2008 Astrology Awards Recap
View the 2008 FABL Lineups Here!
This is showing my age, but the 2008 World Series was the first one that occurred after I graduated from college. That means I got to watch the Philadelphia Phillies defeat the newly-christened Tampa Bay Rays on a hi-def TV from the comfort of a sports bar stool, rather than whatever was available in my dorm’s lounge. I can’t recall if I had a heightened sense of accomplishment, or simply existential dread at the prospect of entering the workforce in the midst of a recession. Man, if only we knew what was coming…
The biggest topline news about the 2008 Fantasy Astrology Baseball League season has to be the sign at the top. For the first time (going reverse-chronologically), the Sagittarius Archers scored the most overall fantasy points in the league. Given that Sagittarius plays in the Fire division, like Aries, who dominated in the 2010s, fire signs now have the most wins (six) in the 13-year period that I’ve covered so far. (Air signs are in close pursuit with five – four for Libra and one for Aquarius in the COVID-shortened 2020 season.)
Sagittarius earned the top spot thanks largely to the Positive Polarity MVP award winner, Mets third baseman and captain David Wright (2,717 / 17.0). According to the back of Wright’s Topps card, 2008 was the fourth season in a row in which he hit at least 25 homers and 40 doubles, a feat equaled only by the ’08 Negative Polarity MVP Albert Pujols (2,766 / 18.7) from ‘01 thru ’04. Despite the greatness of these two players, the 2008 MVP race was not a runaway in either polarity: Pujols was challenged by Taurus centerfielder Carlos Beltran (2,636 / 16.4), while both Gemini shortstop Jose Reyes (2,657 / 16.7) and Aquarius first baseman Lance Berkman (2,638 / 16.6) were hot on Wright’s heels.
It was a similarly close race for the NP Cy Young Award, won by Cancer Crabs ace CC Sabathia (2,738 / 78.2), over Taurus Roy Halladay (2,688 / 79.1) and Virgo Cliff Lee (2,605 / 84.0). Sabathia actually finished fifth in National League CYA voting, even though he split his real-life season almost evenly between the Indians and the Brewers, thanks mostly to his lights-out August, where he went 5-0 with 50 strikeouts and a 1.12 ERA. This performance earned the big lefthander a massive free agent contract with the New York Yankees, the team with which he finished his career. The PP CYA race was not nearly as close, with Gemini Tim Lincecum (2,675 / 78.7) leading the field by nearly 450 points – the next closest competitor was Sagittarian Ervin Santana (2,227 / 69.6).
In addition to the PP CYA runner-up, SAG also enjoyed the services of legendary Yankees closer Mariano Rivera (2,221 / 34.7), who predictably won the league’s Reliable Reliever award. His sign-mate (and real-life divisional rival) Jonathan Papelbon (2,081 / 31.1) is also worth mentioning, along with Aries closer Jose Valverde (2,089 / 28.2). However the biggest news in the relief pitching sphere comes from the Negative Polarity, where Capricorn closer Francisco Rodriguez (2,521 / 33.2) made history on two fronts. Not only did he set the single-season saves record with 62, he also became the youngest pitcher in history to reach 200 career saves (again per Topps). Like Sabathia, K-Rod also parlayed this season into a free agent deal with New York, this time with the Mets.
Performances by the top rookies in 2008 weren’t as impressive as some of the following years, but that doesn’t take away from the great careers they would go on to have. The top spot in the Negative Polarity technically goes to Virgo Jacoby Ellsbury (1,904 / 13.1), the first player of Navajo descent to reach the major leagues. But Ellsbury could easily share the award with fellow Virgo freshman Joey Votto (1,845 / 12.2), who would become one of the game’s best hitters in a career that’s still going. The Positive Polarity RoY race comes down to the two players who won the real life Rookies of the Year in their respective leagues: Aquarius catcher Geovany Soto (1,712 / 12.1), who won the NL RoY with the Cubs, and Libra third baseman Evan Longoria (1,710 / 14.0), the AL RoY with the Al Champion Rays.
Next time, in honor of Longoria’s Rays – who, as I mentioned, changed their franchise nickname going into the 2008 season – I’m going to take a look at the names I’ve assigned to the Fantasy Astrology Baseball franchises and see if there are any alternatives worth considering.