Owner goal for 1962 Mets: "Upgrade at SS" !
 

So I started a new historical league in 1961, simmed through the season without a job and got to the expansion draft at which I point I took over the Mets (by the way 1961 Killebrew had 56 HR and Maris 49, Detroit beat SF in the World Series).

BEFORE the expansion draft, and so BEFORE we (the newly founded Mets) have ANY players, the owner writes me with our goals. Goal 1 is reasonable enough: "Don't suck completely". Goal 2 is "Upgrade at Shortstop". Who does he think we have at SS, Snoopy?

Keep posting, I'd like to see how things go.

I drafted Dick Groat for SS - an upgrade from "our team did not exist a year ago" certainly, and really a good player. We went 59-103 and the owner was happy about neither our record (19 games better than the historical '62 Mets, but in this parallel universe he has no way of knowing that), and Groat hit .262 and played well. The owner wanted a top 10 player whatever that means, and I got Eddie Matthews in a trade, giving up Bobby Richardson (don't ask me why he was available in the expansion draft in 1962 - when he historically made a good play to make the last out of the World Series !) - I kept Jim Gilliam for 2B. So the owner was happy about Matthews. But not much else. The really important acquisition in another trade was for Tim McCarver. The owner did not mention him, but he is still in the minors.

In the end of season first year player draft I got Joe Morgan and Tommy John, so the long run picture looks good. But still some rough spots to get over.

You've been quiet for a while...any new news?

Yeah,just incredibly busy work schedule, teaching in two different cities both far from where I live and then a couple of weeks ago the whole database just melted down and I have had to re-download the OOTP 16 altogether. I will try this again sometime soon. For now my only team and league is a random debut 1940 league with players from 1914-1994, the Industrial and Agricultural League. I run the Newark Stone Masons. Our best player is Bobby Murcer. I will get back to the 1962 Mets again (there is someone else doing pretty much the same thing and getting further with it on another thread, here or in the General forum). It is too interesting a challenge not to try again, either drafting from 1962 or else really accepting the 1962 roster to see how much better (can you do worse?) you can do than the historical Mets. Until 1969, which becomes you "due by" date.