TAMALES WIN!!   TAMALES WIN!!   TAMALES WIN!!!!
Dallas  team caps magical worst to first run 
with strong stretch drive  

DALLAS, TX, (AP, UPI, Reuters)    In a year marred 
by the constant bickering between players and owners, 
declining attendance, and the implosion caused by 
ownership strife inside the once powerful Panzas, 
there was at least one feel good story during the 
2002 Cyberzahm Fantasy baseball league.  It sits 
in Big D, and it is one tasty bunch of Tamales.
 
"People thought we were gone, kaput, el finito," 
said longtime owner Gary Sobo amidst his cheering 
players during an interview with ESPN announcer Peter 
Gammons immediately after being awarded the Cyberzahm 
trophy.  "After contending for several years, 2001 was
a nightmare.  No team could have survived the injuries 
we did. It simply snowballed.  We thought we had the 
nucleus of a good team going into this year, and that 
if we could add a bit of power- and stay healthy- we 
could give the rest of the league a run for their money."
 
Things did not start out that way, however, for the 
Tamales.  Hampered by slow starts from several key 
starters and DL stints in April, the Tams finished 
the first month of the season where they ended last 
October- in the Cyberzahm cellar.  Their thought to 
be improved offense ranked 12 of 13, besting only the 
anemic Nomads who went on to finish last in all 4 
batting categories.  Sobo, however, did not 
panic, letting the team play their way back into the 
race as they raced through the league to trail only 
the Red Foxes by the end of May. At that time, the 
shrewd Sobo became convinced that a dose of speed 
was needed to spice up the Tamale attack and push them
over the top.  Making his only trade of the year, he 
added almost 50 stolen bases to what became the 
league's most dominant offense. Coupled with a 
surprisingly steady pitching staff, this enabled 
the team from Texas to surge past the Fading Foxes 
to claim the top spot in mid-June.  They would 
remain in first place for the remainder of the year.
 
"It's been a great year," said Sobo later that 
night, "but I have to give all  the credit to the 
players.  They worked hard in the off season and it 
showed, especially by how we were able to stay healthy.  
We had great leadership from our MVP candidate Alex
Rodriguez (.300, 57 HR, 125 Runs, 142 RBI, 9 SB), and 
terrific across the board performance from Brian 
Giles (.298, 38, 95, 103, 15). Rookie Eric Hinske, 
an 18th round pickup was a tremendous addition 
(.279, 24, 99, 84, 13) and the likely AL Rookie 
of the Year, and Jeff Kent proved to be the steal of 
the draft, going in the 8th round and putting up great 
numbers (.313, 32, 102, 108) from his second base
position.  And our pitchers, derided by several less 
proficient owners, proved solid throughout the year, 
delivering an above average performance to support 
our overall success."
 
Sobo and the entire Tamale family will leave 
early Monday morning to be feted at the White House 
by another illustrious Texan with a deep interest in 
the American pastime.  From there, he will relax with 
several golf buddies before being honored later in the 
week at the annual Owners Meeting, being held this 
year in Paw Paw, Michigan.
 
(This article is a composite of several beat writers)