Should Fantasy Baseball be cheered or jeered?

You're sitting at home watching your beloved Cubbies take on the hated Cardinals at Wrigley. As they flash a quick shot of Harry Caray's immortal image on your set, you think back to the days of old, listening to Harry jabber about past heroes like Bill Buckner and Ryne Sandberg and Rick Sutcliffe. You tug at your ratty old Cubs hat, the one your father gave you at your first ever Cubs game when you were five years old. You cheer as one of the new young heroes in Chicago, Kerry Wood, mows down Cardinal after Cardinal, inning after inning.

Until suddenly Ray Lankford steps up to the plate. Your smile disappears. Your eyes shift a little. You stir uncomfortably in your seat. "The Cubs are winning 3-1," you remind yourself. "Lank is 0 for 2. There's no one on base." You sit up: "Ah, go ahead. Hit a homerun. Yeah. I need it. Come on Ray! Take this punk deep!"

Welcome to the wonderful world of Fantasy Baseball. Where your favorite teams sometimes take a backseat. Where your favorite players vary from year to year, and are determined on the Sunday before the season starts. Where your love for the sport becomes a love for the statistic.

Where no matter what game is on, there is a reason to watch. And that is the best part.

Fantasy Baseball started a long time ago, but has only recently taken on the popularity it has today. Ever since computers began their friendly take-over on mankind (oh, they are taking over), anyone and everyone has access to a league. Fans and non-fans alike are engrossed in the many levels of excitement brought on by Fantasy Baseball. The non-fans are drawn in by the element of gambling that is involved. The power they feel. That bit of camaraderie they experience by connecting with the National Pastime, with so many others.

And for the fans, it's something extra to deepen the passion. It's for that Pittsburgh Pirates fan that finds him or herself rooting for a last place team every year. You think without an outlet to perhaps root for a winning team for once you could blame them for not caring about baseball at all?

Plus, when you draft a team, make all the decisions, trades, lineups, etc. -- you take on an ownership you can't get from just watching your team play. You're more involved. You're the boss. And it's magnificent. So what could be wrong with increasing one's interest in the sport?

Well, those who love baseball but don't play some form of Fantasy Baseball (and that number is dwindling) may find the "hobby" very disruptive to the sport. They feel the fan no longer cares about the important intricacies that make up the game. The fundamentals that separate baseball from other sports, that make it our National Pastime. Laying down a good sacrifice bunt. Getting that match-up out of the bullpen. Knowing when to put on a hit and run.

They have a point, these baseball purists. But only to a point. I mean, as a Fantasy Baseball participant, I can't begin to tell you how much more involved I am in baseball since I started, how much more interesting following the sport has become for me.

Critics of Fantasy Baseball claim it ruins the real thing. They claim it takes away from the essence of the sport -- the passion of rooting for your one team. I think that is ridiculous. I still root for my favorite team to win, regardless of the ramifications for my fantasy team. Those who root against their team most likely weren't die-hard fans to begin with, and most likely wouldn't be following the sport and watching the games as much as they do now anyway.

And further, it makes people like me even more of a baseball fan, as I am now interested in teams that I normally would never be. Would I ever watch a Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks game if not for Fantasy Baseball? I highly doubt it. But if my pitcher was going that night for one of the teams, I would certainly watch some, if not the whole game (including commercials, for those who care about ratings). Maybe I'll wind up taking in a pitcher's duel in the process, or see a great catch happen live instead of on some nightly recap, where there is no feel for the flow of the play. Just maybe I'll gain a new level of interest in the game I never had before.

As I mentioned earlier, Fantasy Baseball can be a portal for the non-fans to see baseball for the first time and learn the sport. Much the same, the fans of the sport grow a greater appreciation through an increased interest.

And that's what baseball has become all about. In an era where work stoppages are what is truly ruining the game, and players are making a quarter of a billion dollars, something needs to help promote this falling sport. Is Fantasy Baseball really ruining the game, or is it actually keeping it alive? I'll tell you what: In today's world, it's the only thing that gives this baseball fan a reason to cheer.