I'm on the inside... I am twenty-six now, and have been playing rotisserie baseball since just after turning fourteen. This means, I have been a "fantasy-sports" geek for nigh half my life. Add to that, for that length, I have been a roto-loser (save for a winning Yahoo! NFL Pick 'em experience, two years ago). Now, though; now -- I finished... second.

Second.

Yes, still a loss. Yes, Reese Bobby would not smile on this outcome. But, for purposes of my recently bar mitzvah'd rotisserie league, good enough. There is a cash prize to each of the first, second, and third place finishers. In my case, second.

Second.

This also proves my highest finish ever, with a third in '96 -- though, sadly, two years before the prize-pool was expanded from two-deep to three -- and there remains the potential of boasting the (unofficial) provisional favorite for '07. (For historic and sentimental reasons, league founder Bernie C-----, is always accorded provisional favorite status, on an official basis.)

So, to my team, my warriors, the Wily Mo Mentum, that brought me so close to the champagne shower, and still pulled out an hardware-winning finish.

C, Ivan Rodriguez (Tigers), 1.80
C, Gregg Zaun (Blue Jays), 0.30
1b, Jason Giambi (Yankees), 2.70
2b, Marcus Giles (Braves), 1.60
Ss, Jose Reyes (Mets), 1.00
3b*, Wes Helms (Marlins), 0.90
Co, Carlos Delgado (Mets), 3.00
Mi, Chase Utley (Phillies), 0.80
Of, Alfredo Amezaga (Marlins), 0.10
Of, Rocco Baldelli (Devil Rays), 2.00
Of, Reed Johnson (Blue Jays), 0.80
Of, Wily Mo Pena (Red Sox), 0.60
Of, Alfonso Soriano (Nationals), 3.40
Dh, Dustin Pedroia (Red Sox), 0.70
* 3rd base prolly proved the most tumultuous position; after beginning the year with Sean Burroughs, I was able to "reserve" him and acquire Russell Branyan, whose 11 home-runs should not go unremarked upon, lastly having Wes Helms there, after Branyan's trade in MLB to San Diego.

P, Jeremy Bonderman (Tigers), 1.60
P, Joe Borowski (Marlins), 2.10
P, A.J. Burnett (Blue Jays), 2.10
P, Todd Jones (Tigers), 0.70
P, Ryan Madson (Phillies), 0.60
P, Mike Maroth (Tigers), 0.50
P, Kenny Rogers (Tigers), 0.80
P, Anibal Sanchez (Marlins), 0.70
P, Billy Wagner** (Mets), 2.80
** This acquisition, by trade, at mid-season, allowed me to smoke the competition in saves and lower my era and ratio to averages that put the Wily Mo Mentum in the league's top third. As well, Baldelli came along, and his .303-12-38-42-8 did not hurt me in the least. All that, for Logan Kensing (whom, yes, I may end up dreading having given up) and Endy Chavez.

So, there you have it. In the money, finally, and I am glad to see it happen with Burnett still on the team. He's been a stalwart of the originally Fighting Manicotti, in his tenure having been a Bowler, Dave Berg 5, and Wily Mo Mentum. In fact, he's the longest tenured on the squad, continuously or not, though in his case, continuously. From his impossible no-hitter in San Diego in '01, thru battles with Mc Keon in Florida, to another year of injury in Toronto (redeemed by a strong second-half; have to love 11-strikeout games), he's seen it all. Now, he can toast success.

If only Ryan Klesko, the one I feel I cheated worst, in all my years in the wilderness, were still a Brave, and still a part of my rotisserie side. He had his career best season in '96, when I came up short, then continued on as a Brave -- and Michael Falk, and Undead Kennedy -- thru '98, each season his MLB playing-time decreasing, his rotisserie fortunes descending into a morass that bottomed out with consecutive eighths (one of which was a last place finish, in '98; by '99, the league had expanded to nine-strong). I could have done better by the "big tub of goo".

Selah.

But, in a few weeks, to begin preparing for next year. I expect good tidings. Reyes, Utley, Pena, Pedroia, Bonderman, Madson, and ANIBAL! offer a solid, pennant-tested core around which to build the '07 champion. Yes!

Now, watch out Grimey, I'm coming for you.