GWJ OOTP League Thread

New file! Tomorrow, we beginning simming a week at a time in earnest!

I too like the FA class, but I also have some money to spend this year, so....

I do like the nice selection of pitchers on the market right now, but yeah, otherwise that's a pretty unexciting FA list.

I haven't upload/download the new files in a few days. Probably should log into the game huh?
Do I still have a team?

Hey guys - I'd like to move LF Danny Anderson from my ML team. Good power guy (30+ hrs last 3 years). I have too many outfielders. Let me know if you're interested.

Knightsabre wrote:

Hey guys - I'd like to move LF Danny Anderson from my ML team. Good power guy (30+ hrs last 3 years). I have too many outfielders. Let me know if you're interested.

Check your PMs.

The mediocre pitchers are probably thrilled though, because the chances of one of them getting hugely overpaid are suddenly increased tenfold.

New file though!

Re-signed Robinson, and while that deal is still crazy expensive, what's crazier is that deal is a lower average salary over those five years than I'm currently paying him (and I had to finagle the numbers until I got an offer high enough for him to like). Geebus.

Ok, I need someone to assasinate my owner so I can get a new one that will give me a budget I can work with, $80 million isn't enough.

LA would like to move C Jack Graves solid 4.5 star player. Would like to add a SP and/or relief help or prospects.

Hey everyone! I'm going to give everyone one extra day to set up for the Rule 5 draft. The next sim will be Sunday night, come hell or high water.

I don't know if I'm the only one, but I find this free agent pool just...meh. Nobody terribly exciting, nobody terrible, just a lot of mediocre to okay guys. Mostly AAA filler, it seems.

I was wondering if anyone is interested in a trade for some of my pitching staff (bullpen or starter) or a corner outfielder? I'm looking for some decent 3B, SS, 2B, either MLB experienced or high ceiling prospects.

Landshark, I might have something you're looking for. Feel free to peruse my infielders, a couple high ceiling young ones in the mix. I can be more specific when I get back into work tomorrow and load up OOTP. Looking for starting pitching.

Brian Burke gets a lot of the top dog attention in this league, but Francis Riley might be an even bigger monster. Don't know enough about baseball to judge how his stats compare historically, but they have to be up there.

peedmyself wrote:

Brian Burke gets a lot of the top dog attention in this league, but Francis Riley might be an even bigger monster. Don't know enough about baseball to judge how his stats compare historically, but they have to be up there.

Well, there are two ways to do it. One, you can look at him in the historical context of our own league, where, as you noted, he's been amazing. He's got three of the lowest 5 ERAs ever, he's the only pitcher to have thrown 300+ K's (he's done it twice), and owns eight other single-season records.

Then there's looking at him in the context of either modern baseball or real-life baseball history. Compared to 2012 pitchers, Riley had a better WAR by two full points, gave up less hits per 9 innings, less walks per 9 innings, and would've been 5th in strikeouts, despite pitching 70 less innings than he averages due to injury.

Historically, only eight pitchers in history have had better WHIPs in a single season (it really puts Pedro Martinez into context. He had a 0.73 WHIP in 2000. The only other pitchers to get below 0.80 were pitching before World War I), he'd have had one of the best ERA+'s in the modern age, and he'd have set the all-time record for K/BB ratio with his gaudy 11.35.

So yes, he's really, really, really good. By any standard. Even taking into account that we are essentially simulating "modern" baseball, except our pitchers have better stamina on average than the real guys, holy sh*t is he good.

Anyway, you've been Rule 5'd! New file!

MEanwhile, Vancouver is thinking of trading some of its young talent for starting pitching and bullpen help. The biggest names on the block are 1B Brandon Nickerson, 3B Karl Kendall, 3B Dani Feliciano, CF Bruce Poe, and RF Arshaluys Haykuni.

Prederick wrote:
peedmyself wrote:

Brian Burke gets a lot of the top dog attention in this league, but Francis Riley might be an even bigger monster. Don't know enough about baseball to judge how his stats compare historically, but they have to be up there.

Then there's looking at him in the context of either modern baseball or real-life baseball history. Compared to 2012 pitchers, Riley had a better WAR by two full points, gave up less hits per 9 innings, less walks per 9 innings, and would've been 5th in strikeouts, despite pitching 70 less innings than he averages due to injury.

Historically, only eight pitchers in history have had better WHIPs in a single season (it really puts Pedro Martinez into context. He had a 0.73 WHIP in 2000. The only other pitchers to get below 0.80 were pitching before World War I), he'd have had one of the best ERA+'s in the modern age, and he'd have set the all-time record for K/BB ratio with his gaudy 11.35.

Yeah, I was hoping you all wouldn't notice that and go on complaining about Brian Burke instead. Hey, if it's any consolation he can only pitch every 5 days (4 MAYBE given his injury history), Burke can be a monster every day of the week :).

Burke will also be in my starting rotation this season.

I'm looking to dump some salary since my owner is a tight wad, so is anyone interested in 3B Ritter Hengst or MR Juan Velasquez?

peedmyself wrote:

Burke will also be in my starting rotation this season.

That might work out alright for you! The thing is, that kid has been a stud since he came in the league- same thing with Riley. They've been studs since the start, but just improved their one or two weak points and became monsters.

Welp, new file anyway.

Four star Brooklyn 2B Bob Kinch on the trading block. Looking for middle of the rotation help.

So yeah, because Charlotte needed another solid pitcher, and apparently is swimming in Scrooge McDuck levels of cash. Can I switch to a different conference?

Ya, I couldn't believe that one. And they're listed as interested in Donald Ray.

Farscry wrote:

So yeah, because Charlotte needed another solid pitcher, and apparently is swimming in Scrooge McDuck levels of cash. Can I switch to a different conference?

They're gonna get that title, come hell or high water. Their budget is $180M, so they've still got room to throw another monster contract or two out there. Don't even look at their starting rotation, it's terrifying. Their only weakness is middle relief.

A note about trades, something that I encountered during this sim. If two teams are trying to trade for the same player, i'm going to give preference chronologically. As in, first-come, first-serve.

Anyway, new file! Apologies to those of you looking for speed, since it's the winter meetings, meaning i'm slowing down to a day a sim so people can make trade proposals and FA offers and hear back from the AI immediately.

Doing some PC maintenance and what-not. Today's sim will be a little late. Apologies.

Who's an idiot?

<- This guy! Who JUST found the Commisioner tab that allows me to download files, sim days and upload the league file and report by click ONE button! Rather than, like, 15.

HURRRRRRRR

Anyway, new file. You'll all notice that my discover of this thing I should've noticed ages ago means you all get brand spanking new "Simulation Results" inbox messages that will tell you useful information like how long I just simmed for, what your record was during that period, important news and more! Think of it like a new feature that was added to the game, and not an old feature I was too dumb to find for.... way too long.

Man, I still can never find my pending offers page. If I ever stumble on it again I will make sure to bookmark it.

Pending offers is located when you select free agents. There is a pending offers tab right above the free agent list.

New file! Seriously, some mediocre pitchers are going to get WAY overpaid this year. Dudes who were asking for $2.5M are going to get $10M.

Yeah, I take back my earlier comment about their being good pitchers in this free agency. Most are either aging, have injury issues, or have shown decline over the past couple seasons. I feel like I should sign someone because my team sucked last season, but I refuse to commit 10 million + to a medicore pitcher just to make a move.