New OOTP6 Dynasty - The Republican League

[gordyhulten]

I've finally found a host and got a basic website set up. Links are here:

League Export

CatoBase!!!

These exports will be updated as we progress through seasons, but should remain up all the time. Thanks for your patience!

THE SETUP

The Republican League is a new fictional solo league, loosely based on the assumption that baseball in the United States never really took off West of the Rockies. I’ve simmed 25 seasons, to clear our every player that was generated in the original draft.

I’ve also backed-up after each season so that I can later run CatoBase6. Along the way I’ve fired/retired a handful of managers each season, so that the managers’ register in CatoBase will have a more realistic feel. As I’ve replaced managers, I give the team involved a small boost in Fan Interest, usually moving them up to 50, sometimes boosting their Fan Loyalty a spot or two. I do this to keep some smaller markets from having long runs of 100-loss seasons.
The league starts in 1985, and in 2010, I plan on taking over for one of the teams whose manager has been fired.

We’ll have two leagues with two divisions, each with six teams, for a total of twenty-four teams. Top two teams in each Division go to the playoffs.

I’ve veered away from the default league settings in a couple of places:
Ability Ratings Scale: None Displayed
Talent Ratings Scale: 1-10
Other Ratings Scale: 1-5
(I wanted to mirror the ratings we’re going to us in Dog Days Baseball)

Team Cash Maximum: $50,000,000
Minimum Player Salary: $200,000
(I want enough cash for mini-dynasties and a low enough minimum that teams can re-build cheaply).

Trading Frequency: Low
Trading: Hard
AI Values: Prospects

League totals: set to 1985 rates
Era: Modern Baseball

Player Creation Modifiers:
Batter Strikeouts: -3%
Pitcher - Endurance: +5%
Player – Speed: +3%
Player – Stealing: +3%
(I want more CGs and SBs. I edited Ks during 1995 or so, because I didn’t think they were high enough. I’m not sure if the modifiers are large enough to really determine effectiveness.)

Stickware Scheduler 4.1 was used to generate an unbalanced 18-12 schedule with no interleague play. Of course, there will be no DH.

Everything else is, I think, at the default. I’m going to try an upload the league export (from pre-season 2010) this evening, and try to find a permanent site to host this stuff and CatoBase.

Any recommendations for a mostly .html ignorant fool?

[gordyhulten]

25 seasons simmed entirely with 6.01, so now we'll see where we stand in 2010.

[gordyhulten]

LEAGUE ALIGNMENT

As we are now in the 2010 preseason. I’ve included 2009 records, current payroll (rounded to nearest million), Market Size, Fan Loyalty and Fan Interest.

FRONTIER LEAGUE
PRAIRIE DIVISION
Colorado Bombers (87-75; $54m; Big; Fair; 61/100)
Illinois Express (84-78; $67m; Really Big; Average; 87)
Iowa Legends (58-104; $27m; Almost Nonexistent; Good; 50)
Minnesota Jokers (79-83; $43m; Average; Very Good; 74)
Nebraska Bisons (77-85; $55m; Tiny; Good; 73)
Ohio Royals (87-75; $60m; Good; Good; 84)

RIVERS DIVISION
Alabama Aqua Sox (80-82; $52m; Small; Very Good; 39)
Louisiana Sounds (102-60; $$81m; Good; Great; 100) – League Champion
Mississippi Wizards (84-78; $38m; Almost Nonexistent; Good; 80)
Missouri River Bandits (100-62; $81m; Big; Average; 90)
Oklahoma Wranglers (61-101; $57m; Tiny; Very Good; 50)
Texas Drillers (73-89; $48m; Really Big; Fair; 42)

METROPOLITAN LEAGUE
UNION DIVISION
Connecticut Snappers (94-69; $66m; Small; Very Good; 86)
Maine Crosscutters (63-99; $40m; Almost Nonexistent; Good; 50)
Massachusetts Emeralds (95-67; $71m; Really Big; Very Good; 92) – National Champion
New Jersey Curve (93-70; $71m; Below Average; Very Good; 82)
New York Hitmen (70-92; $48m; Huge; Average; 60)
Pennsylvania Ports (91-71; $78m; Good; Fair; 81)

STATES DIVISION
Florida Cyclones (79-83; $55m; Big; Very Good; 73)
Georgia Rockhounds (80-82; $54m; Average; Average; 50)
Kentucky Stallions (78-84; $56m; Tiny; Good; 61)
North Carolina Aeros (58-104; $42m; Below Average; Good; 50)
Tennessee Smokies (98-64; $83m; Below Average; Good; 93)
Washington, DC Ambassadors (74-88; $45m; Big; Poor; 27)

Iowa, Oklahoma, Maine and North Carolina are the jobs that opened up after 2009.

[gordyhulten]

I'm going to take over the Oklahoma Wranglers. Of the four openings, I like their prospects the best, but with a Tiny market it's still going to be a challenge.

For anyone who's interested, I've attached the spreadsheet that I used to track managerial changes over the 25-years I've simmed so far. I wanted CatoBase's Manager Register to have a "real-life" feel to it when I import these seasons, so after backup up each post-season, I fire/retire a few managers. I use the spreadsheet to keep track of who's worked where, so that some guys will have a few years with multiple teams, and their history will reflect that.

Three managers have survived 25 years with their original teams: Georgia's Jamie Aielts, Louisiana's LaPhonso Phelps, and Massachusetts Harry Fichtner.

I can't wait for CatoBase6...

[gordyhulten]

HIRING COACHES & SCOUTS

I’ve fired every Coach and Scout the team has, and I will overpay for good ones on the market. The guys who are gone weren’t very good, and certainly did nothing to deserve sticking around.

My offers:
SCOUTING DIRECTOR
Michael Wallace (59, Legendary, Legendary) just wants to work. I offer five years at $1.5m per year. I love overpaying for a L/L scout. :-)

HITTING COACH
The two Legendary guys under 60 won’t come to work for me. I offer John Thompson (60, Outstanding) five years at $1.25m. He’s looking for a challenge, and Oklahoma certainly qualifies.

PITCHING COACH
Craig Lindley (47, Legendary) is the youngest Legendary guy I’ve ever seen. Five years and another $1.25m.

MINORS MANAGERS
Gary Hardee (59, Legendary, Legendary), Jim Harthorn (61, Legendary, Legendary), and Mark Neal (61, Legendary, Legendary) each get offers for five years, $1.25m to take over AAA Sallisaw, AA Reservation, and A Blackwell respectively.

If I get all of these guys, I should have the best (and most expensive) front office in baseball.

[gordyhulten]

And I get them all! Nice start, but with revenues around $56m last year, these guys were all expensive.

I need to dive into what (at first glance) looks like an awful Free Agent class. But because I had no Scout, this is the first chance I've gotten to evaulate my own players. I'm going to do a position by position breakdown and see what I've got.

[gordyhulten]

POSITION REPORT: Catchers

Genaro Chavarria (Talent: 6 contact / 6 gap / 3 home run / 6 eye / 6 avoid strikeouts) is 29, 2 stars (2*), and was a 2nd round pick in 2004. 2009 was his fourth (and best) season, and he posted a .243/.319/.351 line in 296 ABs. Nice arm defensively, and he only makes $200k, so he might be my starting catcher and #8 hitter. If he stays on the 25-man roster all season, he'll be arbitration-eligible after this season for the first time.

Ricky Fitzgerald (Tal 6/6/5/4/6) is 25yo and an OK defensive sub, with a .989 fielding percentage with a 5 arm. Unfortunately, his career line is 202/249/549, and he was 219/283/330 in 279 ABs last season. Under contract for $620k through 2012, I’m going to try to trade him.

Brian Procopio (Tal 7/7/5/10/7) was the 7th overall pick in last year’s draft, and could be a stud. His first season in A ball, at 21, resulted in 266/395/324 in 451 ABs. No power, but 99 BBs is encouraging. He’ll start at A again, and hopefully progress with better coaching. He can also play 1B, but I have no plan to move him.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Procopio is obviously the future. Depending on what’s available in Free Agency, I may let Chavarria hold down the fort until Procopio is ready.

[gordyhulten]

POSITION REPORT: First Basemen

Steven “Mr. Outside” Grimes (Tal 9/7/10/5/6) is a 30yo former #2 overall pick who has been a complete bust. His talent looks great, but 2199 career ABs have produced 233/287/354 results. Last year was actually his best, as he bounced from Ohio to Georgia to here on the waiver wire. At $900k through 2012, he might be worth keeping around to see if he’s a late bloomer, or he might be attractive trade bait. Terrible defensively.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Other than Grimes, there are no other first basemen of note on the roster, so depth is an obvious need, in addition to potentially finding a starter.

[gordyhulten]

POSITION REPORT: Second Basemen

John Hugh (Tal 8/5/3/5/6) might be the hidden gem so far. 34 years old, only $950k, and he hit .334 in 2009. Nice speed, but gets caught too much (career: 158 SB / 71 CS), and adequate defense. Hugh was an All-Star last season, posting 334/392/416, which is great for a sub-$1m middle infielder. He will be a free agent after this season.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: There is no capable backup and there are no prospects in the pipe. A backup MI looks like a must-get.

[gordyhulten]

POSITION REPORT: Third Basemen

Timothy “Cobra” Eckman (Tal 5/10/8/7/6) is adequate at the hot corner. In 2009 he hit 276/364/526. He possesses a great arm, with so-so range, but tends to make a ton of errors. His contract has one year remaining at over $6.5m.

John Brown (Tal 6/7/5/8/7) is that rarest of players – a left-handed infielder with a great arm. His range at 3B is spectacular, and 2B is adequate. Only 24yo, he was chosen 5th overall in 2007. Last year, he failed to progress at the plate, hitting .299 with only 22 XBH. John might be the backup 3B/2B and the primary lefty off the bench, he might platoon with Eckman, or he might need another season at AAA. He will probably take over after Eckman leaves in 2011.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: 3B looks like strength right now, but Brown needs to make a big stride this season. Platooning Eckman and Brown might be the best option, but Eckman’s salary makes it tough to sit him that much.

[gordyhulten]

POSITION REPORT: Shortstops

Flavio Cortines (Tal 7/7/4/6/6) was last year’s starter at SS. Great range with unsteady hands make him a questionable defender. His skills at 2B and 3B are similar. Unfortunately, he’s a liability with a bat, with a career line of 275/337/362. He’s in the final year of a $2.4m per year contract. Again, he bats/throws lefty and has a cannon. Maybe I should take Cortines and 3B Brown and make them pitchers?

Marvin Bastarache (Tal 5/6/4/8/4) is barely worth mentioning. The 36yo has a career .623 OPS, and shouldn’t be considered for a spot on the roster. He has one year left on a $440k contract.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: I need to upgrade either here or at catcher, but I can’t have two sub-700 OPS clogging up the lineup regularly. Cortines might make a great backup INF, but he’s a lefty, and I’ve already got 3B Brown. He might be traded.

[gordyhulten]

POSITION REPORT: Left Fielders

Stephen Miller (Tal 7/7/7/6/6) is the definition of “replacement level player.” For the modest salary of $2.38m, the 33yo LH can play an average CF & LF, hit a little bit (285/353/778 in 2009), and steal a few bases. He’s good enough to start for a last-place team, but hopefully we can do better. Miller was chosen #9 overall in 1999. I think Oklahoma must be where first round picks go when they decide to suck. Signed through 2011.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: No depth again, but CF George Palomares will be the defensive replacement at all three OF positions. Upgrading here would be nice, but not an emergency.

[gordyhulten]

POSITION REPORT: Center Fielders

George “Skywalker” Villalpando (Tal 6/9/8/5/7) is the “star” of this team, which mean he used to be good and now is merely overpaid, to the tune of $9.658m through 2014. Villalpando is 33 and getting old quickly, his last three OPSs being 883, 845 and 746. His contract is a big albatross, and I’ll try to dump him onto a big market team for whatever I can get. He did win a Gold Glove last year.

George Palomares (Tal 6/4/4/7/7) is washed up, but might be a useful backup at all three OF spots. Great jump on the ball, but with a weak arm. He would also be the final pinch hitter off the bench, but a useful pinch runner.

Domingo “Bubba” Lugo (Tal 7/8/9/8/6) is the best prospect. The big lefty has mashed AA pitching for two years, and will start in AAA this season, hopefully earning a callup before the trading deadline.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Villalpando’s contract has to go, and I’m afraid if I wait until he ages any more, he’ll be unmoveable. Trading him will be the first priority this winter. Lugo might be ready now. Palomares is an OK 25th man.

[gordyhulten]

POSITION REPORT: Right Fielders

Brice Yowell (Tal 5/6/6/3/6) started in 2009. Another Gold Glove defender who doesn’t know how to use a bat. Career 230/312/330 and 32 years old. Another position in need of a starter.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: No other players, no prospects in the pipeline. RF needs serious attention, too, and it’s very obvious why this team fired their last manager. :-)

[gordyhulten]

POSITION REPORT: Starting Pitchers

Twenty-eight year old righty Claver Lopez (Talent: 8 stuff / 5 movement / 5 control) is the only starter worth keeping, but is very wild. Arturo Colella (Tal 8/9/8) is 33 with a career K/BB ratio of 1.21 and four years left at $4.6m per. Alfredo Cortez (Tal 4/6/10) is a screwball-throwing innings eater, again with more BBs than Ks. Sam Nicklas (Tal 4/7/7) is 36 and set to earn $5.43m through 2011, and isn’t effective any longer. Righty Bryant Mondor (Tal 8/4/9) was last years fifth arm, and though he appears talented, he hasn’t demonstrated any ability to pitch in the majors.

Three prospects are worth watching. Johnny Stefanski (Tal 8/7/8) was last year’s fifth overall choice, is only 19, but held his own at A and will begin 2010 in AA. Rey Sanchez (Tal 7/6/8) is a 20yo, 3* junkballing lefty also did well last year and earned a promotion to AA. Derek May (Tal 6/3/9) has an outside chance at being a decent starter someday but struggled in AAA in 2009.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: The starters are scary. The prospect might be some help in a few years, but we need a talent infusion. Colella, Cortez, and Nicklas might all find homes elsewhere.

[gordyhulten]

POSITION REPORT: Relief Pitchers

Joseph Roddy (10/9/9) is a 32yo “proven closer” with a $7.9m contract. Roddy is the best pitcher on the roster, but hugely overpaid for 70 IP, and might be valuable trade bait. 25yo righty Abe Catoe (10/6/7) got knocked around last season, his first, but will hopefully anchor the bullpen this year. Chris Ryerson (10/4/4) is a 37yo southpaw who got hammered last year. William Odonoghue (3/7/8) is a crafty LH veteran with more career BBs than Ks. Jimmy Burris (8/6/3) is 28yo, RH, and has 26 career IP with 27 BB. There are no prospects worth mentioning.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: The bullpen has a solid anchor in Catoe, an overpaid closer/tradebait in Roddy, but everyone else is a junkballer.

[gordyhulten]

2010 FREE AGENCY PERIOD REPORT

TRADES
Florida is a large-market team that needs a LF, so I inquire about dumping CF/LF George Villalpando on them. They don’t bite until I include SP Arturo Collela, which isn’t a problem for me. It’s obvious I’m not going to get what I was looking for in exchange for Villalpando, but Florida’s offer is by far the best. I try to get 23yo MR Carlton Moffet (Tal 10/7/8), who did OK in 34 IP last year, and 22yo 1B Dusty Howland (Tal 6/5/10/5/6), who finally made it to AA last year. Florida won’t accept until I throw in $800k in cash, but then we complete the deal. Moffet and Howland are long on potential and short on results so far, but the deal me to shed $14 million in payroll, and it makes sense for Florida, too.

I’d love to next unload the contract of CL Joseph “Joesph” Roddy, but he’s actually pretty good ( in the final year, so if I can’t get something good for him, keeping him for a season wouldn’t be fatal. Tennessee is interested, but in order to get 30yo MR Thomas McDermott (Tal 10/4/5) and 28yo MR Ramon Araoz (Tal 6/10/7), I have to include $3.5 million. This trade illustrates perfectly the folly of giving huge contracts to closers – you even have to pay the AI to take them. I bite the bullet, and pull the trigger.

Kentucky is desperate for pitching help, so SP Alfredo Cortez, and MRs William Odonoghue and Jimmy Burris go in change for a pair of talented prospects, SP Todd Winchester (Tal 9/7/10) and 2B Lucien Kessinger (Tal 7/6/7/9/7)

3B Chris Villegas was put on the trading block, and New York offered to send 26yo SP Francis Zimmerman (Tal 9/2/6), who will get a spot in the rotation.

Shipping out SP Sam Nicklas is going to be tougher, as he is 36, with a $5.4 million contract and a 9-16 record last year. I’d be happy to get a marginal prospect in return. No takers. He is waived, and claimed by Georgia. Marginal CF Charles Greer was claimed by Nebrasksa.

FINANCIAL/FRONT OFFICE SITUATION
Fan Interest: 50
Team Market: Tiny
Fan Loyalty: Very Good
Cash on Hand: $45,424,349
Total Payroll: $35,650,728
Last Year Income: $56,155,049
Available Money: $80,582,098

I’ve got a ton of funds to sign some guys!

DESIRES
As detailed above, I need at least two SP (three now that Nicklas is gone), a MR, and a pair of corner Ofs would be nice. The biggest priority is a stud starting pitcher who can keep us in a game every fifth day.

SIGNINGS
CL William Law (Tal 10/7/5) – this 4.5* guy cost $5.25 million for two years, but will anchor the bullpen. He’s 30 and $4 million per year cheaper than Roddy, the closer I traded away.

POST FREE-AGENCY THOUGHTS
Free agency was tough, as there were very few quality guys available, and those that were got very expensive very quickly. An example was 30yo SP Ambrose Greeley, with a career record of 84-66 but good peripherals. He turned down my 3-year $12.5 million deal for a four-year deal worth $12.57 million per year. I was constantly increasing my offer for him because of pressure from other teams, especially Illinois, who seemed to be outbidding me for every guy I was after. I also lost out of two OFs because I refused to offer $7 million per season for mediocrity. Very disappointing, and now I head into the Rule V draft with a huge hole in my rotation and my OF. I might have to call up Domingo Lugo a little early to play OF and hopefully give us a little spark.

RULE V DRAFT
Nobody selected.

[gordyhulten]

I think I've managed to post a league export here:

http://gordy.hulten.home.insightbb.com/

We'll see if that works, and see if I can get player links to work in future posts.

[gordyhulten]

2010 SPRING TRAINING

2 SPRING TRAINING NEWS:
Dusty Howland displays more power in batting practice!
Carlton Moffet has improved his control!
Brian Procopio has good batting practice sessions!
Brian Procopio displays more power in batting practice!
Richard Dawson has good pitching sessions!
Richard Dawson has increased his throwing velocity!
Todd Winchester has increased his throwing velocity!
Todd Winchester has improved his control!
Domingo Lugo showed good strike zone judgement!
Bradley Lopez showed good strike zone judgement!
Richard Villa showed good strike zone judgement!
Kennith Fordham has good pitching sessions!
Kennith Fordham has improved his control!
Jim Brown displays more power in batting practice!
Jose Machuca has good batting practice sessions!
Alexis Sanches has increased his throwing velocity!
Alexis Sanches has improved his control!
Steve Miracle has increased his throwing velocity!
Steve Miracle has improved his control!
Justin Trost displays more power in batting practice!
Rey Sanchez has good pitching sessions!
Rey Sanchez has improved his control!
John Shadle has good batting practice sessions!
John Shadle showed good strike zone judgement!
Jewell Beus has improved his control!
Johnny Stefanski has good pitching sessions!
Johnny Stefanski has increased his throwing velocity!
Johnny Stefanski has improved his control!
John Birdsong has good batting practice sessions!
Sean Frawley has good batting practice sessions!
Jessie Ellis has good batting practice sessions!
Jessie Ellis displays more power in batting practice!
Jessie Ellis showed good strike zone judgement!
Steve Duarte has good batting practice sessions!
Steve Duarte displays more power in batting practice!
Bill Elliot displays more power in batting practice!
Axel Peña displays more power in batting practice!
Axel Peña showed good strike zone judgement!
Alan Swarthout has increased his throwing velocity!

OVERALL THOUGHTS
Great news about Stefanski, Lugo, Winchester, and Procopio. Everything else seems pretty normal.

[gordyhulten]

The website doesn't seem to be working. I'll have to take a look when I get home tonight. :-(