
Steve: We’ll see if we can change that! I hope that you keep coming back to my blog, as over the next two weeks, I’m going to release some key how-tos that should provide you with a solid background in several areas of the game.