The Historical Implications of Fantasy Baseball

As I was viewing daily updates on Mark Prior's status this week (he is going to be starting the season in the minors) I realized that fantasy baseball is severely altering baseball history. In the past, players were remembered for continued years of excellence or phenomenal post season performances. Every player that played before 1980 that people still talk about today falls under this category.

That is why I shocked myself when I realized that I will never forget Mark Prior. I just won't. He has been the spiciest fantasy baseball player over the past five years and there is absolutely no way I will forget him. I can already see myself as a 70 year-old codger on a fishing boat telling my grandson the ill-fated tale of the promising young star, and then teaching him the holy rule of always drafting hitting over pitching in keeper leagues.

First, a little background. My brother and I and a few other friends are involved in a fairly high-level fantasy keeper league. Early in the first season, about for years ago, I made a blockbuster trade for Prior, who, at the time, was one of the preeminent young pitchers in the game. He did great in '03, coming very close to winning the Cy Young that year. However, his injury troubles started up in '04, and I began a regrettable cycle of trading him, then trading for him, followed by trading him again. By the end of the whole ordeal, I was thoroughly disgusted with Prior, and I felt betrayed and hurt. WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST BE GREAT, MARK? WHY DID YOU MAKE ME LOOK LIKE AN ASS? I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!!!

The crazy thing about this is that Prior will most likely end his career with one stellar season and some injury-laden crappy ones. If a guy had one good season in 1960 no one would have remembered him by 1965. Prior, however, has become quite famous with his one good season, since it came in the era of fantasy baseball. Because in fantasy baseball, at least, you always think a guy like Prior might return to form. You think, "He just had injury problems. Lots of other guys have had injuries, then they healed up and have been fine ever since. Why not Mark Prior?" The risky tantalizing picks are always the most exciting and memorable.

After this initial realization, I thought about another player I will remember for a much longer time than anyone should: Dave Roberts. He has become the "steals guy" and is always on everyone's radar during a draft. Steals is always such a pain in the ass category since there aren't many guys who can swipe a bag anymore. Therefore, many fantasy owners will look at their team in the late rounds of a draft and think, "Fuck!!! I don't have any steals!!! What will I do?" Then they glance through the outfield section of their magazine and see good ol' Dave Roberts still on the board and have themselves a big sigh of relief. The thing that makes Dave Roberts such a "fantasy star" is that he is only good at getting steals. That's why he available a lot later than any other player who gets 40 steals. That's also why he always elicits some kind of reaction from the crowd whenever he is taken in a fantasy draft.

Obviously, current greats like Pujols, A-Rod, and Jeter will always be remembered, but I think that fantasy baseball is creating a sub-section of players that will be remembered for different reasons. I can't wait until I call a young pitcher "the next Mark Prior". I also now fondly remember when Dave Roberts and Mark Prior were taken in my fantasy draft this past Saturday. Though I didn't draft either, that does not mean that they were forgotten.

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