My Favorite Player: Timo Collins

I've been trying to convince a friend of mine to try Hardball Dynasty. He's never played WIS, and is thrown off by the idea of not playing with real players.

"I understand," I told him. "But after a while they kind of become real."

Which may have made him even more skeptical.

But I'm sure you guys get it. After 6 seasons in Feller, there are players which hold some kind of unquantifiable hold over you. So this is my attempt to quantify...to expose my unbounded sports nerd-dom. Maybe we can make it into some sort of ongoing column.

My favorite player is Timo Collins.

Timo Collins Portland Tall Firs Age: 24 B/T: S/R Born: Portland, OR Position(s): LF/RF View Hardball Dynasty Profile

First, Timo Collins was my first high 1st round draft pick...the 9th overall pick back in Season 2. He's a good (not great) hitter. He's fast. Decent defensively with a respectable arm for a right-fielder.

Those are the numbers, and they're convincing enough. But the real reason Timo Collins is my favorite player in Feller are these:

1) He has a cool name. Timo Collins. Like some sort of Irish-Finnish combination...only in a black guy.

2) He has a soul-patch and he smiles. His face sort of says, "Don't worry, Coach, I'm not a locker-room cancer, and I won't let you down at the plate."

3) He's a hometown boy. I'm a Portlander, and my team is based in Portland. I imagine, if the fans mattered in this game, he'd be a fan favorite...kind of like Damon Stoudamire, but without the getting-caught-with-weed-wrapped-in-tin foil-at-the-airport.

(Which, for most Blazer fans, wasn't that big of a deal compared to all the other crap we put up with for years.)

Anyway, that's why I wouldn't trade Timo Collins...not even for a package of Dennis Pratt and Endy Ramsey.

Okay, maybe for those guys...but it would hurt.

Who's you favorite player?