NFBC Weekly Profile - Kevin Kirves

[Tom Kessenich]

With the baseball season heading into the climactic part of the season, it's only fitting that the race for the $100,000 in the NFBC heats up as well.

For several weeks, Chad Schroeder set the standard by which all other Main Events were measured. Then John Pausma joined the fray and began dueling Schroeder for the top spot.

But why stop with only two teams?

Last week, a third team jumped into the mix and began to flex its Main Event muscles. And as the season heads into the home stretch, Kevin Kirves is hoping to turn this into an even more intense dog fight with national glory on the line.

Kirves took hold of the top spot in the Main Event entering action this week and will begin Tuesday's slate of games a mere one point behind Pausma for first place and only two points ahead of Schroeder in the overall standings.

Having played in the NFBC for six years, Kirves is not the least bit surprised the battle for $100,000 has turned into a barn burner.

"It's tough as always," he said. "There is no such thing as an easy league in the NFBC."

One of the key reasons why Kirves has vaulted into contention is due to one of this year's breakout sensations.

"Mike Trout was a guy Iiked quite a bit because I knew he would be playing before June," Kirves said. "But wow, I didn't expect this. Obviously, he has been the key to my team."

While Trout has spearheaded the offensive attack, two starting pitchers Kirves nabbed early on Draft Day in Las Vegas have also proven to be cornerstones of his team.

"I ended up taking two starting pitchers - Roy Halladay and David Price - in my first four picks, which is rare for me," he said. "But that is the way the draft flowed that day."

While Kirves' first weekend Main Event team is generating plenty of attention - with good reason - that's not the only team having a big year. Kirves' second weekend Main Event team is in second place in his league and he is leading his March 31 Super league.

But with $100,000 on the line and three top NFBC players battling it out for the top spot on a daily basis, don't be surprised if all eyes are focused intently on his March 24 Main Event team the rest of the way. And while Kirves knows it will be a battle to the end, he believes his team has the stuff to stay in the hunt.

"My team is pretty well balanced," the 35-year-old Kirves said. I need Roy Halladay to be the guy he has been the last five years. He's my second-round pick and I need him to pitch like it. He has shown signs of life his last two starts and if he continues pitching like himself then I have a real shot to win.

"I also have some guys coming back soon from injury (Joey Vato and Pablo Sandoval). I need them to be themselves for these next six weeks."

[Glenneration X]

I got to know Kevin last summer while we were battling over the top spot of the WCOFB Main Event Overall, all the while wondering if we were battling over anything at all. Kevin held me off, as well as all the other players that also were playing in that competition, and took that top spot. Unfortunately the promised reward for his accomplishment never came and our only hopes of achieving what we earned lie in the legal action that we are co-plaintiffs in with some others who were hurt by that criminal organization WCOFF.

I met Kevin personally in Vegas this year. He's as great a guy in person as he seemed on the phone last summer. It would be sweet justice if he won another baseball Main Event, this time with a contest that will actually pay him.