Post by Captain America on Apr 13, 2013 13:34:58 GMT -5
The 1999 BBSBL season is getting underway and that means it's that time of year for various GM's to discuss the most pressing issues across the league. This time around, I got StutterBomb, BravesGM and Steve1213 together to get their perspectives on some of the most significant topics in all of BBSBL. Here is how it went down.
1. What are some interesting facts about each of you that we may not know and where are each of you from?
StutterBomb:
I wouldn't call my facts interesting. I come from a screwball mix of a family, Italian and redneck...I look Irish and there isn't an Irish bone in my body. I smoke pot like its a profession and I don't care who knows or what people think. I grew up a few miles from Josh Hamilton. Baseball has been in my blood since my father put a baseball in my hand at the age of 4. At the age of 29 I continue to play ball For the Westville Warriors out of Westville, New Jersey in the NEW JERSEY INDEPENDENT BASEBALL LEAGUE..www.njibl.com look up the league if you want to investigate. I live in South Philadelphia 12 blocks from Citizens Bank Park. I work for National Publishing Company and we or main cash call is little Vest pocket Bibles(as i call them Jesus' rolling papers). I worked for AVN(Adult Video News) prior and printed porn before the bible switch.
Steve1213:
Well, I live in Bellmawr, NJ...right outside of Philly. Now, not that they are interesting facts, but I play in a Soccer League, and Street Hockey League. I used to play Chess, and I had a rating that spanned from 1100-1400.
BravesGM:
Went to 3 different HS, 3 different colleges, lived in 19 different houses in my life, HS teacher and coach, been to 11 different major league ball parks (adding more this summer) and each major sports hall of fame.
SNB914:
As stated in my interview with Ashes, I'm 23 and from a small town called Bronxville, NY which is a half hour north of New York City. I write sports articles on Bleacher Report and my career goal is to become a beat writer for a professional sports team. I'm a diehard Mets and New York football Giants fan.
2. Which team and players did you grow up watching as a kid, and which player in particular did you idolize back then?
StutterBomb:
Grew up watching the Cubbies and Braves thanks to WGN and TBS and living in North Carolina for the first 20 years of my stoned life. Dale Murphy will forever be my idol, Ryne Sandberg, Greg Maddux, Glavine, Avery, Dunston. I am not going to name off every player from every roster from the mid 80's til now.
Steve1213:
I feel like I'm a kid right now at the ripe age of 21 so...my current favorite professional athlete is Claude Giroux. For baseball, it's Chase Utley...hands down. A close second is Brian Dawkins...loved the leadership and the tenacity he brought to every single game.
BravesGM:
Was a Cardinal fan in their not so good late 80s/early 90s runs. Ozzie, Willie, Jack Clark, and Terry Pendleton were always my favorite players.
SNB914:
I grew up watching the Mets in the late 90s. My favorite players at the time were Mike Piazza, Edgardo Alfonzo, John Olerud, Al Leiter, Rick Reed, Turk Wendell and John Franco, among others. Seeing the Mets get to the 2000 World Series was the happiest moment I've had as a baseball fan and maybe one day my Mets can win it all. Piazza though was the one I idolized because he was that big of a superstar and the exact type of star the Mets needed at the time.
3. Do you think it's better to be in charge of your favorite real life team in a sim league? Or is it better to run another team with less personal bias and less 90s players you were familiar with?
StutterBomb:
I would have loved to take over the Marlins, but this shit show is on the same level as far as ownership and players moves are concerned to the real life Marlins so I'm happy and content. Although there is always bias, to be able to have guys you grew up pretending to hit like...Griffey's famous stance, Bagwell and his insane crouch, Ruben Sierra and that awkward over the head shit. So I'm very familiar with players from the 90's.
Steve1213:
I'd rather be in charge of the team I love to cheer for. To me, it doesn't matter what team I own. I'll still make smart decisions instead of picking this guy because he use to be a Philadelphian. So yeah, Big Buhner I want my team, ha!
BravesGM:
I've tried both sides. More successful with teams I didn't know the players from. Easier to make trades, not overpay for extensions to me.
SNB914:
This could go either way. Had James/JMase never chosen the Mets before me, it would have been a no-brainer for me to choose them. Those 90s Mets players are the ones I still feel attached to in a way and it would have been a lot of fun. It would have taken a few years, but I would have made the Mets into a powerhouse team for sure. I hope to see James do that with the Mets sometime soon.
But seeing how the Mets have turned out so far compared to my Rockies, I'm happy I have my Rockies. The icing on top is the fact that I now have Alfonzo and Franco on the Rockies, plus I briefly had Doctor K in 1997 as well. I will honestly admit that I traded for Alfonzo simply because he was my 2nd favorite player growing up.
On the other hand, running a team you are not a passionate fan of has been fascinating in itself. You learn a lot about those players back then and it requires you to think more about the decisions themselves, compared to the personal attachments possibly getting in the way.
4. How did you get to know people in this league before it got started? Which other leagues were you in before and who did you interact with then?
StutterBomb:
I am getting to know all the GM'S outside of Break, and SNB...and possibly 1 more. I've takin part in other Sim style leagues Sim Dynasty and others of that nature, nothing this deep besides NFL Head Coach and MLB THE SHOW. I am still getting to know the rest of the folks in this league and like usual Break is the only one that drives me up a wall with his fake drunk nonsense on Vent.
Steve1213:
Well, I was in a league called SLOB...used to be a real good league, but it's pretty much dead. I believe Spencer recruited me, and so here I am. Erbes used to be over there as well...so that's really the only two I know.
BravesGM:
Have known Jeff (Twins GM) for probably close to 10 years now (wow, that long?) Made baseball stadium trips with him and his family the past 3 summers.
Know Steve, Chris, Royals and a few others from GABL.
SNB914:
It all started for me in 2010 when I discovered MLB Dugout Heroes, the greatest online baseball game ever in my opinion. Unfortunately, it no longer exists, but that was where I got to know Break and Stutter, among others. I got to know D-Rowe later on through Break and a few fantasy sports leagues. I eventually joined this Vent server with Break and a few others, including the original Rangers GM here.
As far as sim leagues go, Break and the other Vent people got me to join the Long Baller league in November 2011. I am now the Mets there and that's how I learned about OOTP and everything about it. A year later, Break told me about this league and once I knew the league would start in 1996, I was sold and this has been a lot more fascinating than Long Baller ever was.
5. How would you evaluate your team's 1998 season and did it fall above, right at, or below your expectations?
StutterBomb:
1 word Brutal. I'm not an expert by any means and there is plenty I still have to learn but after making a few moves I ended the season strong, way late but strong. So it was right on par with mediocre as I expected.
Steve1213:
I'd say above...this is a below average team of talent that I have, and yet we've won 83 and 88 games the past two years. So yeah, it's most certainly above expectations, but the NL Central is pretty weak right now, too. I'd love to sell off my team. Problem is, nobody wants my players (besides Cordova)...Cordova still hasn't been close to being dealt as I haven't had one impressive offer for him yet. I want to rebuild badly.
BravesGM:
Fell short of expectations. Didn't really lose much from the year before (besides my dumb Glavine trade) and struggled throughout.
SNB914:
1998 was more or less what I expected. I finally won the Wild Card after barely missing it twice, but didn't expect to get knocked outta the postseason so quickly. It made the excitement of being in the postseason all too short unfortunately.
It was great to see Walker win another MVP and for Castilla to really break out as much as he did. But unfortunately, with that came down years from Bichette and Burks, who is now on the Red Sox.
6. What was your biggest plan for this past offseason?
StutterBomb:
The plan for this offseason was almost simply, pick up established pitching for a few years left in their arm, and I have Radke, Trachsel, Hill, and Hillman. I favor pitching over my offense. Gives Beckett, Wandy, Saunders, and Nick Neugerbauer time to develop. I can always buy hitting....
Steve1213:
Nothing...if I was able to land a few FA's to address my OF situation or 1B...I'd try. If not, it's probably for the better. My team isn't good enough, and I just want to take a different path to accumulate talent through the draft.
BravesGM:
Improve the bullpen...which still hasn't happened.
SNB914:
I wanted to make a big splash by signing Todd Hundley in particular, who I was trying to acquire for the Mets since forever, but I had exactly $0 in free agent money due to poor salary management in previous seasons. Thus, I had no choice but to make salary dumps and I made a big one with the Reds to unload Hillman's $8 million salary. I also swapped some board cash with the Giants of all teams to get more in-game cash to help my financial situation improve.
I'd still like to dump another starting pitcher that I have, but who knows what will happen with that.
7. If you could have just 1 current (as in active in the 1999 season) player on your team that isn't already on your team, who would it be and why?
StutterBomb:
Griffey is the one player i would love to have in CF. He has/had all the tools and was a complete beast.
Steve1213:
I'll give you a hitter and a pitcher. I'll also give you a prospect for each as well. The hitter would be Vladimir Guerrero...he's young, and already an All Star bat. Scary thing is, he's got plenty of room to grow. The hitting prospect has got to be Albert Pujols as he is just going to be unreal. Matt Holiday was close for me, though.
The pitcher I'd want most would have to be Pedro Martinez. What a year, and he has no weakness. He's going to have a quite a few more years like this previous season. For the prospect, and there's quite a few to choose from...I'll say Sabathia, but Peavy/Ledezma/Pittsley were all VERY close.
BravesGM:
As much as it pains me to say this, I'd probably say Albert. He was a huge part of the success of the Cardinals for 10 years of real life baseball, I'd love to have him in the sim just because.
SNB914:
The easy answer would be Helton because I wish I never gave him away, but whatever...
Having Piazza on my team would have been a dream come true. Drafting Pujols would have been awesome because he would probably average 60-65 home runs a season at Coors Field with the way he was designed. The same could be said for Miguel Cabrera, who I will not enjoy having to deal with once Habes' Padres are actually ready to compete.
8. Is there any future player that you would consider selling your entire team for? In other words, which of your favorite real life players will you target the most in future drafts?
StutterBomb:
Josh Johnson, Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, A-Gon...You catch my drift. As far as today's players if we get that far, Mike Trout, Trumbo, and Chris Coghlan is a player I like and I might be his only fan.
Steve1213:
Chase Utley...or Mike Trout. I'd love to have both!
BravesGM:
Probably a pitcher like Adam Wainwright. Love me some Cardinals.
SNB914:
Obviously, I want David Wright more than anyone. I will sell off everything I have, plus many years worth of draft picks just to have him. He will be that special of a player and I will turn him into the greatest hitter in BBSBL history.
I missed the boat on Reyes, but I plan on eventually redeeming myself by drafting Ike Davis, Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler way down the road.
9. If you could choose 1 team to switch with right now, which team would it be and why?
StutterBomb:
I wouldn't choose another team to be honest. I like the direction I am heading in my head. People will hate and call me an idiot and a moron, that's ok I have a plan in my head so move bitch, get the fuck outta my way.
Steve1213:
Toronto...they've got some stellar young arms, and they got some nice bats that are there, and are making there way. Plus, J-Roll is on the team! Oakland was close for me...loved what Broph has done with that team.
BravesGM:
The Blue Jays. Who wouldn't want Helton, Halladay and Carpenter in their early 20s?
SNB914:
If I simply wanted to have fun with star players I grew up watching, it would be the Astros because they have Piazza, Bagwell, Biggio, Burnitz, Canseco and Carlos Guillen all in the same lineup.
If I was looking more towards a team I feel could be successful for very long time, I'd go with the Cubs. Play is a year or 2 away from steamrolling the NL Central, but his team is definitely in for the long haul and that rotation is gonna be amazing for a very long time. The A's and Expos are 2 other teams that are in similarly great shape. I'd put the Jays in there too, but Game seems to be slacking and letting Erbes make all his decisions for him. That's not good...
10. How do you like your team's chances in 1999 and what are your future plans?
StutterBomb:
My team's chances are a 3rd place finish in the NL Central, and a Wild Card run would be nice but not likely...future plans are to load up on prospects while the clowns in the bigs age and almost compete.
Steve1213:
I don't like our chances. Houston is still better, and the Cubs seem to be on the rise. Like the patience Play has possessed there. They could be better than our team very easily.
BravesGM:
I'm thinking we'll rebound a little this season. Not sure if we can keep up with Philly's success of last year, but hopefully in the playoff hunt all season. The future plans are to compete until Chipper dies, then once that happens hopefully all the teams that are tanking now are good, so I can take my turn tanking.
SNB914:
My plans for this 1999 season are to compete again and defend the Wild Card. Winning my division would be a big bonus, but the Giants are stacked in all areas and with the way the division has ended up from 96-98, my chances of overtaking the Giants are not that high. Of course, some injuries and bad PD's could make this all a different story, but none of that shit can be accurately predicted.
Again, I want to ride out the 99 season, but I might tank in 2000 to get that high 2001 draft pick that I really want badly.
11. What do you think of the job Erbes has done as commissioner and the jobs that Steve and Play have done with the draft? Any suggestions, comments or complaints?
StutterBomb:
Considering I am new here and considering Erbes almost fucked me in a trade, it's all par for the course, but he needs to listen to his GM's and build on that.
Steve and Play are doing bang up jobs with there respective duties.
Steve1213:
Erbes does a good job. I really don't have any complaints. I like the uniqueness of the league and how real it is with the draft classes. I don't have a problem, and I'm not a nitpicker per say. The other guys do a great job with the draft as well.
BravesGM:
I was worried about Erbes running a league after his stretch in GABL in all honesty. He's done a pretty good job. Just needs to slow things down at times and not let a few talk him into doing things that not everyone is caught up with.
SNB914:
I think Erbes has done a great job overall. His efforts with simming, getting draft classes together and this league extremely active have been unmatched. As stated before, he has at times been inconsistent, but he has steadily improved as a commish and I'm happy he's running the show here.
Steve and Play have done an awesome job with the drafts in my opinion. They devote a lot of time to it and it has really paid off. Some of the rules may not always be consistent, but those 2 are always trying their very best and I for one really appreciate it.
12. Are you happy that expansion will be coming soon, with the addition of the Diamondbacks and Rays? Have you decided which players to keep?
StutterBomb:
I am looking forward to the expansion and i have an idea of which players I will keep and which overpaid rejects I will dump.
I believe that the Rays and D-bags should start off with the rosters they had the season the expansion takes place. It would be a smoother transition IMO.
Steve1213:
Yes, I think it will be a real fun process. Also, not really, but I don't have many key pieces anyway so I'm not worried about losing vital pieces to my future core.
BravesGM:
Expansion will be nice if we can keep that many active owners. And no, not even looked at the list of who I'd keep yet. The way I am, I'd make the list and trade half the guys on there and half to re-do my list again.
SNB914:
I'm definitely happy expansion will be happening. It keeps with reality and I'm all for it. Sucks it didn't happen when it should have last season, but what can you do? I won't have many players to think of for my protected list because my core consists of players in their early-mid 30s and my minor league system is awful, so picking who to keep will be rather easy for me.
13. What are your thoughts with the pace of this league, regarding the sims, draft, etc generally speaking? Too fast? Too slow? Just right?
StutterBomb:
The pace is hit or miss, but once a majority of the league says SIM, fuckin sim already.
Steve1213:
Just right...I actually hate when we speed things up just because I might miss a sim or two...but I don't care. Whatever makes the league happy...
BravesGM:
TOO FAST! Too many guys tanking, so knowing their season doesn't matter they want to fly through things. But it's to the point I'm getting used to it so it's not a big issue anymore. The part of the season that needs to be slowed down the most is the off-season and draft. That's a big part of lots of teams, need to make sure everyone is able to keep up with that part.
SNB914:
I think the pace overall is pretty good and I'm fine with all the constant sims near the end of each season. But at the same time, I can see why certain others think it's too fast because they don't have all the free time in the world and they might miss something because of it. Obviously, complaints will happen regardless, but as Biggie once said, "If it ain't broke don't fix it."
14. To follow up on the previous question, do you all feel that those that don't spend too much time on the forum don't care enough and should be more active? Or do you think that the others that spend many hours on this forum every day spend too much time here?
StutterBomb:
Can't really say they don't care, we all have different lives and different priorities. However they could be a little more active to curb some of the bitching. Everyone else that spends a lot of time on here seem more into it and that's a good thing. It makes the experience better. More interaction is good not bad.
Steve1213:
I'm not really going to answer the latter of that question, but I think as long as you're doing your job with the franchise that's been placed to you, then that's all that matters. Would it be better if I or a few others were a lot more active? Sure, but I think I'm pretty active, but just not in this league. The activity in this league dominates any other league I've ever been apart of. That's for sure.
BravesGM:
Eh, probably a halfway point of the two. Some guys live on the boards, some guys live in the league by exporting and doing game stuff.
SNB914:
This is more or less of a case-by-case thing to me. If people have the free time and are involved in this league, then yes they should fully devote themselves to it. It's great to see soooo many people here so active and posting on this forum for many hours a day. It keeps the interest level very high and I can really see this league lasting many many seasons.
As for those that don't have all the free time in the world, in my opinion, they should do the rest of the league a favor by explaining that they may have a very demanding job that requires a lot of time. Or they may have a few young kids that they need to be around quite a bit. Or if BBSBL just simply isn't a high priority in life to them.
All I want is for the less active GM's (they know who they are) to come clean and specifically state why they are not on this forum as much and why they may not have so much free time to devote here. Honesty is all I would be looking for. No one should have anything to hide here. We are all doing this online, and with a few notable exceptions, most of us really don't know anyone else in person. So there really isn't much to lose at all with just simply stating a couple sentences why they are not as active as others.
It's good that some people have at least stated that they are on vacation when it happens. That is a step in the right direction, but the more information we all know about each other, the better it will be in the long run.
15. What do you think of the current trade system? Quite a few recent trades have caused the trade committee to vote on them and have led to some flame wars as well. Do you think the trade system is good as is? Should there be a committee with every single trade? Any thoughts or complaints on the matter?
StutterBomb:
I could give two shits about the trade system. They are in place for a reason.
No need for a committee on every trade.
Steve1213:
I say no trade committee unless it involves a new owner. If it's between two veteran GMs, there should be no trade committee involved.
BravesGM:
Trades are always a touchy situation. If it's a veteran GM taking advantage of the new guy, yes, trade committee. If it's smelling like collusion, yes committee. Every trade? Shouldn't have to be, or we have a problem as a league and we're not lasting much longer.
SNB914:
I think the trade system for the most part is good. Most of them have been fair. Unfortunately though, some trades like the CC Sabathia trades have sorta set a bad precedent for this league and I think it was after CC got traded that some of the other more controversial trades occurred. Not throwing Stutter under the bus necessarily, but again, it sorta set off some of the other trade controversies.
I like the trade committee thing, but I feel that everyone should be able to participate in trade committees at some point. Ideally, I think a rotation of different trade committees would be fair and would keep this league more balanced for sure. Of course anyone involved in the trades could not participate in that committee so another GM would just fill in. If it's a very serious trade, then the original committee should get together, but if not, a rotation of different active GM's would be great to see at some point.
16. Finally, which GM's entertain you the most in this league and why?
StutterBomb:
Well i have my usual suspects Break and SNB. I don't have enough memory to name drop the rest of this three ring circus but the nucleus of the league is pretty good.
Steve1213:
Not one in particular...but Play is funny sometimes...just the way he speaks his mind. I also enjoy COL's and Ashes' comments.
BravesGM:
Meh, there are a few guys who are entertaining at times, but not really anyone who jumps out as greatly entertaining. Or it just could be that I've been up for 18 hours now and need to be up 6 hours from now and I"m tired and can't think of the funny guys.
SNB914:
I feel a few GM's stand out among the crowd in different ways. Waldo is funny in a unique and unusual way. Big Buhner, James and Game just have great senses of humor. Styro tells it like it is with no gimmicks. Break's rages are always entertaining and Stutter has his moments as well. Hopefully, he won't go on any more racial rants (kidding), but at times, he can be quite funny as well.
Thanks for taking the time to answer these, guys! Best of luck this season!
1. What are some interesting facts about each of you that we may not know and where are each of you from?
StutterBomb:
I wouldn't call my facts interesting. I come from a screwball mix of a family, Italian and redneck...I look Irish and there isn't an Irish bone in my body. I smoke pot like its a profession and I don't care who knows or what people think. I grew up a few miles from Josh Hamilton. Baseball has been in my blood since my father put a baseball in my hand at the age of 4. At the age of 29 I continue to play ball For the Westville Warriors out of Westville, New Jersey in the NEW JERSEY INDEPENDENT BASEBALL LEAGUE..www.njibl.com look up the league if you want to investigate. I live in South Philadelphia 12 blocks from Citizens Bank Park. I work for National Publishing Company and we or main cash call is little Vest pocket Bibles(as i call them Jesus' rolling papers). I worked for AVN(Adult Video News) prior and printed porn before the bible switch.
Steve1213:
Well, I live in Bellmawr, NJ...right outside of Philly. Now, not that they are interesting facts, but I play in a Soccer League, and Street Hockey League. I used to play Chess, and I had a rating that spanned from 1100-1400.
BravesGM:
Went to 3 different HS, 3 different colleges, lived in 19 different houses in my life, HS teacher and coach, been to 11 different major league ball parks (adding more this summer) and each major sports hall of fame.
SNB914:
As stated in my interview with Ashes, I'm 23 and from a small town called Bronxville, NY which is a half hour north of New York City. I write sports articles on Bleacher Report and my career goal is to become a beat writer for a professional sports team. I'm a diehard Mets and New York football Giants fan.
2. Which team and players did you grow up watching as a kid, and which player in particular did you idolize back then?
StutterBomb:
Grew up watching the Cubbies and Braves thanks to WGN and TBS and living in North Carolina for the first 20 years of my stoned life. Dale Murphy will forever be my idol, Ryne Sandberg, Greg Maddux, Glavine, Avery, Dunston. I am not going to name off every player from every roster from the mid 80's til now.
Steve1213:
I feel like I'm a kid right now at the ripe age of 21 so...my current favorite professional athlete is Claude Giroux. For baseball, it's Chase Utley...hands down. A close second is Brian Dawkins...loved the leadership and the tenacity he brought to every single game.
BravesGM:
Was a Cardinal fan in their not so good late 80s/early 90s runs. Ozzie, Willie, Jack Clark, and Terry Pendleton were always my favorite players.
SNB914:
I grew up watching the Mets in the late 90s. My favorite players at the time were Mike Piazza, Edgardo Alfonzo, John Olerud, Al Leiter, Rick Reed, Turk Wendell and John Franco, among others. Seeing the Mets get to the 2000 World Series was the happiest moment I've had as a baseball fan and maybe one day my Mets can win it all. Piazza though was the one I idolized because he was that big of a superstar and the exact type of star the Mets needed at the time.
3. Do you think it's better to be in charge of your favorite real life team in a sim league? Or is it better to run another team with less personal bias and less 90s players you were familiar with?
StutterBomb:
I would have loved to take over the Marlins, but this shit show is on the same level as far as ownership and players moves are concerned to the real life Marlins so I'm happy and content. Although there is always bias, to be able to have guys you grew up pretending to hit like...Griffey's famous stance, Bagwell and his insane crouch, Ruben Sierra and that awkward over the head shit. So I'm very familiar with players from the 90's.
Steve1213:
I'd rather be in charge of the team I love to cheer for. To me, it doesn't matter what team I own. I'll still make smart decisions instead of picking this guy because he use to be a Philadelphian. So yeah, Big Buhner I want my team, ha!
BravesGM:
I've tried both sides. More successful with teams I didn't know the players from. Easier to make trades, not overpay for extensions to me.
SNB914:
This could go either way. Had James/JMase never chosen the Mets before me, it would have been a no-brainer for me to choose them. Those 90s Mets players are the ones I still feel attached to in a way and it would have been a lot of fun. It would have taken a few years, but I would have made the Mets into a powerhouse team for sure. I hope to see James do that with the Mets sometime soon.
But seeing how the Mets have turned out so far compared to my Rockies, I'm happy I have my Rockies. The icing on top is the fact that I now have Alfonzo and Franco on the Rockies, plus I briefly had Doctor K in 1997 as well. I will honestly admit that I traded for Alfonzo simply because he was my 2nd favorite player growing up.
On the other hand, running a team you are not a passionate fan of has been fascinating in itself. You learn a lot about those players back then and it requires you to think more about the decisions themselves, compared to the personal attachments possibly getting in the way.
4. How did you get to know people in this league before it got started? Which other leagues were you in before and who did you interact with then?
StutterBomb:
I am getting to know all the GM'S outside of Break, and SNB...and possibly 1 more. I've takin part in other Sim style leagues Sim Dynasty and others of that nature, nothing this deep besides NFL Head Coach and MLB THE SHOW. I am still getting to know the rest of the folks in this league and like usual Break is the only one that drives me up a wall with his fake drunk nonsense on Vent.
Steve1213:
Well, I was in a league called SLOB...used to be a real good league, but it's pretty much dead. I believe Spencer recruited me, and so here I am. Erbes used to be over there as well...so that's really the only two I know.
BravesGM:
Have known Jeff (Twins GM) for probably close to 10 years now (wow, that long?) Made baseball stadium trips with him and his family the past 3 summers.
Know Steve, Chris, Royals and a few others from GABL.
SNB914:
It all started for me in 2010 when I discovered MLB Dugout Heroes, the greatest online baseball game ever in my opinion. Unfortunately, it no longer exists, but that was where I got to know Break and Stutter, among others. I got to know D-Rowe later on through Break and a few fantasy sports leagues. I eventually joined this Vent server with Break and a few others, including the original Rangers GM here.
As far as sim leagues go, Break and the other Vent people got me to join the Long Baller league in November 2011. I am now the Mets there and that's how I learned about OOTP and everything about it. A year later, Break told me about this league and once I knew the league would start in 1996, I was sold and this has been a lot more fascinating than Long Baller ever was.
5. How would you evaluate your team's 1998 season and did it fall above, right at, or below your expectations?
StutterBomb:
1 word Brutal. I'm not an expert by any means and there is plenty I still have to learn but after making a few moves I ended the season strong, way late but strong. So it was right on par with mediocre as I expected.
Steve1213:
I'd say above...this is a below average team of talent that I have, and yet we've won 83 and 88 games the past two years. So yeah, it's most certainly above expectations, but the NL Central is pretty weak right now, too. I'd love to sell off my team. Problem is, nobody wants my players (besides Cordova)...Cordova still hasn't been close to being dealt as I haven't had one impressive offer for him yet. I want to rebuild badly.
BravesGM:
Fell short of expectations. Didn't really lose much from the year before (besides my dumb Glavine trade) and struggled throughout.
SNB914:
1998 was more or less what I expected. I finally won the Wild Card after barely missing it twice, but didn't expect to get knocked outta the postseason so quickly. It made the excitement of being in the postseason all too short unfortunately.
It was great to see Walker win another MVP and for Castilla to really break out as much as he did. But unfortunately, with that came down years from Bichette and Burks, who is now on the Red Sox.
6. What was your biggest plan for this past offseason?
StutterBomb:
The plan for this offseason was almost simply, pick up established pitching for a few years left in their arm, and I have Radke, Trachsel, Hill, and Hillman. I favor pitching over my offense. Gives Beckett, Wandy, Saunders, and Nick Neugerbauer time to develop. I can always buy hitting....
Steve1213:
Nothing...if I was able to land a few FA's to address my OF situation or 1B...I'd try. If not, it's probably for the better. My team isn't good enough, and I just want to take a different path to accumulate talent through the draft.
BravesGM:
Improve the bullpen...which still hasn't happened.
SNB914:
I wanted to make a big splash by signing Todd Hundley in particular, who I was trying to acquire for the Mets since forever, but I had exactly $0 in free agent money due to poor salary management in previous seasons. Thus, I had no choice but to make salary dumps and I made a big one with the Reds to unload Hillman's $8 million salary. I also swapped some board cash with the Giants of all teams to get more in-game cash to help my financial situation improve.
I'd still like to dump another starting pitcher that I have, but who knows what will happen with that.
7. If you could have just 1 current (as in active in the 1999 season) player on your team that isn't already on your team, who would it be and why?
StutterBomb:
Griffey is the one player i would love to have in CF. He has/had all the tools and was a complete beast.
Steve1213:
I'll give you a hitter and a pitcher. I'll also give you a prospect for each as well. The hitter would be Vladimir Guerrero...he's young, and already an All Star bat. Scary thing is, he's got plenty of room to grow. The hitting prospect has got to be Albert Pujols as he is just going to be unreal. Matt Holiday was close for me, though.
The pitcher I'd want most would have to be Pedro Martinez. What a year, and he has no weakness. He's going to have a quite a few more years like this previous season. For the prospect, and there's quite a few to choose from...I'll say Sabathia, but Peavy/Ledezma/Pittsley were all VERY close.
BravesGM:
As much as it pains me to say this, I'd probably say Albert. He was a huge part of the success of the Cardinals for 10 years of real life baseball, I'd love to have him in the sim just because.
Who wouldn't want "The Machine" in their lineup?
SNB914:
The easy answer would be Helton because I wish I never gave him away, but whatever...
Having Piazza on my team would have been a dream come true. Drafting Pujols would have been awesome because he would probably average 60-65 home runs a season at Coors Field with the way he was designed. The same could be said for Miguel Cabrera, who I will not enjoy having to deal with once Habes' Padres are actually ready to compete.
8. Is there any future player that you would consider selling your entire team for? In other words, which of your favorite real life players will you target the most in future drafts?
StutterBomb:
Josh Johnson, Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, A-Gon...You catch my drift. As far as today's players if we get that far, Mike Trout, Trumbo, and Chris Coghlan is a player I like and I might be his only fan.
Stutter loves his Marlins.
Steve1213:
Chase Utley...or Mike Trout. I'd love to have both!
BravesGM:
Probably a pitcher like Adam Wainwright. Love me some Cardinals.
SNB914:
Obviously, I want David Wright more than anyone. I will sell off everything I have, plus many years worth of draft picks just to have him. He will be that special of a player and I will turn him into the greatest hitter in BBSBL history.
I missed the boat on Reyes, but I plan on eventually redeeming myself by drafting Ike Davis, Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler way down the road.
9. If you could choose 1 team to switch with right now, which team would it be and why?
StutterBomb:
I wouldn't choose another team to be honest. I like the direction I am heading in my head. People will hate and call me an idiot and a moron, that's ok I have a plan in my head so move bitch, get the fuck outta my way.
Someone's been listening to a lot of Ludacris lately...
Steve1213:
Toronto...they've got some stellar young arms, and they got some nice bats that are there, and are making there way. Plus, J-Roll is on the team! Oakland was close for me...loved what Broph has done with that team.
BravesGM:
The Blue Jays. Who wouldn't want Helton, Halladay and Carpenter in their early 20s?
SNB914:
If I simply wanted to have fun with star players I grew up watching, it would be the Astros because they have Piazza, Bagwell, Biggio, Burnitz, Canseco and Carlos Guillen all in the same lineup.
If I was looking more towards a team I feel could be successful for very long time, I'd go with the Cubs. Play is a year or 2 away from steamrolling the NL Central, but his team is definitely in for the long haul and that rotation is gonna be amazing for a very long time. The A's and Expos are 2 other teams that are in similarly great shape. I'd put the Jays in there too, but Game seems to be slacking and letting Erbes make all his decisions for him. That's not good...
10. How do you like your team's chances in 1999 and what are your future plans?
StutterBomb:
My team's chances are a 3rd place finish in the NL Central, and a Wild Card run would be nice but not likely...future plans are to load up on prospects while the clowns in the bigs age and almost compete.
Steve1213:
I don't like our chances. Houston is still better, and the Cubs seem to be on the rise. Like the patience Play has possessed there. They could be better than our team very easily.
BravesGM:
I'm thinking we'll rebound a little this season. Not sure if we can keep up with Philly's success of last year, but hopefully in the playoff hunt all season. The future plans are to compete until Chipper dies, then once that happens hopefully all the teams that are tanking now are good, so I can take my turn tanking.
SNB914:
My plans for this 1999 season are to compete again and defend the Wild Card. Winning my division would be a big bonus, but the Giants are stacked in all areas and with the way the division has ended up from 96-98, my chances of overtaking the Giants are not that high. Of course, some injuries and bad PD's could make this all a different story, but none of that shit can be accurately predicted.
Again, I want to ride out the 99 season, but I might tank in 2000 to get that high 2001 draft pick that I really want badly.
11. What do you think of the job Erbes has done as commissioner and the jobs that Steve and Play have done with the draft? Any suggestions, comments or complaints?
StutterBomb:
Considering I am new here and considering Erbes almost fucked me in a trade, it's all par for the course, but he needs to listen to his GM's and build on that.
Steve and Play are doing bang up jobs with there respective duties.
Steve1213:
Erbes does a good job. I really don't have any complaints. I like the uniqueness of the league and how real it is with the draft classes. I don't have a problem, and I'm not a nitpicker per say. The other guys do a great job with the draft as well.
BravesGM:
I was worried about Erbes running a league after his stretch in GABL in all honesty. He's done a pretty good job. Just needs to slow things down at times and not let a few talk him into doing things that not everyone is caught up with.
SNB914:
I think Erbes has done a great job overall. His efforts with simming, getting draft classes together and this league extremely active have been unmatched. As stated before, he has at times been inconsistent, but he has steadily improved as a commish and I'm happy he's running the show here.
Steve and Play have done an awesome job with the drafts in my opinion. They devote a lot of time to it and it has really paid off. Some of the rules may not always be consistent, but those 2 are always trying their very best and I for one really appreciate it.
12. Are you happy that expansion will be coming soon, with the addition of the Diamondbacks and Rays? Have you decided which players to keep?
Chase Field and Tropicana Field will both be ready for play in the near future.
StutterBomb:
I am looking forward to the expansion and i have an idea of which players I will keep and which overpaid rejects I will dump.
I believe that the Rays and D-bags should start off with the rosters they had the season the expansion takes place. It would be a smoother transition IMO.
Steve1213:
Yes, I think it will be a real fun process. Also, not really, but I don't have many key pieces anyway so I'm not worried about losing vital pieces to my future core.
BravesGM:
Expansion will be nice if we can keep that many active owners. And no, not even looked at the list of who I'd keep yet. The way I am, I'd make the list and trade half the guys on there and half to re-do my list again.
SNB914:
I'm definitely happy expansion will be happening. It keeps with reality and I'm all for it. Sucks it didn't happen when it should have last season, but what can you do? I won't have many players to think of for my protected list because my core consists of players in their early-mid 30s and my minor league system is awful, so picking who to keep will be rather easy for me.
13. What are your thoughts with the pace of this league, regarding the sims, draft, etc generally speaking? Too fast? Too slow? Just right?
StutterBomb:
The pace is hit or miss, but once a majority of the league says SIM, fuckin sim already.
Steve1213:
Just right...I actually hate when we speed things up just because I might miss a sim or two...but I don't care. Whatever makes the league happy...
BravesGM:
TOO FAST! Too many guys tanking, so knowing their season doesn't matter they want to fly through things. But it's to the point I'm getting used to it so it's not a big issue anymore. The part of the season that needs to be slowed down the most is the off-season and draft. That's a big part of lots of teams, need to make sure everyone is able to keep up with that part.
SNB914:
I think the pace overall is pretty good and I'm fine with all the constant sims near the end of each season. But at the same time, I can see why certain others think it's too fast because they don't have all the free time in the world and they might miss something because of it. Obviously, complaints will happen regardless, but as Biggie once said, "If it ain't broke don't fix it."
14. To follow up on the previous question, do you all feel that those that don't spend too much time on the forum don't care enough and should be more active? Or do you think that the others that spend many hours on this forum every day spend too much time here?
StutterBomb:
Can't really say they don't care, we all have different lives and different priorities. However they could be a little more active to curb some of the bitching. Everyone else that spends a lot of time on here seem more into it and that's a good thing. It makes the experience better. More interaction is good not bad.
Steve1213:
I'm not really going to answer the latter of that question, but I think as long as you're doing your job with the franchise that's been placed to you, then that's all that matters. Would it be better if I or a few others were a lot more active? Sure, but I think I'm pretty active, but just not in this league. The activity in this league dominates any other league I've ever been apart of. That's for sure.
BravesGM:
Eh, probably a halfway point of the two. Some guys live on the boards, some guys live in the league by exporting and doing game stuff.
SNB914:
This is more or less of a case-by-case thing to me. If people have the free time and are involved in this league, then yes they should fully devote themselves to it. It's great to see soooo many people here so active and posting on this forum for many hours a day. It keeps the interest level very high and I can really see this league lasting many many seasons.
As for those that don't have all the free time in the world, in my opinion, they should do the rest of the league a favor by explaining that they may have a very demanding job that requires a lot of time. Or they may have a few young kids that they need to be around quite a bit. Or if BBSBL just simply isn't a high priority in life to them.
All I want is for the less active GM's (they know who they are) to come clean and specifically state why they are not on this forum as much and why they may not have so much free time to devote here. Honesty is all I would be looking for. No one should have anything to hide here. We are all doing this online, and with a few notable exceptions, most of us really don't know anyone else in person. So there really isn't much to lose at all with just simply stating a couple sentences why they are not as active as others.
It's good that some people have at least stated that they are on vacation when it happens. That is a step in the right direction, but the more information we all know about each other, the better it will be in the long run.
15. What do you think of the current trade system? Quite a few recent trades have caused the trade committee to vote on them and have led to some flame wars as well. Do you think the trade system is good as is? Should there be a committee with every single trade? Any thoughts or complaints on the matter?
StutterBomb:
I could give two shits about the trade system. They are in place for a reason.
No need for a committee on every trade.
Steve1213:
I say no trade committee unless it involves a new owner. If it's between two veteran GMs, there should be no trade committee involved.
BravesGM:
Trades are always a touchy situation. If it's a veteran GM taking advantage of the new guy, yes, trade committee. If it's smelling like collusion, yes committee. Every trade? Shouldn't have to be, or we have a problem as a league and we're not lasting much longer.
SNB914:
I think the trade system for the most part is good. Most of them have been fair. Unfortunately though, some trades like the CC Sabathia trades have sorta set a bad precedent for this league and I think it was after CC got traded that some of the other more controversial trades occurred. Not throwing Stutter under the bus necessarily, but again, it sorta set off some of the other trade controversies.
I like the trade committee thing, but I feel that everyone should be able to participate in trade committees at some point. Ideally, I think a rotation of different trade committees would be fair and would keep this league more balanced for sure. Of course anyone involved in the trades could not participate in that committee so another GM would just fill in. If it's a very serious trade, then the original committee should get together, but if not, a rotation of different active GM's would be great to see at some point.
16. Finally, which GM's entertain you the most in this league and why?
StutterBomb:
Well i have my usual suspects Break and SNB. I don't have enough memory to name drop the rest of this three ring circus but the nucleus of the league is pretty good.
Steve1213:
Not one in particular...but Play is funny sometimes...just the way he speaks his mind. I also enjoy COL's and Ashes' comments.
BravesGM:
Meh, there are a few guys who are entertaining at times, but not really anyone who jumps out as greatly entertaining. Or it just could be that I've been up for 18 hours now and need to be up 6 hours from now and I"m tired and can't think of the funny guys.
SNB914:
I feel a few GM's stand out among the crowd in different ways. Waldo is funny in a unique and unusual way. Big Buhner, James and Game just have great senses of humor. Styro tells it like it is with no gimmicks. Break's rages are always entertaining and Stutter has his moments as well. Hopefully, he won't go on any more racial rants (kidding), but at times, he can be quite funny as well.
Thanks for taking the time to answer these, guys! Best of luck this season!
