[ctorg]

Here's an idea:

Send free copies of the game to key people with a lot of reach along with a letter explaining what it is. This is a long shot, but I'm thinking some of the more "enlightened" TV analyst guys, and perhaps even some broadcasters. These are exactly the kinds of people who DON'T normally play the game, but if even one of them gets into it and mentions it on the air, that's a big boost.

You'd want to pick people who at least have some chance of playing it. For instance, I know Keith Hernandez is a huge fan of Strat-O-Matic, so he might be more inclined to play OOTP (though I'm betting he plays Strat-O the old fashioned way, with cards). David Cone has has been somewhat outspoken about his affinity for advanced metrics. There are a few out there.

OOTP is a niche game, but it's also a very good game, and I'm betting it's good enough now that it can attract a bit more of a mainstream crowd than it used to.