Let the (fantasy) baseball madness begin

It's always good to see local athletes move on to bigger and better things at the collegiate level.

Here's an update on two former athletes, one from Carson High and one from Dayton.

• Nick Schlager, former Carson High wrestling standout, is having a solid season for the Oregon State Beavers.

Schlager has compiled a 17-5 record while wrestling in three different weight classes this season.

Schlager is 5-1 at 149 pounds, 11-3 at 157 and 1-2 at 165 pounds.

• Dayton's Erika Garcia wrapped up her second season on the Harvard women's soccer team.

Garcia, listed as a forward on the roster, played all 17 games on Harvard's back line. She was a second team all-Ivy League performer and was an all-region third-team selection.

Garcia is a government major.

•••

The madness is coming. In fact, in many dwellings across the United States, it's already started.

I'm not talking about March Madness, though that is coming around the corner.

I'm talking about fantasy baseball. I'm a self-proclaimed fantasy nut. I've played fantasy golf, fantasy hockey, fantasy basketball, fantasy football and fantasy baseball. Even though baseball is my favorite sport, I've never won a fantasy title. I've won leagues in the NFL and NBA. My title win in the NFL was from the sixth and last playoff spot. I knocked off three favored teams down the stretch.

Everywhere you look on the Internet these days there are fantasy drafts available. Round table discussions, mock drafts and real drafts. It's wall-to-wall baseball, and I love it. These guys take it seriously, especially during the draft. Make a stupid pick, and you'll hear about it non-stop. I love fantasy because it keeps me looking at box scores other than for the A's and Giants.

I've already drafted three teams and participated in two mock drafts. Once the season starts, it doesn't take a lot of effort unless you need to go to the waiver wire or try to make a trade.

The one thing I disagree with is that you have to post starters for your 23-man roster, which I think is ludicrous. Heck if every team is playing that day then every player should have an opportunity to score points. You shouldn't have to pick and choose.

•••

Springs sports - golf, swimming, baseball, softball and track - officially get under way with tryouts in the team sports. That means that you can prepare for rotten weather because it always seems to hit us every spring without fail.

It's no fun for the players and coaches to be playing games when it's 40 degree outside and the wind is blowing 10 mph. When that happens, about the only place you want to be is in front of a fireplace.

I envy the kids in Vegas, who can essentially play baseball and softball year round. I think that gives those kids a huge advantage.

With our weather, maybe football should be in the spring and baseball/softball in the fall.