Spring Training Week 4 Done - Opening Day Approaching!

Game Date:  Mar 24 2031

Signings:  

Maui 3B Antonio Venet (extension) 6 yr/$57.3m
Seattle RF Hector Pena (extension) 1 yr/$510k
Seattle 3B Charles Cluett (extension) 1 yr/$520k
Brick SP Joong-guen Yi (extension) 8 yr/$187m!

Significant Injuries:
None

Commissioner's Note:  Please note that we are getting close to Opening Day.  The next sim will be the final full week sim of Spring Training.

Really Tough Trivia Question:

(since no one took a stab at it last time, you get the same question :)  :p  )

There is only one player who has exactly the same number of hits for a franchise as the number of games he played for that franchise (with a minimum of 1000 games for that franchise).  Who is the player and which team?

Example:  Carlos Delgado played 468 games for the New York Mets and has 468 hits for the franchise.  But only person has done it with a minimum of 1000 games.  Who is it?


Next Sim:  Sunday night

Spring Training Week 3 Done!

Game Date:  Mar 17 2031

Signings:
Mepkin Abbey signed C Brian Walker (Houston), 1yr/$570k
Appalachian signed 2B Michael Lambert (extension), 1 yr/$2.9m
Mepkin Abbey signed RP Carlo Humphrey (Maui) 1 yr/$760k

Significant Injuries:
Atlanta 1B Roberto Gonzalez has a strained quad that will cost him about four weeks.

Really Tough Trivia Question:

There is only one player who has exactly the same number of hits for a franchise as the number of games he played for that franchise (with a minimum of 1000 games for that franchise).  Who is the player and which team?

Example:  Carlos Delgado played 468 games for the New York Mets and has 468 hits for the franchise.  But only person has done it with a minimum of 1000 games.  Who is it?

Next sim:  Thursday night.

Spring Training Week 2 Sim Done!

Game Date:  Mar 10 2031

Signings:
Mepkin Abbey signed C David Hamilton (Brooklyn) 1 yr/$3.5m
Houston signed 1B Howard Rogers (Wilmington) 1 yr/$1.3m
Mepkin Abbey signed 2B Richard Bender (Atlanta) 1 yr/$2.8m
Houston signed RP Matt Mathews (Mepkin Abbey) 1 yr/$570k

Commissioner's Note:  Did you know that today is the league's birthday?  It's been fifteen years since we started!  That has to make us one of the longest running leagues in OOTP history.

Next sim:  Wednesday night

Happy Birthday To Us. 15 Years!

When I first started this league, I don’t think I ever imagined that we’d still be playing fifteen years later.  And, yet, that’s exactly what has happened.

It was fifteen years ago today, Nov 27, 2002, when I started a thread in the Straight Dope Message Board asking if there was anyone interested in starting an Out of the Park League.  It took a few days, but we eventually found eight people to take the plunge, purchase the software and set up the league.  And the rest, as they say, is history.  Now, fifteen years, thirty seasons and four additional franchises later, we’re still here, having fun.

I happen to like the way our league is built and the people that we have in it. Yes, we’re not the most active or flashy league out there - but I like that about our league.  We’re having the fun of running a baseball franchise without having to worry about three sims a week or deciding how many feet away the right field fence should be.  We don’t get bogged down into a morass of rule lawyering and we find ways to resolve disputes and problems quickly and fairly.  We simply have the fun of the game, without having to devote fifteen to twenty hours a week to it.  It’s just a friendly, easy going league -- and I like that.

I find it amazing that not only are we still here fifteen years later, but that four of the original eight owners are still here and have participated in every one of our 29 seasons to date. Michael, Mack and Will -- thank you for staying with me all these years as we continue to play season after season.  Matt, Bill, Nate, Fred, Brian, John and Tom - some of you have been here for many years, some of you are relatively new, but I've enjoyed having every one of you in the league with us.

I want to take this opportunity to thank my co-commissioner Michael for all of his help. I could not continue this league with him.  There have been times of late that I have simply not been up to the task of running the league and Michael has always been there to help pick up the slack. In addition, he's been a tremendous help in running the league, coming up with rule ideas and doing the many things that it takes to help keep this league running.  His assistance, insight and attention to league matters has been invaluable and is deeply appreciated.  

I also want to thank Mack for his assistance in keeping the statistical history of the league.  I know that if I ever need to get details about the ancient early years of our league, I can turn to Mack and his spreadsheets for help.  

I’ve had a blast running this league for the last fifteen years -- and I’m looking forward to continuing to do so for many years more.  Thank you all for being along for the ride - I could not do it without you.

Zev

First Spring Training Sim Done!

Game Date:  Mar 3 2031

Signings:  Houston signed RP Masatake Shibata (Wilmington) to a 1 year deal worth $405k.

Significant Injuries:
Brooklyn CF Edgardo Collazo has plantar fascitis.  He's going to miss about six weeks.
Seattle 2B Norm Kuhn has an oblique strain that will cost him four weeks.

Commissioner's Note:  The Atlanta franchise is still available.  If you know anyone who would be interested in joining the league, feel free to have them contact me.

Next sim:  Monday evening.

Spring Training Is Here!

Game Date:  Feb 25 2031

Welcome to Spring Training -- the 30th Spring Training of the SDMB OOTP League!

Signings:  
Philadelphia signed 2B Adrian Sanchez (Houston) 1 yr/$400k

Next sim:  Sunday.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

Sim's Done!

Game Date:  Feb 24 2031

Signings:
Mepkin Abbey:  RP Carlos Arias (Atlanta) 1yr/$830k
Houston: RP Teddy O'Herlihy (re-signed) 1 yr/$448k
Brick:  2B Ken Moore (Appalachian) 1 yr/$710k

Commissioner's Note:
The next sim will cover one day, taking us to the start of Spring Training.

Next sim:  Tuesday night.

Sim's Done

Game Date: February 17, 2031.

Signings:

• Brick re-signed 3B Larry McCormick - 1 year / $2.08m

League News: The Preseason is almost over. The next sim will take us to the eve of Spring Training.

Next Sim: Monday (11/20) night. 

Barracudas and Black Bears Blockbuster

Brick and Appalachian have agreed to a swap of top-flight starting pitchers. The Black Bears are sending SDMB top-5 pitcher Joong-geun Yi to Brick in exchange for SP Miguel Archuleta, Brick's 2nd round pick, and Brick's (formerly Highlands) 5th and 6th round picks.

Black Bears GM Brian Hockin was not excited to give up Yi. "We love his passion and his baseball IQ, but we knew it would be impossible to sign him long-term and keep the rest of our young players. Archuleta is signed to a team-friendly contract for the next several years, and we know he can preform capably in Yi's absence."

Brick GM Fred Goldfarb was reportedly ecstatic to add a pitcher of Yi's caliber to his already stacked starting lineup. "This is the guy we need to us towards a championship."

Sim's Done

Game Date:  Feb 10 2031

Signings:
Maui signed closer Greg Fiala (Wilmington) to a 1 yr/$3.1m contract.

Next sim:  Saturday night

Sim's Done!

Game Date:  Feb 3 2031

Signings:

Atlanta went on a shopping spree this week, landing the following players:

C Miguel Angel Ramirez (Mepkin Abbey) for 4 yrs/$79.8m.
LF Ira Black (Philadelphia) 1 yr/$334k
SS Pedro Rivera (Maui) 1 yr/$860k
CF Jose Sandoval (resigned) 1 yr/$398k
C George Robinson (Wilmington) 1 yr/$6.7m
RF Maximo Rodriguez (Wilmington) 1 yr/$1.9m

Wilmington signed the following players:
P Ramiro Martinez (Atlanta) 1 yr/$1.78m
1B Jaime Alvarez (Antelope Valley), 1 yr/$630k

Next sim:  Thursday night

Sim's Done

Game Date:  Jan 27 2031

Commissioner's Note:  We have a new owner for the Atlanta franchise.  I am currently setting up the league file for him and will be sending him an invitation for the league blog soon, where he will introduce himself.

Next sim:  Scheduled for Tuesday night, but I reserve the right to push it back a day or so if the new owner needs additional time to get things up and running.

Zev

Sim's done: Welcome to the Pre-Season!

Game Date: January 26, 2031

Signings:

• Philadelphia signed SP Alejandro Baez to a one-year extension for $3.65m
• Philadelphia signed 1B Manuel Hidalgo to a one-year extension for $6.35m
• Philadelphia signed SP Tian-bai Chen (Mepkin Abbey) - 7 years / $305m
• Atlanta signed SP Felipe Martinez (Highland) - minor league contract

(Yes, I've been busy.)

League News:

• We are now in the Pre-Season. This means you can set your ticket prices, plus your scouting and player development budgets. You have until Spring Training starts to do so.
• I re-renamed the former Rookie League the Low A league.
• I set the AAA, AA, and A league schedules to be 140 games long, starting on April 2nd.
• As Low A is not yet in the pre-season, its schedule has not been updated.

Next Sim: Zev has got the conn on Saturday night as we enter the pre-season. Start making your spring training plans!

Philadelphia and Brick trade

In the waning hours of the offseason, a blockbuster trade between geographic (and family) rivals Brick and Philadelphia helped set the course for both team's plans for 2031 and beyond.

Heading east on I-105 to Brick's spring training site are rehabbing starter Juan Santiago and stud 1B prospect Dave O'Brien. In return for those two, plus a third round draft pick, the Hornets receive four players, including prospects RP Juan Diaz, SP Paul Gilbert, and OF Jim Robertson, as well as 1B Javier Cisneros.

Sim's Done. Offseason is almost over!

Game Date: January 20, 2031.

Signings:

• Mepkin Abbey - 3B Esteban Ordonez (Houston) - 3 years / $9.4 million
• Houston - CF Randy Pope (Appalachian) - 5 years / $16.68 million
• Antelope Valley - C Rory Li (international) - minor league contract
• Seattle - SS Byung-soo Yi (international) - minor league contract
• Appalachian - SP Christian Bedard (international) - minor league contract
• Appalachian - 3B Antoine Gagne (international) - minor league contract

League News:

• Frank, who ran the Atlanta team this season after Jeremy retired, has quit the league.
• I have placed Atlanta under CPU control for now.
• Zev and I may already have a new owner for this franchise. Stay tuned.

Next Sim: 

• Wednesday (11/8) night. 
• This will be a six-day sim taking us to the start of the preseason. 

Sim's Done! Welcome Our Newest Hall of Famers!

Game Date:  Jan 13 2031

Ladies and Gentlemen... your Hall of Fame Class of 2031!

And, of course, you can see these plaques, as well as those of our other thirteen inductees at our Hall of Fame exhibit.

The rest of the Hall of Fame balloting results:

SS John Hukill (1st year) 98.8%
SP Christopher Hester (1st) 97.9

CF Sean Arant (3rd) 47.6
LF Christopher Moss (3rd) 43.1
RF Paul Shunk (2nd) 42.7
RF Patrick Valdez (3rd) 33.6
SP Jefferey Shuttleworth (3rd) 32.9
1B Gregorio Marzano (1st) 24.9
2B Timothy Palacio (3rd) 20.3
SP Kyle Fike (2nd) 15.2
3B Bruce Parker (1st) 14.9
3B Octavio Cabrales (1st) 10.0

Dropped from future ballots:
CF Monte Goss (2nd) 2.8
SP Dennis Durand (1st) 2.3
SP James Turner (1st) 2.1
SP Donald Hunnicutt (1st) 2.1
SS Jeff Wardlaw (1st) 0.9


Signings:

Brooklyn:  RF Luis Santiago (Wilmington) 3 yrs/$10.5m
Mepkin Abbey:  CF Cheung Ying (Atlanta) 4 yrs/$4.8m
Wilmington: SP Carlos Salazar (Houston) 4 yrs/$14.4m
Mepkin Abbey:  SP Qing-hua Tso (Wilmington) 3 yrs/$9.2m

Next sim:  Monday night

Sim's Done

Game Date:  Jan 6 2031

Signings:
Maui: CF Jesus Barcello (re-signed) 2 yrs/$26.4m
Wilmington: RP Lan-quing Shu (Houston) 1 yr/$600k
Antelope Valley: 1B Eobanus Schnabel (Houston) 1 yr/$570k

As we flip the calendar to 2031, we have the customary Jan 1 retirements.  Among those hanging up the spikes are:

CF Steve Keo
13 years, 1644G, .271 AVG, .802 OPS, 28.6 WAR, 110 HR

RF Raul Ortega
15 years, 2078G, .289 AVG, .870 OPS, 38.7 WAR, 431 HR, 1408 RBI.
Outstanding Newcomer 2015, 6x Player of the Week, Batter of the Month (4/2019)

RP Lucas Sweeney
17 years, 857 G, 76-72, 57 SV, 4.74 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 11.7 WAR

SP William Lawrence
17 years, 165-162, 4.62 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 35.8 WAR, 2449K

RP Tony Dominguez
11 years, 681G, 50-46, 76 SV, 4.56 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 6.6 WAR

1B Masahide Ueda
11 years, 1578G, .319 AVG, 908 OPS, 41.9 WAR, 249 HR, 1047 RBI
5x Player of the Week, Batter of the Month (7/2025), 2x Slick Fielder

SP Emilio Romero
11 years, 130-117, 4.46 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 2098K, 26.8 WAR

RP Edgar Trevino
9 years, 293G, 28-33, 5 SV, 4.91 ERA, 1.49 WHIP

RP Edgardo Rodriguez
8 years, 536G, 33-43, 96 SV, 4.60 ERA, 1.40 WHIP

P Bruce Roughly
7 years, 282 G, 44-59, 5 SV, 4.84 ERA, 1.68 WHIP

Next sim:  Saturday night

The Sim Will Come Out... Tomorrow...

... you can bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow
they'll be sim.