Fantasy vs. Reality: A GM’s Tasks
Submitted by Imaginary Diamond Blog
We all manage a fantasy baseball team because a.) we’re big fans of the game, and b.) we’d like to control our own franchise and compete. In the latter sense, fantasy owners are not entirely different from real-life general managers. We have to build a franchise from the ground up and manage it for a grueling 162-game schedule.
But, what people don’t seem to fully grasp is that an actual GM deals with so many more variables when it comes to decision-making. It’s not as straightforward as saying, “I just don’t get why the Yankees don’t trade a young pitcher for a young outfielder.” Even the simplest of deals are complex with finances, finding trade partners, defining long-term plans, dealing with ownership groups, etc.
Let’s take a look at some of the things that make fantasy owners similar to our GM brethren and some others that make us quite different.
SIMILARITIES
Evaluating talent
The process isn’t as lengthy or complex, but we have to evaluate talent and make tough decisions from draft day until the end of the season. Drafting is obviously less of a crap shoot because we’re evaluating Major League players, not high schoolers or collegians, but it’s hit or miss nonetheless. Great picks pay great dividends; mistakes hurt our chances.
Building a roster of complementary players
Just like the Red Sox couldn’t win with eight immobile power hitters who can’t play defense, fantasy owners can’t win with one-dimensional ball clubs. Dedicate too much time to a pitching staff, and a weak offense will bring you down. Go strictly for power hitters, and low batting average and lack of steals are your demise. Similar to a real franchise, we must strive for the perfect balance.
Constant search for better players
Free agents and bargain bin players have their places on fantasy rosters, just as perennial All-Stars do. Some of the players who most impact a fantasy playoff race begin the year on the waiver wire and come out of left field to have huge seasons. Albert Pujols, Ryan Braun and Johan Santana are all players who went from free agents to superstars in a matter of weeks. Taking fliers on players you believe in is a constant across fantasy and reality.
DIFFERENCES
Consequences of your actions
There’s a long-term window to consider and a sense of permanence to your actions as a real GM. Players are under contract, media scrutiny can influence your moves, and fans demand excellence. A fantasy owner’s mistakes are felt by one person and one person alone - himself.
Blockbusters are a rarity
All-Stars seldom change hands in reality, but they are constantly on the move in fantasy. In that sense, a fantasy owner has a much easier time “re-defining” his franchise because the core can change at any time. A real GM has his core group and can shuffle the pieces around it, but if that’s not good enough, it’s not good enough.
GMs don’t have absolute power
Fantasy owners have it easy. They own their franchise, make all personnel decisions, and dictate who starts and who doesn’t. If he’s lucky, a real GM will handle just one of those tasks. He must trust the people around him, namely his manager, and take orders from ownership before making key decisions.
Obviously, those two lists are not exhaustive. We could sit here all day and talk about what GMs do that fantasy owners do not. The very basis of the discussion is a little silly to begin with, but it’s becoming more and more common for fans to think they can do a GM’s job.
There seemed no better way to put that misunderstanding into terms so many of us can understand. Fantasy owners shouldn’t discount the work they do — and it is work — based on this, but they must know where fantasy stops and reality begins.
