Lots to do ...

We're getting to the time of year where it's all about being busy, busy, busy. To wit:

*I have a live Fantasy Baseball draft this Friday at noon. Six teams this year. I swore I'd never do that again. But I just can't help it. And get this -- because my sister Cheryl and friend K.C. will be working, I'll be drafting for them, too.
*Saturday is the spring meeting for the Metropolitan Media Softball League. To me, this meeting always signals the beginning of softball season. I just hope the weather starts cooperating. It's really been kind of sucky around here lately.
*Next Friday, I have my first-ever colonoscopy. Oh yea for me! I'm sure I'll be in good spirits, so to speak, later Friday when one of my other Fantasy teams has it's get together at The Brickskeller in D.C. I hope I am in good shape for that -- love The Brickskeller. They have more than 1,500 beers from around the world. And the atmosphere is unmatched.
*Friday's night's festivities are followed Saturday by the league's draft in Baltimore, which I hope will be done in time to get back for the Nationals-Orioles game that night at the new ballpark. I'm not counting on that though. Last year's draft was an all-day affair.
*Sunday night finds the baseball opener between the Braves and Nats at the new park. Never been to an opener, and never been to an opener at a new ballpark. Can't wait.
*After that, it's softball practice every weekend until the season opener April 19. Cheryl and Val come in the following weekend for the Cubs series.

Whew! As you can see, lots of places to go, people to see and things to do. I just hope everybody else can keep up...

Life is just a fantasy ...

It's that time of year again, Fantasy Baseball. Love it. Live for it. It's better than any other Fantasy sport out there, though the NFL is a close second.

I'm kind of a nut about it. I have four Yahoo! teams and one NL-only auction league team with some guys at work (that one is an homage to former Tigers' pitcher/nut Mark Fidrych).

I've got a couple of live drafts coming up, but one of my Yahoo! teams had its draft last week (in a league titled "Organized Kaos." Funny). I really like this team, for several reasons:

*I have several Cubs, including new Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome. Appropriate considering my team is named "Got Fuku?" Other Cubs include catcher Geovany Soto, Carlos Zambrano and Ted Lilly.
*I also have two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana, closers Mariano Rivera and Jason Isringhausen.
*My position players include Ichiro Suzuki, Nick Markakis, Josh Hamilton, Ken Griffey Jr., Miguel Tejada and Shane Victorino.

Ah, I can already taste the champagne ...

Little brown bears and gnats

So baseball season is upon us, with Opening Day only a month away.

So far so good in the Cubs camp, though Mark DeRosa's heart procedure -- he had an irregular heartbeat -- does concern me, even though the team says he'll be back on the field next week. Makes me wonder how long GM Jim Hendry will wait before finally pulling the trigger on getting second baseman Brian Roberts from the Orioles. If, of course, owner Peter Angelos signs off on it.

And the Washington Nationals are counting down to the opening of their brand spanking new ballpark. There are still a lot of issues to be resolved -- like traffic, parking and a so far unfinished Navy Yard Metro stop. We have tickets to the exhibition game on March 29 against the Orioles and the opener the following night against the Braves on ESPN.

There could be mayhem.

It's the start of Fantasy season, too. I'm in a league again with my friend K.C. and sister Cheryl. My team name this year is "Got Fuku?" I got the idea from some t-shirts I saw for sale on bleedcubbieblue.com after the Cubs signed Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome.

And if it ever warms up, we might be able to get out on the practice fields for softball.

I guess I need to remember it's still winter.