Help with historical dynasty league: Wanted 1980s MLB Baseball Fans

[railroad_ross]

I've got an idea for a Historical Dynasty League that I'd like to get some volunteers to help with... I'm almost tempted to make it an On-Line Historic League but I think there are already enough of those done well to satisfy demand.

Here's the premise. First, I'd be using Gambo's database which allows players to enter the league around their draft date instead of their debut. It will be set starting in 1980. I plan on realigning the league to be more geographical and I will expand at my own pace, not that of real MLB.

Here's where the idea takes a twist. Rosters will be those starting in 1980. However, I'd like to have every major league team "protect" the 25 best players (or 25 players period.) These 25 players can come from any season between 1980-1990 including players who where simply in a minor league organization. This means that some teams may "protect" the same player. For example the Blue Jays and Yankees might protect Fred McGriff, the Phillies and Cubs might protect Ryan Sandberg, or the Cardinals and Padres might protect Ozzie Smith. Protecting a player does not actually mean that team will get that player, only players that are unique to a franchises “protected” player will be assigned to that team when they appear in the league.

Instead the common players protected by more than one team, that is players that are protected by several teams, will be placed into a "draft pool." The draft order will occur before the start of play in the spring of 1980. Team will draft according to how many common protected players they have from greatest number to least number. That is the team with the most common players in the "draft pool" will draft first and the team with the least common players in the "draft pool" will draft last. Ties will be broken based on franchise records from around that period of time.

If anybody is interested in taking control of a franchise and creating a protection list for that team PM me. As a Yankees fan -save your boos and hisses- I’d like to do their list personally. However, if you are a diehard Yankees fan I might be convinced to take a franchise that nobody would like.

Finally, any input on my proposed format for this dynasty league would be appreciated.

Note: Please feel free to crticize any of my choices. It helped revome Tom Henke from the Rangers. *Wink* CanadianCreed

Teams Done:
New York Yankees
Texas Rangers
LA Dodgers
Kansas City Royals
Atlanta Braves
Philadelphia Phillies
Seattle Mariners
Minnesota Twins
California Angels
San Diego Padres
Houston Astros
Chicago White Sox
Baltimore Orioles
Chicago Cubs
Detroit Tigers
Cleveland Indians
Pittsburgh Pirates
New York Mets
Montreal Expos
St Louis Cardinals
San Francisco Giants
Cincinnatti Reds
Toronto Blue Jays
Oakland A's
Boston Red Sox
Milwaukee Brewers

[PhillieFever]

I just have one question for you,would the extent of my participation in the league be just to choose the 25 players to protect? I'm asking because I would like to do that but I couldn't really commit to anything more than that.If so,I'd be happy to take on the Phillies.

[railroad_ross]

Originally Posted by PhillieFever

I just have one question for you,would the extent of my participation in the league be just to choose the 25 players to protect? I'm asking because I would like to do that but I couldn't really commit to anything more than that.If so,I'd be happy to take on the Phillies.

That's exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for... I could do this for every franchise myself but I'm not sure I'd know the best picks for every franchise. That's why I'd prefer diehard fans such as yourself to come up with the 25 players from this decade.

One thing to keep in mind, players that played on your team in 1980 and then played exclusively for your chosen franchise would not need to be "protected." For example the Phillies would have no need to protect Mike Schmidt and the Yankees would have no need to "protect" Ron Guidry. However, the Phillies would need to protect Darren Daulton and the Yankees would need to protect Don Mattingly as these players made debuted after 1980.

Anybody interested can leave a list via PM or in this thread.

Thanks.

[railroad_ross]

I knew this task would be somewhat difficult when I thought of it... I didn't realize how hard it might be. Keep in mind with some of the odd choices that players protected by one team join that team at their earliest in the 1980s. Players protected by more than one team go into a draft pool.

Here is a tentative list for the New York Yankees:
1. Willie Randolph
2. Dave Winfield
3. Don Mattingly
4. Fred McGriff
5. Rich Gossage
6. Ken Griffey
7. Roy Smalley
8. Mike Morgan
9. Jesse Barfield
10. Mike Witt
11. Shane Rawley
12. Steve Sax
13. John Candelaria
14. Jack Clark
15. Rickey Henderson
16. Dennis Rasmussen
17. Ed Whitson
18. Claudell Washington
19. Doug Drabek
20. Bob Tewksbury
21. Jay Buhner
22. Rick Rhoden
23. Bill Gullickson
24. Al Leiter
25. Steve Trout

And a few others I strongly considered.
Stan Javier
Hal Morris
Jose Cruz
John Candelaria
Rich Dotson
Tim Foli
Jay Howell
Matt Keough
Tim Leary
Pascual Perez

I'll probably need to double check this list many times.

[Moriarty9]

One way you could do this is by using baseball-reference.com's list of starters, year-by-year. Here's the link for the Red Sox as an example: Boston Red Sox Positional Chart - Baseball-Reference.com


As a Red Sox fan, here's my 25-man roster from 1980s Boston:

C - Rich Gedman
1B - Bill Buckner
2B - Marty Barrett
3B - Wade Boggs
SS - Glenn Hoffman
OF - Jim Rice
OF - Dwight Evans
OF - Rick Miller
DH - Carl Yastrzemski

Off the bench (5 players):
C - Gary Allenson
3B - Carney Lansford
SS - Jackie Gutierrez
OF - Mike Greenwell
OF - Ellis Burks

Starting rotation:
1. Roger Clemens
2. Bruce Hurst
3. Oil Can Boyd
4. Al Nipper
5. Bobby Ojeda

Bullpen (6 pitchers):
Bob Stanley
Luis Aponte
Dennis Eckersley (6th starter, long relief)
Joe Sambito
Mark Clear (barely makes the cut)
Tom Bolton (only makes cut to give a 2nd lefty out of weak bullpen)

[Moriarty9]

Just now got a real idea as to what you mean by your plan. I saw Jay Buhner and Fred McGriff for the Yankees and was about to argue they shouldn't be included until I saw you're looking for when guys were drafted as well.

In that event, I'd have to throw Jeff Bagwell (drafted '89) and Curt Schilling ('86) for Boston, as well as Mo Vaughn ('89), maybe Tim Naehring ('88), definitely John Valentin ('88), and possibly Scott Cooper ('86).

[railroad_ross]

Originally Posted by Moriarty9

Just now got a real idea as to what you mean by your plan. I saw Jay Buhner and Fred McGriff for the Yankees and was about to argue they shouldn't be included until I saw you're looking for when guys were drafted as well.

In that event, I'd have to throw Jeff Bagwell (drafted '89) and Curt Schilling ('86) for Boston, as well as Mo Vaughn ('89), maybe Tim Naehring ('88), definitely John Valentin ('88), and possibly Scott Cooper ('86).

I'm glad posting a list for the Yankees brought some posts even if it was Boston fans. *wink*

Most definitely a good post. McGriff is a bit of a stretch and it might be easier to include only players that played in the Majors. Jay Buhner did play for the Yankees in the Majors. One of the reasons I started this thread was to get this kind of discussion and help me work out the kinks of my idea. Curt Schilling would be on the Boston list as he did play for Houston starting in 1988. Both Houston and Boston have the opportunity to make this protection. If both teams protect him he would go into the draft pool. If only one team protects him then he is assigned to that franchise went he is imported into the file.

Bagwell is a little different case, he would most definitely be a prime target to be protected if he played in the 1980s. I might have to revise my time frame to go thru 1992 (the year before expansion) so a guy like Bagwell can make the list. I'll sleep on how to make this happen in the rules as I am intrigued by the idea of Bagwell in a Boston uniform but I don't just want to hand him over outright.

As for the fantastic picks of Vaughn, Naehring and Valentin they did not debut until after 1990 so they would be in the draft pool. However, since this is a dynasty and I will be running it, I thought I'd institute a rule that in the first round of the armature draft a franchise may only select a player that played in their franchise.

Hope this helps clear things up and fuel more discussion.

[railroad_ross]

Also moriary thanks again for the post. Keep in mind this is not a 25 man roster, but simply 25 protected players. A team does not have to be made from these 25 players so they can be any 25 players.

[railroad_ross]

I'm taking a stab at another franchise protect list tonight. I chose the Dodgers because I've never really met a diehard Dodgers fan. I guess LA people are too cool and prefer the casual.

First please note that guy like Bobby Russell, Mike Scioscia and Fernando Valenzuela are safe. Bobby and Mike never played for another team, and Fernando didn't play on another team until 1991.

1. Steve Garvey
2. Pedro Guerrero
3. Ron Cey
4. Bob Welch
5. Rick Sutcliffe
6. Steve Sax
7. Mike Marshall
8. Dave Stewart
9. Alejandro Pena
10. Steve Howe
11. Jerry Reuss
12. Rick Honeycutt
13. Burt Hooton
14. Sid Fernandez
15. Orel Hershiser
16. Al Oliver
17. Bill Madlock
18. Tim Belcher
19. Phil Garner
20. Kirk Gibson
21. Alfredo Griffin
22. John Tudor
23. Eddie Murray
24. Mike Morgan
25. Kal Daniels

A couple others for consideration:
Ramon Martinez
John Wetteland
Hubbie Brooks

Note the selection of Steve Sax and Mike Morgan by both the Yankees and Dodger would throw Sax and Morgan into the "inital" draft pool.

[railroad_ross]

Originally Posted by Moriarty9

One way you could do this is by using baseball-reference.com's list of starters, year-by-year. Here's the link for the Red Sox as an example: Boston Red Sox Positional Chart - Baseball-Reference.com


As a Red Sox fan, here's my 25-man roster from 1980s Boston:

C - Rich Gedman
1B - Bill Buckner
2B - Marty Barrett
3B - Wade Boggs
SS - Glenn Hoffman
OF - Jim Rice
OF - Dwight Evans
OF - Rick Miller
DH - Carl Yastrzemski

Off the bench (5 players):
C - Gary Allenson
3B - Carney Lansford
SS - Jackie Gutierrez
OF - Mike Greenwell
OF - Ellis Burks

Starting rotation:
1. Roger Clemens
2. Bruce Hurst
3. Oil Can Boyd
4. Al Nipper
5. Bobby Ojeda

Bullpen (6 pitchers):
Bob Stanley
Luis Aponte
Dennis Eckersley (6th starter, long relief)
Joe Sambito
Mark Clear (barely makes the cut)
Tom Bolton (only makes cut to give a 2nd lefty out of weak bullpen)

Great list... in fact great team. But note under my system Rice and Yaz would not need protection as they played for the Sox in 1980 and the rest of their career. Also I'd consider adding Lee Smith (1988-1990) Mike Boddicker (1988-1990) and (1980-1983) to the protected list. Keep in mind for example that if the Orioles did not protect Boddicker he would start in Boston in 1980, although it's more likely he is protected and ends up in the initial draft pool.

[railroad_ross]

I'm on a roll here tonight so I'll do another. Feel free to question/have me edit my choices at any time. These are just cursory lists.

Let's do Texas as they sucked in the 1980s:
Texas
1. Buddy Bell
2. Al Oliver
3. Burt Hooton
4. Charlie Hough
5. Juan Gonzalez
6. Danny Darwin
7. Larry Parrish
8. Pete O’Brien
9. Frank Tanana
10. Nolan Ryan
11. Jamie Moyer
12. Oddibe McDowell
13. Don Slaught
14. Sammy Sosa
15. Jose Guzman
16. Ellis Valentine
17. Dave Stewart
18. Ruben Sierra
19. Pete Incaviglia
20. Kevin Brown
21. Bobby Witt
22. Mike Stanley
23. Harold Baines
24. Rafael Palmerio
25. Julio Franco

On the Bubble:
Mitch Williams
Tom Henke
Mike Smithson
Doc Medich
Steve Buechele

Boy including 1990 sure did save their bacon. Six need to be trimmed from this list. Hooton, Oliver and Stewart (all Dodgers protects) would go into the initial pool if protected by the Rangers.

Feel free to help me trim this list to 25.

[railroad_ross]

I’m going to give the Royals a shot. They are in a nice situation as George Brett, Frank White, Hal McCrae and Willie Wilson and most of their 1980 rotation are all safe without being protected as they played with the Royals in 1980 and never played for another team thru 1990.

1. Willie Aikens
2. Ken Phelps
3. UL Washington
4. Dan Quisenberry
5. Larry Gura
6. David Cone
7. Vida Blue
8. Bud Black
9. Mark Gubicza
10. Charlie Leibrandt
11. Danny Jackson
12. Brett Saberhagen
13. Don Slaught
14. Lonnie Smith
15. Bo Jackson
16. Kevin Seitzer
17. Mark Davis
18. Tom Gordon
19. Bill Buckner
20. Steve Balboni
21. Pat Tabler
22. Jeff Montgomery
23. Danny Tartabull
24. Kurt Stillwell
25. Kevin Appier

Others considered:
Rich Gale
Rich Dotson
Floyd Bannister
Scott Bankhead

As you can tell I tend to focus on protecting starting pitching.

Don Slaught if protected by the Royals and Ranger would enter the initial draft pool.

[Recte44]

C- Ted Simmons
1B- Cecil Cooper
2B- Jim Gantner
3B- Paul Molitor
SS- Robin Yount
LF- Ben Ogilvie
CF- Gorman Thomas
RF- Rob Deer
C/OF- Charlie Moore
DH/IF- Don Money
IF- Ed Romero
C/IF/OF- B.J. Surhoff
IF Dale Sveum
3B- Gary Sheffield

SP- Mike Caldwell
SP- Moose Haas
SP- Don Sutton
SP- Pete Vuckovich
SP- Teddy Higuera
P- Rollie Fingers
P- Dan Plesac
P- Pete Ladd
P- Bill Wegman
P- Chris Bosio
P- Chuck Crim

[mikev]

Oakland.

C1 - Terry Steinbach
1B - Mark Mcgwire
2B - Tony Phillips
3B - Carney Lansford
SS - Alfredo Griffin
LF - Rickey.
CF - Dwayne Murphy
RF - Mike Davis

OF - Luis Polonia
OF - Jose Canseco
IF - Walt Weiss
IF - Mike Gallego
C2 - Mike Heath

SP - Dave Stewart
SP - Bob Welch
SP - Mike Moore
SP - Curt Young
SP - Storm Davis
SP - Mike Norris

CL - Dennis Eckersley
SU - Rick Honeycutt
SU - Gene Nelson
MR - Dave Leiper
MR - Todd Burns
MR - Steve Ontiveros

[canadiancreed]

Henke shoudl realyl be trimmed from the Texas list. He's more linked to Toronto IMO.

[railroad_ross]

Originally Posted by canadiancreed

Henke shoudl realyl be trimmed from the Texas list. He's more linked to Toronto IMO.

Agreed, but the intent is not to place players where they belong so much as it is to mix things up.

[JQLorenz]

Question about the list...

Would the Reds need to protect Eric Davis? Drafted in 1980 and played with the Reds through 1990
Eric Davis Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com

[canadiancreed]

Originally Posted by railroad_ross

Agreed, but the intent is not to place players where they belong so much as it is to mix things up.

Ah. Still beleive he shoudl be with teh Bluejays for that period. I mena there really was no closer for the team that was known before him....or after come to think of it....

[railroad_ross]

Originally Posted by JQLorenz

Question about the list...

Would the Reds need to protect Eric Davis? Drafted in 1980 and played with the Reds through 1990
Eric Davis Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com

Yes since his debut in the majors he would need protect under my guidelines.

[railroad_ross]

Originally Posted by canadiancreed

Ah. Still beleive he shoudl be with teh Bluejays for that period. I mena there really was no closer for the team that was known before him....or after come to think of it....

No question about it... Say Tom Henke and I see a guy in a Blue Jays cap and uniform. But again, I'm not trying for a historical replay. I'm trying to shake things up. This will mess with some peoples sensibility as loyal fans.

What will be most interesting is some of the aging stars that went to other teams. For instance if the Braves choose to not protect Dale Murphy for some crazy reason he would be a Phillie in 1980... the more likely scenario is that both teams protect him and he becomes a member of the initial draft.

There will be considerable strategy that comes into play with the protection lists. It might be better to have more players from your protection list in common with other teams as then you get a higher selection. The draft pool will have some very good players.