I drafted my 2021 fantasy baseball team in 70 minutes through an online website, with other 11 people I’ll never meet. It was quite different from my first rotisserie experience, more than 30 years ago, in a friend’s basement apartment.
The concept of fantasy sports dates back to 1980, when a group of sports journalists dined at a New York restaurant called Le Rotisserie. They drafted a number of major league baseball players to fill personal rosters, compile stats, and made trades. There were no fantasy sports websites, because there was no World Wide Web. The first fax machines of that era cost $20,000, so owners used whatever primitive technology was available to generate standings and keep each other apprised.
After that inaugural season, they started publicizing their new creation. My friends and I read about the concept of “fantasy baseball” and finally decided to give it a try. We gathered in our friend Vin’s basement in Flushing, a long walk from Shea Stadium. We agreed to pool $35 each for our team, as well as two dollars for each player traded.
Our first rookie mistake was not agreeing on a commissioner. Our friend Marv insisted that every decision had to determined by “gentleman‘s agreement,” including trades. Our next mistake was not collecting the money ahead of time. That became a crucial factor as relationships frayed towards…
