Fantasy World

Few things can completely change you opinion of a baseball player like the fantasy playoffs. In fact, short of killing your actual favorite team (from either within or through an enemy team), there is nothing that can dominate one's opinion of a player if they don't come through when it counts.
It is an odd realization considering how arbitrary Fantasy sports seem to be. You can draft a team set up to be absolutely dominant based on the previous year's statistics and get completely dominated for the entire season. Playoffs are the exact same way. I was recently, absolutely owned, in a fantasy playoff series because my team just did not show up. As a result, Carlos Guillen is officially dead to me and Ryan Howard is on probation. Either way, the healing process has begun and I am well on my way to recovery.

However, one thing about the devastating loss that I was just forced to endure rubbed me the wrong way more than anything else. That was Roy Halladay's CG loss. 126 pitches and 5 earned runs vs the Red Sox of Boston. The man is a horse, there is zero doubting this fact. He throws complete games like it is his job because well, that has become his job. However for a team that for all intensive purposes is not going to be allowed to sniff the playoffs, when does this borderline on risky? The man just turned 30 this season and with his build and style of pitching, I don't think it would be ridiculous to say that potentially he could last another 10 years if they are careful with him. Will he last that long if he keeps throwing 225 innings a season at 120 pitches per turn? Very doubtful. And I'm not saying that they should limit anything specifically, just to be careful. I guess you might say, "Well at least he hasn't had injury problems."

Oh wait, in 2003, he had arguably his best season pitching, get this, 268 innings and posting career numbers across the board. He posted a 22-7 record, 204 strikeouts and a 3.25 earned run average, which won himself a nice Cy Young for his troubles. The next season, suprise surprise, two stints on the disabled list with RIGHT shoulder problems. His numbers that year? In just 133.0 innings, he went 8-8 with a 4.2. Could it be that the competition got better or is that he and his manager were irresponsible a year earlier? There is no doubt that the man is a beast in the truest form but why the hell is a guy with past shoulder problems allowed to throw 126 pitches in a loss with his team out of the playoffs? It seems that with an Ace pitcher in this prime, he should be handled a little more carefully. What is more important over the last month of the season? 3 more complete games or 2 months more of guaranteed effective pitching next year?

In an MLB that more and more is attempting to save young pitchers(see Joba Chamberlain, Felix Hernandez 2 years ago, Clay BUCKELLS!) Why is this a complete non-factor with an in his prime pitcher? Will there be any blame if his shoulder explodes again next year? If the perrenial cy young candidate loses a year or two due to his "horseness" will anyone look back to 2003, 2005, and this year and ask were the extra 15 pitches a game, the extra 2 innings really worth it?

As always, only time will tell.

Go Saints