Future Forties League Openings

[Spindel]

The FFL is an OOTP 6.5 league set in the distant future. The league was originally brought to life in mid-April of this year, starting with the 2044 season. We had a solid core of BBSC veterans, and over the next month, we added some exciting new owners from this forum, including our eventual World Series Champs. We've looking to find a few more owners to complete the league once again. Currently we are in the year 2045. We're the future of baseball, or so we like to say.

Our forum is one of the more active ones at BBSC now, and we're looking for owners who want to take an active role in shaping the league. The 2045 Ammy Draft is just getting underway, and a few of these teams will be able to add some of the best new talent coming into the league. The FFL is a league on the rise, and all four of these team represent an excellent opportunity to build an exciting winner for a smart and savvy General Manager.

Check out our League Site, look over the latest files, and then get convinced and join up today.

I can be contacted on AIM by my username Spindelphils, and prospective owners can also post on our Forum or can contact me by email.

Please remember that we require all owners to have access to either OOTP6.12 or 6.5, have AIM installed, and that more experianced owners will be granted a franchise more quickly, so please do give me a resume of sorts by listing any current or previous leagues you have been in. Players that are new to online leagues may join up as well, and we'll do everything we can to help you get started.

Here are our available teams:

MONTREAL EXPOS
Current Record: 17-22
In 2045, the Expos's will be looking to improve on a 74-88 record from last year. Their lineup looks like it will struggle this year, despite the free agent additions of veterens Steffen Puls, Kyle Holz, and Benjamin Samaniego. It should be able to piece together a few hits, but a lack of power and inability to draw walks will definetly show some holes. The strength's of this team lie within the starting pitching and defense. While their outfield lacks strong arms, it makes up for it with pretty good range. The Expos will likely rely on their starting pitching to get the job done this year however. It seems to be a solid rotation without any major holes, and if they can control opposing hitters, this team could be dangerous. Their rotation will be helped by a decent bullpen, but Garry Sovereign might be a bit shaky in the closer role, as shown by his 1.54 WHIP in 2044.

Final Grades
Lineup: B-
Defense: A-
Rotation: B+
Bullpen: B
2045 First Round Pick: CL So Matsui

WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Current Record: 19-19
While this Nationals team might not be filled from head to toe with good contact hitters, it has its fair share of power hitters. Legendary shortstop Johnny Rollins will be batting third in his 10th year with Washington, and will solidify this potentially dangerous National's lineup. On the defensive side of the ball, Washington is hovering around the average mark. With the exception of Sidney Moser, the Nationals outfield has below average range with below average arms, a combination which can be dangerous. Outside of that however, their defense is good enough to pass, but isnt anything to get too excited about. Similarly, their pitching staff is probably enough to get a decent job done, but should be drastically improved. It has no clear number 1 starter, and appears to be made up of pitchers who would be a number 3, 4, or 5 pitcher in most other staffs. Their bullpen lacks control, and doesnt appear to have enough stuff or movement to make up for it, while 22 year old closer Joel Aguayo is likely to be troubled with control throughout the year.

Final Grades
Lineup: B
Defense: B-
Rotation: C
Bullpen: C-
2045 First Round Pick: 3B/SS Josh Starks

SAN DIEGO PADRES
Current Record: 14-26
This Padre lineup has good contact throughout, but its extra-base hits will be limited due to a lack of gap power. Led by Ron "The Radar" Dater, it should be able to piece together some runs, but it wont overwhelm its opposition. On defense, the Padres outfield has amazing range and great arms, while the infield is pretty average. San Diego's starting staff, led by Rayner "Ronnie" Daal and Manny "Farm Boy" Farmer, looks to dominate opposing hitters, and with a strong 3 starters and a decent two others, it might just do that. As for their bullpen.. well.. not so much. The bullpen lacks a shutdown reliever, and the Padres will need to rely on their starters going the whole 9 yards to ensure the victory.

Final Grades
Lineup: C+
Defense: B
Rotation: B+
Bullpen: C-
2045 First Round Pick: C/3B Noah Sims Jr.

PORTLAND PIONEERS
Current Record: 19-21
The Portland team had a mediocre team last year, finishing last in their division and well below the .500 mark. With an improved pitching staff and a solid lineup Portland might surprise some people this season.

The pitching staff is surprisingly quite trustworthy. 2nd year man Patch Dillard will be the Ace of this staff, and will be looking to convert his success last year into long term success over a year. Behind him are Escebodo and Herrera who will have an ERA in the high 3’s and will get about 13 wins a season. The number 4 and 5 starters are a toss up, between 4 pitchers, none of them very good, so not much can be expected out of those positions in the staff. The bullpen last year was horrible for the Pioneers, so this year they’ll be pressing some young arms into service hoping that some of them will be able to stick it out and provide some legitimate production within the bullpen. Not exactly the best plan, and for the most part the young arms aren’t ready to play yet on the major league level, so the pen should be just as much a weakness this year as it was last year for the Pioneers.

The lineup is solid. Every position holds a good contact hitter who should hit above .280 every year and Ernst “Jackrabbit” Jurova is one of the most underrated and underappreciated people in the league. However, they did not have a single player last year who hit over 30 homeruns, and with no major additions to the lineup this year, that lack of big time power will be evident again. The Pioneers will score more runs that people expect, but they still lack a true middle of the order hitter, and due to that their lineup WILL be a bit weak. Defensively this club is excellent – every position player is an asset with the glove. They are of course headed on D by spectacular gold glove candidate Peter “Spider-Man” Parks, who seems to get to every ball hit in the air anywhere near him, and has probably the strongest outfield arm in the league.

The Pioneers will be competitive in every game this year, but they just do not have enough talent to truly compete for the division title. It looks like another year in the cellar for them.

Final Grades
Lineup: C
Defense: A-
Rotation: C+
Bullpen: D
2045 First Round Pick: SP Kanye Pandey

[The Great Demo]

If i weren't already in this league, I'D JOIN IT!

Yeah, guys, you guys need to DEFINITELY join this league. The owner is one of the best. We have team threads where owners write for their own local paper, PLUS a league wide news wire.

The commissioner just finished writing up the rules for the Arizona Fall League which will take place this upcoming offseason. Our ammy draft has already begun (its a june draft). In the offseason, you could find a sponsor for your stadium for that added revenue. Also, in the offseason we take the awards ceremony a step further. Aside from an MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, and Gold Glove awards, we're also announcing a full Silver Slugger team for each league, and a Silver Bat award to the player with the highest batting average (named after one of the fictional players that won the batting title in the 2030s, staying true to the history). We have a sister league of sorts, the UBF, where players defect from and come to the united states to play in the FFL.

Lots of owner involvement, lots of fun, and very interesting. With more than our share of competitive owners you will find silly trashtalking going on the boards to keep things interesting and every Monday night you could join us for live broadcasts for the game of the week (which are memorable what with all the trashtalking going on).

[BlitzburghBucco]

I may be the fall-down drunken co-commissioner, but damn it, this league is awesome. Join today!

[Spindel]

The Portland Pioneers have been taken, leaving the Expos, Nationals and Padres as our remaining open teams.

[PBL Commish]

Originally Posted by Spindel

The Portland Pioneers have been taken, leaving the Expos, Nationals and Padres as our remaining open teams.

i want the expos

[Spindel]

Adding one team to the available list:

COLORADO ROCKIES
Current Record: 22-29
The Rockies lineup, powered by Casey "The Rabbit" Maurer, looks to keep Colorado among the leagues elite in the upcoming 2045 season. With anchors such as Maurer and Mike "Super-Mike" Grant, it certainly isnt out of the question. This lineup should be good enough to win some games for the Rockies, and while they have a few holes in the order, it shouldnt make much of a difference. On defense, their outfield has spectacular range and average arms, and their infield is solid at just about every position. The Rockies pitching staff looks to be good enough to win games, but its lack of depth might come back to hurt them. While their starting rotation is led by Pedro "Champagne" Zavala, it lacks depth. The same can be said about their bullpen, where a lack of quality relievers might come back to haunt them.

Final Grades
Lineup: B+
Defense: A
Rotation: A-
Bullpen: B
2045 First Round Pick: LF/RF Mayogue Brady

MONTREAL EXPOS
Current Record: 24-29
In 2045, the Expos's will be looking to improve on a 74-88 record from last year. Their lineup looks like it will struggle this year, despite the free agent additions of veterens Steffen Puls, Kyle Holz, and Benjamin Samaniego. It should be able to piece together a few hits, but a lack of power and inability to draw walks will definetly show some holes. The strength's of this team lie within the starting pitching and defense. While their outfield lacks strong arms, it makes up for it with pretty good range. The Expos will likely rely on their starting pitching to get the job done this year however. It seems to be a solid rotation without any major holes, and if they can control opposing hitters, this team could be dangerous. Their rotation will be helped by a decent bullpen, but Garry Sovereign might be a bit shaky in the closer role, as shown by his 1.54 WHIP in 2044.

Final Grades
Lineup: B-
Defense: A-
Rotation: B+
Bullpen: B
2045 First Round Pick: CL So Matsui

WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Current Record: 27-26
While this Nationals team might not be filled from head to toe with good contact hitters, it has its fair share of power hitters. Legendary shortstop Johnny Rollins will be batting third in his 10th year with Washington, and will solidify this potentially dangerous National's lineup. On the defensive side of the ball, Washington is hovering around the average mark. With the exception of Sidney Moser, the Nationals outfield has below average range with below average arms, a combination which can be dangerous. Outside of that however, their defense is good enough to pass, but isnt anything to get too excited about. Similarly, their pitching staff is probably enough to get a decent job done, but should be drastically improved. It has no clear number 1 starter, and appears to be made up of pitchers who would be a number 3, 4, or 5 pitcher in most other staffs. Their bullpen lacks control, and doesnt appear to have enough stuff or movement to make up for it, while 22 year old closer Joel Aguayo is likely to be troubled with control throughout the year.

Final Grades
Lineup: B
Defense: B-
Rotation: C
Bullpen: C-
2045 First Round Pick: 3B/SS Josh Starks

SAN DIEGO PADRES
Current Record: 20-33
This Padre lineup has good contact throughout, but its extra-base hits will be limited due to a lack of gap power. Led by Ron "The Radar" Dater, it should be able to piece together some runs, but it wont overwhelm its opposition. On defense, the Padres outfield has amazing range and great arms, while the infield is pretty average. San Diego's starting staff, led by Rayner "Ronnie" Daal and Manny "Farm Boy" Farmer, looks to dominate opposing hitters, and with a strong 3 starters and a decent two others, it might just do that. As for their bullpen.. well.. not so much. The bullpen lacks a shutdown reliever, and the Padres will need to rely on their starters going the whole 9 yards to ensure the victory.

Final Grades
Lineup: C+
Defense: B
Rotation: B+
Bullpen: C-
2045 First Round Pick: C/3B Noah Sims Jr.

[Spindel]

All four teams are still available, and here's an update on their records, and a bit of hype:

Colorado Rockies: 25-32, 6.5 games behind the Houston Astros.
Montreal Expos: 28-29, 4.0 games behind the Phillies and Mets, who are tied.
Washington Nationals: 29-29, 3.5 games behind the Phils and Mets.
San Diego Padres: 23-36, 16.5 games behind the San Francisco Giants

Noah Sims Jr. (The son of one of the league's best players) had his first career hit for the Padres, a homerun on 6/1/2045, off Chris Teversham of the D-Backs. The Padres have possibly the best starting staff in the league, but lack offense. Rayner Daal is 10-1, but Manny Farmer is 1-7, thanks mostly to zero run support in most of his starts. If you build an offense, they will win. The Padres record is much improved, and they could be challengers to the NL West throne with a few good moves. Remember, they were 14-26 at one point, so it's a slight improvement already.

The Rockies' catcher, Casey Mauer is having an MVP type season, leading the league in Home Runs for the third straight season. Unfortunately, the team is hitting .232 combined right now.

DC's Rollins is also crushing the ball, he has a .618 slugging percentage, leads the league in both SLG, OPS, RC, RC/27, and is 4 HR behind Mauer. The NL East could be wide open if one of the teams decides to put it all together.

The Expos could be dangerous if they ever start hitting the ball, their pitchers are holding batters to a .229 AVG, and are in the top 10 of every pitching stat. Unfortunately, besides their own hitting (.263, 11th) they rank in the low 20's in every hitting stat.

[Spindel]

COLORADO ROCKIES
Current Record: 34-42
The Rockies lineup, powered by Casey "The Rabbit" Maurer, looks to keep Colorado among the leagues elite in the upcoming 2045 season. With anchors such as Maurer and Mike "Super-Mike" Grant, it certainly isnt out of the question. This lineup should be good enough to win some games for the Rockies, and while they have a few holes in the order, it shouldnt make much of a difference. On defense, their outfield has spectacular range and average arms, and their infield is solid at just about every position. The Rockies pitching staff looks to be good enough to win games, but its lack of depth might come back to hurt them. While their starting rotation is led by Pedro "Champagne" Zavala, it lacks depth. The same can be said about their bullpen, where a lack of quality relievers might come back to haunt them.

Final Grades
Lineup: B+
Defense: A
Rotation: A-
Bullpen: B
2045 First Round Pick: LF/RF Mayogue Brady

WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Current Record: 39-38
While this Nationals team might not be filled from head to toe with good contact hitters, it has its fair share of power hitters. Legendary shortstop Johnny Rollins will be batting third in his 10th year with Washington, and will solidify this potentially dangerous National's lineup. On the defensive side of the ball, Washington is hovering around the average mark. With the exception of Sidney Moser, the Nationals outfield has below average range with below average arms, a combination which can be dangerous. Outside of that however, their defense is good enough to pass, but isnt anything to get too excited about. Similarly, their pitching staff is probably enough to get a decent job done, but should be drastically improved. It has no clear number 1 starter, and appears to be made up of pitchers who would be a number 3, 4, or 5 pitcher in most other staffs. Their bullpen lacks control, and doesnt appear to have enough stuff or movement to make up for it, while 22 year old closer Joel Aguayo is likely to be troubled with control throughout the year.

Final Grades
Lineup: B
Defense: B-
Rotation: C
Bullpen: C-
2045 First Round Pick: 3B/SS Josh Starks

SAN DIEGO PADRES
Current Record: 27-49
This Padre lineup has good contact throughout, but its extra-base hits will be limited due to a lack of gap power. Led by Ron "The Radar" Dater, it should be able to piece together some runs, but it wont overwhelm its opposition. On defense, the Padres outfield has amazing range and great arms, while the infield is pretty average. San Diego's starting staff, led by Rayner "Ronnie" Daal and Manny "Farm Boy" Farmer, looks to dominate opposing hitters, and with a strong 3 starters and a decent two others, it might just do that. As for their bullpen.. well.. not so much. The bullpen lacks a shutdown reliever, and the Padres will need to rely on their starters going the whole 9 yards to ensure the victory.

Final Grades
Lineup: C+
Defense: B
Rotation: B+
Bullpen: C-
2045 First Round Pick: C/3B Noah Sims Jr.

Cleveland Indians
Current Record: 23-53
The Indians finished 3rd last season just 1 game behind the White Sox, but unless there is some miracle, they cannot hope to repeat their minor success. The loss of several important players – Chappell, Fuentez, Baillarge and Ramirez – and the inaction of the front office to replace them should hurt Cleveland significantly.

The 3 starters that are on the team are not bad - Frankie Oliveras and Bob Bytheway would fit in well in most other rotations. However, there is only one other starter on the Major League roster, and there is no one of notice in the minors to be place in the other 2 spots. This means taking from an already beleaguered bullpen. The result – not pretty. LaCock is the only reliever of any talent on the roster. Therefore there is no alternative, but to give the Indians a failing grade in both these aspects of the game – until they can come with two other starters.
The lineup, even after having lost 3 key starters, is still excellent. Almost every position is filled with a player who can handle the bat capably, and is an asset to the team. Yet still, there are questions – why is there no catcher on the 25 man roster, for example? The defense for the most part is below average. The only real defensive asset – 1B Kishouri Michio – might be forced to play catcher.

The outlook for the Indians doesn’t look good, unless some drastic measures are made on the pitching side.

Final Grades:
Lineup: B
Defense: D+
Rotation: F
Bullpen: F
2045 First Round Pick: SP Chris Chainé