The Stuff that Dreams are Made of

It is amazing just how much the world of sport can come to you in your sleep. Perhaps this is an offshoot of sports obsession, but high profile superstars tend to appear in the oddest circumstances in my dreams. I am, however, an equal opportunity dreamer - I do save time for the more obscure players to appear too.

One which sticks with me from my youth was when I was training with the great Ireland football team of the mid nineties at Lansdowne Road, presumably in the run up to a big game. I recall vividly playing a nice one-two with John Aldridge and, clean through on goal, mucking up the shot. I also was painfully aware that I quite simply could not keep pace with the players there, but was very grateful to them for giving me a chance (especially to Aldo for setting me up - I think that, with a little work, there was a strike partnership in the making there).

The reason I bring all of this up is that only last week I sat down with San Diego State's superstar pitcher, Steven Strasburg. I believe the meeting took place at some college practice session, probably in Southern California, although I cannot be too sure. Strasburg is getting a lot of hype as the next big pitching prospect, and will probably be the first overall pick in baseball's amateur draft in 2009.

At the time of the dream, my Mariners were 'competing' with San Diego and Washington for the worst overall record in baseball. This would entitle them to the first overall draft pick, and a shot at drafting Strasburg - a potential ace. However, there was quite a bit of talk in the Seattle sports media about potential problems with signing him, were the M's to draft him. Being so hyped a year before the draft, Strasburg will probably demand the biggest signing bonus in draft history. He will be represented by super agent Scott Boras, who drives the hardest bargain in the sport, and has been known to have his clients hold out rather than sign for the team who drafted them. A final complication was the suggestion that Strasburg would prefer to sign with his hometown team (San Diego) over the most inept franchise in the sport (see other posts).

Anyway. I sat down with Strasburg and had a good chat with him, making the case for Seattle. He seemed receptive. He listened intently to what I had to say, and seemed to buy the arguments I was making. Of course, this being a dream, I can't actually remember what these compelling arguments were. A sound case to join the Mariners? This is the most fantastical part of the whole story...

In any event, I woke up feeling positive about the whole thing. The Mariners were in the midst of a twelve game losing streak, and in possession of baseball's worst record. Of course, it's all academic now. The Mariners won their last three games, thus ceding the number one overall pick to Washington. This organisation cannot even lose right. We'll have to keep dreaming.