First Fantasy Summit to be at The Jake
MLB.com, Indians to host special live event for fans Tuesday
They might not be wearing an Indians cap. In fact, quite often, they're actually wearing the gear of the Tribe's opponent.
Nonetheless, they still get in Travis Hafner's ear before an at-bat and encourage him to come through at the plate.
Is it Hafner's endearing personality that they find impossible to resist? Is it sheer respect for his accomplishments that causes them to cheer him on?
Nah, they're just looking to pad their fantasy baseball stats.
"People will come up to you and say, 'Do something good, I've got you on my fantasy team,'" Hafner says.
The man known as Pronk takes no offense, because he's one of them.
For when the NFL season rolls around, he, too, becomes an unabashed supporter of players he might otherwise not be rooting for. If you're a member of one of his three fantasy football teams -- including the cheekily named "Pronktically Unbeatable" squad -- you have Hafner's attention.
Oh, please. Make it stop.
Yes, the fantasy sports craze has enveloped all segments of society, from the Average Joe to the big-time jock.
The Indians have certainly taken notice, which is why they're opening up their ballpark to Cleveland's finest fantasy fanatics.
In partnership with MLB.com, the club will hold its first-ever Fantasy Baseball Summit from 6-9 p.m. ET Tuesday at Jacobs Field. For $75, fans get parking in the players' lot, a buffet dinner in the visitors' clubhouse and two drink tickets.
They'll also have access to a Q&A session with Indians general manager Mark Shapiro and assistant GM Chris Antonetti and be in attendance for a live broadcast of MLB.com's Fantasy 411 radio show, hosted by Mike Siano and Cory Schwartz.
Mark, is Shin-soo Choo going to be a regular or will you just have him platoon and face right-handers? What about Asdrubal Cabrera? Should I draft him? Is he going to make the club out of spring training?
I've played fantasy baseball once. In college. When I found myself rooting for Floyd Youmans, I just had to stop.
Another story? Sure.
Boston's Hansen wins first PBGL title
Red Sox righty gets past representative from Damon's project
An hour before the scheduled start of Saturday's first-year finals of the Professional Baseball Gaming League, top-seeded Seth McClung, the Devils Rays pitcher, sat practicing where the video-game finals would take place.
"Look who's the most dedicated," McClung said with a smile. "I was up real late like the rest of the guys, but you see I'm here practicing, while the rest of 'em are sleeping."
McClung's zeal for preparation could not be questioned, yet it didn't translate to victory on this day. The PBGL regular-season champion had to settle for a tie for third place in the finals.
He lost in the semifinals to Steve Robison, a representative from Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon's Wounded Warriors project. Robison in turn lost the title to Red Sox pitcher Craig Hansen.
Hansen, a 6-foot-5, 185-pound right-hander preparing for his second Major League season, defeated Robison two straight in a best-of-three competition in Gran Prix-style racing. Hansen won handily by choosing the optimum type of car for each race, depending on its variables.
I know it's for charity, but the Devil Rays and Red Sox must be sooooo proud. Just like I'm so proud that I once played JOUST for an hour on one quarter in the basement of the UW-Platteville Student Union. I wish that it would have been for charity though.
It wouldn't be a a video game tournament unless their was a Super Bowl preview. Who won?
In Friday's "Battle of the Commissioners" that opened the competition, celebrated hip-hop entertainer Snoop Dogg, using Indianapolis Colts players, defeated Damon, playing with Chicago Bears players, in a 16-10 squeaker.
Damon was concerned about being routed, based on the pre-battle scuttlebutt, but the game was tight all the way. Perhaps a comment that Damon savored the most came when Snoop Dogg blurted at some point in the second half, "Man, you're making me work for my paper [money]."
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