[gehrig38]

I checked and unchecked the box, my game still says international scouting budget is "Disabled in World Options" and I cannot find a way to fix it.
Maybe I need a year and to have free agents actually file? I don't know. All players history and service is reset anyway, so I don't know how that's going to affect things other than I have all players under contract for awhile.

Here's the initial try at starting this thing!


A 2012 election that brought about a depressed economy and global strife, caused the meltdown of MLB, and a stop to the current season. With no end in sight and the economy crashing, a few wealthy men gathered in a back room in Chicago to bring back America’s game.

A 2 league 24 team format was decided upon. Obviously with markets spoken for and a desire to stay away from legal hassles most of the teams were put in towns that housed minor league franchises or none at all.

The league was the brain storm of a former player, Curt Schilling, and his love of the game. His only request in the initial league meeting was that he would GM the “Iron Pigs” franchise, founded in Chicago.

Chicago was bound for the Central Division of the CL, along with the Roughriders of Houston, the Corpus Christi Hooks and the Columbus Clippers. Their AAA affiliate would be the Tulsa Majestics, AA Bakersfield Speed Demons. Their two A franchises were located in Denison (the Plymouths) and the Rawhides of Belleview. The Heavener Sting would be their short season club and the Omaha Discoverers would be their rookie league club.

There was a massive pool of players to comprise the leagues first go, and the draft would go as follows.
1) Columbus Clippers
2) Dayton Dragons
3) New York Knights
4) Chicago Iron Pigs
5) Houston Roughriders
6) Michigan Battlecats
7) Buffalo Bisons
8) San Antonio Silver Stars
9) Tulsa Drillers
10) Edmonton Trappers
11) Fresno Grizzlies
12) Baltimore Railcats
13) Las Vegas 51’s
14) New Hampshire Fisher Cats
15) El Paso Diablos
16) Phoenix Greyhounds
17) Brooklyn Cyclones
18) Staten Island Yankees
19) Pittsburgh Riverhounds
20) Los Angeles Sky Sox
21) Sacramento River Cats
22) West Michigan White Caps
23) Philadelphia Freedoms
24) Corpus Christi Hooks

The draft concluded, players are being assigned, and the season is just months away. Omar Marquis, a Cuban, actually a former Cuban defector who had a HOF career in Boston for the defunct Sox franchise, owns this team. He is incredibly demanding of his people but is willing to spend for a winner. Jared Smith, on a 2 year contract, will manage the inaugural Iron Pigs season. His staff is rounded out by one of the leagues best bench coaches in Art McPhun, pitching coach Peter Hardin, Hitting Coach John Edgar and trainer Ricco Cotichini. The Iron Pigs employ legendary scout Martin Cintron, a former Az Diamondback, who’s risen to the top of the scouting world at age 45. The owners first sign was Mr Cintron, who has a 10 year contract that runs through the 2021 season.

As I wade through the setting up I note that my propensity to pick high ceiling young kids, while a boon in years to come, has left me with minimal depth. That’s only a problem if injuries rear their head (which they inevitably will. Set injuries to OOTP classic, as well as trades).

I use the 1-20 scale with 5 stars. Blue is a star (4-5), Green is a stud (3), gold is ML level, orange and red are, well, they suck.

The IBL roster, as of 1/1/2012 looks like this.
Starters-
1) Alfredo Alejandrez (RHP) 26 year old RH with a good FB (96-98) who’s pretty much reached his ceiling. He has the best control in the rotation (which isn’t saying much since it’s an 11).
2) Ken Johnson (RHP) Another 26 year old RH with a bowling ball sinker. Sits in the mid 90s all most games but has been known to drill a mascot or three from time to time.
3) Mike Davis (RHP) The 20 year old RHP who my scouts missed on, big time! He was our #1 pick, at spot 4, and was believed to be a future HoF. Apparently he’s a numbskull. Clearly has room to grow but at best he’s a 3-4 on an average team. Sits in the low 90’s, good sink, ok command.
4) Jeff Jackson (LHP) Our only LH starter. A 28 year old journeyman with decent stuff, but his command has, and will continue to be, an issue. An innings eater, he tends to (when not walking the park) get deeper into games than the rest of my rotation.
5) Francisco Salazar (RHP) A 24 year old mid to bottom of the rotation starter with average stuff and below average command.

Bullpen
With the DH in all leagues I generally like to go with a 6-7 man pen, depending on quality LH pitching. The ace here, and likely across the league, is closer Ernesto Cruz. A mid 90’s fastball with insane movement, and the ability to dot a gnats ass at 60’6” means most games will be a race to get him in the game. Bill George, a 33 year old LH, will be the 8th inning bridge, along with RHP Jose Pacheco, a 22 year old who sports the Iron Pigs best fastball. His command will be the only issue. Riley Potts, LHP Craig Frank, right handers Sib van Bodegraven and Chris Dalton round out the bullpen. They’ll be the arms I hope can get me to the back end on nights my starters can’t get into/through the 7th.

The offense and roster of position players shapes up like this.
Versus RHP
1) (L) DH Jorge Diaz-a 27 year old who pounds RH pitching. Jorge is likely to be the 1st player I put ‘on the block’ given he’s in his prime and I am unsure if I have a chance at getting to October this year. His speed rates a 15 but he doesn’t use that to steal bases much.
2) (L) CF Ernesto Gutierrez-a 25 year old above avg outfielder at all 3 positions, and a guy who makes contact. HR’s are a rare find for him but he does everything decently.
3) (S) LF Bill Alexander-24 year old switch hitter with enormous pop. He’s far more potent from the left side and per our scouting department he’s a 76 ceiling player, a ‘blue guy’. Along with catcher Eric Hudson he’s got the best strike zone discipline on the team and will anchor the lineup vs RHP.
4) (L) 1B Wes Morgan-The consummate ‘all or nothing’ cleanup hitter. His power is off the charts, when he makes contact. I’ve heard the name ‘Adam Dunn minus all the walks” mentioned, often. Wes, being only 22, hopefully will refine his approach, but for now he’s the Iron Pigs “thunder”. Wes is also rated as a gold glove defender at 1st base, as well as an above average (14) 3B, should the potential to sign/trade for a corner infielder arise.
5) (R) C Eric Hudson-The Iron Pigs 5th pick in the draft was 24 year old Gold Glove catcher Eric Hudson. A great eye with outstanding plate discipline, he presented an enormous target in round 5. Franchise catchers who can do both, very well, happen along far too infrequently to pass up.
6) (R) 3B Jean Chartier-A very intriguing player. At only 18 years old he’s one of the youngest players to don a big league uni, and brings with it a very unique skill set. He grades out, potentially, as an 80, with a HoF bat. The Canadian born Chartier is a player I am terrified of pushing too fast too soon, but who’s skill leaves no reason to be at AAA, or on my bench. Offensively he’s graded as a triple crown threat when he’s done growing, and his ability to play 2B, 3B and SS will be a huge plus as he and the team, grow.
7) (L) RF Bob Barbour-The second piece to our “Canadian Cannons” Bob is a 22 year old RF who, like his countryman, grades out as a perennial all star and potential HoF talent. While not having the 20+ power of Chartier, he rates as a potential 16+ in every offensive category. Add to that his 18 rating in RF and we have what looks to be a lineup anchor for years to come.
8) (R) 2B Greg Bartlett-Another draft day disappointment. At 30 years old we weren’t expecting a franchise cornerstone but we were hoping for a more offensively talented player. Greg plays second, third and short, being good 3B and SS, and a great 2B, and also adds a twist in that he’s an outstanding LF as well. His bad is just above average, with very little pop. But for now he’ll do. He’ll be another player we’ll gladly part with for prospects or a pick or two, should a contender come calling.
9) R SS Ignacio Ferrer-A 31 year old defensive wiz, Ingancio could win a gold glove at 2nd 3rd and SS, wherever we played him. It makes his bat, which is average at best, tolerable. A career HR total of 3 would be shocking, as he’s never hit a HR, ever…..

The bench, as you can guess with a 12 man staff, is very thin. We have some nice prospects at Catcher, unfortunately none of them are even close to major league ready. We’re stuck with Dave Lawhorn as our backup, and he does neither, hitting or catching, to anything close to resembling a major leaguer. I’m seriously hoping our talented trainer and luck prevail and we can get 90% of our starts at C from Eric, but I’ll be in the market from day 1 for a backup. Potential blue chip prospect Chris Dixon can play all three left side positions, with 2B being his forte. A potential 50 2B and 30+ HR bat, he’s years away from realizing that, but given the dearth of ML ready IF I felt the bench was a good spot for him to mature. Gonzalo Barron will back up as well. A RH hitting utility infielder, like Dixon he’s 24, and has a ways to go to realize his full potential, but I am hoping his bat is serviceable enough to spell some guys and not stop his progression. Hugh Collins is my 4th outfielder. An immense ceiling both offensively and defensively, and only 22 years old. A potential GG in Left, and maybe Center, he can also man RF in a pinch. His calling card is his bat, and his legs. A natural LHH with as pure an eye as scouts have seen. Could be a .300+, 40 2B, 25HR 100BB force if he stays healthy and on the right track. He’s a good clubhouse guy as well.
It’s likely the 12 man staff would move to 11 as I hate having such a thin bench. The DH does factor in, and I have NO idea how my rotation will do, or what that will mean as it pertains to workload on my pen.
I’ll drop a quick peek at my minor league system later.