By Ed Morrone

Last week, I wrote a column about how March Madness is the most wonderful time of the season and that nothing can deter my exuberance from the wonder that is postseason college basketball. I take that back. With baseball season rapidly approaching, sports fans like me should be happier than pigs in . . . well, you see where I’m going with this. But the one issue I have in the weeks leading up to Opening Day is the continuous growth in popularity of fantasy baseball.

The days of being excited about your respective team’s first game has been replaced by fantasy drafts, player values and enough mindless clamoring to make you sick in the head.

I’m not na’ve enough to think my opinion is in the majority here. I understand that most people enjoy the intense competition amongst friends in fantasy leagues, but the excitement for fantasy baseball these days is bordering on psychotic.

And it’s not just high school and college students that are falling victim to this pointless hobby. For example, a recent “SportsCenter” had an analyst discussing what slugger people should take with the first pick in their respective drafts. When I looked closely, the guy’s title was something absurd like “executive president of ESPN fantasy sports.” Forgive me for not getting the gentleman’s title correct – that’s probably because I turned away from the television in disgust.

But seriously, is this for real? Has the Worldwide Leader lost its mind? I turn on “SportsCenter” this time of year for NCAA Tournament highlights, not to hear reasons why I should be taking Albert Pujols over Ryan Howard in a make-believe baseball league.

Folks, this is child’s play! Just like professional wrestling and Santa Claus, the novelty of make-believe fizzles out sometime between the ages of 10 and 13. Not to sound like mom or dad, but isn’t it time we all grow up?

I won’t lie, I have participated in fantasy sports before. Many times, in fact. I enjoyed the competition at first, plus the trash talking between good buddies never gets old, but the deeper I got into my league and team, the less enamored I was with the whole idea.

The concept got dumber and dumber the more I thought about it. Consider this fact: people will destroy each other verbally for six months over unfair trades, botched free agent pickups and other facets that aren’t even real! I know people who have thrown away friendships over this nonsense, for crying out loud.

And I know what you’re thinking – come on, stop whining, it’s all in good fun and if you don’t like it, then why don’t you just ignore it. Normally, I would heed this advice, but not when it takes away from the integrity of the game that I love most.

Baseball games are, in my mind, the best games to watch in person. April to September is the best time to watch a ballgame outside (aside from those sweltering days in July and August, but who are we kidding, most Americans love the sun and tanning more than fantasy sports), and baseball games can be considered casual hangouts above anything else. You can take someone who knows nothing about the game to watch your favorite team in person and still have a fantastic time because the pace of the game allows even the most aloof fan to follow the action.

So forgive me for raining on your fantasy parade, but it becomes impossible to have a good time at a baseball game when the guy in front of me keeps blubbering on about how significant this game is on his league’s outcome.

If only Jose Reyes steals two bases and Andruw Jones hits a home run, I’ll knock Johnny Baseball out of first place!

Please, save it for someone who cares.

And it also creates a conflict of interest. Say I’m in a fantasy league and down at Citizens Bank Park watching my beloved Phillies take it to the Mets, but I need Tom Glavine to throw six shutout innings and strike out five to win my match-up. We aren’t even rooting for our favorite players for the right reasons anymore. Is this really worth all the hassle?

Fantasy lovers will crucify me for this, but the real baseball fans out there (and there aren’t many of us left) understand what I’m getting at.

So while I can’t wait for April 2 to get here, I’m also cringing in horror at the same time. Fantasy baseball is back.

It’s the most un-wonderful time of the year.

Albert Pujols may be the best player in the majors, but should his fantasy baseball value have any legitimacy?