I chronicled two fantasy baseball drafts last spring.
The first, a new American League-only affair that I had begun with readers, did not go according to plan. I thought I left with a thin outfield and too few reliable starters.
"I hate feeling out of control," I wrote, "and that's exactly what happened Sunday."
The next weekend, I drafted my National League team in a long-standing keeper league. I entered the auction with a solid core and augmented it with numerous solid bats. My pitching wasn't great, but I thought St. Louis youngster Anthony Reyes would blossom, and I also figured I could trade offense for arms if necessary.
Well, wouldn't you know that I won the AL league by 19 points and finished fourth in the NL league, 22.5 points out of first.
On the one side, players such as Tampa Bay's B.J. Upton and Cleveland's Fausto Carmona became stars well ahead of most predictions. On the other, veterans such as Rafael Furcal and Marcus Giles let me down while fresh faces such as Reyes and Colorado catcher Chris Iannetta never came on.
It's yet another reminder that we all know less than we pretend at draft time. Anyway, here's a look back at the best of this fantasy baseball season before the focus shifts fully to football.
Jorge Posada, catcher: This certainly proved to be a confounding position, as preseason favorites Joe Mauer and Brian McCann demonstrated the physical perils of playing it regularly. Dodgers youngster Russell Martin brings an unusual dimension with his speed, and Victor Martinez bumped up his power numbers. But old-man Posada, 36, reeled off an improbable .338 average and solid power numbers at an age when many backstops are ready to retire or move to first base. Look at his career numbers against those of other catchers. He's a Hall of Fame candidate, folks.
Carlos Pena, first baseman: I'm not sure I've ever seen waiver fodder transform so suddenly into one of the league's leading power hitters. Pena was thought to be a failed prospect, but he shocked the Devil Rays and everyone else by hitting 46 homers and driving in 121 runs when power numbers were down overall. The surprise factor pushes him ahead of Prince Fielder, who posted slightly better numbers and established himself as an early candidate for 500-plus home runs. I don't know how to rate Pena for next season. That'll be a question to ponder.
