The PEBA preps for X with a special opening

[Corsairs]

Markus has done a great job making OOTP X one of the most stable out-of-the-box editions in the series. After thorough testing we're satisfied that the new version is ready for primetime, and now that we've hit our offseason the Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance is prepping to convert. The date for the move has been set: Sunday, September 27.

At the same time that we move to X, an ownership position is going to open up. We don't tend to have a lot of openings (most of our owners have been with us since we started play two years ago), so that's already a bit unusual. This opening is particularly noteworthy for a couple of reasons. One, the team in question is the Aurora Borealis, one of the powerhouses of the PEBA. Two, the owner stepping down is me.

Aurora won the Planetary Extreme Championship two seasons ago

I was never supposed to be commissioner. When the idea behind what eventually became the PEBA was pitched to a group of us on Cleveland Indians blog Let's Go Tribe!, I had never played OOTP in my life. I was intrigued and signed on as an owner. Unfortunately, our would-be commissioner disappeared once the thrill of the pitch gave way to the work of the setup. There remained a core of bright guys who wanted this to happen, though. Not wanting that to go to waste, I took a stab at commish duties. Two years later, here we are.

I never thought to give up my ownership. That's what I had signed on for, and after all, what was the harm? I knew I'd play fair. Our league's owners have shown great confidence in me, never suggesting that I would use my position to gain an advantage.

And yet I do have an advantage. While I would never dream of abusing my position - I care about the league and its owners too much to do that - I gain an advantage simply by virtue of attending to my duties as commissioner. All that time spent looking over the league, the teams, the players; it gets to the point where I may be more familiar with the players in a given organization than the owner himself!

The result is that Aurora is developing into a dynasty. And frankly, that's not what I want. We're here to build a history for the long term. As many teams as possible should get a chance to make their mark on that history. My dual role hinders that goal, so it's time for me to focus on my commissioner duties and step aside as an owner.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So let's talk about Aurora. The Borealis have a franchise record of 444-204. They won it all in 2009 and are coming off a 120-win season in 2010. The team's cash on hand is maxed at our league's cap ($25M). The farm system is stocked with intriguing prospects. Did I mention they hold the #5 pick in the upcoming amateur draft thanks to a trade?

This is far from the typical rebuilding project you're usually dealing with when an opening in an established league pops up. Whoever inherits this gig will be walking into a sweet setup. So what exactly are we looking for in a new owner?

• Do you need to be experienced with OOTP? No.
• Do you need to be a member in other online leagues? No. (In fact, the less leagues you're in, the better)
• Do you need to be creative, communicative, personable and participatory? Absolutely yes.

We're a "participation league". There are any number of leagues where you can silently send off your exports and call it a day. Members of the PEBA are held to a higher standard. We value owners who are going to go the extra mile, delving into the total online league experience. That includes building a rapport with the other owners, staying active in the trade market, shaping our history through creative article contributions, and more.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Because the Borealis are such a plum opportunity - plus my personal attachment to the team, of course - I'm going to be somewhat picky about who takes over for me. There's good news, though; if you've gotten this far, you may be just who we're looking for. Clearly you like to read! Now the question is, "Can you write?"

Let's find out. First, have a look at our league's constitution. Next, browse our news archive and our forum. If you like what you see and think you'd be interested in joining up, get in contact with me. I'll promptly email you back with details on our league and our little "inherit the Borealis" competition.

Once you've received my email and are ready, send me an original story about the Borealis. You can go any direction you want with it and it can be of any length you like. Whoever submits the most promising article will take over the reins for Aurora. If you aren't selected, don't fret; we happen to have a second opening which you'll be automatically considered for.

Well, that's quite enough typing for one night. Gentlemen, thank you for your patience and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

[bayouballer1]

Sent you a message and I have been eyeing this league for a while, so let me know!!!

[Corsairs]

We've had a few people express interest in the position already, which is great to see. The contest remains open and will continue to be in effect for the next couple of weeks. I'm still soliciting entries. If you're a creative person looking for a sweet "in" with an established league, this is just your ticket!

The latest news out of Aurora is the signing of superstar shortstop Mark "Ice Cold" Richardson to a mega 6-year/$96M deal that will keep him in town through 2016. Richardson, the fifth overall player selected in the PEBA Inaugural Draft, is a 5-tool middle-of-the-diamond dynamo. He put up three sensational seasons with the Florida Featherheads before succumbing to a fractured cheekbone at the end of the '09 campaign.

The injury clouded his long-term prospects enough that Florida became willing to deal him. In a risky move, Aurora shipped off speedster SS Naoaki Kichida to Florida for the right to have Richardson collect $13M while sitting on the DL pretty much the entire year. Kichida went on to set the PEBA single season SB record (89). However, Richardson returned to health with seemingly no rust. He was brilliant in 21 regular and post-season games and now promises to be a fixture in the Borealis's lineup for years to come.

Your story can be about "Ice Cold" (how did he get that nickname, I wonder?) or anything else related to Aurora. All you need to do is get in touch with me to start the ball rolling!

[Corsairs]

We have two weeks remaining before our transition to OOTP X. I'd still really love to hear from people interested in taking over the Borealis. Drop me a line through our website and I'll get back to you promptly with info.

This weekend, on Sunday, Sept. 13 @ 5 PM ET, the PEBA and the LRS will be holding their annual Winter Meetings in our leagues' chat room. This is one of the premier events on our calendar. A large number of our leagues' owners will be in attendance, chatting and negotiating trades in real time. It's an incredibly fun experience, and the trades really do roll in. That last part is no joke; if history holds, you can expect upwards of 20 trades to be consummated during the 2 1/2 hours that the Meetings run!

I'd like to invite anyone with an interest in the PEBA or the LRS to join us at the Meetings. Simply let me know that you're interested in coming when you contact me and I'll set you up with a chat room account. The Meetings will run from approximately 5:00-7:30 PM ET. Even if you can only attend for a portion of that time, we'd love to have you. It'd be a great chance for you to meet our owners and learn what we're all about.

[jmknpk2]

Guys, this is a great league. I've been in several on-line leagues now, and this one is the most life-like. The articles really help make the league seem real. And this is the best run league I've seen. Commish is extremely patient and helpful, and runs the league with the utmost commitment. If you're looking for a first league to join and you enjoy writing, I think this is the place for you.

[Corsairs]

Our league's Winter Meetings are scheduled for 5 PM ET this Sunday. We'd like to invite anyone interested in the PEBA to join us for this live event. Simply get in touch with me and I'll set you up with an account so you can participate and get to know the group.

Meanwhile, we remain on the lookout for candidates to join our ownership ranks. For people who like their league fictional - very fictional - the PEBA is an outstanding landing spot. This is a highly active environment; there is always something happening. For instance, have a look at the goings-on in Bakersfield over the last month:

• Head Case: Lilly Downplays Concerns That (Yet Another) Royal Raker Award Will Go To His Head
• Bears' Attendance Woes Pinned on Recently Fired Head of Fan Promotions
• The End of an Era: Bears Nation Rocked as Jonas Field Renamed “The Chocolate Factory at Yum! Field”

Massive egos and corporate sellouts litter the landscape in Bakersfield, and we wouldn't have it any other way... it makes for good reading. Come be a part of our league and create your own fictional baseball empire! Will you be more level-headed than the Bears, or perhaps more outrageous? We hope to find out soon.

[Corsairs]

We're entering the home stretch of our contest to win control of the Aurora Borealis. Our final sim under OOTP 9 will be held this Saturday. After a two-week break, we'll make the jump to X. But it's by shortly after this Saturday's sim that we'd like to name our new Borealis owner. Get in touch now to get yourself a shot at winning control of the PEBA's Evil Empire.

One of the nice things about the league is that we're more than just the PEBA. In addition to the 23 American and one European ball clubs of the PEBA, we also are home to the 11 Japanese and one South Korean team of the League of the Rising Sun. Each league has wildly different rules, story lines and statistical output. The leagues interact in interesting ways, as well.

For instance, this week we're conducting our LRS posting process. LRS teams are allowed to offer up between 1-3 players for PEBA teams to bid on. If an LRS owner accepts a PEBA owners bid, the PEBA owner may attempt to negotiate a contract with the player. If successful, the player becomes the property of the PEBA team, which then transfers their bid money to the LRS team who posted the player. It's a blind bidding process and a fun little wrinkle to the offseason.

And of course there are the stories, which our league is never in short supply of. The latest comes out of Kuwana, where the Steel Dragons are taking their show on the road in an effort to educate their fan base on the joys of baseball. Their method of transportation: a bus featuring artwork from all the teams in the organization. I gotta say... I would love to see that bus in real life.

[Corsairs]

Well, we're right up to the end of our contest. Tonight at 8 PM ET the PEBA will be running its final sim under OOTP 9. A 2-week break will follow to allow time for owners to get acclimated to the new platform. Our first OOTP X sim will be held on Sunday, Oct. 4.

By early next week, the new Aurora owner will be named. We've been lucky to receive a few outstanding articles from some very promising candidates. I'm going to miss my old team, but at least I can step aside confident that, one way or another, it will be in good hands.

There's still time to get involved. First, the Aurora ownership announcement won't occur before the start of next week. Second, we still have an open ownership spot in the PEBA as well as in our sister league, the Japanese LRS.

So here's the last call: If you'd like to get involved with one of the most active, creative fictional OOTP leagues around before they make the move to X, contact me right away!

[RonHi]

Friends, If you are looking for an online league that has a true sense of community, where GMs regularly trade (both players and comments) then this would be the league for you. If you're looking for your 5th online league where you will simply export 'silently' without interacting with other league GMs, this is probably NOT the league for you.

Having been in historical leagues with real players, I thought that was the only way I would be interested playing in an OOTP league. But PEBA's fictional league with fictional players allows YOU to create your own storylines. This is a league where creative writing and reporting will actually benefit your team! Check out the website to see what I mean and to find out if you have what it takes to join our league.

BTW, the commissioner is hands down the most active and thorough leader of any league I've seen. Check us out!

[Corsairs]

Aurora has officially been claimed, and I'm officially out of the ownership business. I'd like to congratulate forum member mtopham for winning our contest and taking over my old team, the Aurora Borealis. Not only did he submit an outstandingly creative entry, but mtopham went the extra mile by making up a new banner for our league. Welcome aboard, and be sure to take good care of my baby!

The PEBA is still looking for one more new owner.

We are only waiting on the release of the final patch to convert to OOTP X, which should happen at any time now. This is the time to get in touch if you're interested in joining one of OOTP's most active fictional leagues before we begin our 2011 season. Lack of experience is no barrier to entry; as long as you like to create and communicate, you're welcome with us. Contact me today to find out more!

[Corsairs]

The PEBA ranks have been filled out. Now we're looking for one more owner for the League of the Rising Sun, Japanese sister league to the PEBA. This 12-team league has really taken off since humans took over for the AI last season, and we've been fortunate to attract some extremely dedicated owners. There's an incredible level of activity and creativity coming out of the LRS. As an example, check out Shisa Toons (Edition 1 / Edition 2), a hand-drawn comic strip by Naha Shisa owner Tom Fees. It's just one example of the amazing output coming out of the PEBA's version of [league redacted].

We'd love for you to be a part of what we're building here! Contact me for details on how to get involved.