March Madness: Are We There Yet?

No, I'm not talking about basketball. I'm talking about the madness of waiting for the baseball season to begin. For me, the madness begins after the end of the first draft. My jerk of a friend decided to have his draft on March 4th, which means my madness began very early this year. Other drafts help to medicate the madness but they are not a cure. The madness is made worse by an existing condition of mine - Trade Mongerism. I am a self diagnosed Trade Monger (See 'Trade 'Em If You got 'Em'). I have proposed no less then 20 trades already (between 3 leagues) with 3 of the trades being accepted (I finally got Kershaw for my dynasty league). A couple of more probably would have been accepted if the other owners ever saw them. With all the time before the season start, many owners haven't even looked at their team since the draft, much less my offers. This lack of attention only increases my madness. We are now a week away from the opener - my shakes are pretty bad, my sight is dim, there are spots in front of my eyes, but I think I'll pull through. With a booster shot of WBC and a steady drip of spring training games, the doctors are confident in my complete return to health. With my wife by my side (calling me a 'dork' on a very regular basis), my fellow trade mongers, and some good articles to read (searching for the hidden gems no one is really talking about *cough* Jonathan Sanchez *cough*), I have a support team that hasn't let me down. Misery loves company, so I'm here to let you that you are not the only one suffering from an acute case of March Madness. So take heart fellow sufferers, we are almost there. You have so much to live for, don't give up hope yet. Ignore the bright light drawing you in and focus on the green grass of the field, the browns on the base paths, and the white of home plate. Before you know it, you will be cursing your rivals, trading like crazy, and enjoying another great season. Hang in there! -Scout Monkey (scout_monkey@gmx.com)