New Sport Media Demonstration:Fantasy Baseball

Michael Tillery / Nathan Teada89-286 Sport Communication & Technology

The invention of fantasy baseball• John Burgeson in 1960 – Akron, Ohio• Programmer runs simulations on IBM 1620• Use the players but doesn’t manage team as modern day fantasy baseball

• Rege Cordic Fall of 1961• Radio announcer for KDKA-Pittsburgh “calls” the fantasy game from

Burgeson’s IBM printouts • http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7793059/john-burgeson-ibm-computer-start-basebal

l-video-games

• Dan Okrent in 1980 • the basis for all modern day fantasy sports• http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8392996

MLB.com

CBS Sports – Official Fantasy Baseball Commissioner Game of MLB.com

ESPN – online videos and phone app

Real News on Fantasy Baseball

How to set up a League• Tell everyone to log on to a site

League FormatRostersDrafts• Autopick by computer • Online• Auction style• Offline

Playoffs• Starts near the end of the regular season• optional bye weeks• One or 2 weeks for each matchup

Keeper Leagues• Can keep a set number of players from year to year

League Customization• Rotisserie

• Against all opponents all season long. Receive points based on ranks within league• Head to head each category

• same 10 stat categories, new opponent each week, receive a win/loss/tie for each stat category.

• Head to head most categories • same 10 stat categories, new opponent each week and receive a win/loss/tie for

the combined number of categories• Head to head points

• new opponent every week and receive points based on performance 1 point for every base, 1 point for a run, 1 point for a stolen base. 1 point for a walk, 1 point for an RBI, minus one point for a strikeout. Pitchers have similar point value.