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SportsWiseAre You A Fantasy BaseballGeek Too?ByRob ChiavettaThe sweet smell of April showers and May flowers can onlymean one thing. No, I am not referring to spring housecleaning,cleaning out the winter clutter from the garage or taking care ofthe “honey-do” list. I am referring to the start of the new MajorLeague Baseball season. For many of us this means that the dullgap of sports from the end of football season to the start of thebaseball season is over. Sure we had some All-Star games andMarch Madness, but for the majority of us who need our daily fixof the Big 2 (football or baseball) the wait is finally over. Sevendays a week from now until the start of football we can get our fillof continuous baseball coverage.Unfortunately, unless you are extremely interested in youngplayerdevelopment, Marlins fans will need to look elsewhere forchampionship contending baseball this year.The youthful look of the Marlins will be fun towatch only for the most loyal, die-hard fanswho are watching in anticipation of a 2008playoff run. For the other local Marlins fansthat can’t wait three years to watch their teamcontend, there is another option, the good olefantasy baseball option. Fantasy football hashad more recent acclaim, but it is fantasybaseball which started the fantasy sports craze,originally known as Rotisserie baseball.November 17, 1979 on a flight from NewYork to Austin, Texas, Daniel Okrent, publiceditor of The New York Times and an avidbaseball fan, is credited with creating the firstfantasy sports league. During the flight, hemapped out the rules, which have sincebecome known as fantasy baseball. Prior to the1980 baseball season, Daniel, with a fewfriends who followed baseball very closely,organized a league where they each took onthe role of a team owner. The group of friendsmet in a New York City restaurant called LaRotisserie Francaise and they named theirleague after the restaurant -- The RotisserieBaseball League. Having picked or “drafted”their players, they calculated a winner basedon real player statistics during the season.Rotisserie baseball has since evolved intoa huge national phenomenon with television24 April 2006networks such as ESPN dedicating nightly rotisserie/fantasyrelatedstatistical updates. Rules now vary from league-to-league,but the overall premise of real-life player stats coinciding witheach fantasy team’s roster remains the same.Numerous publications and internet sites are dedicated toproviding up to the minute information and statistical rankings toprovide each pseudo owner with the ammunition needed to wintheir respective leagues. A major attraction of the hobby is that itdoes not end once a team is drafted prior to the season. Just likein “real-life” baseball (although not nearly as frequent) trades aremade between competing owners to fill team weaknesses or toaccount for player injuries. The fun lasts through the entirebaseball season with each Major League player’s statisticalperformance each day affecting each participant’s fantasybaseball team.I would be remiss if I didn’t mention being a fantasy baseball“geek” myself. I have been a yearly participant for almost 20years and have belonged to an Internet league called NSFL(National Fantasy Sports Leagues) for the past 10 years. Becauseof the close friendships fantasy baseball supports, I have sharedthe NFSL team (Swampmonsters) with a friend, Paul Rybak. Wehave won four league championships, including 2005! ❂GENERAL GMC INTRODUCESYukon ® Denali ®Brand new for 2006!the2007Yukon ®We Are Professional GradeEnvoy ® Denali ®Sale Hours:Mon-Thur9am-8pmFri: 9am-6pmSat: 9am-6pmgeneralgmc.com877-248-0346 • 561-686-8906 • 800-746-7462360 S.MILITARY TRAIL WEST PALM BEACH
Community Sports & Recreation“Happenings” By Rob ChiavettaCommunity ProfileCody Meyer, Baseball Player— West Boynton Little LeagueCody Meyer, age 11, of West Boynton Little Leagueis talented, but it is his character makeup that sets himapart from most other little leaguers. His coaches atevery level boast about how coachable he is and thathe works to perfect everything he is taught on thebaseball field. When he is on the field with younger orless experienced players, Cody is the first to lend aguiding hand. As you might guess, his favorite MajorLeague player is Jeff Conine. Conine,recognized as “Mr. Marlin” is theconsummate professional and team player.One that Cody emulates.In sports, it’s usually the “flashy” starsthat get all of the hype and attention. Theygrab headlines not only with spectacularplays, but with controversial comments oroff-the-field antics. However, as any coachwill tell you, in order to win achampionship the key ingredient is a solid,reliable, on-the-field leader that can becounted on with clutch performances whenthe game is on the line.One really big play that demonstratesCody’s clutch style of play was in the 9-year-old All Star game in June of 2004. Thegame was against North Palm Beach AllStars and Cody was playing for WestBoynton All Stars. It was the championshipgame and it went into extra innings. Codywas playing shortstop, bases were loadedfor North Palm, and there was one out. If the runner on thirdscored, West Boynton would lose the game. The ball was hit upthe middle and deflected off the pitcher’s glove. Cody came inbehind the pitcher, barehanded the ball, and fired it home to getthe runner out by a step or two. The next batter grounded out andWest Boynton got out of the inning. Cody's play kept WestBoynton’s championship hopes alive and sent the game intoanother extra inning. West Boynton went on to win the game in11 innings and became the District 7 County Champions in the 9-year-old division. That year Cody went on to play on the 9- and10-year-old team that won the District, Sectional and eventuallythe State Championship. He was the only 9-year-old on the team.Cody started playing in West Boynton at age 5, but he wasabout 3 when the pastor at his church got him started withbaseball. Cody’s family was at a church picnic and the olderchildren were playing baseball. Cody tried to get involved, buthis mom, Tami, went over and told Cody to let the big kids playbecause he wasn’t old enough for baseball yet. The pastor put abat in his hand and helped him play. Ever since then, Cody haslived for baseball. His parents would take him to Marlin gameswhen he was only 3 and he would watch the game intently likean avid adult fan. He would yell for the players to swing or get“Cody Meyer is a natural baseball player,”says former coach James Dickiethe out. People around him would comment onhow attentive he was for his age. One maneven remarked that his wife didn’t pay as muchattention to the game! Cody’s room is totallybaseball themed: wallpaper, lamps, clock, etc.One entire wall is filled with the trophies andmedals he has won.Cody is an honor roll student at OdysseyMiddle School and dreams of playing collegebaseball at the University of Miami and latermaking it to the Major Leagues. “Cody is anatural baseball player,” says one of his former coaches JamesDickie. Coach Dickie adds, “When you combine Cody’s naturalability with his strong character, his future is endless.”For information on all sports and recreation programs inyour area contact:City of Boynton Beach Sports & Recreation Center, 742-6550.City of GreenacresCommunity Sports &Recreation Center,642-2090.City of Lake WorthSports & Recreation,540-5133.West Boynton Parks& Recreation Center,355-1125.Village ofWellingtonRegistration Desk,791-4005 or791-4747. ❂Are you part of a team orprogram that you are proud of?We would like to profile or list yourcommunity program, league, team orindividual sports announcements,accomplishments or results in upcomingissues. Please email tosports@floridawisemagazine.com orcontact Rob Chiavetta at P: 714-8542.Action photos welcomed! We can onlyuse High-Res photos so call or email fordetails. Photos of people will requirerelease authorization.FloridaWise Magazine 25
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