The American Baseball Club est. 1995

bengalmike17 · 03-06-2015, 11:59 PM

It was December 17, 1994. I was in a room with five other men. We all had one thing in common. All six of us were owners of Major League Baseball Teams, and all six of us were uncertain of what the future held for us. We were all worried about the work stoppage that had ended the season prematurely just months before. Things weren't changing.

Now not all Major League Baseball owners are fully involved with the team, but the six of us were. We were all baseball fanatics lucky enough to own a franchise. With the players' strike, we didn't have baseball, and with no end to the strike in site, we were growing restless. We needed baseball, not for the money, no, we needed the baseball to keep ourselves busy. I was driving my wife crazy with all the time I spent fretting over whether or not the work stoppage would be resolved and when.

We all agreed. We had to do something. We needed baseball, but we weren't getting it. We did have a crazy idea, although.

Jay Wolf, the owner of the Philadelphia Phillies, who had been quiet for most of the meeting, set his drink down and said, “Guys, I have an idea. Now hear me out, it's a little off-the-wall. Look at us, I think we can all agree we're pretty committed to the game of baseball. Now if this strike doesn't get resolved soon, I think we should all sell our teams and create a new league. I don't want to deal with any more of this business bull****, I want to play some damn ball. We'll run it as smooth as possible and we'll get another owner or two who would be dedicated enough to start a league from scratch. That's just what I've been thinking.”

I looked around the room. It had gone silent. We were all thinking about it, and eventually another owner spoke up saying he kind of liked the idea.

“Guys he does raise a good point.” said Cleveland Indians owner Rick Baker. “To hell with all of this. Let's do it. Let's make a new league. Keep the fans happy, keep the coaches happy, and keep the players happy, all things that Major League Baseball had failed to do the past few months. Sure it won't be as special or as big, but it'll be a helluva lot of fun. And who knows, if it becomes the next big thing then we are golden.”

We all talked for about another forty-five minutes and we agreed that we'd all brainstorm ideas for this league and meet again next week to discuss and draw up some basic plans for the league. History was about to be made.

bengalmike17 · 03-07-2015, 12:04 PM

I walked into the room with guarded optimisim. We all knew we might be on to something. A new league could be a great idea, and could possibly end up earning us more money than our MLB teams.

I was the last one to arrive, and as soon as I sat down Jay Wolf announced that he had drawn up some basic plans for the league. He wanted to share his ideas and see what stuck. He was open to all opinions and wanted criticism, after all, the only way this league would work would be to have everyone work together.

The plan was to start with eight teams. We were going to go out and recruit two more owners. Those eight teams would play around 50 series with three games each. There would be two subleagues, each would have one division with four teams in it. The whole league would play with the designated hitter. Each active roster could have a maximum of 28 members. Draft picks could be traded as well as recently drafted players. Players could become free agents after four years of service and were eligible for arbitration after two. Each team would have a triple-A and a double-A affiliate. There would be a complete college and high school feeder system in place.

The eight teams in the league would be the:

Cleveland Lake Monsters (my team)
Boston Seawolves
Philadelphia Blue Sox
Chicago Capitals
San Diego Hounds
Dallas Cougars
Seattle Aces
Arizona Lightning

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The hardest part of all of this, was of course, choosing a league name. We all had trouble choosing one name for the league. We decided on the name “American Baseball Club.”

The league was progressing quickly, and before we knew it we were drafting our teams.

bengalmike17 · 03-08-2015, 04:58 PM

The inaugural draft was upon us, and after campaigning for players, we finally had everything in order to draft our team.

My strategy for the draft is to stay young. I don't want a team full of old guys who will retire within a few years. It isn't worth it. We pick third out of eight teams.

With the first pick in the draft I selected Jose Rivera, a starting pitcher rated 80/80 in both current overall and potential. Rivera is 21 years old and should the ace for years to come.

Our second round pick, Mark Abraham, is a first baseman with an outstanding bat. His power potential is out of this world. His pop is some of the best in the league. At 22, there is no-where to go but up!

Takfumi Matsui is a third baseman who our scout feels will be very good. At 18 years old, he is rated a 75/80 with the potential to be an 80 overall.

Eric Moore is even younger than Matsui. The 16 year old shortsop has an amazing bat and good speed which could help him become a superstar in a few years.

Those players are my stars. I've got a bunch of other decent players, but those guys are definitely the best on the team.

The Month of April
We went 17-12 in our first month of play. Our closer Rafael Munoz won the Eastern League player of the month, as he pitched 16 innings and allowed one earned run. He struck out 18 while saving 9 games for the Lake Monsters. Jose Rivera, our ace pitcher, had a decent month posting a 2.83 ERA while registering 51 strikeouts. He had a record of 0-3 this month, though. Second baseman Pedro Trevino lead the team in batting average at .306. He also drove in six and stole eight bases. Catcher Alejandro Pagan showed immense power but also showed how his contact is limited. But, when the 19 year old does make contact, it manages to go a long way.

darkcloud4579 · 03-08-2015, 05:16 PM

Why'd you choose those specific markets? Any reason? I like the storyline and backstory though entirely. I think surely in a parallel universe that's precisely what happened during the strike year.

bengalmike17 · 03-08-2015, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkcloud4579

Why'd you choose those specific markets? Any reason? I like the storyline and backstory though entirely. I think surely in a parallel universe that's precisely what happened during the strike year.

Honestly it was pretty random. I kept the teams in cities that had a team, except for Dallas. I plan on expanding in future seasons but where I expand to is still to be determined.

bengalmike17 · 03-13-2015, 06:39 PM

Dose of Injuries

I was informed on June 4^th that Rafael Munoz and Lee Briggs will both miss significant time, and that both will likely be out for the season. Munoz is my best reliever, and was having a solid year. He was my closer and had already racked up 18 saves by the time he got hurt. Briggs was a middle of the road guy in my bullpen but both losses hurt.

Rookie Draft
On draft day I had the fifth overall pick. With my selection I chose catcher Mario Calderon. The 19 year old switch hitter has an excellent bat contact wise. He doesn't strike out much and he is well disciplined.

With my second round pick I selected CF Eric Britt. Britt is a defense first player, who has a superb speed/defense combination. His bat is weak but he could be a halfway decent player.

Thirdly, I chose Matt Holland, a third baseman from Minneapolis. The college infielder has a good bat and could become a bench player in the future.

Injury Strikes Again
We were again hit by the injury bug. This time, Freddie Riggs was the victim. Riggs will be out for most likely the season. The 20 year old was hitting .277 with 6 homers and 27 RBI's before he tore a back muscle. He wasn't being careless, as he did the damage in the weight room. When asked if Riggs was doing anything wrong or goofing off, Manager Francis Franklin said, “Of course Riggs wasn't doing anything wrong. Freddie is a model player on and off the field. He takes his work seriously. It was just a freak thing.”

All-Star Rosters announced
The Lake Monsters had a number of players on the All-Star roster including David McClure, Jose Rivera, Rafael Munoz, Alejandro Pagan, Eric Moore, and Howard Rowe. Congrats guys!

Halfway point of the season
At the halfway mark of the season, the Cleveland Lake Monsters sit at 34-35, 8 games out of first place. Philadelphia is at the top of the league with a record of 42-27.

We had two pitchers play outstanding the first half of the season. David McClure and Jose Rivera both dominated, and hopefully they can continue to do so in the second half of the season. Offensively, 17 year old SS Eric Moore was the top player for us. He hit .285 with four home runs and 21 RBIs so far, and has stolen 10 bases as well.

03-06-2015, 11:59 PM	#1
bengalmike17 Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Cleveland Posts: 43	The American Baseball Club est. 1995 It was December 17, 1994. I was in a room with five other men. We all had one thing in common. All six of us were owners of Major League Baseball Teams, and all six of us were uncertain of what the future held for us. We were all worried about the work stoppage that had ended the season prematurely just months before. Things weren't changing. Now not all Major League Baseball owners are fully involved with the team, but the six of us were. We were all baseball fanatics lucky enough to own a franchise. With the players' strike, we didn't have baseball, and with no end to the strike in site, we were growing restless. We needed baseball, not for the money, no, we needed the baseball to keep ourselves busy. I was driving my wife crazy with all the time I spent fretting over whether or not the work stoppage would be resolved and when. We all agreed. We had to do something. We needed baseball, but we weren't getting it. We did have a crazy idea, although. Jay Wolf, the owner of the Philadelphia Phillies, who had been quiet for most of the meeting, set his drink down and said, “Guys, I have an idea. Now hear me out, it's a little off-the-wall. Look at us, I think we can all agree we're pretty committed to the game of baseball. Now if this strike doesn't get resolved soon, I think we should all sell our teams and create a new league. I don't want to deal with any more of this business bull****, I want to play some damn ball. We'll run it as smooth as possible and we'll get another owner or two who would be dedicated enough to start a league from scratch. That's just what I've been thinking.” I looked around the room. It had gone silent. We were all thinking about it, and eventually another owner spoke up saying he kind of liked the idea. “Guys he does raise a good point.” said Cleveland Indians owner Rick Baker. “To hell with all of this. Let's do it. Let's make a new league. Keep the fans happy, keep the coaches happy, and keep the players happy, all things that Major League Baseball had failed to do the past few months. Sure it won't be as special or as big, but it'll be a helluva lot of fun. And who knows, if it becomes the next big thing then we are golden.” We all talked for about another forty-five minutes and we agreed that we'd all brainstorm ideas for this league and meet again next week to discuss and draw up some basic plans for the league. History was about to be made.

03-07-2015, 12:04 PM	#2
bengalmike17 Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Cleveland Posts: 43	I walked into the room with guarded optimisim. We all knew we might be on to something. A new league could be a great idea, and could possibly end up earning us more money than our MLB teams. I was the last one to arrive, and as soon as I sat down Jay Wolf announced that he had drawn up some basic plans for the league. He wanted to share his ideas and see what stuck. He was open to all opinions and wanted criticism, after all, the only way this league would work would be to have everyone work together. The plan was to start with eight teams. We were going to go out and recruit two more owners. Those eight teams would play around 50 series with three games each. There would be two subleagues, each would have one division with four teams in it. The whole league would play with the designated hitter. Each active roster could have a maximum of 28 members. Draft picks could be traded as well as recently drafted players. Players could become free agents after four years of service and were eligible for arbitration after two. Each team would have a triple-A and a double-A affiliate. There would be a complete college and high school feeder system in place. The eight teams in the league would be the: Cleveland Lake Monsters (my team) Boston Seawolves Philadelphia Blue Sox Chicago Capitals San Diego Hounds Dallas Cougars Seattle Aces Arizona Lightning The hardest part of all of this, was of course, choosing a league name. We all had trouble choosing one name for the league. We decided on the name “American Baseball Club.” The league was progressing quickly, and before we knew it we were drafting our teams.

03-13-2015, 06:39 PM	#6
bengalmike17 Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Cleveland Posts: 43	May through the all-star break Dose of Injuries I was informed on June 4^th that Rafael Munoz and Lee Briggs will both miss significant time, and that both will likely be out for the season. Munoz is my best reliever, and was having a solid year. He was my closer and had already racked up 18 saves by the time he got hurt. Briggs was a middle of the road guy in my bullpen but both losses hurt. Rookie Draft On draft day I had the fifth overall pick. With my selection I chose catcher Mario Calderon. The 19 year old switch hitter has an excellent bat contact wise. He doesn't strike out much and he is well disciplined. With my second round pick I selected CF Eric Britt. Britt is a defense first player, who has a superb speed/defense combination. His bat is weak but he could be a halfway decent player. Thirdly, I chose Matt Holland, a third baseman from Minneapolis. The college infielder has a good bat and could become a bench player in the future. Injury Strikes Again We were again hit by the injury bug. This time, Freddie Riggs was the victim. Riggs will be out for most likely the season. The 20 year old was hitting .277 with 6 homers and 27 RBI's before he tore a back muscle. He wasn't being careless, as he did the damage in the weight room. When asked if Riggs was doing anything wrong or goofing off, Manager Francis Franklin said, “Of course Riggs wasn't doing anything wrong. Freddie is a model player on and off the field. He takes his work seriously. It was just a freak thing.” All-Star Rosters announced The Lake Monsters had a number of players on the All-Star roster including David McClure, Jose Rivera, Rafael Munoz, Alejandro Pagan, Eric Moore, and Howard Rowe. Congrats guys! Halfway point of the season At the halfway mark of the season, the Cleveland Lake Monsters sit at 34-35, 8 games out of first place. Philadelphia is at the top of the league with a record of 42-27. We had two pitchers play outstanding the first half of the season. David McClure and Jose Rivera both dominated, and hopefully they can continue to do so in the second half of the season. Offensively, 17 year old SS Eric Moore was the top player for us. He hit .285 with four home runs and 21 RBIs so far, and has stolen 10 bases as well.

03-08-2015, 04:58 PM	#3
bengalmike17 Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Cleveland Posts: 43	The inaugural draft was upon us, and after campaigning for players, we finally had everything in order to draft our team. My strategy for the draft is to stay young. I don't want a team full of old guys who will retire within a few years. It isn't worth it. We pick third out of eight teams. With the first pick in the draft I selected Jose Rivera, a starting pitcher rated 80/80 in both current overall and potential. Rivera is 21 years old and should the ace for years to come. Our second round pick, Mark Abraham, is a first baseman with an outstanding bat. His power potential is out of this world. His pop is some of the best in the league. At 22, there is no-where to go but up! Takfumi Matsui is a third baseman who our scout feels will be very good. At 18 years old, he is rated a 75/80 with the potential to be an 80 overall. Eric Moore is even younger than Matsui. The 16 year old shortsop has an amazing bat and good speed which could help him become a superstar in a few years. Those players are my stars. I've got a bunch of other decent players, but those guys are definitely the best on the team. The Month of April We went 17-12 in our first month of play. Our closer Rafael Munoz won the Eastern League player of the month, as he pitched 16 innings and allowed one earned run. He struck out 18 while saving 9 games for the Lake Monsters. Jose Rivera, our ace pitcher, had a decent month posting a 2.83 ERA while registering 51 strikeouts. He had a record of 0-3 this month, though. Second baseman Pedro Trevino lead the team in batting average at .306. He also drove in six and stole eight bases. Catcher Alejandro Pagan showed immense power but also showed how his contact is limited. But, when the 19 year old does make contact, it manages to go a long way.

03-08-2015, 05:16 PM	#4
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,715	Why'd you choose those specific markets? Any reason? I like the storyline and backstory though entirely. I think surely in a parallel universe that's precisely what happened during the strike year.