Mudspike Baseball Federation (OOTP17)

[Rhinosaurus]

Welcome to the Mudspike Baseball Federation Herald.

The year is 1946.

The Mudspike Baseball League, of the Mudspike Baseball Federation, officially launches Tuesday, January 1st, with the Inaugural Draft. The league is comprised of 6 teams.

Ottawa Aces	Nashville Aeros	Charlotte Aviators
Minneapolis Flight	Detroit Pilots	Dallas Spitfires

The inaugural draft went off without a hitch, all 6 teams maneouvering as they saw fit to compose a team.I personally oversaw the draft operated by the Ottawa Aces, having just been appointed Manager and General Manager. Each team selected 27 players.

Following the termination of the draft, the League issued two reports. The first, the league financial report, outlined the team’s payroll and budget figures.

Shortly after, the league released the list of the Top 100 Prospects.

Ottawa adopted the strategy of drafting young talent, evident from it’s low payroll, low budget, and excellent pool of young players, in comparison to the other teams who draft more established talents commanding larger sums of money.

Drafted in the 23rd round, the 135th overall pick, Frank Lemley of the Ottawa Aces is the #1 Prospect in all of MBL.
Frank is an American out of Roseville. Unfortunately, given this paltry attitude, it seems unlikely he’ll live up to his potential. But who knows, good coaching and a winning team can change things in a man. He’s got a road ahead of him in the bullpen, but with some work, he might make a decent starter some day.

The following profiles represent the top 2 players on each team (in my own humble estimation), and round out this introduction to the MBL.

Ottawa Aces
Jeff ‘Hornet’ Allard - #43, SP

Travis ‘Count’ Taake #26, C

Nashville Aeros
Brett ‘Campy’ Plants - #11, 2B

Edwin Baez - #30, CF

Charlotte Aviators
Ronald Keating - #21, 2B

Chris Henderson - #30, CF

Minneapolis Flight
Kyle Harder - #4, SP

David Oberg - #3, RF

Detroit Pilots
Tom Welshman - #19, 1B

Kyle ‘Hunter’ Kulick - #21, LF

Dallas Spitfires
Travis Wheelock - #11, SS

Mike Riddle - #12, 3B

Going forward, updates will centre around key events, updating standings, providing narrative for the season and evolution of the league (including changes to the league format, new teams, additional leagues (in time), and more!).

Highlights of the players mentioned here, as well as others who show themselves to be stars will be available.

For any who choose to follow, if you take a shining to a player, or want more info on a specific portion of the game, please let me know and I’ll do a special feature, or be sure it gets added to the regular updates.

[Rhinosaurus]

Hmm, those profile images show up a bit smaller than I expected given the actual image size, even when blown up. Sorry about that folks.

[Rhinosaurus]

As the season moves toward Spring Training, teams continue to shore things up, setting strategies, acquiring new players, and meeting ownership needs.

For the Ottawa Aces, one of the most pressing needs was to sign talented Catcher Travis Taake to an extension, ensuring his services for the years to come.

With complete ease, a deal was hashed out for $27,500 per year, 8 years complete. Travis has the option to opt out of the contract after his 4th year, with further options after year 7 (team) and 8 (player). Travis is also guaranteed a starting lineup spot (injuries aside, of course).

Other teams continued to sign some expensive free agents, at the expense of putting their drafted players onto the reserve roster in case of injury. Economizing, Ottawa decides to save cash for when it’s really needed.

Before Spring Training begins, several calamitous events unfold, injuring players for weeks and months at a time. Injuries range from scissor-related lacerations, tumbling down the stairs (2 months out minimum!), and moving related injuries.

Spring Training
April 17, 1946

Bad news out of the gate, for the Ottawa Aces. Experts don’t have much faith it seems, pegging them at extreme long shots to do anything of note. Apparently, I don’t much about drafting quality players. Having been pegged at 34 games behind the leader, and full 13 games out of the playoff picture (top 3 teams advance), it would appear there is much work to be done if the experts are to be believed. Maybe my brilliant game strategy will make up the difference. On the bright side for the Charlotte Aviators, they are predicted to run away with things.

Week 1
Refusing to admit I am horribly useless at a game I love, I decide to take control of the first game before handing a few over the simulator to handle on my behalf.

Up first, Jeff Allard (OTT) against Felipe Reyes (DET)
v

Allard started off ominously, beaning the leadoff hitter and allowing a line drive hit to center field by the second batter, but settled down and induced two groundballs, including a double play, to escape the first inning unscathed.

While only a warm up game, Travis Taake showed why he was worth every penny, cashing in a 2-out early run from the cleanup spot for the Aces to take the lead in the bottom half of the 1st.

MBL Top Prospect Frank Lemley took the mound for Ottawa in the 6th inning, spelling Allard who had thrown north of 70 pitches in his first outing of the year. A leadoff single was followed by two Ks, a single, a walk and finally a line drive out to the RF. Excellent control of nerves for the young pitcher!

A cough tactical error forced the second baseman to have to pitch for one batter in the 8th before the setup man could take over on the mound. No harm done, as the bullpen was up to the task of recovering from the walk.

A quick 1-2-3 top of the ninth by the Ottawa closer completed the 1-0 shutout, and opened the season on a high.

Jeff Allard was the Player of the Game, with a final line of 5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K over 78 PI.
Travis Taake was 2-4, with 1 RBI.

Maybe things aren’t as bleak as they seem!

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Game 2 was less impressive to begin, with starting pitcher Armando Martinez coming on in relief (thanks AI!) and promptly surrendering 5 runs in 2 IP, only to be followed by the closer in the 7th inning (errr what?) giving up another 3.

Fortunately, the bats came alive in the 7th for 7 runs (lucky #7). However, it was not to be, with the Minneapolis Flight send a ball into the seats in the bottom of the 9th for the walk-off win.

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Game 3 was well in hand until the top of the 9th. Top prospect Frank Lemley forgot how to pitch, surrendering 6 runs in 2/3 of an inning, followed by Armando Martinez (this guy might be a problem… maybe he’s a slow starter?) blowing the game in the 11th.

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Game 4 was back to winning ways in convincing fashion. Only 3 runs surrendered, supported by 8 scored (including a 2-run shot by Nigel Watson).

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Game 5 was more of the same, just more convincing! The lone blemish being Armando Martinez (there’s that name again! - think a trip to the free agent pool might be required), surrendering 2 runs over 3 IP to finish the game.

Travis Taake hit his second dinger of the spring, carrying his average to .588 over 5 games. He’s also posted an impressive 11 RBI. More production like this, and that 8 year contract is going to look really good, especially if the team can string together wins to avoid him opting out.

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And so ends Week 1 of Spring Training. April 21st, the season starting on May 1. So far, our bats seem to be alright, but then it is Spring Training. The rotation on the other hand… control of the strike zone seems to be a problem. Armando Martinez leads the league in walks with 9, followed by Frank Lemley, and not far behind are two more of Ottawa’s bullpen. Only a few of the positive pitching categories reflect good numbers from the Aces. Something to keep an eye on.

Until next time, baseball fans!

[BeachAV8R]

I think the Charlotte Aviators profile should be behind prison bars…and list felonies and time served in the stats. And I’m disappointed they dropped their first game to the Canadians. Spring training got my hopes up…and then…the reality…just like all my real world teams…

[Rhinosaurus]

Don’t worry, there’s still another week of games before the real thing! During all these games like 3/4 gets substituted out at some point after the 5th!

You get someone willing to make you a new logo and I’ll find the specs for them. Theses ones all came from a free custom pack made by the community. Was super happy to find it.

Stupid work… I can’t continue until maybe tomorrow.

[Rhinosaurus]

Spring Training - Final Week and a bit of games

Once again I take control of the Aces for the game. Jeff Allard up again against the Detroit Pilots Jimmy Martin.

Regular 1B Aaron Waters had a bit of a mishap and is out, likely for the remainder of Spring Training. Not ideal, but we have a replacement, so not a huge problem. It’ll mean a slow start for him when the season begins though.

Things were going relatively well for the Aces through 6 innings. Allard ended with 6IP, 2ER, 4K, 0BB through 74 pitches and could’ve kept going. Being spring training, it was time to rest him. Allard left with a no decision, the game being tied at 2-2.

Phil Logan took over and didn’t fare as well, surrending a run in his first inning, albeit unearned due to an error by promising young shortshot Logan Fitzpatrick.

That run proved decisive as Ottawa wasn’t able to generate any further offense and dropped the game 3-2.

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Back with the AI in charge, things did not go very well, as the Aces dropped all but 1 of their remaining games.

The first loss came in the 9th, with the Aces blowing a 3 run lead.

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The final Spring Training standings are not especially inspiring for Ottawa, tied for last place, and 5 games out of first. But then, winning Spring Training never got anyone anything.

Quick definition list for those not familiar:
ERA = Earned Run Average (runs for which the pitcher is considered responsible.
WHIP = Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched.
WAR = Wins Above Replacement. Basically a measure (various formulas) of how many wins the player provided compared to your basic replacement player.

Some serious deficiencies are evident, however, but there are some positives. The rotation is not entirely terrible.

Name	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	WAR
Jeff Allard	15	17	7	3	2	8	1.80	1.27	0.4
Chandler Astorga	12	14	7	7	4	10	5.25	1.50	0.0

The bullpen though is troubling in many respectives. Even the positives aren’t very good, but we’ll focus on the two problems.

Name	IP	H	R	ER	BB	K	ERA	WHIP	WAR
Frank Lemley	7.1	19	23	23	11	3	28.23	4.09	-0.9
Armando Martinez	14.2	25	26	24	25	4	14.73	3.41	-1.4

I mean, these stats lines would be hilarious if they weren’t so scary. I mean seriously, 25 walks in 14 innings? I’m pretty sure I could hit the strike zone more often.

With no reason to believe they’re a blip (those were composed over 8 games and 7 games respectively), some serious consideration needs to be given to trying to find some replacements from the Free Agent pool. Unfortunately, the pool doesn’t look like it has much. My drafting strategy on these guys (and frankly, my scout’s opinion) are suspect.

The lineup is a bit better, but not much. Travis Taake leads the way in hits, HR, RBI, OPS (measure of total bases per at-bat + on-base percentage (times on base from own contributions)). He’s also second in batting average. Furthermore, he’s top 10 (or close to it) in most of these categories in the league.

David Bosarge is proving worth his money as well. However, our situation at 2B and 3B is less desirable. Low averages, low output, and high strikeout rates are a bit scary. 2B is not a huge surprise as this was an investment in the future, but too many guys with this level of production and we may as well have our pitchers hit every time. Will need to consider how to move forward.

On-ward to the regular season!

[Rhinosaurus]

Opening Day!

The most exciting day of the year, until the next, the beginning of the Mudspike Series!

Ottawa opens the season with a series against Charlotte. But before that, the league has published it’s new Top Prospects list. Unsurprisingly, Frank Lemley is no longer the top prospect in baseball, and has been roundly shunted out of the 10. Getting shelled in Spring Training will do that to a guy. Instead, Ottawa 3B Adam Stephens is now the top prospect. Hooray again. Let’s see how long that lasts.

I’ve gone out and signed two relief pitchers and a backup third baseman, mostly because I don’t trust these prospect lists and spring training was unkind. Plus I need some spare players for the eventual injuries, and my reserve roster was barren.

New preseason predictions are out as well. Apparently we should be about 7 games better than before, but still bad. Colour me unsurprised!

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In any case, Opening Day. Definitely taking control! Jeff Allard up against Joel Tripp. Both lefties.

First inning started well, with our second batter getting walked. Unfortunately, a failed hit and run resulted in him being thrown out at second. Turning things right around, Nigel Watson sent the next pitch straight into the bleachers to put the Aces up 1-0!

The Aviators got to Allard in the 4th, though, sending two runners around to take the lead, and running his pitch count up far quicker than I’d have liked, as well. Allard pitched through 7 complete, throwing 122 pitches, but those 2 runs were all that mattered, as the Aces failed to pick up more than 3 hits total, and the game ended 2-1 Charlotte.

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Game 2 started off really well, but some poor Ottawa fielding caused things to be far closer than they should have been. Some timely substitutions in the 8th allowed Ottawa to tie the game, before blowing it open in the 10th for the win.

That’s all for now. More updates to come as the season progresses, including updates on players mentioned in the first post. Travis Taake has had a rough start to the regular season, going 0-9 with at throwing error. Not exactly what we were expecting.

[BeachAV8R]

20 to 2…woot…! LOL…we’ll see how they hold up in the regular season…

[Rhinosaurus]

So I realized I made a bit of a good using Ottawa as a city without adjusting the financials. Due to size it has way smaller financial properties which is why it’s owner allows such a small budget. I’m thinking that after this season I’ll need to force the team to move. There’ll be an imbalance for a few years until things equal out (maybe even needing a new owner) but we’ll see. The season is not going well for the Aces so far. I’ll post another update tonight maybe. I’m about 17 games in (almost 20% done).

[Rhinosaurus]

May 21, 1946

Things are not going well for Ottawa (or Minneapolis for that matter).

Image is a little clipped, but the last part is just the magic elimination #

Now, as bad as that looks, 6 of Ottawa’s 12 losses are in 1-run games. So we aren’t necessarily -that- bad, we are just not finding a way to finish games. But as in most sports, it doesn’t matter how many you lose by, you just lose.

Let’s take a look at some of our key players around the league.

Ottawa Aces
Jeff ‘Hornet’ Allard

Record	IP	K	ERA	WHIP	WAR
1-3	32.0	15	3.09	1.06	0.7

Not doing terribly stat-wise, but he’s not getting much support. ERA is reasonable, WHIP is pretty darn good, and he’s positive in WAR. Can’t ask for much more. W/L record is less important to me as a player statistic as it depends on run support, which he isn’t getting (Ottawa is dead last in runs scored).

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Travis 'Count' Taake

AB	H	AVG	RBI	OPS	WAR
63	15	.238	3	.549	0.0

Very disappointing considering Spring Training, expectations, and the contract extension. It took him several games before he even notched a hit (something like 20+ AB).

Nashville Aeros
Brett ‘Campy’ Plants

AB	H	AVG	RBI	OPS	WAR
81	18	.265	7	.736	0.5

Edwin Baez

AB	H	AVG	RBI	OPS	WAR
75	25	.333	10	.906	1.0

Baez is living up to his expectations, Plants doing fairly well as well. Contributions are obvious as Nashville sits second in the current standings.

I’ll complete this later…

[BeachAV8R]

If my Aviators keep falling down the standings…I’m going to have to use drastic action…

[Rhinosaurus]

So little interlude to player updates to clarify what I meant about the city selection. I didn’t realize this when I was setting it up or I would’ve chosen a more equal starting city (noob mistake).

Small and below average - two descriptors you never want to hear

In any case, damage done for now, we’ll have to see if I can fix that next season, or if I’ll have to move the team and spend a few years trying to fix things. On the bright side, OOTP18 is out end of March, so I’d be restarting anyway. Hopefully I won’t forget this lesson when I start that one lol.

Charlotte Aviators
Ronald Keating

AB	H	AVG	RBI	OPS	WAR
75	17	.227	4	.624	0.1

Chris Henderson

AB	H	AVG	RBI	OPS	WAR
74	26	.351	10	.977	1.1

Chris Henderson the standout here so far, excellent numbers through 18 games.

Minneapolis Flight
Kyle Harder

Record	IP	K	ERA	WHIP	WAR
2-2	35.0	17	1.80	0.94	0.8

David Oberg

AB	H	AVG	RBI	OPS	WAR
67	19	.284	6	.716	2.5

Both players put up great numbers so far, which makes it a bit surprising that Minneapolis is basically as bad as Ottawa. Quick glance at the rest of the lineup doesn’t show anything too bad, but the rotation seems to be struggling.

Detroit Pilots
Tom Welshman

AB	H	AVG	RBI	OPS	WAR
65	19	.292	14	1.002	0.6

Kyle ‘Hunter’ Kulick

AB	H	AVG	RBI	OPS	WAR
67	27	.403	8	1.029	-0.1

Interesting WAR numbers here given the other totals. Some good production coming from both. Kulick has good numbers everywhere, though weakest is his average with 2 outs. It’s still almost .300 though, which is better than most of Ottawa fares at any point. In either case, both players putting up good stats.

Dallas Spitfires
Travis Wheelock

AB	H	AVG	RBI	OPS	WAR
70	22	.314	11	.916	1.3

Mike Riddle

AB	H	AVG	RBI	OPS	WAR
67	18	.269	10	.763	0.3

Decent numbers between the two. Obvious nod to Wheelock. Clear contributors to Dallas’ first-place position in the standings. Riddle has picked up a week-long injury, at the moment.

And that’s that for player updates.

[Rhinosaurus]

Season Ends

Unsurprisingly, Ottawa will be watching from the sidelines as the playoffs take place (assuming the players are sober enough to actually watch anything).

Things did not go well this season. On the other hand, they weren’t quite as horrible as they seem from the pure standings.

At first glance, that is really bad. At second glance, it is still really bad. With a third glance and some context, it is still painfully bad, but there is a glimmer of hope. You see, games won by a single run, Ottawa ended up 11-21. That is abysmal. It’s also the least number of wins in 1-run games, and the most losses. The teams that finished 3rd and 4th were 12-18 (still not good) and 19-17 (respectively). Ok, so not -much- improvement. But, it does show that we kept games close a fair amount, and just came out on the wrong side.

Additionally, our starting centre fielder spent most of the season on the disabled list, only playing in 26 / 108 games.He was pretty decent in those games. Not stellar, but not bad. He projected to 3.0 WAR over the season if he’d kept the same pace. That would’ve been welcome. Instead I had a couple guys that combined for -2.6 WAR. That’s a 6 game swing almost.

The biggest bright spot though was Jeff Allard, our top of the line starting pitcher.

He finished in the top 10 in now fewer than 16 categories (15 of them positive). He was 2nd in total losses, but as I mentioned earlier, losses are shared by those who fail to score runs.

Allard was the best pitcher in the league in terms of going 6+ innings in his starts. He finished 4th in total innings pitched, 9th in strikeouts, 2nd in ERA (which is fantastic, and speaks volumes to the lack of run support), 2nd in WHIP, 4th in runs against over 9IP, 8th in walks given up in 9IP, and 5th in WAR for all pitchers.

That is impressive for a team that was essentially garbage. I’m surprised he hasn’t asked to be traded.

And the reason I’m surprised, is because my second best position player did just that.

Ok, well it was nice knowing you Josh. Way to be a team player. Hopefully I get a decent return for your bad attitude. And good luck when you end up on the team that wins the Mudspike Series. I guess.

So, next step is to sign Allard to an extension. Because I can’t afford to lose the few players who are actually producing more than strikeouts. I had 5 batters in the top 10 for striking out. That is not good.

Ok, so recap of important players. We’ll do this quickly without photos.

Batters

Team	Name	AB	H	BB	RBI	HR	AVG	OPS	WAR
OTT	Travis Taake	347	93	46	34	7	.268	.728	2.6
NAS	Edwin Baez	368	116	62	32	5	.315	.866	3.6
NAS	Brett Plants	389	117	87	39	0	.301	.764	3.2
CHA	Ronald Keating	345	89	60	56	9	.258	.790	2.5
CHA	Chris Henderson	280	85	48	31	7	.304	.854	3.8	*Missed 5 weeks injured
MIN	David Oberg	387	99	62	48	7	.256	.736	1.4
DET	Tom Welshman	399	116	78	93	24	.291	.947	3.9
DET	Kyle Kulick	374	87	97	43	1	.337	.901	4.8
DAL	Travis Wheelock	354	109	123	41	0	.308	.897	5.2	*Missed 1 month, including end of season + playoffs
DAL	Mike Riddle	394	125	53	75	9	.317	.851	2.9

Clearly Chris Henderson and Travis Wheelock were the bright spots here, with special mention to Kyle Kulick. If Henderson hadn’t gone down with a herniated disc, he’d likely have been far and away the best position player in the league. Unfortunately, Travis Wheelock went down at a terrible time, and we’ll see how that affects the Spitfires run for the Mudspike Championship.

Pitchers

Team	Name	Record	ERA	IP	HA	HR	BB	K	WHIP	WAR
OTT	Jeff Allard	8-12	2.93	178.0	165	10	55	74	1.24	3.2
MIN	Kyle Harder	11-10	3.22	181.2	155	7	77	77	1.29	3.0
NAS	Tim Erwin	11-7	3.11	173.2	175	8	45	109	1.27	5.0	*Not from key players, but likely Pitcher of the Year winner (will have award named after him).

All in all, Jeff Allard was pretty great. Pretty good stats compared to Kyle Harder, and Kyle’s team was only 2 games out of the playoffs. Makes one wonder what a bit more support might have done for Jeff. He’s actually got better stats than Tim Erwin, who by WAR is actually measured as the best pitcher in the league. Looks like strikeouts matter. So does winning.

Next up, the playoffs!

[Rhinosaurus]

Playoff time!

With the season come and gone, it’s time for the playoffs. The Mudspike Dogfight Series determines who will face the league leaders in the Mudspike On-Target Series for the title of Champion!

In this round, we have Detroit (3rd) facing off against Charlotte (2nd) in a best of five series.

Interestingly, these teams are fairly even over the season. 11-10 in favour of Detroit. Of note is that Detroit has 7 players injured at the moment, though 2 will be returning in time for Game 1. However, one of the players out for 6-7 months is one of their key starting pitchers. Might that play a factor? They’re also missing the rest for at least this series, if not the On-Target series as well.

Charlotte has their full-roster available.

Here we go!

Game 1
Detroit starter Felipe Reyes tosses an 8-hit shutout! Charlotte start actually allowed only 5 hits and 1 walk, but the damage was done. 2 errors by Charlotte in the 8th allowed a run to score, and Detroit didn’t blink.
Detroit 1 - 0 Charlotte

Game 2
Much more offense to be had here! Again, pitching the key here, as Detroit starter Barney Nordahl went the distance, allowing 5 runs on 9 hits and 5 walks, striking out 4. Detroit’s offense was one better, taking the game 6-5.
Detroit 2 - 0 Charlotte

Game 3
Felipe Reyes against Joel Tripp again! Phil Cairns goes deep for Charlotte in the first, 3-run homer! 5 errors between the two teams this game lead the score to be 9-6 in favour Charlotte in the bottom of the 9th, however! Detroit surrendered meekly, 1-2-3 to end the game!
Detroit 2 - 1 Charlotte

Game 4
All square into the 4th inning, when Chris Henderson takes a pitch into the stands for a solo homerun! 1-0 Charlotte! Things remain as they are until the bottom of the 8th, when Kyle Kulick triples to left, and Tom Welshman sends a flyball deep enough for Kulick to tag and score. All square again into the 9th! Are we headed for extra innings??

Detroit holds Charlotte in the top half, and the crowd is going nuts. One run is all it will take to reach the On-Target Series! But not this inning. Onto extras! A hit and run call places runners at 1st and 3rd with one out in the bottom of the 10th for Detroit! But they can’t capitalize as two routine fly balls are caught!

2 errors in the bottom of the 10th by Charlotte allow Detroit to send a runner around third and into home for the win! Detroit catches the Dogfight Series and is heading to the Championship against Dallas! Tom Welshman named MVP, going .375 with 1 HR and 4 RBI. For Charlotte, there can only be thoughts of “what if?”. As in, what if I didn’t suck at fielding baseballs? What if we’d hit a bit better? What if…

On-Target Series - Mudspike Championship

Game 1
Dallas strikes first blood in the bottom of the first on a throwing error from right field! By the 7th inning, Detroit has committed 3 errors but somehow leads the game 4-2! Timely hitting is so important! And that’s how it ends! Felipe Reyes goes the distance for Detroit, surrendering 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts!
Detroit 1 - 0 Dallas

Game 2
Dallas scores first again. And again thanks to an error! A double scores the runner who reached, and it’s 1-0 Dallas after 2 innings. The 7th sees an error allow Detroit to score and tie the game, but they weren’t content to start there, running up 5 on to the board, 4 of them earned! 5 hits, 5 runs! Dallas pegs 1 back in the bottom of the 7th, but a 3-run homer by Detroit in the 8th puts this game well out of reach! Final score 8-2.
Detroit 2 - 0 Dallas

Game 3
The first run of the game this time comes on a solo-shot by Detroit! 4 more runs for Detroit in the bottom of the 4th, 1 courtesy the error! So many times these playoffs routine plays have turned into runs. In any case, 5-0 Detroit after 4! Paltry tradings until the 9th when 2 more Dallas errors grant Detroit 4 more runs and an 11-1 lead in the game, and in the end a 3-0 series lead. Will we have a sweep in the inaugural On-Target Series??
Detroit 3 - 0 Dallas

Game 4
A series of singles in the 2nd inning open the scoring for Detroit, 2-0! Could that be all they need to sweep Dallas and take the crown? 5-0 after 5, and the crowd is getting restless in Dallas, sensing their dreams of a championship are fading fast. Barney Nordahl is averaging 10 pitches an inning for Detroit, too! And that’s all she wrote! Detroit adds two more in the 8th, Nordahl tosses a complete game shutout (100 pitches even!), and the Detroit Pilots sweep the series, becoming the first ever Mudspike On-Target Series winners! Party-time! Just goes to show you, finishing thirteen games out of first doesn’t mean squat! Looks like Dallas missed Travis Wheelock after all. Barney Nordahl is named series MVP.
Detroit 4 - 0 Dallas

On to an off-season that will hopefully see me fix the situation with Ottawa’s accidental handicap, and some good moves for all the teams. Will Detroit triumph again in 1947? Only time will tell!

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Hahaha, I forgot the game rates your performance. I scored 4/100. Quote: This is just a terrible score.

Ya, thanks guys. I guess I should be glad I didn’t score 1.

[Rhinosaurus]

Off-Season 1947
The last year of Nigel Watson’s contract (OTT - CF) is voided due to failure to meet stat criteria, and Ottawa negotiates a new contract, offering 2 years at $28,000 a year ($4K less per year than current).

When I set up the game, I allowed league evolution to take place. In essence, certain parameters such as season length, new teams, etc… can occur. The league has just announced that the minimum duration of the disabled list is now 19 games, instead of 15. This is pretty annoying actually, as teams are going to be sacrificing some games from their players if the place them on the DL, or even more if they don’t, when injuries are only two weeks! At least it’s fair for everyone!

It’s also arbitration time. Ottawa shouldn’t be affected too much, with minimal increases to the salaries of Chandler Astorga, Jeff Allard, and a bunch of other players.

One of the other important things to deal with at this time is award nominations!

As expected, Tim Erwin (NAS) is the favourite for the Pitcher of the Year. Originally I was going to rename the award him should he win, but I think I will wait until a pitcher enters the Hall of Fame. This will not be done for any other awards until someone is elected to the Hall of Fame (reliever of the year and potentially MVP).

One of the goals of Ottawa’s owner was to acquire a Gold Glove winner. The plus side for Ottawa this season is the front runners for 1B and SS are both from Ottawa! Hopefully this will satisfy that requirement, and combined with granting the extension to Travis Taake at the beginning of the year, will make up for the dismal showing in the standings. We were supposed to play .500 ball! A quick perusal of the stats doesn’t show me any reason to disagree with the suggested nominations, so I lock them in. Both of Ottawa’s nominations pull through!

OOTP offers the ability to generate baseball cards for players. They are also generated for significant milestones, such as awards.

List of Gold Glove Winners:
P - Kyle Harder (MIN)
C - Jake Stanley (DAL)
1B - Aaron Waters (OTT)
2B - Jeff Cummings (MIN)
3B - Lance Gregson (NAS)
SS - Josh Weast (OTT)
LF - Larry Pilkington (DAL)
CF - Ethan Ellis (DAL)
RF - Zach Brian (DET)

Amazingly, only 1 is from the champions Detroit Pilots!

Platinum Stick Winners
P - Maxence Deveraux (MIN)
C - Rick Klockow (DET)
1B - Tom Welshman (DET)
2B - Ronald Keating (CHA)
3B - Oliver Woodring (CHA)
SS - Travis Wheelock (DAL)
LF - Phil Cainrs (CHA)
CF - Edwin Baez (NAS)
RF - Danny Ellis (NAS)

Most Valuable Player - Tom Welshman - NAS

Pitcher of the Year
Tim Erwin - NAS

Reliever of the Year
Dustin Jackson - CHA

Rookie of the Year
Edwin Baez - NAS

Sept. 11, 1946

• Jeff Allard signs 1-year extension with Ottawa for $10,500. Fans are happy, and fan interest increases.
• Nigel Watson signs 2-year extension at $28,000 per year. Fans are happy, and fan interest increases.

I figured out how to bump the market size (I’ve moved it up to Average to compare with the lowest of the other teams). fan interest seems to be being bumped a tiny bit by my own managing actions, so not too worried about that. Ottawa is notoriously fickle with sports, so I’ll leave the loyalty at below average.

It’s late for the budget, so I’ve manually adjusted that up slightly as well (owner had dropped it from $750,000 to $640,00 - I’ve bumped it just to $900,000). I’m still lowest budget in the league, so not game breaking, but should even things out a bit. Hopefully I won’t have to play with this too much, but as I say, I’ve learned this lesson and won’t repeat it in OOTP 18 come March/April.

Sept. 12, 1946

• RP Cody Marx signs 2 year extension for $10,000 a year, just marginally more than his current yearly salary.

Note: the other teams are also signing extensions, but there are too many to report on.

Sept. 24, 1946

• Detroit CF Bob Pope, after a week of rumours, has announced his retirement at age 31. "After an anguishing few months and a lot of sleepless nights, I've come to realize my heart just isn't in the game anymore. It's been a good run and I couldn't be more thankful to my teammates and my coach, who have supported me every step of the way." Pope will become more involved in his church, and intends to become a missionary and travel the world to help others. Out with a bang as a Mudspike On-Target Series champion!

Sept. 28, 1946
Arbitration hearings! Sometimes good, sometimes bad! Let’s see how things fare.

• SP - Chandler Astorga awarded his ask - $16,250. Interesting, given Jeff Allard is the better performer and will be paid much less.
• SP - Taylor Chynoweth - $8,500 - team offer.
• RP - Sam Collins - $9,000 - team offer.
• RP - Sean Barlow - $8,500 - team offer
• 1B - Aaron Waters - $9,000 - team offer.
• C - Beau Strohecker - $9,000 - team offer.
• RP - Fred Gilroy - $8,500 - team offer.
• 2B/SS - Dave Shanks - $8,500 - team offer.

Pretty good overall! That could’ve been much more expensive!

Sept. 30, 1946
Key free agents hit the market, including Phil Cairns, Travis Wheelock and Chris Henderson. Maybe Ottawa can splash some cash and make a key signing to push them forward in the coming season! Chris Henderson maybe?? Move Nigel Watson to left to cover for Josh Wilson who wants out? Use Josh to trade for another gap, maybe at 2B? Or a key SP?

Manager goals have also been updated. I’ve managed to complete the Gold Glove winner goal, as it carried over. Further goals include not sucking completely (swear to all that is important that’s exactly what it says!), increase team attendance from 8384 to 9500 per game, and keep building the team to reach the playoffs within 5 years (oof!).

I’ve offered rich contracts to Chris Henderson and Barney Nordahl. We’ll see how that goes.

Oct. 9, 1946
An interesting offer has come our way from Dallas. They propose to send Mike Riddle (no kidding! this guy is a great 3B), CF Nate Bracy (reserve roster calibre but might develop) and LH-RP Vince Flory (reserve roster calibre). All they want in exchange is Nigel Watson! And on top of that, Riddle’s salary is much more friendly, which would open up further free agent options! I’m hoping to see how Henderson reacts to the deal I offered before moving on this. I have 14 days before I have to respond.

Barney Nordahl is impressed by the offer we’ve given him, and well he should be. I may have a quick acquisition here!

Oct. 13, 1946
Chris Henderson doesn’t even bother to negotiate, and signs with runners-up Dallas Spitfires. Frustrating, but understandable. We’re pretty terrible. Unfortunately for us, he signed for far less money and time than we were offering! The only bright side is that opens up the cash for other uses. Back to the drawing board. Unfortunately, not very many talented natural centre fielders are available! And I’ve got to respond to the Riddle for Watson offer soon! Watson is pretty old though, at 39. This might be a no-brainer…

Oct. 14, 1946
Travis Wheelock signs with Charlotte! A massive contract, $304,000 over 4 years. Too rich for me!

I’ve had to re-negotiate with Nordahl, as the Spitfires are playing havoc with my plans. Getting a bit rich for a pitcher who might regress.

I’ve decided to accept the offer from Dallas, and swap Nigel Watson for Mike Riddle and company. Need to fill that hole in CF now for sure.

So far I’m the “leader” of the offseason, having improved my team by 2.0 WAR, while everyone else is in the negative. Largely meaningless, but generally indicates the quality of players added. This gets skewed by players entering free agency when you have a ton of them who played short bits but generated positive WAR stats. I didn’t have that issue, so my gains are generally net positive.

As Wilson wanted to be traded, I complied rather than have him poison the clubhouse. I have enough problems. Being rather talented, I was able to acquire Tim Erwin, Pitcher of the Year, and promising 2B prospect from Cuba, Jesus Garcia, from the Nashville Aeros! Not bad!

Unfortunately, I’ve now got holes in left field and centre field. I have some up and comers to cover if necessary, but they aren’t permanent solutions at the moment. Still more work to do! If I can land Nordahl, I can trade away another starter to try and shore up the outfield.

That’s all I’ve got time for at the moment, we’ll continue the offseason in the next edition!

[Rhinosaurus]

Nov. 30, 1946
David Oberg (RF) signs with Ottawa, 4 years - $206,000. Now the trick is to fill the left field and centre field gaps. Oberg and Herlihy can cover them, but both are natural RF. Might be worth it to try and spin Herlihy for CF, and if we can nab another starter, spin one of them for a second baseman.Then we’re pretty solid at every position. With David Bosarge in right, we’re pretty good in the outfield if we can complete CF.

I think we’re likely to stick with what we have though. The market for CF is pretty slim, and my chips to get a decent second baseman over what we have is rough. Shortstop could use shoring up too, but I don’t really want a whole new team.

We’ll see!

[Rhinosaurus]

So just wondering if people want me to continue with this, or if I should just continue the game on my own. Decent number of views, but only a couple posts by beach. If people are just reading for the interest but don’t have anything to post that’s cool, I’ll be happy to continue for a bit, but if no one is following, I can better spend the time elsewhere, especially since it’s time consuming to gather the screenshots and all.

I won’t be offended if people aren’t interested!

[BeachAV8R]

I’m enjoying it…but then again, I have a team in the hunt…!