The Story of a League

[norva13x]

The Beginning:

Sports are a major part of American culture, and of world culture really. From the small sandlot games up to the international tournaments, sports is interwoven in the American psyche.
College Baseball is at it's peak in 1998, top conferences and school compete every summer and thousands of fans attend games every year. The University of Texas Longhorns for example can regularly pack their 80,000 seat baseball cathedral. Fans in the U.S. love their baseball.
That gave one man an idea. Rob Burde is a major businessman, one of the most powerful in the U.S., and he loves his baseball. He played third baseman for the Yale Bulldogs back in the early 70s and in his junior and senior seasons won All-Ivy League honors.
Burde had the idea of creating a professional baseball league. There were many amateur leagues, national and international events for post college players, but no one had yet to capitalize on the idea of creating a full-fledged pro league, and he knew there were tons of money to be had in it.
He announced in May of 1997 his intentions, and he was met with much criticism. People said that the idea of paying someone to hit a ball was ridiculous and an insult to hardworking Americans everywhere.
Nonetheless he pushed forward, he got together a group of some of the top college players from the last 20 years and played 6 exhibition matches all over the country. All 6 games sold out within hours. Burde had all the proof he needed, the people would support a pro league.
In June of 1998 he announced his intentions of launching a 10 team league, dubbed the National League, in 1999. He started tryouts and camps to start gathering players, he also cut stadium deals and sponsorship deals with many corporations eager to cash in.
All wouldn't go as planned however. Several business groups applied for a team in the new league, many were turned down. A lawyer by the name of Brian Ster stepped up to represent them. After gathering several prominent businessmen and woman and securing strong corporate support of their own, Ster announced in November of 1998 the launch of the American League.
Already Burde had to deal with a rival league and his league hadn't even thrown a single pitch yet!
The American League rose much faster than anticipated and by March of 1999 were ready to play themselves. Both leagues didn't have all their stadiums finished however, and those teams that didn't planned to play at college stadiums or other local ballparks for the 1999 season. nonetheless both had tons of money to back them up and both had star athletes on their rosters. Some teams had even jumped from one league to the other during the last few months.
In the ensuing chaos both leagues got together on March 23rd in New York City and announced the cancellation of the 1999 season. It was in the best interest of both leagues, if both played now they would drive each other to extinction. They decided to cancel the season and use the year to prepare for a stronger start in 2000.
A series of meetings were conducted throughout the summer, and on December 5th, 1999 the Professional Baseball Agreement was finalized. The Agreement was a "truce" between the leagues that laid out the format both leagues would follow from there on out.
There was 7 major points to the agreement:

- The Leagues would remain independent, but under the umbrella of Major League Baseball, an organization to regulate the highest level of pro baseball.

- The Leagues would be realigned geographically, the National League would have teams from the eastern half of the U.S. and the American League the western half. Each would start with 6 teams each, but there were plans to expand by at least 4 more teams before 2005.

- The leagues would play an equal amount of games each year, and would meet at the end of the year in the World Series, a 7 game series between the champions of each league to determine the "World" Champions.

- An All-Star game would be played mid-season featuring the best players of both leagues.

- All current contracts would be made void and an Inaugural Draft would be scheduled for January 2nd 2000.

- Players currently below the age of 22 or currently in school would have to wait until March 1st Amateur Draft, unlike the one time Inaugural Draft this draft would be on March 1st every year.

- Of the 12 teams selected to be in the MLB, 12 more were allowed to exist in two "farm" leagues. Each farm team will be affiliated with an MLB team. Another organization was created to regulate these two leagues: Minor League Baseball. The two leagues became known as the Eastern League, and the Western Baseball League.

The cancelled 1999 season thus became a blessing in disguise, a new agreement created a solid and stable structure for pro baseball and gave time for the new stadiums to be completed. Thus pro baseball was moving full steam ahead and more than ready to play in 2000.

Next up: Introducing the teams

[norva13x]

Introducing the teams:

National League:

Boston Cannons:



The name is a nod to New England's major role in the revolutionary war, and owner Ted Whitsitt commented on how he wants his team to "blast through the competition like a cannonball".

Ballpark:
Name: Boston Municipal Stadium
Capacity: 39,900
Type: Retractable Roof
Surface: Grass

Affiliate: Providence Reds



Chicago Chiefs:



These Chiefs represent a fire chief, not a native american. The name is a reference to the Great Chicago Fire and to honor the great firefighters of Chicago who work to protect it's citizens everyday.

Ballpark:
Name: Chicago Stadium
Capacity: 53,100
Type: Open Ballpark
Surface: Grass

Affiliate: Louisville Fire



Cleveland Captains:



The name is a reference to Cleveland's history as a major port on Lake Erie and the rest of the Great Lakes.

Ballpark:
Name: Cleveland Stadium
Capacity: 48,600
Type: Open Ballpark
Surface: Grass

Affiliate: Ohio (Columbus) Glory



New York Titans:



The name is a reference to New York being the largest city in the U.S. and to it's status in the nation and world.

Ballpark:
Name: Titans Stadium
Capacity: 48,300
Type: Retractable Roof
Surface: Grass

Affiliate: Buffalo Bisons



Philadelphia 76ers:



The name is a reference to the Philadelphia being the location of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and it's status of being the first U.S. capital in 1776.

Ballpark:
Name: Benjamin Franklin Field
Capacity: 48,300
Type: Open Ballpark
Surface: Artificial Turf

Affiliate: Pittsburgh Pirates



Washington Capitals:



Named for being the capital of the U.S.

Ballpark:
Name: Ballpark of Washington
Capacity: 48,600
Type: Open Ballpark
Surface: Grass

Affiliate: Richmond Riverhawks



Next: American League Teams

[norva13x]

Now for the American League:

Denver Grizzlies:



Grizzlies used to be prevalent in the area, and the name was used on many amateur teams throughout the ages, that and Bears are two nicknames almost synonymous with Denver.

Ballpark:
Name: Centennial Stadium
Capacity: 44,400
Type: Open Ballpark
Surface: Grass

Affiliate: Salt Lake City Bees



Los Angeles Dragons:



Named after the mythical creature, the Dragon was strong, powerful, agile, and resilient.

Ballpark:
Name: City of Angels Stadium
Capacity: 35,400
Type: Open Ballpark
Surface: Artificial Turf

Affiliate: San Diego Gulls



Phoenix Roadrunners



Roadrunners are a common bird throughout the southwest.

Ballpark:
Name: Ballpark of Phoenix
Capacity: 48,000
Type: Open Ballpark
Surface: Artificial Turf

Affiliate: Albuquerque Dukes



San Francisco Warriors:



Owner Claud Putzer wanted a name to reflect the kind of team he hopped to have; Proud, loyal, tough, intelligent, and good teammates.

Ballpark:
Name: Bay Side Field
Capacity: 39,600
Type: Open Ballpark
Surface: Grass

Affiliate: Las Vegas Sting



Seattle Mariners:



Named for the local maritime history of Seattle and the region.

Ballpark:
Name: Emerald City Stadium
Capacity: 48,300
Type: Open Ballpark
Surface: Grass

Affiliate: Portland Forest Dragons



Texas Copperheads:



The team plays in Dallas. Copperhead snakes are common throughout Texas, plus the name reflects the western spirit of the state.

Ballpark:
Name: Lone Star Stadium
Capacity: 39,300
Type: Retractable Roof
Surface: Grass

Affiliate: Houston Stars



Next: Inaugural Draft

Note: Special thanks to cephasjames awesome logo database, where I got all my logos for this league from!

[norva13x]

The Inaugural Draft

I am going to profile all 12 1st round pics. Obviously there are more great players in the league then just 12, but I want to keep it simple now. As the season starts and certain players start to make a name for themselves, good or bad, I will profile them as well.
I will do each player in the order they were drafted:

Denver Grizzlies:
John Leslie SP:
Leslie is a 24 year old fireballer, his pitches fall in the 95-97 mph range. From Mansfield, Ohio, He was named the number 4 pitcher in the state of Ohio in high school for the 1990s. He attended Ohio State University where he had a solid career; his senior year he earned All-Big Ten honors and helped OSU win a National Championship.
He has a solid fastball and cutter and a decent changeup. He brings good intangibles as well, he was praised for being a great leader throughout his career.

New York Titans:
Jesus "Volcano" Paredes CF:
Born in Mission Kansas, the 35 year old Paredes attended Kansas State University. It was there that he made his claim to fame, and earned his nickname. He was called "Volcano" for his explosive bat. He had power for sure, and known for being a great leader he helped put KSU back on the map and even made it as far as the NCAA tournament Semi-Finals. New York hopes his leadership skills and strong work ethic will pay dividends for the team.

Phoenix Roadrunners:
Namboku Yamada CF
A surprise pick, while the 23 year old is a solid player, many saw Yamada falling to the 2nd or 3rd round. Yamada was born in Tokyo and his claim to fame was in 1999 when he shocked the world when helping lead team Japan over the United States in the World Baseball Championship. He went 5 for 6, hitting 2 doubles and a home run to help lead his team to a championship.

The rest of the first round to come...

[norva13x]

Just an FYI, I am on the road all day tomorrow, so I will update tomorrow night.

[norva13x]

Alright, a few more players:

Washington Capitals:
Martin Peyton CF
The 24 year old Canadian's claim to fame is making it to the Canadian National team, a solid player Peyton is best known as a base stealing demon. Quiet and humble in person, he will mow you down when running the bases.

Texas Copperheads:
Manuel Castillo LF
Where he lacks in contact Manuel makes it up with stellar gap power. At Boston College he was a doubles machine, setting a Big East and school record. While shy himself, he has a strong work ethic and shows a great baseball and analytical mind.

Boston Cannons:
Chris Williams RF:
This pick was a bit of a surprise, Williams was slated to fall in the second or 3rd round, maybe even later. However the Cannons were impressed with his great defensive skills, he was considered one of the best defensive fielders in the NCAA during his playing days there. Now at the age of 25 he carries a decent bat and looks to be a solid, and as of now truly underrated, player.

More to come...

[norva13x]

The next 3!

Los Angeles Dragons:
Isidro "Crabman" Guillen SS
Born in Bogota, the 26 year old is a solid defensive infielder with some real pop in his bat. Extremely hard working and extremely intelligent the Crabman is on of Colombia's beloved sons. His feet aren't bad either, he will most likely be one of the best base runners in the league.

Cleveland Captains:
Joe Barnett 3B
Loyal and with an incredible work ethic, the 22 year old, fresh from a great career at the University of Virginia, has a bat to match. While not a player with a lot of power, he knows how to make contact and get the ball into play. In that regard he is one of the most reliable players on the market.

Philadelphia 76ers:
Pablo Nieves LF
Pablo, at 22 and hailing from Peurto Rico, is an ambitious man who is looking to make a name for himself in the U.S. and baseball world. His bat is nothing to write home about, but he is one of the best defensive fielders out there and is possibly the best baserunner in the entire draft right now.

[norva13x]

And Finally:

Seattle Mariners:
Gerald Curtis CF
Fielders seem to be the positions of choice here in the first round, the 23 year old Curtis really doesn't seem to have a whole lot to get excited about. The pick is questionable for sure. Nonetheless the ambitious Curtis did have a solid career at North Carolina State. He does have some pop in his bar as well and if he stays healthy should be good for 25-32 home runs.

San Francisco Warriors:
Kip Patrick LF
Okay, for some reason the AI is drafting increasingly bad fielders for the first round, Hmm. Kip does have some attributes though, he is highly intelligent, and is willing to work hard to earn his keep. Also quite ambitious he is the perfect capitalist. At the ripe age of 22 Patrick comes off a solid career at the University of Illinois. He has the good contact ability and impressive gap power. Perhaps he is a bit underrated?

Chicago Chiefs:
Roelaf Leurink LF
This Dutch fielder will don the Chicago uniform this year, the oldest player to be drafted in the first round at the age of 27, Leurink has some power in his bat. He is wholly capable of hitting in the mid-30s on the HR chart consistently, plus with a great baseball mind and strong work ethic shows a lot of potential.

Next up: Rookie Draft/Spring Training.

[bwburke94]

Cannons, Captains, Roadrunners, and Copperheads are the only team names that have never been used by major sports teams in real life. Dragons as well if arena football doesn't count. Also, 3 of the city/name combinations are currently used in real life, with 2 others the former names of current teams that have not relocated.

[norva13x]

Originally Posted by bwburke94

Cannons, Captains, Roadrunners, and Copperheads are the only team names that have never been used by major sports teams in real life. Dragons as well if arena football doesn't count. Also, 3 of the city/name combinations are currently used in real life, with 2 others the former names of current teams that have not relocated.

Yeah I know, I just used names I liked or thought sounded good. In my universe there is no Philly 76ers basketball team etc.

[norva13x]

Still on the road, will be back home tomorrow to update, no more traveling for a bit after this.

[norva13x]

Rookie Draft:

Just out of high school, he was about 5'11" and 200 pounds. Washington born and raised, Bill Owen paced the floor of his Everett home. He agonized over the decision to go pro for months. He and his parents went over every minute detail to decide what was best for their boy.

With the first overall pick the Denver Grizzlies select...P Duncan Burt

He knew it would be a major risk to go into a pro league that has never played a game, and to bypass college, but he was told he would be drafted high. He was guaranteed a nice big bonus, and he felt if he or the league didn't make it he could use the money to start school again. His decision was helped but how well together the league seemed to be during try outs and talks.

With the second pick of the first round, the Washington Capitals select...LF Joe Dorsey

He had a successful high school career, he was a catcher and loved every minute of it. He was going to attend the University of Washington, to be a Husky. But this was an opportunity he just couldn't turn down. He was told by many scouts he would be drafted high and that if he applied himself could be great and make more money then he ever though possible.

With the third pick of the first round, the Boston Cannons select...3B Denny Hill

He half hoped he would be drafted by Seattle, the nearest team. They were the 11th pick though and he didn't think he would fall that far.

Philadelphia, Cleveland and Chicago all made their picks. The TV set kept calling out names, never his. Next Texas was on the block. He thought it wouldn't be bad to play there, not too far away, he would have many road games in Seattle, near home.
The phone rang.
His hands shaking he picked up the receiver; "Hi, my name is Todd Kern. We talked a while back. I am the general manager of Texas. We'd love to have you as a Copperhead. You'll have to spend some time in Houston of course. So what do you say?"

...................

With the 7th pick of the first round, Texas selects.........Bill Owen....

[norva13x]

Spring Training Begins:

Reporters are joining Major League Baseball teams as they prepare to open their spring training camps. Rosters will take form over the course of the coming weeks as coaches assess the talent at their disposal.

ST Results




Notes:

Star CF Adam Weaver will miss 8 months, the entire season, due to a broken knee cap. Drafted in the 5th round Weaver was a star player at Cal who was expected to be a staple in the outfield for Boston, but will have to watch the team from the couch.

Washington Capitals MR Dustin Gorman, a UCLA grad, will miss 4-5 months with a shoulder injury. Expected to be a major cog in the Capitals bullpen the Washington, DC based team will have to a=make due.

San Francisco Warriors C Paul Franklin, on of the better catchers in baseball, fractured his ankle running the bases and will miss 2-3 months of action.

Next up: Regular season kicks off!
PS: Don't think I mentioned it earlier, but there is no DH in either league.

[norva13x]

Opening Day

Opening day for the inaugural season of the MLB is finally upon us. For 2000 each team will play every team in their league 22 times for a total of 160 games. No inter-league games.
The All-star game will be July 4th, trade deadline July 31st, and roster expansion September 1st. The World Series begins on September 29th.






Accomplishments:

On the 16th, Raymond Love, while playing in New York for the 'Sixers went 3-3 on the night. All 3 connections went for homers, amassing a total of 8 RBIs leading Philly for a 10-0 drubbing.
Later on the 29th, "Crabman", the first round pick of the inaugural draft we profiled earlier, went 4-5 and hit 3 home runs himself driving in 4. One of those homers came at the bottom of the 10th, a solo shot giving the LA Dragons a 9-8 victory over Phoenix.

[norva13x]

May Wrap-Up:

[norva13x]

June Wrap-Up






As you can see, great season so far. The National League is very tight, despite being in 4th place out of 6, the Chicago Chiefs are only 1.5 games out of first place. If this keeps up we are going to have a thrilling finish. The American League is good to, the last place Mariners are 8.5 games out, not impossible to overcome. Denver is 1.5 games behind the first place Dragons, there are no runaway favorites in any league right now.
On the 17th star 1B Cain Arnott, at the ripe old age of 50(!!!) became the third player to hit 3 homers in a single game going 4-4 leading the Titans to a 15-3 win at Washington. I think it is safe to say Arnott will forever hold the record for oldest player to hit 3 home runs in a game.

[norva13x]

I edited the past updates a bit so the thread wouldn't stretch as much.

Stay tuned for the All-Star Game Write-up...

[norva13x]

July 4th, 2000

It had been since June 28th that Los Angeles last had a home game, so there was plenty of time to prepare City of Angels Stadium for the 1st Annual All-Star Game.
Despite the advanced time there was still plenty of work to be done. Throughout the morning since the sun peaked over the grandstand around 7 AM, the stadium crew were working on all the final touches for the game. Sound checks, lighting etc. were all tested many times until it worked seamlessly.
At 11:30 AM MLB chairman Mitch Washler, one time commissioner of the Big 10 Conference in the NCAA, arrived to the stadium. He had a scheduled press conference at 12:15 in which he would be flanked by the presidents of both the American and National Leagues.
National League president Rob Burde had already arrived, the two shook hands and talked baseball for a few minutes. Business didn't even seem important, there was a certain buzz and excitement for the All-Star game and everyone involved was excited to get it underway.
At 12:10 the conference room was ready, and AL President Brian Ster was the last to shuffle in and take his seat at the table in front. The cameras clicked and flashed and whirred as the chairman spoke about the first half of the season.
It was all glowing, attendance and TV numbers were great, better than expected. While viewership dropped after two weeks it still remained higher than expected. Merchandise was flying off the shelf and pro baseball was proving it could not only work, but thrive.
The conference lasted about 10 minutes before the three men began fielding questions, which in itself lasted almost 15 minutes before they finally wrapped it up. One tantalizing bit of info was revealed during the conference, the chairman said there was much talk about expanding baseball and that a big announcement would be made December. He declined to comment any more on it however.

During the afternoon the teams for each league met on the field and took light batting and fielding practices. At 4:30 PM the gates opened for fans. It was the 4th of July, and tat didn't go unnoticed, by the time the gates opened fans were already spread around the parking lot, grilling out and celebrating baseball and the holiday at large.
At 6:30, thirty minutes before game time the stands were mostly filled, the lights dimmed and fireworks blasted through the air as the teams were introduced. The Dragon players got an extra loud applause when their names were called.

Finally at 7:05 it was game time:
It started fast, 37 year old Leslie Miller of the American League pitched first, he walked his very first batter 22 year old star 1B Pablo Nieves. Two singles later Nieves crossed the plate to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead. To cap it off the inning Martin Peyton crossed home with a 1 out fly out to take a 2-0 lead.
It remained that way until the bottom of the 4th when the Americans took a 4-2 lead, the Nationals responded the very next inning by putting up 4 themselves to take a 6-4 lead.
To make matters worse the Nationals added 5 more in the top of the 6th, in the bottom of the 8th the Americans started a 4 run rally to close the gap to 11-8, but 3 groundouts in the 9th ended the game with that score.

Jesus Delgado, catcher for the Titans took the MVP of the game after going 3-5 with a triple and 3 RBIs. "It was quite an experience," he commented after the game, "to be out there with he best players in baseball and to be part of a new tradition, I am truly honored."

[norva13x]

July Review






On the 26th Jeff Henderson, star 1B for Washington became the fourth player to hit 3 home runs in a single game when he went 3-4 with 5 RBIs in a win at Boston.

[norva13x]

August Review






Jeff Henderson, who became the 4th player ever to hit 3 homers in a season, becomes the 5th as well, and also becomes the first to do it twice in a single season. He did it 8/1 while leading the Capitals to a 15-8 win over Chicago at home.
1B Cain Arnott, the 50 year old 1B who hit 3 homers in a single game earlier in the year becomes the first player to get 6 hits in a single game. In the game he hit a HR, 2 double, and drove in 5 runs leading New York to a thrilling 13-12 win in Chicago.
It is Roster Expansion time, and down on the farm the season has wrapped up. In the Eastern League Championship Series the Louisville Fire(90-40) beat the Buffalo Bisons(98-32) 3-2.
In the Western Baseball League the Las Vegas Sting(78-52) took the flag with a 3-1 series victory over the Salt Lake City Bees(73-57)
The MLB season ends on the 27 of September, it's crunch time!
Will Boston and Denver hold on to take their respective league flags? Find out next!