OOTP Sports Agency (established 1977)

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In this dynasty report, I will be running a historical sim from the viewpoint of an "agent" whose "clients" are fictional players or randomly selected historical players. I will begin in the year 1977 with real minor leagues, using the OOTP engine for player development.

After graduating from Ithaca College in 1974 and interning at a sports agency for a couple years, I decide to break off on my own in order to represent a 16-year-old kid who grew up in my neighborhood in Rome, NY. His name is Mike Dornan, a left-handed corner outfielder. I think he's good enough to make the big leagues, and my internship seems like a dead end, so after chatting with his dad while home for the holidays I've decided to roll the dice and take him on as a client. I figure once I have one big-league client I'll start to gain some momentum and sign more players.

Mike is 6ft and weighs 175 lbs. He doesn't have a ton of power, but he can make decent contact and doesn't strike out much. Getting on base has been his biggest strength in high school. He's not a great base runner and an average fielder. With MLB spring training coming up, I've started working on entering him in this year's draft, which isn't until December, and getting the attention of scouts.

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The 1977 season was a good one, but I didn't have much time to watch games as I juggled a part-time job at the local grocery store to make ends meet with trying to get the attention of major league clubs for my new client. I did have Mike over to watch the last couple games of the World Series, where the Dodgers beat the Yankees in a four-game sweep. I'll have to keep a closer eye on everything that happens around the league once Mike is signed to an organization, but that just wasn't my priority this year. Draft day is coming up, and the Braves have the first overall pick. Julio Franco seems to be the consensus #1 pick in the draft, but I wouldn't be too surprised if they went with Ryne Sandberg instead. There are several outfielders in this year's draft whom most teams seem to grade higher than Mike, including Kirk Gibson, Chili Davis, George Bell, and a few others. The OSA projects Mike to be drafted by the Orioles with the 31st overall pick in the first supplemental round. I'd be thrilled if he ended up going there or even in the late first round, but based on my conversations with clubs I think early second round might be more realistic. With only a couple days before the draft, I've made plans to have Mike and his family over for dinner and to sit by the phone and wait for the call!

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Dec. 15, 1977 - Draft Day

I had Mike and his family over to my house for the draft. As I suspected, the Braves went against the consensus and drafted Ryne Sandberg with the first overall pick. Franco went second to the Padres, making me wonder if they're giving up on the young shortstop they already have, Ozzie Smith, who hit just .240 in his rookie year this past season. Chili Davis went third to Toronto, followed by Kirk Gibson to the Mets. Seattle took 2B Gary Redus to round out the top 5.

We all felt it was highly unlikely for anyone in the top 20 to take Mike, but we still found ourselves on the edge of our seats and staring at the phone early on. Just nerves, I guess. But the first round came and went and the phone still hadn't rang. Mike and his family had all seen the OSA mock draft that had him going 31st to the Orioles, so when the first supplemental round arrived everyone got pretty excited. Baltimore had taken SP Britt Burns with their first pick and could use an upgrade at RF, so I was feeling hopeful. But instead, they went with another pitcher, this time Charlie Liebrandt.

So we moved into the second round with Mike still available. There were a few other corner outfielders still available that I could see being taken ahead of Mike (Carmelo Castillo, Bob Dernier, Danny Heep, Matt Winters), but I was feeling optimistic someone would take a chance on him in the second round. It didn't take long, as the Padres snatched him up ahead of all those other guys with the second pick of the second round, 40th overall. Hugs and high fives were shared around the room. Once the celebration is over, I'll have to start negotiating a contract with the Padres organization.

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Jan. 11, 1978

I cut it close, but with 3 days to spare I reached an agreement with the Padres. They've signed Mike Dornan for a $63,900 signing bonus, of which I will get 5 percent. Looks like I'll need to keep that job at the grocery store for now, but I'm on my way.

So Mike is officially a member of the San Diego Padres organization and a professional baseball player. San Diego is an interesting landing spot for Mike. They were the second worst team in baseball last year, going 60-102, but they are in decent shape in the corner outfield positions with Gene Richards in left and Dave Winfield in right. They've got Richards in the leadoff spot, and he hit .306 in his rookie year last year while stealing 38 bases. Winfield bats 4th, and he hit .265 with 17 homers and 73 RBI last year, but he'll be a free agent after this season, so my hope is they'll let him walk and the outfield will open up a bit. That said, Mike is only 17 and will likely need a few years in the minors to develop anyway.

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Jan. 18, 1978

Ernie Banks was inducted into the Hall of Fame

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March 1, 1978

Spring training begins today, but Mike didn't get an invite. No surprise there.

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April 5, 1978

It's opening day for the MLB today. The Yankees are the clear favorites in the AL this year behind the arm of Ron Guidry, who was 22-7 with a 2.02 ERA last season. The NL seems a little more competitive, but many pundits think the Cardinals will take the crown. Their bats are stellar, but some doubt the ability of their starting pitchers.

It's unlikely the Padres will be competitive this year. The OSA has them going 81-81, but that seems optimistic in my view.

Gene Richards lost the starting LF job in spring training to Larry Harlow, who came over in a trade with Baltimore over the offseason.

For now, it's looking like Mike will start off with the Walla Walla Padres, the lowest farm team in the organization. They don't start their season until late May. I just hope he gets some ABs once they do.

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May 21, 1978

It's opening day for the Walla Walla Padres, and I've made the trip out to see the game. Manager Jay Fillmore has Mike playing RF and batting third, although Mike mentioned to me that he hasn't gotten along too well with Fillmore so far.

Walla Walla played the Grays Harbor Loggers, an affiliate of the . LHP Steve Barr was on the mound for the Loggers. He's a washed up 26-year-old who's pitched about 20 games in the majors over the years but now finds himself back in the minor leagues' lowest level. Walla Walla was the home team and took the field first. Joe Carroll, now in his second year with Walla Walla, put them down in order in the top half of the first.

After the 1 and 2 hitters both made easy outs, Mike strode to the plate for his first professional AB. He swung and missed at the first pitch, a 90 MPH fastball that was too far inside. Next, Barr gave him a meatball right down the middle, but Mike kept the bat on his shoulder. Strike two. He fought off a slider down and in for a foul ball to keep the count 0-2, but then couldn't check his swing on a pitch just off the plate and went down swinging.

Mike got his second chance at the plate in the bottom of the 3rd inning. The score was still tied at 0, there were two outs, and Walla Walla's leadoff hitter, the speedy SS Wayne Tolleson, was standing on first. Mike took a changeup low for ball one, and Tolleson nearly got picked off by the catcher but made it back to first base in time. Tolleson took off on the second pitch and made it safely to second base, as Mike took the inside pitch for ball two. The count moved to 3-1 with the next two pitches, and then Mike hit a changeup hard on the ground to the second baseman to make the third out of the inning.

Walla Walla fell behind 1-0 in the top of the 4th but stormed back with 4 runs in the bottom half. No thanks to Mike, though. He popped out in foul territory to the third baseman to end the 4th inning.

Mike's next chance came in the 6th, with the score still 4-1 and the bases loaded with two outs. After getting ahead 1-0, Mike took ANOTHER fastball right down the middle! That's 3 meatballs he's just passed up on today. I think the first day nerves might be getting to him. He swung and missed at the next pitch, making it a 1-2 count. But then Barr put another one in the exact same spot, and Mike didn't miss. He slapped a single into shallow center field, right past the second baseman. The runner at third scored, making the score 5-1, but the runner from second, Wayne Tolleson, was thrown out at the plate. But I wasn't too upset. Mike got his first professional hit and RBI with one swing of the bat!

Mike got another chance in the bottom of the 8th. The Padres had tacked on another two runs earlier in the inning off a homer from 1B Doug Frobel, and now there were runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Mike popped the 1-2 pitch into right field for an easy out, but the Padres scored another run in the inning to make it 8-1.

Carroll closed out the top of the 9th to finish the game. It was an exciting day for Mike as he scored his first hit, RBI, and win as a professional! I congratulated him and headed back home to New York - I have a shift at the supermarket tomorrow.

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July 1, 1978

I've been tracking Mike's progress closely from back home, and he's been playing quite well! In his first 36 games, all of which he's started in RF, he's hit .331 with a .414 OBP. Of his 43 hits, 14 were doubles and 1 was a homer. He's scored 15 times and hit 23 RBI, and committed just 3 errors in almost 300 innings in the field. I speak to him regularly by phone, and although he's thrilled with his performance, he isn't too happy with his manager, Jay Fillmore, who inexplicably moved him down to 6th in the batting order despite his strong performance. I keep reminding Mike that Walla Walla is just the first stop on his journey to the big leagues, and that if he keeps playing like this he won't have to deal with Fillmore for long.

Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres have been horrible this year. They're 30-47 and are last in the division.

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Aug. 6, 1978

The regular season wrapped up today in the Northwest League, and it was a stellar one for Mike. On top of growing two inches, from 6'0 to 6'2 (and gaining 5 pounds, now at 180), he hit .319 with 21 doubles, 2 triples, and a home run for the season. He scored 26 runs and hit 37 RBI. He started 68 of Walla Walla's 70 games this season and played all of them in RF, where he committed 9 errors. It's been a while since he had any time in LF, and while he's progressed in RF, he mentioned that he shagged balls in LF recently and felt totally lost out there. It looks like RF will continue to be his focus going forward. Walla Walla went 40-30 to win the division and make the playoffs, and the winning combined with his good performance seems to have made Mike forget his disappointment in being moved down to 6th in the batting order (at least for now). The big league Padres still suck, having gone 42-68 to date, making them tied with the Blue Jays for worst team in the league, but that's not our concern right now. In fact, it might be good for Mike if the club gets another high draft pick this year. For now, the focus is on the Walla Walla Padres, who play a 7-game series against the Salem Senators in a couple days for the Northwest League championship.

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Aug. 17, 1978

I couldn't get away from the grocery store to watch the series in person, but Mike kept me posted over the telephone each night. Walla Walla and Salem went back and forth over the first four games, leaving the series tied at 2. Walla Walla won game 5 with the help of a homer from Mike putting them just 1 game away from winning the series. Walla Walla won game 6 with a score of 9-8 to clinch the series. Mike went 2-4 with a double and an RBI in the game. He was thrilled to win the championship, and I'm glad he's seeing success so early in his career. Now he gets to relax for the offseason. I doubt he'll spend much time watching his big-league club, which continues to play terribly on a daily basis. And now that Mike doesn't need much attention for now, I've started to think about heading to some high school or college games on my days off work to see if I can hustle my way into finding a new client.

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Sept. 4, 1978

Most high schools don't play much in the fall, so I drove to Connecticut to watch the UConn team play. I may have violated a few rules in doing so, but I talked to some of the upperclassmen players after practice about their future goals and need for representation. An outfielder named Chad Slusar seemed interested, so I returned the next day to watch him in practice. He's 21 years old and stands at 6'5, 220 lbs. He hits and throws with the right hand, and is a pretty good fielder. He has a strong arm and takes good routes to the ball despite just average speed. His swing mechanics look off though, so I don't think he'll ever be very good at the plate. I doubt he'll amount to anything more than a journeyman at best, if I'm being honest. But I need more than one client, and beggars can't be choosers, so I signed Chad on as my second client and will enter him in the draft this December.

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Oct. 29

The offseason began today after the Yankees beat the Astros in an exciting 7-game World Series. The Padres finished the season 63-99, the second worst team in the MLB. Dave Winfield, the club's RF, had a decent season at the plate, but I heard through the grape vine that he's pretty unhappy in San Diego, and he's heading to free agency.

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Nov. 30, 1978

I am on my way to my first winter meetings as an agent! I am, of course, here on behalf of my clients, and my number one goal is to hype them up, especially Chad Slusar ahead of the draft. But I'm also hoping to get my own name out there and establish more of a rep as a legitimate agent.

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Dec. 15, 1978

For the second straight year I have a client entered in the draft. Chad is not nearly as highly regarded as Mike, so I'd be happy if anyone takes a chance on him at all.

The Cubs had the first pick and went with SP Fernando Valenzuela. The Padres drafted 1B Andres Galarraga 2nd overall. Hopefully he'll be playing on the same field as Mike in the majors one day.

We had to wait until the 11th round, but Chad did get drafted 288th overall by the Orioles. An exciting moment for sure. We didn't delay and immediately agreed to a minor-league contract with the club, with no signing bonus.

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Jan. 17, 1979

Willie Mays, Duke Snider, and Eddie Mathews were inducted to the HOF.

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April 4, 1979

It's opening day, and it was a busy offseason for the MLB (Dave Winfield signed a 1-year deal with the Mets), but not so much for my clients, who are preparing for the start of their own seasons. It's looking like Mike will start back with Walla Walla (he's still only 18), and a now 22-year-old Chad Slusar will begin his professional career with the Bluefield Orioles, the lowest team in the minor-league system. Mike won't start playing until late May, and Chad's team doesn't get started until June 26!

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May 20, 1979

It's opening day for Walla Walla as Mike and his teammates prepare to defend their title. Mike is slated to hit 5th and play RF, and he now has a relatively amicable relationship with manager Jay Fillmore.

Meanwhile in the MLB, the Padres are off to a better start than last year, hovering just below .500. The Orioles are 17-24 and aren't looking too competitive in the AL East.

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June 1, 1979

It's early in the season, but Mike has been hot in his first 10 games with a .350 average. Chad, meanwhile, is getting ready for his first season in Bluefield. It's looking like they might start him in CF and bat him second, which would be a great opportunity for him to prove himself since he's coming in as a low-level prospect.

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July 1, 1979

Mike continued his strong start to the season and was moved back to third in the batting order as a result. He's hitting .338 with 11 doubles, 3 triples, and 2 HRs. He's already scored 25 runs in 38 games after scoring 26 all of last season, and is only 8 shy of last year's RBI total with 29 at the moment. He's also on pace to strike out much less than last season. The team is playing pretty well with a 22-16 record, but they're in second and are 5 games back, so they have some work to do if they aim to repeat as champions.

Chad has gone 6-for-23 in his first five games and has swiped 2 bags and scored 5 runs. He's started in CF but has shifted over to RF a couple times later in games. His manager has him hitting second.

The major league Padres continue to hover around .500.