A couple of weeks ago, as my bud Trace Wood and I were watching the Yankees and Royals go at it in the House that Ruth Built, a number of philosphical subjects arose.

Primary, among them, was fate, and in reality, we were talking about fate in the broadest sense, noting, for example, that people are suffering, or living in poverty or under severe governments, don't necessarily have the benefits of good luck or breaks.

Trace was not sure just how those beings even had good luck or a brief smile from providence. I would like to think that the preceptions of luck oppressed or poor people experience is so basic that they are moments or feelings or thoughts those of us who live more comfortable lives take for granted. Meaning we are just not as conscious of them

But, I also think that luck shows itself in many ways, and often timing and opportunity and experience are functions of luck.

Of course, since we were at the ball park, baseball seemed the perfect enviorn to explore this theory, and I noted to Trace that I thought that over the course of the season each team receives the same number of good and bad breaks.

But, I think what separates a good team from a bad team is that a good team will take advantage of the good breaks more often, and fall victim to the bad ones less often than a bad team.

Of course the logical baseball extension of this is fantasy baseball, and nothing really stirs that pot more than Strat-O-Matic with its cards and rolling dice determining the results.

But, I am a hard core believer that over the course of, say, 162 games worth of dice rolls, the numbers will work themselves out and the players will basically produce the results we seek/need/desire.

Of course, someone has to win, and just because I have Josh Hamilton it does not mean he will hit .330-54-185 or whatever he is on pace for this season. But, I do think the good and bad rolls will even themselves out, whether I like it or not, and it simply becomes a case of whether over the aggregate, my team was better than the others or not.

Which can be a tough bit to swallow, but, it is the truth, and often we have a difficult time accepting that our teams are simply not as good as we envisioned.

But, for me, this is also why I simply will not cash players in when playing in my salary cap SOMBOE league: because, I think I owe it to my players to let them do their thing as I envisioned.

This year, in SOMBOE, unfortunately, that seems like it will be a road to failure as my guys are currently struggling, 15 games under .500 despite what seems like a very good squad. I have pitchers who tend to keep hitters off base, and hitters who tend to get on base, always a path that seems to lead to success.

But, well, after 62 games, I am 15 games under .500 and, for every three game sweep I manage (I have had two) I suffer half a dozen series where my team goes 1-2. In a classic sense, that means one step forward, two back.

As noted, that is tough, but again, when I look around, I have to think if this is how I fate and luck impact me on a personal basis, I must be doing pretty well.

It is just a game.