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Originally Posted by DAL 9000
Yee-haw! They's good readin's in this dynasty.
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Thanks, DAL!
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Originally Posted by Tib
I'm interested in the mortal's view of this league. What's it like for them to try to eke out a career amongst the likes of these heavenly talents?
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Great question, Tib! I will include more perspectives from the human side of the fence as the league runs its course. I posed your question to several of the mortal players throughout the DCL - here are the responses I received.
"As a pitcher," began New York's All-Star Pitcher James Bass, "it's very tough. I mean, there's no DH, thank...well, whoever, but there's still that one huge bat you have to face day in and day out. It can be a little unnerving. A lot of guys try to pitch around the deities, but that's not how I am. I mean, I consider myself one of the best pitchers in the league and I'm not about to back down. Anybody can strike out a human, but to catch a deity looking when you slice one over the black...that's a real nice feeling. Of course, there are the ramifications to worry about. Striking out a peaceful, forgiving deity like Guatama is one thing, but showing up someone like Jupiter or Odin when they're having a bad day can really mean signing your own death warrant. A couple years ago, one of our guys struck out Bondje in his last at-bat of the game, ending his hitting streak at, like, 30-something...they *still* don't know if the remains they found are his..."
"I've been popping steroids like candy," declared Buffalo CF Carlos Ibanez, who requested not to be named, "Here's 26 deities all striving to prove themselves to the world and it all comes down to numbers. 'I hit this many home runs' or 'I was MVP this many times'. One of the deciding factors may come down to RBIs, so if you're hitting before a deity, you better get on base so they can drive you in. If not, well...nice knowing you, buddy."
"I know it makes some guys nervous," stated Stockton CF Martin Frey, "but I think it's great. You really just have to accept the fact that there's no way you can do the things they do, so all you can do is just sit back and enjoy the show. On the field, off the field - it doesn't matter. Some of us guys went out to a bar the one night with Hu-Ku (editor's note: Hunab Ku) after an extra inning win and he was getting us all kinds of chicks. I mean, if you're omnipotent, you're really going to know what buttons to push with the ladies. You think he's great on the field, man, he was putting on a friggin' *clinic* that night..."
Hartford Left fielder Cesar "Fats" Poulos had a different take on the situation. "It can be a little discouraging." Poulos admitted, "I mean, you're trying to make an impact in this game, everyone's dream is to go down in history and be remembered as a great player. I hit 49 HRs last year - that's pretty good, right? Man, I wasn't even in the top 25...I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that I will always be in the deities' grand shadows, but it's not an easy pill to swallow."
Perhaps Atlanta 2B Willie McNamara best described the situation. He said: "It's definitely a unique situation, that's for sure. But, the fact of the matter is, they've been phenomenal for baseball. The ratings we get are astounding and the Viracocha Bobblehead alone has raised almost two million dollars for local charities. Some people are upset because they will never be as good or may never be remembered, but those are selfish reasons. The fact of the matter is that I am honored to be playing with these guys. Hell, there's millions and millions of people who would gladly trade places with me for just 5 minutes. I have learned so much when I have had the chance to talk to them, it's really made my life a whole lot better. I wouldn't change a thing about it." When asked if the exposure to deities had influenced McNamara to convert religions in any way, McNamara replied, "Nah...I'm an atheist."
So there are a number of different viewpoints out there - some positive, some negative. Much the same can be said today for hotplate topics such as stem cell research, the War in Iraq and just how overrated is Ashlee Simpson. There's one thing that cannot be denied, however, and that is that the deities have been very entertaining and a tremendous boon to the popularity of the game of baseball. Their charity work in the community is unparalleled and millions of peoples' lives have seen the benefits. None of our more vengeful deities have gone on a killing spree of more than 4 people, which is also a plus...