Willie "Cotton" Love

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 10:32 AM

November 11, 1928 ... Opelika, Alabama

The newborns screams rang loudly in the little house. Lincoln Love didn't care, his wife Julia had just given birth to a SON! PRAISE THE LORD, A SON!

You see, after 6 girls, Lincoln had pretty much given up on having a son. Now, at age 34, Julia was gettin' a little long in the tooth for too many more attempts!

Ahhh...what to name him. Willie, after his dad.

Lincoln walked over to his wife, and to the midwife Clarissa, to make sure everything was alright. Good.

Life is good for the dirt farmer from Opelika, Alabama....HE HAS A SON!

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 03:54 PM

December 26th, 1930 ... Opelika, Alabama

The old man rolled the light, soft ball to his grandson, also named Willie.

For a two year old, the little boy showed a remarkable gracefulness and dexterity....and it also helped that he and Grandpa Love had been playing this particular game for almost a year.

Young Willie (as he was called) captured the rolling ball, and rolled it back to his Grandpa. Young Willie could play this game for hours.

(Editors note: This is EXACTLY what Willie Mays' grandad did with him, and what I will do with my grandson, if my daughter ever cranks one out

)

His mother Julia watched complacently from the rocker, where she spent much of her day knitting, and sewing. Times were hard for the Love family, as they were for everyone else. No store-bought clothes for us! It helped that the girls, all four of them, were able to share and hand down the clothes from one to another.

Laughter from young Willie caused her to look up, and to smile. The child had SUCH energy! She was pleased that she had her pop to help out, now that he was retired. The little house sure was crowded now, with three adults and the five kids.

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 04:04 PM

November 11th, 1932 ... Opelika, Alabama

Willie's fourth birthday! The gifts from his sisters went unnoticed in the corner, as Willie stared awestruck at the brand-new Rawlings base ball glove.

His dad Lincoln looked at his son proudly. This boy is gonna be a player! Heck, he might even get to play for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues!

Lincoln "Lefty" Love loved base ball, with a passion that did not diminish with time. He was quite a thrower in his younger days, and even struck out Ty Cobb, that Georgia racist in an exhibition game back in 1915.

After enlisting in the Great War, and going to France with Black Jack Pershing and his boys, it was apparent to Lincoln that barnstorming wasn't in his future.

Still and all, when the barnstormers came to town, it was usually Lefty Love that took the mound for the Opelika Bears. More'n a few teams offered cash money to Lincoln, if he would join them playing. Heck, he even had some interest from his favorite team, the Birmingham Black Barons.

The big "B" on young Willie's shirt also proclaimed his allegiance to the best baseball team in the great state of Alabama.

As Lincoln sat and watched his son play, he began to scheme on how he was gonna get the money for some base balls for Willie to play with...

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 04:21 PM

July 10th, 1934 ... Opelika, Alabama

The sun was God-awful hot! Willie Love bent over to the cotton plant, and deftly plucked the small wad of cotton off the branch, and another, and another. When his hands were full, he stuffed the cotton into a large bag... and the bag he drug another couple of feet to the next plant.

Willie knew that everyone had to help out at harvest time. Even Grandpa, who spent his life as a share-cropper helped out. Willie was proud that he could pick cotton faster that all but one of his sisters, and to be able to help out his dad on their farm.

At 5 and a half, Willie was reed thin, with a quick, mischievious smile.

"HEYA, COTTON LOVE!" The voice of his bestest friend Jimmy Dupree rang out over the field. Willie grinned at his friend. His grandpa called him Cotton, 'cause he was so good in the fields. A natural, he said.

Six year old Jimmy had moved up from Louisiana the previous year, his dad looking for work. This depresh-something was hard on everyone.

Jimmy! Help me with this cotton? I gotta pick these 4 rows today, or dad said he would bust my butt! He said if I finished up these 4 rows, we could go to the ball field and play "500."

Jimmy thought for a moment..."Sure, Cotton, lemme go get my glove."

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 04:35 PM

February 3rd, 1937

Julia Love gently cleaned the blood and mud off of the side of Cotton's face. This stubborn child! He would be the end of her, for sure!

Cotton sat resolutely on the stool...already planning on his next meeting with Bubba and Dokie Walker. The Walker twins lived a mile or so down the tracks, the OTHER side of the tracks.

Cotton knew what that meant, the stupid notion on what living on the "wrong" side of the railroad tracks meant, that having skin darker than the Walkers, and what THAT meant. It meant that he got his ass handed to him by the Walkers, who were two years older than him, and much bigger.

Lincoln Love walked into the room, clearly concerned for his son. "Cotton, I tole you not to mess with them Walker boys." Cotton had already told his dad what had happened...what the Walkers had called his mom, the bad racist names they had used. Although concerned for his son, Lincoln was secretly pleased at how he had stood up for himself, and for his family.

"Dad, you shoulda seen how I smacked Dokie! I busted his lip pretty good!

Grandpa Love spoke up from the corner. "Cotton, you need to be careful. We don't need the Clan to come up and burn us out some night." Grandpa Love had seen it all...and being born in 1866, remembered the stories from his parents about the dark times when the Clan went wild, when many Negroes were hung from trees.

Cotton had heard these stories, many times. It was his fervent wish that there may be a time when the color of his skin didn't matter, only who he was, and how he treated other folks. Short term, he had plans on Dokie Walker...

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 04:41 PM

September 5th, 1939 ... Opelika, Alabama

Cotton Love scooped up the roller, and fired a strike over to first, a strong, accurate throw. His mom and dad applauded from the stands.

Almost 11, Cotton was quite a player, and got to play with kids much older than him, kids aged to about 14 or 15. As a shortstop, and only 11, he competed against the other kids on a near-equal basis.

Lincoln looked over at his son, objectively looking at his skills. The boy has talent, he thought. He won't be real heavy, but quick and agile. Shortstop was a good position for him, although he had a third-basemans arm. He won't him too many over the fence, but he will do just fine if he would learn to take a pitch or two.

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 04:51 PM

March 10th, 1942 ... Omaha, Nebraska

It was cold. The temperature was about 35, with a gusty northwesterly wind that went clean through Cotton Love's uniform jersey.

Danged if he knew why the hell his dad had up and moved to Omaha. Cotton had never even HEARD of Nebraska, until his dad announced that he had taken a factory job at the Martin bomber plant.

What Cotton did know, is that he had his own bedroom, and the house they lived in had indoor plumbing, and electricity. Cotton was amazed at how well they lived! His mom fed him a whole half of chicken yesterday, for dinner! Chicken in Alabama was usually chopped up and put in a sauce, to be spread over potatoes. This was real meat!

Coach Kryzinski looked at the players assembled on the field. He wanted to keep 20, and had about 30 or so at the first tryout. He brought out his equipment bag, and tossed out some baseballs. "Get warmed up, we ain't got all day!"

After the first five minutes, the coach had a pretty good idea on who could play, and who would sit, and who would be invited to try again the next year. His focus was drawn to ... Willie Love, an incoming freshman. Coach Kryzinski didn't know much about the kid, but he knew this: the kid could play. He threw with an easy, effortless motion, and was clearly very excited about playing baseball. The coach normally put freshmen straight on to the Junior Varsity team, but he wasn't so sure about this one...

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 05:01 PM

March 12th, 1942 ... Omaha, Nebraska

Lincoln Love looked down at Julia, his hands clenched. "I tell ya, we hafta do this!" Julia, in turn, looked up at her husband of closed to 20 years, and insisted "where's the money coming from!"

Lincoln pondered this for a moment. The six dollars for baseball cleats his son needed WAS a lot of money...but now that he had a good factory job, he figured they could afford it.

"Julia, honey, you know I don't ask for much." Julia nodded. "Cotton needs them shoes, and they will last him through all of High School. I'll buy them a size larger than he needs, in case he grows a little more." Lincoln went on, "I'll ask Mr. Freeman for an advance, or a little more overtime. They're always looking for folks to work a little extra, anyway."

The Second World War had proved to be an economic Godsend for the Love family. The recruiter from the B-24 plant had come down to Opelika, looking for men in their late 30's to 40's...men who weren't going to be called up. Lincoln only hoped that the war would be over before Cotton was old enough to be drafted. Lincoln had been in the Great War, in the trenches.

Lincoln's reverie was broken when Julia spoke out "OK, then, go ahead and get them shoes. I can take in some washing if you want, earn a little extra money." Lincoln beamed down at his beautiful wife, and gave a hidden thumbs up to Cotton--who was listening intently outside of his mom's view in the hallway!

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 05:08 PM

May 15th, 1942 ... Bellevue, Nebraska

CRACK! The ball shot off Cottons bat, into the alley in right center. Cotton lit off for first, knowing he had at LEAST a double.

Coach K saw his shortstop sprint around first, heading for second. His head was down, his arms were pumping. The coach saw Cotton glance at the third base coach, looking for the signal to stop, or come on. Given the go-ahead, Cotton raced around second, into third...standing.

"You boys see how he picked up the third base coach? He didn't look at the ball, it would have slowed him down. Remember that!"

After a slow start, the Omaha Vikings were 12-5, and might well make Districts this year. Cotton was now the everyday shortstop, hitting at the top of the lineup.

Down at Abe's, Coach K was asked why he played the colored boy...and invariably showed his Polish temper when asked why he played the colored boy! "Who would you have play short? Jenkins?" This was usually enough to silence the critics...who knew a baseball player when they saw it.

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 05:18 PM

June 5th, 1945 ... Omaha, Nebraska

Cotton Love ripped open the sports section of the Omaha World-Herald.

W00t!!!!1!!1! I MADE IT! DAD, I'M ON THE ALL-METRO TEAM!!!! FIRST STRING!!!

His dad ran into the room, and gave his son a big hug. ALLLL-RIGHT!!!

Cotton Love read the caption out loud to his dad, and to his mom...who had quietly walked into the room. "Sophomore Shortstop Willie "Cotton" Love batted .455, with 55 hits in 121 at bats. Willie also stole 22 bases for state runner-up Omaha Central High School, while scoring 45."

Cotton put down the paper, and looked at his dad. "You promised!"

His dad laughed. He DID promise to take his son to Kansas City, to see the Kansas City Monarchs, of the Negro Leagues. St. Louis, the home of the Cardinals, may as well as been on the moon. "OK Cotton, lemme look at the Monarchs schedule. Maybe we can catch a Birmingham game."

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 05:28 PM

August 10th, 1945 ... Kansas City, Missouri

Cotton and his dad looked down on the field. The stadium was enormous, and sat close to twenty thousand people!

"Dad, you really think I could play here?" Cotton asked.

Lincoln was firm. "Absolutely. Watch the game, and after the game, you tell ME!"

At that point, the second baseman made a spectacular play in short right. "Wow, didja see that?!"

Lincoln looked at the program, which had cost him 5 cents. "That is Jackie Robinson, he was in the Olympics. He is quite a player."

Cotton looked over at his dad..."Olympic games?"

"Yep, he was a track man, got his college education, and was even an officer in the War."

Cotton pondered this...a college degree, and an officer?

Lincoln Grant Love looked sadly down at his son. "The boy can play, but they'll NEVER give him a chance. He'll sit and rot in the Negro Leagues."

Jackie Robinson, circa 1945, KC Monarchs:

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 05:45 PM

March 3rd, 1946 ... Omaha, Nebraska

The Western Union man looked at the address on the house...Yep, this was it. He knocked firmly on the door, and yelled "WESTERN UNION!"

Just a year or so ago, his appearance would have meant dread, horror, and usually news of a loved one hurt or killed in battle. He liked his job again.... really.

The door opened, and a middle-aged colored woman looked at him, questioningly. "Yes?"

"Telegram." He handed over the telegram, and indicated where she should sign.

Lincoln Love reached over her shoulder, and plucked the envelope from her hand. "I'll handle this, Julia."

"COTTON!!!!!!" His dad took a deep breath, knowing that this would certainly change his son's life. "TELEGRAM FROM THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS!"

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 05:46 PM

March 5th, 1946 ... Omaha, Nebraska

Omaha World-Herald, Sports Extra, by Dave Gallego

"Cardinals sign Cotton Love"
The St. Louis Cardinals followed up their remarkable announcement of the signing of Jackie Robinson, with the signing of local prep star Willie "Cotton" Love.

Love, while playing for Omaha Central, is a three time all-stater at shortstop, and is expected to be assigned to the Montreal farm club.

Cotton hit a cool .417 this year, while playing very well in the field. He has good speed, and stole 31 bases this last year.

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 06:17 PM

Now that Cotton has been signed by the St. Louis Cardinals, I felt that it would be appropriate to review the league settings, and to also review the talent levels that Cotton has.

I am using OOTP6, version 6.03.

The league is a historical league, starting in 1946, using the Lahman database.

The teams have been left unchanged, all players have been dumped into a common draft pool, and redrafted.

I created Willie "Cotton" Love, and expect that he will be the ONLY non-real live character in this baseball universe.

All ratings 1-10, financials off. Scouts and coaches disabled. I am interested in the baseball end of things for this league, not the franchise management.

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 06:28 PM

Willie "Cotton" Love, born 11/11/1928

Bats and throws right

SS: Range 8, Fielding percentage: .975
Normal Loyalty
Doesn't care about winning team
Some leadership ability
Normal clutch ability (it DOES exist!)
Good consistency

I am using a 1-5 scale for talents in this league.

For his talents, they are mostly 3's, with a 4 in contact, and another 4 in batting eye.

I would hope for his career for him to be a good player, maybe even an all-star. I will not - EVER adjust or edit his ratings again.

I can say that with some assurance, as I resisted the urge to adjust (re: make better, Robert J. (Bubba) Jones. Many of you may remember Bubba, and how much fun I had with that.... I digress.

Oh, by the way, it is now 1946, and the Cardinals have a new manager! Yep, Bubba is back at the helm...and is only 41. He should be the manager for Cotton throughout Cottons career---assuming he has one!

I will attempt to keep basic historical accuracy, in the sense that players will be imported each year, no additional players will be created.

I do not have a good sense of the dynamics of the OOTP6 model...the jury is still out. I understand that there are serious issues with player development, and for that reason, I have added (+30) a minor upward adjustment toward longevity. This is relatively modest, IMHO. Let me know if you feel otherwise.

Anyway, as always, I strongly encourage inputs from you, fans of Willie and Bubba. I enjoy your comments as much as I enjoy watching my little baseball fantasy unfold.

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 06:40 PM

March 23rd, 1946 ... Jupiter, Florida

Bubba Jones looked over the sorry, sad state of his baseball team.

He wandered over to Big "O", Oscar McHone, and asked his new pitching coach how things were going.

"I tell you Bubba, outside of Roger Wolff, we ain got s***! Roger won 20 last year, the other 4 starters won a total of 34. Fifty-four wins from your starters ain't squat!"

"We got three relievers that are excellent, though, we should consider trading one of them for a number 2 or 3 starter. The closer Hallett is also very, very good. 'Course, it don't matter if we are losing 8-3 in the eighth!"

"OK, thanks Oscar."

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 06:52 PM

March 24th, 1946 ... Jupiter, Florida

Fredric Sims jogged over to his best friend---and new boss, Bubba Jones.

"Heya Bubba! How 'ya doin?"

"Fine Fred, what's up?" replied Bubba.

"MAN...I mean STAN THE MAN! Do you see that kid hit?!" Stan Musial was the very first pick taken in the dispersion draft, held just after the war ended. The owners figured this would be the only way to make things fair after the war.

"Stan is 25, and DID miss last year, but he got an early start, and has close to 1700 major league at bats...along with a sweet lifetime .344 average. He will play right for the next 15 years."

"Our next best player is Lou Boudreau, now 28, at SS. He hits for average, and has some pop in his bat."

"After these two, Bubba, we ain't got much." Fredric looked at his friend. "We ain't got a lead-off man, or much depth. We'll just have to see how it goes."

"Thanks Fredric, how 'bout them rookies?"

"Thin as hell, Bubba, we got a couple of kids, thats about all. That colored kid, Love, he can play...but it remains to be seen how he can handle the pressure."

"Thanks Fred." Bubba ambled off, towards the reporters lining up near the dugout. There must be booze there.

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 08:40 PM

April 1st, 1946 ... Montreal, Canada

Dear Mom and Dad,

They speak French in Montreal! I can't hardly make myself understood here!

I know I am starting in "A" ball...but I don't turn 18 until November, so I don't mind. Good thing I finished up my senior year in January!

The good news is that I haven't seen any racism, and I have been treated well. I don't even have to ride in the back of the bus!

I have had some problems with a few of the players. They no longer play for the ballclub. The manager, Mr. Danvers, said they weren't that good anyway.

Well, that's all for now.

Cotton.

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 09:56 PM

Cotton went 0 for his first 6, then did OK for his first week.

with 18 plate appearances, he has 2 hits, 3 walks, a SB, a double, and a run scored. Hitting .133

Cards start the new season at 1-3 (last place)

Notable performances: STM (Stan the Man) 4 ribbies in their only victory, with a bases clearing triple.

dsvitak · 07-09-2004, 10:06 PM

Seasons Average: .128
Seasons OBP: .244
Seasons SLG: .231
Seasons OPS: .475

Notes: Another slow week for Cotton...unless otherwise noted, I will not make comments on ratings changes, unless they DO change. I will check monthly.

Cards 2-8, last place. Boudreau stinking up the joint, hitting a buck-fifty. Wolff (20 wins last year) starts the season 0-3.

07-09-2004, 10:32 AM	#1
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	Willie "Cotton" Love November 11, 1928 ... Opelika, Alabama The newborns screams rang loudly in the little house. Lincoln Love didn't care, his wife Julia had just given birth to a SON! PRAISE THE LORD, A SON! You see, after 6 girls, Lincoln had pretty much given up on having a son. Now, at age 34, Julia was gettin' a little long in the tooth for too many more attempts! Ahhh...what to name him. Willie, after his dad. Lincoln walked over to his wife, and to the midwife Clarissa, to make sure everything was alright. Good. Life is good for the dirt farmer from Opelika, Alabama....HE HAS A SON! Last edited by dsvitak; 07-12-2004 at 12:37 AM.

07-09-2004, 03:54 PM	#2
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	December 26th, 1930 ... Opelika, Alabama The old man rolled the light, soft ball to his grandson, also named Willie. For a two year old, the little boy showed a remarkable gracefulness and dexterity....and it also helped that he and Grandpa Love had been playing this particular game for almost a year. Young Willie (as he was called) captured the rolling ball, and rolled it back to his Grandpa. Young Willie could play this game for hours. (Editors note: This is EXACTLY what Willie Mays' grandad did with him, and what I will do with my grandson, if my daughter ever cranks one out ) His mother Julia watched complacently from the rocker, where she spent much of her day knitting, and sewing. Times were hard for the Love family, as they were for everyone else. No store-bought clothes for us! It helped that the girls, all four of them, were able to share and hand down the clothes from one to another. Laughter from young Willie caused her to look up, and to smile. The child had SUCH energy! She was pleased that she had her pop to help out, now that he was retired. The little house sure was crowded now, with three adults and the five kids. Last edited by dsvitak; 07-12-2004 at 12:39 AM.

07-09-2004, 04:04 PM	#3
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	November 11th, 1932 ... Opelika, Alabama Willie's fourth birthday! The gifts from his sisters went unnoticed in the corner, as Willie stared awestruck at the brand-new Rawlings base ball glove. His dad Lincoln looked at his son proudly. This boy is gonna be a player! Heck, he might even get to play for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues! Lincoln "Lefty" Love loved base ball, with a passion that did not diminish with time. He was quite a thrower in his younger days, and even struck out Ty Cobb, that Georgia racist in an exhibition game back in 1915. After enlisting in the Great War, and going to France with Black Jack Pershing and his boys, it was apparent to Lincoln that barnstorming wasn't in his future. Still and all, when the barnstormers came to town, it was usually Lefty Love that took the mound for the Opelika Bears. More'n a few teams offered cash money to Lincoln, if he would join them playing. Heck, he even had some interest from his favorite team, the Birmingham Black Barons. The big "B" on young Willie's shirt also proclaimed his allegiance to the best baseball team in the great state of Alabama. As Lincoln sat and watched his son play, he began to scheme on how he was gonna get the money for some base balls for Willie to play with... Last edited by dsvitak; 07-09-2004 at 04:07 PM.

07-09-2004, 05:28 PM	#11
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	August 10th, 1945 ... Kansas City, Missouri Cotton and his dad looked down on the field. The stadium was enormous, and sat close to twenty thousand people! "Dad, you really think I could play here?" Cotton asked. Lincoln was firm. "Absolutely. Watch the game, and after the game, you tell ME!" At that point, the second baseman made a spectacular play in short right. "Wow, didja see that?!" Lincoln looked at the program, which had cost him 5 cents. "That is Jackie Robinson, he was in the Olympics. He is quite a player." Cotton looked over at his dad..."Olympic games?" "Yep, he was a track man, got his college education, and was even an officer in the War." Cotton pondered this...a college degree, and an officer? Lincoln Grant Love looked sadly down at his son. "The boy can play, but they'll NEVER give him a chance. He'll sit and rot in the Negro Leagues." Jackie Robinson, circa 1945, KC Monarchs: Attached Images

07-09-2004, 05:45 PM	#12
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	Branch Rickey and the Cardinals March 3rd, 1946 ... Omaha, Nebraska The Western Union man looked at the address on the house...Yep, this was it. He knocked firmly on the door, and yelled "WESTERN UNION!" Just a year or so ago, his appearance would have meant dread, horror, and usually news of a loved one hurt or killed in battle. He liked his job again.... really. The door opened, and a middle-aged colored woman looked at him, questioningly. "Yes?" "Telegram." He handed over the telegram, and indicated where she should sign. Lincoln Love reached over her shoulder, and plucked the envelope from her hand. "I'll handle this, Julia." "COTTON!!!!!!" His dad took a deep breath, knowing that this would certainly change his son's life. "TELEGRAM FROM THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS!"

07-09-2004, 04:21 PM	#4
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	July 10th, 1934 ... Opelika, Alabama The sun was God-awful hot! Willie Love bent over to the cotton plant, and deftly plucked the small wad of cotton off the branch, and another, and another. When his hands were full, he stuffed the cotton into a large bag... and the bag he drug another couple of feet to the next plant. Willie knew that everyone had to help out at harvest time. Even Grandpa, who spent his life as a share-cropper helped out. Willie was proud that he could pick cotton faster that all but one of his sisters, and to be able to help out his dad on their farm. At 5 and a half, Willie was reed thin, with a quick, mischievious smile. "HEYA, COTTON LOVE!" The voice of his bestest friend Jimmy Dupree rang out over the field. Willie grinned at his friend. His grandpa called him Cotton, 'cause he was so good in the fields. A natural, he said. Six year old Jimmy had moved up from Louisiana the previous year, his dad looking for work. This depresh-something was hard on everyone. Jimmy! Help me with this cotton? I gotta pick these 4 rows today, or dad said he would bust my butt! He said if I finished up these 4 rows, we could go to the ball field and play "500." Jimmy thought for a moment..."Sure, Cotton, lemme go get my glove."

07-09-2004, 04:35 PM	#5
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	February 3rd, 1937 Julia Love gently cleaned the blood and mud off of the side of Cotton's face. This stubborn child! He would be the end of her, for sure! Cotton sat resolutely on the stool...already planning on his next meeting with Bubba and Dokie Walker. The Walker twins lived a mile or so down the tracks, the OTHER side of the tracks. Cotton knew what that meant, the stupid notion on what living on the "wrong" side of the railroad tracks meant, that having skin darker than the Walkers, and what THAT meant. It meant that he got his ass handed to him by the Walkers, who were two years older than him, and much bigger. Lincoln Love walked into the room, clearly concerned for his son. "Cotton, I tole you not to mess with them Walker boys." Cotton had already told his dad what had happened...what the Walkers had called his mom, the bad racist names they had used. Although concerned for his son, Lincoln was secretly pleased at how he had stood up for himself, and for his family. "Dad, you shoulda seen how I smacked Dokie! I busted his lip pretty good! Grandpa Love spoke up from the corner. "Cotton, you need to be careful. We don't need the Clan to come up and burn us out some night." Grandpa Love had seen it all...and being born in 1866, remembered the stories from his parents about the dark times when the Clan went wild, when many Negroes were hung from trees. Cotton had heard these stories, many times. It was his fervent wish that there may be a time when the color of his skin didn't matter, only who he was, and how he treated other folks. Short term, he had plans on Dokie Walker...

07-09-2004, 04:41 PM	#6
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	September 5th, 1939 ... Opelika, Alabama Cotton Love scooped up the roller, and fired a strike over to first, a strong, accurate throw. His mom and dad applauded from the stands. Almost 11, Cotton was quite a player, and got to play with kids much older than him, kids aged to about 14 or 15. As a shortstop, and only 11, he competed against the other kids on a near-equal basis. Lincoln looked over at his son, objectively looking at his skills. The boy has talent, he thought. He won't be real heavy, but quick and agile. Shortstop was a good position for him, although he had a third-basemans arm. He won't him too many over the fence, but he will do just fine if he would learn to take a pitch or two.

07-09-2004, 04:51 PM	#7
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	March 10th, 1942 ... Omaha, Nebraska It was cold. The temperature was about 35, with a gusty northwesterly wind that went clean through Cotton Love's uniform jersey. Danged if he knew why the hell his dad had up and moved to Omaha. Cotton had never even HEARD of Nebraska, until his dad announced that he had taken a factory job at the Martin bomber plant. What Cotton did know, is that he had his own bedroom, and the house they lived in had indoor plumbing, and electricity. Cotton was amazed at how well they lived! His mom fed him a whole half of chicken yesterday, for dinner! Chicken in Alabama was usually chopped up and put in a sauce, to be spread over potatoes. This was real meat! Coach Kryzinski looked at the players assembled on the field. He wanted to keep 20, and had about 30 or so at the first tryout. He brought out his equipment bag, and tossed out some baseballs. "Get warmed up, we ain't got all day!" After the first five minutes, the coach had a pretty good idea on who could play, and who would sit, and who would be invited to try again the next year. His focus was drawn to ... Willie Love, an incoming freshman. Coach Kryzinski didn't know much about the kid, but he knew this: the kid could play. He threw with an easy, effortless motion, and was clearly very excited about playing baseball. The coach normally put freshmen straight on to the Junior Varsity team, but he wasn't so sure about this one...

07-09-2004, 05:01 PM	#8
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	March 12th, 1942 ... Omaha, Nebraska Lincoln Love looked down at Julia, his hands clenched. "I tell ya, we hafta do this!" Julia, in turn, looked up at her husband of closed to 20 years, and insisted "where's the money coming from!" Lincoln pondered this for a moment. The six dollars for baseball cleats his son needed WAS a lot of money...but now that he had a good factory job, he figured they could afford it. "Julia, honey, you know I don't ask for much." Julia nodded. "Cotton needs them shoes, and they will last him through all of High School. I'll buy them a size larger than he needs, in case he grows a little more." Lincoln went on, "I'll ask Mr. Freeman for an advance, or a little more overtime. They're always looking for folks to work a little extra, anyway." The Second World War had proved to be an economic Godsend for the Love family. The recruiter from the B-24 plant had come down to Opelika, looking for men in their late 30's to 40's...men who weren't going to be called up. Lincoln only hoped that the war would be over before Cotton was old enough to be drafted. Lincoln had been in the Great War, in the trenches. Lincoln's reverie was broken when Julia spoke out "OK, then, go ahead and get them shoes. I can take in some washing if you want, earn a little extra money." Lincoln beamed down at his beautiful wife, and gave a hidden thumbs up to Cotton--who was listening intently outside of his mom's view in the hallway!

07-09-2004, 05:08 PM	#9
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	May 15th, 1942 ... Bellevue, Nebraska CRACK! The ball shot off Cottons bat, into the alley in right center. Cotton lit off for first, knowing he had at LEAST a double. Coach K saw his shortstop sprint around first, heading for second. His head was down, his arms were pumping. The coach saw Cotton glance at the third base coach, looking for the signal to stop, or come on. Given the go-ahead, Cotton raced around second, into third...standing. "You boys see how he picked up the third base coach? He didn't look at the ball, it would have slowed him down. Remember that!" After a slow start, the Omaha Vikings were 12-5, and might well make Districts this year. Cotton was now the everyday shortstop, hitting at the top of the lineup. Down at Abe's, Coach K was asked why he played the colored boy...and invariably showed his Polish temper when asked why he played the colored boy! "Who would you have play short? Jenkins?" This was usually enough to silence the critics...who knew a baseball player when they saw it.

07-09-2004, 05:18 PM	#10
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	June 5th, 1945 ... Omaha, Nebraska Cotton Love ripped open the sports section of the Omaha World-Herald. W00t!!!!1!!1! I MADE IT! DAD, I'M ON THE ALL-METRO TEAM!!!! FIRST STRING!!! His dad ran into the room, and gave his son a big hug. ALLLL-RIGHT!!! Cotton Love read the caption out loud to his dad, and to his mom...who had quietly walked into the room. "Sophomore Shortstop Willie "Cotton" Love batted .455, with 55 hits in 121 at bats. Willie also stole 22 bases for state runner-up Omaha Central High School, while scoring 45." Cotton put down the paper, and looked at his dad. "You promised!" His dad laughed. He DID promise to take his son to Kansas City, to see the Kansas City Monarchs, of the Negro Leagues. St. Louis, the home of the Cardinals, may as well as been on the moon. "OK Cotton, lemme look at the Monarchs schedule. Maybe we can catch a Birmingham game."

07-09-2004, 05:46 PM	#13
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	March 5th, 1946 ... Omaha, Nebraska Omaha World-Herald, Sports Extra, by Dave Gallego "Cardinals sign Cotton Love" The St. Louis Cardinals followed up their remarkable announcement of the signing of Jackie Robinson, with the signing of local prep star Willie "Cotton" Love. Love, while playing for Omaha Central, is a three time all-stater at shortstop, and is expected to be assigned to the Montreal farm club. Cotton hit a cool .417 this year, while playing very well in the field. He has good speed, and stole 31 bases this last year.

07-09-2004, 06:17 PM	#14
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	Editors Note: Now that Cotton has been signed by the St. Louis Cardinals, I felt that it would be appropriate to review the league settings, and to also review the talent levels that Cotton has. I am using OOTP6, version 6.03. The league is a historical league, starting in 1946, using the Lahman database. The teams have been left unchanged, all players have been dumped into a common draft pool, and redrafted. I created Willie "Cotton" Love, and expect that he will be the ONLY non-real live character in this baseball universe. All ratings 1-10, financials off. Scouts and coaches disabled. I am interested in the baseball end of things for this league, not the franchise management.

07-09-2004, 06:28 PM	#15
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	Editors Note: Willie "Cotton" Love, born 11/11/1928 Bats and throws right SS: Range 8, Fielding percentage: .975 Normal Loyalty Doesn't care about winning team Some leadership ability Normal clutch ability (it DOES exist!) Good consistency I am using a 1-5 scale for talents in this league. For his talents, they are mostly 3's, with a 4 in contact, and another 4 in batting eye. I would hope for his career for him to be a good player, maybe even an all-star. I will not - EVER adjust or edit his ratings again. I can say that with some assurance, as I resisted the urge to adjust (re: make better, Robert J. (Bubba) Jones. Many of you may remember Bubba, and how much fun I had with that.... I digress. Oh, by the way, it is now 1946, and the Cardinals have a new manager! Yep, Bubba is back at the helm...and is only 41. He should be the manager for Cotton throughout Cottons career---assuming he has one! I will attempt to keep basic historical accuracy, in the sense that players will be imported each year, no additional players will be created. I do not have a good sense of the dynamics of the OOTP6 model...the jury is still out. I understand that there are serious issues with player development, and for that reason, I have added (+30) a minor upward adjustment toward longevity. This is relatively modest, IMHO. Let me know if you feel otherwise. Anyway, as always, I strongly encourage inputs from you, fans of Willie and Bubba. I enjoy your comments as much as I enjoy watching my little baseball fantasy unfold.

07-09-2004, 06:40 PM	#16
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	March 23rd, 1946 ... Jupiter, Florida Bubba Jones looked over the sorry, sad state of his baseball team. He wandered over to Big "O", Oscar McHone, and asked his new pitching coach how things were going. "I tell you Bubba, outside of Roger Wolff, we ain got s***! Roger won 20 last year, the other 4 starters won a total of 34. Fifty-four wins from your starters ain't squat!" "We got three relievers that are excellent, though, we should consider trading one of them for a number 2 or 3 starter. The closer Hallett is also very, very good. 'Course, it don't matter if we are losing 8-3 in the eighth!" "OK, thanks Oscar."

07-09-2004, 06:52 PM	#17
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	March 24th, 1946 ... Jupiter, Florida Fredric Sims jogged over to his best friend---and new boss, Bubba Jones. "Heya Bubba! How 'ya doin?" "Fine Fred, what's up?" replied Bubba. "MAN...I mean STAN THE MAN! Do you see that kid hit?!" Stan Musial was the very first pick taken in the dispersion draft, held just after the war ended. The owners figured this would be the only way to make things fair after the war. "Stan is 25, and DID miss last year, but he got an early start, and has close to 1700 major league at bats...along with a sweet lifetime .344 average. He will play right for the next 15 years." "Our next best player is Lou Boudreau, now 28, at SS. He hits for average, and has some pop in his bat." "After these two, Bubba, we ain't got much." Fredric looked at his friend. "We ain't got a lead-off man, or much depth. We'll just have to see how it goes." "Thanks Fredric, how 'bout them rookies?" "Thin as hell, Bubba, we got a couple of kids, thats about all. That colored kid, Love, he can play...but it remains to be seen how he can handle the pressure." "Thanks Fred." Bubba ambled off, towards the reporters lining up near the dugout. There must be booze there.

07-09-2004, 08:40 PM	#18
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	April 1st, 1946 ... Montreal, Canada Dear Mom and Dad, They speak French in Montreal! I can't hardly make myself understood here! I know I am starting in "A" ball...but I don't turn 18 until November, so I don't mind. Good thing I finished up my senior year in January! The good news is that I haven't seen any racism, and I have been treated well. I don't even have to ride in the back of the bus! I have had some problems with a few of the players. They no longer play for the ballclub. The manager, Mr. Danvers, said they weren't that good anyway. Well, that's all for now. Cotton. Last edited by dsvitak; 07-09-2004 at 10:17 PM.

07-09-2004, 09:56 PM	#19
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	Week 1 - 4/6/1946 Cotton went 0 for his first 6, then did OK for his first week. with 18 plate appearances, he has 2 hits, 3 walks, a SB, a double, and a run scored. Hitting .133 Cards start the new season at 1-3 (last place) Notable performances: STM (Stan the Man) 4 ribbies in their only victory, with a bases clearing triple. Last edited by dsvitak; 07-09-2004 at 10:08 PM.

07-09-2004, 10:06 PM	#20
dsvitak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 5,436	Week 2 - 4/13/1946 Seasons Average: .128 Seasons OBP: .244 Seasons SLG: .231 Seasons OPS: .475 Notes: Another slow week for Cotton...unless otherwise noted, I will not make comments on ratings changes, unless they DO change. I will check monthly. Cards 2-8, last place. Boudreau stinking up the joint, hitting a buck-fifty. Wolff (20 wins last year) starts the season 0-3.