It's all about the money...

I think that’s what Faisal wanted me to title this post… either that, or “I’m a Yankee sell-out.” I can’t remember. Oh well, no matter. :) The point is, I was talking to Faisal last night as he was out and about in the city that never sleeps… he wanted to know the outcome of the Boston Red Sox game, because if they’d lost, it would’ve put the Yankees into first place. And the Sox HAD been losing 8-6 until the ninth inning, when David Ortiz hit a three-run homer to win the game. In fact, Ortiz hit two home runs in that game, which is not an unusual outing for the guy who is alternately called the “Yankee-killer” and “Big Papi.” His nicknames make him sound like a bit of a conundrum – like he could tear your head off if he wanted to, but he’d be nice and fatherly about it. Every time he steps up to the plate, swinging the bat so effortlessly you’d think it was a cardboard wrapping paper tube, there’s a pretty decent chance that once he hits the ball, it’s not coming back. Which is bad for the opposing teams, but good for the Red Sox. It’s also good for anyone who happens to be playing fantasy baseball and has Ortiz on their team. Oh, wait a second – I have Ortiz on my team.

Yes, that’s right. I have Big Papi the Yankee Killer on my team. Yeah. I admit it. And what’s more, I’ll admit that I LIKE having this guy on my fantasy baseball team. Apparently this makes me less of a Yankee fan, and I’ll eventually be forced to pay some sort of restitution for my treason. Look, I don’t want Boston to win games – I just want Ortiz to get a few hits now and then. If Boston has 6 runs, then I want their opponent to have 7. If they have 15 runs, then let’s hope whoever they’re playing can pull off four grand slams in a row. But Ortiz, as far as fantasy points goes, is the number one first baseman in the game right now. He gets me an average of 4.1 points per game. And sometimes – like last night when he racked up 15 points – he’ll be well into the double digits.

This might not be so important to me if this weren’t my first foray into the world of fantasy baseball. I was acutely aware, at the beginning of the season, that I was somewhat of an underdog in this whole thing. The rookie, the newbie, the girl who thinks Derek Jeter is hot… but I didn’t get into this to have more excuses to pay attention to Derek Jeter. I’m not even in it, as Faisal suggested, for the possibility of winning some money. I got into this because I really love the idea of a bunch of guys looking at the final standings at the end of the year and thinking, “aw man… I got beat by a GIRL.”

I believe Ortiz was my second pick in the draft… and I still remember the obvious shock in the room when I, Lisa-the-crazy-Jeter-lover-Yankee-girl, chose David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox (in contrast, I didn’t pick Jeter until the fifth round). A couple people felt compelled to remind me that Ortiz plays for Boston – as if the expectation had been that I’d stock up on as many Yankee players as possible. Yeah, I KNOW Ortiz plays for Boston. But I also know the guy can hit, and at the draft – just like now – I was thinking in terms of “who can get me points.” Ortiz certainly hasn’t let me down. Thanks in no small part to him, my offense is the best in the league, and has been for most of the year. My pitching, unfortunately, has been less-than stellar, and I’ve needed all that great offense to keep me afloat. And when I hear that the guys in the league have been complaining to Rick about how my offense just won’t let up, it makes me strangely happy. I’m wearing them down… they’re getting frustrated… my shrewd plan is working…

So you see, it has nothing to do with wishing the Boston Red Sox well. I still hope they fall to second place very soon and never see a single playoff game this year. And it has nothing to do with winning money – I’d still want to beat these guys, even if the only “prize” I won was the satisfaction of wiping smug smiles off several faces. I’m simply in this for the competition, and the principle, and to prove to myself than I CAN do it.

And maybe I’m in it to practice for next year…