A Wonderful Life: the Bedford Falls Angels

[Big Six]

Hi, everybody.

It's sometimes hard to believe it's been nearly 13 years since I started my first dynasty story here. To say "things have changed" over that period of time is a huge, huge understatement. Many of you who read the forum regularly now weren't around then, and many of the people I "knew" back in the day haven't been around for years.

It's been a long time since an OOTP career story has captivated me enough to keep going with it. I'm going to try one more time.

A few months back, I created a simple, fictional baseball league called the Coastal League. It had eight teams in imaginary towns named for places that have some meaning in my life. Last night, I got the inspiration to bring the Coastal League back to life, via OOTP15.

Our family's favorite Christmas movie was on TV last night: It's a Wonderful Life. (In fact, it's my favorite movie of all time.) One of the teams in the Coastal League, the Bedford Falls Angels, plays in the town where that story takes place. I'm going to use Bedford Falls as the setting for my story, too.

My main character will be named George Bailey, after the movie's protagonist. He'll be the GM of the Angels, with the computer set to handle the team's managerial duties.

While the league's story will begin in 2014, I'm using settings that will create 1980s-style baseball. That's the game I grew up with, after all. The world of the Coastal League is a simpler place, too. People still ride trains, write letters, read newspapers, do the things people did decades ago. I enjoy telling stories through letters, newspaper articles, things like that. Those touches seem to fit better in a bygone era than they do in a "realistic" 2010s world, so I'll combine the two and create a completely fictional universe for my story.

I hope some of you will enjoy following the story. I enjoy getting comments from anyone who's taken the time to read what I've written, so please feel free to stop by and comment.

So, let the story begin...

[NYY #23]

It's nice to see you back. I have to agree on It's a Wonderful Life - one of my all-time favorite movies as well. Good luck to George Bailey and the Angels!

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by NYY #23

It's nice to see you back. I have to agree on It's a Wonderful Life - one of my all-time favorite movies as well. Good luck to George Bailey and the Angels!

Thanks, NYY #23. It's good to be back. I hope you enjoy following the story!


George Bailey's Journal
January 2, 2014

Yesterday, I undertook my first official responsibility as GM of the Bedford Falls Angels. The Coastal League dispersal draft took place, and I've selected the players who will take the field with the Angels in the league's inaugural season.

We had the third pick (out of eight) in a serpentine draft, which I was happy with. I was able to grab a big star in the opening round, and although I had to wait a while for our turn to come around again, I got to pick two guys in fairly rapid succession.

I tried to draft men who are not only talented players, but who also possess the kind of character that will make their team and their city proud. A hard-working player with a good attitude will maximize his talent. A player who puts the team first does whatever he can to help it win. A leader helps keep his teammates focused on the team's goals. A clubhouse full of those kinds of men will create a winning attitude. All of this might sound corny, but I believe in these ideals.

Having said that, what a player can do on the field was the first and most important thing I considered when I thought about drafting him. After all, you don't win games by being nice guys or by helping out in the community.

With our first pick, I chose the man who will be the face of our team. His name is Gordy Taylor, and he's an outfielder with tremendous offensive skills. What's more, he's known as a tireless worker, with the kind of personality the fans will love. Gordy is 27, and he should anchor our lineup for years.

I thought about choosing a pitcher next, but after watching what the other teams were doing, I decided to go with a first baseman, Bob Baggett. Bob is a prototypical power-hitting first sacker, but he also controls the strike zone well enough to hit for a high average and draw a bunch of walks. He profiles as a team leader, too.

I was delighted to see the pitcher I almost took in Round 2 was still available when our turn came around again. I didn't hesitate, and right-hander Dennis Tredway is now an Angel. Dennis is 24, and he features a terrific fastball and a tricky changeup. He's a quiet guy, the kind who will lead by example.

Five of my first nine picks were pitchers. I hadn't gone into the draft with a commitment to that strategy, but as the draft went on, it seemed like the way to go.

On the whole, I'm very happy with the team I put together. There are a few areas I'd still like to address--I need another outfielder or two, and I'd like to add some young talent--so I'll look over the free agent list and see who I can find.

[JaBurns]

Thank you very much for this new dynasty, cannot wait until it gets rolling and I start following my favourite character(s) . Through this I was introduced to Pat and the early Red Sox which I am currently reading. I am new to OOTP but am throughly enjoying myself and get many ideas from reading dynasty reports and other forums.
Great work.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by JaBurns

Thank you very much for this new dynasty, cannot wait until it gets rolling and I start following my favourite character(s) . Through this I was introduced to Pat and the early Red Sox which I am currently reading. I am new to OOTP but am throughly enjoying myself and get many ideas from reading dynasty reports and other forums.
Great work.

Thank you very much, JaBurns. I hope you enjoy reading the Pat O'Farrell story. It was incredibly fun to write, and I'm always flattered to hear that someone has discovered it.

I hope George Bailey's world will be as enjoyable a place to create as Pat's was, and that George will win his share of fans, too. I hope you'll follow along, and feel free to comment anytime. The support and encouragement I received from readers when I started the Pat O'Farrell story were a big reason why it was so much fun to write.

I'll be back very soon with more from George and the Angels.

[Big Six]

I drew a simple map of the area where the Coastal League is located. In this "world," people still ride trains from place to place, at least as often as they drive. Coastal League teams ride the rails from city to city, too.

[BeanSobie]

I've missed the Coastal League

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by BeanSobie

I've missed the Coastal League

Thanks, BeanSobie. I missed it, too, and that's why I decided to bring it back. I hope you'll enjoy following it, and feel free to comment anytime.

11 March 2015

George Bailey's Notebook

Spring training begins today, and here are the players we'll have in camp with us.

Pitchers



Tredway looks like he'll be the ace of our staff. Russell, a control specialist, and Brown will be the other righthanders in the rotation. Don't write off Schmidt yet, despite his age. Frey is young and talented.

Reeves will get a start here and there, and will be our long man in the bullpen. Southpaws Portale, Martin and Steele and rightie Archuleta and will work the middle innings. The Davises, Doug and Mike, will set up closer Fracchia.

The other pitchers will begin the season on the reserve team, unless one of them breaks through during spring training.

Positional Strength: Starters 7th, Relievers 5th, Closers 4th (of 8 teams).


Catchers



I like all three of these guys. Lipford will catch the most games. He's got tremendous power and a great eye, and he's at least an average catcher. Athanasiou, a young switch hitter, will be his primary backup. Kelly is very good defensively with a great arm.

Positional Ranking: 3rd


Infielders



Write Baggett into the lineup at first base and the three hole with indelible ink. Kierzek, a pesky hitter with a good glove, will play second. Langlois, who does nothing too well nor too poorly, will play third. At short, Grogan has the edge over Calcara, who will be a useful defensive replacement. Robins can pick it at second and short, but might not make the Opening Day roster. Kearns is hurt right now. He slipped on a wet kitchen floor and literally fell on his butt. It would be funny if the kid weren't injured.

Positional Rankings: First Base 2nd, Second Base 8th, Third Base 8th, Shortstop 5th.


Outfielders



It looks like we have a million outfielders, but some of them can play in the infield as well, and some will remain with the reserves.

Taylor is the team's biggest star; he'll play left and bat fourth. Olson is a very good center fielder, and his ability to draw walks makes him a better leadoff man than he'd ordinarily be. Cannici and Childs will platoon in right, although Cannici might turn out to be an everyday player.

Geiger, O'Neill, Nance, Izzo, and Allen will battle for a roster spot. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, and all but Allen are fairly young.

Positional Rankings: Left Field 1st, Center Field 6th, Right Field 6th.


Gordy Taylor (#3), Bob Baggett (#9), and Larry Lipford (#10) made the OSA's list of the league's 20 best players. Dennis Tredway (#7) and Danny Russell (#18) were ranked among the 20 best pitchers. I'd like to see a few more Angels on those lists.

We did a little better with our prospects. Jimmy Frey (#8), Eddie Calcara (#9), Willie Steele (#10), and Gary Geiger (#15) all made the Top 20.

[Big Six]

320 Sycamore St.
Bedford Falls, New York

April 14, 2015

Mr. Harry Bailey
148 Charlotte St.
Buffalo, New York

Dear Harry,

I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to reply to your letter until tonight. I think I underestimated how much time and attention the end of spring training would require. I had to make a few difficult decisions about the Opening Day roster, and those things are never easy.

I'm pleased with how the exhibition season went. For the most part, we stayed healthy. Only one player will begin the season on the disabled list: Mike Fracchia, whose shoulder is still sore. Mike isn't young--he's 36--so I hope this isn't the beginning of a trend. Mike's a good closer, and we could certainly use him.

We finished the exhibition season with the best record in the league, at 18-10, one game better than Kenilworth. I was very pleased with our hitting during the spring. Larry Lipford, Gordy Taylor, and Bob Baggett all finished with OPS higher than 1.100. Lipford hit nine home runs and drove in 25 runs during the spring, and Larry Grogan knocked in 10 in one game! Brian Kierzek had more hits than anyone in the league. I know spring games don't count, but it looks like our hitters have found their groove. I hope that continues this week!

The pitchers didn't do quite as well, but that's more a comment about the excellence of the hitters than anything else. Daryl Brown, who won four games, was our best starter during the spring, and Doug Davis really impressed me with his work out of the bullpen. Doug will begin the season as the closer, since Mike Fracchia is out.

We're going to begin the season with 11 pitchers on the staff. A couple of the others could have forced their way onto the team had they pitched better, but guys like Jack Robins and Bob Kearns, infielders who were fighting for a spot, stepped up and earned their places. Mark Kelly also played well enough to merit a roster spot, so we'll carry three catchers.

I've enclosed a clipping with some pre-season predictions for the Coastal League season. If they're right, they'll be celebrating over in Ridgecrest this autumn! It looks like we're tapped to finish in the first division. Lipford, Baggett, and Taylor are predicted to have big years, and our offense is predicted to score the most runs in the league.

The "experts" aren't as impressed with our pitching, are they? According to them, the pitchers are the worst in the league. I sure hope they aren't right.



I hope you and your family will be able to get home and watch some games this season. I'm sure Mom wouldn't mind keeping the kids while you and Ruth come out to the ballpark for an evening.

See you soon,
George

[Big Six]

April 17, 2014

Angels Start Slowly, Swept by Beacons in Short Opening Series

It wasn't the best of starts for George Bailey's Bedford Falls Angels, as they dropped a pair of games to the St. Simons Beacons at Peter Bailey Park.

Tuesday, April 15
St. Simons 6, Bedford Falls 2
Shaky bullpen work and lethargic bats caused a decent pitching performance by Dennis Tredway to go to waste in the Angels' opening game. Tredway worked seven strong innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs, walking only one and whiffing nine, and leaving the game with a 2-1 lead. Mike Davis was unable to hold on, surrendering three runs to the Beacons in the eighth.

No Angel had more than one hit. The offensive highlight of the game was an RBI pinch single by Doug Childs in the eighth inning.

WP: Ralph Freeling (1-0)
LP: Mike Davis (0-1)
Angels' record: 0-1


Wednesday, April 16
St. Simons 8, Bedford Falls 3
The Beacons broke open a tight game with a barrage of seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings and completed their sweep of a two-game set with an 8-3 victory.

St. Simons' Gary Norton and Bedford Falls' Danny Russell engaged in a fine pitchers' battle for six innings, after which the score was tied 1-1.

Russell faltered first, allowing two runs in the seventh, and came apart completely in the next inning. Bart Green hit a two-run homer, and after a double and an error, Marty Slater slammed a three-run shot.

A two-run homer by Larry Lipford gave the home fans something to cheer, but it was too little, too late. Gordy Taylor also homered for the Angels.

WP: Gary Norton (1-0)
LP: Danny Russell (0-1)
Angels' record: 0-2


The Ridgecrest Stags come to town for a three-game series beginning today.