Chicago League 3 Champion Profile - Steve Tavoso

[Tom Kessenich]

A fantasy baseball championship can lead to a great many things – especially in the NFBC. Sure, there’s the prestige of winning your league title and the even greater feeling of claiming the $100,000 grand prize.



But sometimes … sometimes … a fantasy baseball title can also lead to positive marital relations.



Such was the case with Steve Tavoso in Chicago League 3 in 2005. Not only did Tavoso enjoy a stellar season in finishing atop that league but his first-place finish also resulted in some good harmony at home.



“Obviously it was awesome to win the title but my wife was even happier because she said I would have been moping around the house the rest of the year if I didn’t finish first,” he said. “I finally could get off the computer and come to bed.”



Who says the NFBC can’t help keep marriages together?



Tavoso’s title – and peaceful life at home – did not come without a few anxious moments however. After a strong start to the season his team hit an offensive slump midway through the year.



“I thought I was going to do real well at the beginning of the year and I even had title aspirations after the first few weeks,” said Tavoso, who has three children and is a bond trader at the Chicago Board of Trade. “Then about ¾ of the way through the season my team stopped hitting and I was just hoping to hang on and finish in the money.



“Our league was decided by Batting Average on the last day of the season and I picked up four points.”



While that strong final day of hitting proved pivotal, Tavoso said the overall key to his team’s success was simple.



“Balance,” he said. “I usually go for too much hitting but (last year) I made a point to get some good pitching in the middle rounds. I was hurting for Stolen Bases at one point and reached for some guys that totally delivered. And I didn’t punt any catgories.”



His hopes for the grand prize were dashed when his second-round pick (Curt Schilling) spent most of the season injured. And he said two of the players he targeted for bounceback seasons – Ryan Klesko and Bret Boone – also fell short of expectations.



But overall his team fared well and pulling out the title on the season’s final day was evidence of that. A veteran of fantasy baseball, Tavoso has been competing in fantasy baseball leagues since 1989 and is back in the mix to compete in this year’s NFBC.



“This is a great league,” he said. “There’s none of the nonsense like in some of my other leagues. The only downside is that since you don’t the other guys there is not any good trash talking.”

[Gordon Gekko]

Steve is the guy who put the beatin on gekko last year. congrats steve and well done!