I fundamentally love the idea of drafts. Last weekend, my friends and I spontaneously held a four-team cheese draft. I selected a third-round juggernaut in nacho. And this week, three Tufts Daily sports columnists — myself, Ben Kochman and Ethan Sturm — held a Fantasy Fantasy Baseball Draft, where we took turns selecting teams of the best fictional baseball players. Throughout the week, each columnist will unveil his 10 picks — nine players, one manager — and offer a little insight into the competition. Without further ado, here is my team, "Little Big Major League of Their Own."
1st round, 3rd overall: Leon Carter, Catcher, "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings" (1976)
Played by James Earl Jones, Carter will anchor the lineup, providing power in a similar mold to Negro League legend Josh Gibson. Plus, hearing Jones speak in those sultry tones is enough to warrant a first-rounder.
2nd round, 4th overall: Steve Nebraska, Pitcher, "The Scout" (1994)
A bit of a head case — he once refused to come down from the top of Yankee Stadium to pitch in the World Series — Nebraska still regularly topped 100-mph on the radar gun.
3rd round, 9th overall: Willie Mays Hays, Outfield, "Major League" (1989)
A little speed and a lot of personality won't do my outfield any harm. Granted, his apparent identity crisis — he was played by Wesley Snipes in the original and Omar Epps in the sequel — is troublesome, but the talent is just too much to ignore.
4th round, 10th overall: Lou Collins, First Base, "Little Big League" (1994)
A stable veteran with a cool head — after all, he survived having a prepubescent child as manager — and a solid glove, Collins will anchor the infield and likely hit fifth.
5th round, 15th overall: Sidd Finch, Pitcher
The subject of George Plimpton's 1985 April Fools hoax, Finch reportedly threw a 168-mph fastball. Though he retired just one week later, presumably to pursue a career in French horn performance, Finch possesses all the traits of a mid-round sleeper.
6th round, 16th overall: Jimmy Dugan, Manager, "A League of Their Own" (1992)
Who better to manage this club than Tom Hanks' character? After harnessing alpha personalities like Rosie O'Donnell and Madonna, dealing with even the boisterously flamboyant Hays will seem simple.
7th round, 21st overall: Crash Davis, Designated Hitter, "Bull Durham" (1988)
A solid veteran bat with good clubhouse leadership, Davis will help mentor this staff's flamethrowers when he's not busy reaching third base with Susan Sarandon.
8th round, 22nd overall: Kenny Powers, Pitcher, "Eastbound and Down"
The hair is worth the signing bonus, despite The Bulletproof Tiger's 4.40 ERA and rapidly declining career.
9th round, 27th overall: I Don't Give A Damn, Shortstop, "The Naughty Nineties" (1945)
Who? No, he's on first. Wait, what? Second base. I don't know what you're talking about. Third base. Abbott and Costello clearly saved the best for last when they tabbed I Don't Give A Damn as their shortstop, and he should form a solid middle infield with What if I can grab him off the waiver wire.
10th round, 28th overall: Dave King, Outfield
Given that he's the title character in the 1951 kids book "The Kid Who Batted 1.000," I think I made the right choice. King has a reputation for exclusively drawing walks and wearing out opposing pitchers because he is incapable of swinging and missing. A late-round steal.
Favorite Pick: Al "The Boss" Angel by Ben Kochman
This tremendous sixth-round pick by Kochman secured his team a far more angelic skipper than Mike Scioscia could ever be.
Least Favorite Pick: Casey by Ethan Sturm
Though my column's namesake is named after Casey's famed Mudville Nine, his lack of poise in the clutch is an unmistakable handicap for any franchise looking to build around him.
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Alex Prewitt is a senior majoring in English and religion. He can be reached on his blog at http://livefrommudville.blogspot.com or followed on Twitter at @Alex_Prewitt.
