Â鶹ÊÓƵ

When you’ve been in the business as long as I have you’ll eventually cross paths with someone who can hook you in to a live fantasy baseball draft.

No, don’t turn away, I think I have a point here.

Anyway, when I left Fort McMurray in 2010, I was part of a 12-team keeper fantasy baseball league with someone whose rest of the league were in Ontario. There was no cash involved so there was nothing literally other than bragging rights involved.

But, oh, those bragging rights.

As the years went on, I went from making sure the pitchers were in the right order and that anyone who played two positions was in the best optimal position for me to just casually checking every week or two, making sure I was still putting injured guys on the disabled list and picking potentially useful players from the waiver wire. I even won the league in 2013, a not-too-shabby accomplishment that I’m sure will need to go in the first paragraph of my Wikipedia page in the event that everyone at some point gets one.

But the major leagues of professional baseball got further and further from my mind and list of priorities until last year, when I’m not sure I even said that I’d re-enter.

Suddenly last week, I got a Facebook message from the league commissioner, a former editor of mine asking for my keeper list. We got to keep seven players from year to year (helps with continuity, etc). I hadn’t the faintest idea who I still had, so I just said to take seven of his choosing (he’s a bit of a baseball nut and knows who I liked) and he told me to get ready for the live draft on the weekend.

I couldn’t get into my old email account that the team was listed under, so I told him that I’ll need the invite send to the new email, not thinking I’d be roped in again. But there it was within hours. Suddenly, players I hadn’t thought about at all were the crux of my thoughts and decisions. When you ponder in the 16^th round if it’s too early to take a backup catcher, you’re in the zone.

But the big idea is this: I’m back, baby!

Within a few hours of the live draft (and that’s an experience that warrants a column at a later date), the trade proposals were in the air. Yes, I have a preference for Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera. No, I’ve never had him before over the near decade I’ve been in the league. But to trade him for Brad Hand, the projected San Diego Padres closer? Dream on. Or at least throw in a less humiliating draft pick switch.

I had the misfortune of seeing some of the previous drafts where I’d made such mind bogglingly bad decisions. Ben Revere in the second round in 2016? Devin Mesoraco in the fourth round in 2015? Using a valuable protected spot on Melvin Upton, Jr, for two years? Kick me out right now for that.

Anyway, Andrew McCutchen, a player I’ve never had, was my first round pick this year (after the seven keepers). He’ll be joining Gettin’ Miggy Wid It in the same year he’s joining the San Francisco Giants as a free agent. I’m sure I’ll be keeping track of what he’s doing as he plays in a stadium that’s noted as being not the best place for hitting, although tell that to a juiced up Barry Bonds.

Because the league is full of Toronto Blue Jays fans, I decided to pick Texas second baseman Rougned Odor, who punched Jose Bautista in the face last year, igniting a brawl between the teams. I selected him because if you’re going to troll Jays fans, there are fewer active players who can give you that kind of needling ability. 

This is going to be a fun summer.