1998 - The Year of the Dinger

Hard-Luck Hanshin · 02-21-2015, 10:59 AM

This is a diary that will follow a historical MLB game starting in 1998, the zenith of the "juiced" era and also when fans truly forgave both owners and players for the 1994 strike that resulted in the first cancellation of the World Series since 1904. This was in large part to the home run race that ultimately developed between the larger-than-life Mark McGwire and the charming Sammy Sosa. Will the race play out again in the game? Or will Ken Griffey, Jr. be the one to set the new record?

I'm basically playing a 1998 game with real rosters, but not real line-ups or transactions, thus allowing for injuries and suspensions and the like. In terms of mods, I'm using the Historical FaceGen Image Pack as well as Questdog's names/demographics mod, in addition to countless real and fictional logo and uniform packs.

I'm using custom minor leagues that are mostly my own combinations of the real MiLB leagues from the AAA down to the Rookie level. These have been populated with fictional players who could potentially rise up the ranks into the Big Show itself.

I'm aiming to cover a month in each post once the season itself gets started. Once 1998 is over, I may keep going on into the next millennium, depending on personal interest as well as what others think.

I'll also be adding my own personal tweaks, mostly cosmetic in nature. Such as...

Adieu Wahoo: Controversy in Cleveland Culminates in Mascot Change

February 21, 1998

In a packed press conference today at Jacobs Field, baseball franchise owner Richard Jacobs told reporters that, effective immediately, his team will no longer be the "Cleveland Indians," but rather the "Cleveland Kings."

The move comes in response to sustained and popular protests by Native American activists and their supporters, who object to the use of what they allege are racist nicknames and mascots used by sports teams. "Chief Wahoo," the long-time face of the Cleveland club, has been a noted target of such allegations, with its comical appearance and bright red skin tone.

During the 1997 World Series, several Native American activists were arrested after they set fire to an effigy of Chief Wahoo while the Cleveland team was playing. The charges against the activists were later dropped.

"At this ball club we believe in bringing people together, not setting them apart," said Jacobs in a prepared statement. "After much thought and reflection, it was decided that in the interests of respecting the opinion of many in the Native American community that we would change the name and logo of the Cleveland team prior to the start of the 1998 season."

Jacobs also said that fans who had recently purchased team merchandise in the last year bearing the team's old name and logo would be compensated with new updated merchandise, provided they could provide proof of purchase.

Additionally, Jacobs said that the team's management would forbid fans from wearing headdresses and red face paint, which some activists have claimed represents a mockery of Native American culture.

As part of the change, the Cleveland team will be switching from their traditional blue and red uniforms to green and black theme. At the press conference, Jacobs also unveiled the new team logo:

Later that same day, the Cleveland team's Web site released a photograph of the current team's roster wearing the new uniforms:

Despite facing similar complaints, it does not appear as though the Atlanta Braves will be making similar changes. "It's apples and oranges," a source within the organization said when asked about the complaints. "Chief Wahoo was an offensive cartoon character. The 'Redskins' name is a derogatory slur. The Braves, however, honor the martial prowess and proud heritage of Native American peoples. There's nothing inherently racist about a tomahawk chop like there is with white people dressing up in 'redface.'"

darkcloud4579 · 02-21-2015, 03:12 PM

Nice start!

Hard-Luck Hanshin · 02-22-2015, 09:57 AM

Play Ball! April 1998 in Review

May 1, 1998

Opening day has come and gone, and so has the first month of professional baseball at the highest level in the United States.

As you no doubt already know, Cleveland started the season with a brand new name and look. But for many teams, 1998 just brings new opportunities -- to improve on dismal records, to realize budding potential or to continue reaching for the stars.

The defending World Series champions, the Florida Marlins, will be hoping to build on their success, depending on key players like left fielder Cliff Floyd and starting pitcher Livan Hernandez (last year's National League MVP). Cleveland will no doubt wish to be the best in the American League once again, although they were not able to keep their star player last year, Marquis Grissom, who is now with Milwaukee.

However, more and more pennant races are becoming less popular than home run races. People love dingers, and we seem to be living in an extraordinary time for hitting it out of the park.

On April 12th, Seattle's Ken Griffey, Jr. reached a major milestone, hitting his 300th home run as the Mariners routed the Boston Red Sox, 12-5.

On the 26th, however, Mark McGwire of St. Louis joined an even more prestigious club when he hit his 400th career home run as the Cardinals barely beat the Philies in a hit parade, 12-10.

In other major league news, the top 100 prospects was published. Leading the pack was Roy Halladay, the 20-year-old starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. Also in the top 5 were the Cardinals' JD Drew, Cleveland's Chad Fuller, Javier Vazquez of the Montreal Expos and Carlos Beltran of the Kansas City Royals.

In less positive news, the league handed down suspensions after a brawl broke out during the April 13th game between Seattle and Cleveland at the Kingdome. Both dugouts emptied, but in the end, the umpires decided to eject Seattle's Russ Davis and Cleveland's Steve Karsay. Both sat out 15 games as a result of their unprofessional behavior.

Karsay didn't seem to learn his lesson, however. Just a few days ago, on the 30th, he was involved in another fight, this time with Miguel Tejada of the Oakland Athletics. This time, though, both players were only given 2-game suspensions.

Off the field, the manager for the Anaheim Angels, Terry Collins, blew up after reporters bombarded him with questions about the "bad boy" reputation cultivated by SP Jason Dickson. Collins seemed to draw an old school line, complaining that what a player did outside of the ballpark was none of his business. "All you guys care about is selling newspapers and driving up ratings," bemoaned Collins. "And I'm getting pretty damn sick of it!"

On the injury front, the Brewers' LF Eric Owens tripped over the automatic tarp at County Stadium on April 14th as he ran out onto the field. Owens initially laughed it off, but it was no laughing matter when it was learned that Owens would be on the DL for at least a month. This was a hard pill for the Brewers to swallow as they sit in 5th place in their division.

Finally, here is a list of the awards and transactions for April 1998:

AL Batter of the Month: Alex Rodriguez, SS, Seattle
NL Batter of the Month: Mark McGwire, 1B, St. Louis

AL Pitcher of the Month: Roger Clemens, RHP, Toronto
NL Pitcher of the Month: John Smoltz, RHP, Atlanta

AL Rookie of the Month: Matt Novak, LHP, Kansas City
NL Rookie of the Month: Sean Casey, 1B, Cincinnati

April 1 -- Damian Miller (OAK) to Arizona
April 1 -- TJ Mathews & Bud Birsner (ARI) to Oakland
April 4 -- BJ Surhoff (BAL) to St. Louis
April 4 -- Kent Bottenfield & Andy Gilvin (STL) to Baltimore
April 6 -- Bubba Trammell (TBA) to Philadelphia
April 6 -- Mark Lewis & Albert Escobar (PHI) to Tampa Bay
April 10 -- Lenny Harris & Terry Forester (CIN) to Boston
April 10 -- Reggie Jefferson (BOS) to Cincinnati
April 16 -- Scott Spiezio & Mike Pierce (OAK) to Boston
April 16 -- Jason Varitek (BOS) to Oakland
April 22 -- Tony Phillips (TOR) to Chicago Cubs
April 22 -- Jose Hernandez & Geoff Sharp (CHN) to Toronto
April 22 -- Scott Hatteberg (BOS) to Chicago Cubs
April 22 -- Brant Brown (CHN) to Boston
April 27 -- David Segui & Carlos Guillen (SEA) to Oakland
April 27 -- Jason Giambi (OAK) to Seattle
April 30 -- Terry Shumpert (COL) to Tampa Bay
April 30 -- Quinton McCracken (TBA) to Colorado

Hard-Luck Hanshin · 02-28-2015, 04:21 PM

May MLB: Makin' Moves

June 1, 1998

June in the Major League got off to the bang with a blockbuster trade. The Philadelphia Phillies sent 31-year-old starting pitcher Curt Schilling to the San Francisco Giants along with reliever Ricky Bottalico. In return, the Giants got 30-year-old second baseman Jeff Kent and a budding right fielder in Andy Lesko. Kent currently has a .277 average, with 16 RBIs, 3 home runs and 12 runs to his name. Schilling, meanwhile, claims a 3-2 record so far this season with a 3.38 ERA.

Another notable trade was the Phillies exchanging another pitcher, Mike Grace, for two minor leaguers from Detroit, catcher Robert Fick and first baseman Ryan Wiggins. Grace has been in a bit of a slump as of late, with a 0-4 mark and a 9.77 ERA over 15.2 innings.

Two players that will be staying put are Atlanta's star pitchers Greg Maddux and John Smoltz. Maddux closed a deal that keeps him with the Braves for another 2 years, with a $14 million price tag. Smoltz will earn $6 million over six years.

In terms of achievements, Braves first baseman Andres Galarraga collected his 300th home run in a 9-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on May 13th. On the 31st, Yankees left fielder Tim Raines notched his 2500th career hit as the Bronx Bombers triumphed over their rivals the Boston Red Sox, 4-3.

Here were the monthly award winners for May 1998:

American League Player of the Month: Carlos Beltran, CF, Kansas City
National League Player of the Month: Rich Aurilia, SS, San Francisco
American League Batter of the Month: Carlos Beltran, CF, Kansas City
National League Batter of the Month: Jeff Bagwell, 1B, Houston
American League Ptcher of the Month: Mike Mussina, RHP, Baltimore
National League Batter of the Month: Scott Radinsky, LHP, LA Dodgers
American League Rookie of the Month: Carlos Beltran, CF, Kansas City
National League Rookie of the Month: Geoff Jenkins, LF, Milwaukee

Hard-Luck Hanshin · 03-06-2015, 11:27 AM

Well, it looks like I've run into the "illegal number of players on active roster" bug... Can't seem to progress or fill the offending team with enough players. Anyone have any ideas?

02-21-2015, 10:59 AM	#1
Hard-Luck Hanshin Bat Boy Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 8	1998 - The Year of the Dinger This is a diary that will follow a historical MLB game starting in 1998, the zenith of the "juiced" era and also when fans truly forgave both owners and players for the 1994 strike that resulted in the first cancellation of the World Series since 1904. This was in large part to the home run race that ultimately developed between the larger-than-life Mark McGwire and the charming Sammy Sosa. Will the race play out again in the game? Or will Ken Griffey, Jr. be the one to set the new record? I'm basically playing a 1998 game with real rosters, but not real line-ups or transactions, thus allowing for injuries and suspensions and the like. In terms of mods, I'm using the Historical FaceGen Image Pack as well as Questdog's names/demographics mod, in addition to countless real and fictional logo and uniform packs. I'm using custom minor leagues that are mostly my own combinations of the real MiLB leagues from the AAA down to the Rookie level. These have been populated with fictional players who could potentially rise up the ranks into the Big Show itself. I'm aiming to cover a month in each post once the season itself gets started. Once 1998 is over, I may keep going on into the next millennium, depending on personal interest as well as what others think. I'll also be adding my own personal tweaks, mostly cosmetic in nature. Such as... Adieu Wahoo: Controversy in Cleveland Culminates in Mascot Change February 21, 1998 In a packed press conference today at Jacobs Field, baseball franchise owner Richard Jacobs told reporters that, effective immediately, his team will no longer be the "Cleveland Indians," but rather the "Cleveland Kings." The move comes in response to sustained and popular protests by Native American activists and their supporters, who object to the use of what they allege are racist nicknames and mascots used by sports teams. "Chief Wahoo," the long-time face of the Cleveland club, has been a noted target of such allegations, with its comical appearance and bright red skin tone. During the 1997 World Series, several Native American activists were arrested after they set fire to an effigy of Chief Wahoo while the Cleveland team was playing. The charges against the activists were later dropped. "At this ball club we believe in bringing people together, not setting them apart," said Jacobs in a prepared statement. "After much thought and reflection, it was decided that in the interests of respecting the opinion of many in the Native American community that we would change the name and logo of the Cleveland team prior to the start of the 1998 season." Jacobs also said that fans who had recently purchased team merchandise in the last year bearing the team's old name and logo would be compensated with new updated merchandise, provided they could provide proof of purchase. Additionally, Jacobs said that the team's management would forbid fans from wearing headdresses and red face paint, which some activists have claimed represents a mockery of Native American culture. As part of the change, the Cleveland team will be switching from their traditional blue and red uniforms to green and black theme. At the press conference, Jacobs also unveiled the new team logo: Later that same day, the Cleveland team's Web site released a photograph of the current team's roster wearing the new uniforms: Despite facing similar complaints, it does not appear as though the Atlanta Braves will be making similar changes. "It's apples and oranges," a source within the organization said when asked about the complaints. "Chief Wahoo was an offensive cartoon character. The 'Redskins' name is a derogatory slur. The Braves, however, honor the martial prowess and proud heritage of Native American peoples. There's nothing inherently racist about a tomahawk chop like there is with white people dressing up in 'redface.'" Last edited by Hard-Luck Hanshin; 02-21-2015 at 11:04 AM.

02-21-2015, 03:12 PM	#2
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,714	Nice start! __________________ ------ My Mods OOTP Advanced Stats & DFS Suite Managerial Strategy Pack Competitive Balance Tax Calculator Major League Women's Baseball (OOTP24) quickstart Indian Premier League \| 300+ years of baseball quickstart \| Expatriate League quickstart \| Off-Field Injuries Update \| Women's Name File for OOTP \| ---- Dynasty classics: Centurion comes to OOTP5 \| DC Moneyball Dynasty (2004)

02-22-2015, 09:57 AM	#3
Hard-Luck Hanshin Bat Boy Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 8	Play Ball! April 1998 in Review May 1, 1998 Opening day has come and gone, and so has the first month of professional baseball at the highest level in the United States. As you no doubt already know, Cleveland started the season with a brand new name and look. But for many teams, 1998 just brings new opportunities -- to improve on dismal records, to realize budding potential or to continue reaching for the stars. The defending World Series champions, the Florida Marlins, will be hoping to build on their success, depending on key players like left fielder Cliff Floyd and starting pitcher Livan Hernandez (last year's National League MVP). Cleveland will no doubt wish to be the best in the American League once again, although they were not able to keep their star player last year, Marquis Grissom, who is now with Milwaukee. However, more and more pennant races are becoming less popular than home run races. People love dingers, and we seem to be living in an extraordinary time for hitting it out of the park. On April 12th, Seattle's Ken Griffey, Jr. reached a major milestone, hitting his 300th home run as the Mariners routed the Boston Red Sox, 12-5. On the 26th, however, Mark McGwire of St. Louis joined an even more prestigious club when he hit his 400th career home run as the Cardinals barely beat the Philies in a hit parade, 12-10. In other major league news, the top 100 prospects was published. Leading the pack was Roy Halladay, the 20-year-old starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays. Also in the top 5 were the Cardinals' JD Drew, Cleveland's Chad Fuller, Javier Vazquez of the Montreal Expos and Carlos Beltran of the Kansas City Royals. In less positive news, the league handed down suspensions after a brawl broke out during the April 13th game between Seattle and Cleveland at the Kingdome. Both dugouts emptied, but in the end, the umpires decided to eject Seattle's Russ Davis and Cleveland's Steve Karsay. Both sat out 15 games as a result of their unprofessional behavior. Karsay didn't seem to learn his lesson, however. Just a few days ago, on the 30th, he was involved in another fight, this time with Miguel Tejada of the Oakland Athletics. This time, though, both players were only given 2-game suspensions. Off the field, the manager for the Anaheim Angels, Terry Collins, blew up after reporters bombarded him with questions about the "bad boy" reputation cultivated by SP Jason Dickson. Collins seemed to draw an old school line, complaining that what a player did outside of the ballpark was none of his business. "All you guys care about is selling newspapers and driving up ratings," bemoaned Collins. "And I'm getting pretty damn sick of it!" On the injury front, the Brewers' LF Eric Owens tripped over the automatic tarp at County Stadium on April 14th as he ran out onto the field. Owens initially laughed it off, but it was no laughing matter when it was learned that Owens would be on the DL for at least a month. This was a hard pill for the Brewers to swallow as they sit in 5th place in their division. Finally, here is a list of the awards and transactions for April 1998: AL Batter of the Month: Alex Rodriguez, SS, Seattle NL Batter of the Month: Mark McGwire, 1B, St. Louis AL Pitcher of the Month: Roger Clemens, RHP, Toronto NL Pitcher of the Month: John Smoltz, RHP, Atlanta AL Rookie of the Month: Matt Novak, LHP, Kansas City NL Rookie of the Month: Sean Casey, 1B, Cincinnati April 1 -- Damian Miller (OAK) to Arizona April 1 -- TJ Mathews & Bud Birsner (ARI) to Oakland April 4 -- BJ Surhoff (BAL) to St. Louis April 4 -- Kent Bottenfield & Andy Gilvin (STL) to Baltimore April 6 -- Bubba Trammell (TBA) to Philadelphia April 6 -- Mark Lewis & Albert Escobar (PHI) to Tampa Bay April 10 -- Lenny Harris & Terry Forester (CIN) to Boston April 10 -- Reggie Jefferson (BOS) to Cincinnati April 16 -- Scott Spiezio & Mike Pierce (OAK) to Boston April 16 -- Jason Varitek (BOS) to Oakland April 22 -- Tony Phillips (TOR) to Chicago Cubs April 22 -- Jose Hernandez & Geoff Sharp (CHN) to Toronto April 22 -- Scott Hatteberg (BOS) to Chicago Cubs April 22 -- Brant Brown (CHN) to Boston April 27 -- David Segui & Carlos Guillen (SEA) to Oakland April 27 -- Jason Giambi (OAK) to Seattle April 30 -- Terry Shumpert (COL) to Tampa Bay April 30 -- Quinton McCracken (TBA) to Colorado

02-28-2015, 04:21 PM	#4
Hard-Luck Hanshin Bat Boy Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 8	May MLB: Makin' Moves June 1, 1998 June in the Major League got off to the bang with a blockbuster trade. The Philadelphia Phillies sent 31-year-old starting pitcher Curt Schilling to the San Francisco Giants along with reliever Ricky Bottalico. In return, the Giants got 30-year-old second baseman Jeff Kent and a budding right fielder in Andy Lesko. Kent currently has a .277 average, with 16 RBIs, 3 home runs and 12 runs to his name. Schilling, meanwhile, claims a 3-2 record so far this season with a 3.38 ERA. Another notable trade was the Phillies exchanging another pitcher, Mike Grace, for two minor leaguers from Detroit, catcher Robert Fick and first baseman Ryan Wiggins. Grace has been in a bit of a slump as of late, with a 0-4 mark and a 9.77 ERA over 15.2 innings. Two players that will be staying put are Atlanta's star pitchers Greg Maddux and John Smoltz. Maddux closed a deal that keeps him with the Braves for another 2 years, with a $14 million price tag. Smoltz will earn $6 million over six years. In terms of achievements, Braves first baseman Andres Galarraga collected his 300th home run in a 9-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on May 13th. On the 31st, Yankees left fielder Tim Raines notched his 2500th career hit as the Bronx Bombers triumphed over their rivals the Boston Red Sox, 4-3. Here were the monthly award winners for May 1998: American League Player of the Month: Carlos Beltran, CF, Kansas City National League Player of the Month: Rich Aurilia, SS, San Francisco American League Batter of the Month: Carlos Beltran, CF, Kansas City National League Batter of the Month: Jeff Bagwell, 1B, Houston American League Ptcher of the Month: Mike Mussina, RHP, Baltimore National League Batter of the Month: Scott Radinsky, LHP, LA Dodgers American League Rookie of the Month: Carlos Beltran, CF, Kansas City National League Rookie of the Month: Geoff Jenkins, LF, Milwaukee

03-06-2015, 11:27 AM	#5
Hard-Luck Hanshin Bat Boy Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 8	Well, it looks like I've run into the "illegal number of players on active roster" bug... Can't seem to progress or fill the offending team with enough players. Anyone have any ideas?