Our Town: A Multi-Sport Dynasty

[Big Six]

I've decided to try something brand-new, and I hope you'll enjoy it.

Fictional OOTP leagues featuring small towns or cities from the same area have always appealed to me. I've created several of them for this forum, and I've always enjoyed them. When I play a league like that, I always envision the players as local guys--men who grew up in the town they play in and excelled in athletics at the town's high school. If they went off to college, they came back home, settled down, and played ball for the local team.

I've decided to take this concept to another level. I enjoy several other sports simulations besides OOTP, and I've had fun writing dynasties based on those games, too. In this story, I'll be reporting on the events connected with leagues created for three different games.

This story is set in western Massachusetts. I've chosen eight towns/cities, and I've created a fictional OOTP league with teams based in each of the towns. First, we'll follow each of these teams and their players through a baseball season that will run from April through the end of August.

September will bring the beginning of football season. I'll be creating a league for Action PC Football, featuring teams representing each of the eight towns. The same guys we'll come to know during baseball season will take to the gridiron during the fall.

Beginning in December, the same towns will field teams in a basketball league, created for Action PC Basketball. Some of the same guys who played baseball and football for their town teams will have the chance to represent their home towns on the court as well, in a season that will run through the end of February.

Because neither Action PC game features a career mode, I'm envisioning this as a one-year dynasty. There's a chance, however, that I'll enjoy it so much that I'll want it to continue, and if I do, I'll just have to keep the story going longer.

I hope you'll enjoy reading this as much as I think I'll enjoy playing it.

[ryanivr]

Awesome idea. I'll be reading!

[Big Six]

April 24, 1976

Baseball season is right around the corner!

The eight teams that make up the Berkshires Baseball League will begin spring training today. For a month, the league's players will be working the kinks out of their throwing arms, sharpening their batting eyes, and otherwise preparing for the 84-game season that awaits them.

Opening Day is exactly one month away, so let's take a look at each of the eight teams and meet some of their key players. First, the four teams that make up the North Division:



Dalton Millers

The Millers have recently enjoyed a great deal of success on the diamond, finishing no worse than second in each of the past three years and winning the league championship in 1974.

The team's star is Dominican righthander Ernesto Jimenez, whose arsenal includes a 100 MPH fastball and exquisite control. In four full seasons with the Millers, Jimenez has posted a 38-18 record and a 1.78 ERA, and he's averaged more than a strikeout per inning. The solidly built Jimenez is nicknamed "Anvil," partially because he's also a hard-hitting lineman on the town football team.

LF Ken Hayes, a slender speedster, and slugging RF James Parrish lead the Millers' offensive attack. Infielders Jose Gonzales and Allen Schmidt will also be counted on to produce, both at bat and in the field.

Outfielder Jose Ruiz and catcher Greg O'Kyan are the Millers' most promising prospects.

The team takes its name from one of the region's traditional industries. Millers fans hope their players will be as productive as the workers who made the area's many mills hum with activity in years gone by.


North Adams Presidents

The Presidents, named for the father-and-son Chief Executives who share their name with the town, struggled mightily during the 1975 baseball season. They'll be looking to turn things around in this Bicentennial year.

Stocky Manuel "Revenant" Martinez and hard-throwing Doug Thomas give the Presidents two good right-handed starters, and 21-year-old Larry Mathis is one of the league's most promising young pitchers. Mathis, a superb athlete, also stars in football and basketball.

Rodrigo Cuevas is perhaps the league's best catcher, and 2B Kelly Jones is also a solid player. The rest of the infield is sub-par, however, and the outfielders are mediocre, at best.


Pittsfield Catamounts

The Cats are the defending BBL champions, and there's no reason why they can't repeat in 1976.

Their pitching staff is the best in the league, with veteran Dan Young and crafty Jim Daniels leading the rotation. Young, a towering 6'7", is also the league's best big man during basketball season. Edgar "Bear" Lara, a 6'4" powerhouse, won the league's Outstanding Pitcher Award for his dominant work out of the bullpen.

Pittsfield boasts a productive offense as well, led by Outstanding Batter Award honoree Craig Smith and five-tool star Greg Miller. Smith, a first baseman, and Miller, who plays right field, are both in their prime.

A Catamount is a scrappy wildcat with a ton of attitude, and the Pittsfield club plays with the same kind of intensity, day in and day out.


Williamstown Scholars

The Scholars' nickname is a reference to Williams College, which has been the leading institution in Williamstown since 1793. And, while the Scholars played like bookworms in 1975, losing two-thirds of their games, they and their fans believe better days are right around the corner.

Powerful Roland Sloan takes full advantage of the power of his 6'4", 228-pound frame on the field and court all year long. During baseball season, he's a slugging outfielder who led the league in home runs in 1975 with 11. Second baseman Dave Williams and shortstop Derek Whitehead are best known for their work on the football field, but they're both solid baseball players, too.

Juan Valdez and Earl Starr are the best of an undistinguished group of pitchers, and Eugene John shows considerable promise. For the most part, however, Scholars fans are already looking forward to football season.

[Big Six]

April 24, 1976

Now, let's meet the teams of the South Division, and some of their key players.


Great Barrington Electrics

In the 1880s, the town of Great Barrington transmitted electricity over a mile from a water-powered generator to light the town's streetlights. That first-time event inspired the nickname of the town's team. Is it a coincidence that the Electrics generate more power than any other BBL team?

Left fielder Francis Watt (no, I didn't change his last name) and SS Abel Moore both hit 11 home runs. Pitchers Shane Hubbs and Trevor Wells certainly qualify as "power pitchers," with crackling fastballs and sharp breaking stuff.

The Electrics captured the South Division title in each of the past three seasons, and won the Berkshire Series in 1973. They have to be considered among the favorites for post-season play again this year.


Lee Patriots

With dynamic players like 2B Kevin Ellis, C Sloan Lawson, SS Brennan Pace, and 3B Xander Gravois on their roster, the Patriots should be able to score plenty of runs. They'll need to, because their pitching staff is the weakest in the league.

Ellis, Lawson, Pace, and Gravois are all athletic players with many talents. They'll soon be joined by 20-year-old infielder Ernest Williams, a 6'3", 225-pound bruiser whose strength will make him a force to be reckoned with in any sport.

Lee also has a number of promising pitchers in the pipeline, and if one or two of them develop quickly, the team could improve on its 1975 fourth-place finish. Otherwise, the Patriots don't seem to have much chance of surpassing their division rivals.


Lenox Tycoons

The town of Lenox was a favorite retreat for the wealthy during the Gilded Age, and the Tycoons honored this part of the region's history with their nickname. Unfortunately, the team's fortunes haven't been nearly as bountiful in recent years.

Long, lean Edgar Chaves was the BLL Rookie of the Year in 1975, and he's expected to produce a high average and a touch of power again this year. Al Brown, who is best known as one of the BFL's best quarterbacks ever, is also a durable, hard throwing righthanded pitcher. 2B Julio Vargas and OF Russ McKee have bright futures as multi-sport athletes.

Nathan Gates has already established himself as a top linebacker; at 24, he's still learning the finer points of baseball. The same can be said for many of the athletes on the Tycoons' roster.


Stockbridge Indians

The Indians barely lost the 1975 division race to the Electrics, and many experts think Stockbridge was actually the better team.

2B Rodrigo Castillo is regarded as the most talented player in the league. He led the league with 61 RBI last year, and his 11 home runs tied him with three other sluggers for first in that category as well.

RF Tom O'Hanvey, one of the best all-around athletes in the Berkshires, scored the most runs (59) and stole the most bases (31) in the BBL last year. LF Chris Logan won the batting title at .343. There's not an easy out in the Indians lineup.

Pitchers Tony Lawrence, Nate Ware, and Fred Collier aren't young, but their arms seem to have plenty of life left. Can they hold up for one more season, and provide the Indians with the pitching they'll need to contend for the Berkshire Series title?

We'll see, beginning in exactly a month.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by ryanivr

Awesome idea. I'll be reading!

I'm glad you like it, ryanivr. It's different, and I hope the fact that it's not going to be all baseball won't be a problem with anyone. I find myself enjoying other sports games when their sports are in season, and I doubt I'm the only one who feels that way.

Thanks for your comments.

[Big Six]

Before I start the baseball season, I thought I'd explain a little bit more about how I'll be setting up this dynasty.

Each town's pool of athletes contains between 60 and 65 men. (They've been generated by OOTP.)

During the spring and summer, all of them will participate in baseball. 25 of them will earn a spot on the town's "varsity" team, while the others will form the reserve roster.

When baseball season ends, I'll assign about 40 of them to the football team. I'll assign them a position based on their height, weight, and speed, as provided by OOTP. A slow 220-pounder will become a football lineman; a lightning-quick 180-pounder will play wide receiver or defensive back. A strong-armed, athletic pitcher makes a terrific quarterback. And a player who combines size and speed will find himself transformed into an All-Star running back or linebacker.

Next, the men whose athletic qualities would translate well to hoops will be given a spot on the town basketball team. All the towns except one have at least one athlete who's 6'7" or 6'8", and they'll make fine big men. Other taller men, and some shorter ones whose quickness and athleticism would make them good ballers, will also have a chance to play some hoops.

There are a few "five-tool" baseball players whom I'm going to transform into excellent all-around athletes. Others will specialize in one sport, or possibly two; they might be reserve baseball players, All-Stars in football, and valuable second-stringers in basketball, for example.

If a player is injured at the end of one sport's season, he might miss some time in the next sport as well. A guy who tears his ACL playing baseball in August will probably miss the entire football season and much of the basketball season, and if the OOTP deities decide to punish him with a career-ending injury, he'll be forced to retire from the other two sports, too.

As a player's baseball talents begin to decline, I'll downgrade him in football and basketball as well. A fast outfielder who loses his speed in OOTP will experience a similar decline in football and/or basketball, too.

If he retires from baseball, he'll usually retire from other town sports, too, but I reserve the right to decide otherwise. There might be cases in which a guy retires from baseball in his mid-twenties because he can't get off his town's reserve team, while at the same time starring in another sport or two. Realistically, he'd probably keep playing football or basketball if he's enjoying success, and he'll do so in this dynasty as well.

[Big Six]

Next, I'll post the athletic roster for each town. Each player's baseball position, age, height, and weight are given. I'll add football and basketball positions once those seasons are about to begin.

First, the Dalton Millers:

Ben Anderson         SP   37   6'0"   228
Ernesto Jimenez      SP   31   6'1"   225
Broderick Morrow     SP   38   5'8"   179
Terry Rice           SP   34   6'5"   209
Andrew Ruckman       SP   27   6'3"   208
Kevin Cannon         MR   30   6'0"   207
Steve Chambers       MR   36   6'0"   196
Dan Corbett          MR   32   6'0"   217
Billy Donaldson      MR   21   5'11"  185
Kevin Dyer           MR   42   6'0"   207
Jimmy Gary           MR   40   6'7"   223
Eric Glass           MR   19   6'3"   200
Bobby Harris         MR   20   6'0"   190
Dwayne Holt          MR   32   6'0"   148
William Howard       MR   25   6'5"   200
John Kessel          MR   32   6'1"   190
Rob Love             MR   35   6'4"   198
Nick Melton          MR   37   5'10"  184
Ivan Reyes           MR   19   6'3"   205
Jeffrey Robbins      MR   25   6'1"   193
Will Sanford         MR   33   6'1"   196
Kevin Stewart        MR   28   6'2"   195
Dane Verity          MR   35   6'1"   211
Phil Wells           MR   21   5'9"   205
Gunner Wise          MR   25   6'0"   195
Ben Duncan           CL   25   6'5"   195

Greg O'Kyan          C    23   6'0"   200
Wessel Appeldoorn    C    21   6'0"   210
Enrique Salazar      C    20   6'0"   200
David Peterson       C    31   6'0"   188
Steve Jones          C    35   5'8"   199

Scott Cochran        1B   20   6'0"   220
Bryce Waters         1B   35   6'3"   210
Mark Esser           1B   24   6'2"   195
Thomas White         1B   22   6'2"   195
Chris Jones          2B   34   6'0"   201
Wayne Lebeavois      2B   35   6'1"   207
Steve Collett        2B   21   6'1"   215
Chris Holmes         2B   19   6'0"   185
Chris Bowes          3B   27   6'0"   205
Pat Mitchell         3B   30   6'0"   173
Gilberto Medina      3B   25   6'0"   190
Joe Lewis            3B   28   6'0"   197
Jose Gonzalez        3B   28   6'0"   207
Norman Dawson        SS   27   6'1"   225
Allen Schmidt        SS   27   6'0"   175
Roberto Diaz         SS   34   6'2"   210
Neil Johnson         SS   28   6'0"   211

Jose Ruiz            LF   22   6'1"   170
Bob Hatfield         LF   29   6'3"   212
Ken Hayes            LF   29   6'0"   144
Arnold West          LF   22   5'11"  195
Mike Aldridge        LF   20   6'1"   165
Chris Wilson         CF   35   6'3"   184
Barney Matthews      CF   35   6'2"   177
Miguel Angel Chavez  CF   30   6'1"   200
Garry Sackett        CF   24   6'0"   175
Todd McFadden        RF   30   6'1"   183
Emerson Huber        RF   28   6'0"   185
James Parrish        RF   33   6'4"   222
Jon Burleigh         RF   26   6'0"   195
Dave Myers           RF   34   5'11"  192

[NYY #23]

I was born in Pittsfield so I know the area real well, and I'm looking forward to this one. I'll be rooting for Pittsfield in the north, and Lenox in the south.

[muted79]

really looking forward to this, too. The fact it's a multi-sport dynasty makes it even more interesting. How do you plan to handle players that finish baseball season injured? At least going from football/basketball back into baseball you can edit injuries into OOTP (if it becomes multi-season) but can you edit injuries into Action Sports?

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by NYY #23

I was born in Pittsfield so I know the area real well, and I'm looking forward to this one. I'll be rooting for Pittsfield in the north, and Lenox in the south.

Pittsfield looks like the strongest of the eight teams. Dalton is decent and might put up a fight for the division title, but I think the Catamounts should have enough talent to defend their crown.

Lenox will have a tougher time, I'm afraid. Most of their regulars are no better than fifth in the league at their positions, and the most talented players might be too young to help much for now.

And, while I'm thinking about it...I know you, and a few others, follow my other dynasty faithfully. I won't be abandoning it in favor of this one. I should have time to keep up with both threads.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by muted79

really looking forward to this, too. The fact it's a multi-sport dynasty makes it even more interesting. How do you plan to handle players that finish baseball season injured? At least going from football/basketball back into baseball you can edit injuries into OOTP (if it becomes multi-season) but can you edit injuries into Action Sports?

Good question, muted79. It's possible to edit injuries into Action games, so I can have guys start the football or basketball seasons hurt.

[muted79]

Excellent, this will add to the realism even more and has potential for storyline value, if lets say a star football player gets hurt on the last game of baseball season pinch running when they haven't been playing all season and were called up now that all hope is lost, or something similar. I can just see an angry confrontation at the local drinking hole between coach and manager.

[darkcloud4579]

Cool idea. I'll be following!

[Big Six]

At first glance, North Adams appears to have among its athletes a Hall of Fame linebacker from the Detroit Lions, an equally accomplished Boston Red Sox outfielder (who, ironically enough, also plays left field in this universe), and the lead singer from Earth, Wind, and Fire.

Brady Brown         SP   30  6'0"   177
John Hanson         SP   27  6'1"   185  
Manuel Martinez     SP   28  5'8"   197
Doug Thomas         SP   32  6'0"   187
Anderson Ward       SP   27  6'1"   215
Cedric Anderson     MR   22  6'4"   200
Henry Baker         MR   20  6'3"   210
George Flynn        MR   23  6'7"   205
Max Gill            MR   35  6'0"   162
Jack Good           MR   35  6'3"   223
Ramon Hernandez     MR   24  6'3"   195
Bill Higgins        MR   27  6'3"   225
Hayden Hussey       MR   25  6'4"   200
Ryan Huth           MR   20  6'1"   215
Harry Johnson       MR   24  6'4"   225
Tim Lusk            MR   26  6'0"   180
Josh Marshall       MR   19  6'4"   200
Larry Mathis        MR   21  6'3"   195
Herman McCray       MR   24  5'9"   185
Alberto Moreno      MR   23  6'1"   185
Eddie Poliskin      MR   21  6'0"   215
Thomas Simard       MR   37  6'2"   162
Shane Thomas        MR   38  6'1"   198
Jack Huffman        CL   38  5'10"  216

Bobby Coleman       C    22  6'0"   210
Rodrigo Cuevas      C    25  6'0"   215
Tom Lambert         C    23  5'11"  200
Chris MacCord       C    33  6'0"   196
Shawn Clark         C    21  5'11"  190
Ben Murphy          1B   31  6'0"   223
Murray Stroud       1B   34  6'1"   177
John Seals          1B   27  6'0"   192
Jose Rodriguez      2B   25  6'2"   165
Kelly Jones         2B   29  6'1"   180
Ethan McKnight      2B   23  6'2"   200
Chris Mintz         2B   19  6'2"   200
Chris Rucker        2B   32  5'11"  174
Cristobal Rodriguez 2B   20  6'0"   220
Enrique Carranza    2B   22  6'0"   180
Wilber Beard        3B   22  6'2"   195
Raphael Cote        3B   34  6'0"   197
Quon Xiu            3B   32  5'8"   208
Pat Cant            3B   26  6'2"   215
Joe Schmidt         SS   29  6'1"   204
Jon Taylor          SS   37  6'0"   200
Ken Martin          SS   34  6'2"   208
Maxime Bilodeau     SS   39  6'3"   250
Larry Jackson       SS   33  5'8"   181
Jim Rice            LF   24  6'2"   220
Maurice White       LF   41  6'1"   206
Matt Morgan         LF   20  6'3"   180
Jeff Chandler       LF   35  5'10"  204
Rick Hogan          CF   27  6'2"   178
Rocky Chappell      CF   31  6'2"   172
Dana Conochie       CF   22  6'2"   190
Rex Auten           CF   21  6'0"   155
Spike Carlson       CF   33  6'0"   186
Jack Barrett        RF   25  6'0"   170
Joe McCann          RF   21  6'3"   200
Todd Evans          RF   31  6'1"   183

[Big Six]

And now, the town roster for Pittsfield:

Justin Brooks         SP  28  5'9"   205
Jim Daniels           SP  27  6'0"   184
Jack Griffin          SP  31  6'1"   219
Tucker MacKnight      SP  28  6'0"   208
Dan Young             SP  36  6'7"   236
Allen Clark           MR  38  6'3"   215
Caleb Bowles          MR  23  6'1"   195
Noel Brown            MR  29  6'3"   232
Mike Casey            MR  33  5'11"  206
John Curtis           MR  24  6'0"   215
Tyson Douglas         MR  37  6'0"   215
Wayne Drewery         MR  34  6'0"   190
Jose Franco           MR  31  5'11"  213
Miguel Gomez          MR  28  6'0"   190
Stephane Grenier      MR  21  5'11"  200
Dalton Jackson        MR  35  6'4'   197
Vernon Johnson        MR  26  5'10"  198
Robert MacGruder      MR  25  6'4"   220
Preston McCullough    MR  20  6'3"   220
Ken McDonald          MR  32  6'1"   197
Michael Parks         MR  23  6'2"   225
Ricardo Perez         MR  23  6'0"   190
Bill Rigg             MR  23  5'8"   195
Juan Salmaran         MR  25  6'2"   195
Haden Scharf          MR  38  6'0"   204
Tyler Seiffert        MR  26  6'1"   203
Ken Thompson          MR  27  6'6"   215
Rusty Westerhout      MR  23  6'0"   180
Gerald Young          MR  27  5'11"  188
Edgar Lara            CL  29  6'4"   225

Marcos Moreno         C   23  6'2"   200
Todd Craig            C   28  6'0"   186
Howard Reid           C   32  6'1"   230
Bill Lindsay          C   20  6'1"   205
Craig Smith           1B  28  6'0"   190
Anthony Holt          1B  26  6'4"   215
Josh Hennessey        2B  26  6'0"   172
Don Todd              2B  29  6'0"   186
Russ Carney           2B  20  5'11"  190
Tom Gordon            2B  32  6'1"   194
Alfredo Lozano        2B  20  5'11"  205
Jesus Miranda         2B  25  5'10"  214
Stu Brown             3B  26  6'0"   160
Cris Colon            3B  39  6'0"   177
Artie Grady           3B  28  5'11"  192
Jimmy Kirk            3B  28  5'9"   205
Marvin Hill           3B  34  6'0"   205
Charles Howell        SS  33  6'4"   208
Kareem Chatukulu      SS  30  6'0"   215
Juan Viera            LF  29  5'9"   186
Brad Reed             LF  27  5'11"  207
Marvin MacKnight      LF  24  6'5"   205
John Douglas          CF  23  6'0"   205
Steve Duncan          CF  20  6'2"   190
Andres Rivera         CF  20  6'1"   175
Dylan McCarty         CF  24  6'3"   195
Brian Randolph        CF  22  5'11"  205
Dave Underwood        CF  32  5'8"   181
Walt Turner           CF  33  6'3"   220
Bob Williams          CF  30  6'2"   176
Greg Miller           RF  30  6'2"   196
Walt Riley            RF  27  6'2"   206
Nick Morris           RF  31  6'3"   207
Alexander Lamontagne  RF  20  6'2"   210

[Big Six]

I just took a look at the free agent list for the BBL, and there are a number of players there who would probably make very good football or basketball players.

For example, I found Antonio Reyes, a 21-year-old middle reliever whose ratings are mediocre at best. He'll probably never sign a baseball contract with any team, but he's 6'10". I have a feeling somebody would want him on their basketball team, don't you?

Allen Hess, a 27-year-old first baseman, is 6'7" and weighs 249 pounds. He can move well for a big dude (Speed 12), and he's agile (Fielding 9. He would be an absolute beast on the football field or the basketball court.

Right fielder Lawrence Jermy stands 6'3", weighs 200 pounds, and has 19 Speed. He apparently can't hit a baseball to save his life, but I can imagine he'd make a pretty fair running back or linebacker.

I'm wondering what to do about guys like Reyes, Hess, and Jermy, who were generated for the player pool in OOTP but aren't on any team's roster.

There are several possible things I could do:

• Should I disregard them completely? That would make them the equivalent of the kids you knew in high school, the ones all the coaches begged, unsuccessfully, to come out for sports.
  
• Should I allow teams to "draft" players for football or basketball only? In a sense, it's a little unrealistic to assume that all the athletes in each town play baseball; some would play only football, only basketball, or both other sports. I'd end up having to assign the non-baseball players to a town manually.
  
• Some of the free agents were once signed to baseball contracts but have been released. Lawrence Jermy, for example, was drafted by Pittsfield in 1972, but was released. Should Lawrence be eligible to represent Pittsfield in other sports?

If any of you have an opinion, please post and let me know.

[NYY #23]

Originally Posted by Big Six

I just took a look at the free agent list for the BBL, and there are a number of players there who would probably make very good football or basketball players.

For example, I found Antonio Reyes, a 21-year-old middle reliever whose ratings are mediocre at best. He'll probably never sign a baseball contract with any team, but he's 6'10". I have a feeling somebody would want him on their basketball team, don't you?

Allen Hess, a 27-year-old first baseman, is 6'7" and weighs 249 pounds. He can move well for a big dude (Speed 12), and he's agile (Fielding 9. He would be an absolute beast on the football field or the basketball court.

Right fielder Lawrence Jermy stands 6'3", weighs 200 pounds, and has 19 Speed. He apparently can't hit a baseball to save his life, but I can imagine he'd make a pretty fair running back or linebacker.

I'm wondering what to do about guys like Reyes, Hess, and Jermy, who were generated for the player pool in OOTP but aren't on any team's roster.

There are several possible things I could do:

• Should I disregard them completely? That would make them the equivalent of the kids you knew in high school, the ones all the coaches begged, unsuccessfully, to come out for sports.
  
• Should I allow teams to "draft" players for football or basketball only? In a sense, it's a little unrealistic to assume that all the athletes in each town play baseball; some would play only football, only basketball, or both other sports. I'd end up having to assign the non-baseball players to a town manually.
  
• Some of the free agents were once signed to baseball contracts but have been released. Lawrence Jermy, for example, was drafted by Pittsfield in 1972, but was released. Should Lawrence be eligible to represent Pittsfield in other sports?

If any of you have an opinion, please post and let me know.

Just my opinion, but I like the second option, allowing teams to "draft" players just for one sport if necessary. I'd kind of see those baseball free agents as guys baseball isn't their best sport, but who knows, one of those kids might be a heck of a kicker or center. It does seem more realistic if some guys play all three sports, others could play two, and others would just want to play one sport.

[Tyke]

Another great idea, Big Six. Look forward to seeing this unfold.

[muted79]

I agree, I like the 2nd option, as long as they are created for the OOTP universe, no reason why they shouldn't be in the other universes.

[Big Six]

Thanks for your suggestions, guys. I've decided to combine the second and third options. Athletes who have never been part of any town's baseball organizations will be eligible to play other sports for any of the eight towns. At the end of the baseball season, I'll hold a football draft. The town with the worst record in the baseball league will draft first, and the baseball champion will draft last. Then, when football season ends, I'll conduct a similar draft for basketball, with the worst football team drafting first.

Athletes who were once the property of a baseball organization will be considered to be that town's property for the other sports, too. If a player represented more than one town, he belongs to the town who had him last.

So, look forward to seeing Lawrence Jermy taking the field with the Pittsfield Catamounts during football season. The "race" for last place in the football standings will undoubtedly be referred to as the "Antonio Reyes Sweepstakes."