Why is Diamond Mind Online better than regular fantasy baseball? This question often comes up from new players or those not familiar Diamond Mind Online. In some cases, those familiar with the game will give you a small roll of the eyes, as most of us know, the game is just better. However, we needed to back that up with some real facts from actual players, so here you go…

Diamond Mind Online Beats Standard Fantasy Baseball

The coolest thing about Diamond Mind Online is that it’s more like real baseball than ordinary fantasy baseball games. It really all boils down to choice and realism, plus the control you have personally on the outcome of the game.

You draft a team of players from a century and a half of baseball history, including great stars from the Negro Leagues, and compete in a league with other colorful like-minded fanatics. Players have strengths and weaknesses: Jim Ray Hart can rake but can’t field a lick, Pete Reiser gets hurt running into outfield walls, Brooks and Ozzie can pick it but have offensive limitations, Mark Fidrych talks to the ball and is often brilliant but just try getting a full season out of him.

A standard league gives you $100,000,000 to play with. Willie Mays has five tools but he’ll take a quarter of your salary cap out front. On the other hand, Johnnie LeMaster makes minimum wage, but you really think you can win starting him at shortstop?

And it’s based on simulation runs of game, not just statistics. Custom leagues dreamed-up by fellow team owners allow you to take your favorite franchise and run with it, or base your roster on the teams that played the World Series the year you were born, or… You can follow each game by chatty play-by-play, or just click the boxscore if you’re in a hurry.

As the season goes on, guys get hurt (oh no! I just lost Dwight Evans for 17 games!), but you can improve your team with weekly income — while your competitors are striving to do the same. Maybe you’ll win the World Series as the Big Train bests Pedro in Game 7. Maybe you’ll lose 90 – chalk it up to a rebuilding year. Along the way, as you chat with other knowledgeable owners, you gradually become an expert on baseball’s legendary history. What catcher caught Babe Ruth stealing to end the 1926 World Series? Who scored from third and then didn’t when Fred Merkle neglected to touch second base?

By the way, Merkle is one of my favorite cheap first basemen. Lemme tell ya about the time…