OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - FABL - Cleveland Foresters Mediocrity at its worst

DD Martin · 01-31-2020, 10:30 PM

Current season (1929) interlude

ooc: While we are going over the history of the Foresters since the 1926 season we will move next to the 1927 season. But before we do that the current season is in the post season so we will do a quick update before moving on with the history.

While the Foresters season ended and was frustrating, the post season is under way. We did not stop working just because the World Series was about to kick off.

I met with Manager Joe Johnson (67) who had been with our organization for years. Joe was a highly successful manager mainly at AA Toledo and also at AAA Cincinnati before spending the last two seasons guiding the Foresters. Joe had hoped to manage a couple of seasons and then see where he was at and where we were at, so his contract was coming up in a few days (after the World Series). We discussed the high hopes we had for the season just past and how it didn't pan out the way any of us had thought and hoped. We got around to talking about next year and Joe said that he was leaning towards retiring unless the right situation came along. But he was clear that he did not want to partake in a lengthy rebuilding process and both he and I knew that the Foresters would not likely be contending in 1930. He said this past season with the losing had really taken a toll on him. I completely understood where Joe was coming from, it had taken a toll on me and I wasn't even half his age.

The conversation then with Joe turned to who the team should hire to replace him. I trusted Joe's experience and his integrity so I was honest with him about things and I wanted the same honesty back from him. He knew the plan was for him to mentor Dave Adams (his current bench coach and former Foresters manage for a season and a half). I asked Joe if he felt Dave was ready for the challenge. Dave was 49 years old and kind of a vanilla sort of guy. His personality didn't cause any trouble but then again Joe wasn't sure he could inspire either. Joe was pretty frank that he didn't feel Dave was the right man for the job because while he sat under his learning tree for the last 2 years, he hasn't had any other managing or coaching experience. Joe did state that because the Foresters would likely be in a rebuilding mode that Dave might be ok, but Joe wasn't sure that Dave would be the guy to take them to contender status despite his (81-73 record in 1927. His overall managing mark with the Foresters is 116-136 .460). I then threw out some names of other managers that I knew were available but Joe stopped me. He said do you remember what I told him when I promoted him from Cincinnati two years ago? I thought and then I remembered saying that I should have promoted him (Joe) when I fired Sam Van Glider in the middle of the 26 season. That the best manager for the team was sitting right under my nose. Joe smiled and said good, what has changed with that scenario? The best man for the job I believe is in Cincinnati. You should bring him up and talk to him, but since you asked me I'm telling you Hank Leitzke is the right man for this team for many years to come.

As the meeting wound down, I stood up and shook Joe's hand and then I even gave him a hug. I wished him and his wife Amy the best and if he ever wanted a job in the organization scouting or anything else he had one, when he wanted it.

With that the Forester's had a managerial opening once Joe's contract expired at the end of the World Series. Joe had 4 world league titles in his brilliant managerial career. Three with Toledo in the Eastern Association and 1 in his only season in Cincinnati with the Steamers. His career minor league record as a manager was in our organization 1194-938 at Toledo and 84-56 in Cincinnati. He record in Cleveland was 150-158 in 2 seasons but this past season was not Joe's fault. I pulled the plug on it and the injuries we had didn't help. He also started out his managerial career with the Indianapolis Hoosiers (Union League) where he spent one season (1911) with them going 71-69. They let him go and while it took the Foresters a year to find him, we are glad we did. The man was 1 short of 1500 wins in his career going (1499-1221 with 4 League Championships).

We will bring up Steamer's manager Hank Leitzke for an interview, but actually I will go to Cincinnati to meet with him so as not to let anyone know what is potentially going on.

On the trade front, the Forester's have let it be known that just about anyone on the roster was available save for Moxie Pidgeon and Joe Perret. The Chicago Cougars GM was one of the first to come calling and we quickly struck up a conversation about SP Max Wilder. Max was 32 now and would turn 33 during the next season in the summer. He started out well for us this year as the #4 SP in our rotation. Through June he was 7-4 with an ERA around 3.50 on the season. After the trades of Robinson and Lawrence, and the horrific injury of Jim Wilson he was thrust into the #1 role without any veterans really around him. The 2nd half of the season was rough as he went 5-10 in July, August and September (0-5 in September) with an ERA around the mid 4's. He turned it around in October to win 2 games in relief to even his record at 14-14 on the season.

The price I was looking for was a decent prospect and a 3rd round pick. Chicago was a little reluctant to part with the pick as they had some high hopes for this draft and granted their 3rd rounder was like a late 2nd based on their record last season. So I began going through their minor league system with Scouting Director Ollie Moses. While we were talking on the phone with Chicago the GM mentioned they needed a SS. Again I stated that anyone on our roster was available and we had several SS on the roster, he went to Russ Combs. Russ had a down year with the bat in 1929 and so we were okay with trading him. I believe his bat will be fine next year and he should fit in well with the Chicago roster. Finally we struck a deal so the trade while it can't be official until after the World Series looks like this.

Cleveland sends SP Max Wilder (14-14 3.97 ERA) and SS Russ Combs (289/345/772 7-59 with 32 SB's 22CS) to the Chicago Cougars for

FABL 1B Luke Nixon and minor league players C Ben Richardson, SP Harry Parker and SS Pat Schuring.

The fans will hate Combs leaving us, he was wildly popular with the younger females in the stands but that's how it goes. I will have more on this trade after the World Series and the thinking behind it.

Oh and how is the World Series going? We the surprising Detroit Dynamo's have split the first four games with the heavily favored Philadelphia Sailors. Game 5 will be in Philly, but then the series shifts to Detroit for games 6 and if necessary game 7. Who ever would have thought Detroit would be going back to its home stadium to play games in this series, I sure didn't but it has been entertaining to listen to on the radio.

01-31-2020, 10:30 PM	#5
DD Martin All Star Reserve Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Seattle area Posts: 830	Current season (1929) interlude ooc: While we are going over the history of the Foresters since the 1926 season we will move next to the 1927 season. But before we do that the current season is in the post season so we will do a quick update before moving on with the history. While the Foresters season ended and was frustrating, the post season is under way. We did not stop working just because the World Series was about to kick off. I met with Manager Joe Johnson (67) who had been with our organization for years. Joe was a highly successful manager mainly at AA Toledo and also at AAA Cincinnati before spending the last two seasons guiding the Foresters. Joe had hoped to manage a couple of seasons and then see where he was at and where we were at, so his contract was coming up in a few days (after the World Series). We discussed the high hopes we had for the season just past and how it didn't pan out the way any of us had thought and hoped. We got around to talking about next year and Joe said that he was leaning towards retiring unless the right situation came along. But he was clear that he did not want to partake in a lengthy rebuilding process and both he and I knew that the Foresters would not likely be contending in 1930. He said this past season with the losing had really taken a toll on him. I completely understood where Joe was coming from, it had taken a toll on me and I wasn't even half his age. The conversation then with Joe turned to who the team should hire to replace him. I trusted Joe's experience and his integrity so I was honest with him about things and I wanted the same honesty back from him. He knew the plan was for him to mentor Dave Adams (his current bench coach and former Foresters manage for a season and a half). I asked Joe if he felt Dave was ready for the challenge. Dave was 49 years old and kind of a vanilla sort of guy. His personality didn't cause any trouble but then again Joe wasn't sure he could inspire either. Joe was pretty frank that he didn't feel Dave was the right man for the job because while he sat under his learning tree for the last 2 years, he hasn't had any other managing or coaching experience. Joe did state that because the Foresters would likely be in a rebuilding mode that Dave might be ok, but Joe wasn't sure that Dave would be the guy to take them to contender status despite his (81-73 record in 1927. His overall managing mark with the Foresters is 116-136 .460). I then threw out some names of other managers that I knew were available but Joe stopped me. He said do you remember what I told him when I promoted him from Cincinnati two years ago? I thought and then I remembered saying that I should have promoted him (Joe) when I fired Sam Van Glider in the middle of the 26 season. That the best manager for the team was sitting right under my nose. Joe smiled and said good, what has changed with that scenario? The best man for the job I believe is in Cincinnati. You should bring him up and talk to him, but since you asked me I'm telling you Hank Leitzke is the right man for this team for many years to come. As the meeting wound down, I stood up and shook Joe's hand and then I even gave him a hug. I wished him and his wife Amy the best and if he ever wanted a job in the organization scouting or anything else he had one, when he wanted it. With that the Forester's had a managerial opening once Joe's contract expired at the end of the World Series. Joe had 4 world league titles in his brilliant managerial career. Three with Toledo in the Eastern Association and 1 in his only season in Cincinnati with the Steamers. His career minor league record as a manager was in our organization 1194-938 at Toledo and 84-56 in Cincinnati. He record in Cleveland was 150-158 in 2 seasons but this past season was not Joe's fault. I pulled the plug on it and the injuries we had didn't help. He also started out his managerial career with the Indianapolis Hoosiers (Union League) where he spent one season (1911) with them going 71-69. They let him go and while it took the Foresters a year to find him, we are glad we did. The man was 1 short of 1500 wins in his career going (1499-1221 with 4 League Championships). We will bring up Steamer's manager Hank Leitzke for an interview, but actually I will go to Cincinnati to meet with him so as not to let anyone know what is potentially going on. On the trade front, the Forester's have let it be known that just about anyone on the roster was available save for Moxie Pidgeon and Joe Perret. The Chicago Cougars GM was one of the first to come calling and we quickly struck up a conversation about SP Max Wilder. Max was 32 now and would turn 33 during the next season in the summer. He started out well for us this year as the #4 SP in our rotation. Through June he was 7-4 with an ERA around 3.50 on the season. After the trades of Robinson and Lawrence, and the horrific injury of Jim Wilson he was thrust into the #1 role without any veterans really around him. The 2nd half of the season was rough as he went 5-10 in July, August and September (0-5 in September) with an ERA around the mid 4's. He turned it around in October to win 2 games in relief to even his record at 14-14 on the season. The price I was looking for was a decent prospect and a 3rd round pick. Chicago was a little reluctant to part with the pick as they had some high hopes for this draft and granted their 3rd rounder was like a late 2nd based on their record last season. So I began going through their minor league system with Scouting Director Ollie Moses. While we were talking on the phone with Chicago the GM mentioned they needed a SS. Again I stated that anyone on our roster was available and we had several SS on the roster, he went to Russ Combs. Russ had a down year with the bat in 1929 and so we were okay with trading him. I believe his bat will be fine next year and he should fit in well with the Chicago roster. Finally we struck a deal so the trade while it can't be official until after the World Series looks like this. Cleveland sends SP Max Wilder (14-14 3.97 ERA) and SS Russ Combs (289/345/772 7-59 with 32 SB's 22CS) to the Chicago Cougars for FABL 1B Luke Nixon and minor league players C Ben Richardson, SP Harry Parker and SS Pat Schuring. The fans will hate Combs leaving us, he was wildly popular with the younger females in the stands but that's how it goes. I will have more on this trade after the World Series and the thinking behind it. Oh and how is the World Series going? We the surprising Detroit Dynamo's have split the first four games with the heavily favored Philadelphia Sailors. Game 5 will be in Philly, but then the series shifts to Detroit for games 6 and if necessary game 7. Who ever would have thought Detroit would be going back to its home stadium to play games in this series, I sure didn't but it has been entertaining to listen to on the radio. Last edited by DD Martin; 02-04-2020 at 04:05 PM.