Is this how it works in all fantasy baseball leagues?

Or does the venerable Sun Baseball League just happen to have a rare combination of two “glass-ain’t-just-half-empty … it’s-busted-and-shards-are-in-my-hand” owners who are deeply into the game … and like to share their pain?

I’m guessing the latter. Though there may be more whiners and complainers in fantasy ball than I think. The key would be, how many of those leagues have more than one guy who not only whines about his team all season but actually does research into how badly they are doing? So as to more thoroughly buttress his complaints?

In the SBL, former colleague (and now L.A. Times copy editor) Mike Davis and I generally spend the entire season bemoaning our fates. Noting how cruel our luck remains, how unjustified another bad performance is, our foolishness for doing this and not doing that.

Davis, even more than me, will do deep analysis to demonstrate how he is being cheated by the baseball gods as This High Pick is killing him. (If I had kept copies of all his Albert Pujols rants from 2007, he could publish them in a book. A hefty book.)

I like to think I have the upper hand on him, at the moment … given the disasters that are overtaking my top picks. Though I never underestimate Mikee’s game … and his ability to find a dark cloud in a universe of silver linings.

Hey, Mikee: You think you have things bad? Rafael Betancourt got handed the closer’s job in Cleveland and is the process of channeling Joe Borowski. Sure. Not good. Boo-hoo.

But see if you can keep up with this, Mr. Moan:

–My No. 1 pick (and second overall in the draft), Alex Rodriguez, is on the disabled list, leaving me to play at least two weeks with Kevin Kouzmanoff. A-Rod has been the most dependable offensive force in ball for a decade, and the first year I get the guy he turns into Rocco Baldelli.

In his first four full seasons in New York, A-Rod missed a total of 19 games. Before he is eligible to come off the DL, on May 15, he will have missed 18 for me. And it’s May.

–My No. 3 pick (28th overall), Troy Tulowitzki, widely hailed as The Next Great Shortstop, the guy who put up Ripken-like offensive numbers in 2007 and played defense like Ozzie Smith … has just torn a quad muscle and will be out until probably the All-Star break. A guy who is 23, and played 155 games last year … just had his leg explode while charging a ground ball? I mean, c’mon!

Leaving me with Jeff Keppinger at shortstop.

–Andruw Jones, my No. 5 pick, remains mired in a slump so horrible that both Joe Torre and I have benched him — the former for Juan Freakin’ Pierre, me for Melky Freakin’ Cabrera. OK, I didn’t think ‘Druw would hit .300 with 40 home runs, but the guy had at least 26 homers and 91 RBI every one of the last 10 seasons. Were 26 and 91 unreasonable expectations? Apparently yes, because Jones is on pace this year to hit six homers and drive in 23.

So there are three of my top five picks. Three of my first four hitters. Guys who were supposed to be the cornerstone of my offense, hitting at least 75 homers for me this and maybe 100-plus … have turned into Kouzmanoff, Keppinger and Melky.

So, Mike Davis, take your Betancourt grousing somewhere else. When three of your top five guys are hurt or in a career-changing slump (and Ryan Howard just homered, so don’t talk about him) … then come talk to me.

I have outflanked you on the doom and gloom front. At the moment. I know you’ll be back at it shortly.