Bringing Success to the Big Apple - The New York Metropolitans (OOTP 16)

[Griever20]

A small law change that should change the history of baseball. In 1932, the times of the great depression, a congressman and fanatic Brooklyn Dodgers fan was able to put through a law that made MLB players undraftable for the US Armed Forces in peace and wartime.

It didn't have much effect of course... until the attack on Pearl Harbour and the beginning of the war with the axis. While at first, the american audiance was happy to see baseball not being affected by war, things turned around during the 1943 season. Family members, whose sons an brothers were drafted, sent to war and eventually died, asked why those healthy ballplayers didn't go out and foughf for their country, while their family did.

Workers in the war industry asked why they only get a small paycheck, while the ballplayers lived like kings without helping the war effort. Therefore, attendance went down in a hurry, and the 1943 World Series was played in only 1/3 full stadiums. The situation reached the boiling point during Spring Training 1944, and finally the politics got involved... but not the way everbody expected. The president, a democrat named John D. Hubbart, was annoyed by the discussions about MLB and he and the secretaries involved were not the biggest baseball fans. They passed an act that should change baseball and the USA forever, and announced it April, 2nd 1944.

National Baseball Mobilisation Act

1.1 All professional baseball games between interstate teams are prohibited. Violation will be punished after NBMA 3.1.2

1.2 Major League Baseball, all MLB Franchises and minor league affiliates have to be dissolved immediatly. Violation will be punished after NBMA 3.1.3

1.3 All MLB organisation and franchise trademarks are banned from professional or amateur sports. Violation will be punished after NBMA 3.1.4

1.4 All MLB players will be mustered to be drafted until April, 30th 1944. Violation will be punished after NBMA 3.1.5 ...

...

On April 3rd, Major League Baseball was dead. The players went to war, and the amateur and negro league teams were grounded in their home states. When the war ended, the players, unaware of the complete extend of the NBMA, tried to test the willingness of president and the police.

On April, 12th 1946 the New York Bandits and the Washington Sky Sox announced an exhibition game for the next day in Griffith Stadium in Washington, and to add insult to injury, renamed themselves into the New York Giants and the Washington Senators. Tension was in the air, and an hour before the official announced start, the park was full already. Half an hour later, police units from all over Washington, and units of the Army approached the stadium and loudly announced that ever player and official will be sent into prison if the game starts.

Ironically, it wasn't the players, but the fans that engaged the government forces, and began to throw stones and other things at them. Nobody knows who shot first, but the events would go down as the Washington Baseball Riots. 62 people died, and Griffith Stadium burned down to the ground. Both players and politicians got blamed for that, but in the end it was the president who stepped down. Still, the NBMA stood, and in the next decades, local leagues like the Texas State Baseball League, the Massachusetts League and the Californian Ball Association were founded and played in front of local fans. Some leagues lived through, and others ceased to exist after just a couple of years.

But, all of this league had one thing in common: whites and blacks played side by side. It may have been the continuing success of the TSBL and the ML, or the kids out there, playing ball in the parks and on the streets, that have led to the events of March 13th 1978. The president of the United States, former gouverneur of Florida announced a speech at prime time in the evening.

"My fellow american citizen,

it has been nearly 37 years ago, that my predecessor made a decision that a lot of people payed a dire price for. Major League Baseball and professional, intercontinental baseball was prohibited and lives were lost at Griffith Stadium. Still, children are playing ball in the streets and on the fields, and the state only leagues are running fine. Still, something is missing.

I have been in discussion with the senate, the state leagues, the Griffith Park Foundation and some media bosses... and we came an agreement last week. On April 2nd, 1980, the United States Baseball League, short USBL, will start playing effectively. Thirty premier league teams will form around the United States, Stadiums will be build and a vast number of minor league teams will be formed.

Baseball was once called our national pasttime... it shall be our present, and our future one again, starting in 1980. The families of the victims of Griffith Park agreed with me that this is the right time for this and I hope the rest of the nation agrees with us.

Good Night
and god bless America."

[Griever20]

After months of negotiations, the teams were announced after the 1978 season came to a close in all states and the results were surprising.



A number of franchises were founded and awarded outside of areas with big population, but nevertheless, the fans were expected to come anyways. The early favorites, the Fontana Red Barons were expected to have a packed house all season long, while the teams in the big cities of LA and New York were mostly avoided by their fans due to the bigger interest in basketball and other sports.

[Griever20]

The Metropolitans... my first and only love. I was 12 when the league opened and I was glued to Metropark in the early years... The years went by... and the team as bad and in the cellar of the Patriot League Central. When I was 17 years old, the newspapers in New York procalamted the founding of a playoff team after years of suffering. The hiring of 2x championship winning GM Doug O'Dowd, former Fontana Red Barons, started this process and he was signed till 1987 right away.

Speedy Arturo Rosário, 22 years old, franchise catcher and former #10 prospect Scotty 'Bug' Miner, shortstop Clifton Goodman and fireballer Tom 'Sticky Hands' Rodgers, the core of a championship team? They finished the 1985 season 83-79... 4th in the division. Attendance was up, and the PL Wild Card and division foes, the Houston Dynamos won the Championship. It was no surprise that the budget is tight in New York and so O'Dowd only signed a first baseman who came off a .241-16-66 year as reinforcement.

The 1986 season became a disaster, the team was 36-56 at the All-Star Break and while I was preparing for college, the baseball writers were chewing up the management and Doug O'Dowd. The Dynamos won another championship, the 7th consecutive for the Patriot League and the Metropolitans finished 4th in the division again.

By 1988, the Metropolitans were in last place once again, and O'Dowl fired his last bullet at the trade deadline. Ace Tom Rodgers, 29 by that time, went to the Gilbert Mongoose for a group of prospects that... was as uninspiring as it could be. Rodgers was a 2x All-Star by then, going 12-5 2.51 and 14-7 2.62 in the last two years... The team ended up losing 100 games for the first time that season and our division foes from Omaha won the World Series.

Seven month later, the Mets were in contention... in second place in the division, and two games behind in the Wild Card race. They flamed out in september and dropped down to 80-82. Long Beach won the first championship for the AL, Rodgers went 18-6 2.81 and finished second in the PotY voting, and Scotty Miner, the teams best player in this decade... left into free agency and signed a record breaking 7y/$205.8M contract with the Long Beach Champions.

While insanity continued at the Big Apple, I started studying mathematics and economics and in my free time, started to read myself into sabermetrics in baseball, a field wildly undiscovered due to baseball being dead for a long time. I finished my master thesis in 1990, writing about ineffectivity in baseball and sabermetrics for an understanding professor that gave me a great grade for it. I started working for a insurance company in New York and frequently visited Metropark again.

[Griever20]

I got a perfect job in 1992... when my company went deep into baseball and player insurances. My job became player evaluation and my first job was to evaluate Tommy John victim Carlos García from the Metropolitans. My projection was that he will never pitch in the rotation again and will become a high leverage reliever... which turned out to be spot on and not positive for the team.

Dougie O'Dowd still was the boss in Metropark by then, however his reputation has suffered a bit since his times in Fontana and he was cited that "Winning this division with this team is impossible." and the New York Star pointed out that the team has been rebuilding for eleven seasons by now.

He wanted the 1992 season to be the turning point, but García not being able to pitch in the rotation and a career ending injury for rookie SP Roberto Cruz derailed that effort right away. Still, the offense around 2B Sixto 'Psycho' Santana and 1B Pedro Ocasio was promising, and the young arms of Brant Wise, Cipriano Rosada and William Johnston started some buzz in New York for the first time in years and improvement was expected... but not delievered, as the season ended 68-94.

You probably ask yourself who is the boss in this zoo? By 1993, its 65 year old Pat Wilson out of Wilmette, Illinois, owner of a tool company. He is a tolerant man who lets the GM work, but wants to see profit at the end of the year, gutting a weak team even more.

The Las Vegas bookmakers surprised the world when they predicted the team to win 93 games in 1994 with last years waiver claim SP Kevin 'Pizza' Blake winning 16 games, William Johnston winning 15 games and 1B Pedro Ocasio hitting .295-33-124 for the team. By the All-Star Break, the team was 52-42 and had a firm grip on the second PL All-Star spot in a strong team effort. By then, I was deep into insurance and player evalution, and actually had some money on the team making the playoffs as I saw a even better second half coming.

I was right on the money and even more... 98-64 and the division. PLAYOFF BASEBALL! We faced the Omaha Lugnuts who have been in the playoffs the last seven years. A great 13-2 slugest at home was the reward... and the only win in that series, eliminated in four. And the team lost integral parts after that one. C Jeff Osborne(.283) was traded away and leadoff hitter and 1994 All-Star Sixto Santana left into free agency and signed with the Chicago Dockers for 4y/$64.8M.

Me and my wife were invited to a new years eve party at the office and quickly the Mets became subject of discussion.

"Well K.C., can the Metropolitans become a perennial contender now?"

"I don't think so, they are still incredibly low on money and lost an integral part of their team in Santana. While Dougie actually showed some signs of brilliance the last two years by claiming Kevin Blake of waivers, trading for right fielder Raúl Carrasco and finally locking up stars like 1B Pedro Ocasio and SP William Johnston for long term deals... some other players will leave into free agency and we may be back in the cellar in 2-3 years."

"So, winning is impossible in New York?"

"With this penny-pinching owner, the GM needs to pitch a perfect game every year to get things done here, and Dougie keeps making the same mistakes year in and year out."

"That is?"

"Take Pedro Ocasio and Santana... they were called up to the big leagues at age 21, when their bats weren't fully developed. Ocasio hit .278-7-49 in his first year, Santana .239-0-45 in his first year. That started their arbitration clock... way early. Instead of keeping them in AAA and developing them into stars there... they struggled in the bigs and got expensive when they finally became good. Thats bad money management, especially with the the third lowest budget in the league."

One guy I talked with took every word and soaked it up, and I later learned his name was Cal Hickson, the owner of a shipyard company that basically owned the east coast of the United States... I went on about starting pitching and Dougie's love for expensive middle and back end of the rotation starters and low stamina starters... and celebrated a happy new 1995.

The division was regarded as weak, and the Mets were predicted to win 92 and to win the pennant with Blake going 16-4 2.90 and Ocasio hitting .281-33-133 and soon to be free agent Jesse Anderson hitting .307-24-94.

By the All-Star break, the team was 47-45 and 0.5G behind Des Moines in the division, but out of the Wild Card and New York waited for Dougie to make a move. And he did... trade away the starting LF to make room for 2B prospect Armando Bernal, and added another proven bullpen arm.

A late charge clinced the division on september 26th, and the final record was 87-75. The PLDS was against the Washington Steeldogs(85-77) and their high octane smallball offense. The team won two games on the back of Pedro Osorio homers, and forced game five at home... and advanced to the PLDS against the Boise Carnivores(98-64). The team forced game six and a return to Boise... but fell short in game six to Loren Sackett, who had seven homers in the playoffs after the PLCS and they went on to win the World Series.

O'Dowd was firm in the saddle and signed another great extension with Jesse Anderson, letting me swallow my words... and the team looked to be in great shape for 1996 and the only news was the induction of the first two players in the USBL Hall.

[Griever20]

Still, a 84-78 season was predicted but nobody cared in New York, this was the year. The team was in a dogfight with Des Moines at the All-Star break despite some injuries... and O'Dowd then traded away Raúl Carrasco(.277-3-25) the 1994 PL RotY... for a prospect. The division winded down into a four team race... and New York finished fourth, 86-78, Omaha won the World Series and O'Dowd was extended till 1998. However, the years of success got the budget up there to 21st in the league and the stadium was packed most of the time.

By 1997, the team figured to have a deep lineup with good pitching and another chance at a WC berth. However, I pointed out the fragile nature of 3 of 12 arms and the teams #2 hitter, as well as the decline of $14.6M man Jesse Anderson, who broke his ankle in 1996 and never recovered from that. The fanbase was shocked when SP Ken 'Pizza' Blake went down with a torn rotator cuff for the whole year and the team lost the division lead after that and dropped down to .500.

Dougie however didn't stand pat, and added fragile SP Ronnie Clay(8-10 3.92) from LA and righty reliever Teófilo Nncio(4-0 2SV 1.77) from the Wonders at the deadline.. 80-82, the first sub .500 season since 1993.

The 1998 offseason saw addition into the Hall of Fame and especially some first ballot players.




The team was in the mix at the 1998 All-Star Break, and then traded for young promising CF Thomas Hall, the #68 prospect and placed him on the active roster right away. On october 2nd, the playoffs began... and the Mets gone fishing with a 84-78 record.

Me and my wife went to another new years eve party at the office... and met the same group of debating fans again, including Cal Hickson...

"Well Mr. Martin, not quite were we started for 1998 right?"

"True, Dougie found some more pitching on the way, and old Pat Wilson got him some money. When William Johnson and Pedro O. wanna sign up for free agency after next year, we're in trouble tho."

"What about Blake, how do you see him after returning from the torn flexor tendon?"

"He's no ace anymore, he can't locate the pitches anymore. He's a baller and gives anything for the team, but he walks to many batters. "

"And the big arm down in AAA? Robby Thurman?"

"Robby is a nice kid with nice stuff... and the legs and arms of a 40-year old. I like his talent, but his body is a risk since he was drafted four years ago. Haas may be the long time solution as solid middle of the rotation arm."

After that one, I got kicked by my wife.... and let it go before I talked myself into more trouble. The only interesting news in the 1999 offseason was 450SV closer Anthony Haas missing the Hall of Fame by ONE vote.

[Griever20]

The 1999 Vegas predictions saw New York in a tie with Des Moines at 89-73 in another weak year for the division, and had ace William Johnston at 14-7 3.48 with Pat 'Cheese' Crowley 13-9 3.41 behind him. By the All-Star Game, they club was two out of the second Wild Card and five behind... Des Moines of course. In a bold move, Dougie traded a furry of prospects for veteran SP Bill Atkins(8-5 3.20) from Omaha to improve the struggling rotation.

The team went on a roll in august and september and crawld into the second wild card spot by mid september... just to get eliminated by the Carnivores for the final playoff spot. Team catcher Fernando Gonzáles won the PL Batting Title and looked like the soon to be MvP, but veterans Pedro Ocasio and William Johnson were on the move to free agency... when....

SOLD!

New York Star

October 2nd, 1999

The New York Metropolitans have been sold. 72-year old Pat Wilson decided to step away from the franchise that he owned for twenty years and sold the team for an unknown, but high figure to shipyard tycoon Cal Hickson, a 42-year old businessman from Newport News.

Hickson made his money by acquiring bankrupt shipyards on the east coast and turned them into profitable, modern ship producing bargains in a hurry. Asked what his goals would be as new owner of the Mets, he told us: "I want to bring success to the Big Apple. This team was in and out of the playoffs and lived through a long drought. It's time to bring the New Yorker citizen into the park and into baseball and bring baseball onto the next level."

16-year GM veteran Doug O'Dowd was not available for comment, but there are rumors he sent his retirement papers to the new owner right away. We will know more tomorrow, but change is in the air folks and maybe this is the way the championship curse will end in Metropark.

[Griever20]

Later that day...
Office of the Owner, Metropark, New York City

I decided to meet Hickson when he called... but I talked to my wifey Cate and she convinced me that I should NOT become the sabermetrics clown for a new GM and instead keep my old, safe job...

"Mr. Martin, come in and take a seat."

"Mr. Hickson, congratulations on your newest investment, you took the chance with both hands it seems."

"Sure, I couldn't pass that one up. Still, I have a problem and need your help K.C."

"I'm not gonna take over the sabermetrics here Cal. I got a safe job and you wouldn't pay me enough to convince me to give that one up."

"I think you are mistaken... I don't want you as head of the sabermetrics... I want you to take over the GM job from Dougie. He resigned earlier today after he got the news. So, this could be your team all along and I'm offering you $700k p.a. for three years,"

Silence. Shock. Panic.

"What is your answer K.C.?"

Cate is going to kill me when I come home. "I need time." - "The GM seat shouldn't be empty for long..." - "No, I need four seasons to tear this team down to the ground and build it up as a perennial contender."

"You have three years. On April 1st, 2003 the new Metro Arena will open. 48000 seats, over in the Bronx and I want a contender on the field for this bad boy by then."

"I'm untouchable for that three years?" - "Yes, but there will be a butcher's bill on october 1st, 2003 if you fail." - "I'm in, where do I have to sign boss?"

-----

O'Dowd resigns, Young Sabermetrician named New GM

New York Star

October 3rd, 1999

The captain left the ship yesterday. Dougie O'Dowd, longtime fixture as GM of the Metropolitans announced he stepped down from his post. "I worked a long time under Patty Wilson and we became friends. With him leaving the organisation, I knew it was time to go."

The new GM turned out to be a surprise. 32-year old sabermetrics expert and insurance guy K.C. Martin will be at the helm of the franchise starting today. Asked what is plans are for pending free agents William Johnston, Pedro Ocasio and veteran Bill Atkins, he told us "I will talk to all upcoming free agents and see if we can pull of a deal that both sides like. Still, Pedro and William announced their plans to become free agents under the old front office, so don't expect wonders."

In a seperate press release, the new owner announced that the mysterious construction site in the Bronx is the new Metro Arena that should be finished in 2003. It will have 48000 seats and replace the old Metropark that already is 45 years old and was expanded three times since getting build. This may put more pressure on the rookie GM to field a competitive team soon.

[Griever20]

Congrats Chicago Dockers

Personal:

I took the time from my hiring till the end of the postseason... to access the situation and sort out the team personal. I was able to sign former Oceanside Whitecaps pitching coach Fernanco Acevedo, 20-years of experience and veteran manager and 3x championship manager Javier Díaz as bench coach and field manager for three years.

Good news is, our scout Fernando Figueroa is a professional that came over from the Steeldogs at the 1998 season and he is mine till at least 2001.

The minor league system saw some contracts expire, and it took me waay longer to find the fitting pieces to get it done... and I'm still not sure if we choose the right personal. (PS. The new coaching system is way harder because you don't see the REAL ratings, only the tendencies and the reputation and some text that isn't 100% helpful to select minor league coaches).

Pending Free Agents:

A tough cookie. We got six USBL players eligible to file for free agency(PS: I'm playing under the pre 2012 CBA)

SP Bill Atkins(31,4*) Type A Free Agent, 13-11 3.81 36GS 173K 4.3WAR
Wants a 5y/$89M extension... too old, too risky. I will offer arbitration and take the picks.

1B Pedro Ocasio(31,2.5*) Type A Free Agent, .261/.341/.455 32HR 95RBI 1.9WAR
3x All-Star and 1x PLDS MvP. Regressed to a power only hitter, wants a 3y/$54M extension, best thing I could get was 2y/$34.8M... not worth the risk of regression. We will offer arbitration tho.

RHRP Ray Jacobson(37,4.5*) Type B Free Agent 2-5 5SV 3.05 66G 79.2IP 1.0WAR
Wants a completely strange 5y/$56M deal. Is fragile and could be around in february next year... arbitration... I don't know yet.

SP William Johnston(31,4.5*) Type B Free Agent 10-11 4.26 36GS 171K 2.0WAR
The 'ace'. Truth is, he has a stamina of 7(FF) or 8(OSA) and is only a borderline starter. Not the kind of guy I want to pay a 4y/$62M deal for. Working to get him to sign a 2y/$27M deal to lock him up... and maybe trade him.

RF Chris Byrne(32,1.5*), SP Daniel Montgomery(29,1.5*,wrecked) will be let go

Arbitration Cases:

Want some cases? I got a gazillion of them. I will pick out the important ones tho.

SP Pat Crowley(28,4.5*) 13-14 4.01 35GS 195K 3.7WAR
A great starter on paper, but fragile. Got a 3y/$15.5M deal offered to buy out arbitration

LHCL Juan Hernández(26,4.5/5*) 6-5 41SV 2.49 73G 76IP 1.7WAR
A nice closer, cutter-curveball type with great control, does not want to sign a more than a 1-year deal, will be offered $3.9M

C Fernando Gonzáles(23,4/4.5*) .344/.400/.585 33HR 107RBI 7.8WAR
Our future. The maybe MvP of 1999, will get offered $5.8M, does not want a longterm extension.

SS Paul Walsingham(28,3.5*) .335/.354/.436 5HR 65RBI 10SB Super 2 case
Fourth in the PL batting crown race, elite fielder at 2B and great contact bat, does not want to negotiate longterm either, gets offered $3.7M

LF José Valentin(26,3.5*) .289-21-92 out for 7-8 month with broken bone elbow
Hit .280 with 20HR and a .800OPS as steady as a heatpump.Should come back by the ASG next year, will get $2.6M offered

1B Knud Heerens(28,2*) .215-18-70 $1M offered
2B Armando Bernal(27,2.5*) .257-15-64 94R 39SB $1M offered

RF Hank Watford(29,2.5*) .188-8-26 in 70G, wants $11M arbitration salary
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? GET OFF MY LAWN AND OUT OF MY STADIUM

State of the team:
Well, the pitching is a mess with Atkins gone and Johnston as inning vomiter... and Pat Crowley as risky ace. SP Ken Blake(31,1.5*) is another guy that we should try to unload with his 2y/$25M contract left. The pen will lose some arms, but for the whole 1999 season there were some pretty solid arms available as free agents from $800k-$11M price range.

Offensively, the young guys in C Fernando Gonzáles, SS Paul Walsingham and 2B Armando Bernal should be able to hold down the fort for now. We may need to rework our outfield around OF Thomas Hall(.283-13-71 15SB) and may move 3B Rod Kojic(.256-0-1 as sept. callup) to a corner outfield spot where he could win a gold glove.

Our minor league system offers one thing in bunches... fragile arms. SP/RHRP Bill Tillman broke into the league in the pen in september, and went 0-1 6.43. He has a mind and knee boggling curveball and was the #61 prospect, but his back is a mess. #34 prospect SP Robby 'Coma' Thurman has seen more doctors than batters lately as he went down with a torn flexor tendon in may... 15 month(remember what I said in post #5...).

LHRP Ed Rogers(23,4/4.5*) will break into the league next year as shutdown reliever hopefully... and is a durable guy. He was 6-2 14SV 2.59 in AAA and is ready for the final step. As for bats... some borderline regulars are in the high minors... and a speedy outfielder in CF Wilson Mora(21,1.5/4*) in AA. Thats it.

Finances:

We got a bump up by $8M to a $148M budget. Our owner started with a marketing campaign for the team, hoping to lure more fans into the stadium, not to mention we had 32.125 in per game, and have a capacity of 34,800 right now... Metro Arena for president. If possible, I want to bump scouting up to the baseline $8M(from $4M) and the player development up to $20M(from $6M).

[Griever20]

Martin makes First Deal, Trade for #45 prospect
New York Star

November 4th, 1999

K.C. Martin pulled the trigger for a deal with the Ft. Worth Glaciers today. The Metropolitans added 22-year old infielder Juan Orozco(1/4.5*), the #45 prospect. Orozco was in AA this year, hitting .247-9-33 and projects to be a power hitting middle of the infield guy with a good glove and elite speed(15/17 SB in AA). Also coming over will be RHRP Jason Gardner(2/4,5*), 22 year old. He pitched in AA as starter, but projects as strong reliever at the USBL-level as soon as 2001.

Unloaded to Ft. Worth were the $12.5M on SP Kevin Blake(31,1.5*)'s contract as well as SP Szeczepan Huratiak(32,2.5*) and his $5.1M, RHRP Teófilo Nncio(30,3.5*) and his $6M expected arbitration figure and a minor league RF. That deal shrunk down the payroll of the Metropolitans by alot, and gave the team some more prospects to play with.

-----

Blake had to go, while Huratiak had a bad season(8-9 5.19) and served no real future purpose on our team. Nncio was waay to expensive for now. Ft.Worth is the only team actively buying right now, had tons of budget room Orozco was the prospect to get.

-----

Veteran Re-Signs with Metropolitans
New York Star

November 5th, 1999

Happy times in New York as the Metropolitans and star starting pitcher William Johnston(31,4.5*) put the finishing touches on a $27,000,000 contract extension that will keep the 31-year-old in town 2 years longer.

The signing is great news for New York because players of this caliber are hard to come by.

Lifetime, Johnston has posted 103 victories and 92 defeats with a 3.90 ERA. There were some concerns whether Johnston would talk to K.C. Martin after NOT agreeing to a contract with Doug O'Dowd, but seemingly Martin was more convincing than his predecessor.

In addition to that, SP Pat Crowley(28,4.5*) signed a 3y/$15.5M deal to buy out his arbitration years. Crowley is 28-26 with 9SV and a 3.63ERA in 136G/69GS. That basically locked up the top of the Mets starting rotation again. Another player was added to the 40-man today when the Mets claimed SS Colt Allen(26,2.5*) off waivers from the Long Beach Champions. He is a slick fielding SS with two options left that struggled in his first cup of coffee, hitting .155 in 24 games.

-----

Johnston may end up as my biggest gun to fire at the Winter Meetings, while Crowley will stay where he is right now. Allen may get a chance to shine next year or may end up being traded... however, as long as we are on the hook for veteran 3B David Tribe(32,3.5*)'s $37M till 2002,third base is taken and therefore the infield is crowded. With all that moves, I got $28.2M of cash for free agents or trade additions projected which makes me very happy.

Sidenote: Looking around in the league, I found out that the number of SP's with 4+* potential that are rated at least as fragile is a bit higher than I remember from OOTP 15.

[Griever20]

Great Gloves:




Platinum Stick Award:


Reliever of the Year:
Patriots League:
LHRP Pedro 'Rattlesnake' Saucedo, Gilbert Mongoose
5-3 39SV 2.60ERA 69.1IP 116K
Our very own LHRP Juan Hernández finished third.

American League:
RHRP Júlio Ojeda, Chicago Wonders
6-3 44SV 1.49ERA 72.2IP 86K

[Griever20]

Rookie of the Year


Pitcher of the Year


Most Valuable Player


I have been actively pursuing trades for the new foundation of this team and I'm actively shopping SP William Johnston(31,4.5*, 8Stamina) and 24-year old SP Bill Tillman(2/4.5*, fragile). Tillman is ways away from being really USBL ready as he has to develop his changeup more and he had back problems all the way. Goal is to acquire a frontline ace/young prospect with good health that can be a frontline ace in 2001, and a upgrade at 1B.

PS: Congrats to Fernando and his MvP Award.

[Griever20]

To: GM K.C. Martin
From: Manager Javier Díaz
Subject: Catcher

Dear K.C.,

I know that Fernando Gonzáles has won a MvP Award and I have to agree he is a very talented young stud.. .with the bat. However if you want to make this a championship team, he should not be behind the dish. His arm is mediocre at best and his game calling is below average. We should try to learn him 1B or DH him right away with Pedro Ocasio leaving, else I can not guarantee for the results.

Best Wishes,
Javier

-----

I knew that Javier is straightforward in his oppinions and that's why I wanted him to be part of this organisation. However, right now this is problem ~10 on a list with higher priorities... but I will keep this in mind for the offseason and the Winter Meetings.

[Griever20]

Metros Hit and Miss in Arbitration

New York Star

November 25th, 1999

Our fellow Metropolitans won the smaller cases for backup C Matt Mendoza($800k), 1B Knud Heerens($1M). LHRP Bill Nelson($2.6M) and 2B Armando Bernal($1M) and got what they wanted from the upcoming free agents. SP Bill Atkins and 1B Pedro Ocasio will be Type A free agents, and RHRP Ray Jacobson will by a Type B free agent.

However, SS Paul Walsingham won his arbitration case and will earn $4.1M, LHCL Juan Hernández will get $4.8M and PL MvP C Fernando Gonzáles won his case by one whooping million, getting $6.875M.

With Pedro Ocasio, the team career leader in games played(1390), hits(1439) and home runs(231) has left the ship and there are rumors that William Johnston, the leader in wins(103) and strikeouts(1487) is on the trading block despite getting a 2y/$27M extension just weeks before. K.C. Martin will need to get a big haul in this offseason to compensate this losses. A active offseason is something New York has never seen under former GM Doug O'Dowd, so let's see what the hot stove has in store for us.

-----

Free Agency has started in the USBL and there are tons of players and especially relievers on the market.

The top starting pitcher on the market is
SP Stephan McCormack(35,4.5*), 2x champion(1994/95) with Boise that wants a 5y deal with $31M p.a. He is 167-127 3.62 career and has won 20 games last year.

There are some low buy options around the 3* range(excluding Bill Atkins, who wants $20M p.a.) that we will explore to shore up the back end of our rotation. As for catchers, there is no defensive catcher available as free agent that really caught my eye. As for position players, there are guys like

RF Patrick Campbell(37,4.5*) 1985 AL RotY, 1988 AL MvP, 4x All-Star, 4x Platinum Stick, .300-284-1183 .819OPS career, 2594H

and guys with lower ceiling that want a ton of money for their final years... and that we DON'T even want to think about.

As for trades... wait for today's news. Who, apart from the teasered guys is on the block? Well, we have a glut of mediocre outfielders that could be packaged for a really good one and we have some AAAA guys stashed away that could be sent to a rebuilding team to ice away a bat or a arm. We will keep pestering Fernando and Patty Walsingham for long term deals to buy our arbitration and to chain them to Metropark/Metro Arena for 5-6 years.

As of now, we have lost 9.3WAR via trade and free agency, 4.4WAR alone for Ray Atkins... Well, stay tuned.

[Griever20]

Metros Grab Righty Reliever from Dynamos
New York Star

November 25th, 1999

The Houston Dynamos wanted the prospect, and they got it. Speedy 21-year old minor league CF Roberto Gutiérrez(2*pot FF) as well as 28-year old backup infielder Frank Taylor(1/1.5*) went over to Texas in exchange for 28-year old RHRP Dave Smith(4*OSA, 4.5* FF). Both teams wasted no time for fluctuation in their rosters now that free agency started just today.

Smith is coming off a 4-6 2SV 3.62ERA season with the rebuilding Dynamos and wanted out. "I'm happy to come over to the Metros, a team that had a wining record the last years and I want to contribute in next years playoff run." - Can someone tell him that the Metros are in decline and have a rookie GM?

Still, the Metros didn't give up much as Gutiérrez looks like a speedster with a hole as big as the grand canyon in his bat, hitting .219 in single A. Taylor came up this september and hit .356 in 48PA and seems to be a career minor leaguer... or is a stud that K.C. Martin missed on... we will see.

-----
Not the big move huh? Stay tuned....

[Griever20]

Blockbuster Trade With Atlanta, AL MvP joins Metros

New York Star

November 28th, 1999

The I's still need to be dotted and the T's crossed, but the New York Metropolitans and Atlanta Mad Catz have agreed to a trade that will shake up the whole balance in the USBL.

New York will have two reigning MvP's on their roster next season as 27-year-old 1B Theodosio Guedes(4.5*) and 23-year-old minor league RHSP Fernando Sánchez(3.5/4.5*,#27) will join the team. Guedes will take over the first base job from Pedro Ocasio and fans will love that. Also joining the franchise will be Sánchez, a hard throwing four pitch starter that the Austin Shamrocks found seven years ago in the Dominican Republic.

Atlanta however demanded a steep price and got it. Long time 31-year old ace SP William Johnston(4.5*) will leave the club and there is only hope the fans like that one... Also sent away were 19-year-old minor league RHSP Steve Sullivan(2.5* pot FF), one of the few pitching prospects in the organisation. 28-year-old 1B Knud Heerens(2*) will swap jobs with Guedes and minor leaguers LHRP Francisco Gonzáles and 23-year-old 2B Carlos Decoreso, the #80 prospect, were also part of the deal.

BNN first reported word of this trade two days ago, but at the time the Metropolitans general manager called it "nothing more than a rumor." The rumor has now been confirmed. The players are expected to join their new clubs shortly. Experts pointed out that K.C. Martin systematically traded away speedy prospects in the last days and everybody is in arms who won this trade. However, this will depend on how Decoreso and Fernando Sánchez will pan out in my oppinion.

-----

I wanted Sánchez badly in this deal as he is one of the few young SP prospects who is NOT fragile, has good stamina and a good mix of pitches and was not rushed into the majors. When I saw the ability to grab Guedes... I jumped on it. He is locked up till 2001 for $11M and $15.4M and is a 4x All-Star 4x Platinum Stick winner and 1997 USBL Champion... and AL MvP of course. We should work on an extension of course...

As for further deals and signings, we need another right handed reliever, at least one starter and should look for a defensive catcher and some outfield help.

I pitched an offer to RHSP Mal Atkinson(3.5*), a 30-year old groundballer who is coming off a 12-16 3.73ERA season with Virginia Beach. We offered a 3y/$20.5M deal with year three being a team option. Atkinson looks like a bargain if our scout FF is not completely wrong and he had a 4.15 career ERA with a 52-71 record on a sub .500 team for most of his career. PS: He is not compensation eligible aswell.

Another buy low option seems to be RHRP Lucas Schop, a 28-year old fastball/slider pitcher who never reached the majors and had 28 saves in 1998 in AAA. FF sees great stuff and a 4.5* arm. Schop was discovered by OUR organisation on the Netherlands Antilles but for some reason became a minor league free agent after the 1998 season. We offered him a 2y/$1.6M deal.

As for extensions, we are working in the range of a nine figure deal for our PL MvP over seven years and may lock him down soon.

The Rule 5 draft is coming up and we should look out for some additional bullpen help or maybe a steal there too.

[phillyboy19]

This is interesting keep it up

[Griever20]

December 1st, 1999

We protected
AAA SP Matthew Duncan(27 2.5*) out with Radial nerve decompression surgery for 5-6 weeks
AAA RHRP Jason Gardner(22,3/4.5*)
AAA LHCL Ed Rogers(23,4/4.5*)

Duncan and Rogers will get a shot at the big league roster next season anyways while Gardner will get another year in AAA.

Interesting Players:
C Armando Alonzo(30,2.5*) 1993 USBL Champion, 1999 Great Glove, $1.24M contract (to New York Metropolitans 23rd pick).
RF Dan Gillespie(28,4*) fragile, great defender and basestealer, decent bat (To St.Paul Cactus)
SP Dan Miller(29,2.5/4*) 6-4 3.55 17GS in AAA (to Seattle Heat)
RHRP Lúcio González(28,3/4.5*) fragile, 1-6 6SV 3.89ERA in AAA (To Austin Shamrocks)

The awkward moment... you grab a reigning Great Glover in the Rule 5 draft... Playing him will weaken our offense a bit, but should help or defense and pitching tremendously. Plus, he at least has a great batting eye and should get on base alot.

In other news:
Reigning MvP Fernando González signed a 7y/$116.2M contract extension with the Metros, keeping him in New York till his age 31 season.

SP Stephen McCormack(35,4.5*) signed a 3y/77M deal with the (rebuilding?) Houston Dynamos. The 6x All-Star and 2x USBL Champion will be battling with SP Jerry Fullerton(28,5*) for the ace job and opening day start next year.

Veteran OF Paul Campbell(37,4.5*) settled in for a much lower figure than expected, signing a 2y/23.2M deal with Newport News.

The Winter Meetings are coming up and we will see if we can make a splash or two there. We got a ton of budget room to play with now and are in talks with a veteran IF/LF/RF for a deal in a range of 2y/18M. The knack on him is he is not compensation eligible and had a soso season. BUT his on-base skills are impressive and he won a Platinum Stick at SS in 1996.

[Griever20]

The hot stove will be blazing for the next few days as US Baseball League's Winter Meetings are set to kick off. Owners, GM's, and other front office personnel will gather while players looking for a new contract will be there with their agents alongside them. Naturally, the press vultures will be on hand to peck at any morsel that smells the least bit enticing. Expect a lot of rumors to go unfounded, but don't be surprised to see a major trade or two go down as well. Agents will be looking to get their players the best possible contract and will be trying to play GM's off of each other to do so. Weak willed GM's will commit more than they should, and astute GM's may walk away with a bargain. The picture of what the coming season will look like is about to get a lot sharper.

This offseason has been rather quiet apart from the Metros lighting the hot stove with a blockbuster trade three weeks ago. The big two free agents have been signed and it's time for the teams to fight the diamonds in a stack of coal...

Speaking of that, we are in the driver seat for SP Mal Atkinson, RHRP Lucas Schop and IF/LF/RF Dan Walker right now, but no contract has been signed. The Chicago Wonders are in the mix for Atkinson after their cross town rival won the Championship so this could strech out till after the Winter Meetings.

As we are now here, we are looking for a taker for RHRP Brant Wise(3-3 4SV 4.15) who has $10.4M on his contract for next season and has fallen out of favor quickly and we are looking for at least one more big outfielder if possible and some cheaper right handed relief... and another starter would be fine... and some prospects... and... ok you got the picture right?

The first day started with some minor trades that saw some decent but costly relievers change places as well as 26HR 1B Victor Walker going over to Glendale. I opened up shopping around Brent Wise(no success) and backup 1B Talos Karamanlis(1.5/2*) around the league and got some decent interest for him.

The Fontana Red Barons offered a right handed reliever for him but negotiations turned out to be difficult due to their packed budget. I quickly asked about PL All-Star SP Tom Huffman(14-13 3.39).. and it turned out they would listen. It became clear they were interested in two of our guys... SP Bill Tillman, our fragile 24-year old SP prospect... and CF Thomas Hall, our 1999 PL All-Star... another name that popped up was single A 2B Mike Heath... who FF doesn't like alot, while the OSA has him at 2.5*.

I quickly asked what it would take to add OF Amadeu Constncio to the deal, a 23-year old leadoff hitter who is coming off a .311-4-58 season with 38SB and 87R in AA. He would get a shot at our outfield in left or right... the final package was

1B Talos Karamanlis(1.5/2*) 25y .429-1-7 september callup, .279-20-73 in AAA
SP Bill Tillman(2/4.5*) 24y 0-1 6.43 september callup, 7-3 4.38 35G/15GS AAA, fragile
2B Mike Heath(1* FF, 2.5*pot OSA) .213-1-5 in A ball
CF Thomas Hall(2*) .283-13-71 3.1WAR in the majors

for

SP Tom Huffman(4.5*) 14-13 3.39ERA 1999 PL All-Star, $5.4M arbitration salary
OF Amadeu Constncio(3/3.5*) .311-4-58 38SB 87R in AA ball, #58 prospect in 1998

.. I looked around the other rebuilding teams and looked what I could get for that package... I technically need a center fielder IF I pull this deal... off to Columbus and Patrick Lemaire who needs to get a rebuild going... don't want to get caught with a deal done and then realize I could've gotten a better player or a better fit with another team...

[Griever20]

I was completely tired and done when day two started, trying to iron out a deal ... and we did. A press conference was planned for 1 a.m., however other teams made their own moves...

The Newport News Seagulls(90-72) announced the signing of 1B Pedro Ocasio for a 2y/$22.6M deal, giving us a 1st rounder around the 25th pick and a supplemental pick as he was a Type A free agent. Could've been better... or worse. The fans however didn't like it and the fan interest dropped by six... to 92 after the big moves we made earlier this offseason.

After some relief picher shenanigans that took place by other teams... my phone rang... Mal Atkinson... the Virginia Beach Blue Fish offered a better contract...ok up the offer to 3y/25.1M ... got to find the right time to withdraw if this becomes a bidding war.

While I ran through the halls to get to the press conference, I met the 'Crusher' SP Thomas Perry(31) former Moreno Valley Indians. He had a blazing 17-9 2.84 season with the Vikings years and years ago, but came off a 9-14 5.58ERA season... While I was talking with him ask my assistent GM Jake Byrne to give me some peripheral numbers... 9.5K/9 he whispered me... as we stood there talking I offered Perry a 3y/3.5M contract on the spot... completely knocking him off balance it seems... he wanted to thing about it.

I hurried over to the press conference because it was time to announce....

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Hall and Tillman for Ketcham and Weatherby

New York Star

December 16th, 1999

Several Metropolitans and Blue Devils players soon will have to start shopping for a new home. A tired looking K.C. Martin and a little better looking Patrick Lemaire announced a big deal between the Metros and Columbus today.

New York will get 25-year-old RHP Jim Weatherby(4.5*), who is coming off a 15-13 3.61ERA campaign.He will be joined by 26-year-old 1998 All-Star CF Joel Ketcham(3.5*), a blazing fast leadoff hitter who finished 3rd in the AL batting race.

Columbus will pick up a package of young talented players, starting with 24-year-old RHP Bill Tillman(2/4.5*), who Lemaire wants to see in their pen. 25-year-old 1B Talos Karamanlis(1.5/2*) will go over as well as 26-year-old CF Thomas Hall(2.5*) and 22-year-old minor league 2B Mike Heath(2.5* OSA), the Metros 3rd round pick in 1997.

"I'm not surprised by the news," one of the players told reporters, "It's part of the business and I understand that. I am looking forward to playing for the Metropolitans."

Joel Ketcham will take over center field for the Metros and technically swap places with Hall, however Ketcham is a way better defender and may come out big for the Metros as leadoff hitter. The fans appreciated this move as the New York Star fan indicator went up to 94. If this move is a success will depend on the development of the young guns Columbus acquired again, as K.C. Martin continues to empty the farm system for USBL-talent.

-----
I winded up looking for a better deal and I got it. Weatherby and Huffman ar roughly equivalent, only Jimmy Weatherby is in his final year of not being arbitration eligible.

Ketcham is already developed and established at leadoff hitter AND is a 15/20 rated defender in CF, so my job is to find fitting corner outfielders... something that can be done. He is earning $4.9M arbitration tho, and we will look to extend him. With some offers to free agents pending, I now HAVE to move Wise to clear some salary if we want get the scouting and player development budget up there... but not today... Winter Meetings are veryy... zzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz

[Griever20]

Before I finished breakfast, the Dynamos unloaded their closer for a couple of prospects... why sign the biggest starting pitcher on the market and throw away a first rounder when you sell off the rest of your team???

I knew when I woke up with my head laying on my clumsy laptop... that my only chance to pull a deal unloading Brant Wise was with the Boise Carnivores... and that it would cost me... again. The guy to target... to at least get something out of this deal... was RHRP James Helton(4.5* FF). He was a 3rd rounder out of high school in 1994 and ended up being the closer in AA(5-6 25SV 2.88) and AAA(5SV 1.08) in 1999. Exactly our prey, a 24-year old right-handed bullpen arm with no service time.

Their GM Apelahama Dariu is well known for not being able to bring the Columbus Blue Devils to the playoffs for eight years... before taking a seven year break and getting named GM in Boise in the middle of the 1999 season. He also is a straight shooter (and miserable poker player) and told me what he wants and we made the deal.

Helton came over for Wise, a 3rd round pick from 1998 SP Dwayne Boyd(20,1.5* pot), IF prospect Ernest Kaiser(22,1.5* pot) as well as RF Alfonso Pineda(29,2*), who hit .222 as september callup and .286-6-27 with 13SB in AAA.

While I made a quick break, news broke that Houston also placed OF Roger Edwards(2*), a 24-year old left handed batter on a minimum contract, on waivers... and I put a claim on him. Edwards can play all outfield positions and is also a Great Glove caliber 1B.

Slendering around, I dropped some names here in there in talks, looking evaluating the market for some mediocre borderline regulars... But the market is pretty much set for the guys who are available and I don't like most of them. I made a minor deal, swapping 1B with Ft. Lauderdale who wanted to get rid of 1B Steve Corbishley(27,2.5*), who is coming off a .252-22-65 campaign. I gave up Don Cross, a 23-year old 1B with blazing speed... which is pretty much useless at first...

I also dropped a 1y/$1.5M deal on top SP Rick Bauer(32,3*)'s head. Bauer is another struggling SP who had one strong season and a lot of mediocre ones. He had a 4.62ERA between pen(10G) and rotation(24GS) with the Mesa Breakers and is looking for a one year deal to get his value back up.

With this one, I'm pretty much set on waiting till the free agents sign... Coal or diamond is the question... as none of them is compensation eligible and only Atkinson is coming off a decent season... which is why he is expensive.

The final days of the Winter Meetings were rather eventless... apart from the Roger Edwards claim going down and we are going to the christmas break...

For those who are curious... my wife has NOT filed for divorce after I got the job... but it did cost me a package of the finest belgian nougat...