[torpidbeaver]

In my alternate universe (complete with most foreign leagues and an MLB with fictional players), my first year was incredibly chaotic. As the (very) hands-off commissioner, it seemed like GMs were going nuts: cutting and signing and swapping in an orgy of transactions and trades - many seemingly just for the pleasure of making a deal.

I've been stopping the simulation every few weeks to look things over and enjoy the progression of a fully functioning league and all its statistics. Yesterday, while perusing the League Leaders in my infant league, something caught my eye.

A gentleman playing for the NY Yankees named Ken Black was selected in the 4th round of the inaugural draft. He'd had an absolutely gonzo first month, receiving two Player of the Week awards and winning the Player of the Month for the AL, rounding out that first month with a .335/.395/.656 line with 19 HRs.

A few in-game weeks later, I checked to see if he'd kept up his torrid pace in the League Leaders for Home Runs category, it appeared as though there was a weird glitch happening: Ken Black had been randomly assigned to a random foreign team.

Of course, when I investigated, I discovered that the Yankees had traded their red-hot, home run-mashing 1st Baseman to the Hokkaido Ham Fighters for a so-so 3-star Shortstop named Masaki Yoshimura and a 2-star reliever named Hirose. To make it even worse, they tossed in a few extra million dollars to sweeten the pot for the oh-so-lucky Ham Fighters.

Masaki Yoshimura blew out his knee or elbow (I like to think he was injured out of shame) a couple replacement-level months later, while Hirose played 3 innings, got in a fight for which he was suspended 4 games, and was ultimately sent down to the minors, where he toiled the rest of his miserable career.

Meanwhile, Ken Black continued mashing around the world. He returned home to the Majors, finding a home at Toronto, where he continues to make the Yankees pay for one of the most ill-conceived trades I've ever seen.