Post by Spencer on Jun 14, 2013 14:49:12 GMT -5
Here is the Second Clique Roundtable! BTW is in LOngballer but wasnt listed in Erbes article so I replaced Stutter with BTW. These guys don't like to pontificate so I will write more of my own opinions. Thanks!
1. So first things first, whats up with Longballer? Good league? Who runs it? Best Gm there that isnt here? Why isnt that dude here? Rank each other in that league 1-5! Thanks.
BTW - The guy who runs LBB is the Cleveland Indians GM. He's a good guy, most consistent commish in any of my leagues. He sims every Tue/Thur/Sun like clockwork at 10pm. He's maybe missed twice in the 6 seasons I've been there. It's a good league, but highly inactive. The best guy there that isn't here is the STL GM. He won't be here because he's not interested in joining a new league, and he's known all of us for a while from our previous gaming.
1. Colorado - Me
2. Florida - Darell
3. Boston - DRowe
4. New York(N) - Shale
5. Los Angeles(N) - Stutter
DRowe - Meh, Longballer holds a special place in my heart because it is the first league I joined, but it really isn't very active, and it something I barely pay attention to anymore. I would say the guy who runs the Orioles over there... he has been pretty dominant in that league, would be interesting to see what he could do here, plus he is probably the most active person in that league.
SNB - In my opinion, Long Baller is decent. It's currently run by the guy who I believe was the original Dodgers GM here. A good friend of mine named PuddlesofDoom used to run that league or a while though. He's definitely one of the better GM's there.
In that league, certain teams have been running their divisions since I first joined in what I believe was 2032. We are now in 2036. The Orioles, Twins, Rangers, Nationals and Diamondbacks have always been the cream of the crop there since I joined. Break's Rockies have become elite as well recently. The NL Central has been a toss-up more often than not.
I'd say that the Orioles are probably the best there that isn't here because his team is just always loaded and he averages over 110 wins a season since I got there. Unfortunately, I really don't know anyone else there except the Rockies, Jays, Red Sox, Cardinals, Marlins, Rockies and Royals. Some other friends of mine have been in it in the past, but decided to quit.
I recently found out that Big Buhner is the Rays there and Spencer, you may know the Rangers and Astros GM's there as the Giants and Rockies GM's in GABL.
Darell - Longballer is an awesome league its very quiet though, other than the trade deadlin and the draft GMs very rarely post on the forums. Our commish is awesome dude always gets his sims in and hes been doing it for a while. There are a couple people in longballer that wouldnt mind joining another OOTP league but whats preventing them from making that leap is the whole board cash system, I gotta admit it stopped me from joining but I finally gave in. I would rank me first, then break, Drowe,Shale,Stutter and I think thats everyone.
...Longballer seems pretty meh to me. I mean it seems to have been around long enough that people have an affinity for it, but its almost like they should restart in the 60s and contract. Sometimes thats more fun.
2. How does BBSBL stack up to Longballer. Whats better? Whats worse? Thanks.
BTW - It's more consistently simmed, and the commissioner doesn't let who he may like or not like determine his actions. Other than that Erbes is better as far as activity and interaction with the community.
DRowe - BBSBL is much better- way more active, the articles are awesome, Player improvement is awesome, basically I would say that BBSBL is better in every way
SNB - BBSBL is just so much better than Long Baller in almost every way. BBSBL is 10x more active than Long Baller, which at one point had at least 8 open teams. It was pathetic. I was the Yankees there originally and it wasn't fun. After I realized I fucked that team, I decided to move to the Mets who now have a legit farm system.
The forum on Long Baller is all but dead and the pace of the league is consistent, but sorta slow. The draft takes place in June of each season and I've forgot to attend some of them, which goes to show how little activity is required there. The same teams seem to contend all the time and it can make the league boring for everyone else.
Darell - BBSBL is superior to longballer in a lot of ways but that doesnt mean I dont enjoy longballer, I like that I can spend 5-10 mins every week and its enough. In BBSBL you see a lot more trade activity, in longballer you will usually only see trade activity pick up around the deadline and even then you dont see the minor moves you see in BBSBL. I really dont see anything worse about BBSBL but both leagues have their quirks, obviously longballer is the league Im having fun being a part of because I have a team there but it isnt by much.
...Its nice to see how good BBSBL is. Erbes and Steve have done a great job This version is the tits. And Erbes is continuing to fix the problems this sim engine has. Its an amazing league right now. Primetime.
3. What do you think about theose BBS trolls Styro, Play and Ashes? Hate those fuckers like I do?
BTW - Ashes and Play both know how to be reasonable when they need to be, unlike Styro. With that said, Styro is definitely the most entertaining as someone who appreciates a good troll sometimes. He does go overboard sometimes as a lot of trolls do though.
DRowe - Meh, I think Play and Ashes are cool, Styro can be obnoxious but he can also be hilarious. I wouldn't say I really have a problem with any of them, but of course they can aggravate me at times too...
SNB - Ashes for one I get along very well with. I don't really have anything to complain about him. As for those other 2...
I'll get to Styro first. When I first got here, Styro did annoy me sometimes and I went off on him once to the point that Erbes PM'd me and said that Styro was just fuckin around and that I shouldn't take him seriously. After that happened, I haven't really taken him seriously. Once in a while, he will tick me off, but again, I don't take his shit seriously anymore.
Finally, Play has been one of the more difficult personalities for me to figure out. He says he's keep it real, so after I read a few things about his background and expecting that he would stay true to his word, I expected that he was really trying to act like a hardcore gangsta here. However, I have since discovered that that is not the case, especially after noticing that he likes boy band pop shit.
In reality though, do I hate anyone here as a real human being? Not at all. This is an internet forum, and although emotions sometimes can get the best of us (and they have gotten the best of me too many times), there is no reason to really hold long grudges against others over bullshit. A lot of this shit here is just misunderstandings and different perceptions anyway. We all just need to move on when the time is right.
Darell - I love those fuckers like you dont, not sure if I agree about ashes being a troll though. I dont consider them trolls they just speak their mind, sometimes they push it too far but if its in Break or Shale's expense its all in good fun.
...People need to learn that lots of people on the internet are trolls. I love Play, Ashes and Styro a ton. They are some of my favorite online people. They will always be invited to any league Im in for the rest of my life. But they are very opinionated people. Theyre smart. They communicate well. They like to argue. It makes for great online personalities. Sometimes you have to know when to just let them win though. Walk away. Etc. Sometimes they just argue to fuck with people.
4. What does the future hold for you guys here? Can you guys compete for titles? Is anyone gonna represent you guys in the playoffs?
BTW - Considering I have the same amount of World Series appearances as you, I find this question laughable. I think that all of us minus stutter have what it takes. Darell has 2 WS titles in his time in LBB, and I'
DRowe - I think I can compete, my team is set up pretty well for a long run. I have a pretty talented, young team, Iif I can just fill a few holes in the upcoming offseasons I expect to make a run, and be competitive for a long time.
SNB - I think Break has already done a very good job with that and has arguably been the best team in the AL since BBSBL began. I expect him to get at least 1 ring before Nomar and Manny both retire. On the other hand, it really looks like he might be cursed with winning championships...
Yeah we all will be legit and compete when the timing is right. I'll be back in the mix in a couple seasons. The Reds could possibly make some noise. The Indians should be able to control the AL Central once Waldo's window is up and Darell should not be taken lightly by any means. He is an OOTP vet and knows how to win.
Darell - Break is probably the most likely to have sustained success but Drowe isnt too far behind with the recent trade for Helton. Me and Shale might be the last ones to make it to the playoffs, Stutter might get there before us though.
..Im excited to see what CLE does. He has a nice young core. Some nice players. And hes blending youth and VETs. Always smart. BOS needs to rebuild soon probably. But theyve been dominant. COL is gonna have it rough in that park I think. Also think Dareel is gonna need to be a special GM to compete in the NL West. I might never rebuild and Habes is coming strong.
5. Tell me about your team. What do you like? What do you need? Whats your 3 year plan? Compete, rebuild, chaos?
BTW - My 3 year plan is to ride it out and hopefully win a world series. Rebuild in 04 is possible depending on how things look and the aging of my team is going. I need a couple young arms to replace my aging ones, and with Telemaco I think I have one, just looking for another.
DRowe - I like the fact that my team is really young and doing fairly well, I think I need a pitcher or two, maybe some bullpen help, and another Outfielder, or two after this season. If I can fill just a couple of the roles that are weak on my team, I think I can do well. I think I'll be the next one to do it. After that I am not sure who will be next, Maybe Stutter, if he can beef his team up a bit, he is in a tough league and a tough division.
SNB - I like my stadium for hitting. I like Derrick Gibson, Edgardo Alfonzo and Tony Clark. I might try to trade Clark in the offseason though. I need more prospects in almost every area. I need a genuine ace in the near future and I could always use more pitching beyond that.
My current rebuild is in its 1st year and will continue in 2001. I don't know if the Rockies will be ready to compete in 2002, but should be good to go by 2003 or 2004. By then, I see the Padres as my main competition, but that of course depends on what Darell decides to do with the D-Backs.
Darell - I like the start to my team so far and if Adrian can avoid any terrible PDs ill be happy, I have to see what my team looks like after the expansion draft before think aboit rebuilding or competing.
...I cant wait to see what Shale does. He is gonna be able to restart and rebuild to his liking. I cant w3ait to see how he handles his park. Will also be fun to see Darell build a team from scratch. A little jealous of that.
6. Which of the Gms do you like here? Who is easy to talk to? Who can you trade with?
BTW - The easiest person for me to trade with has probably been Spencer, we've made a few deals and he always talks sense unlike a lot of GM's around here. Ashes and Styro are easy to talk to, and I've had easy talks with Erbes surprisingly enough. The two trades we've made have been smoothly talked out within 10 minutes.
DRowe - I like most of the GM's here, I can trade talk with a lot of people, the one person I can't seem to talk to is Play... he always refuses to give me any sort of offer, but demands Noel from me... if he wants Noel he has to send me an offer... I'm done playing his little game, whatever that happens to be.
SNB - I like everyone here to be honest. Play and Styro irk me sometimes, but I'm trying to get better at dealing with them. Erbes also annoys me sometimes, but it's easy to tell that he's only doing that because he thinks I'm an easy target and because I'm a Mets fan.
I feel the more active GM's are easier to talk with than the less active GM's and they all know who they are.
For trades, I'm ok with dealing with just about anyone. I got one hilarious lopsided offer for Castilla in I think 1998 from Chris, but that's now water under the bridge. I can negotiate and I feel that I'm easygoing as well, which can help with negotiations for sure.
Darell - I like everyone here, havent really had a chance to discuss trades with anyone other than Spencer and he seems pretty cool.
...Always nice to be on these lists. I hate when guys are unreasonable. Im having so much trouble in GABL because I made a couple bad trades and now Im rebuilding and people are sending me shit offers. Makes it so uninteresting when people give demeaning low ball offers. Hopefully BBSBL never gets there.
7. Pick one player off each of these teams and rank them 1-4. CLE/ARI/CIN/COL.
BTW - 1. CLE - Todd Helton
2. BOS - Pedro Martinez
3. ARI - Adrian Gonzelez
4. COL - Derrick Gibson
DRowe - 1. CLE- Grant Balfour
2. ARI- Adrian Gonzalez
3. CIN- Josh Beckett
4. COL- Dustin Mcgowan pretty mediocre pickings in Colorado...
SNB - 1. Pedro Martinez - best pitcher in the games hands down and his career numbers here easily look like they will blow away his real life numbers as long as he stays healthy.
2. Todd Helton - One of the best hitters around and he's gonna have an amazing career as well. A consistent perennial AL MVP contender.
3. Derrick Gibson - I have no clue who to pick from my rebuilding squad, but among those I have, Gibson has the brightest future of anyone. Not sure if he will put up consistent Blake Street Bomber-like numbers, but they should be at least close to that.
4. Adrian Gonzalez - Too early to tell how the careers of anyone on the Diamondbacks or Rays will turn out, but if anyone on the D-Backs will be a stud, it's gonna be A-Gone. That's the future Mr. Diamondback right there, all complete with the sun rooftop and will definitely be diggin in the scene with a gangsta lean.
Darell - 1.Todd Helton
2.Lance Berkman
3. Adrian Gonzalez
4. Since the rockies dont have any players on their roster worth mentioning...David Wright
...These guys didnt really give any insight besides Shale. Also the change in GMs participating screwed things up. Helton and Balfour are nasty. CLE should be good for awhile. Gonzalez looks great. Stud 1B #4 guys are nice. Berkman is nasty in CIN. Pedro is amazing. Best SP around. COL will have 2 guys from the next draft that should be on this list, but right now theyre hurting. Gibson is mediocre.
8. Who has the best squad in BBSBL? Consider the major league team and the minor league spects.
BTW - Cleveland easily. He's got major league talent and a stacked minors system still. I've got the best ML team but it doesn't come close to the balance he has
DRowe - Hmm... Probably Montreal, he is 6th in Power Rankings right now, down from 1st, and he has the 2nd best Minor League System. Looks like a pretty strong overall club.
SNB - I'd have to say the Marlins. They got CC, Stark, Eric Chavez and Juan Pierre already up, to go along with a sick veteran core of Vlad, Walker, Kent, Bobby Higginson, Smiley, Randy Johnson and Andy Benes.
And then they still have Miguel Cabrera and a few other good spects still in the minors. What a phenomenal organization Ashes has made the Marlins into! Jeffrey Loria should seriously be taking notes...
Darell - Its really hard to say, ive got it narrowed down to to the cubbies and red sox. Id probably give it to the cubs because of how much depth he has at starting pitching and then he also has John Lackey waiting in his minors. Not only does he have depth, all of his studs are really young. His window might be bigger than anyone else's, assuming he can resign his guys.
...Shocked no one said CHI(N). Theyre stacked. FLA has to be the answer though. He has soo much talent. Amazing talent. And spects still. Ashes has done great.
9. Name 1 future BBSBLer that you need to have. Give me their ratings.
BTW - Dustin Pedroia
B/B/A/A/G/B Speed: C Stealing Ability: B
DRowe - Stephen Strasburg- G/G/B/G/B
SNB - We've all discussed a certain someone too much...
Thus, I'd have to go with Joey Votto because he could possibly become the most talented hitter in BBSBL history. I can't possibly think of a hitter in the future that will be rated better than him overall. (Too early to tell if Trout will really live up to his rookie season throughout his career)
I'd personally give Votto the following ratings:
- Brilliant in Hits
- Brilliant in Doubles
- Fair in Triples
- Good in Home Runs
- Brilliant in Walks
- Average in Strikeouts
- D in Running Speed
- D in Stealing Ability
- A range at 1B (.993 fielding %)
Darell - David Wright...just so Shale cant get him and his ratings?
Good/Brilliant/Brilliant/Average/Average/Fair
...Once again not much insight. None of these ratings seem reaslitic to me, but I dont watch much MLB besides the Giants. I cant wait to see Mike Trout. So many great young players. Lucky time to love baseball right now.
10. Who is the team to beat in each League? Who will win the next BBSBL Crown? Why?
BTW - The team to beat in the AL is easily the A's, and in the NL it's the Marlins. I think that if it's not my year, it's definitely Brophs'.
DRowe - Oakland in the AL and Florida in the NL... I would put my money on Oakland winning it all this year, and if not this year, next year or the year after, max. Team looks great. 1st overall in Batting Average, and Runs Score, top 10 in all the catergories that matter.
SNB - The A's are certainly on the rise in the AL, but until they get past the Red Sox, the Sox are still the team to beat in the AL in my opinion.
For a while, I thought the NL was the Cubs' to lose, but my opinion there has now changed. I now believe the Marlins are the best and most balanced team in the NL and they look like a World Series favorite to me right now.
With that being said, I expect a repeat of the 1997 World Series to occur with the Marlins defeating the Red Sox. As I said, Ashes has done a remarkable job with putting his team together and they look scary good now. Get Walker a ring please!
Darell - The team to beat in the AL would be Boston and the NL is Chicago. Im going to stick with my preseason prediction of picking Chicago to win it all. Their pitching staff is so deep that if one guy has a bad outing the next guy can step up and throw a CG shutout. I know Pedro has looked otherwordly as of late but he looked vulnerable earlier in the season and if he doesnt have a guy that can go toe to toe with Johan and Wood, its going to be tough for him.
...FLA and CHI will be awesome. Cant wait for that showdown. Hopefully one of them dosnt make it and I can squeeze in. OAK has to be the favorite in the American League but Boston and Chicago(A) are talented too. Should be a great post season.
1. So first things first, whats up with Longballer? Good league? Who runs it? Best Gm there that isnt here? Why isnt that dude here? Rank each other in that league 1-5! Thanks.
BTW - The guy who runs LBB is the Cleveland Indians GM. He's a good guy, most consistent commish in any of my leagues. He sims every Tue/Thur/Sun like clockwork at 10pm. He's maybe missed twice in the 6 seasons I've been there. It's a good league, but highly inactive. The best guy there that isn't here is the STL GM. He won't be here because he's not interested in joining a new league, and he's known all of us for a while from our previous gaming.
1. Colorado - Me
2. Florida - Darell
3. Boston - DRowe
4. New York(N) - Shale
5. Los Angeles(N) - Stutter
DRowe - Meh, Longballer holds a special place in my heart because it is the first league I joined, but it really isn't very active, and it something I barely pay attention to anymore. I would say the guy who runs the Orioles over there... he has been pretty dominant in that league, would be interesting to see what he could do here, plus he is probably the most active person in that league.
SNB - In my opinion, Long Baller is decent. It's currently run by the guy who I believe was the original Dodgers GM here. A good friend of mine named PuddlesofDoom used to run that league or a while though. He's definitely one of the better GM's there.
In that league, certain teams have been running their divisions since I first joined in what I believe was 2032. We are now in 2036. The Orioles, Twins, Rangers, Nationals and Diamondbacks have always been the cream of the crop there since I joined. Break's Rockies have become elite as well recently. The NL Central has been a toss-up more often than not.
I'd say that the Orioles are probably the best there that isn't here because his team is just always loaded and he averages over 110 wins a season since I got there. Unfortunately, I really don't know anyone else there except the Rockies, Jays, Red Sox, Cardinals, Marlins, Rockies and Royals. Some other friends of mine have been in it in the past, but decided to quit.
I recently found out that Big Buhner is the Rays there and Spencer, you may know the Rangers and Astros GM's there as the Giants and Rockies GM's in GABL.
Darell - Longballer is an awesome league its very quiet though, other than the trade deadlin and the draft GMs very rarely post on the forums. Our commish is awesome dude always gets his sims in and hes been doing it for a while. There are a couple people in longballer that wouldnt mind joining another OOTP league but whats preventing them from making that leap is the whole board cash system, I gotta admit it stopped me from joining but I finally gave in. I would rank me first, then break, Drowe,Shale,Stutter and I think thats everyone.
...Longballer seems pretty meh to me. I mean it seems to have been around long enough that people have an affinity for it, but its almost like they should restart in the 60s and contract. Sometimes thats more fun.
2. How does BBSBL stack up to Longballer. Whats better? Whats worse? Thanks.
BTW - It's more consistently simmed, and the commissioner doesn't let who he may like or not like determine his actions. Other than that Erbes is better as far as activity and interaction with the community.
DRowe - BBSBL is much better- way more active, the articles are awesome, Player improvement is awesome, basically I would say that BBSBL is better in every way
SNB - BBSBL is just so much better than Long Baller in almost every way. BBSBL is 10x more active than Long Baller, which at one point had at least 8 open teams. It was pathetic. I was the Yankees there originally and it wasn't fun. After I realized I fucked that team, I decided to move to the Mets who now have a legit farm system.
The forum on Long Baller is all but dead and the pace of the league is consistent, but sorta slow. The draft takes place in June of each season and I've forgot to attend some of them, which goes to show how little activity is required there. The same teams seem to contend all the time and it can make the league boring for everyone else.
Darell - BBSBL is superior to longballer in a lot of ways but that doesnt mean I dont enjoy longballer, I like that I can spend 5-10 mins every week and its enough. In BBSBL you see a lot more trade activity, in longballer you will usually only see trade activity pick up around the deadline and even then you dont see the minor moves you see in BBSBL. I really dont see anything worse about BBSBL but both leagues have their quirks, obviously longballer is the league Im having fun being a part of because I have a team there but it isnt by much.
...Its nice to see how good BBSBL is. Erbes and Steve have done a great job This version is the tits. And Erbes is continuing to fix the problems this sim engine has. Its an amazing league right now. Primetime.
3. What do you think about theose BBS trolls Styro, Play and Ashes? Hate those fuckers like I do?
BTW - Ashes and Play both know how to be reasonable when they need to be, unlike Styro. With that said, Styro is definitely the most entertaining as someone who appreciates a good troll sometimes. He does go overboard sometimes as a lot of trolls do though.
DRowe - Meh, I think Play and Ashes are cool, Styro can be obnoxious but he can also be hilarious. I wouldn't say I really have a problem with any of them, but of course they can aggravate me at times too...
SNB - Ashes for one I get along very well with. I don't really have anything to complain about him. As for those other 2...
I'll get to Styro first. When I first got here, Styro did annoy me sometimes and I went off on him once to the point that Erbes PM'd me and said that Styro was just fuckin around and that I shouldn't take him seriously. After that happened, I haven't really taken him seriously. Once in a while, he will tick me off, but again, I don't take his shit seriously anymore.
Finally, Play has been one of the more difficult personalities for me to figure out. He says he's keep it real, so after I read a few things about his background and expecting that he would stay true to his word, I expected that he was really trying to act like a hardcore gangsta here. However, I have since discovered that that is not the case, especially after noticing that he likes boy band pop shit.
In reality though, do I hate anyone here as a real human being? Not at all. This is an internet forum, and although emotions sometimes can get the best of us (and they have gotten the best of me too many times), there is no reason to really hold long grudges against others over bullshit. A lot of this shit here is just misunderstandings and different perceptions anyway. We all just need to move on when the time is right.
Darell - I love those fuckers like you dont, not sure if I agree about ashes being a troll though. I dont consider them trolls they just speak their mind, sometimes they push it too far but if its in Break or Shale's expense its all in good fun.
...People need to learn that lots of people on the internet are trolls. I love Play, Ashes and Styro a ton. They are some of my favorite online people. They will always be invited to any league Im in for the rest of my life. But they are very opinionated people. Theyre smart. They communicate well. They like to argue. It makes for great online personalities. Sometimes you have to know when to just let them win though. Walk away. Etc. Sometimes they just argue to fuck with people.
4. What does the future hold for you guys here? Can you guys compete for titles? Is anyone gonna represent you guys in the playoffs?
BTW - Considering I have the same amount of World Series appearances as you, I find this question laughable. I think that all of us minus stutter have what it takes. Darell has 2 WS titles in his time in LBB, and I'
DRowe - I think I can compete, my team is set up pretty well for a long run. I have a pretty talented, young team, Iif I can just fill a few holes in the upcoming offseasons I expect to make a run, and be competitive for a long time.
SNB - I think Break has already done a very good job with that and has arguably been the best team in the AL since BBSBL began. I expect him to get at least 1 ring before Nomar and Manny both retire. On the other hand, it really looks like he might be cursed with winning championships...
Yeah we all will be legit and compete when the timing is right. I'll be back in the mix in a couple seasons. The Reds could possibly make some noise. The Indians should be able to control the AL Central once Waldo's window is up and Darell should not be taken lightly by any means. He is an OOTP vet and knows how to win.
Darell - Break is probably the most likely to have sustained success but Drowe isnt too far behind with the recent trade for Helton. Me and Shale might be the last ones to make it to the playoffs, Stutter might get there before us though.
..Im excited to see what CLE does. He has a nice young core. Some nice players. And hes blending youth and VETs. Always smart. BOS needs to rebuild soon probably. But theyve been dominant. COL is gonna have it rough in that park I think. Also think Dareel is gonna need to be a special GM to compete in the NL West. I might never rebuild and Habes is coming strong.
5. Tell me about your team. What do you like? What do you need? Whats your 3 year plan? Compete, rebuild, chaos?
BTW - My 3 year plan is to ride it out and hopefully win a world series. Rebuild in 04 is possible depending on how things look and the aging of my team is going. I need a couple young arms to replace my aging ones, and with Telemaco I think I have one, just looking for another.
DRowe - I like the fact that my team is really young and doing fairly well, I think I need a pitcher or two, maybe some bullpen help, and another Outfielder, or two after this season. If I can fill just a couple of the roles that are weak on my team, I think I can do well. I think I'll be the next one to do it. After that I am not sure who will be next, Maybe Stutter, if he can beef his team up a bit, he is in a tough league and a tough division.
SNB - I like my stadium for hitting. I like Derrick Gibson, Edgardo Alfonzo and Tony Clark. I might try to trade Clark in the offseason though. I need more prospects in almost every area. I need a genuine ace in the near future and I could always use more pitching beyond that.
My current rebuild is in its 1st year and will continue in 2001. I don't know if the Rockies will be ready to compete in 2002, but should be good to go by 2003 or 2004. By then, I see the Padres as my main competition, but that of course depends on what Darell decides to do with the D-Backs.
Darell - I like the start to my team so far and if Adrian can avoid any terrible PDs ill be happy, I have to see what my team looks like after the expansion draft before think aboit rebuilding or competing.
...I cant wait to see what Shale does. He is gonna be able to restart and rebuild to his liking. I cant w3ait to see how he handles his park. Will also be fun to see Darell build a team from scratch. A little jealous of that.
6. Which of the Gms do you like here? Who is easy to talk to? Who can you trade with?
BTW - The easiest person for me to trade with has probably been Spencer, we've made a few deals and he always talks sense unlike a lot of GM's around here. Ashes and Styro are easy to talk to, and I've had easy talks with Erbes surprisingly enough. The two trades we've made have been smoothly talked out within 10 minutes.
DRowe - I like most of the GM's here, I can trade talk with a lot of people, the one person I can't seem to talk to is Play... he always refuses to give me any sort of offer, but demands Noel from me... if he wants Noel he has to send me an offer... I'm done playing his little game, whatever that happens to be.
SNB - I like everyone here to be honest. Play and Styro irk me sometimes, but I'm trying to get better at dealing with them. Erbes also annoys me sometimes, but it's easy to tell that he's only doing that because he thinks I'm an easy target and because I'm a Mets fan.
I feel the more active GM's are easier to talk with than the less active GM's and they all know who they are.
For trades, I'm ok with dealing with just about anyone. I got one hilarious lopsided offer for Castilla in I think 1998 from Chris, but that's now water under the bridge. I can negotiate and I feel that I'm easygoing as well, which can help with negotiations for sure.
Darell - I like everyone here, havent really had a chance to discuss trades with anyone other than Spencer and he seems pretty cool.
...Always nice to be on these lists. I hate when guys are unreasonable. Im having so much trouble in GABL because I made a couple bad trades and now Im rebuilding and people are sending me shit offers. Makes it so uninteresting when people give demeaning low ball offers. Hopefully BBSBL never gets there.
7. Pick one player off each of these teams and rank them 1-4. CLE/ARI/CIN/COL.
BTW - 1. CLE - Todd Helton
2. BOS - Pedro Martinez
3. ARI - Adrian Gonzelez
4. COL - Derrick Gibson
DRowe - 1. CLE- Grant Balfour
2. ARI- Adrian Gonzalez
3. CIN- Josh Beckett
4. COL- Dustin Mcgowan pretty mediocre pickings in Colorado...
SNB - 1. Pedro Martinez - best pitcher in the games hands down and his career numbers here easily look like they will blow away his real life numbers as long as he stays healthy.
2. Todd Helton - One of the best hitters around and he's gonna have an amazing career as well. A consistent perennial AL MVP contender.
3. Derrick Gibson - I have no clue who to pick from my rebuilding squad, but among those I have, Gibson has the brightest future of anyone. Not sure if he will put up consistent Blake Street Bomber-like numbers, but they should be at least close to that.
4. Adrian Gonzalez - Too early to tell how the careers of anyone on the Diamondbacks or Rays will turn out, but if anyone on the D-Backs will be a stud, it's gonna be A-Gone. That's the future Mr. Diamondback right there, all complete with the sun rooftop and will definitely be diggin in the scene with a gangsta lean.
Darell - 1.Todd Helton
2.Lance Berkman
3. Adrian Gonzalez
4. Since the rockies dont have any players on their roster worth mentioning...David Wright
...These guys didnt really give any insight besides Shale. Also the change in GMs participating screwed things up. Helton and Balfour are nasty. CLE should be good for awhile. Gonzalez looks great. Stud 1B #4 guys are nice. Berkman is nasty in CIN. Pedro is amazing. Best SP around. COL will have 2 guys from the next draft that should be on this list, but right now theyre hurting. Gibson is mediocre.
8. Who has the best squad in BBSBL? Consider the major league team and the minor league spects.
BTW - Cleveland easily. He's got major league talent and a stacked minors system still. I've got the best ML team but it doesn't come close to the balance he has
DRowe - Hmm... Probably Montreal, he is 6th in Power Rankings right now, down from 1st, and he has the 2nd best Minor League System. Looks like a pretty strong overall club.
SNB - I'd have to say the Marlins. They got CC, Stark, Eric Chavez and Juan Pierre already up, to go along with a sick veteran core of Vlad, Walker, Kent, Bobby Higginson, Smiley, Randy Johnson and Andy Benes.
And then they still have Miguel Cabrera and a few other good spects still in the minors. What a phenomenal organization Ashes has made the Marlins into! Jeffrey Loria should seriously be taking notes...
Darell - Its really hard to say, ive got it narrowed down to to the cubbies and red sox. Id probably give it to the cubs because of how much depth he has at starting pitching and then he also has John Lackey waiting in his minors. Not only does he have depth, all of his studs are really young. His window might be bigger than anyone else's, assuming he can resign his guys.
...Shocked no one said CHI(N). Theyre stacked. FLA has to be the answer though. He has soo much talent. Amazing talent. And spects still. Ashes has done great.
9. Name 1 future BBSBLer that you need to have. Give me their ratings.
BTW - Dustin Pedroia
B/B/A/A/G/B Speed: C Stealing Ability: B
DRowe - Stephen Strasburg- G/G/B/G/B
SNB - We've all discussed a certain someone too much...
Thus, I'd have to go with Joey Votto because he could possibly become the most talented hitter in BBSBL history. I can't possibly think of a hitter in the future that will be rated better than him overall. (Too early to tell if Trout will really live up to his rookie season throughout his career)
I'd personally give Votto the following ratings:
- Brilliant in Hits
- Brilliant in Doubles
- Fair in Triples
- Good in Home Runs
- Brilliant in Walks
- Average in Strikeouts
- D in Running Speed
- D in Stealing Ability
- A range at 1B (.993 fielding %)
Darell - David Wright...just so Shale cant get him and his ratings?
Good/Brilliant/Brilliant/Average/Average/Fair
...Once again not much insight. None of these ratings seem reaslitic to me, but I dont watch much MLB besides the Giants. I cant wait to see Mike Trout. So many great young players. Lucky time to love baseball right now.
10. Who is the team to beat in each League? Who will win the next BBSBL Crown? Why?
BTW - The team to beat in the AL is easily the A's, and in the NL it's the Marlins. I think that if it's not my year, it's definitely Brophs'.
DRowe - Oakland in the AL and Florida in the NL... I would put my money on Oakland winning it all this year, and if not this year, next year or the year after, max. Team looks great. 1st overall in Batting Average, and Runs Score, top 10 in all the catergories that matter.
SNB - The A's are certainly on the rise in the AL, but until they get past the Red Sox, the Sox are still the team to beat in the AL in my opinion.
For a while, I thought the NL was the Cubs' to lose, but my opinion there has now changed. I now believe the Marlins are the best and most balanced team in the NL and they look like a World Series favorite to me right now.
With that being said, I expect a repeat of the 1997 World Series to occur with the Marlins defeating the Red Sox. As I said, Ashes has done a remarkable job with putting his team together and they look scary good now. Get Walker a ring please!
Darell - The team to beat in the AL would be Boston and the NL is Chicago. Im going to stick with my preseason prediction of picking Chicago to win it all. Their pitching staff is so deep that if one guy has a bad outing the next guy can step up and throw a CG shutout. I know Pedro has looked otherwordly as of late but he looked vulnerable earlier in the season and if he doesnt have a guy that can go toe to toe with Johan and Wood, its going to be tough for him.
...FLA and CHI will be awesome. Cant wait for that showdown. Hopefully one of them dosnt make it and I can squeeze in. OAK has to be the favorite in the American League but Boston and Chicago(A) are talented too. Should be a great post season.
