Van Lingle Mungo: The Magic, The Mystery, The Music, The Man

Rousing interest for a rip-roaring Van Lingle Mungo League. The ATG 8 offering is now up in the Strat-O-Matic 365 League Directory. The kicker: You must own at least one player, at all times, whose name is mentioned in the Dave Frishberg bossa nova jazz classic, "Van Lingle Mungo."

In all, there are 32 players from the song in the ATG 8 player card set, so no one will have to keep a marginal player on the roster, though you may choose to do so for salary cap reasons.

Here's the second kicker: Van Lingle Mungo may not be drafted, but only claimed in the Waiver Period. And the owner who wins Mungo may trade him for any other player on any league roster, with the condition that the trade shall be accepted. Van Lingo Mungo, if you can get him, is your trump-card ticket to the ultimate trade. Just make sure your salary cap and pitcher/hitter balance remain legal. He may continue to be traded in this manner until the season begins; then, Van Lingle Mungo remains in the league in perpetuity, but normal trade rules apply after the Opening Pitch.

Salary cap: $120 million representing $1 million for each of Van Lingle Mungo's 120 Major League wins. Dive in for some magical, mystical, musical fun. Never heard the Davie Frishberg song? Check it out here — Track 18 on this Baseball Classics [and demi-classics] playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/51VZnSbOVaQNHk3skBj5p8?si=x6nyqCdcSi6gzMjPvz6aWA

Junior, figured your Coonass would be listening to Zydeco or Dixieland Jazz instead of the Bosa Nova beat?

We are a multicultural melange here on the bayou. Music about professional baseball — mais, even professional baseball itself — is as rare as a gator or whooping crane in 1970. They even ran the beleagured Baby Cakes out of the Shrine on Airline in Met'ry (New Orleans West) last season.

So we look to slick cats like Dave Frishberg for inspiration. Mais, c'est dommage, interest in Van Lingle Mungo and his bossa nova bandmates is nonexistent, and this league looks like it will wither on the vine. Quel dommage, mes amis. Still time to join, but the clock is ticking, and soon me and Meely LaBauve and Chickie Naquin and Bobby McGee — we drop our lines in another lake.

Hurry ... https://365.strat-o-matic.com/league/444682 ... Chickie's waiting to sign you up.

Last call — we'll keep the league afloat for 48 more hours. Failing any interest then we'll pull the plug. Life is interesting. I thought the Frishberg song with the litany of Van Linglo Mungo and other fascinating names from baseball past would prove to be a fun vehicle.

Yet we've stalled in the driveway. It's interesting that this is my favorite team that I've ever dated, in terms of player mix, ballpark match, overall feel. Not that they're the best team, necessarily, just the most fun by context and characters. But I have never had such deflating results when trying to score up interest in a league.

So it looks like my favorite team will become a mythical team. With the salary cap set to the number of Van Lingle Mungo wins-per-million, there's no other comparable salary league to park these guys. Oh well, they were a fun bunch even if we never got out of the driveway.

https://365.strat-o-matic.com/league/444682