I just can’t do it.

I can’t keep my focus on baseball for more than five minutes at a time right now. I just can’t. I’ve tried, believe me I’ve tried (probably at the expense of work), but it’s just not happening.

The Cubs are going all Javier Vazquez-inconsistent on me. They get pounded by the Reds, Diamondbacks and Mets before going 4-2 through the Cardinals and Astros. I think I liked them better when Shawon Dunston was wearing out Mark Grace’s gloves, Andre Dawson was stealing bases without knee cartilage and the team was battling for fifth in the National League East. At least then I had no expectations.

On the fantasy side, I’m hopelessly out of contention in the two leagues I care most about. The Hideki Matsui trade wa[an error occurred while processing this directive]sn’t nearly enough to bring me back in my keeper league (if only he could somehow get pitching victories).

The garbage head-to-head pay league — run by Daily Star sportswriter P.J. Harmer — that I joined out of desperation for some money fantasy ball has me stuck like a week-old booger in second-to-last place.

(That "garbage" assessment is sure to get Harmer riled. Maybe I’m just bitter from being stuck at the bottom all year, but 14 hitter/fielder categories to eight pitching? Does that make sense to anyone? My team is certainly far from the league’s best, but I have plenty of pitching to be competitive under any normal format. Really, putouts and assists as fantasy categories? I’m drafting every Colt I can once the Star football league gets going.)

The two leagues I can still win have their lowlights. One is a points league I figured I’d take all along. My stiffest competition there is one Dean Russin, the sports editor of the Star. ’Nuff said. And when I say "stiffest," I’m referring only to his recurring back and neck problems.

On top of all that, I’m finding it hard to think of much besides football drafts right now (just ask my wife). There’s checking stats, ranking players, re-ranking for different league formats, and of course, fighting my anxiousness for the season to get here so I can enjoy the NFL Sunday Ticket.

But, we still have about a month and of half left in the baseball season, and even those of us not battling for a championship have some things we need to do. We need to keep from dumping good players and hurting our leagues, or at least find the proper squad to deal those stars to so we can annoy the league owner we don’t like (you know who he is).

More important for those of us playing keeper formats, though, is something the Mets don’t know how to do: setting ourselves up for a title run next year. To that end, there are some players catching my eye.

A lot of keepers are likely set at this point, but depending how many players you can hang onto, there could be a number of guys battling for your affection the rest of the way. With my four keeper slots, I have Boston’s David Ortiz and the Cubs’ Aramis Ramirez locked in, but the other two spots are somewhat open. Yankee Mariano Rivera is still a favorite to grab a spot, but a couple of young guys and the king of versatility give me pause.

Seattle’s 19-year-old phenom Felix Hernandez is close to locking up keeper status after allowing two earned runs over 21 innings in his first three major-league starts and striking out 11 batters on Monday (even if they were Royals). You know what, as I write this I’ve just decided to hang onto him. What do I have to lose?

That makes it tougher for Philly second baseman Chase Utley and Anaheim’s positional chameleon Chone Figgins. Utley has cooled off in August, but he’s on pace to top 20 homers and 15 steals at a thin position without having started for the whole season. Figgins, meanwhile, offers a big boost in a tough category (stolen bases) and awesome position versatility. Then, of course, there’s still the most consistent closer in baseball (Rivera) or the possibility of working the trade desk for a keeper from another roster.

So, I guess even though some leagues are out of reach and football is casting its shadow, there’s still plenty to keep us busy on the fantasy diamond. However, if you’re out of contention and without the keeper question to answer, you might need to find a different hobby for a few weeks (such as filling parentheticals).

Matt Schauf shows his affinity for parentheses every week in The Daily Star. E-mail him at mschauf63@hotmail.com.