How was fantasy baseball created?

[shortsavage]

I thought that Daniel Okrent popularized fantasy baseball when he created something to allow him to put time into exploring baseball in the offseason. His game was an effort to put himself into similar positions as baseball executives, by my understanding.

Is my understanding/interpretation of the origins of fantasy baseball inaccurate?

[Tavish]

Fantasy baseball goes back further than Okrent, but in short yes. He designed the Roto rules to recreate the experience of building a ML team.

[shortsavage]

Fantasy baseball goes back further than Okrent...

Yes, that's why I said he popularized the game.

So, how and why has fantasy baseball diverged as far as it has from major league baseball?

[Tavish]

So, how and why has fantasy baseball diverged as far as it has from major league baseball?

It hasn't. Why do you think it has moved further away?

[KoopaTroopa211]

The term "Rotisserie" also takes it's origins from the beginnings of Fantasy Baseball:

The landmark development in fantasy baseball came with the development of Rotisserie League Baseball in 1980. Magazine writer/editor Daniel Okrent is credited with inventing it, the name coming from the New York City restaurant La Rotisserie Francaise where he and some friends used to meet and play.

[shortsavage]

So, how and why has fantasy baseball diverged as far as it has from major league baseball?

It hasn't. Why do you think it has moved further away?

I think as better tools to evaluate player talent are made available, they should be utilized.

Doesn't fantasy baseball resemble the thought process that goes into awards like the Cy Young, MVP, and Silver Slugger? Shouldn't it be more along the lines of how GMs evaluate talent? Aren't the winners the successful teams; not the teams who boast the most winners of the awards I listed above?

[Tavish]

So, how and why has fantasy baseball diverged as far as it has from major league baseball?

It hasn't. Why do you think it has moved further away?

I think as better tools to evaluate player talent are made available, they should be utilized.

Doesn't fantasy baseball resemble the thought process that goes into awards like the Cy Young, MVP, and Silver Slugger? Shouldn't it be more along the lines of how GMs evaluate talent? Aren't the winners the successful teams; not the teams who boast the most winners of the awards I listed above?

Fantasy managers can use whatever type of data they want to help them assemble their teams, just like real GMs can. The job both do is judged by end result statistics, stats like runs scored, runs allowed, and wins.

[chadlincoln]

I believe Cole Hamels invented fantasy baseball.

[shortsavage]

I believe Cole Hamels invented fantasy baseball.

lol



In response to Tavish, I agree that fantasy managers can do whatever they see fit to win.

But - bear with me here - can the end goals of fantasy baseball really mirror those of major league baseball and still accurately depict the goals of major league baseball. In other words, do the categories most commonly used in fantasy baseball really do a good job of putting fantasy managers into similar positions as major league general managers?

I say no.

Very few of the scoring systems that I have played with take a progressive approach toward keeping par with the best - or even decent - indicators of how much a player contributes to his team winning.

I'm very interested in exploring why fantasy owners aren't more enthusiastic about making their job as a fantasy GM resemble that of a major league GM.

On what grounds do the most commonly used scoring systems in fantasy baseball today represent the decisions made by major league GMs?

[Madison]

I'm very interested in exploring why fantasy owners aren't more enthusiastic about making their job as a fantasy GM resemble that of a major league GM.

Because if people wanted their fantasy game to resemble real life baseball, they would play simulation leagues, not fantasy baseball.