Even the Federals!

[twinsfan1127]

Hello, this will be a fictional OOTP 11 league based off the Federal League.. a third major league designed around small market baseball. Hope you enjoy the story driven writing of a high school student !
__________


“Hello? Who is this?”
“Mr. Harbortoun? Yes, this is Mr. Irvine, the majority owner of the Columbus Captains. Is this a good time to speak?”
Pushing his cell phone between his thick shoulder and the collar of his polo shirt, Keith prepared to have a serious discussion with an owner all while feeding his four year old son James.
“Uhh.. yes, yes, sir,” answering Mr. Irvine’s question and at the same time asking his son which kind of pasta he’d like for lunch.
With a little uncertainty after this indifferent answer, the owner started, “Good. Call me Edwin. Edwin Irrvine. As I said, I’m the majority owner of the Columbus Captains, a franchise in the newly created Federal League?”
“The Federal League?” asked Keith, unsure of the league and its level of play.
“Yes, the Federal League. It’s a eight team league that was started last month, and we want a small market major league, to add competition to MLB. Basically, we’re attempting to start a third major league, based out of Triple A cities.”
“And how are the financials going to work? There’s a reason why Major League franchises play in large markets. The financials don’t work in small markets,” Harbortoun said with definitive confidence, since he’s studied sports financials since college. All the while, James is staring at his father, confused why he’s talking baseball on a Monday afternoon.
“We’re accomplishing this by placing a hard cap, starting at $10 million, so teams don’t overspend. Why am I explaining these things to a Major League assistant general manager? You know.”
“Ok… it’s an interesting idea, but what do you want from me?” , although Keith knew the reason for the call.
“Oh.. yes. Yes, I’d like for you to be the team’s general manager. You’re as experienced as anyone in the league, and I love the job you’ve done in Cincinnati.”
“First off, let me clear something up,” Harbortoun has given this schpiel many, many times. “I am the assistant general manager. I watch minor league games, sign minor free agents, and double check the financials. I have other responsibilities, but I do not built the team.”
“.. I understand. So, what do you think about the job offer?”
Keith thought long and hard about the Federal League. How will this league work? Will it flop? Am I handing over my career to go after some bush league job? I mean, I’d be the general manager, but I’m in a Major League front office right now. That’s my life dream. Well, being a general manager was his life dream. Actually, his life dream was to play in the Majors, but that’s
irrelevant.
“So?”
“Sir, I like the idea of your league. I truly do. I think it’s great that you’re bringing major league baseball to smaller markets. Same way with Cincinnati. I love the idea of being your general manager, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to jump right into the job immediately. I’d like to talk this over with my wife and family, and reflect. Would that be OK with you?”
“Absolutely. Take your time. The free agent period doesn’t start till January 1st, so take the rest of the week and get back to me. That way you’ll still have a month to talk with players.”
“Thank you, sir. I’ll think about it.”
“Edwin. Goodbye, Keith.”
Click. Now time to reflect.

[twinsfan1127]

“Columbus? Why not stay here in Cincinnati?”
“It’s not that far away! C’mon, I’d be the general manager there.”
You could tell she was irritated, happy that her husband could put up a solid income and have such an amazing job title. He brought home the bread, and loved his job. Cindy couldn’t understand his logic.
“… But it’s not in the Majors… so you’re going from a Major League front office to a bush league front office?”
“There’s a big difference. I’m the Reds assistant general manager. I do nothing besides collecting a paycheck. I need to do something exciting with my life, plus I’ll still earn $200,000. It’s a big risk, but it could change my career.”
“Exactly. It’s a big risk. I mean, if you really want to take the job, I’ll support you, but I’d really suggest against it.”
“Would you and James move to Columbus? I hear it’s a nice city.”
Cindy bit her lip, deciding the family’s future.
“No. We’ll wait a season, and if it works out, I suppose we can find a home there. It’s pretty far away, even to visit. But how do we know if this league will even going to float?”
“We don’t. I’ll visit, and I hope you and James can come up occasionally. It’ll get lonely in the middle of Ohio. And think about it. Out of the eight teams, the team in Ohio contacted me. That’s something right there. ”
Cindy smiled, and I knew instantly that he was the general manager of the Columbus Captains.
__
“Mr. Irvine?”
“Yes?”
“This is Mr. Harbortoun. I’ve, uh, thought about your job offer, and I’d be very excited to become the general manager of the Captains.”
“Marvelous! I wasn’t sure if you would take the job. Incredible! I’ve now got a great general manager, a great stadium, and a great future.” There was true excitement in the owner’s voice.
“Yes! Very excited. By the way, where will the club be playing?”
With a pause, Irvine answered, “Oh, yes. Yes, we are building a new stadium, for the, for the club.”
Keith picked up on the moment of indecision, and immediately fired back:
“Mr. Irvine? How much is this costing the club? Are we getting city aid?”
“Uhh.. yes, but not enough. Columbus was hit hard in the recession, and, and, the stadium being built is quite expensive. The investors have plenty of money.. but the costs keep going up, and now we’re looking for.. stadium investors.”
Harbortoun grimaced at stadium investors. Stadium investors are used by bush league independent clubs to afford a big stadium. Then, the team’s investors are split into several investors, and if the club every got in trouble, the team wouldn’t have stock in the stadium to sell. Not a great way to start.
“Mr. Irvine, I am going to go up there tomorrow and take over duties. I think we need to fix a few things with the park.”

[PhillieFever]

Wow, you're taking me back. As a senior in high school(22 years ago), we had to write a weekly journal about anything we wanted, I chose to write about the Roller Hockey League I was part of at the time, and I really had a lot of fun with it. I'll be looking forward to see how this comes along. Good Luck!!!

[twinsfan1127]

Thank you very much.. I love writing about baseball, although I don't know how good of a writer I am.. six months of high school English isn't much grammatical experience.

Any ideas? changes? Another update in 2-3 hours once done with homework

[PhillieFever]

Originally Posted by twinsfan1127

Thank you very much.. I love writing about baseball, although I don't know how good of a writer I am.. six months of high school English isn't much grammatical experience.

Any ideas? changes? Another update in 2-3 hours once done with homework

Here's my only piece of advice, do what feels fun to YOU. It's been my experience that when you try to be all things to all people you only end up making yourself miserable. Since this is your first dynasty, you should experiment a little to get a feel on what type of dynasty you want to write, then go for it. Most of all though, just have fun.

[twinsfan1127]

Haha.. thanks for the advice. I'm writing an update instead of doing stupid religon homework.. stupid quakers adding another class

>> i see ur from philly.. no offense if your quaker, i just don't like quaker homework
_______

I've actually done a few dynasties over at Baseball Mogul, I first bought that game first when I was.... 5 :O and have experimented with the free trials of OOTP and finally bought the game for $14.40 with shipping last month.. liking it quite a bit

Baseball Mogul, in my opinion, conduces itself to dynasties more becuase it's fast-paced, almost arcade like, simulation. OOTP covers every base, yet can become a little irritating with DFAs and DLs after a few hours of playing.. and I do occasionally turn the rules off.



Thanks.. writing an exciting update

[twinsfan1127]

Although the stadium looked nice, everything else with the Captains was a mess. The team was already heading into debt, and there was no way Harbortoun could put a competitive team together with… the lack of resources. Mr. Irvine planned a spectacular 24,800 seat stadium, a modern marvel for Columbus, complemented with a gigantic LCD screen and dozens of luxury boxes.
“What the hell is this?”
The owner, Mr. Irvine, had surrendered to Keith’s matter of fact attitude, accepting that he clearly knew more about baseball financials and stadium construction. Harbortoun, in such a hurry to fix the situation, hadn’t even officially alerted the Reds front office of his departure. Just a temporary leave of absence did the trick. Even better, Keith hadn’t signed a new contract, meaning he could return to Cincinnati if the team’s financial status fell apart.
“We’re building an icon for Columbus- a masterpiece.”
“A city icon? What’s that supposed to mean? It’s not going to be a marvel if the park’s empty next spring and you’re in debtor jail.”
“I mean, we do have the resources to build the field. We just need to sell stock.”
Harbortoun bit his lip to avoid an outburst. This owner is freaking clueless, and the team is borderline bankrupt. Should he just return to the Reds without a fuss?
“No, no, no. You spend your capital in the stadium, and sell stock in the team to the general public. Small shares, but get the general public involved. If we’re going to sell stock, we should get the public to feel a part of the team.”
“I’ve got an idea!” exclaimed the owner, hit with a brilliant idea or a large metal pipe.
“Yes, sir?” Rule 1: always take the owner’s advice, even if it’s crap.
“Sell the stadium’s name- that’d certainly even the deficit.”
It was definitely an idea- a little gimmicky. Harbortoun didn’t think of the idea- a real surprise. Perhaps because Cincinnati’s stadium wasn’t branded.
“It’s a possibility; however I’m not sure who’d sponsor the stadium. Perhaps a one year deal based on attendance, and go from there. It’s not the best idea for a new team, but if it keeps us in business, let’s try.”

[twinsfan1127]

“Snapple, huh? Always liked their Lemon Iced Tea,” Irvine seemed generally interested in the sponsorship. Perhaps he had money invested in the company.
With a chuckle, Keith responded, “Ah, yes. Snapple has offered a two year sponsorship deal, with attendance incentives. Their beverages will be served thru ought the stadium, and the front office will receive a complementary stocked vending machine, with all Snapple products.”
“Excellent! Perhaps I’ll spend more time around here, with all the bonuses.”
Irvine loved that he was an owner of a professional baseball team, but his overzealous attitude was quickly wearing on Harbortoun, and Keith wanted peace and quiet to start building the team.
“We’re still not there, Mr. Irvine. The team’s still in financial trouble, and we haven’t started talks with players. We’re going to have to halt construction… on the left field seats. Cheap seats that won’t make us THAT much money. We’re building a 20,000+ stadium, and no one in the league is building or renovating a stadium that holds more than 16,000.”
“… I guess you are right.”
“Good. Let me get the general contractor on the phone.
_________
NOTE: I used the Inaugural Draft just so I could select my team, but I'm going to act like I'm signing the players.

[PhillieFever]

Originally Posted by twinsfan1127

Haha.. thanks for the advice. I'm writing an update instead of doing stupid religon homework.. stupid quakers adding another class

>> i see ur from philly.. no offense if your quaker, i just don't like quaker homework
_______

I've actually done a few dynasties over at Baseball Mogul, I first bought that game first when I was.... 5 :O and have experimented with the free trials of OOTP and finally bought the game for $14.40 with shipping last month.. liking it quite a bit

Baseball Mogul, in my opinion, conduces itself to dynasties more becuase it's fast-paced, almost arcade like, simulation. OOTP covers every base, yet can become a little irritating with DFAs and DLs after a few hours of playing.. and I do occasionally turn the rules off.



Thanks.. writing an exciting update

HaHa, nah not a Quaker. Although this is sometimes called the Quaker city because of William Penn's Quaker roots, there really aren't that many Quakers here anymore, at least not that I know of. In my life I think I've come across two or three people who were Quakers.

[twinsfan1127]

I go to school 45 minutes from Philly... at a Quaker school, but still very few Quakers

another update tonight... VERY LONG


comments?

[twinsfan1127]

"Mr. Jockety?"
"Yes, Keith. How are you today?"
"Uhh.., fine, sir. Fine. Look, I've got to talk to you about something-"
"Hold up. Before you start, have you started talks with Escobar? What does he want? 1.45? incentives?"
Walt's personality was built for the job of general manager, however years of worrying and stress have turned him into a quick paced, rough person.
"That's what I need to talk to you-"
"Did you start talks with Escobar or not? We need another outfielder, dammit!"
Keith snapped, knowing this was likely the last conversation he'd have with Walt Jockety.
"Sir, if I may interrupt you, but I am resigning my position with the Reds?"
Silence.
"... You're resigning? Why?"
His hot temper, worked up by Keith's lack of work, cooled down as a hot summer day would after a storm.
"I've accepted the job as the general manager of the Columbus Captains, of the Federal League. That's why I've been inactive."
"The Federal League? What the hell is that?"
Keith took another breath, and held back from unleashing another torrent at his former boss.
"It's a league," with teeth gritting, "that's trying to bring major league baseball back to smaller cities, like Columbus."
"But why the hell are you leaving the Majors? I mean, hell, if you were still the general manager of our Triple A team and was offered the job, I'd understand. But you've reached the top. Why leave now?"
"I haven't reached the top. I'm not THE general manager, and with this team improving, I have no chance for at least a decade. I need control, my own team to build. I'm sorry Walt."
More silence, typically meaning a storm, this time from Walt, coming.
"Look here, son. I worked with you, patroned you, championed-"
"Shut Up! I've decided I'm moving on, and I don't need your commentary any more about my own personal choices. Goodbye Walt."
For once, Keith got to slam the phone down on Walt, not the other way around. What a nice feeling!

[twinsfan1127]

I've thought about this... for hours , and I've decided to skip the actual free agent signing process and just give you an organizational overview tomorrow. I think it would take too long, but I had some good dialog

maybe another time

[PhillieFever]

You've done a nice job of setting up the dynamics between the enthusiastic but clueless owner, and the more grounded but also more experienced general manager. The way it's setting up seems like you're going to follow the fortunes of Keith(who I assume is yourself?) rather than that of any one team. Although right now Columbus is Keith's team so they'll get the majority of the press.Is this the plan?

[CatKnight]

Good to see you here twins. Good luck!

[twinsfan1127]

@PhillieFever Thanks.. I'm doing an organizational break down around noon today (religon) And yes, you are correct, it will be mostly focused on the Captains, with news stories from across the league

@CatKnight Haha! Nice to see you over here also. I started this dynasty in BM on the forums, but it didn't work so I created it over here on OOTP 11

[twinsfan1127]

Here's my organizational overview, with notes for some and just ratings for others
_________________________________________

STARTING PITCHERS:
Albin Valli, 4 STARS, 12/12/10--- Not exactly an ace, but we'll live.
Jose Becerra, 2.5 STARS, 11/8/10--- Average pitcher, but he'll be our #2
Lee Richard, 1.5/3 STARS, 8/12/13-- Again, another mediocre pitcher.
Jose Velazquez, 1.5/3 STARS, 9/14/10-- Not too bad for a 4 starter
Charles Holmes, 1 STAR, 8/9/9-- Kid scares me, but will be #5 starter. Ugh!

OVERVIEW: Pretty damn terrible. Our ace is, at best, a #2 starter, and we have no solid starters behind him. We may need to improve the position later.

NOTABLES
Steven Crow, 1 STAR, 8/10/10
Alberto Gamboa, 1 STAR, 11/10/7
Ray Mills, 1 STAR, 11/7/10
Julien Vanchon, 1 STAR, 8/8/9
Curt Charles, 1 STAR, 6/10/8

RELIEVERS:

Marcos De La Cruz, 5 STARS, 20/10/20-- Big part of our bullpen
Ty Wheeler, 5 STARS, 20/19/6-- Another great middle reliever
Alexander Sherman, 2.5 STARS, 9/15/10-- Pretty good, although will be shuffled up and down
Pedro Ortiz, 2/2.5 STARS, 12/10/9-- OK.. will be up and down
Dave Glendenning, 2/2.5 STARS, 12/11/9-- OK again
Ron Helmer, 5 STARS, 20/17/15-- BOSS!
Jonathon Phillips, 2 STARS, 15/7/9, another Up and Downer
Isoruko Kondo, 1.0/2.5 STARS, 12/8/8-- Primarily send season in minors with Bismarck Captains
Marty Hawkins, 1 STAR, 11/8/8
Will Kent, 1 STAR, 11/8/7

OVERVIEW: We’re crazy strong in the bullpen. I’ll think about dealing one of our beasts for a middle of the rotation starter

CLOSER:
Jeremy Thorton, 5 STARS, 20/14/13-- His ratings summarize everything. And he’s 21!
________

Infielders coming next.

[twinsfan1127]

The long awaited position player overview.
_____
CATCHER
Jose Aguirre- 5 STARS, 14/13/7/12, earning 300K-- Above average hitting backstop with tremendous defense- and he’s only 22. How does a MLB organization let this type of player go?
Ramon Pagan, 1.5 STARS, 9/20/2/7, earning 90k-- He’s pretty weak hitting- besides ability to hit extrabasers, but play very good defense and can even spend some time at 1B.
----
NOTABLES:
Roberto Moreno, 9/9/7/7, Minor League-- Better offense, but weaker defense. He’s on the outside looking in for the backup catcher position, mostly because he signed for a Minor League contract, and Pagan didn’t.
Carlos Flores, 7/12/6/6, Minor League-- Could get some time in Columbus with some good luck. He’ll be the backup in Bismarck, our higher minor league team.
NOTE: There are players in Florida with our lower minor league club at each position, but they are not worth nothing
---
INFIELDERS
Michael Ramey, 13/14/15/12, 1B, $1.1 Million-- This was our biggest catch. The thirty two year old spent six seasons in the Majors, batting .268 with 26 HR in 848 PA, but couldn’t find a Major League deal from any franchise. This guy is incredible, despite his sub par defense.
Fred Edmonds, 12/12/9/12. 2B, 650k-- Nothing incredible at the plate, but he’s a solid defender and plays the game right.
Jose Petrelia, 10/10/13/10, 3B, 320k-- Above average offense paired with average defense.
Dave Ferris, 13/11/7/12, 1B/2B/3B/SS/CF, $1.1 Million/2 Years
Another star. He plays incredible defense everywhere, just like Cordero, but hits better and can steal bases. Unfortunately, we have a $1+ contract for two years, plus an option. Price you got to pay for a MLBer.
Cisco Cordero, 9/12/9/10, 1B/2B/3B/SS, 270k-- This guy is a true utility infielder, with spectacular defense everywhere, with each position rated 17 or higher out of 20. His offense is pretty weak, so Ferris will start. Cisco, however, will get a lot of defensive innings and some starts. Starter at 3B or 2B?
NOTABLES:
Antonio Rivera, 10/12/10/6, 1B, Could spend some time in Columbus as a pinch hitter or an injury replacement.
Will Dudley, 10/17/3/9, 1B/2B/3B/SS, Another defensive utility player.
Nick Vasquez, 9/10/3/8, 2B, Probably spend the year in Bismarck.
Jack Glass, 9/10/12/9, 1B/2B/3B, another utility player that has a little better offense.

RESULT: Very solid infield. Strong on defense and a little weak on offense, so maybe we will pick up a power hitting corner infielder in a trade later. Solid depth in Bismarck.

[twinsfan1127]

Patrick Arthur, 11/17/13/12, LF, 750k-- Very good hitter with a lot of speed. Another former Major Leaguer, and we sure did pay for the talent. Not great defense though.
Salvador Garcia, 10/16/15/11, OF, 245k-- Not quite as good of a hitter as Arthur, but plays better defense and plays across the whole outfielder. Could be trade bait for a starting pitcher later.
Gianlorenzo Vasario, 12/15/13/10, OF, 800k/2 Years- He’s 37 years old outfielder who signed with us instead of sitting on the bench for the Athletics. The guy’s a good hitter, and still plays good defense. I’m worried we overpaid, however, especially for two years.
Matt Wynn, 12/8/13/11, OF, 85k-- Once Spring Training starts, we’ll have to figure out who will start and who will DH on a daily basis- plus the 5th outfielder.
Steven Ketchenson, 10/10/9/8, 100k- Although we roll with a 24 man roster in the Federal League, our DH will likely be an outfielder, so it’s nice to have some extra protection. Can field pretty well, but not much else.
NOTABLES:
Sergio Luna, 10/11/5/10, OF, Minor League-- He’ll be the first outfielder to get called up in case of an injury.
Tommy Hall, 8/11/10/7, OF, Minor League-- Nothing special.
RESULT: Very solid. I feel the outfield will be very strong this year for us.

[twinsfan1127]

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW:

STRENGTH:

1. Bullpen
2. Outfield(Left Field)
3. Infield Depth(Minors)
4. First Base
5. Catcher
6. Bullpen Depth(Minors)
WEAKNESS:

1. Starting Rotation (Front End)
2. Third Base
3. Starting Rotation (Back End)
4. Middle Infield
5. Centerfield


We have a great outfield, some strong infielders, and an excellent bullpen, but we have a terrible starting rotation and a lack of solid prospects. We will need to give up some outfield depth or bullpen strength to add a solid starting pitcher, or go out and sign a MLB free agent, since we left some budget room open.

NEXT: Spring Training

[twinsfan1127]

Spring training went... uneventful. Keith found a dilapidated lot outside Pensacola in late January, near a rundown motel, and purchased the parcel of land for $145,000 at a sheriff's sale. For eleven acres of land, the price couldn't have better, however the former cow pasture needed a lot of work. During February, working alongside Hispanic workers, Keith Harbortoun built four fields, three just a backstop and some dirt, which will be used for practices and intra-squad games. These fields, if you could call them that, were cheap to build, however dozens of hours were spent tearing bushes out of the ground and breaking up clumps of weeds. Some grass seed was dumped on the outfield, and Viola!, instand baseball field. Although the infield was cluttered with lumps and bumps, the Captains had their spring training practice fields.

The bigger question, however, was constructing the main field- the stadium, a place where games would be played during Spring Training and the summer. First, a nice metal backstop was purchased and installed, along with some tall metal fencing surrounding the field, to protect players and fans. Finally, dugouts were contstructed, and some bleachers were torn off an ancient high school football field. Again, the fields weren't exactly perfect, but at least the Columbus Captains had a place to train.