Very quietly earlier this year (January 2021) one of the longest running fantasy baseball leagues in the country closed operations. The Cubs Fan Club League (CFCL), established in 1984 by a couple of wide eyed high school seniors, ended its run.
Ten teams chased the trophy in 2019 with the Golden Sombreros coming out on top. Covid caused confusion for 2020. Would there be a baseball season? Would they start the season then stop? Would players begin to play and then be put on the Covid list for a week? A month? The season? Trying to navigate all the moving parts seemed impossible and that was only to be dealt with if we could figure out when to draft (usually mid/late March, but the season didn't start until July) and how? (by the time of the season starting, the country had been shut down and no one in our league was comfortable sitting in an enclosed room with nine other owners some of whom had come in from out of state). As a league we decided to suspend operations for 2020 and hopefully re-engage in 2021.
A strange thing happened during the 2021 season, at least for the owner of Dem Rebels. Despite being a member for 36 years (being one of the wide eyed seniors to establish the league) during the 2020 baseball season there was no longing to check box scores or daily standings. There was no desire to make a trade or make notes on players to draft in 2021. It was ennui to apathy to torpor for the double play.
The Rebels had felt it building over the last few seasons. Lack of energy preparing for the draft. Drafting a team, managing injuries, making trades to try and make a run only to be torpedoed by outlandish trades of other teams. Real life interests were pulling their attention away from baseball operations. And so as all owners in the league voiced their decision to return or resign, the Rebels made the announcement to step away but hopefully watch the CFCL continue under new management. Four other owners (Ruffins, DoorMatts, Twin Killers and Swing) decided it was time to pull the shutters closed and move on to other endeavors. With five teams remaining, replacement owners or new blood would be needed to keep the league going. As of this writing (April 2021) no announcement has been made that new owners had been found.
There have plenty of enjoyable memories over 36 season. The "Snookie" Incident. Driving to the draft for many years with DoorMatt and Twin Killer management. Catching up in person with out of town owners, though the conversations were always too brief. Staring down the Revenge while I overpaid (.55) for the awesome Andrew McCutcheon. Tracking each pick every draft trying to figure out not only how am I going to build a champion (didn't happen) but what is going on in the minds of fellow owners with the selections they made. Sure there were frustrations and ultimately that was a factor in deciding to retire, but 36 years was overall a fun run.
Another interesting observation was made by Rebel management (or, more accurately, Former Rebel Management). His son Cooper joined an on-line fantasy baseball league. The draft was held in February and Cooper announced the members of his team (named The Chicken Coops). Upon hearing the draft process and the roster for the Coops, Rebel leadership felt no longing to be involved in the building of a team. No jealousy that would stir the pot to want to run a fantasy baseball team again. All he felt was excitement and pride in his son as he (Cooper) branched out his sporting experience to fantasy baseball.
The 2021 full baseball season will be the first in 38 years that the Rebels will not be drafting and managing Dem Rebels to most likely another low level finish. But it will be the first full baseball season that will be filled with fatherly pride as he watches Cooper charge towards his first title.
