Post by Captain America on Jul 6, 2013 0:34:27 GMT -5
It's amazing that five seasons are already behind us! Now it's time to look back on some of the most notable topics since this league began. I got 3 other original GM's in Steve, Ashes and Royals to offer their thoughts and opinions on all this.
This particular roundtable will be longer than usual, being that it's covering 5 seasons. So crack open a beer, light a blunt or do whatever you want while sitting back and reading what will hopefully be the best and most thorough roundtable ever. Here we go!
1. Wow! We are 5 years through what has been a wonderful and fun league thus far. What have been your best memories? Your worst regrets?
Steve:
Not really a singular best memory. Due to the nature of the league, there have been a lot of memorable moments. The danchevy ordeal really takes the cake because I still can’t believe he tried to do that. Took a page out of crazymike’s book. But then again, I mean this is a sim league that’s been going 5 seasons so I can’t really claim to have any special memories. As far as regrets, I really wish I would have chosen a direction when the league first started. I kind of went back and forth and ended up being a .500 team for a few seasons, which did not start me off on a very good foot.
Ashes:
Best memory would have to be winning the World Series. It was an epic series with Boston, and thanks to the clutch performances of Terry "The Boss" Bross, we won it in seven games. That whole season was a roller coaster for me. I put a lot of work acquiring pieces to win that year, edged out the division by two games, swept my division rival, then took out an underrated Astros team in 6 games. Capping it with my WS win, and it becomes definitely my fondest memory here. I also enjoyed being able to grab Cabrera to stockpile in my minors.
My worst regret is this past season. I assembled a powerhouse team and choked in the playoffs. Perhaps if I was at home while the playoffs were being simmed, I would've made some changes, like dropping to a 3-man rotation, but oh well. I lost to a good team, I was just really disappointed with my pitching performance. Also pretty bummed that I'll be gone for a few months.
Royals:
Memories....lol
It's a baseball league. I guess I enjoy the challenge of building a winning club and trying to sustain it with a low payroll. I take it as a real process and love doing it.
I've had a little bit of playoff and a whole lot of reshaping, but the bottom line in baseball is that in every trade someone wins and someone loses, rarely do you get an equal win-win.
I think overall my only regret is not getting more out of the team in the first 2 seasons.
SNB914:
I've really enjoyed this league overall for the players we have been able to manage, the rewards we've been able to use to improve them and just the overall fun and enjoyment from interacting with everyone here. No matter how egotistical or overly emotional some of us might get, it still shows that we really care and that we all want this league to be the best ever.
My best memories were seeing the Blake Street Bombers be among the very best hitters in the entire league for 3-4 years, plus seeing my Rockies win the NL Wild Card in 98, despite getting swept by the Phillies in the postseason. I'll get them back though at some point.
My worst regrets include trading away Helton for a lot less than I should have, holding onto a few of my former vets for a little too long and finally, some of my emotional reactions that just simply were not good at all. And again, I apologize for all that bullshit.
2. Give me your top 5 most successful teams from 1996-2000 and your top 5 most underachieving (not necessarily worst) teams.
Steve:
Best: Giants, Braves, Marlins, White Sox, Red Sox
-Really no question about the job Spencer and Matt have done. The others have been pretty successful too. The Cubs could make this list in a few seasons.
Underachieving: Blue Jays, Indians, Mets, Tigers, Mariners
-Tough question overall but the Blue Jays are the easy #1 for me. Come on Game, you had so much talent. Horrible that you haven’t done anything with it. Similar reasoning for putting the Mariners on the list.
Ashes:
Giants, Braves, Marlins, A's, and Red Sox, in that order. The four World Series winners and the best team that hasn't won it all. All teams are also top 10 in the league in Wins.
As for top 5 underachieving, that would be: Red Sox, Yankees, Astros, Phillies, and Orioles, in that order. Red Sox are pretty obvious. They've had one of the best teams in the AL every season, been to two World Series, and still have nothing to show for it. Yankees are the Yankees and should be in the playoff race each season, but after tearing it down a few years back they've not managed to compete since. Astros have had several stacked teams and have some big time talent, yet haven't managed a World Series appearance, despite making the playoffs four out of five seasons. Phillies have also been doing it big, but not big enough in the NL East. They've managed I believe one postseason appearance, an appearance where they could've possibly been considered the favorites in the NL, and they fell short. Finally, jah and his Orioles. Never winning less than 90 games, the Orioles have made minimal moves to average a 3rd place finish each season. They finally made the postseason in 2000, but similar to the Phillies (minus a dominant squad), they've never been able to get out of their division's shadow.
Royals:
These leagues are funny in this regard because some teams start out loaded for playoffs and some do not. It's not really a matter of success and underachieving as it is a matter of management and creativity.
The Braves, Red Sox, Giants, Astros and Oakland have done well to keep their teams in the mix for every season. They have great owners too and I expect more of the same.
As far as underachievers...well there is neglect and a lack of oomph. I think the Cubs have had some great teams, but lack that one piece. The Marlins, Reds, Royals and White Sox can also be in that mix. I also think the Orioles could get some luck too, because they have a very good club.
SNB914:
I'd have to say that the Giants, Braves, Marlins, Red Sox and Astros have been the top 5 most successful teams overall in no particular order, with the White Sox, Cubs and A's being notable honorable mentions.
All of my top 5 choices have been very successful and have consistently made the postseason, aside from Ashes' mini rebuild. The Giants though have to be #1 for winning back to back championships in 1998 and 1999.
As for underachievers, my list in no particular order would include the Yankees, Blue Jays, Orioles, Mariners, and Rockies.
The Yankees had so much talent, traded over 90% of it away and have had trouble getting back to the postseason since. The Blue Jays and Mariners both had talented teams, but inconsistent GM's that weren't particularly active. And that had a significant effect on both teams for a while, although I think Nanz has finally gotten his head outta his ass.
The Orioles had a lot of trouble being the 3rd wheel to the Red Sox and Yankees in the AL East for a while, and all while having an aging lineup and not the best rotation aside from Mussina. They finally got to the postseason in 2000, but got swept. Jah should have made more moves before instead of slacking, but hopefully he has learned his lesson now.
As for the Rockies, the talent was there. The best lineup in baseball at one point was there. Even improved pitching was there, but the repeated second half collapses did them in and when they finally got to the postseason in 1998, the Phillies tore them apart. Despite being probably one of the top 10 teams in the league from 1996-1999, the Rockies simply did not end up playing as well as they were predicted to. It was unfortunate to see the lack of success they had, but with the Rockies now in the midst of a rebuild, the goal is for the next generation to be more successful and to finally be on top of the NL West.
3. What specific aspects of BBSBL do you think has led to it being such an active and enthusiastic league?
Steve:
Well the reward system is obviously a pretty large part of it. Money for posts, which can then be used to better your players, is a pretty huge incentive. But it’s also due to the group of GMs we have here. Almost everyone is super active with their teams, and the assortment of personalities have allowed for some…interesting discussions.
Ashes:
Well it encourages activity with rewards, which is crucial for a league in my opinion. Despite the minor inconsistencies here and there, it's run well. Erbes took a learn-as-you-go approach to running the league, so obviously there were growing pains, but we've all stuck around and generated some seriously high-level activity. Also, there are members of the league that generate activity. I think that's very important in a league. Without a few guys here, things would be much slower I'd imagine.
Royals:
Crazy basketball sims, crazy veterans of OOTP, crazy people. A good mix of people from both worlds have made this a very good league. I think the one thing I think about is when is someone going to cross the line and fuck with Erbes too much and he just vanishes. I keep perspective with these leagues as I'd rather have long term enjoyment, then burn out the commish and ruin a great and exciting league.
The enthusiasm gets the better of many in this league, but overall it's a very challenging fun, experience.
Everyone loves controlling a team, tinkering, building, trading and since there is so much activity and different elements in this league, I can see it running for many years to come.
SNB914:
In my opinion, it's the strong and enthusiastic personalities that make this league so active and fun. Sure, the bad things can happen too, but in a way, it's a byproduct of all the personalities and egos that are here. You gotta take the good with the bad and move on.
But success in any OOTP league starts at the top. Erbes has been a very devoted commissioner and he spends a lot of his free time making this league as awesome as possible. And then, there are the BBS vets like Steve, Ashes and Play in particular that have really instilled veteran presences here and have helped Erbes do his job better. Shit, if it wasn't for Steve, I really don't know if BBSBL would still exist today.
All in all, the efforts of these guys have affected everyone else and the active GM's here have done their parts to make this league better. Hopefully, the less active GM's can step up and make better efforts as well.
4. What are the biggest improvements in general that this league needs going forward in order to last a long time?
Steve:
Erbes has everything set up pretty nicely, but the one thing that could derail us is if the file goes to shit. No clue what’s been going on with it, and it seems to have settled down, but if those issues pop up again I’m afraid we might be in trouble.
Ashes:
Drafts. This last fiasco was even worse than the previous one. We just need some more communication for Erbes. Let's say we have a few extra sims during the season due to activity, and Erbes needs a little more time. All it takes is a quick announcement that it'll take him a day or whenever, and just stick to the ETA with regular updates. No offense to shale or break, but I think it's just best kept in Erbes' hands. He knows where he wants ratings to be, and he should have the sole control over it. Also, the file stability, but I think Erbes has that under control, and there are plenty of resources on how to solve those issues on the OOTP forums.
Royals:
The only improvement I can really see is less arguing and fighting with the commish. Pigs will fly, so I guess that's moot.
SNB914:
I completely agree with the points both Ashes and Royals have made. For one, the draft process that just occurred was awful and took over a week. Yes, Erbes was busy during that time with work, which is completely understandable. However, if he was smart, he would have planned this draft class in advance in order to not delay the process a lot longer than it should have been.
Then, Erbes gives Break and I certain guidelines for creating the draftees only to make some changes of his own that were not in the guidelines. I'm not mad at what he did, but all I'm saying that there should be more consistency on this.
As for the ratings, I really think some of them are a little high. For example, I think Brilliant in home runs should be 40+ per season. 30+ for Good, 20+ for Average, and so on. I think the walks scale is a little high as well, but I can live with it the way it is. The homers though need to be adjusted. A real life career average of 45 home runs per season is very high and 40 would make everyone happy for sure.
Regarding Royals' point, yeah some more friendly chatter with less trolling would always be nice here, but with the way certain people are here, I can't see it happening all the time and people like me just need to learn to deal with it and not pay attention to it and care about it so much because anger and overreactions will only make the whole thing worse.
5. Which of the non-original GM's that joined in 1997 or later have impressed you the most?
Steve:
I guess I’ll say Dan, but that’s not really fair because he was in the original BBSBL and he also sends some pretty hot Snapchats. But we really don’t have too many GMs that weren’t from the original group and Dan has done a nice job turning the Rangers into a contender.
Ashes:
None, I suppose. I haven't been particularly impressed with any of them. Habes has lost 100+ games each season he's been here, and he's understandably stockpiled a lot of young talent. Now it's time to see if he can do anything with it. Dan has been solid, so if anyone would be my pick, I guess it would be him, but I'd like to see him do more with the immortal Ken Griffey Jr. Jmich and stutter have been pretty meh. Jmich hasn't done a single thing with his roster, and barely scraped into the playoffs only to be swept. Stutter has made some questionable decisions to say the least, but he's new to OOTP. Darell looks like a good addition, but he hasn't had the chance to do anything yet.
Royals:
Stutter is funny, that's for sure. I really haven't seen much from the new people yet, but the Reds boss has some good assets and seems very active. I think he's committed to winning.
SNB914:
No offense to my boy Stutter, but I gotta agree with Steve and Ashes on this. Dan has really stepped up in the last 2 years and has made some big moves. Obviously, the biggest blockbuster was when he landed Griffey from Nanz. He also has some great young studs in Holliday, Podsednik, Fultz and Mulder in particular.
Dan at first was of the more inactive GM's here, just like his NC clique buddies. But again, since 1999, he has elevated himself above that and the Rangers currently look like dangerous competitors to the mighty defending champion A's. Dan still may not be one of the more active posters, but his team's recent success speaks for itself and I won't even be surprised if the Rangers win the AL West this year. Look out for the Rangers going forward. They are here to stay.
Oh and did I mention Dan is a great film producer and produced a movie that I thought was real good? If you wanna know about this, shoot him a PM!
6. Does the World Series process need to be more consistent in every year? Do you prefer simming Games 1-4 and then 5-7? Or do you like individual sims more?
Steve:
Didn’t even realize there was no consistency because I haven’t even sniffed the World Series. I like the individual sims. Makes it a lot easier when a guy gets injured in Game 2 or something. Also lets the GMs place pitchers and lineups based on the situation.
Ashes:
I could care less if it's simmed 1-4 and 5-7 or individual days. I find the individual day method more fun, but if there isn't the time for that, then as long as it's announced it will be 1-4/5-7 then that's fine by me. It's not like it affords one GM an advantage over another.
Royals:
I like simming the whole WS at once, live. I think that would be something we should move to.
SNB914:
Royals here presents a 3rd option that we should at least consider. However, between the 2 current options, I think the individual game option is better so that GM's can alter their lineups and rotations accordingly. Regardless of what happens, a clear cut decision needs to be made so that the chosen method remains the same for a long time.
All I'm saying is that I don't wanna see Erbes going back and forth between the different ways to sim the World Series. I want him to make a legit decision on this and stick to it for good.
7. Do you like the current balance of great pitching and not as great offense? Does it need to be more even? Should the hitters be hitting like the real life steroid era? What is your opinion on all this?
Steve:
It does make things interesting to have less hitting talent available. The original BBSBL had so many guys brilliant in homers that it didn’t mean much anymore. I would like to see some more hitters emerge though. Whatever though. I’m pretty indifferent on this.
Ashes:
I think everything is fine, actually. Maybe tone down pitching prospects a tad, but other than that, everything seems fine to me. Clearly the whole steroid era stuff has been scrapped, which I also don't care about. This is a sim league, not real life.
Royals:
I have been in OOTP leagues for a long time, over 8 years now. The one thing that I have always had an issue with is how the players are rated. I think that for a player to have a brilliant rating, that player has to have been great, for a career. Brilliants in general are rare and there are a lot of pitchers in this league that are really over-rated. There needs to be a balance and some players are just too good. I think that when leagues build drafts, they go in thinking that players of value should be rated very well, so that they actually have a chance of being what they were. I prefer the randomness of baseball, like in real life how Dickie Thon was a highly touted SS, but an injury ruined his career. To see a player like that realize that potential, is fun. Like Todd Van Poppel in our league.
I think as we move forward, we should lean to a more cautious rating system and not give out so many. I also think teams should be limited on spending to improve their players with board cash, because the more active GM's will always have an advantage over GM's who have busy schedules. (Creating an unfair and unbalanced league)
SNB914:
As much as I think some of the hitters here are not good enough, I think it's more that the pitching is better than it should be. Slightly worse pitchers and slightly better hitters could really balance this league out.
We all know what the steroid era was like in real life. BBSBL obviously doesn't need mirror that by any means, but it would be nice to see a few more 50+ home run seasons, for one. Let's just say that it will take one hell of an effort to break Roger Maris' 61 home run single season record here.
I like the rewards system the way it is and really don't think it should be changed. Sure, it might sound like I'm biased because I very likely have more free time than most other GM's, but it really doesn't take that much effort and time to post a lot or write an article or 2. Responding to interviews and roundtables shouldn't take long at all. What I do with creating the interviews and roundtables is what really takes more time. But I can afford to do all this.
What I'm saying is that the GM's that are more busy in real life may not have a lot of time to devote to this league, but with the free time they have, it would be wise of them to make the most of it. And if they do so, they can easily be up to par with the GM's that can spare more time here. If the excuse though is laziness, that's a completely different story.
8. Are you happy with the performance your team has given for the first 5 years? Any regrets? Any different choices you would have made if you could redo everything?
Steve:
Kind of already answered this, but I should have traded away everything and rebuilt from the start. Going .500 for 4 seasons doesn’t really do a whole lot in this league. Play had the right idea.
Ashes:
Seems like I answered part of this already, but yes I am very happy with my team performance. I feel like I've been a top 5 GM here. I've won a World Series and have consistently kept a very good mix of youth and talent. I have some of the best players in the league on my team, and possibly a few future ones in the minors. No regrets really, other than last season's playoff failures. I think the only thing I would've done differently is actually done a playoff export.
Royals:
I am happy with the way I have run my team thus far. There are always some things you regret a long the way, but I've had some good seasons and my team is well received by the fans. I feel that my club is built for a long run and I will continue to add youth and value players to get my team to the playoffs, year after year. If I could spend more, I would have maintained my first season club longer and not dumped like I had too, but that's a product of my market.
SNB914:
I'm content with the way my team has done, overall. Sure, they didn't reach the same level of success that I had envisioned before the rebuild, but I got to see Larry Walker win 3 MVP's (2 GM and 3 Game to be more specific) and Bichette win a Game MVP as well. Seeing them, Castilla, Galarraga, McGwire, Young, Weiss and Burks do as well as they did made me happy, even if the stadium had as much of an effect as everyone else claimed it did.
I fucked up with some of the moves I made though. Trading Helton was completely idiotic. I should've never even considered moving him. Nothing more to say on him. Probably should've traded Burks after 1996 for more pitching. Could've moved better pieces for better pitching, but at the time, I thought the moves I made were good enough. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out that way, but my time will come.
9. What is the best trade you have made thus far and the worst trade you have made?
Steve:
I’m pretty conservative with my team so I don’t make too many trades. My worst was probably moving Ronnie Belliard for some bumfuck MR. Figured I needed bullpen help, but Ronnie had a real nice PD the sim in which I dealt him. Been regretting that since. Think I’ll pass on best trade because I really don’t love any of the deals I’ve made. I’m boring.
Ashes:
I suppose the Sabathia trade was my best. I think I've made a lot of good trades. Higginson deal was pretty nice for me. I managed to flip my players for good young talent and vice versa at the right times. Chavez has turned out amazing for me, and I got him in the big trade with OAK. Stark was a very underrated pick-up. Overall, I don't think I've made any bad trades. At least not that I can remember.
Royals:
I've made good trades, but the best is probably my trade with the Yankees. Royals receive:
SP Mike Nannini
SP Joel Pineiro
C Mike Napoli
2001 NYY 1st round pick
for Andruw Jones.
Napoli did improve through a sim PD, but overall this trade helped reshape my future pitching staff and long term financial freedom to spend on role players moving forward. I was pretty sure that Jones would eventually price himself out of my market.
I do plan on spending to continue to improve my players and these specific players.
My worst trade is probably the Lee for Zito deal, but I really don't regret it because Lee is just getting going and looks to be a very good run producer protecting Beltran and my other young hitters.
SNB914:
I really don't think my worst trade even needs to be mentioned. If you haven't figured it out by now, then get with the program!
I'd have to say my best 2 trades (even though they weren't particularly great) were acquiring Eric Hillman and Mike Sirotka in 1998. Their performances that year certainly gave a huge boost to my rotation and really helped carry the Rockies to the postseason that year.
10. Give me your top 5 hitters and top 5 pitchers from 1996-2000. (Not current, but across the first 5 years combined)
Steve:
Hitters: Larry Walker, Ken Griffey Jr, Frank Thomas, Juan Gonzalez, Mike Piazza. I know I’m forgetting someone major on that list.
Pitchers: Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Kevin Brown. Johan/Kerry will be here for the 10 year roundtable.
Ashes:
Hitters:
1. Ken Griffey Jr. - Oh just a solid 237 HRs those 5 seasons. On pace for like 120 this year...
2. Frank Thomas - Been killing it for Chicago. Big reason why they've been relevant.
3. Juan Gonzalez - Monster hitter. 3-time champion.
4. Manny Ramirez - Beast acquired for pennies on the dollar. Nasty.
5. Larry Walker - Extremely inflated numbers, but numbers nonetheless. Would probably put Helton/Vlad here otherwise.
Pitchers:
1. Pedro Martinez - Easy call here.
2. Greg Maddux - Quietly beasting in Atlanta.
3. Buddy Groom - Another guy that's been doing it year after year.
4. Kevin Brown - Been one of the top pitchers in the league.
5. John Smiley - Another underrated top pitcher.
Royals:
Keith Lockhart !!! what a great surprise he's been. He will retire as one of the best Royals ever, and really surprising to me and the league.
Mike Sweeney - Hated trading him, but he became really expensive really fast and I figured that I could easily find a replacement catcher.
Jeremy Giambi - He's such a great young player and I think he can continue to get better.
Carlos Beltran - Obviously a newer hitter, he's been waiting in the wings. I expect him to be a real force in this league.
Johnny Damon - Largely because he caused so much drama between Break and I. It was pretty funny. He was good a hitter though.
Jose Rosado - He had a couple of really good years, but kept getting beat up in the PD's. I finally dealt him, but I still think he's going to be a good contributor in this league.
Jason Simontacchi - I took my time letting Jason develop and he's on the verge of being a legitimate top of the rotation pitcher for years to come.
Jaime Bluma - He was a very closer for my club, but I found a way to move him out for other assets. He had some good years.
Kevin Appier - He was a very good veteran, but another player that came in very expensive. I would have loved for him to retire as a Royal.
Glendon Rusch - He looks like he's going to be a solid lefty starter, some hits and misses, but overall I think he's a winner.
SNB914:
Seems like Royals wasn't on the same page as the rest of us, but that's ok. I should have been more specific. Anyway, here are my ranks:
Hitters
1. Ken Griffey Jr. - He has simply been the best hitter around and he is clearly on pace to be the home run king. He is a special talent and we're not gonna see another hitter this great for at least 10+ seasons.
2. Larry Walker - Had it not been for the ridiculous home run numbers Griffey put up, Walker would have been in 1st. Regardless of the Coors Field effect, Walker is easily the most decorated hitter in BBSBL history. 3 MVP's, 3 batting titles, 4 time NL OPS leader, 4 time NL leader in runs scored, and the list goes on. He has easily been the best hitter in the NL in BBSBL history. There is no comparison in the Senior Circuit.
3. Frank Thomas - Probably the most feared hitter in the entire league. Griffey might be the biggest power threat overall, but being the Big Hurt, Thomas puts a big hurt on other teams all the time. He has carried the White Sox to the World Series and has always been a class act. Thomas has 214 homers from 1996-2000. That's just awesome!
4. Todd Helton - Helton has been long regarded as the next best thing in BBSBL, but at just 27, he's already won 2 batting titles and has been one of the most consistent hitters around. He is a special talent and should carry the Indians to at least 1 championship in the next few years.
5. Juan Gonzalez - I nearly put Manny here, but the last 2 years for Juan Gone have been simply ridiculous. He nearly won the Triple crown in 2000 and led the A's to the World Series as well. He is an unbelievable hitter and will hopefully last a longer here than he did in reality.
Pitchers
1. Pedro Martinez - There shouldn't really be any debate here. Pedro has been filthy disgustingly good, even before he went to Boston. He is hands down the best pitcher in the game and will most likely hold every single significant career pitching record when he retires. Oh and he will probably have 7 or 8 Cy Young Awards in his resume as well by then.
2. Mike Mussina - By far the biggest reason why the Orioles were able to hang around for so long, before Jah finally made a few moves and got more help for his team. Mussina is a special pitcher and Jah should be fortunate to have him.
3. Greg Maddux - The standard of excellence in the National League. The Mad Dog helped lead the Braves to their 1996 championship and he has quietly continued to be one of the best pitchers in the NL.
4. Johan Santana - Just a freak of nature Johan is. He's been the best pitcher in the NL since 1999 and he will continue to dominate for a long time.
5. Buddy Groom - If Pedro Martinez is the ace of the Red Sox, Buddy Groom has been 1A. Groom is as good of a lefty counterpart in any rotation. Had it not been for Pedro, Groom could have easily won a Cy Young Award or two. The trade Break pulled off to get him was genius, especially when considering how well TVP has done for the A's, whom Break traded to Broph.
11. Regarding the recent file issue, were you nervous that BBSBL was possibly close to coming to an end? How long do you think this league can really last?
Steve:
I was pretty worried about it. I suppose we could have always kept resetting back until it worked, but the data corruption sounded pretty bad. I’m hoping that’s all behind us, but this isn’t the first time we’ve dealt with these kinds of issues so it could pop up again.
Ashes:
Nah, wasn't worried at all because I knew it could be fixed. People getting worried over nothing. This is a great league thus it will endure. It should easily be able to last for years, real life time, as long as the GMs participate and Erbes wants to continue it. With a stable core, a league can last a very long time.
Royals:
The file issue happens. It's happened in every league I've been in and there is really nothing you can do about it. We have a lot of good people in this league that care and I was very happy it was resolved.
As long as Erbes continues to care about this league we can move forward, but overall I think it can continue for a long time. Someone would probably step up and keep the sims going.
SNB914:
I wasn't exactly worried, but more concerned generally speaking about the file. I had a gut feeling though that it was gonna work out, and thankfully, it did. The nice thing about this league is that Erbes knows his shit, but if he ever needs help with something, he has 2 excellent resources in Steve and Chris to help him with whatever.
As long as Erbes, Steve and Chris are all here and active, I'm not gonna get worried at all about the file. Again, if Erbes doesn't know something, Steve and/or Chris more than likely will be able to bail him out. All that gives me enough confidence that this league will last a long time.
12. In your opinion, what has been the best and the worst decision that Erbes has made as commissioner?
Steve:
Best: Kicking out danchevy and his alter ego. It really took a while to figure out what was going on, but I think a few GMs noticed it and tipped him off. No-brainer but still. Worst I think is maintaining the rule of dropping your pick if you lose 120 games, etc. I like having a tanking rule, but you shouldn’t drop in the draft. Lose fan interest, fan loyalty, money, whatever. Stupid to drop your pick for tanking.
Ashes:
Best decision? Don't know if I can narrow it down, but I like the last few Winter Meetings and the 20 export rule. Firing danchevyppd was clutch. Worst decision? Maybe we should have kept Greg. We are without a GM there now. Past few drafts have been handled poorly, obviously, but no need to keep harping on it.
Royals:
He makes some really good decisions overall, but the only thing I don't like is endless board cash awards for players. I think having a cap on a specific player is great, but I think we need more constraints on TIA's and IRI's. Let the players develop on their own.
SNB914:
Generally speaking, I have agreed with many of the decisions Erbes has made for this league. The ones I liked the most were the 20 export rule and the improvements for PD reversals and article rewards, among other things. Also real happy he has let Break and I do an awesome job with the yearly awards.
In addition, the season predictions and the trade frenzy shit have both been great and have really encouraged more and more activity, which makes the league that much more fun.
On the other hand, 2 things stand out for me regarding poor decisions Erbes has made in my opinion. The first of which was the way he handled firing D Rowe, when he was active and without even giving him any warnings. Thankfully, soon enough, he let D Rowe and that got resolved rather smoothly.
The other thing for me has been the drafts. I get the busy schedule and all that, but if you are the commish, you gotta step up and get shit done in a timely manner. And if you got a lot of shit going on ahead of time, it would be smart to get the draft done beforehand. I mean it's all done and over with now, but hopefully, the draft process gets better in the future. I can't say Break would definitely want to do the draft ratings again, and my knowledge of the OOTP nuances is not the best, so this could possibly present a challenge going forward.
Oh and more post pads would be nice! At least once every real month would be legit.
13. Do you think we will find a new Dodgers GM by Opening Day? By 2002?
Steve:
Yeah, we’ll find someone. I’m hoping we can get Josh in here. That would be pretty cool. Otherwise, there are always other fish in the sea.
Ashes:
Opening Day? Nay. 2002? Probably so. Maybe we can bring Greg back drowe style. Not sure how to expound on this anymore.
Royals:
I hope so, I'd like to make a deal with the new GM. Dodgers have someone on my radar!!!!
SNB914:
Opening Day has already passed and we still don't have new GM. That being said, I think there will be a new one in 2002, whether Greg comes back or someone else takes the reigns. I would be ok with whatever happens as long as the efforts are made and that the improvement is noticeable. The Dodgers have been more or less irrelevant with both of their GM's thus far. And now, the former GABL commish has left because of his perceptions on certain aspects of this league, which was really unfortunate to see.
Whoever it is, hopefully the new Dodgers GM will make that team relevant again.
14. With expansion on the way, how would you evaluate the picks that the Diamondbacks and Devil Rays have been making? Which of the two teams do you think will find success first?
Steve:
I really have not been paying attention to their draft picks. But, I do know that the Rays will be more successful because Mark is a really good GM. Nothing against Darell, I’m sure he’ll do well also. But I’m going with the proven vet.
Ashes:
Solid picks on both sides, but Arizona has Adrian Gonzalez, who looks like a future star in the making. I think Arizona will find success first. Pretty weak division overall, Giants will be declining, Padres are still a question mark, and the Rockies and Dodgers are garbage. It remains to be seen how he fares assembling a team, but I think Darell has the advantage coming out of the gates.
Royals:
Well it's way to early to determine the winner there. The expansion draft is pivotal in that decision. Which one goes with vets to be competitive and which team tries to build up a young core. It's very hard to decide that now. I did an expansion draft years ago in GABL, as the Rays, and I tried to go young and it took me forever to get competitive. Who's to say what's right or wrong?
I do like Big Game James, though, we'll see who spends the most time on working their teams and bringing in talent.
SNB914:
I like the moves both expansion teams have been making, but to me, the nod goes to Darell and the Diamondbacks. They are in a weaker division that has been owned by the Giants since the beginning. Meanwhile, the Rays will have contend with the powerful Red Sox, the rebounding Yankees, the persistent Orioles and the questionable Jays. Yikes! Sounds like the Rays are gonna be in last place there for a long while.
To Darell's credit, he is an OOTP vet himself and one of the guys that got me into OOTP to begin with. He knows his shit and could certainly become a 3rd wheel to the future Rockies-Padres rivalry.
15. In your opinion, what was the best single season for a hitter and pitcher thus far in BBSBL history?
Steve:
Larry Walker 1998: .365, 41 HR, 146 RBI. 1.118 OPS. And with 62 SB. Ugh. Although, Griffey’s gonna beat that this season.
Pedro Martinez 1999: 30-4, 2.48 ERA. I could go with the season before when he had a sub-2.00 ERA, but I’ll go with the season with 30 wins.
Ashes:
Pitcher:
Oh, you know, that one time Pedro won 30 games, struck out 323 batters, and posted a 2.48 ERA.
Batter:
Ken Griffey Jr's 1999 season: 56 HRs, 159 RBI, 1.029 OPS
Royals:
Ken Griffey Jr. - He's still young, still raking and quite honestly could break every power related record in the game. I'd love to have him, but eh, can't afford those big tickets in KC.
Pedro has been amazing, but I think Johan is on track for greatness. He's young and just getting started. I would have to say it's pretty much a 1A 1B type scenario.
SNB914:
My answers are the same as Steve's: 1998 Larry Walker for hitters and 1999 Pedro Martinez for pitchers.
Walker's 1998 season was ridiculous! 41/62!!! Are you kidding me? Completely outta this world. Add in 154 runs scored, 224 hits, 56 doubles, 8 triples, 146 RBI, 75 walks, a .365/.435/.684 stat line, a 1.118 OPS and a ridiculous number of total bases, and it would be very difficult for anyone to beat that.
Griffey's 1999 season was actually very close, but the much higher average and 62 steals for Walker put him over the top with the best and most complete offensive season ever.
There shouldn't be any debate on the pitching side. Pedro's 30 wins, 2.48 ERA, 327 innings pitched, and 323 strikeouts are simply amazing. Those are once in a generation stats you will see.
16. Which of the 30 GM's here do you think would be the most successful real life MLB GM and why?
Steve:
Hmm. I would say Play, but I could see him getting in trouble for calling a reporter a faggot. I think I’ll say Chris. No real reason. He just seems like he’d be able to run a team.
Ashes:
Lol God, none of us. Come on now. Some of us flip players like crazy, some of us cling to players and refuse to do anything, and some of us tank like crazy. We'd probably all be fired in a heartbeat for some combination of terrible finances, awful decisions, or expectations of trading draft picks. Seriously, half the league would be fired for tanking, 1/4 fired for doing nothing, and the rest fired for trading away the entire team twice over.
Royals:
I would be the most successful because I have experience in the game, and have always fielded competitive teams with a very sound budget.
I guess everyone here has the dream of working as a General Manager, I think I would work long days and surround myself with smart, positive and educated people to do the best for my team. Being a GM seems so wonderful from a afar, but I can't even imagine the pressure involved in shaping a sports franchise, top to bottom, daunting.
SNB914:
As hilarious as it would be see Play turn into the Ozzie Guillen of GM's with one ridiculous press conference after another, my choice would be Ashes.
Ashes claims to not be into real life baseball much, so his completely lack of bias would help him make very good decisions and not cling to players too much just because they are fan favorites for a certain team. I would just be more confident in Ashes' abilities than anyone else if I had to choose.
Spencer, Play, Break and Broph are my honorable mentions for this.
17. Finally, rank your top 5 best/smartest/most intelligent GM's from the first 5 seasons, based on decision making skills in particular. Also, please rank your top 5 forum posters from the first 5 seasons combined.
Steve:
I hate this question. For the first 5 seasons I guess I’ll go Spencer, Matt, Play, Ashes, Waldo. For posting I’ll go Waldo (or maybe it’s been his grandma this whole time, who knows anymore), Chris, Ashes, Play, James.
Ashes:
I feel like I'm top 5 or 6 here for this question, but I hate grading/ranking myself so I won't.
GMs:
1. Spencer - Two titles, dominated his division the entire time and will probably continue it a little longer. He manage to keep his talent in high regard (even if it's only him regarding them as such) and wins games. For the most part, makes great decisions that allow him to field a competitive team even with a high payroll. He hasn't focused too much on the future, which has been fine with his weaker division, but it may come back to bite him soon.
2. Broph - Always calculated, broph has adjusted very well to OOTP. He's won a title recently and has assembled an outstanding team. He rarely gets the worst end of trades and always looks to improve his team while maintaining a solid future. Broph has gotten his team to the point where he can sustain pretty high expenses and still make money, so I don't see his team fading any time soon. His team is essentially in its prime and he has some solid young talent to go along with it. Very good job by broph.
3. Play - Assembled an awesome team while maintaining a ton of good prospects. Hasn't won anything yet, but I'm sure he'll get one soon. Never makes bad moves, but sometimes that keeps him from making truly great ones. He's a smart, dedicated GMs who is always taking into account every aspect of the game and his team. He has his squad in position to have the success and longevity that a lot of teams can only dream of.
4. Styro - Styro is an interesting case. He makes great decisions for the most part, and never makes bad moves, but I feel his love for youth always seems to get the better of him. I haven't had to worry about Styro too much because I know I just have to wait for that one rough month that he inevitably hits and wait for him to mail it in for the season. Still, he's got unbelievable talent in the majors and minors, and is always looking to deal, which makes him potentially dangerous. The success isn't quite there yet, but he'll get there.
5. Waldo - More successful than most GMs, and makes better decisions than most GMs. That's not to say he hasn't had a head-scratcher here or there (Who knows how the AL would've shaped up last season had he not traded me Randy), but for the most part he's ahead of the game. He's always steadily improving his team, who already had the fortune of having Frank Thomas. He's drafted pretty well, signed good FAs, and traded for positions of need. With Cleveland disappearing, KC and MIN stuck in neutral, and Steve doing whatever Steve is doing, Waldo has his division on lock I'd say.
Posters:
1. Steve - Always useful and enjoyable. I feel Steve is like the Juwan Howard of the Miami Heat. Holds it together with his wisdom and camaraderie, while looking good in a suit on the bench.
2. Play - Speaks his mind, albeit sometimes a little too much, but is active beyond belief. Can't put a price on play's loyalty and contribution.
3. Styro - A bit harsher than the aforementioned at times, but definitely in the same mold, probably less loyalty. In the end though, brings activity, always chimes in, and keeps a lot of posters here on their toes. Need a guy like Styro in a league.
4. Habes - I've enjoyed habes lately. If you ever need someone to come in and throw words like "misogyny", call an argument/discussion/person/concept/etc "terrible/horrible/insufferable/repulsive/disastrous" then post about taking a dump or snapchat artistry, Haberman is your man, man. Pepper in a bit of white knighting and the first line of defense for the Jewish population, you've got one heck of a fellow just down 290 from me.
5. Royals - Grown on me a bit lately. Still a bit fussy here and there, but I suppose it comes with age. Very active and spry for one of the few blokes older than Spencer, but he seems to have thick enough skin to take things in stride and contribute himself. Plus, when you get an invitation to take things to the streets from play34basketball himself, I'd say you're doing things right.
Royals:
Spencer is always a royal pain in the ass. He's a very competitive guy and is not afraid to make ANY trade to win. He rarely rebuilds, and when he does, he's usually back in the mix again quickly.
Matt (Braves) is also a very smart and competitive guy. He likes to win and rarely tanks.
The others would be the Marlins, Expos and Cubs bosses. They have all spent a lot of time on the boards, swinging deals, improving their players and keeping things lively. I find that these three will be formidable managers, long term.
As far as posters....I like a lot of the banter, some of it is really hilarious, especially Erbes in a kayak with some PBR. Listening to One Direction on his Sony Discman.
Generally I find Break, SNB, Stutter, Chris and Broph very entertaining.
I'm not great with everyone and their real names, but needless to say this forum is funny as hell and I think we should collectively pitch as reality show based on some of this shit haha.
SNB914:
First off, LOL @ the thought of Erbes kayaking while listening to One Direction! Could totally picture that for real.
Top 5 GM's (in no particular order):
- Spencer: This guy has been a serious pain in the ass as my main rival for much of this league's history. Just when I thought my Rockies were gonna improve, the Giants just kept getting better and their relentlessness is why my team has yet to win a division title. Spencer though does make really good and timely trades and just has that natural sense in when to make the right move at the right time. He's just that gifted I guess.
- Ashes: Ashes has made some great moves over the first 5 seasons, won a championship, did a mini rebuild, and now the Marlins are back to being a World Series contender. He just knows what he is doing and like Spencer, has that gifted ability to make the right moves at the right time. Unfortunately, he will be leaving us soon for military duties, but the Marlins are still gonna do work in the NL East for a long time.
- Break: All bullshit of all kinds aside, Break has made some critical moves, has gotten just about all of his favorite players aside from Papi and has been the most successful GM in the AL thus far. He has made Nomar and Manny into 2 amazing cornerstone hitters and Pedro and Buddy Groom into a lethal 1-2 punch in the Sox' rotation. That championship will come 1 day for him. Time will tell when it happens.
- Play: This guy has made brilliant trades and has put together the best overall pitching staff around. The Cubbies are gonna be running the NL Central for a very long time and despite ignoring his lineup more than his pitching, the Cubs are a very talented team and maybe one day that extremely long curse dating back to 1908 will end here.
- BravesGM/CSC5782: I really had a hard time choosing between either Matt or Chris, so I just decided to include both for basically the same reason. Both the Braves and Astros have been very successful in the regular seasons. Both teams have made the postseason in 4 of 5 seasons and the Braves also won that 1st ever BBSBL championship and that has to account for something.
Both teams have developed amazing hitters and great pitchers, although clearly, the Astros have the better lineup and the Braves of course have the better pitching.
However, aside from the Braves' 1996 championship, both teams have somehow struggled to find success in the postseason. Both teams have endured tough postseason losses, which makes the 2 teams that much more similar.
Broph barely missed the cut on this.
Top 5 Posters: (in no particular order)
- Steve: One of the backbones of this community, Steve is one of the most fair and considerate GM's here and he knows how to act in certain situations. If he needs be serious, he can do that well. If it's a time to joke around, he's good with that too. And then of course there are the endless Jeff Cirillo posts. Nothing more needs to be said on that.
- Ashes: Like Steve, Ashes is another backbone of this community. In other words, both of the them are 2 of the main reasons why all of us have been able to stick together and coexist reasonably well. Ashes definitely can offer a lot of serious insight on certain topics, but he's got a soft side to him as well and he cares about how all of us are doing. I think we all should appreciate that from him.
- Habes: Recently, Habes has really moved up my posting ranks. He has been significantly more active, which is always nice to see and he has done a great job keeping us loose. The Jimmy Johns shit is starting to get old, but everything else from Haberdog has been rather funny and great to see. We need people like him and James in this league to tone down all the egotistical shit here.
Speaking of James... I wish he would post more. He's funny too.
- Waldo: Waldo is another guy here that keeps us all loose with his random videos and unusual posts. Just a good guy up in here and a distinct kind of presence that is nice to have.
- Play: As much as Play and I have sparred in the past and argued with each other, his contributions and efforts around here are almost unmatched. This guy cares a ton about this league and everything about it. He clearly wants this league to be very successful and last a long time. Yes he does troll quite a bit, but he talks shit to his closer friends as well, so I can't really say that he only targets certain people with his trolling.
Speaking of trolling, if Play toned it down a bit with that, that would be enough for me to put him on the same level as Steve and Ashes as another true leader of this community. To me, that's pretty much the only difference between him and them.
Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer these, guys! Best of luck going forward.
This particular roundtable will be longer than usual, being that it's covering 5 seasons. So crack open a beer, light a blunt or do whatever you want while sitting back and reading what will hopefully be the best and most thorough roundtable ever. Here we go!
1. Wow! We are 5 years through what has been a wonderful and fun league thus far. What have been your best memories? Your worst regrets?
Steve:
Not really a singular best memory. Due to the nature of the league, there have been a lot of memorable moments. The danchevy ordeal really takes the cake because I still can’t believe he tried to do that. Took a page out of crazymike’s book. But then again, I mean this is a sim league that’s been going 5 seasons so I can’t really claim to have any special memories. As far as regrets, I really wish I would have chosen a direction when the league first started. I kind of went back and forth and ended up being a .500 team for a few seasons, which did not start me off on a very good foot.
Ashes:
Best memory would have to be winning the World Series. It was an epic series with Boston, and thanks to the clutch performances of Terry "The Boss" Bross, we won it in seven games. That whole season was a roller coaster for me. I put a lot of work acquiring pieces to win that year, edged out the division by two games, swept my division rival, then took out an underrated Astros team in 6 games. Capping it with my WS win, and it becomes definitely my fondest memory here. I also enjoyed being able to grab Cabrera to stockpile in my minors.
My worst regret is this past season. I assembled a powerhouse team and choked in the playoffs. Perhaps if I was at home while the playoffs were being simmed, I would've made some changes, like dropping to a 3-man rotation, but oh well. I lost to a good team, I was just really disappointed with my pitching performance. Also pretty bummed that I'll be gone for a few months.
Royals:
Memories....lol
It's a baseball league. I guess I enjoy the challenge of building a winning club and trying to sustain it with a low payroll. I take it as a real process and love doing it.
I've had a little bit of playoff and a whole lot of reshaping, but the bottom line in baseball is that in every trade someone wins and someone loses, rarely do you get an equal win-win.
I think overall my only regret is not getting more out of the team in the first 2 seasons.
SNB914:
I've really enjoyed this league overall for the players we have been able to manage, the rewards we've been able to use to improve them and just the overall fun and enjoyment from interacting with everyone here. No matter how egotistical or overly emotional some of us might get, it still shows that we really care and that we all want this league to be the best ever.
My best memories were seeing the Blake Street Bombers be among the very best hitters in the entire league for 3-4 years, plus seeing my Rockies win the NL Wild Card in 98, despite getting swept by the Phillies in the postseason. I'll get them back though at some point.
My worst regrets include trading away Helton for a lot less than I should have, holding onto a few of my former vets for a little too long and finally, some of my emotional reactions that just simply were not good at all. And again, I apologize for all that bullshit.
2. Give me your top 5 most successful teams from 1996-2000 and your top 5 most underachieving (not necessarily worst) teams.
Steve:
Best: Giants, Braves, Marlins, White Sox, Red Sox
-Really no question about the job Spencer and Matt have done. The others have been pretty successful too. The Cubs could make this list in a few seasons.
Underachieving: Blue Jays, Indians, Mets, Tigers, Mariners
-Tough question overall but the Blue Jays are the easy #1 for me. Come on Game, you had so much talent. Horrible that you haven’t done anything with it. Similar reasoning for putting the Mariners on the list.
Ashes:
Giants, Braves, Marlins, A's, and Red Sox, in that order. The four World Series winners and the best team that hasn't won it all. All teams are also top 10 in the league in Wins.
As for top 5 underachieving, that would be: Red Sox, Yankees, Astros, Phillies, and Orioles, in that order. Red Sox are pretty obvious. They've had one of the best teams in the AL every season, been to two World Series, and still have nothing to show for it. Yankees are the Yankees and should be in the playoff race each season, but after tearing it down a few years back they've not managed to compete since. Astros have had several stacked teams and have some big time talent, yet haven't managed a World Series appearance, despite making the playoffs four out of five seasons. Phillies have also been doing it big, but not big enough in the NL East. They've managed I believe one postseason appearance, an appearance where they could've possibly been considered the favorites in the NL, and they fell short. Finally, jah and his Orioles. Never winning less than 90 games, the Orioles have made minimal moves to average a 3rd place finish each season. They finally made the postseason in 2000, but similar to the Phillies (minus a dominant squad), they've never been able to get out of their division's shadow.
Royals:
These leagues are funny in this regard because some teams start out loaded for playoffs and some do not. It's not really a matter of success and underachieving as it is a matter of management and creativity.
The Braves, Red Sox, Giants, Astros and Oakland have done well to keep their teams in the mix for every season. They have great owners too and I expect more of the same.
As far as underachievers...well there is neglect and a lack of oomph. I think the Cubs have had some great teams, but lack that one piece. The Marlins, Reds, Royals and White Sox can also be in that mix. I also think the Orioles could get some luck too, because they have a very good club.
SNB914:
I'd have to say that the Giants, Braves, Marlins, Red Sox and Astros have been the top 5 most successful teams overall in no particular order, with the White Sox, Cubs and A's being notable honorable mentions.
All of my top 5 choices have been very successful and have consistently made the postseason, aside from Ashes' mini rebuild. The Giants though have to be #1 for winning back to back championships in 1998 and 1999.
As for underachievers, my list in no particular order would include the Yankees, Blue Jays, Orioles, Mariners, and Rockies.
The Yankees had so much talent, traded over 90% of it away and have had trouble getting back to the postseason since. The Blue Jays and Mariners both had talented teams, but inconsistent GM's that weren't particularly active. And that had a significant effect on both teams for a while, although I think Nanz has finally gotten his head outta his ass.
Who really ruined Halladay and Carpenter? Between DanChevy and Game, both could easily shoulder half the blame.
The Orioles had a lot of trouble being the 3rd wheel to the Red Sox and Yankees in the AL East for a while, and all while having an aging lineup and not the best rotation aside from Mussina. They finally got to the postseason in 2000, but got swept. Jah should have made more moves before instead of slacking, but hopefully he has learned his lesson now.
The golden arm of Mike Mussina could possibly lead the Orioles to more success in the future.
As for the Rockies, the talent was there. The best lineup in baseball at one point was there. Even improved pitching was there, but the repeated second half collapses did them in and when they finally got to the postseason in 1998, the Phillies tore them apart. Despite being probably one of the top 10 teams in the league from 1996-1999, the Rockies simply did not end up playing as well as they were predicted to. It was unfortunate to see the lack of success they had, but with the Rockies now in the midst of a rebuild, the goal is for the next generation to be more successful and to finally be on top of the NL West.
3. What specific aspects of BBSBL do you think has led to it being such an active and enthusiastic league?
Steve:
Well the reward system is obviously a pretty large part of it. Money for posts, which can then be used to better your players, is a pretty huge incentive. But it’s also due to the group of GMs we have here. Almost everyone is super active with their teams, and the assortment of personalities have allowed for some…interesting discussions.
Ashes:
Well it encourages activity with rewards, which is crucial for a league in my opinion. Despite the minor inconsistencies here and there, it's run well. Erbes took a learn-as-you-go approach to running the league, so obviously there were growing pains, but we've all stuck around and generated some seriously high-level activity. Also, there are members of the league that generate activity. I think that's very important in a league. Without a few guys here, things would be much slower I'd imagine.
Royals:
Crazy basketball sims, crazy veterans of OOTP, crazy people. A good mix of people from both worlds have made this a very good league. I think the one thing I think about is when is someone going to cross the line and fuck with Erbes too much and he just vanishes. I keep perspective with these leagues as I'd rather have long term enjoyment, then burn out the commish and ruin a great and exciting league.
The enthusiasm gets the better of many in this league, but overall it's a very challenging fun, experience.
Everyone loves controlling a team, tinkering, building, trading and since there is so much activity and different elements in this league, I can see it running for many years to come.
SNB914:
In my opinion, it's the strong and enthusiastic personalities that make this league so active and fun. Sure, the bad things can happen too, but in a way, it's a byproduct of all the personalities and egos that are here. You gotta take the good with the bad and move on.
But success in any OOTP league starts at the top. Erbes has been a very devoted commissioner and he spends a lot of his free time making this league as awesome as possible. And then, there are the BBS vets like Steve, Ashes and Play in particular that have really instilled veteran presences here and have helped Erbes do his job better. Shit, if it wasn't for Steve, I really don't know if BBSBL would still exist today.
All in all, the efforts of these guys have affected everyone else and the active GM's here have done their parts to make this league better. Hopefully, the less active GM's can step up and make better efforts as well.
4. What are the biggest improvements in general that this league needs going forward in order to last a long time?
Steve:
Erbes has everything set up pretty nicely, but the one thing that could derail us is if the file goes to shit. No clue what’s been going on with it, and it seems to have settled down, but if those issues pop up again I’m afraid we might be in trouble.
Ashes:
Drafts. This last fiasco was even worse than the previous one. We just need some more communication for Erbes. Let's say we have a few extra sims during the season due to activity, and Erbes needs a little more time. All it takes is a quick announcement that it'll take him a day or whenever, and just stick to the ETA with regular updates. No offense to shale or break, but I think it's just best kept in Erbes' hands. He knows where he wants ratings to be, and he should have the sole control over it. Also, the file stability, but I think Erbes has that under control, and there are plenty of resources on how to solve those issues on the OOTP forums.
Royals:
The only improvement I can really see is less arguing and fighting with the commish. Pigs will fly, so I guess that's moot.
SNB914:
I completely agree with the points both Ashes and Royals have made. For one, the draft process that just occurred was awful and took over a week. Yes, Erbes was busy during that time with work, which is completely understandable. However, if he was smart, he would have planned this draft class in advance in order to not delay the process a lot longer than it should have been.
Then, Erbes gives Break and I certain guidelines for creating the draftees only to make some changes of his own that were not in the guidelines. I'm not mad at what he did, but all I'm saying that there should be more consistency on this.
As for the ratings, I really think some of them are a little high. For example, I think Brilliant in home runs should be 40+ per season. 30+ for Good, 20+ for Average, and so on. I think the walks scale is a little high as well, but I can live with it the way it is. The homers though need to be adjusted. A real life career average of 45 home runs per season is very high and 40 would make everyone happy for sure.
Regarding Royals' point, yeah some more friendly chatter with less trolling would always be nice here, but with the way certain people are here, I can't see it happening all the time and people like me just need to learn to deal with it and not pay attention to it and care about it so much because anger and overreactions will only make the whole thing worse.
5. Which of the non-original GM's that joined in 1997 or later have impressed you the most?
Steve:
I guess I’ll say Dan, but that’s not really fair because he was in the original BBSBL and he also sends some pretty hot Snapchats. But we really don’t have too many GMs that weren’t from the original group and Dan has done a nice job turning the Rangers into a contender.
Ashes:
None, I suppose. I haven't been particularly impressed with any of them. Habes has lost 100+ games each season he's been here, and he's understandably stockpiled a lot of young talent. Now it's time to see if he can do anything with it. Dan has been solid, so if anyone would be my pick, I guess it would be him, but I'd like to see him do more with the immortal Ken Griffey Jr. Jmich and stutter have been pretty meh. Jmich hasn't done a single thing with his roster, and barely scraped into the playoffs only to be swept. Stutter has made some questionable decisions to say the least, but he's new to OOTP. Darell looks like a good addition, but he hasn't had the chance to do anything yet.
Royals:
Stutter is funny, that's for sure. I really haven't seen much from the new people yet, but the Reds boss has some good assets and seems very active. I think he's committed to winning.
SNB914:
No offense to my boy Stutter, but I gotta agree with Steve and Ashes on this. Dan has really stepped up in the last 2 years and has made some big moves. Obviously, the biggest blockbuster was when he landed Griffey from Nanz. He also has some great young studs in Holliday, Podsednik, Fultz and Mulder in particular.
Dan at first was of the more inactive GM's here, just like his NC clique buddies. But again, since 1999, he has elevated himself above that and the Rangers currently look like dangerous competitors to the mighty defending champion A's. Dan still may not be one of the more active posters, but his team's recent success speaks for itself and I won't even be surprised if the Rangers win the AL West this year. Look out for the Rangers going forward. They are here to stay.
Oh and did I mention Dan is a great film producer and produced a movie that I thought was real good? If you wanna know about this, shoot him a PM!
Must-see film right there.
6. Does the World Series process need to be more consistent in every year? Do you prefer simming Games 1-4 and then 5-7? Or do you like individual sims more?
Steve:
Didn’t even realize there was no consistency because I haven’t even sniffed the World Series. I like the individual sims. Makes it a lot easier when a guy gets injured in Game 2 or something. Also lets the GMs place pitchers and lineups based on the situation.
Ashes:
I could care less if it's simmed 1-4 and 5-7 or individual days. I find the individual day method more fun, but if there isn't the time for that, then as long as it's announced it will be 1-4/5-7 then that's fine by me. It's not like it affords one GM an advantage over another.
Royals:
I like simming the whole WS at once, live. I think that would be something we should move to.
SNB914:
Royals here presents a 3rd option that we should at least consider. However, between the 2 current options, I think the individual game option is better so that GM's can alter their lineups and rotations accordingly. Regardless of what happens, a clear cut decision needs to be made so that the chosen method remains the same for a long time.
All I'm saying is that I don't wanna see Erbes going back and forth between the different ways to sim the World Series. I want him to make a legit decision on this and stick to it for good.
7. Do you like the current balance of great pitching and not as great offense? Does it need to be more even? Should the hitters be hitting like the real life steroid era? What is your opinion on all this?
Steve:
It does make things interesting to have less hitting talent available. The original BBSBL had so many guys brilliant in homers that it didn’t mean much anymore. I would like to see some more hitters emerge though. Whatever though. I’m pretty indifferent on this.
Ashes:
I think everything is fine, actually. Maybe tone down pitching prospects a tad, but other than that, everything seems fine to me. Clearly the whole steroid era stuff has been scrapped, which I also don't care about. This is a sim league, not real life.
Royals:
I have been in OOTP leagues for a long time, over 8 years now. The one thing that I have always had an issue with is how the players are rated. I think that for a player to have a brilliant rating, that player has to have been great, for a career. Brilliants in general are rare and there are a lot of pitchers in this league that are really over-rated. There needs to be a balance and some players are just too good. I think that when leagues build drafts, they go in thinking that players of value should be rated very well, so that they actually have a chance of being what they were. I prefer the randomness of baseball, like in real life how Dickie Thon was a highly touted SS, but an injury ruined his career. To see a player like that realize that potential, is fun. Like Todd Van Poppel in our league.
I think as we move forward, we should lean to a more cautious rating system and not give out so many. I also think teams should be limited on spending to improve their players with board cash, because the more active GM's will always have an advantage over GM's who have busy schedules. (Creating an unfair and unbalanced league)
SNB914:
As much as I think some of the hitters here are not good enough, I think it's more that the pitching is better than it should be. Slightly worse pitchers and slightly better hitters could really balance this league out.
We all know what the steroid era was like in real life. BBSBL obviously doesn't need mirror that by any means, but it would be nice to see a few more 50+ home run seasons, for one. Let's just say that it will take one hell of an effort to break Roger Maris' 61 home run single season record here.
I like the rewards system the way it is and really don't think it should be changed. Sure, it might sound like I'm biased because I very likely have more free time than most other GM's, but it really doesn't take that much effort and time to post a lot or write an article or 2. Responding to interviews and roundtables shouldn't take long at all. What I do with creating the interviews and roundtables is what really takes more time. But I can afford to do all this.
What I'm saying is that the GM's that are more busy in real life may not have a lot of time to devote to this league, but with the free time they have, it would be wise of them to make the most of it. And if they do so, they can easily be up to par with the GM's that can spare more time here. If the excuse though is laziness, that's a completely different story.
8. Are you happy with the performance your team has given for the first 5 years? Any regrets? Any different choices you would have made if you could redo everything?
Steve:
Kind of already answered this, but I should have traded away everything and rebuilt from the start. Going .500 for 4 seasons doesn’t really do a whole lot in this league. Play had the right idea.
Ashes:
Seems like I answered part of this already, but yes I am very happy with my team performance. I feel like I've been a top 5 GM here. I've won a World Series and have consistently kept a very good mix of youth and talent. I have some of the best players in the league on my team, and possibly a few future ones in the minors. No regrets really, other than last season's playoff failures. I think the only thing I would've done differently is actually done a playoff export.
Royals:
I am happy with the way I have run my team thus far. There are always some things you regret a long the way, but I've had some good seasons and my team is well received by the fans. I feel that my club is built for a long run and I will continue to add youth and value players to get my team to the playoffs, year after year. If I could spend more, I would have maintained my first season club longer and not dumped like I had too, but that's a product of my market.
SNB914:
I'm content with the way my team has done, overall. Sure, they didn't reach the same level of success that I had envisioned before the rebuild, but I got to see Larry Walker win 3 MVP's (2 GM and 3 Game to be more specific) and Bichette win a Game MVP as well. Seeing them, Castilla, Galarraga, McGwire, Young, Weiss and Burks do as well as they did made me happy, even if the stadium had as much of an effect as everyone else claimed it did.
I fucked up with some of the moves I made though. Trading Helton was completely idiotic. I should've never even considered moving him. Nothing more to say on him. Probably should've traded Burks after 1996 for more pitching. Could've moved better pieces for better pitching, but at the time, I thought the moves I made were good enough. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out that way, but my time will come.
9. What is the best trade you have made thus far and the worst trade you have made?
Steve:
I’m pretty conservative with my team so I don’t make too many trades. My worst was probably moving Ronnie Belliard for some bumfuck MR. Figured I needed bullpen help, but Ronnie had a real nice PD the sim in which I dealt him. Been regretting that since. Think I’ll pass on best trade because I really don’t love any of the deals I’ve made. I’m boring.
Ashes:
I suppose the Sabathia trade was my best. I think I've made a lot of good trades. Higginson deal was pretty nice for me. I managed to flip my players for good young talent and vice versa at the right times. Chavez has turned out amazing for me, and I got him in the big trade with OAK. Stark was a very underrated pick-up. Overall, I don't think I've made any bad trades. At least not that I can remember.
Royals:
I've made good trades, but the best is probably my trade with the Yankees. Royals receive:
SP Mike Nannini
SP Joel Pineiro
C Mike Napoli
2001 NYY 1st round pick
for Andruw Jones.
Napoli did improve through a sim PD, but overall this trade helped reshape my future pitching staff and long term financial freedom to spend on role players moving forward. I was pretty sure that Jones would eventually price himself out of my market.
I do plan on spending to continue to improve my players and these specific players.
My worst trade is probably the Lee for Zito deal, but I really don't regret it because Lee is just getting going and looks to be a very good run producer protecting Beltran and my other young hitters.
SNB914:
I really don't think my worst trade even needs to be mentioned. If you haven't figured it out by now, then get with the program!
I'd have to say my best 2 trades (even though they weren't particularly great) were acquiring Eric Hillman and Mike Sirotka in 1998. Their performances that year certainly gave a huge boost to my rotation and really helped carry the Rockies to the postseason that year.
10. Give me your top 5 hitters and top 5 pitchers from 1996-2000. (Not current, but across the first 5 years combined)
Steve:
Hitters: Larry Walker, Ken Griffey Jr, Frank Thomas, Juan Gonzalez, Mike Piazza. I know I’m forgetting someone major on that list.
Pitchers: Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Kevin Brown. Johan/Kerry will be here for the 10 year roundtable.
Ashes:
Hitters:
1. Ken Griffey Jr. - Oh just a solid 237 HRs those 5 seasons. On pace for like 120 this year...
2. Frank Thomas - Been killing it for Chicago. Big reason why they've been relevant.
3. Juan Gonzalez - Monster hitter. 3-time champion.
4. Manny Ramirez - Beast acquired for pennies on the dollar. Nasty.
5. Larry Walker - Extremely inflated numbers, but numbers nonetheless. Would probably put Helton/Vlad here otherwise.
Pitchers:
1. Pedro Martinez - Easy call here.
2. Greg Maddux - Quietly beasting in Atlanta.
3. Buddy Groom - Another guy that's been doing it year after year.
4. Kevin Brown - Been one of the top pitchers in the league.
5. John Smiley - Another underrated top pitcher.
Royals:
Keith Lockhart !!! what a great surprise he's been. He will retire as one of the best Royals ever, and really surprising to me and the league.
Mike Sweeney - Hated trading him, but he became really expensive really fast and I figured that I could easily find a replacement catcher.
Jeremy Giambi - He's such a great young player and I think he can continue to get better.
Carlos Beltran - Obviously a newer hitter, he's been waiting in the wings. I expect him to be a real force in this league.
Johnny Damon - Largely because he caused so much drama between Break and I. It was pretty funny. He was good a hitter though.
Jose Rosado - He had a couple of really good years, but kept getting beat up in the PD's. I finally dealt him, but I still think he's going to be a good contributor in this league.
Jason Simontacchi - I took my time letting Jason develop and he's on the verge of being a legitimate top of the rotation pitcher for years to come.
Jaime Bluma - He was a very closer for my club, but I found a way to move him out for other assets. He had some good years.
Kevin Appier - He was a very good veteran, but another player that came in very expensive. I would have loved for him to retire as a Royal.
Glendon Rusch - He looks like he's going to be a solid lefty starter, some hits and misses, but overall I think he's a winner.
SNB914:
Seems like Royals wasn't on the same page as the rest of us, but that's ok. I should have been more specific. Anyway, here are my ranks:
Hitters
1. Ken Griffey Jr. - He has simply been the best hitter around and he is clearly on pace to be the home run king. He is a special talent and we're not gonna see another hitter this great for at least 10+ seasons.
2. Larry Walker - Had it not been for the ridiculous home run numbers Griffey put up, Walker would have been in 1st. Regardless of the Coors Field effect, Walker is easily the most decorated hitter in BBSBL history. 3 MVP's, 3 batting titles, 4 time NL OPS leader, 4 time NL leader in runs scored, and the list goes on. He has easily been the best hitter in the NL in BBSBL history. There is no comparison in the Senior Circuit.
3. Frank Thomas - Probably the most feared hitter in the entire league. Griffey might be the biggest power threat overall, but being the Big Hurt, Thomas puts a big hurt on other teams all the time. He has carried the White Sox to the World Series and has always been a class act. Thomas has 214 homers from 1996-2000. That's just awesome!
4. Todd Helton - Helton has been long regarded as the next best thing in BBSBL, but at just 27, he's already won 2 batting titles and has been one of the most consistent hitters around. He is a special talent and should carry the Indians to at least 1 championship in the next few years.
5. Juan Gonzalez - I nearly put Manny here, but the last 2 years for Juan Gone have been simply ridiculous. He nearly won the Triple crown in 2000 and led the A's to the World Series as well. He is an unbelievable hitter and will hopefully last a longer here than he did in reality.
Pitchers
1. Pedro Martinez - There shouldn't really be any debate here. Pedro has been filthy disgustingly good, even before he went to Boston. He is hands down the best pitcher in the game and will most likely hold every single significant career pitching record when he retires. Oh and he will probably have 7 or 8 Cy Young Awards in his resume as well by then.
We might as well rename the Cy Young Award the Pedro Martinez Award in the near future at this rate.
2. Mike Mussina - By far the biggest reason why the Orioles were able to hang around for so long, before Jah finally made a few moves and got more help for his team. Mussina is a special pitcher and Jah should be fortunate to have him.
3. Greg Maddux - The standard of excellence in the National League. The Mad Dog helped lead the Braves to their 1996 championship and he has quietly continued to be one of the best pitchers in the NL.
4. Johan Santana - Just a freak of nature Johan is. He's been the best pitcher in the NL since 1999 and he will continue to dominate for a long time.
5. Buddy Groom - If Pedro Martinez is the ace of the Red Sox, Buddy Groom has been 1A. Groom is as good of a lefty counterpart in any rotation. Had it not been for Pedro, Groom could have easily won a Cy Young Award or two. The trade Break pulled off to get him was genius, especially when considering how well TVP has done for the A's, whom Break traded to Broph.
11. Regarding the recent file issue, were you nervous that BBSBL was possibly close to coming to an end? How long do you think this league can really last?
Steve:
I was pretty worried about it. I suppose we could have always kept resetting back until it worked, but the data corruption sounded pretty bad. I’m hoping that’s all behind us, but this isn’t the first time we’ve dealt with these kinds of issues so it could pop up again.
Ashes:
Nah, wasn't worried at all because I knew it could be fixed. People getting worried over nothing. This is a great league thus it will endure. It should easily be able to last for years, real life time, as long as the GMs participate and Erbes wants to continue it. With a stable core, a league can last a very long time.
Royals:
The file issue happens. It's happened in every league I've been in and there is really nothing you can do about it. We have a lot of good people in this league that care and I was very happy it was resolved.
As long as Erbes continues to care about this league we can move forward, but overall I think it can continue for a long time. Someone would probably step up and keep the sims going.
SNB914:
I wasn't exactly worried, but more concerned generally speaking about the file. I had a gut feeling though that it was gonna work out, and thankfully, it did. The nice thing about this league is that Erbes knows his shit, but if he ever needs help with something, he has 2 excellent resources in Steve and Chris to help him with whatever.
As long as Erbes, Steve and Chris are all here and active, I'm not gonna get worried at all about the file. Again, if Erbes doesn't know something, Steve and/or Chris more than likely will be able to bail him out. All that gives me enough confidence that this league will last a long time.
12. In your opinion, what has been the best and the worst decision that Erbes has made as commissioner?
Steve:
Best: Kicking out danchevy and his alter ego. It really took a while to figure out what was going on, but I think a few GMs noticed it and tipped him off. No-brainer but still. Worst I think is maintaining the rule of dropping your pick if you lose 120 games, etc. I like having a tanking rule, but you shouldn’t drop in the draft. Lose fan interest, fan loyalty, money, whatever. Stupid to drop your pick for tanking.
Ashes:
Best decision? Don't know if I can narrow it down, but I like the last few Winter Meetings and the 20 export rule. Firing danchevyppd was clutch. Worst decision? Maybe we should have kept Greg. We are without a GM there now. Past few drafts have been handled poorly, obviously, but no need to keep harping on it.
Royals:
He makes some really good decisions overall, but the only thing I don't like is endless board cash awards for players. I think having a cap on a specific player is great, but I think we need more constraints on TIA's and IRI's. Let the players develop on their own.
SNB914:
Generally speaking, I have agreed with many of the decisions Erbes has made for this league. The ones I liked the most were the 20 export rule and the improvements for PD reversals and article rewards, among other things. Also real happy he has let Break and I do an awesome job with the yearly awards.
In addition, the season predictions and the trade frenzy shit have both been great and have really encouraged more and more activity, which makes the league that much more fun.
On the other hand, 2 things stand out for me regarding poor decisions Erbes has made in my opinion. The first of which was the way he handled firing D Rowe, when he was active and without even giving him any warnings. Thankfully, soon enough, he let D Rowe and that got resolved rather smoothly.
The other thing for me has been the drafts. I get the busy schedule and all that, but if you are the commish, you gotta step up and get shit done in a timely manner. And if you got a lot of shit going on ahead of time, it would be smart to get the draft done beforehand. I mean it's all done and over with now, but hopefully, the draft process gets better in the future. I can't say Break would definitely want to do the draft ratings again, and my knowledge of the OOTP nuances is not the best, so this could possibly present a challenge going forward.
Oh and more post pads would be nice! At least once every real month would be legit.
13. Do you think we will find a new Dodgers GM by Opening Day? By 2002?
Steve:
Yeah, we’ll find someone. I’m hoping we can get Josh in here. That would be pretty cool. Otherwise, there are always other fish in the sea.
Ashes:
Opening Day? Nay. 2002? Probably so. Maybe we can bring Greg back drowe style. Not sure how to expound on this anymore.
Royals:
I hope so, I'd like to make a deal with the new GM. Dodgers have someone on my radar!!!!
SNB914:
Opening Day has already passed and we still don't have new GM. That being said, I think there will be a new one in 2002, whether Greg comes back or someone else takes the reigns. I would be ok with whatever happens as long as the efforts are made and that the improvement is noticeable. The Dodgers have been more or less irrelevant with both of their GM's thus far. And now, the former GABL commish has left because of his perceptions on certain aspects of this league, which was really unfortunate to see.
Whoever it is, hopefully the new Dodgers GM will make that team relevant again.
Tommy can't be happy with the revolving door known as the Dodgers' ownership.
14. With expansion on the way, how would you evaluate the picks that the Diamondbacks and Devil Rays have been making? Which of the two teams do you think will find success first?
Steve:
I really have not been paying attention to their draft picks. But, I do know that the Rays will be more successful because Mark is a really good GM. Nothing against Darell, I’m sure he’ll do well also. But I’m going with the proven vet.
Ashes:
Solid picks on both sides, but Arizona has Adrian Gonzalez, who looks like a future star in the making. I think Arizona will find success first. Pretty weak division overall, Giants will be declining, Padres are still a question mark, and the Rockies and Dodgers are garbage. It remains to be seen how he fares assembling a team, but I think Darell has the advantage coming out of the gates.
Royals:
Well it's way to early to determine the winner there. The expansion draft is pivotal in that decision. Which one goes with vets to be competitive and which team tries to build up a young core. It's very hard to decide that now. I did an expansion draft years ago in GABL, as the Rays, and I tried to go young and it took me forever to get competitive. Who's to say what's right or wrong?
I do like Big Game James, though, we'll see who spends the most time on working their teams and bringing in talent.
SNB914:
I like the moves both expansion teams have been making, but to me, the nod goes to Darell and the Diamondbacks. They are in a weaker division that has been owned by the Giants since the beginning. Meanwhile, the Rays will have contend with the powerful Red Sox, the rebounding Yankees, the persistent Orioles and the questionable Jays. Yikes! Sounds like the Rays are gonna be in last place there for a long while.
To Darell's credit, he is an OOTP vet himself and one of the guys that got me into OOTP to begin with. He knows his shit and could certainly become a 3rd wheel to the future Rockies-Padres rivalry.
A-Gone and company could lead the Diamondbacks to some early success in the near future.
15. In your opinion, what was the best single season for a hitter and pitcher thus far in BBSBL history?
Steve:
Larry Walker 1998: .365, 41 HR, 146 RBI. 1.118 OPS. And with 62 SB. Ugh. Although, Griffey’s gonna beat that this season.
Pedro Martinez 1999: 30-4, 2.48 ERA. I could go with the season before when he had a sub-2.00 ERA, but I’ll go with the season with 30 wins.
Ashes:
Pitcher:
Oh, you know, that one time Pedro won 30 games, struck out 323 batters, and posted a 2.48 ERA.
Batter:
Ken Griffey Jr's 1999 season: 56 HRs, 159 RBI, 1.029 OPS
Royals:
Ken Griffey Jr. - He's still young, still raking and quite honestly could break every power related record in the game. I'd love to have him, but eh, can't afford those big tickets in KC.
Pedro has been amazing, but I think Johan is on track for greatness. He's young and just getting started. I would have to say it's pretty much a 1A 1B type scenario.
SNB914:
My answers are the same as Steve's: 1998 Larry Walker for hitters and 1999 Pedro Martinez for pitchers.
Walker's 1998 season was ridiculous! 41/62!!! Are you kidding me? Completely outta this world. Add in 154 runs scored, 224 hits, 56 doubles, 8 triples, 146 RBI, 75 walks, a .365/.435/.684 stat line, a 1.118 OPS and a ridiculous number of total bases, and it would be very difficult for anyone to beat that.
Griffey's 1999 season was actually very close, but the much higher average and 62 steals for Walker put him over the top with the best and most complete offensive season ever.
There shouldn't be any debate on the pitching side. Pedro's 30 wins, 2.48 ERA, 327 innings pitched, and 323 strikeouts are simply amazing. Those are once in a generation stats you will see.
16. Which of the 30 GM's here do you think would be the most successful real life MLB GM and why?
Steve:
Hmm. I would say Play, but I could see him getting in trouble for calling a reporter a faggot. I think I’ll say Chris. No real reason. He just seems like he’d be able to run a team.
Ashes:
Lol God, none of us. Come on now. Some of us flip players like crazy, some of us cling to players and refuse to do anything, and some of us tank like crazy. We'd probably all be fired in a heartbeat for some combination of terrible finances, awful decisions, or expectations of trading draft picks. Seriously, half the league would be fired for tanking, 1/4 fired for doing nothing, and the rest fired for trading away the entire team twice over.
Royals:
I would be the most successful because I have experience in the game, and have always fielded competitive teams with a very sound budget.
I guess everyone here has the dream of working as a General Manager, I think I would work long days and surround myself with smart, positive and educated people to do the best for my team. Being a GM seems so wonderful from a afar, but I can't even imagine the pressure involved in shaping a sports franchise, top to bottom, daunting.
SNB914:
As hilarious as it would be see Play turn into the Ozzie Guillen of GM's with one ridiculous press conference after another, my choice would be Ashes.
Ashes claims to not be into real life baseball much, so his completely lack of bias would help him make very good decisions and not cling to players too much just because they are fan favorites for a certain team. I would just be more confident in Ashes' abilities than anyone else if I had to choose.
Spencer, Play, Break and Broph are my honorable mentions for this.
17. Finally, rank your top 5 best/smartest/most intelligent GM's from the first 5 seasons, based on decision making skills in particular. Also, please rank your top 5 forum posters from the first 5 seasons combined.
Steve:
I hate this question. For the first 5 seasons I guess I’ll go Spencer, Matt, Play, Ashes, Waldo. For posting I’ll go Waldo (or maybe it’s been his grandma this whole time, who knows anymore), Chris, Ashes, Play, James.
Ashes:
I feel like I'm top 5 or 6 here for this question, but I hate grading/ranking myself so I won't.
GMs:
1. Spencer - Two titles, dominated his division the entire time and will probably continue it a little longer. He manage to keep his talent in high regard (even if it's only him regarding them as such) and wins games. For the most part, makes great decisions that allow him to field a competitive team even with a high payroll. He hasn't focused too much on the future, which has been fine with his weaker division, but it may come back to bite him soon.
2. Broph - Always calculated, broph has adjusted very well to OOTP. He's won a title recently and has assembled an outstanding team. He rarely gets the worst end of trades and always looks to improve his team while maintaining a solid future. Broph has gotten his team to the point where he can sustain pretty high expenses and still make money, so I don't see his team fading any time soon. His team is essentially in its prime and he has some solid young talent to go along with it. Very good job by broph.
3. Play - Assembled an awesome team while maintaining a ton of good prospects. Hasn't won anything yet, but I'm sure he'll get one soon. Never makes bad moves, but sometimes that keeps him from making truly great ones. He's a smart, dedicated GMs who is always taking into account every aspect of the game and his team. He has his squad in position to have the success and longevity that a lot of teams can only dream of.
4. Styro - Styro is an interesting case. He makes great decisions for the most part, and never makes bad moves, but I feel his love for youth always seems to get the better of him. I haven't had to worry about Styro too much because I know I just have to wait for that one rough month that he inevitably hits and wait for him to mail it in for the season. Still, he's got unbelievable talent in the majors and minors, and is always looking to deal, which makes him potentially dangerous. The success isn't quite there yet, but he'll get there.
5. Waldo - More successful than most GMs, and makes better decisions than most GMs. That's not to say he hasn't had a head-scratcher here or there (Who knows how the AL would've shaped up last season had he not traded me Randy), but for the most part he's ahead of the game. He's always steadily improving his team, who already had the fortune of having Frank Thomas. He's drafted pretty well, signed good FAs, and traded for positions of need. With Cleveland disappearing, KC and MIN stuck in neutral, and Steve doing whatever Steve is doing, Waldo has his division on lock I'd say.
Posters:
1. Steve - Always useful and enjoyable. I feel Steve is like the Juwan Howard of the Miami Heat. Holds it together with his wisdom and camaraderie, while looking good in a suit on the bench.
2. Play - Speaks his mind, albeit sometimes a little too much, but is active beyond belief. Can't put a price on play's loyalty and contribution.
3. Styro - A bit harsher than the aforementioned at times, but definitely in the same mold, probably less loyalty. In the end though, brings activity, always chimes in, and keeps a lot of posters here on their toes. Need a guy like Styro in a league.
4. Habes - I've enjoyed habes lately. If you ever need someone to come in and throw words like "misogyny", call an argument/discussion/person/concept/etc "terrible/horrible/insufferable/repulsive/disastrous" then post about taking a dump or snapchat artistry, Haberman is your man, man. Pepper in a bit of white knighting and the first line of defense for the Jewish population, you've got one heck of a fellow just down 290 from me.
5. Royals - Grown on me a bit lately. Still a bit fussy here and there, but I suppose it comes with age. Very active and spry for one of the few blokes older than Spencer, but he seems to have thick enough skin to take things in stride and contribute himself. Plus, when you get an invitation to take things to the streets from play34basketball himself, I'd say you're doing things right.
Royals:
Spencer is always a royal pain in the ass. He's a very competitive guy and is not afraid to make ANY trade to win. He rarely rebuilds, and when he does, he's usually back in the mix again quickly.
Matt (Braves) is also a very smart and competitive guy. He likes to win and rarely tanks.
The others would be the Marlins, Expos and Cubs bosses. They have all spent a lot of time on the boards, swinging deals, improving their players and keeping things lively. I find that these three will be formidable managers, long term.
As far as posters....I like a lot of the banter, some of it is really hilarious, especially Erbes in a kayak with some PBR. Listening to One Direction on his Sony Discman.
Generally I find Break, SNB, Stutter, Chris and Broph very entertaining.
I'm not great with everyone and their real names, but needless to say this forum is funny as hell and I think we should collectively pitch as reality show based on some of this shit haha.
SNB914:
First off, LOL @ the thought of Erbes kayaking while listening to One Direction! Could totally picture that for real.
Top 5 GM's (in no particular order):
- Spencer: This guy has been a serious pain in the ass as my main rival for much of this league's history. Just when I thought my Rockies were gonna improve, the Giants just kept getting better and their relentlessness is why my team has yet to win a division title. Spencer though does make really good and timely trades and just has that natural sense in when to make the right move at the right time. He's just that gifted I guess.
- Ashes: Ashes has made some great moves over the first 5 seasons, won a championship, did a mini rebuild, and now the Marlins are back to being a World Series contender. He just knows what he is doing and like Spencer, has that gifted ability to make the right moves at the right time. Unfortunately, he will be leaving us soon for military duties, but the Marlins are still gonna do work in the NL East for a long time.
- Break: All bullshit of all kinds aside, Break has made some critical moves, has gotten just about all of his favorite players aside from Papi and has been the most successful GM in the AL thus far. He has made Nomar and Manny into 2 amazing cornerstone hitters and Pedro and Buddy Groom into a lethal 1-2 punch in the Sox' rotation. That championship will come 1 day for him. Time will tell when it happens.
- Play: This guy has made brilliant trades and has put together the best overall pitching staff around. The Cubbies are gonna be running the NL Central for a very long time and despite ignoring his lineup more than his pitching, the Cubs are a very talented team and maybe one day that extremely long curse dating back to 1908 will end here.
- BravesGM/CSC5782: I really had a hard time choosing between either Matt or Chris, so I just decided to include both for basically the same reason. Both the Braves and Astros have been very successful in the regular seasons. Both teams have made the postseason in 4 of 5 seasons and the Braves also won that 1st ever BBSBL championship and that has to account for something.
Both teams have developed amazing hitters and great pitchers, although clearly, the Astros have the better lineup and the Braves of course have the better pitching.
However, aside from the Braves' 1996 championship, both teams have somehow struggled to find success in the postseason. Both teams have endured tough postseason losses, which makes the 2 teams that much more similar.
Broph barely missed the cut on this.
Top 5 Posters: (in no particular order)
- Steve: One of the backbones of this community, Steve is one of the most fair and considerate GM's here and he knows how to act in certain situations. If he needs be serious, he can do that well. If it's a time to joke around, he's good with that too. And then of course there are the endless Jeff Cirillo posts. Nothing more needs to be said on that.
- Ashes: Like Steve, Ashes is another backbone of this community. In other words, both of the them are 2 of the main reasons why all of us have been able to stick together and coexist reasonably well. Ashes definitely can offer a lot of serious insight on certain topics, but he's got a soft side to him as well and he cares about how all of us are doing. I think we all should appreciate that from him.
- Habes: Recently, Habes has really moved up my posting ranks. He has been significantly more active, which is always nice to see and he has done a great job keeping us loose. The Jimmy Johns shit is starting to get old, but everything else from Haberdog has been rather funny and great to see. We need people like him and James in this league to tone down all the egotistical shit here.
Speaking of James... I wish he would post more. He's funny too.
- Waldo: Waldo is another guy here that keeps us all loose with his random videos and unusual posts. Just a good guy up in here and a distinct kind of presence that is nice to have.
- Play: As much as Play and I have sparred in the past and argued with each other, his contributions and efforts around here are almost unmatched. This guy cares a ton about this league and everything about it. He clearly wants this league to be very successful and last a long time. Yes he does troll quite a bit, but he talks shit to his closer friends as well, so I can't really say that he only targets certain people with his trolling.
Speaking of trolling, if Play toned it down a bit with that, that would be enough for me to put him on the same level as Steve and Ashes as another true leader of this community. To me, that's pretty much the only difference between him and them.
Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer these, guys! Best of luck going forward.
