MacPherson living his fantasy baseball dreams

It's like the dream most of us have had at one point or another. Last weekend was the dreaded high school reunion and we had the best story to tell everyone.

"What have I been up to, you ask? Well, Since I won ESPN's national fantasy baseball contest last year, I just got back from the All-Star Game in St. Louis."

Except for Cashmere High 1989 grad Eric MacPherson, it's no dream, but a reality. He did beat out hundreds of thousands of people and did win the right to attend the Midsummer Classic at one of the nation's great baseball cities.

MacPherson, who now lives in Virginia working for the Department of the Treasury, is a fantasy baseball veteran, having played for the last 17 years, the last five with ESPN's league.

"I've never won anything quite like this. Mostly bragging rights, the occasional T-shirt, low-level stuff."

This time, the goodies couldn't get any higher-level. A $1,100 gift certificate to Circuit City, an Xbox, a great hotel room a block away from the Gateway Arch, and the two tickets to the game, the home run derby and the celebrity softball game.

They also took in a free benefit concert by Sheryl Crow at the foot of the Arch, and a tour of the Anheuser-Busch brewery among other things.

Following a fantasy baseball league takes time out of every day, so MacPherson took his girlfriend to St. Louis as a thank-you for putting up with the hobby.

"A few of my buddies were a little mad they didn't get picked also." MacPherson says with a laugh. MacPherson's mom takes it in stride.

"I was [ticket] No.3," she says, laughing too.

MacPherson didn't get to meet any players, not even Washingtonian Grady Sizemore -who was not selected. Sizemore was the player MacPherson drafted in 2008 who ended up the MVP of his team, the Hilarity Ensues.

The closest MacPherson got to rub elbows with a star was meeting a man who rubs elbows with stars as well: The man who books the celebrities to sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" at the Chicago Cubs games.

The highlight of the trip for MacPherson involved watching another Illinoisan: President Barack Obama.

"He made it to the catcher but it almost didn't quite make it. ," MacPherson said of the President's ceremonial first toss which came close to not reaching home plate. "He looked good, the throw wasn't that good."

MacPherson, who never played any higher than Little League, is still a fan of Washington state teams, since he only moved away from home two years ago. Just in time, as it turns out. Washington is one of nine states where prizes from contests like the Fantasy Baseball league on ESPN are not allowed.

Fantasy baseball fan that he is, MacPherson is in the midst of a successful 2009 season, where he's ranked 15th in the nation.

"I don't think I'll win again, but I'm doing pretty well" he said.

He later added with a laugh, "If I did, well, they better interview me on ESPN,"

Sebastian Moraga can be reached at (509) 782-3781 or e-mail moraga@cashmerevalleyrecord.com