Michigan Native Talks About How He Invented What Became Fantasy Baseball

Fantasy sports are a multi-billion dollar industry today, but inventor has never cashed in

Baseball is back, which means men and women across the country are huddled in basements around stat sheets picking and choosing players for their fantasy baseball leagues. Most people don’t know where fantasy baseball came from. As it turns out, its roots are right here in Southeast Michigan.

Detroit native Daniel Okrent created Rotisserie League Baseball in 1979. The author, longtime journalist, and baseball fanatic tells Detroit Today host Stephen Henderson that, although fantasy sports are a multi-billion dollar industry today, he has never cashed in on that success.

“Over the 36 years that it’s been played, I think my gross receipts are somewhere around $111 a year,” said Okrent.

To hear more from Okrent’s conversation on Detroit Today, click the audio link above.

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