Post by Captain America on Jul 23, 2014 3:37:55 GMT -5
While Break is a baseball fanatic, he is quite the passionate WWE fan as well.
It's been a while since I've interviewed Break, so let's see what he has to say right now about current BBSBL topics and the current season we are in.
1. Well well well. After years of trying to rebuild, you finally found a way to get the Red Sox back on top. What was the one big move that really turned the Red Sox from a doormat into a legit contender more than anything?
A: Making small smart trades that paid off. Moving bad salary and taking on good salary. The Keith Ginter move and the Tazawa signing were huge. Getting Gissell/Bell/Nannini was huge. Fugate hasn't been stellar here but he's been solid and thank god I made that move now that Pedroia took the SEI.
You didn't really answer the question by stating the one big move that turned it all around, but this is ok I guess. It seemed like quite a few people doubted you with some of the moves you made, but it has all ended up working out well for you. Good job turning the ship around!
2. Obviously, the Nomar trade was a huge turning point in Red Sox history. So far, has that trade worked well for you or do you already regret it? Where will Nomar rank among among the all-time BBSBL greats when his career is up? Will it be a travesty if he is not unanimously voted into the BBSBL Hall of Fame?
A: I don't regret the trade as it got me a lot of pieces. Gerut has been solid for me. Nomar is the best shortstop in the history of BBSBL and will be the first pure 3000 hit guy in the league. He's also going to steal 600 bases while doing it. Oh and hit over .335 in his career. He's definitely a HOF.
Nomar was your boy. I was honestly surprised you traded him. Thought he would be a Red Sox lifer. There is no doubt he will be an all-time BBSBL legend.
Break still misses them
3. How big has Keith Ginter been for your lineup this season? How many more seasons do you think he can keep up this production?
A: Ginter has been a great asset and people probably wish they had taken a few of the deals I offered him in. He's a top 5 SS in the league stats wise. He'll probably last for at least the next 3 years. If he does I'm happy.
Ginter has done well for you. A lot of others weren't big on him, but he has been one of best hitters this season for sure. I'll be impressed if he lasts 2 more seasons.
4. You brought back Jason Varitek last offseason and he has been one of your best hitters this season. Is he a BBSBL Hall of Famer? Please tell us why he deserves to make it.
A: Varitek is borderline. Knoblauch got 37.5 percent and Varitek will have more steals, and more hits by the end of his career. It all depends on how quickly and sharply he declines. I'll keep giving him 1 year extensions as long as he performs. He's got decent shot at 750 steals and all of them coming in the league, unlike Knoblauch.
Varitek has had a long career that has been solid at the very least. He deserves to make a HOF ballot, but not sure if he will get enough votes for sure. I'll probably be on the fence for him. Sucks Knoblauch barely missed the cut to remain on the ballot.
5. How long do you plan on competing before you are forced to retool and change things up? Which other AL East team do you think will become your next challenge in the future, between the Blue Jays, Orioles and Yankees?
A: My division is crazy weak right now. Greeme is the only competition and it looks to remain that way for at least 3-4 years. Maybe Erbes does something but I have no confidence in Jah doing anything and Game has been trending in the wrong direction for years. I think this will be a TB/BOS Division/Wildcard combo for the forseeable future.
Greeme seems very intent on retooling and cutting salary, from what I've seen him say. It will probably be tough to move the huge contracts though. It will definitely be interesting to see what he does this offseason. Game needs to retool and move everyone except maybe Pujols. His finances are a mess and he hasn't been trading for in-game cash. He will probably be on probation soon. Jah needs to find a direction to go in. He's got too much pride to do an all-out rebuild, so if he wants to avoid doing so, he needs to get his shit together and figure out a legit direction for the O's. The Yankees have a lot of work to do, but have the young spects now to compete in the future. By the middle of the 2010's, they'll be a force again.
The Toronto fans are gonna go back to playing/watching/talking about hockey all year round unless Game makes some moves to get the Jays back on track.
6. You seem to have been trying to build your team around Fenway Park. Being that you are probably more of an expert on Fenway Park than anyone else here, what kind of players would most ideally play well at Fenway Park? Do you focus more emphasis on power? Speed? Walks? Gap hitters? Pitching? Limiting home runs and keeping the ball on the ground?
A: I try to build my team so that I don't need to go out and spend more than 10 mil on any big players. Instead of getting a few studs I just focus on having 9 tough outs. Whether it's a Brilliant in Hits guy or a Brilliant in Walks guy, they are going to produce. I don't feel like there's a free out in my lineup at all. As far as pitchers go I just go for the best I can find. I'm more willing to pay pitchers than hitters in FA.
Fascinating. I have noticed for a while that you seem to value high walks more than most GM's. It's an interesting way to look at things. Also interesting how certain GM's build teams that are good for their stadiums. Spencer and Play have pitcher's parks, so they loaded up on elite pitchers and have had hitters that get on base, hit doubles and steal bases, for example. I have the ultimate hitters park, so I've built my team around hitters that hit for average and power and good pitchers that don't allow many home runs and walks. Fun stuff!
7. What's your perception of the Steve and Ashes era of simming? Has it been as good as the Erbes era? Better? Worse? Do you like the faster pace of sims or should it slow down a bit?
A: Easily better. Faster paced sims are better because anyone who says otherwise is a scrooge. If you don't have 10 minutes a day to do your stuff then why are you here in my opinion. I'd love to be in a league that literally simmed every day. Love how much more willing they are for bonus sims than Erbes was.
Steve and Ashes have been an amazing duo imo as well. They've rewarded us for activity and the other GM's have been feeding off the extra sims like never before. That being said, Erbes keeping the sim schedule in check wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I for one was prefectly fine with the sim schedule he ran and I really felt he was trying hard to keep a lot of things in check so that they don't go out of control. And while Steve and Ashes have been more lenient on running bonus sims, they also know where the draw line to keep the pace from going out of control. Kudos to all 3 of them!
8. Do you think the Red Sox have what it takes to get to the World Series? Which other AL postseason contender do you think will worry you the most come playoff time? What exactly are the Sox missing from being the best team in all of BBSBL?
A: Tampa and Seattle both have solid lineups but I think I can compete with anyone in the AL. Seattle has a terrible bullpen outside of a couple guys. They're lineup is underproducing too. Tampa keeps adding pieces and is clearly the frontrunner to take the pennant, but all 4 teams in the playoffs have a shot.
No specific mention of the defending AL champion Indians? Wow...and that was the team that knocked you out of the 2008 postseason? The Indians are having another very good season and have great pitching of their own, plus two big boppers in Dunn and Konerko, so I definitely do not they should be counted out in this postseason just because they haven't been nearly as dominant as they were last season. They're still a very good team. That being said, the Mariners have a great lineup and an amazing rotation, but yeah their bullpen is a mess and Nanz was too busy dealing with his financial mess to even think about improving the pen. As for the Rays, they have it all in the hitting and pitching it takes for a deep postseason run. I think this just might be Greeme's year to go places. It will fun to see though for sure!
9. Some of the other GM's here have recently stepped up their activity and have put together better teams. Which of these GM's efforts have surprised and/or impressed you the most and why?
A: Greeme took an expansion team and turned it into a powerhouse pretty much as fast as the real life Rays did. It's impressive how he manages to still have a system of prospects after overpaying for so much talent. He's almost to the point where he can sustain it without trading for 35 mil in cash a year.
Greeme really has turned the Rays into a powerhouse, and while he's now one of the GM's that always has to watch his finances, his team has been putting up big numbers and I'm happy to see an expansion team having this much success. Only now have the Diamondbacks started to make some noise. I also think Greg has done a better job lately with some of the trades he has made and his team right now will probably end up being the 2nd best Angels team in league history. They could crack the postseason soon if Greg stays patient and doesn't completely blow it all up just yet. I also like the job HF has done with the Braves. The Marlins don't really have a challenge right now in the NL East, but I think the Braves will be the next team to eventually give the Marlins a run for their money.
10. You are one of the biggest WWE fans around. If you had to compare each BBSBL GM to an all-time WWE wrestler, who would you choose for each GM and why?
Break - Sting: Was a big time player then disappeared for a while before coming back strong again with a vengeance.
Erbes - Barry Horowitz: Pat yourself on the back Erbes!
Game - Bobby Lashley: Made a huge impact at one point and then disappeared.
Greeme - Ted DiBiase: Everyone has a price!
Jah - Chuck Palumbo: Forgettable, Chuck and Billy was hilariously bad though.
Crazy Mike - Chris Jericho: He leaves and comes back more times than you can count.
Dave - Billy Gunn: See Chuck Palumbo.
DRowe - Brock Lesnar: Nobody in this league would fuck with him IRL.
Steve - Santino Marella: You enjoy him being around but you know it won't end well when he tries to compete.
Styro - The Rock: No one can match him when shit talk starts.
Broph - Irwin R. Schyster: Always cold and calculating and acts all smart and stuff.
Greg - Vladimir Kozlov: Oh you forgot he was here too right?
Nanz - Edge: Ultimate Opportunist, doesn't trade until he's getting away with highway robbery.
Ashes - Goldberg: Who's next? Running right through the league with no resistance.
Danchevy - Eddie Guerrero: We lie, we cheat, we steal!
HF - Randy Orton: Showed up acting cocky from day 1. Who knows he might be good someday.
Jordan - Daniel Bryan: No one has a higher mountain to climb.
Kobe - The Miz: Talks a lot of shit and then does nothing to back it up.
Bosoxi - Friar Ferguson: When does he talk?
Play - Iron Shiek: Loves to break backs and make people humble.
Stevie B - The Big Show: Always around and intimidating. Never wins when it counts.
Stutter - Rob Van Dam: 420.
Aaron - Batista: Threatens to quit or quits a lot.
Dale - Ric Flair: Always talks about what he did decades ago!
Darell - Repo Man: Another man's trash...
Shale - Gillberg: It's so funny you have to laugh sometimes even when you shouldn't.
Spencer - John Cena: The franchise player. Always on top. Rarely misses the playoffs.
Shocked Break didn't compare himself to Jericho. Like not even being sarcastic. And no one was worthy enough to be Hulk Hogan? Hmm. Anyway, you pretty much touched upon notable aspects of each GM and/or his team. Some of these were funny too.
I had never heard of Gillberg before, but he looks crazy.
11. What's up with the real Red Sox? They are the defending champions, but now they are in last place? What happened there? What do they need to do to get back on top in 2015? Is Brock Holt the next big MLB star?
A: Brock Holt has been overachieving. BABIP doesn't favor him too much. Everyone who overperformed last year is underperforming or injured. They just need to bring their youth up. We've got Workman/De La Rosa showing that they have a bright MLB future, and we have Webster, Renaudo, and Owens all sitting in the minors still. If Larry "Fuckface" Lucchino can keep his stupid face out of the front office we wouldn't be making stupid moves like re-signing Stephen Drew. Bogaerts, Cecchini, Bradley, Vazquez, Swihart, and Betts are all going to be solid MLB players or better. Future is bright in Boston.
It was so dumb for the Red Sox to re-sign Drew, but sadly, we all saw it coming. It's been a weird season in the AL East. The Red Sox and Rays were expected to be the major contenders, but instead, they have the 2 worst records in the division. The Yankees are about what everyone expected. The Jays have been better than expected and the Orioles have been very good. The Sox' system does look good and I'm sure they'll find a way to compete again in 2015. Maybe they'll just be that team that gets to the postseason every other year like the Giants have sorta done on even years, while the Sox seem to succeed more on odd years.
12. Who are the 3 most hilarious GM's here and the 3 most boring GM's with regard to their posts and humor in particular and why?
A:
3 funniest:
1. Styro - Actually knows how to troll without being an asshole.
2. Steve (Brewers) - Just makes a lot of funny comments.
3. Crazymike - When he's around it's fun to see him go at it with people.
3 most boring:
1. Jah - nonexistent. Only shows up when his buttbuddy Dave is being attacked.
2. Dave - same as jah. Only below jah because that's how I envision their relationship in the bedroom.
3. Bosoxi - same as the other two just isn't overly aggro all the time.
Oh my...I wonder if Jah and Dave will actually read this. Maybe. Who knows? Crazy Mike has become a more enjoyable presence lately for sure. Gotta agree with you there. Habes and Nanz are usually funny as well imo. Game has his moments too.
