Hi again, everyone.
I began the Tom Haley story a couple weeks ago, using OOTP8. I was encountering a few annoying glitches, however: when I tried to click on his player page, for example, the game would crash.
Today I bought OOTP11, my first new version since v8. That's why I'm giving Tom's story a fresh start, using v11 and all its new features.
The story will begin exactly the same way. In fact, I'll copy my first posts from the original Tom Haley thread to get the story underway once again. If you read the first thread, please excuse me for repeating myself. You'll get some new material to read when Tom gets drafted in June.
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I've been writing for the forum here for seven years now, and I've probably started every kind of dynasty story imaginable. None of them have ever captured my attention the way "The Base Ball Life of Patrick O'Farrell" has. I spent many, many enjoyable hours in Pat's world, watching with delight (and more than a little surprise) as he developed into one of the greatest players in baseball history.
Now I'm returning to the dynasty formula I enjoyed so much: creating an imaginary player and inserting him into a "real" baseball universe. This time, instead of traveling back to the past, I'm beginning the story in 2007, with a hard-throwing teenaged pitcher.
Unlike Pat O'Farrell, whom I had determined would play for the Boston Red Sox, our protagonist will begin as a draft-eligible prospect whose baseball future is completely unknown. And, unlike Pat, whom I envisioned as a fairly solid major league player, I'll make our new hero good enough to develop into a top-flight closer--if he's lucky enough to realize his potential.
Thomas Victor Haley was born on December 7, 1991 in Lindsay, Ontario. His father, Ron, is a physician, specializing in family practice, and his mother, Grace, teaches Grade 4. Tom is the oldest of the Haleys' three children and their only son; his sisters Megan and Kate are three and five years younger, respectively.
The baseball universe Tom enters will include all the players you would expect to find in 2010: Pujols and A-Rod; Jeter and Halladay; Big Papi and J-Roll. Tom will surely interact with some familiar characters as his career begins. However, if Tom's career is long, he'll find himself surrounded by very few "real" players, as the game generates new batches of fictional rookies every year.
I don't know if Tom Haley's story will be as much fun as Pat O'Farrell's was, but I hope it will. And, if some of you enjoy Tom's saga along with me, even better.
Let the story begin...