Draft's Done!

Game Date:  Jun 1 2029

The First Year Player Draft has been completed.

I was going to sim the next two weeks, but I realized that with the rookie league season starting, owners will need time post-draft to set up their Rookie League teams.

Please make sure to move all non-first-year players out of the Rookie League and into Single-A or higher.

Next sim: next Wednesday.

Blockbuster Trade Delays Draft

In a massive, last-minute deal, Seattle and Atlanta agreed to a trade that will shake up both franchises' fortunes for years to come as the Hurricanes turned in one of the most valuable trade chips in the game for a massive haul of prospects and picks. Here's the deal:

Atlanta sends star starting pitcher Ernest Metcalf to Seattle in exchange for two first-round picks (#2 and #3 overall in the draft), AAA OF Logan Francis (#5 overall prospect), and A-ball SP Rodrigo Padilla.

The trade allows Seattle to rebuild its starting rotation with a top-flight stud and gives Atlanta a chance to dramatically overhaul its system. The deal reportedly came together in just the last couple hours. 

"Tough to give up that much talent," said Seattle owner/GM Mack Shultz, "but pitchers of Ernie's quality don't come along all that often. He's under contract for four more years and our rotation needed this infusion. We're confident that Logan and Rodrigo will be stars, but this was a chance to deal from depth to improve the major league team for the next 4-5 seasons."

Atlanta is said to have its eyes on some of the excellent pitching prospects at the top of this draft class with the incoming picks, perhaps allowing them to rebuild quickly.

Sim Delay

I'm going to hold off the amateur draft until tomorrow night.  I received a last minute trade but don't have confirmation from the second participant.  Since the trade includes draft picks, I'm going to give the other owner a day to get me the confirmation.

Zev

May II Sim Done -- Amateur Draft Is Here!

Game Date:  Jun 1 2029

Who uploaded:
Antelope Valley
Appalachian
Atlanta
Brick
Maui
Mepkin Abbey
Seattle
Shackamaxon

Standings:
Adams: Mepkin Abbey leads Atlanta by 7.5 games
Zotti:  Seattle has caught up to Brick and is now tied for the division lead
Signorino:  Antelope Valley has a three game lead over Maui

Awards & Accomplishments:
Shackamaxon RF Jeremy McCoullough named Player of the Week (5/21)
Seattle 2B Norman Kuhn named Player of the Week (5/28, 4th career award, 2nd award this season)
Mepkin Abbey LF Pedro Munoz named Rookie of the Month
Appalachian SP Joong-guen Yi named Pitcher of the Month
Mepkin Abbey C Miguel Ramirez named Batter of the Month.
Brooklyn's Jamie Vasquez hit three home runs in one game (5/24)

Significant Injuries:
Appalachian will be without Antonio Salinas for seven weeks, partially torn labrum.
Mepkin Abbey's Luis Romano strained an oblique.  It'll cost him 4-5 weeks.
Houston's Edgardo Rodriguez ruptured a finger tendon and he'll be gone for three months.
Seattle's Hector Valera will miss 5 weeks with a strained ACL.

Milestsones:
Norfolk's Lucio Munoz reached 1000 runs scored.

Batting Line of the Sim:
Brooklyn's Jamie Vasquez went 3-3 with a walk, hitting 3 HR and batting in four on 5/24.

Pitching Line of the Sim:
Antelope Valley's Yorikane Kichikawa threw his third shutout of the season with a three-hit, 11K, no-walk gem on 5/25.

Amateur Draft:
The amateur draft will be the next sim.  Please be sure to check the Traded Draft Picks list to make sure that you have all the picks you are supposed to have.  If you see something wrong, please be sure to email Michael and myself about it.  No claims for missed picks will be entertained after the draft.

Rookie Leagues:
Please be sure to take all second-year (and later) pro players out of the Rookie League.

Next sim: next Wednesday night.

May I Sim Done

Game Date:  May 16, 2029

Who uploaded:
Antelope Valley
Appalachian
Atlanta
Brick
Maui
Mepkin Abbey
Seattle
Shackamaxon

Standings:
Adams: Mepkin Abbey has a solid five game lead on Atlanta
Zotti:  Brick's lead over Seattle is four games.
Signorino:  Antelope Valley is three games up on Maui

Awards & Accomplishments:
Maui RF Don Jones named Player of the Week (5/7)
Brooklyn RF Eric Halliwell named Player of the Week (5/14, 2nd career award)

Significant Injuries:
Norfolk 3B Ricardo Feliciano fractured his hand and will miss 8-9 weeks.
Brooklyn 1B Arthur Cain has a hamstring strain. He's out for five weeks.
Appalachian SP Antonio Salinas has a partially torn labrum.  It'll cost him about seven weeks.

Milestones:
Maui 1B David Seibel collected his 2000th career hit.
Mepkin Abbey DH Nigel Bryant reached 400 HR

Batting Line of the Sim:
Brick's Ken Reed went 3-3 (with 2 walks), 2 HR, 4 R and 4 RBI vs. Houston (5/4)

Pitching Line of the Sim:
Houston's Carlos Salazar pitched eight innings of three-hit shutout ball with eight strikeouts and no walks vs. Brick on 5/5.

Notes:
The rookie draft pool is available for your viewing pleasure.
After the next sim, any players in your Rookie League team have to be moved out.

Next sim: Next Wednesday.

Apr II Sim Done

Game Date:  May 1, 2029

Who Uploaded:
Antelope Valley
Appalachian
Atlanta
Brick
Highland
Maui
Mepkin Abbey
Norfolk
Seattle
Shackamaxon

Standings:
Adams:  Mepkin Abbey leads Atlanta by three games.
Zotti:  Brick is two games ahead of Seattle
Signorino: Antelope Valley is three games ahead of Maui

Awards & Accomplishments:
Seattle 2B Norman Kuhn named Player of the Week (4/23, 3rd career award)
Shackamaxon LF George Hendricks named Player of the Week (4/30, 2nd career award)
Brick RF Salvador Velasquez named Batter of the Month (second career award)
Shackamaxon SP Toyoshige Takahashi named Pitcher of the Month (third career award)
Highland RF Lorenzo Hernandez named Rookie of the Month

Significant Injuries:
Mepkin Abbey will be without Tian-bai Chen for 2-3 months (rotator cuff inflammation).
C Tony Cannon will be absent from the Lenape for 2-3 weeks (calf strain)
Antelope Valley 3B Andreas Velasco has a calf strain and will miss 3 weeks.
Brooklyn OF Lou Sharp has a knee sprain. He's out for 5-6 weeks.
Shackamaxon Pitcher of the Month Takahashi will miss four weeks with a shoulder inflammation.

Batting Line of the Sim:
Appalachian's Arturo Sanchez went 3-3 3 runs scored and 4 RBI vs. Highland (4/19)

Pitching Line of the Sim:
Antelope Valley's Yorikane Kichkawa pitched a five-hit shutout vs Brooklyn while striking out 13 and walking none (4/29)

Next sim:  Next Wednesday night.

... And, We're Off! Apr I Sim Done

Game Date:  Apr 16, 2029

Who uploaded:
Appalachian Valley
Atlanta
Brick
Highland
Maui
Mepkin Abbey
Norfolk
Seattle
Shackamaxon

Standings:
Adams: Highland is one game ahead of Atlanta
Zotti:  Brick is one game ahead of Seattle
Signorino:  Antelope Valley holds a single game lead over Maui

Awards & Accomplishments:
Brick RF Salvador Velasquez named Player of the Week (4/9, 2nd career award)
Brick SS Javier Chalen named Player of the Week (4/16)

Significant Injuries:

• Appalachian Valley:  2B Michael Lambert has a hamstring strain.  He'll be gone for four weeks.
• Appalachian Valley:  SP Dane Long stretched his elbow ligament in his very first major league start.  He's done for the season.
• Appalachian Valley: CF Randy Dixon strained his hamstring.  He's out for two months.
• Appalachian Valley: SP Shawn Macneill tore a labrum.  He's finished for the year. 
• Antelope Valley:  LF Jeremy Reed fractured his wrist.  AntVal will be without him for 6-7 weeks.
• Atlanta: SS Ben Taylor fractured his rib.  He's out for four weeks.
• Atlanta:  LF Mike Peoples tore his ankle ligament.  The team will miss him for 3-4 weeks.
• Atlanta: SP Curtis Black tore a flexor tendon and will miss the rest of the season. 
• Houston:  RF Orlando Borges tore a posterior cruciate ligament.  His season is over. 
• Norfolk:  SS Carlos Gomez broke his kneecap and will be out 5-6 months.
• Shackamaxon:  SS Dewey Wilson fractured his jaw.  He's out for four weeks.

Milestones:
Brooklyn SP Emelio Romero reached 2000 strikeouts.
Antelope Valley 3B Andreas Velasco slugged his 400th home run.

Batting Line of the Sim:
Antelope Valley's Ray McJannett went 5-6 with 2 HR and 5 RBI vs. Norfolk on 4/6

Pitching Line of the Sim:
Seattle's Toyoshige Takahashi pitched 8 innings of 4-hit shutout ball, striking out 10 and allowing no walks vs. Highland on 4/6.

Next sim:  Wednesday night.

One More Time....

At one owner's request, we're going to delay the sim one more time, to Saturday night.

Thanks for being patient.  In the meantime, keep on trading! :)

Commissioners Swap Prospects

The Brooklyn Wolves announce their first trade in a long time, as owner Zev Steinhardt swaps prospects with his fellow commissioner, Michael, owner of the Shackamaxon Lenape.

The Brooklyn Wolves are sending top relief prospect Anthony "Meat" White and outfielder John Willis to Shackamaxon in exchange for slugging outfield prospect Lou Sharp, starter Arturo Trejo and reliever Zach Sullivan.

Going to Shackamaxon:

Anthony White, 22, is a left handed relief monster with a super nasty changeup and a nearly-as-nasty slider.  Selected in the first round of the 2027 draft, White has worked his way up through Double-A.  He is projected to be one of the top relievers in the league in years to come.

John Willis, 25, made people look up and take notice when he burst on to the major league scene last season.  Drafted in the second round in 2024, he worked his way up the minor league ladder before finally arriving at the show early last season.  Since donning the Wolves uniform, he managed to hit .358 in 61 games, with four home runs, 36 RBI and an OPS+ of 119.

Arriving in Brooklyn:

Lou Sharp, 24, is a young outfielder with a powerful swing and monster arm.  Drafted in the second round by the Seattle Monarchs in 2024, Sharp has actually been a part of several deals.  He now lands in Brooklyn where his bat and outfield arm will be put to good use.  Over the last two seasons, he has put up some amazing numbers in the minor leagues - chief among them his 1.057 OPS for AA Olympis in AA in 2027 and his 1.001 OPS for Beulaville in AAA.

Arturo Trejo, 22, was Shackamaxon's second round pick in the 2028 draft.  He started the season in the Rookie League, dominating the batters there and earning a promotion to A-ball after five games.  In A-ball, he pitched well (2.76 ERA in five games) but failed to secure a victory.  He'll be put to work in the Brooklyn system and looked to for join the rotation in the future.

Zach Sullivan, 25, is a right-handed reliever who will be joining the Wolves' bullpen.  Taken in the 21st round of the 2025 draft, he worked his way through the minor leagues.  He spent last year with the Brick Barracudas, getting into twenty games and pitching to a 7.53 ERA.  However, the Wolves are hoping that he grows into that tremendous fastball that he has and becomes an essential component in the pen.

Here Comes The Rain Again...

Three owners did not have their rosters set to 25.  I'm going to hold the Opening Day sim until tomorrow night before I begin taking unilateral action (which I really, really, really don't want to do).

Veteran Ace on the Move Again

As the Shackamaxon Lenape filed onto the bus that would take them to Ft Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport at the end of spring training, GM Michael Weintraub pulled ace starter Bruno Talamantez aside.

"Is it true you won't negotiate during the season?" Weintraub asked. 

Talamantez, in the final year of his contract, nodded as he handed his duffelbag to a clubbie. He didn't want any distractions. The wear and tear of a long career was starting to extend his daily training, and he knew he wasn't going to win that elusive last Cecil Cup with Shackamaxon this season. He would play his best, and sign the final contract of his career next winter. That was the plan he made after he was traded to the Lenape earlier in the offseason.

"Ok, thanks," Weintraub said, and looked down at his phone.

Four hours later, when the team's charter plane touched down at Philadelphia International Airport, Weintraub pulled Talamantez aside again. He told him, plainly: "We've traded you to Brick. Go get that ring and I'll be in touch after the season."

The assembled press, waiting for the team's return from spring training, was stunned. As Talamantez silently looked for his Uber ride to take him to Brick, NJ, the team's GM had to look down at his phone repeatedly as he explained the trade.

"We're getting four young players from Brick, including three pitchers. Zack Sullivan will go in our bullpen, Jake Glenn in our AAA rotation in Arizona Bay, Dave O'Brien will bat cleanup at AA Kalmar, and George Pepin will be our closer at single A Caprica. We also gave Brick our 3rd and 6th round draft picks. Fred really likes those sixth round picks.

"We don't know who our new fifth starter will be. I've been assured that Alejandro Baez is ready to take on the role of staff ace now. If you'll excuse me, I need to talk to Henry."

Opening Day Is Here!!!

Game Date:  Apr 1 2029

League Notes:  The London Dragons have moved and are now the Mepkin Abbey Monks.

Next sim:  The first April sim will be run on Wednesday night.  And remember...

Brick and London trade again

Brick agrees to send to London the following players: 1.Kevin Lambert SP 2.Matt Stokes 1B/3B 3.Ramiro Martinez RP and single a pitcher Daniel Spooner  and receives back Jesus Flores 1B and Will Hickford who well replace Lambert as the number 5 starter . brick also receives London tenth round pick in this years draft....Brick GM Fred Goldfarb was happy to get back Hickford who had been traded away in the Velasquez deal previously

Spring Training Sim 4 Done

League Date: March 26, 2029

There's just one game left in spring training. One day to find out who makes your team, and who survives the injury gauntlet that is spring training.

Injuries:

• Brick IF Jesus Alvarez - fractured foot (4 weeks)
• Brooklyn SP Anastasio Estrada - strained triceps (3 weeks)
• London 3B Larry McCormick - biceps tendinitis (6 weeks)
• Antelope Valley 2B Daniel Fowler - shoulder tendinitis (4 weeks)
• Appalachian SP Gustavo Melendez - torn flexor tendon in elbow (9 months)
• Houston 3B Esteban Ordonez - no diagnosis yet

Transactions:

• Houston - RP Ray Lewis (Atlanta) - minor league contract
• Brick - LF Ken Reed - 8 years, $77.7 million extension
• Houston - SP William Lawrence (Norfolk) - 1 year, $560,000 contract

Next sim: Sunday night (11/27/2016). This will finish the pre-season and bring us to Opening Day. Start trimming your rosters!

Sim's Done

Game Date:  Mar 19 2029

Next sim:  Thursday night

Sim's Done

Game Date: Mar 12 2029


Significant Injuries:

Maui:  C Aaron Hampton, sprained thumb, 2-3 weeks.
Antelope Valley: CF Petero Hokualohi, fractured thumb, 4 weeks.
Highland: RP Luis Quinones, sore shoulder, 3 weeks.
Highland: 3B Max Price, sprained thumb, 4 weeks.
Maui: 3B Guillermo Martinez, separated shoulder, 4-5 weeks.
Brooklyn:  C Julio Zapata, strained lat, 2 weeks.

Next sim:  Tuesday night

Spring Training week one sim done

League Date: March 5, 2029

Transactions:

• Shackamaxon signed SP John Ryan to a $900,000 one-year extension
• Shackamaxon signed IF Glenn Tate (Brick) to a minor league contract
• Shackamaxon signed RP Kieran Jenkins (independent league) to a minor league contract
• Brooklyn and Maui each signed an international free agent to a minor league contract

Injuries:

• Shackamaxon SP Alejandro Baez - strained back (3 weeks out)
• Appalachian CL Armando Sosa - biceps tendinitis (2 weeks)
• Antelope Valley RP Steve Harris - torn meniscus (3 months)
• London CF Edgardo Collazo - shoulder tendinitis (4 weeks)
• Norfolk SP Li Matthews - herniated disc (1 week)
• Norfolk 1B Bernardo Alvarez - hip flexor strain (1 week)
• Brooklyn RF Alejandro Aurillo - torn labrum (4 months)
• Appalachian 3B David Chenowith - quad strain (1 week)
• Norfolk RP Ho Zhong - hamstring strain (1 week)
• London CL Juan Guerrera - shoulder inflammation (3-4 months)

Next sim: the second week of spring training will be simmed on Sunday night.

Sim's Done

Game Date: 2/26/2029 (yes, it was a one-day sim - Spring Training started on a Sunday.

Next sim:  Thursday night

New London owner makes first deal. It's with Brick.

In the first deal of returning owner Nate Wooley's attempt to get the soon-to-move London franchise under control, London is dealing relief pitcher Frank Carey and a 6th round pick to Brick.  Coming to London is third baseman Larry McCormick.

Spring Training Is Here!

Game Date:  2/25/2029

Welcome to Spring Training.

Next sim:  Tuesday night.

Sim's Done!

Game Date:  Feb 19 2029

Signings:

London: SS Miguel Martinez (Maui), 1 yr/$630k
Houston:  RP  Rafael Sousa (Maui), 1 yr/$470k

Next sim:  Sunday night

Sim Done

League Date: February 12, 2029

Transactions:

• Houston signed RP Edgardo Rodriguez (Shackamaxon): 1yr/$446k
• Shackamaxon signed RP Hector Estrada to a 1yr/$500k extension

Next sim: Wednesday night 11/9/2016, assuming the universe doesn't implode on itself tomorrow night.

Shackamaxon and Brick swap prospects

The Lenape and Barracudas have a small trade of prospects to announce: Shackamaxon single A reliever Daniel Spooner has been traded to Brick for double A catcher Jesus Duran.

Sim's Done!

Game Date:  Feb 5, 2029

Signings:
Brooklyn:  OF Eric Halliwell (Atlanta), 2 yrs/$8m
Maui:  SP Roberto Norales (Atlanta), 6 yrs/$33m
Houston: OF Cheung Ying (London), 1 yr/$1.8m

Next sim:  Sunday night

Shackamaxon/Highland trade

While in a pretend baseball world, history was being made, the real-life Highland Admirals and Shackamaxon Lenape pulled off a stunner of a trade late yesterday evening. Heading to the Admirals are two young lineup regulars, 3B Tae-Sang Pak and OF Juan Arroyo. In return, the Lenape are receiving four promising young players and two key draft picks.

The full bounty heading to Shackamaxon:

• OF Lou Sharp
• SP Dwight Rowe
• AA SP Austin Houston
• AA 1B Javier Cisneros
• Highland's 3rd round pick (#3 in round)
• Shackamaxon's 3rd round pick (#5 in round; previously traded to Highland)

To even out the trade, the Lenape will send the Admirals their 12th round pick in the 2029 draft along with Pak and Arroyo.

Sim Tomorrow Night

I'm sorry, folks.  I thought I would get to the sim tonight, but I'm going to have to put it off until tomorrow night.

Zev

Shackamaxon's pre-season trade list

I find myself with extra inventory in the major leagues and would like to discuss trading one or more of the following players if someone has a need for them. I am not looking for anything in particular in return. Let me know who interests you and we can go from there:

• Starting Pitchers: Dylan Robison, Hun-Ho Pang, Emilio Perez, Rick Taylor, Todd Davis, Gregory Griffith, Mark St John
• Relief Pitchers: Esteban Valenzuela, Sergio Lujan, Yasushi Mochizuki, Tony Dominguez, Ben Cloherty (Rule 5 pick)
• Infielders: Ben Turner, Jonathan Locker, Tzu-Hsia Wang, Tae-Sang Pak, Robert Roberts
• Outfielders: Juan Arroyo, Jose Molina, Jeremy McCullough, Jae-Chun Kim, Tomas Kalakay, Ramon Gonzales

If anyone interests you and you'd like to discuss a trade, hit me up.

Sim's Done. Welcome to the Preseason!

Game Date: Jan 29, 2029

Signings:
Houston:  SP Bill Mobely (London), 1 yr/$338k
Highland:  OF Lorenzo Hernandez (no prev team), 3 yrs/$64m (!)

Next sim:  Wednesday night

Sim Run

League Date: January 22, 2029

There were no transactions of note during this sim.

Administrative Notes:

• I changed the settings for the draft to the new June 1st date.
• I also changed the number of players generated for the draft from 30 to 50-rounds worth of players.
• I also set the draft pool announcement date to be 35 days before the draft. This will give us draftniks an extra sim to do our evaluations. The amateur seasons will be in swing during this time, too, so we will all know which players to track and evaluate.
• Last season, I noticed that a couple of teams were not playing their major league games in the standard Old League Park. I corrected that in this sim. Two teams were not using that stadium, but are now using it with the other ten teams.
• Please install the new 17.12.75 patch of OOTP before uploading your next team export.

Hall of Fame:

While making the above changes, I took note of the settings for the Hall of Fame. 

I think the AI HOF voting option is what caused some players that received multiple human votes to note be elected. Do we want to make any changes to this (effective in the 2029-30 offseason)?

Next sim: Monday night (10/31/2016). This will take us, finally, into the start of the preseason.

New OOTP 17 version

There's a new version of OOTP 17: version 17.12.75. We will use this version after Saturday night's sim. Please wait until after I run the sim on Saturday night before installing it.

(Yes, I'm running the sim for Zev this weekend.)

Sim's Done

I did run the sim last night, but I never got the chance to post about it.

Next sim:  Saturday night.

Sim's Done... Ricky's In!

Game Date:  Jan 8 2029

Congratulations to Ricky Peppers on his election to the Hall of Fame!

Signings:

Norfolk: SP Masatake Shibata (London) 1 yr/$640k
Houston:  3B Esteban Ordonez (Antelope Valley), 4 yrs/$19.2m
Norfolk:  SP Qing-hua Tso (Shackamaxon), 2 yrs/$3.8m
Norfolk: SP Arturo Zavala (Highland), 1 yr/$930k

Retirements:
As we flip the calendar page, we say goodbye to players who have retired.  This year's retirements include:

RF Shinsaku Toiguchi (Atlanta), 6 yrs, .261/.779 OPS/ 54 HR
RP John Field (Shackamaxon), 6 yrs, 236 G, 5.21 ERA
RF Jim Edwards (New York), 5 yrs, .241/.770 OPS/ 117 HR/ 111 SB
CF Ben Beard (Brooklyn), 8 yrs, .243/.678 OPS/ 61 HR/ 167 SB
RP John Crabtree (Ohio/Houston), 5 yrs, 326 G, 6.06 ERA
RP Seija Masuda (Seattle/NY-Phil), 7 yrs, 264G, 6.03 ERA
3B Thomas Sheppard (Brick) 9 yrs, .252, .721 OPS, 79 HR
RF Kevin Works (Brooklyn), 9 yrs, .250, .776 OPS, 173 HR
SS Callum Ganyon (Ohio/Atlanta/Houston), 11 yrs, .271, 72 HR, 132 SB, 3x Slick Fielder (SS, 2018), (2B, 2020-21)
LF Ignacio Lopez (Shackamaxon), 9 yrs, .282, .795 OPS, 134 HR
RP Ambroz Ondra (Shackamaxon), 5 yrs, 130 G, 4.45 ERA
SP Scott Loman (Shackamaxon), 13 yrs, 98-80, 4.62 ERA, 1653 K
3B Ronald Quijada, 21 yrs, .269, .855 OPS, 2595 H, 481 HR, 1570 RBI, 149 SB, 3x Slick Fielder (2015-16, 19)
SP Alan Blessing (London), 10 yrs, 47-76, 4.99 ERA.



Next sim:  Wednesday night.

Sim's Done

Game Date:  Jan 1 2029

Please note that you can *still* vote for the Hall of Fame this sim.

Next sim:  Saturday night.

Sim's Done

Game Date:  Dec 25, 2028

Signings:
Maui: RP Bruce Roughly (Norfolk), 1 yr/$540k
Houston:  RP Armando Sanchez (Antelope Valley) 1 yr/$384k

Next sim:  Wednesday night.  -- Please note that your Hall of Fame ballots must be submitted by this sim!

Sim's Done!

Game Date:  Dec 18 2028

Signings:
Brooklyn:  2B Luis Figueroa (re-signed), 2 yr/$3.3m
Brooklyn:  SP Clayton Robinson (Shackamaxon), minor league contract
Maui: SS Richard Bender (re-signed), 1 yr, $2.55m
Maui: RP Low Shaw (Norfolk), minor league contract
Antelope Valley:  RP Ethan Moyer (Brick), 3 yrs/$21.5m

Next sim:  Saturday night

Sim's Done

Game Date:  Dec 11 2028

We got our roster issue clarified, so the sim has been completed.

Signings:
Norfolk: CF Cale Page (Highland) 1 yr/$630k
Norfolk:  P Manuel Silva (Brick) 1 yr/$510k
Norfolk:  P Shuji Miyashita (Brooklyn), minor league contract

Houston:  P Jesus Garcia (Norfolk) 1 yr/ $700k

Brooklyn:  1B Jeff Corson (re-signed) 1 yr/$700k

Antelope Valley:  3B Andreas Velasco (Houston), 4 yrs/$99m

London:  P John Cooper (re-signed), 1 yr/$810k

Hall of Fame:  For this year, we're going to use the manual voting system for the Hall of Fame that is in the game.  Please make sure to submit your ballots before we flip the calendar to 2029.

Next sim:  Thursday night

Sim in progress...

However, we have one owner with a roster problem, so I'm going to hold the sim.  I'll complete it on Wednesday night.

Trader Fred strikes again ....Brick and Highland

GM Fred Goldfarb and John Carrano complete another quick trade...At the news conference Fred "Trader " Goldfarb  announced another trade this time with John Carrano  of Highland..going to Highland are the following players Sergio Feliciano SS AAA Warminster 2.Ryan Hughes OF Brick and Masahide Ueda 1B recently of Norfolk and 8 million dollars ...Brick receives the 4th and 6th round picks both gotten from Seattle (Lopez/Nix) and (Allen) respectively...GM Goldfarb with a big smile explained the need to rebuild his farm system after the disaster created by the previous head scout..the new head scout Chet Walker on hand  to reassure all Brick fans that a new day is coming and another championship well not be too far away...John expressed his happiness with procuring new talent for the major league roster and improving both defense and offense with his team

Rule V Draft Done

Game Date:  Dec 4 2028

Rule 5 Draft Results:
Norfolk:  1B Bernardo Alvarez (Seattle)
Shackamaxon: CL Ben Cloherty (London) & SP Jorge Villegas (London)
Antelope Valley: LF Jeremy Reed (Maui)

Signings:
Houston: SP Peter Payton 1 yr/$358k
Houston: SP Ivan Gallardo 3 yr/$16.8m

Next sim:  Monday night

Norfolk and Brick come to a quick trade

After sending a league wide email to all the GM's about looking to dump an aging 1B for a pick GM Carrano woke up to find his email had a few interested teams. The team most eager to help out Norfolk was Brick and the discussions went quick and easy. Norfolk will be sending 1B  Masahide Ueda, and their 2nd round 2nd pick and their 6th round pick to Brick for a 20th round pick in this years draft and 500k in cash to help get out of the red.

Looking to dump player....

Hey everyone, I am looking for a team who has some cap room to trade an aging 1B who has two years left on his contract at 8.5 mil per year. The player is 1B Masahide Ueda and I already have a DH and a 1B on squad and I need to get out of the red for use of maybe picking up a player or two from the remaining thin free-agents. So this is what i'm willing to offer a team to take him off my hands..... Norfolk's 2nd rd 2nd pick
Thanks
Thomas

Sim's Done. Rule 5 Draft

Game Date:  Dec 1 2028

Since the next sim has a draft, I want to allow more than one day for this sim.  So, therefore, the Rule 5 Draft will be done on Saturday night.

Also, there is a new version (build 73) and we will be upgrading after the draft.

Zev

Big trade between division rivals

Long-time rivals Seattle and Shackamaxon have put aside their differences, albeit temporarily, to complete another big trade. Heading cross-country from the Seattle Monarchs is ace starter Bruno Talamantez, who is excited to re-join former teammate Steven Broadbent. "Steve called me after he was traded, and told me how amazing Philadelphia was," Talamantez said, as he touched down at Philadelphia International Airport this morning. While tired from the overnight flight from Seattle, he appeared excited about the new opportunity.

"I was buried in the rotation in Seattle," he said. "Here, I'll get to lead an incredibly talented group of youngsters." He was, of course, referring to the formidable young starters in the Lenape system, headlined by John Ryan and Alejandro Baez. Talamantez will help mentor those two, alongside youngster Juan Santiago this season, and possibly last season's #1 overall draft pick Michael Leach, who is expected to debut with the Lenape late in the 2029 season.

"I'm a free agent next season, but if I like what I see here, I'm definitely open to signing an extension."

The cost for Shackamaxon was steep, with four prospects and a high draft pick heading west. The Monarchs welcome AAA catcher Jose Rodriguez and 3B Alan Rivers, AA OF John Carson, and a second round draft pick next summer. The two teams will also swap promising young pitchers currently rehabbing from serious injuries: the Lenape are receiving Juan Velez, and the Monarchs will get Rodrigo Padilla, recently re-acquired by the Lenape from Brick.

Sim Delay

I'm pushing tonight's sim off to tomorrow night to address an issue an owner is having.

Zev

DH on the TB

With my outfield and DH spots a little crowded, I'm putting Martin Perez on the trading block. He had a bit of a down year last year after battling a few minor injuries, but his track record screams bounceback. He's signed for the next 3 years at around $5MM per year, which is a steal for a guy who's batted .292 for his career and averaged 30 HR and 20 SB in his 5 year career.

I'm primarily looking for an immediate upgrade at 3B, but would be willing to consider all offers

Sim's Done... Rule 5 Draft Coming Up

Game Date:  Nov 29 2028

I purposely cut this sim short, to give people a chance to add players to their 40 man roster in anticipation of the upcoming Rule 5 draft.

Signings:
Houston:  C Manny Murillo (Antelope Valley) 2 yrs / $3.76m

Next sim:  Tuesday night
Following sim (and Rule 5 draft):  Thursday night

Sim's Done!

Game Date: Nov 27 2028

Signings:
Shackamaxon:  RP Mark St. John (Houston), 1 yr/$550k
Seattle:  C Norman Bouchard, minor league contract
Seattle:  RF Jack Mendez (Houston), minor league contract
Atlanta:  RP Sachi Nackamura (Atlanta), 2 yrs/$1.38m
Antelope Valley:  2B Rodney Bauer (Brooklyn), minor league contract
Highland:  RP Adam Hone (London), 1 yr/$2.5m
London:  CL Juan Guerrera (Maui), 5 yrs/$32.5m
Brick:  2B Jesus Alvarez (extension) 4 yrs/$8.2m

Next sim:  Saturday night

Trading block

As much as this is going to sting me short term I am putting my best player on the BLOCK.... 1B Manuel Hidalgo  25y/o signed to cheap 2 year contract. In his 2 years as a starter he's only avg  a .333 20.5 hrs 90 rbi's  and he had 73 doubles last year and he can play good defense. If interested email me.

Sim's Done!

Game Date:  Nov 20 2018

Signings:
Highland signed RP Alejandro Lopez (London), 2yrs/$9.4m
Antelope Valley re-signed LF Ray McJannett, 6yrs/$153.9m
Houston signed 1B Luis Rodriguez, 1 yr/$520k

Next sim:  Thursday night

Brick gains some draft picks

In two separate trades, the Brick Barracudas cleared some salary and roster space and picked up mid-round picks.

First, with the Highland Admirals, the Barracudas traded utility infielder Hector Castillo for a 9th round draft pick. Then, in order to obtain an 8th round pick, they traded reliever Yasushi Mochizuki and outfielder Jeremy McCullough to Shackamaxon.

Sim's Done...

Game Date:  Nov 13 2028

Signings:
Shackamaxon:  3B Ernesto Martinez (minor league contract)
Maui:  2B Eric Hurst (minor league contract)
Norfolk: RF Jesus Alvarez (extension, 1 yr/$470k)
Brick: RP Alejandro Cruz (extension, 6 yr/$29.9m)
Houston: RF Jorge Moya (Seattle, 2 yr/$1.18m)

New Version:  The next sim will use the newest version of the game.  Please download the new version from OOTP Developments.

Next sim:  Tuesday evening

Sim Saturday Night

I'm sorry, everyone, but I was unexpectedly pulled away from my computer last night.  The next sim will be Saturday night.

Nice to see you

Hey guys, I'm back!

What'd I miss over the last five years?

Shackamaxon and Highland swap backup catchers

The Highland Admirals have traded backup catcher Tony Cannon to Shackamaxon in exchange for Anthony Powers.

Additionally, Highland picks up AAA reliever Nathan Gibbs, and sends a 5th round draft pick to the Lenape to finish the deal.

Shackamaxon/Brick trade

Fresh off learning to hit again from a 12-year-old kid in his hometown, Jesus Alvarez is on the move to Brick in a trade between the Barracudas and Shackamaxon Lenape.

"We had a glut of good, young middle infielders," GM Michael Weintraub of Shackamaxon stated. "After being hurt last season, a few of our youngsters stepped up and made it easy to shop Jesus this offseason."

Returning to the Lenape franchise are a carload of young pitchers, headlined by Lenape 2028 draft pick Rodrigo Padilla, who was drafted by Shackamaxon in the 3rd round this past offseason and flipped to Brick after the draft. Due to his injury, Padilla may be a relegated to Player to be Named Later status.

The presently-healthy arms accompanying Padilla on I-195 west are Roger Alder and Weldon Dunham.

"Now we have too many infielders," Brick GM Fred Goldfarb announced. "We're making Larry McCormick available for prospects and draft picks."

New Owner for London Coming Soon...

The London franchise has a new owner... consider this a teaser until the new owner makes an introductory post.  :)

Attention Ladies And Gentlemen... Free Agents Are Available on Aisle Five...

Game Date:  Nov 6 2028

Free Agent season has begun!  Begin shopping!

Next sim:  Thursday night

Sim Delay -- SIM DELAY CANCELLED

Tonight's sim is going to be delayed until Thursday to allow Michael and I to help a team owner with a game issue.

Zev

UPDATE (5:07pm EDT):  The owner got the issue resolved.  The sim *will* happen tonight as scheduled.

Sim's Done -- Awards Season (Part II)

Game Date:  Oct 30 2028

Awards:
Seattle C Steve Jones named Outstanding Batter of the Year.

NOTE:  This sim is the last chance you have to tender offers to your potential free agents.

Next sim:  Tuesday night.

Time For the Hardware -- Awards (Part I) given out

Game Date:  Oct 24 2028

Awards:
Outstanding Pitcher:  Toyoshige Takahashi (Seattle), 20-5, 2.53  ERA, 258K, 0.99 WHIP
Outstanding Newcomer: Benjamin Anderson (Shackamaxon), .290, 32HR, 126 RBI, .861 OPS
Reliever of the Year: Carlos Placeres (Brick)

Slick Fielders:
P Erik Moore (London)
C Fred Kennedy (Brick)
1B Martin Cox (Brick)
2B Rodrigo Negron (Atlanta)
3B Esteban Ordonez (Antelope Valley)
SS Martin Costa (Appalachian)
OF Enrique Moreno (Appalachian)
OF Petero Hokualohi (Antelope Valley)
OF Jose Molina (Shackamaxon)

Next sim:  Sunday night

Norfolk and Highlands news

Halfway through last season we had told Zev that we would not be returning to the league but as of yesterday we have decided to return but will not be getting the game for at least another two days. I don't want the league to stop due to us but wanted to let all know in case you wanted to trade with either of us.
Norfolk's
Thomas

Ernest Metcalf on the market

Atlanta is contemplating going into rebuild mode. It is not 100%, but if I can get some good offers for my top players including the #2 ranked SP in the league, Metcalf.

If you want to be in on the sweepstakes, let me know.

Jeremy
Atlanta

Sim's Done

Game Date:  Oct  2028

• Game advanced
• Trades processed
• Revenue amounts adjusted to match the amounts from our vote last season
• Cuomo and Placencia inducted to the Hall of Fame

Administrative note:
Last season, due to an error on my part, I accidentally gave Seattle's first round pick in the amateur draft to Norfolk.  Matt, Michael and I discussed what to do about it -- we didn't want to take a first round pick away from Norfolk this coming draft, but we didn't want Mack to lose out on a first round pick he deserved either.

One of the features of OOTP 17 is that the draft is much more flexible.  I can actually insert supplemental picks in between rounds, something I could not do in previous years.  As a result, we agreed that the best solution would be to give Mack a supplemental first round pick in the coming draft, between the first and second rounds.

Next sim:  Wednesday night.

Shackamaxon trades with two rivals

The Shackamaxon Lenape have started spending their prospect capital in acquiring players for the next franchise dynasty. In two separate, but linked, deals with division rivals, the team traded two pitching prospects.

First, the team acquired infield prospect Jesus Mejia from Brick in exchange for starter Brian Powell. The teams also swapped 3rd and 4th round picks originally belonging to Norfolk. Going from Shackamaxon to Brick is the 3rd round pick (#2 in the round), while the oft-traveled 4th round pick (#2 in round) returns to Shackamaxon (but not for long...).

In the second trade, this time with hated division rival Seattle, the Lenape and Monarchs have created a blockbuster seven-player trade. Highlighting that trade is former Monarch catcher Steven Broadbent, who was stuck behind superstar Steve Jones in Seattle, and will get a chance to start in Shackamaxon. Also heading to the Lenape organization are A level prospects SS Soh Hayagawa and SP David Torres. The Lenape also acquired Seattle's 2nd round pick (#12 in round) in the deal.

Heading across to the Pacific Northwest is a bounty featuring top prospects 1B Elwood Kerr, SP James Ferguson, C Juan Davila, and SS Ernesto Gallegos. Seattle also will receive the 4th round pick (originally belonging to Norfolk, #2 in the round) that the Lenape had just re-acquired in the trade with Brick.

"Without hurting our stock of good young starters, we were able to add an impact player at catcher, and a very promising young infielder," Lenape GM Michael Weintraub stated.

Sim Done

Game Date:  Oct 11 2028

Sim completed and upgraded to the newest version.

Next sim:  Monday night, which will cover one week.

Note:  I am aware that, in the rollback and upgrade process, the new Hall of Famers were uninducted.  I will be manually re-inducting them in the next sim.

Zev

New Version Notice... But We're NOT Using It Just Yet.

Please note that OOTPDevleopments has updated their version of OOTP 17  (see the attached link on the bottom).

We are NOT going to upgrade this sim, so please use the version listed in the previous post.  We'll probably upgrade to the newest version in the sim or two following (don't worry... I'll give you all a "head's up" before we do).

Zev

http://www.ootpdevelopments.com/board/ootp-17-general-discussions/269634-ootp-17-update-9-version-17-11-70-officially-available-now.html#post4086810

Upgrade Complete!

Thanks to Michael's hard work, we have upgraded the league file and are now using OOTP 17.  Specifically, we're using version 17.10 Build 67.  If you're not using that version, please be sure to download it from Out of the Park Developments.

A couple of administrative points:

• We've changed the draft to include 25 rounds.  This was done to allow owners to fill the rookie rosters (since we're limiting them to first year players).
• In the new version, the main award is truly an MVP type award.  However, we've limited the award to position players and retained the name of "Outstanding Batter Award."
• The Outstanding Pitcher Award CAN be won by relievers (and, in his testing, Michael found that it does happen).
• The new version supports opt-out contracts, but for now, I have disabled them.  If you want them, let me know and we'll discuss.
• There is a manual Hall of Fame voting system, and I'd like to implement something like that in the future, but I don't want to hold up the sims because of it.

Please take a few days and download the league file.  Look over your team and make sure that everything is as it should be.  If you can, please post in the comments any problems you've had or (if you don't have any) that you're good and ready to move onward.  I'd like to move forward with the first sim of the new version on Thursday night.

Zev

Edit:  Of course, we discovered an issue after uploading.  :)  A new file was uploaded.  If you downloaded the league file before 11:00AM, please discard and use the new file.

Thanks.

New GM

My name is Larry.  I am the new GM of the London team.  I hope to move the team to Hamilton in the near future.  Very shortly I will be reviewing my entire organization's rosters.  I am making this a younger team which means that many of my older veteran players, both on the major league roster and Triple A roster, will be available for trade for younger players or draft picks.  Looking forward to trading in the future.  My gmail address is:  lsm44west@gmail.com.  Thanks for the opportunity to join this league.

OOTP 17: It's Coming....

Thank you, everyone, for being patient with us.  Michael and I are taking a few days to put the league file through some OOTP 17 seasons to make sure that it doesn't blow up, turn everyone into Babe Ruth or Mario Mendoza or do any other strange things.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Zev

Crunching Some Numbers....

... let's see if there are any interesting stats lurking....  :)

#Teaserpost

Hall of Fame Plaques

click on the plaque to view full-size

And, as always, you can see the plaques for all players inducted into the Hall of Fame at its page:

Sim Run: Welcome to the Offseason

League Date: October 16, 2028

It's the offseason, and the 27th season of the SDMB OOTP League is in the rear view. We are moving along until the 28th season, and our first to be played in OOTP 17.

As we finish the season, two new players have been inducted into the league's Hall of Fame: Seattle great starter Ronald Placencia and Shackamaxon's unhittable closer Junior Cuomo. Both pitchers retired after the 2023 season and were auto-inducted at the end of the 2028 season.

We're going to sim one week at a time during the offseason. Next up, on Monday night, we head into awards season. After that, are the salary arbitration hearings. You can check your arbitration eligible players in the game and make contract offers. We'll probably run the sim that covers arbitration on Wednesday night.

Game 7: For all the marbles

The Seattle Monarchs extended their record of Cecil Cup titles, and set a record for consecutive championships by winning their 13th, and fifth in a row, in a decisive victory in game 7 of the 2028 Cecil Cup.

While Brick started the game with a quick run in the first, Seattle tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Not feeling daunted, the Barracudas retook the lead in the top of the second, and held the 2-1 advantage until the bottom of the 5th. In that inning, the Monarchs scored three runs, and added on three more in the bottom of the 6th.

With three innings to play, the Monarchs were up 7-2. Seattle added three more runs in the 7th and 8th innings, and were up 10-2 entering the top of the 9th. The home crowd was deafening as Martin Cox weakly grounded out to second base to start the inning.

Ken Reed followed with a strikeout. Down to their last out, Gene Reynolds held off the end of the season with a solo home run. Alas, the comeback was not to be, as Matt Foster grounded to third to end the game and the series. The final score was 10-3, a lopsided score in an otherwise tight and close series.

Congratulations again to Mack (and for beating my own record of 4-straight championships), and also to Fred for a great season. The 2028 year was a fun one for us, but it's now it's time to let Seattle have its 13th championship parade, and for the rest of us to regroup and prepare for 2029 and the new version of the game.

We'll take the rest of the week for Mack to enjoy. We'll start the clock on the offseason on Saturday night. Thanks to all for letting me help Zev steer us through another fun OOTP season!

Game 6: Two starters enter, only one leaves

Game 6 of the Cecil Cup was the Tale of Two Starters. For the Brick Barracudas, Joshua Stoker got the ball. For the home team, the Seattle Monarchs, down three games to two and facing elimination, Chris Williams started the game with a scoreless first inning, striking out the side around a one-out walk.

In the bottom of the first, Stoker ran into trouble: Ground out, walk, single, walk, sacrifice fly, walk, walk (that's three runs in already, two of them walked in), grand slam home run, and single. By the time Stoker handed the ball to the manager for Derek Hanson to take over, the Monarchs had batted around and were up 6-0.

Seattle's Williams cruised the rest of the way, giving up only three hits and one walk as he struck out ten in a complete game 8-1 victory.

Game seven, the final game of the 2028 season, and the final game simmed in OOTP 15 (have you bought OOTP 17 yet?) will happen on Tuesday night. After that, we'll move along quickly to get our new London owner, Larry Merrifield, up to speed.

Good luck to Fred and Mack tomorrow!

Game 5: Brick is (still) one game away

Seattle defeated Brick in game 5 by a score of 5-2 to stave off elimination and return the series back to Seattle.

Game 6 will be simmed on Monday night. 

Game 4: Brick Is One Win Away

Game Date:  Oct 6 2028

The Brick Barracudas took a 3-1 lead in the Cecil Cup series with a  come from behind 5-4 victory over the Seattle Monarchs.

Seattle took a lead early in the game, putting up a run in the second and three in the third, giving them a 4-2 lead by the end of the inning.  Brick managed to tie the game in fifth on RBI singles by Carlos Madrigal and Salvador Velasquez.    The game remained tied until the eighth, when Brick pushed across another run on a ground out.  Brick brought in closer Carlos Placeres to pitch the ninth and he shut down the Seattle batters.

In other news, we have a new owner for the London franchise.  :)  I'm sure he'll be along in the next day or so to introduce himself.

I'm going to be out for a few days.  Michael will be completing the series and will announce the schedule.

Game 3: Brick Takes The Lead

The Brick Barracudas took a 2-1 lead in the Cecil Cup series with a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Monarchs.  Martin Cox launched a three run homer in the eighth and starter Ethan Moyer pitched seven innings of one run ball for the victory.

Game 4:  Thursday night

Game 2: Brick Holds On To Tie Series

The Brick Barracudas held off a late inning surge from the Seattle Monarchs to tie the Cecil Cup series at one game apiece.

Brick got off to a quick start against Seattle starter Chris Williams by pushing five runners across the plate in the top of the first inning, with the big blow being a three run homer by Larry McCormick.

Seattle and Brick traded some runs over the next few innings, until the score stood at 7-1 in the middle of the sixth inning.  At that point, the Monarch bats woke up and scored two runs in the sixth (on back-to-back solo homers by Norman Kuhn and Yvon Settingnino).

Brick responded with three runs in the seventh, making the score 10-3.

In the bottom of the seventh, Seattle pushed across two more runs (two run homer by Luis Lozano) and three more in the eighth (three run blast by Sung-heun Hwa) to bring the Monarchs to within a single run.

In the bottom of the ninth, Brick brought in closer Carlos Placeres to shut the Monarchs down.  After strking out Luis Lozano to start the inning, Norman Kuhn doubled to left.  Yvon Settignino struck out swinging and Steve Jones hit an infield single, sending Kuhn to third.  With the tying run on third, right fielder Mike Minty came to the plate.  Minty was 1-3 so far, with 2 RBI in the game.  However, on the first pitch Placeres managed to induce a grounder to second to end the game and give Brick the victory.

Game 3:  Wednesday night.

Expected Starters:
Seattle:  Enrico Hernandez (18-5, 4.35)
Brick: Ethan Moyer (6-1, 4.18)

Seattle Takes Game 1

The Seattle Monarchs took Game 1 of the Cecil Cup Series with a 7-1 trouncing of the visiting Brick Barracudas.

The main damage came in the fifth inning when the Monarch batters unloaded against Brick starter Miguel Archuleta by pushing five runs across the plate.  The big blow came off the bat of catcher Steve Jones, who hit a 420 foot home run to left.  Meanwhile, Seattle starter Toyoshige Takahashi held Brick to three hits and one run over 7 1/3 innings.

Game 2:  Tuesday night.

Scheduled starters:  
Brick:  Joshua Stoker (17-8, 3.16 ERA)
Seattle: Chris Williams (21-8, 3.00 ERA)

Game 5: Brick Takes Series

The Brick Barracudas finished off the Maui Mashers today with a 4-2 victory.  Brick starter Joseph Brown held the Mashers to seven hits and two runs over seven and two thirds innings.  The Mashers had a 2-0 lead until Martin Cox gave the Barracudas a lead they wouldn't relinquish with a two run homer to right.

Game 1 of the Cecil Cup -- Monday night.

The Hit King

We completely missed this during the season, but it appears on May 6, 2028, the soon-to-be-released John Grondin became the all-time hits leader in our OOTP league, with 2,665 career base hits.

In a season where he joined the 500 Home Run Club, Grondin hit his final (?) home run, his 504th (good for #5 all-time on that leaderboard), a three-run shot in the second innning, to overtake Brian Frison as the all-time Hit King.

Appropriately enough, Grondin was the Player of the Game that date, a victory by the Lenape over the Highland Admirals.

Game 4: Seattle Completes Sweep, Brick Makes It 3-1

The Seattle Monarchs completed their sweep of the London Dragons with an 8-3 victory.   The major damage was done by third baseman Sung-huen Hwa, who gave the Monarchs the lead they would not relinquish with a grand slam home run off London starter Erik Moore.

The Brick Barracudas managed to pull within one game of the Cecil Cup finals with a walk-off sacrifice fly by Ken Reed.

Game 5:  Thursday night.

Seattle Makes It Three In a Row, Brick Goes Up 2-1

The Seattle Monarchs made it three in a row against the London Dragons with a 5-3 victory.  The heroes of the game for Seattle were Yvon Settignino with a home run in the second, Dewey Wilson with two RBI singles, and Luis Lozano with an RBI single.

Brick batters pounded Maui starter Juan "Dud" Ramirez, who was knocked out of the game in the fourth, having given up five earned runs.

Game 4:  Wednesday night

Game 2: Brick Ties Series, Seattle Makes it Two

The Brick Barracudas tied their series against the London Dragons with an 8-5 victory in Game 2 of their series.  Larry McCormick led the Brick batters by going 2 for 4 with a home run, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.

In the nightcap, Seattle rode the pitching arm of Chris "Ogre" Williams as he pitched eight innings of two-hit, no-run ball.

Game 3:  Tuesday evening.

Game 1: Seattle, Maui Take Leads

The Maui Mashers took the first game of their series vs. Brick with a 3-2 victory.  The Mashers put up all three runs in the first inning, but that's all they would need as starting pitcher Tyler Baird managed to hold the Barracudas to two runs over 6 1/3 innings, including getting out of a bases-loaded situation in the fifth.

In the nightcap, Seattle defeated London also by a score of 3-2.  London put up a run in the second on a John Dodds home run and another in the fifth on a Roy Nickerson sac fly.  However, Seattle came back with three runs in the seventh, capped by a two run blast by Yvon Settignino.

Game 2:  Monday night.

September II Sim Run -- On to the Postseason!

Very quick:

Sim was just run. The regular season is over.

There were three teams in play for the final two playoff spots. Brick went 6-0 in the final week, and Maui went 5-1 to both leapfrog Antelope Valley (2-4). Maui won the Signorino Division by 2 games, and Brick edged Antelope Valley by 1 for the Wild Card spot.

Seattle will face London, and Maui will face Brick in the first round of the postseason. Congrats to Mack, Matt, and Fred. Get your active rosters down to 25 for the playoffs!

Zev will be back on Sunday night with Game 1 of the Seattle/London and Maui/Brick series.

September I Sim Done

Game Date:  Sep 16 2028

Standings:
Adams:  London clinched the division.
Zotti: Seattle locked this one up long ago.
Signorino: Antelope Valley leads Maui by a single game.
Wild Card: Maui is two games ahead of Brick

Awards & Accomplishments:
Shackamaxon's Tomas Kalay hits for the cycle (9/2)
Maui's Wang-fen Tsang named Player of the Week (9/4)
Highland's Max Price named Player of the Week (9/11)

Significant Injuries:
Atlanta's Clay Burns broke a kneecap and will be out for 8-9 months, meaning he'll be out until mid-season.

Next sim:  Thursday night to finish the season.

Brick Barracudas hold team meeting

The following story made the rounds of the local newspapers...Reporter naming unknown sources reports a story of a team meeting held after the lost to the Monarchs...GM Fred Goldfarb called the team together in the locker room and said the following...I know lately we have had trouble beating teams like the Monarchs ..But i know that you are a better team then this...we are not short on talent or character...i know you want to win every game....yet we sit 3 games out with 20 to play and a tough road to go...Some of you i known for a short time and some your whole careers...I can tell you this i believe in all of you, players and coaches alike...You can go out and take the wild card and get back to the world series...You can win this thing  for the city of Brick and for our recently deceased owner Bell SR...win this for them but mostly win this for you

August II Sim Run - Welcome to September!

League Date: September 1, 2028

Standings:

• Adams Division: London leads Atlanta by 19 games and has a magic number of 2
• Signorino Division: Maui leads Antelope Valley by 1 game (magic number of 20)
• Zotti Division: Seattle clinched the division back in May
• Wild Card: Antelope Valley leads Brick by 3 games, with Appalachian 9 games back. AV's magic number to clinch the spot is 18

News:

• Shackamaxon DH Tomas Kalakay won Player of the Week (8/21)
• Maui SS Pedro Rivera won Player of the Week (8/21)
• Brick RF Salvador Velasquez had his second 5-hit game of the season (8/29)
• Houston RF John Hicks won Batter of the Month award
• Seattle SP Toyoshige Takahashi won Pitcher of the Month award
• Brooklyn RF Alejandro Aurillo won Rookie of the Month award
• Injuries:
• Shackamaxon reliever Leonard Christopher strained his hamstring, ending his rookie season
• London 1B/DH Nigel Bryant tore his ankle and will miss the rest of the season and postseason
• Brick starter Kevin Lambert tore his labrum and will be out 5-6 months
• Norfolk OF Luis Santiago will miss the rest of the season with a concussion
• Atlanta starter Takeo Hagi strained his hamstring and will miss two months
• Norfolk reliever Gregg Fiala has shoulder tendinitis and will miss four weeks
• Brick reliever Al Dougan got the unfortunate "will be diagnosed in the next sim" injury
• The odd injury of the sim belongs to Brick SS Bob Rushton, who bruised his elbow during a burglary at his home. I hope he bruised his elbow breaking the nose of the burglar

Minor Leagues:

With the minor league seasons all but finished (the Rookie League teams each have two games left), let's look at how the junior teams did this season:

• AAA: Dayton (LON) won the AAA title over Pukalani (MAU)
• AA: Hoh River (APP) won the AA title over Anchorage (HOU)
• A: Wailuku (MAU) won the A title over Buffalo (HOU)

Next sim: Next Thursday (7/28/2016). Good luck to the teams fighting for those last playoff spots! For the rest of us, the roster limit is now at 40, so give your kids some playing time.

August I Sim Done

Game Date:  Aug 15 2028

Standings:
Adams: London up by seventeen.
Zotti:  Seattle... :)
Signorino: Antelope Valley is up by four over Maui
Wild Card:  Brick is one game up on Maui

Accomplishments & Awards:
Seattle's Sung-heun Hwa named Player of the Week (7/17)
Appalachian's Guillermo Medina gets six hits in a game (7/23)
Maui's Juan Alvarez named Player of the Week (7/24, fourth career award)
Brooklyn's Arthur Cain named Player of the Week (7/31, third career award, second this season)
Maui's Juan Alvarez named Batter of the Month
Seattle's Toyoshige Takahashi named Pitcher of the Month
Shackamaxon's Benjamin Anderson named Rookie of the Month (second award)
Seattle C Steve Jones named Player of the Week (8/7, second career award)
London's Miguel Angel Ramirez named Player of the Week (8/14, second career award).

Significant Injuries:
Houston, Adrian Sanchez, done for the year, ruptured tendon
Maui, Mark Richards, done for the year, shoulder inflammation.
Seattle, Manuel Jaimes, year over, torn ankle ligaments.
Brick, Larry McCormick, 6-7 weeks, quad strain
Highland, Arturo Zavala, season over, bone chips in elbow.
Maui, Antonio Venet, 6 weeks, herniated disc
Antelope Valley, Peppino Rondinelli, 4 weeks, fractured thumb.
Shackamaxon, Juan Arroyo, 2-3 weeks, strained hip flexor
Maui, Juan Guerrera, 2-3 herniated disc
Brooklyn, Katsuhiko Jouda, fractured rib, 3-4 weeks
Shackamaxon, Alejandro Baez, bone chips in elbow, 8 weeks

and the award for the best injury of the sim goes to...

Maui 2B Juan Gonzales, who developed a sore elbow when he fell off of a bull at a rodeo.  He'll be out for two weeks.

Milestones:
London's Jonathan Anderson reached 300 HR.

Next sim:  Next Thursday night.

Seattle Takes Reliever Off Shackamaxon's Relieved Hands

"I kinda felt bad for the guy," said Seattle Owner/GM Mack Shultz. "Michael was begging and pleading with the league to take some of his relievers off his hands. I'm a soft touch, so I caved."

In the deal, Seattle acquired AAA reliever Kwang-sub Kim as depth in case of injury. To make the trade, Seattle sent Shackamaxon a fifth-round pick and, in exchange, received Shackamaxon's seventh-round pick.

"Also, it had been a while since we made a deal with Shackamaxon," continued Shultz. "He's been making a bunch of deals with other owners and I felt a little left out. It's like I'm not Michael's favorite trading partner now. I had to do something to breathe new life into our close relationship, and a date night seemed inappropriate."

Last call for Lenape

This is just a reminder that I'm eager and motivated to trade valuable and experienced assets this trading season. If you need an extra bullpen arm (who doesn't?), then please consider Tony Dominguez, Rick Taylor, Edgardo Rodriguez, or Kwang-Sub Kim.

Thank you for your time.

Brick sells draft pick to Shackamaxon

The Shackamaxon Lenape issued a terse press release late Saturday night to fulfill the league's obligation to announce all trades:

"Brick has given us their 15th round pick in 2029 in exchange for $15,000 cash."

As rumors spread throughout the Delaware Valley, fans of both teams wondered about the trade. Was it related to the unusual dowry paid two years ago for Fred's daughter? Is Brick investing in real estate inside of Shackamaxon's home market?

Only time will tell...

July II Sim Done

The sim's done, but it's late and, frankly, with the news out of Dallas right now, I'm just not up to writing a summary at the moment.  I'll do it over the weekend.

Next sim (and the trading deadline):  Next Thursday night.

Seattle-Norfolk Trade Part XVLCIII

Seattle today sent AA outfield prospect Guan-xiu Tien and $12,000,000 in cash in small, unmarked bills to Norfolk today in exchange for the return of Seattle's second-round pick in next year's draft.

"We saw that Norfolk was going to end the year with a cash flow problem," said Seattle Owner/GM Mack Shultz. "I wasn't surprised by that, given the league's wacky economics. I mean, even ESPN Seattle is ripping off the Monarchs. They've paid us almost $70M less this year for the TV rights than we had previously agreed. You'd better believe they'll be hearing from our lawyers.

"Where was I? Oh yeah, the trade. Anyway, thanks to some frugal decisions, we had some extra cash that would have been seized by the communists at the league office thanks to their beloved 'cash cap.' I thought we could find a way to work something out that would keep Norfolk in the black and help everyone. I mean, Tien's no world beater, but he's young and has some potential and should be able to step into the starting line-up for Norfolk's AA squad."

In the background of the press conference, two Monarchs front office employees known only as Walter and Skyler were seen preparing the cash for shipment to Norfolk.

Jul I Sim Done

Game Date:  Jul 15 2028

Standings:
Adams: London up by sixteen (??!!)
Zotti:  Seattle leads Brick by seventeen.
Signorino:  Antelope Valley's lead over Maui cut to six games.
Wild Card:  Brick is seven games ahead of Maui.

Awards & Accomplishments:
Seattle 2B Norman Kuhn named Player of the Week (7/3, second career award)
Shackamaxon CF Benjamin Anderson named Player of the Week (7/10)

Significant Injuries:
Highland CF Cale Page has a fractured hand and will miss about 4 weeks.
Shackamaxon SP Juan Santiago injured himself on his major league debut with a shoulder inflammation.  He's done for the year.
Shackamaxon RP Hector Estrada is done for the year and next year is in jeopardy as well.  He ruptured his UCL and is out for 12-13 months.
Highland will be without LF Ismael Rodriguez for two months with a torn hamstring.
Atlanta 2B German Morin is done for the year with a torn posterior cruciate ligament.   He might not be back in time for Opening Day next season, as he'll need 8-9 months recovery time.
Antelope Valley is going to miss CF Petero Hokualohi for four weeks due to a herniated disc.

Milestones:
Norfolk's Masahide Ueda reached 1000 RBI.

Answer to Last Week's Trivia Questions:
Who was the only pitcher to face Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle?
Al Benton, who made his major league debut with the Philadelphia A's in 1934 and finished his career with the Boston Red Sox in 1952.

As for the bonus question, I have to admit that the question is a bit of a trick question.  The two players drafted by the Royals in 1979 and went on to become Hall of Famers are these guys.

This Week's Trivia Question:
Every person who has played major league baseball in the 1930s is deceased -- with one exception.  Who is it?

Notes:  OOTP 17 is still available for 50% off ($19.99).  Since we're moving to that version after the season, it might be a good idea to pick it up now while it's on sale.


Next Sim:  Thursday night.  The next sim will go to July 30, giving us an extra week before the trading deadline.

Shackamaxon brings back reliever

The Shackamaxon Lenape today re-acquired a former prospect who is thriving as a 24-year-old closer. In a deal with the Norfolk Tides, the Lenape traded three farmhand relievers, headlined by starter PJ Booker, and received Sergio Lujan and low minors arm Gregory Griffith.

Heading to Norfolk with Booker are relievers Jorge Gonzales and Pedro Galindo.

Former Monarchs Return to Seattle

Seattle today re-acquired two former Monarchs, giving up some draft capital in the process. Seattle sent its third and eighth round picks in next year's draft to Norfolk in exchange for pitcher Teddy "Gravedigger" O'Herlihy and third baseman Charles Cluett.

"We just couldn't quit Teddy and Charles," said Seattle Owner/GM Mack Shultz. When we learned there was a chance to reacquire them, and rebuild our depth, we were very excited."

O'Herlihy has a 3.27 ERA in 20 relief appearances for the Tides while Cluett is struggling as a reserve, hitting just .237.

Seattle also acquired Norfolk's 15th round pick in the trade, for reasons known only to Shultz.

Trade between Brick and Norfolk

Brick and Norfolk completed a trade that sends Matt Young AAA OF  and Jeremiah Vaughn AA SP to Norfolk in exchange for Ron Hill SP ..while SP Ron Hill was used in the bullpen at Norfolk the last two years GM Fred Goldfarb expressed the need to send him  to AA and be placed in the starting rotation so Hill can help the rotation down the road..Tom Carrano the GM of Norfolk  had been pursuing Vaughn for some time and was happy to get such a live arm that can help the team in the future while Matt Young has hit 300 over the last 3 or 4 years and might help the big club soon

Any player can be had

Norfolk GM has decided to throw in the towel for this season and probably should have even earlier but was hoping  that his players would turn the season around. With that said all players are up for trade and maybe it will start a fire for those who are not dealt.

Brick trades with Highland and bring back a former player

Brick  faced with the lost of two of the star outfielders ( Reed and Velasquez) bring back a old friend. Raul Ortega right fielder...Brick sends a 8th round pick to Highland and gets Ortega back in return..GM Goldfarb had to plug a hole in the line up with both players out for 5 weeks...Ortega well fill the fourth spot in the order with McCormick batting third and Cox fifth should revitalize the offense...GM Goldfarb speaking to the press expressed high hopes that the  Barracudas can make the run back to the cup and win it this time

June II Sim Done (and a note on OOTP 17)

Game Date:  Jul 1, 2028

Standings:
Adams:  London leads Atlanta by nine games.
Zotti:  Seattle has a fourteen game lead over Brick
Signorino:  Antelope Valley's lead over Maui is a dozen games
Wild Card:  Brick is eight games ahead of Appalachian.

Awards & Accomplishments:
Shackamaxon 3B Tae-sang Pak named Player of the Week (6/19, first career award)
Appalachian LF Mike Roberts named Player of the Week (6/27, first career award)
Atlanta LF Armando Burgos named Rookie of the Month
Seattle SP Chris Williams named Pitcher of the Month (first career award)
Antelope Valley C Lloyd Rideout named Batter of the Month (second career award).

Significant Injuries:
Houston MR Dan Eggleston, done for the year, torn back muscle.
Shackamaxon 2B Jesus Alvarez, five weeks, fractured hand
Maui SP Juan Ramirez, 8-9 weeks, elbow tendinitis.
Shackamaxon LF Ramon Gonzalez, 3-4 weeks, strained hamstring.
Brick RF Salvador Velasquez, 5 weeks, sprained ankle
Brooklyn RF Jaime Vasquez, 6 weeks, separated shoulder
Norfolk LF Jim Scott, 4 weeks, oblique strain
Highland 2B Santiago Perez, 3-4 weeks, hamstring sprain
Brooklyn RF Mike Thomas, done for the season, fractured ankle
Brick LF Ken Reed, 5-6, strained groin muscle

Milestones:
London's Nigel Bryant passed 1000 RBI

Last Week's Trivia Question & Answer:
As a number of you guessed, the two Hall of Famers from the small town of Donora, Pennsylvania are Stan Musial and Ken Griffey, Jr.

As for the bonus question, Phil Cavaretta is the only player to play for one team for 20 years, but not spend his entire career with the team and not be in the Hall of Fame.

This Week's Question:
Who was the only pitcher to face both Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle

Bonus Question:
In 1979, the Kansas City Royals drafted two players who would go on to be Hall of Famers.  Who are they?

Note about OOTP17:
We're planning on upgrading the league to OOTP 17 after the season.  The creators of the game, Out of the Park Developments, have it on sale now for 50% off ($19.99).  So, if you haven't bought it yet, now would be a good time.

Next sim:  Thursday night

AV Raptors Bolster Bullpen

In an effort to strengthen their bullpen for a title run, the Raptors dealt former 1st Round draft pick A reliever Francisco Flores and AA catcher Juan Davila for Shackamaxon reliever Dane Beck.  Beck has been having a breakout season since being moved to the bullpen and AV GM Sauerwald felt the time was right to upgrade the beleaguered Raptor's pen.

June I Sim Done

Game Date:  Jun 16 2028

Standings:
Adams:  London leads Atlanta by four games.
Zotti:  Seattle has a six game lead over Brick
Signorino:  Antelope Valley is up by thirteen.

Awards & Accomplishments:
Atlanta's Ernest Metcalf stuck out 15 Brooklyn Wolves on 6/5
Appalachian 2B Mike DeWitt named Player of the Week (6/5, first career award).
Antelope Valley C Lloyd Rideout named Player of the Week (6/12, first career award).

Significant Injuries:
Appalachian will be without LF Martin Perez for about four weeks because of a fractured rib.
Highland reliever Salvadore Soto is out for 6-7 weeks with shoulder bursitis.
John Cooper will be on the DL for London for 4 weeks with shoulder tendinitis.
The Armadillos will have to live without Dan Eggleston for the rest of the year as he tore a back muscle.

Milestones:
None

Last Week's Trivia Question:
Who are the only three players to spend their entire career (minimum 20 seasons) and not be in the Hall of Fame.  The answer, as correctly guessed was Mel Harder, Alan Trammel and Derek Jeter.

After the question was answered, I put out a bonus question:  What player spent 20 years with one team (but not his entire career) and is not in the Hall of Fame.  I think I'll leave this one out there this week, while giving you a new question as well.

This Week's Trivia Question:  
The town of Donora, Pennsylvania has a population of 5,653, so the odds of it producing a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame are pretty small.  However, this town beat the odds and produced two Hall of Famers.  Who are they?

A Statistical Oddity:
I found this little tidbit but I'm not sure how to phrase it in a question without giving away the answer, so I'll just put it out there.  Warren Sphan won 363 games in his career -- 356 for the Braves, 4 for the Mets and 3 for the Giants.  In an odd quirk, he also had 363 hits (as a batter) -- 356 for the Braves, 4 for the Mets and 3 for the Giants.

Next sim:  Next Thursday night.

Shackamaxon's Shopping Shack Max On Spectacular!

Another season, another list of quality players available for trade!

Major league batters

• IF Jesus Alvarez - excellent bat, can play 2B or 3B and hit near the top of the lineup. Due to make $2m this year and next, followed by a team option.
• IF Ieyasu Suzuki - virtually identical description to Alvarez: can play all over the IF and can hit. Due to make $2m total (!) over the next four years. Ideally, I trade one of the pair and keep the other.
• IF Jonathan Locker and IF Tae-Sung Pak - I'm not looking to trade either young starter, but I'll listen to an offer for one of them. 
• OF Lawrence Gould - superb corner OF, can play CF in a pinch, and mashes with power (289 ISO). Arbitration eligible after the season

Major league pitchers

• MR Rick Taylor - swingman who excels in the bullpen. 3.44 ERA so far this year. Not eligible for arbitration for two more years after this one.
• MR Dane Beck - another swingman, similar to Taylor except two years younger. Sparkling 2.22 ERA this year!
• MR Tony Dominguez - reliable mid-to-late inning reliever. Free agent after this season. 
• MR Kwang-Sub Kim - similar to Dominguez, with a team option for next season.
• MR Edgardo Rodriguez - dominant late inning lefty. 3.10 ERA and 8.9K/9 so far this year. Team option for next season.
• SP Qing-Hua Tso - free to a good home. Turnaround candidate in need of a fresh start. Team option for next season.

Minor league batters

• AAA IF Basz Marievska - raking in a reserve role at AAA. Can step in as a 5th IF type. 
• AAA IF Robert Roberts - Has shuffled back and forth between the majors and AAA this season. Primarily a SS.
• Any of the OF at AAA Arizona Bay
• AA IF Tokuma Kanno - crushing the ball as a starting SS at AA Kalmar. Can probably play in the MLB now.
• AA IF Dave Carter - intriguing 1B prospect, only 21 years old
• AA OF Jason Graham - former 1st round pick in 2025 starting to turn things around at AA this season.
• AA OF Kinnon Tomlinson - currently injured for the next sim. #49 prospect in game.

Minor league pitchers
I will discuss traing any pitchers in my minor leagues (except the rookie league) excluding these players:

• AAA: Juan Santiago, Todd Davis, Brian Powell, Joe Younger, Leonard Christopher
• AA: James Ferguson, PJ Booker, Nate Gibbs
• A: Micheal Leach

(Seriously, I'm not looking to deal one of those pitchers.)

Slightly More Important Trade

Having screwed up and dealt away too many relievers, Seattle found itself short-handed when a second reliever went down with a season ending injury. In response, Seattle today traded a sixth-round pick to Highland for middle reliever Colt Allen.

Allen, who disappointingly is only 32 and not 45, will join the back of the Monarchs' major league bullpen.

Earthshattering Trade ... Maybe Not

Seattle sends a 10th round pick in next year's draft to Maui for AAA 3B Marcus Labelle.

That is all.

May II Sim Done!

League Date: June 1, 2028

Standings:

• Adams Division: London leads Atlanta by 6 games
• Zotti Division: Seattle leads Brick by 2 games
• Signorino Division: Antelope Valley leads Maui by 13 games
• Wild Card: Brick leads Appalachian, Atlanta, and Maui by 14 games

News:

• Antelope Valley starter Yorikane Kichikawa set the SDMB League record with 16 strikeouts in a game against Houston
• Seattle OF George Hendricks won the Player of the Week Award, and then the Player of the Month Award the following week
• Kichikawa justifiably won the Pitcher of the Month Award
• Highland 1B Roberto Benitez won the Rookie of the Month Award

Injuries:

• Brick reliever Pino Pontoni (who was recently acquired) suffered a sprained elbow and will be out for 1-2 more weeks
• Houston reliever Glenn Jones tore a tricep (ouch) and will be out for two months
• London outfielder Jonathan Anderson tore a meniscus in his knee (been there, done that) and will be out for about 8-9 more weeks
• Brick outfielder Ryan Hughes suffered a knee bruise after being hit by a pitch and will miss two weeks
• Appalachian infielder Ken Moore will miss 5 weeks with elbow tendinitis

Major league contracts:

• A week before getting hurt, Jonathan Anderson and London signed a one year contract extension worth $7.5m.

Trivia time:

Fred gets partial credit for last week's question. Mike Marshall set the record in both the AL and the NL. In 1974, he appeared in 106 games for the Dodgers, and then in 90 games for the Twins in 1980.

This week's question: Who are the three major league players to play at least 20 seasons with one team, only play for that one team in their career, and are not in the Hall of Fame?

Next sim: Next Thursday night (6/16/2016). The new rookie league will start playing after that sim!

Seattle-Norfolk Trade

Seattle traded two established veterans today to Norfolk. The Monarchs sent swingman Gregg Fiala and first baseman Masahide Ueda, accompanied by a suitcase containing $10 million, to the Tides. In exchange, Norfolk sent Seattle a fourth-round pick from Brick that they had acquired in an earlier trade and swapped back a round in the upcoming draft by exchanging their first-round pick for Seattle's second-round pick.

Fiala should strengthen the Tides' bullpen, currently ranked 11th in ERA at 6.21. Ueda is expected to take over as Norfolk's starting first baseman. Ueda had started the last three years for the Monarchs , while Fiala had spent five years in Seattle, including four in the starting rotation.

Seattle needed to clear some roster room as three injured Monarchs are preparing to come off of the DL and a spot in the bullpen was needed for the recent free agent signing of young swingman Jose Morales.

Brick bullpen gets stronger

    Brick and Highland complete another trade.Brick receives closer Pino  Pontoni from Highland for prospects Kwang-ho Yi OF at AAA Warminster and Miguel Hernandez  Closer at AA...GM John Carrano was very happy with picking up two very good prospects.........GM Fred Goldfarb expressed joy over making stronger a already good bullpen