For Those That Love Us (Anyway)

[DOUGHBOYS]

For all of us, this week, be it last weekend or this weekend, or both, or the days in between, are the best days in the life of a fantasy baseball player.
Nobody else understands this. It is unlike any other hobby. For those going to COMICcon or a stamp or coin convention, or a gardening convention, those folks are merely attendees.
We are the stars of the show.
We know that on a grander scale that the stage is small and the audience is few. We don't care.
It is our week.

Behind the scenes are the wives and girlfriends. For the most part, these poor females never knew what they bargained for when agreeing to be our partner. Some of us had the fantasy bug when meeting our loved one. For some, it came well into the partnership. Either way, our partners have to 'put up with us' this week.
They try to understand, they really do.
It is hard to comprehend a guy who looks more forward to this week and the smiles on their children's faces as they unwrap presents. They have a hard time understanding that these are OUR presents. They come three months late, but these drafts are our Christmas presents.

We'll hear things like...
'Another draft?'
'How much is this one?'
'You spend more time with the computer than your family!'
'You missed your appointment. If it was a draft you wouldn't have missed THAT!'


And then after the season....
(after a pitcher is blown up)
'Why are you so grumpy?'
'Does this mean you lose?'
'Doesn't this happen to others too?'
'It'll be alright'

The last comment is the only one that is helpful. The others are all just the partner trying to understand what we do. It is impossible for them to comprehend our feelings going into a draftand the ramifications of seasonal play as we are into the season.
We know it is not life and death. Even though our partners think we have that mindset, we really don't.
We are a competitive bunch and sometimes we wear our feelings on our sleeves.
But I guarandamntee you that if our pitcher does not get an out and gives up nine runs, it can immediately be erased (at least momentarily) by our son or daughter needing a goodnight kiss and being tucked in.
Even though our partners think that our hobby is the number one thing in our lives, it isn't.
What it is, is constant mind play. Men are not wired like women. Men need to always be thinking of something. An occupation of the mind. For most men, it is sex.
Girls, you do not want your men thinking about sex. Bad things happen to men who constantly use sex as their mind play.
In this vein, fantasy baseball has done our partners a favor.
Although sex is never completely out of a man's mind, it can be pushed to the background.
Fantasy baseball, in this way, has done our partners a favor.


As fantasy players, we all walk a fine line.
We try to balance our personal lives with our fantasy lives.
Sometimes, it is tough.
We look as forward to a family night as we would a night alone of baseball.
Both come easy.
Trying to 'check in' during a family night is hard. For our part, it is something that has to be done.
Our partners don't realize this.
The following along of our players is something our partners have a hard time understanding.
It is part of our game. In a sense, we are babysitting our kids.
Our partners think we can just check in later when everybody is in bed.
This is the same as reading the first few pages of a chapter of a book, then skipping to the last page of the chapter.
We don't want to miss the stuff that happens in between. It is part of the joy and part of the angst. It is why we play the game. We want those emotions.

We know that our hobby takes up a lot of time.
There is no getting around it.
Especially this time of year when fantasy baseball time spent is at its zenith.
Thanks for trying to understand us, ladies.
We know it's tough.
In a sense, fantasy baseball is our mistress.
There are many advantages to thinking of fantasy baseball this way.
You know what you are up against. Our mistress is not something we hide or secretly meet. We never physically have to be away with our mistress. Always at home.
This mistress wants to occupy what is above our neck, not what is below our belt.

We know we are a challenge.
But, marriage is a challenge.
We want no part of what you do with your hair or finger nails or what goes on at the mall or online.
We trust that it makes you happy.
Fantasy baseball makes us happy.
The number one thing we want for our partner is happiness.
A huge thanks to our partners for trying to understand us. We know it's tough. And we haven't forgotten that.

[blazer68]

amazing and intelligent post