Baseball stars used to be worshipped through small pieces of cardboard, dusted with a fine powdered sugar that had fallen from a sharp piece of gum. Their faces adorned the front, while their life story, at least in baseball terms, was printed on the back. Children's collections of the cards grew enormous and as other things began to interest the children, the cards were soon neglected. Today, baseball cards are very popular. Not because of the simple idolatry that fueled them in the past but for the financial rewards of collecting the cards themselves. Andy Arnold , 14, of Fayetteville had a better way to celebrate his baseball heroes, he entered the USA Today Baseball Weekly Clubhouse Fantasy Contest.

The contest called for the selection of five players. A hitter was awarded one point for each homerun he hit and a pitcher was awarded two points for every win. The person who had the most points at the end of the season won. Arnold selected Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez and Greg Maddux.

Andy is a freshman at Fayette County High School and will tryout for the basketball team this year. He used to play baseball but he says he can't hit. There must be ice water in his veins though because despite leading the contest for 10 straight weeks, he claims he felt no pressure. Every day Andy would check the newspaper, Sportscenter and Baseball Weekly to check on his players and how they were doing. His dad had participated in a fantasy baseball league before and Andy had learned to score from him. He knew which players were producing and what their trends were year to year. Andy believes in the simplicity of the contest though "Pick the guys who hit the most homeruns or get the most wins."

He was five points ahead of Mike Miller of Las Vegas until the last substitution period. Miller selected Greg Vaughn of the Padres over Jim Thome of the Indians. Thome had broken his hand the week before and Miller took his chance to drop him from his roster. There were three chances for the participants to change their selections but Andy remained true to his choices. "Those guys have been the most consistent," Arnold said. "Each year McGwire hits over 50 homeruns and Maddux usually leads the league in wins." Not this year though. In the last six weeks of the season, Maddux hit the worst slump of his career and lost eight consecutive starts.Andy dropped from first place to second place,where he would stay for the remainder of the contest. Andy's father, Kevin Arnold, jokingly suggests that there may be a conspiracy because Greg Maddux lives in Las Vegas.

Andy says he will participate in the contest again next year and most likely pick the same players. "McGwire, Sosa, Maddux and Gonzalez, they are all-stars every year and Palmeiro has hit at least 35 homeruns for the past four years." When asked what the best part of the whole experience was, Andy replied "Getting my name in the papers." Since the kid is hot with his picks, this reporter couldn't help but ask for his ideas on the World Series and the Super Bowl. "The Yankees and the Broncos and I've said those all along."

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