Fantasy Expert: A Baseball Memoir, Historical Tell-All, and One Stat Geek's Personal Journey Through Heaven and Hell

by Ron Shandler

An entertaining and incisive chronicle from one of the foremost authorities in fantasy baseball

Ron Shandler is a self-described rotoholic. In the beginning, he hoarded newspaper box scores and pored over every number at his disposal. Then came the compulsion to create his own numbers. A monthly newsletter expanded into an annual Baseball Forecaster book, which spawned a media company, websites, tournaments, and more.

Part memoir, part madcap history, Fantasy Expert is a fascinating and wide-ranging look at the modern growth and development of the game that went from cottage industry to national obsession.

In chronicling his own escalating journey from rotisserie baseball hobbyist to professional authority, Shandler tells parallel tales of the rise of fantasy sports, the expanding baseball information industry, the increasingly sophisticated technology employed to gain an edge, and the fellow rotoholics who make it all possible. He also delves into the impact of fantasy baseball on the sport of baseball itself.

Written with humor, honesty, and a deep passion for baseball, this is a must-read for anyone interested in the history, progression, and future of fantasy baseball.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction

329 pages, Hardcover

Published February 20, 2024

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Framed as a memoir, Ron Shandler's book is in fact a richly detailed, and incredibly readable, history of the fantasy baseball business. Shandler, of course, is at the center of that, with his Baseball Forecaster annuals, Baseball HQ Web site, First Pitch conferences, Tout Wars. He's Forrest Gump with a Queens accent. Must read if you've ever sweated a 19th-round draft pick or regretted a late-night trade.

Full disclosure: I'm in the book and treated too kindly by the author, who I have known for 20 years.

[Ed Moorhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been playing fantasy baseball for a long time and Ron Shandler's Baseball Forecaster has always been my "bible" of preparation every winter and spring. I was excited to learn that he had penned a memoir about his career that also serves as a history of fantasy baseball through his eyes. Rotisserie baseball is the best and most genuine form of fantasy sports, which has exploded as an industry over the past 20 years...and these days, it's dominated by football. But at it's core, Roto has always been a game for baseball stat heads and hobbyists--the intellectual fan's foray into crunching the numbers, looking for trends, and using them to inform strategy. While many casual baseball fans think "analytics" takes away from the game, I've always said that it helps tell a deeper, richer story of the game on the field. Shandler talks up those early days in this book, back when Roto wasn't at all mainstream and before TV networks had entire shows dedicated to fantasy sports. The book is informative and interesting, though sometimes a bit dull. Still, I enjoyed reading about how he built his own business from the ground up based on his love of the numbers behind the game. 3.5 Stars.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this in about a day – what a great read! A history of fantasy baseball (more appropriately, Rotisserie League Baseball) from the perspective of someone who began as a local league participant and developed himself into one of the titans of the industry. The whole book is great, but I particularly loved the first half of so – Ron’s descriptions of discovering Rotisserie League Baseball and the early days of the game align so well with my own memories and experiences (although in many cases, I didn’t recall I remembered them until Ron’s book reminded me).

While I didn’t have the same personal connection to Ron’s experiences described later in the book - his growing stature in the fantasy baseball world, the growth of his business, interactions with competitors and colleagues, and his participation in various expert leagues - these topics were no less entertaining.

A must-read for anyone interested in the fantasy baseball phenomenon or wanting to relive the early days of Roto.

[Andrew Langert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very, very fun book to read. I am a rabid baseball fan and have played StratOMatic (SOM) baseball for all of my (long) adult life. That’s different than playing fantasy baseball, but I have used author Ron Shandler’s annual publication, among others, to help evaluate players.
It was also fun to see the names of several people who I have played with in SOM leagues. Ron characterized those guys very accurately.
This is the story of Ron’s career in the fantasy baseball industry, which he was on the ground floor for. The story is fascinating and entertaining. Though I am part of a pretty small niche of people that would find this interesting.
So how does one rate this? I loved it, but readers less engaged in fantasy baseball or simulated baseball (like SOM) would probably not enjoy this. I settled on 4 stars. I am so glad he put this story together. Thanks, Ron!

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a niche book for people who have been playing fantasy baseball for a long, long time. It's exactly what you'd expect from Shandler--lots of personal detail, a list of grudges and grievances a mile long, and a history of the development of fantasy baseball from an idea in the 1980s to the full-blown industry that it is today.

The book brought back lots of memories about how exciting fantasy baseball was when I first got into it in the late 1990s. It made me wish I was on the inside to experience some of this community, and it made me appreciate my own league for what it has brought me over the years. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in the history of how fantasy baseball grew from a game played by a small number of dedicated baseball fans into what it is today, this is probably for you. Ron has had a front seat over the last 20 years in which he discusses the various fantasy players, companies, expert leagues, and some of the drama that goes along with it. If you've read Fantasyland, you'll probably enjoy this book. Ron is 'a character' in that book.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was like taking a long walk down my own fantasy baseball life. Having been a subscriber since 1999 or 1998 or earlier memories were brought back to life on just about every page. If you read Fantasy Land and Moneyball you owe it to yourself to Read Fantasy Expert

[Jordan Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part memoir and part history is an excellent descriptor for this book. The "where are they now" at the end shows how much Ron loves this game and the community. It really is all about building communities to share stories with.

If you ever read this, thank you, Ron, for the stories.

[Bridgette · Rating 5 out of 5]

*well-written and informative
*provides lots of interesting details about Fantasy Baseball
*a must read for all baseball fans
*highly recommend

[Jason Prugar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A look at the formation, struggles and success of one of the greatest to ever do it. A wonderful read if you love baseball and/or play fantasy baseball.

[Fresno Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

delightful tales, very much appreciated the shoutouts towards Rotojunkie, Paul Sporer and Jason Collette

[Gregory Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I've always been a fan of Shandler and it was nice to read some inside stories. He doesn't hold back. You get the truth, good or bad. I liked it a lot.

[Mike Centeno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on the life and journey of one of the goats to play the Fantasy Baseball game, Ron Shandler!