i am beginning to hate fantasy baseball.

and it’s only my first season playing. being in last place day after day, though, isn’t fun. i really should be doing better. my team isn’t that bad. take my catcher, brian mccann. he’s leading the national league right now with a .347 batting average. he has five home runs, 21 rbis, 19 runs and one stolen base out of 40 games. he also has just been put on the disabled list after player running home collided with him.

my main starting pitcher, ben sheets, is a monster. he was on the disabled list at the beginning of the season, but after returning struck out 28 batters in 20 innings pitched. that’s incredible. one strike out an inning is considered good. but, sheets also has been put back on the disabled list for right shoulder tendonitis. there’s no timetable for his return.

another one of my starting pitchers, daniel cabrera, struck out 43 batters in 41 inninigs pitched, but has been put on the disabled list for tightness in his right shoulder. they say he’s about two weeks from returning to the mound, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be pitching anytime soon.

do you sense a theme here? out of my 21 players, seven have been or are on the disbled list. that means trying to find someone to replace them, but the pickings are slim. most of the good, or even decent, players have been taken. i’m left with pitchers with high earned run averages and whips, and fielders who can’t seem to do anything with the ball.

my team is being carried by a few players. pittsburgh outfielder jason bay is my star. he has a .309 batting average this season with 37 runs, 15 home runs, 43 rbis and 5 stolen bases. i can always count on him to add to my stats.

though he had a rough start, atlanta outfielder jeff francouer is a big player on my team. last year’s power hitter and the “future of the braves”, francouer started out with a batting average teetering between .063 and .083. he’s now up to .249 with 24 runs, 10 home runs and 38 rbis. his game-winning grand slam against the washington nationals a few weeks ago was historic. he’s only 22, and he’s going to be a monster.

baltimore outfielder jay gibbons is another solid player. he’s hitting .268 with 21 runs, 10 home runs and 29 rbis. he’s another one i can count on consistently for numbers.

i recently picked up another baltimore outfielder, corey patterson. he has a .278 batting average, but i picked him up for his ability to steal bases, with 16 chalked up already this season. i can’t wait to see how many more he can pick up in the next few months.

i have a good team. if i hadn’t had so many injuries i think i’d be up towards the top of the pack. maybe next year. for now, i have to not let my 12th place ranking dampen my spirits. it will get better.