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SQUEEZE PLAY

BY CHRIS BAHR

Congratulations. You've agreed to be the commissioner of your fantasy league. Or, more likely, you were forced into the role against your will. Sucker. It's a thankless job with plenty of headaches, but it also is a very important role--not one you want to assign to someone who loses focus or puts his team's interests ahead of the league's.

Some tips for managing your duties effectively:

In with input. Let your fellow owners have an equal say with decisions, such as determining whether it will be a weekly- or daily-transaction league and figuring out how many disabled list spots to include. If half of the owners in your league can't draft for more than a couple of hours, agree to a time limit between picks or consider trimming rounds off the draft. Aim for a democracy.

Keep it clear. By making everything clear from the get-go, you'll eliminate potential problems. If it is an A.L.-only draft, prohibit owners from selecting an N.L. player, such as Milwaukee's Ben Sheets, who might be dealt to the A.L. during the season. This kind of thing seems obvious, but you'll be amazed at the loopholes people will find and the lengths they'll go to in order to justify exploiting them.

Control controversy. The lightning rods are trade vetoes and the waiver process. The best way to handle trades is to let each owner vote on them. If a majority gives the thumbs-down to a deal, it fails. As commissioner, it is dangerous to have the lone vote. When assigning the initial waiver priority, simply reverse the draft order. After each successful claim, an owner should be bumped back to the bottom.