You're Feeling Listless, People Are Tired And Commitment Has Gone, To This I've Been A Witness

--"I Need All The Friends I Can Get", Camera Obscura

Last Friday Breanne and I had our 2008 fantasy baseball draft. It's a sixteen team 5 x 5 head-to-head league with a minimum seventeen innings pitched requirement. It was special because it marks the first time both of us have entered in a league and plan to play the entire season through. Last year she was able to take over for an owner in my league who dropped out, but it wasn't quite the same because she was never satisfied with the team she inherited. This year, not only was she able to get her absolute favorite player in the world (and her nicknamesake), Mr. Chipper Jones, but she was also to get another heralded brave, Mr. Tim Hudson. As for me, I wasn't able to get any Red Sox at all except Tek, but I plan to change that situation as the season evolves.

My biggest player is some guy name Alex Rodriguez, but I'm thinking he's not going to pan out since he plays for some minor league team in NYC. LOL

Here's my roster, followed by Lucy's:

THE HOUSE OF MOJO

C Jason Varitek (Bos - C)
1B Mark Teixeira (Atl - 1B)
2B Brian Roberts (Bal - 2B)
3B Álex Rodríguez (NYY - 3B)
SS J.J. Hardy (Mil - SS)
OF Gary Sheffield (Det - OF)
OF Chris Duncan (StL - 1B,OF)
OF Ken Griffey Jr. (Cin - OF)
Util Aaron Rowand (SF - OF)
SP Dan Haren (Ari - SP)
SP Brett Myers (Phi - SP,RP)
SP Mark Buehrle (CWS - SP)
RP Trevor Hoffman (SD - RP)
RP Rafael Betancourt (Cle - RP)
P Brian Bannister (KC - SP)
P Jon Garland (LAA - SP)
BN Ryan Freel (Cin - 3B,OF)
BN Joey Votto (Cin - 1B,OF)
BN Jack Wilson (Pit - SS)
BN Jayson Nix (Col - 2B)
DL Wily Mo Peña (Was - OF) DL
BN Boof Bonser (Min - SP)

THE NIGHT FEVERS

C Bengie Molina (SF - C)
1B Albert Pujols (StL - 1B)
2B Jeff Kent (LAD - 2B)
3B Chipper Jones (Atl - 3B)
SS Khalil Greene (SD - SS)
OF Ichiro Suzuki (Sea - OF)
OF Lance Berkman (Hou - 1B,OF)
OF Eric Byrnes (Ari - OF)
Util Mark Ellis (Oak - 2B)
SP Roy Oswalt (Hou - SP)
SP Fausto Carmona (Cle - SP)
SP Kelvim Escobar (LAA - SP)
RP Jeremy Accardo (Tor - RP)
RP Bob Howry (ChC - RP)
P Tim Hudson (Atl - SP)
P Peter Moylan (Atl - RP)
BN Matt Kemp (LAD - OF)
BN Michael Bourn (Hou - OF)
BN Asdrubal Cabrera (Cle - 2B,SS)
BN Pedro Feliz (Phi - 3B)
BN Micah Owings (Ari - SP)
DL Yovani Gallardo (Mil - SP) DL

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Aside from the fact that the ongoing friendly wager of a hundred dollars applies to the contest, I like the fact we're both involved for the simple reason that it feels good to be part of a community with her. So much of our lives are spent doing separate interests, it feels good when our interests intersect in an area outside of this blog. It's like that with any friendship; too much time is wasted on how people differ. The whole reason for being friends with somebody is because you found commonalities with that person that being friends is a given. We may bicker on a lot of things, but I know she's a diehard baseball fan just like me.

The other reason I'm very much looking forward to this fantasy season is that, by my nature I'm not a joiner. With work, writing, and keeping up on the activities I'm already involved in, I don't find much time for other interests. It's true what they say, the older you get, the less time you have for finding out who you are. You're pretty much stuck refining all that you know about yourself instead of discovering new facets. But the dichotomy is that I still get a thrill about pushing into a new group. I still am fascinated with meeting new people who enjoy all my hobbies, all my pursuits, all my interests, and picking their brain about their approach to their appreciation. Too often I think I'll be great at something, that I'll stay committed, only to realize that it was just a passing fancy and that the people I met aren't exactly my crowd. I'm proud to say baseball has being a decades long passion and every real baseball fan (not Dodgers fan, Angels fan, Giants fan, &c...), but a fan of the entire sport and the pastime as part of the pastiche of being an American, has been a welcome addition to my circle of friends and acquaintances.

Lastly, I'm excited for the upcoming season because it feels good to see a project through from inception to completion. That hardly ever happens in my life. One only has to look as far back as The Carisa Meridian to realized that there are dozens of projects currently on the back burner. I may be lethargic, but all of them I'm intending to finalize someday soon. This league, though, gives me hope that I'll actually follow through. I know I can finish this season out despite any other commitment I make. I know that because I love baseball. I know that because, if I even start to falter in my dedication, I have my good friend Lucy to push me back into a drafting and trading shape. I know that because fantasy baseball is a great hobby and one I look forward to every year.

Especially when I clearly have the best team in the league. That hundred is so mine. LOL

Yours Swimmingly,
mojo shivers