WPOBL Tampa Bay Rays.

[RebelArmy]

The WPOBL is a slow paced online league using the OOTP game, we sim 1 day per day. We don't even start the season until next year, so if your wanting fast paced then your out of luck, you may get bored, we may end up talking about what I had for breakfast, by the way this morning it was a sausage patty on a toasted muffin (homemade not McDonalds) you have to toast your muffin don't you?. You've not only learned something about me but something new, my Grandma say's if you don't learn something new everyday it's a wasted day. See I told you, slow paced not even out of the first paragraph and we're talking about breakfast.

The Misadventures of Boyd Flanagan & The Tampa Bay Rays Of The WPOBL.

(I would have picked a shorter title but I get paid by the word.)

Right here we go, I was going to say strap in but like I say it's a slow paced sim, so well errrmmm put your slippers on.

I'd decided to take a break from OOTP baseball and go see what was wrong with my Mum's TV, taking the Tampa Bay Rays to the World Series could wait.

Mum I've come round to look at your TV.

"I can get someone in to look at it you know, remember last time? You nearly electrocuted yourself, you and electricity don't mix."

I'll be fine, I was last time.

"After your hair stopped smoking."

She was right but it started to grow again after about 2 months, worrying times indeed.

I took the back of the TV off, just as I reached for a wire I thought had I unplugged the TV, I hadn't. There was a blue flash, and I felt like I was flying, I was.

*Having never been electrocuted I have no idea if it's a blue, white or yellow flash with pink spots so use your imagination. Also having never been an electrician I have no idea if a loose wire on a TV would send you flying across the room, again imagination people.

My fingers tingled and my body felt like it had been used as a punch bag by Mike Tyson, I was laid down on the floor the room seemed unfamiliar. I heard a door open and hurried muffled footsteps.

I looked up, a middle aged woman looked down at me, her lips moved but I couldn't hear what she said, my ears had been stuffed with cottonwool or least I think they had. After a few moments of lips moving without sound someone found the remote control and away we went.

"MISTER FLANAGAN!"

No need to shout Miss Honeysuckle.

"Are you ok?"

I didn't recognize the woman but she knew me but what was weird is I knew her name, as the fogginess in my head started to clear I was thinking Miss Kara Honeysuckle my PA, turns out I was saying it out loud.

"Yes, do you need a Doctor? I told you! I told you! You should have got someone in to look at that TV you nearly blew yourself up the last time you tried to fix it!"

While I sat in the big leather chair, I looked around the room. It was all baseball stuff, it was all Tampa Bay Rays stuff, I looked at the nameplate on the desk, GM Boyd Flanagan.

Ok people I got some feeling back in my legs that's how I got to the chair, this isn't a movie nor can I tell you every detail or you'll get bored so use that imagination again.

Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.

Thing was there was no Toto, I've never been to Kansas nor were there any munchkins. However back in Cork usually on a Friday or Saturday I had seen one or two leprechaun's although I've yet to capture one.

Ok back to the story.

"Mr Flanagan, here's a cup of tea, I put a drop of rum in it. Mr Coghlan had some."

Mr Coghlan?

"Yes your assistant".

Miss Honeysuckle who am I?

"Oh dear maybe I should get Mr Basham to give you a look over".

I had no idea who Coghlan was nor Basham but if I said anything to Miss Honeysuckle I could find myself in hospital, maybe one that your strapped to the bed and the walls are padded.

Oh Mr Basham, no, no need to get him.

"Your Mr Boyd Flanagan GM of the Tampa Bay Rays, may I add youngest GM in baseball but you knew that, you were just joking with me."

Yes Miss Honeysuckle just joking.

Thing was, I wasn't joking, I think I was in Tampa or was I ? Was it the real Tampa ? Was it one of those parallel universe ? What was happening back in Cork ? Was there another person in Cork wondering what was happening in Tampa ? Was he or she talking to themselves, asking themselves questions ?

If I was wearing a suit something which I hadn't done since I was 17 at my cousin Daisy's wedding, what were they wearing back in Cork ? Maybe there was nobody back in Cork, maybe I'd been electrocuted, maybe..............I was........dead! (dramatic effect or what ?) If I was dead it would put a dampener on my Mum's day, at least I hope it would.

[RebelArmy]

Having been playing OOTP for about 3 years I haven't that much experience of the game, most of the things I do are taken from real life to see if those work ie the line up putting an high on base guy at the top of the line up stuff like that. However things like below were the Rays were a slow starter or to be honest a losing team for most of it but then burst into life the month of September, they also improved in the months of July and August but why ?

In solo leagues I've played the same thing or the reverse happens, I can understand the reverse you start hot but then a few injuries and your bench can't take up the slack so you lose more games. So what's the answer to the slow start or is there no defining answer.

Do you play your main line up in Spring Training so they hit the ground running but risk injuries and fatigue. Do you change your line up every game, example your number 6 hitter goes 3 for 4 do you put him in at the top of the order until he blows cold, which maybe the game you move him up. Do you use your AAA team as a bench and demote and promote players who are cold or hot, however you can't if they have no option years. I'd like to take the opportunity with this dynasty to actually play the game strategy wise. I figure the WPOBL with its 1 day sim per day is the perfect league to do this in.

Record in March 0-1, .000 PCT
Record in April 13-15, .464 PCT
Record in May 14-15, .482 PCT
Record in June 9-18, .333 PCT
Record in July 13-11, .541 PCT
Record in August 12-13, .480 PCT
Record in September 16-11, .592 PCT
Record in October 1-0, 1.000 PCT