I?d say I?m pretty lucky. God created us all with vices, and thankfully mine is not of the illegal or life-threatening variety. You see, I?m addicted to fantasy sports, but that?s okay. My addiction won?t land me in federal court for animal cruelty, or ruin the integrity of an entire professional sports league. The worst that could happen is that the Misses going to complain that I spend too much time at the computer or watching sports ? seems harmless enough to me. My fantasy addiction began about ten years ago when I started playing in free fantasy basketball leagues. I was in high school and it was a good way to kill time during study hall, or after school. Basketball was, and will always be, my biggest passion so I felt the obsession was a match made in heaven. I soon figured out that as much as I loved hoops, the two other major sports were far superior in the fantasy department. If you followed my weekly Keyboard Quarterback columns on the NFL page last season you know how obsessed I became with fantasy football (although I realize the chances you were one of the fifty-two people that read my stuff are pretty slim). Last season my addiction to fantasy football became almost unhealthy. I would wait up until the wee hours of the morning to wait for sites to update the rankings and scoring for my leagues. I would spend hours each Saturday night agonizing over my numerous rosters in hopes of selecting the best possible line-up. In the end I was managing something like thirteen teams, even though I only owned up to nine each week in the Keyboard Quarterback. I was more excited for the fantasy baseball season than ever before this winter, as I had discovered the wonders of CBS Sportsline?s fantasy website the previous summer. I signed myself up for a modest six leagues, none of which were public ? a showcase of my fantasy growth over the last decade. I varied my fantasy play this season ? I am participating in four Yahoo!, one CBS Sportsline, and one ESPN league. I?m doing respectable in all of the six leagues, but once again CBS has stolen the thunder of every over fantasy service out there. After eighteen weeks my team, The Drew Crew, has compiled a record of 11-7. Not too bad considering I started the season with two losses and have lost in two of the last three weeks. My record was good enough for third place heading into week nineteen, with just four weeks remaining until the playoffs kick off. My roster was incredibly strong until three weeks ago, when I started losing. The loss of my shortstop, Edgar Renteria, to the disabled list last week didn?t help at all. I?ve introduced three new players to the Drew Crew roster in the last week to help fill in for Edgar and curb the losing skid I?ve been enduring. I ?called up? the Brewers? Bill Hall (I actually cut him in favor of the Rockies? Troy i just days later) and dropped outfielder Juan Pierre so that I could play Hall at shortstop for the next two weeks while Renteria recovers. I also completed two risky trades in hopes of bolstering my playoff chances. I traded Brandon Webb, who had been struggling, for Tampa Bay?s Carlos Pena. I?ve have a hole the size of Ty Wigginton at first base all season, and I needed to use some of my pitching depth to get a serviceable option. I?ve played Richie Sexson, Dmiriti Young, Wigginton, Alex Gordon and a host of others at first base so far this season. I failed in my attempts to acquire Mark Teixeira or Ryan Howard, and with the league?s trading deadline approaching I needed to make something happen. Of course, with Webb on my roster for the final time last week, he scored nearly forty points and led me to victory. His output we nearly double anything he had done all season. With my luck he?ll continue pitching that way through September and Pena will fracture his arm while striking out on three pitches. But with Dan Haren, Tim Hudson and Johan Santana on my roster I felt losing Webb was a risk I could take. Also, with an influx of decent talent in the outfield I swung a deal for the Giants? Barry Bonds. I figured that he would explode offensively once he broke Hank Aaron?s all-time home run record (if he does I acquired him at just the right time), and all I had to do was give up Johnny Damon and Delmon Young. A pretty good deal if I do say so myself. My team, which I feel is full of talent, has deepened my addiction even more. With my baseball viewing usually limited to YES (the Yankees? network) and ESPN?s Baseball Tonight, I?ve expanded it to TBS and MSG (the Mets? local station). Surfing over to TBS to catch Tim Hudson every fifth day with a couple of brews is one thing, but being a Yankee fan rooting for the Mets? to get a three run lead and than have Billy Wagner hold it down is another story. It?s not as bad as if I was rooting for the Jonathan Papelbon, but I?m clearly playing both sides of the plate here (insert horribly offensive joke here). I intend on musing about my fantasy baseball exploits a lot more as the season winds down. So either look for that here on RealGM Baseball or run away with your hands over your eyes much like my Keyboard Quarterback readers did earlier this year. Before I go, here is the current roster of the 2007 Drew Crew: Hitters: Catcher: Joe Mauer, Minnesota First Base: Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Second Base: Dan Uggla, Florida Third Base: David Wright, New York Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Outfield: Carl Crawford, Tampa Bay Outfield: Barry Bonds, San Francisco Outfield: Adam Dunn, Cincinnati Utility: Curtis Granderson, Detroit Bench: Edgar Renteria, St. Louis Bench: Gary Matthews Jr., Los Angeles Bench: Adrian Beltre, Seattle Pitchers: Johan Santana, Minnesota Dan Haren, Oakland Tim Hudson, Atlanta Andy Pettitte, New York Billy Wagner, New York Bench: Mike Mussina, New York Bench: Brad Lidge, Houston Fantasy Baseball Stories? [email protected]