Re-creating the future (Short Stories)

[Nugget699]

The League
I used my Koana Islands database to create a 3 tier Promotion/Relegation league.

Each division has 20 teams playing a 162 game schedule. At the end of each season the top 3 and bottom 3 get relegated. The top division is know as the Super League, followed by Division 1 and Division 2.

I have set up the league slightly differently to what other users have done in the past. With other dynasties and solo leagues, a lot of people setup down the divisions evenly when it comes to finances. $20 for Div 1, $15 for Div 2, $10 for Div 3 and so on. But this is incorrect.

The top tier obviously houses the top talent, so that is where the money is. Whilst I won't go into all the details, the top tier's best teams go well into $100,000,000+ profit a season.

This does two things, firstly it makes a sort of power group at the top, and it also means the newly promoted teams tend to struggle, but not to the point that all three drop straight back down again. Usually the most financially secure from the lower division find it easier in the top flight than those teams who gain promotion through lucky signings.

I don't have any amateur draft, salary cap or arbitration. However, I do allow the owners to set their own budgets in the two lower divisions, thus allowing financially secure teams to stretch their cash balance over many seasons.

I have simmed from 1980, right up to the last 9 games of the 1993 season. This is where I will kick off.

The Stories
I got this idea on a dynasty I was reading many, many moons ago. Most people follow their teams ups and downs, or their leagues ebb and flow, but I wanted to just provide bite size chunks that people can dip in and out of as they please.

The problem with long stories is unless you have been following it from the beginning, it's very difficult to start reading half way through. If you lose interest in the story, especially as the writer, then you quickly stop and forget about it.

What I want to do, is just jump in and out with different teams, and hopefully "recreate the future". This may be in the form of saving a team from relegation, pushing a team for promotion, or maybe even signing that star free agent to his home towns team.

Story 1: Too good to go down? (Megopolis Titans, 1993, Super League)

[Nugget699]

Story 1: Too good to go down? (Megopolis Titans, 1993, Super League)
In 1988, the Bayside Bombers were relegated from the Super League in what was a historical moment for the minnows of the top flight. Bayside were financially the biggest team in the competition with a budget of $579,500,000. They had the biggest fan base in the Islands and were 5 times larger than the Tegville Phoenix who joined Bayside back down in Division 1 after only one season.

Bayside were always known as the team "too good to go down", yet they got complacent and enevitably they paid the price.

Nearly 5 years on and Bayside still hasn't returned to the top flight. After a 6th place finish in '89, they then sank to 14th, before narrowly missing out on promotion in 1991 with a 4th placed finish; their best finish yet. Yet despite digging into their cash balance, the Bombers still have a budget of $496,302,000; compared to fellow Division 1 team Madison Harbour, who have a budget of just $20,233,000 (and sit 1 place above the relegation zone, 3 games ahead).

As we approach the end of season 1993, the other big team is in a relegation dogfight of their own. The Megopolis Titans had always played second fiddle to Bayside financially, but were always 2nd on the budget table. Three years ago the Megopolis Titans won their first championship, after tying for first place with the Hollydale Islanders: 98 wins, 64 losses. This was sweet revenge after the previous season when they tied for top spot with the Ruysdale Generals, who claimed the title on games amongst them (Ruysdael claimed it 6-3).

All teams go through transition periods. Both Ruysdael and Hollydale are midtable teams at best now, but are safe for another season with mathematic impossbility of relegation this season a sure thing.

Not so for Megopolis. With 9 games to go Megopolis sits in 19th spot on the Standings with a 59-94 record. Sandford City sits above them with the same record, but they aren't the problem. The Gold Coast Tigers sit in the last safety spot with a 62-91 record. 3 games behind, with 9 games to go, can it be done?



Before I study my squad I want to have a quick look at the schedule for us, Sandford City and the Gold Coast.

Megopolis Titans (59-94, 3 GB) - 19th
@ Blanchester Wild
@ Blanchester Wild
@ Blanchester Wild
Rest Day
@ Vizhune Vipers
@ Vizhune Vipers
@ Vizhune Vipers
vs Rothes Blue Jays
vs Rothes Blue Jays
vs Rothes Blue Jays

Sandford City Bulldogs (59-94, 3 GB) - 18th
@ Peanut Valley Prowlers
@ Peanut Valley Prowlers
@ Peanut Valley Prowlers
Rest Day
vs Cape Coral Bulls
vs Cape Coral Bulls
vs Cape Coral Bulls
@ Blanchester Wild
@ Blanchester Wild
@ Blanchester Wild

Gold Coast Tigers (62-91, - GB) - 17th
vs Black Island Mercenaries
vs Black Island Mercenaries
vs Black Island Mercenaries
Rest Day
@ Grenada Kings
@ Grenada Kings
@ Grenada Kings
@ New Auckland Warlocks
@ New Auckland Warlocks
@ New Auckland Warlocks

Not the best of finishes for us. I start off my campaign against the table toppers, whilst Gold Coast play Black Island. We could fall a few more games behind if we don't surprise the Wild. After our rest we have another tough away series playing Vizhune whilst Grenada host the Tigers. I wouldn't be surprised if our last series against the Blue Jays is a dead rubber as we have a very tough schedule compared to the Tigers. Gold Coast do play New Auckland last though, which could help us out a bit, but we have to reduce the games behind number to have any chance.

I'm not overly optimistic about this challenge as we face an uphill battle already from day dot. The Bulldogs don't stand a chance with their schedule, so it really is up to us to dislodge the Tigers who have a much easier run-in. I think we will finish 18th, but I can't see us picking up three extra games over the Gold Coast.

Of course, it all becomes painfully clear as to why the Titans are potentially going down when I look at their roster.



Pitching wise we aren't amazing, but we are midtable at best. We have conceeded the fewest Home Runs, but rank 19th with walks conceeded. Our bullpen is supposedly the 6th best in the league. Rachwal Bobrowski will kick things off for us against Blanchester but I doubt I will let Urho Lehto pitch for the rest of the season with his appalling record this season. Luboslaw Agopsowicz will probably get the start ahead of Lehto in the remaining games.

Things get grim from here, our batting is why we are 19th. Below is a list of stats where we are ranked 19th in team batting:

Batting Average
On-Bast Percentage
Slugging Percentage
On-Base + Slugging
Runs Scored
Hits

The only team who ranks worse than us? Tegville Phoenix. We rank 5th in strikeouts and 8th in stolen bases, even our Walks aren't bad (10th). LF Waldemar Stryjski is the go-to guy on offense, and our SS Lance Wuhl seems to be giving slightly above average numbers but everyone else is weak. I thought I could come in here and really shake things up, but after looking at current Manager Markko Kimmonen's lineups, there isn't much more I can do.



Now the challenge looks even harder...

[Nugget699]

Game 1 of 9 - @ Blanchester Wild


I decided to leave the line-up as is, yet I dropped Agopsowicz who wasn't cutting it as a starter. Bobrowski pitched 107 only 4 days ago, yet was well rested and he played well in 5.1 innings. His 15th win came with 6 hits including 6 K's and 4 Walks. He tired quite early but I kept in for as many innings as possible.

I threw Agopsowicz in as a reliever and he did very well too. I probably could have kept him in for the 9th but Koivula is in a bit of a hot streak at the moment, so thought it would be silly to let somebody on a hot streak sit out the game.

Any fears I had on our Offense was quickly quashed in the first inning as we battered Burns all over the place before being pulled early. From there it was all us.

Wyndrowski picked up Player of the Game for his 3 Runs and 4 RBI performance which included a Triple. Four of our Runs came with 2 outs on the board, which pleases me.

The weakest played was Wuhl, who I pulled in the 7th for Puumalainen who also gave up his 3rd error of the season. I moved Ahonen to SS so Puumalainen could play 2nd, but thankfully the error didn't result in any runs conceded.

The result was great, but as the game progressed I kept an eye on the other games and kept my feelings in check. Gold Coast had beaten our fierce city rivals Black Island and Sandford City went down in 14 to Peanut Valley.



The Tigers result was frustrating, as I really want to close the gap, so we remain 3 behind with 8 games to go. Caron also won which drew them level with Blanchester at the top. The Wild will be keen to pull away again, so they will be fired up for our next meeting tomorrow.



We also received some good news, with CF Filip Tomaszewicz eligible to come of the disabled list. The 35-year old has spent his whole career at Megopolis, and is a bit of a fan favourite. In 121 games this season, the right hander is batting .175/.271/.365. It seems he struggles to make contact but when he does he hits extra bases with regularity (24 2B and 1 3B this season).

I can't see him featuring in my line-up but he could sit 6th or 7th, and replace Nigbor who isn't exactly firing on all cylinders at the moment.

Lehto is due up as our next starting pitcher, which doesn't fill me with confidence. I have a good Reliever in Jyrkainen ready to go and also Siedlmayer who looks as if he could do the business. Hopefully Lehto can pitch a few good innings so the relievers can come in a limit the damage.

Here's hoping.

[Desertdback]

Ah why did you stop?