Los Angeles Angels - Football Manager player learning to play OOTP - Page 8

FromElevenOne · 03-18-2022, 05:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeP47

" our overall record has returned to something a bit more normal (52-23). Houston are 8 games back, and we're once again the top performing team in MLB."

Ah yes, the perfectly normal top performing team in MLB

Well, given your regular season performances, I suppose that IS normal by this point

Fair point

Finished June 14-11, and now 8-10 in July. Feels like some bad luck.

I did swoop for the Seattle pitcher:

He's been a bit rubbish for the Mariners this year, but his first four starts in LA have shown some promise.

FromElevenOne · 03-19-2022, 07:37 AM

Despite a few critical injuries, and no additions before the deadline, the last two months of the season were excellent, and included a 12 game winning streak.

We finished comfortably atop the division, and are once again the #1 team in MLB.

However, we go in to the playoffs without our #1 & #2 starting pitchers, with Shane Bieber having joined Max Fried on the long term injury list. Bieber was excellent this year, but with a torn flexor tendon keeping him out until he turns 35, I don't think I'll be signing him to an extension.

We'll also be missing Josh Stewart and Josh Ekness from the bullpen, and Chris Stuart will miss at least the ALDS. He likely would've been #4 in the rotation.

The headline injury is Shohei though

He broke his kneecap on 12th September, and may not even be back for opening day 2030.

OrangeP47 · 03-19-2022, 09:41 AM

You know, injuries are annoying, but it's yet another thing I prefer in OOTP over FM. FM injuries are static. A concussion is always 2-3 weeks. Earlier this year I had a guy with a concussion in OOTP get 11 months, and after I was done being pissed, I was actually impressed, and it taught me how serious concussions can actually be.

FromElevenOne · 03-19-2022, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeP47

You know, injuries are annoying, but it's yet another thing I prefer in OOTP over FM. FM injuries are static. A concussion is always 2-3 weeks. Earlier this year I had a guy with a concussion in OOTP get 11 months, and after I was done being pissed, I was actually impressed, and it taught me how serious concussions can actually be.

Yeah, I much prefer the way OOTP does it. Also setbacks, and when players recover faster than expected, make things more interesting (and more realistic). Don't recall that being a thing in FM.

MathBandit · 03-19-2022, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FromElevenOne

The headline injury is Shohei though

He broke his kneecap on 12th September, and may not even be back for opening day 2030.

I guess he needed to supplement his salary with a loan from the mob?

FromElevenOne · 03-20-2022, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MathBandit

I guess he needed to supplement his salary with a loan from the mob?

There's definitely an argument to be made that he's been hugely underpaid in his career here

FromElevenOne · 03-20-2022, 06:29 AM

Into the playoffs, and we faced old favourites the Astros in the ALDS.

We opened with two comfortable wins, before travelling to Houston, where our bats went quiet. A stressful game 5 then, the series tied at 2 apiece.

Karson Mildbrandt pitched for the win, with Wander Franco and Benny Montgomery doing most of the damage with the bats in a 7-4 win. Benny was awarded ALDS MVP.

In the ALCS we faced the Yankees, and totally blew them away 14-1 in game 1. They shut us out in game 2, but otherwise we never really looked like losing the series. A 4 games to 2 win, in which Wilman Diaz came to play, and the big fish, Mike Trout got the ALCS MVP.

Our first World Series then, and we'd face fellow Californians, the San Francisco Giants. Game 1 was a good 4-2 win, with Milbrandt (currently my most trusted starter) performing well and the bullpen closing it out when things got tight in the 6th.

We then proceeded to lose three on the spin. Our pitching was pretty decent throughout, but we got shutout in both game 2 and game 4. We were in big trouble.

Game 5 saw the return of Milbrandt, and he got the win against former Angel A.J. Puk. Franco and the previously ice cold Salvador Perez did the damage with the bat in a 4-1 win.

The key moment in game 6 came in the bottom of the 6th, with that man Benny Montgomery hitting a base clearing 3 RBI triple to give us the lead. We never looked back, winning 6-1.

So to a deciding game 7, where we'd have Shu-de Jen on the mound. He started the year in the bullpen, and ended it pitching 8 shutout innings in the World Series, only giving up 4 hits. Trout, Sims and Diaz hit homers for us, before our closer Eli Kerim pitched the final inning without giving up a thing. A glorious 5-0 win to take the series, with a highly stressful comeback

Wander Franco got World Series MVP.

My man of the post season is Karson Milbrandt, who made 5 good starts for us, and though he was only credited with 2 wins, the team won all 5 games in which he started.

FromElevenOne · 03-20-2022, 06:36 AM

Gold Glove: C Salvador Perez, 3B Wander Franco, CF Benny Montgomery

Reliever of the Year: CL Eli Kerim

Silver Slugger: 3B Wander Franco, LF Victor Delgado, DH Shohei Ohtani

Manager of the Year: Ozzie Guillen

OrangeP47 · 03-20-2022, 07:51 AM

Oh snap, and while not as sweet as one over the Dodgers, it's still a pretty local series, so a great matchup.

FromElevenOne · 03-21-2022, 07:59 AM

One thing I forgot to mention last season, was the death of the owner. Arte has been replaced by Eric from Fargo. Eric is a bit more about the money. He doesn't want anything more than a winning record, but by 2031, he wants the payroll down to $160m...

...in the 2029 season, our payroll was $232.3m...

It's an interesting change of direction, and actually isn't timed too badly. This offseason saw the departures of Corbin Burnes ($25m), and Shane Bieber ($21.3m). As a result of the ownership change, I didn't extend Terrin Vavra ($23.5m). He was good for us, 4 All-Star appearances and a Silver Slugger award from his 6 seasons in L.A., but I didn't think he was justifying his price tag, and now that money is a factor, he's off.

Josh Jung ($7.8m) is also gone. He didn't have a good year, and got traded to the Nats for a pair of relievers.

He was allowed to go as I wanted to get this guy in:

Younger, cheaper, and hopefully, better.

All told, the payroll has been reduced to $174.9m as of opening day. With our three most veteran bats (Perez, Delgado, Trout) (~$74m) potentially all in their last season, getting down to $160m shouldn't be too tough...though we'll see what that does to our performances...

MathBandit · 03-21-2022, 08:34 AM

Yikes. There's slashing payroll, and then there's what that tightwad wants you to do.

FromElevenOne · 03-21-2022, 08:43 AM

Delgado will be filling in the Vavra-shaped hole at 2B, so I'm hoping Sims can make 1B his own. He didn't convince last year.

With Delgado moving back to the infield, Freddy Valdez and Mike O'Neal will move up from AAA to audition for a role in the outfield while Ohtani misses the first couple of months.

Both came in in trades in the last months of 2028 (Valdez came in with Sims in the deal that sent Cabrera Jr. to the Mets, O'Neal we stole from the Padres for our 4th choice second baseman). Both tore it up in Spring Training, so hopefully one of them can stake a claim.

We lack depth due to all this money saving, but our first choice team doesn't look too bad. Theoretically, Max Fried returns from his torn UCL in a month. He's probably our best shot at having an ace in the rotation this season, assuming the injury hasn't destroyed him.

Milbrandt's ratings have dropped a bit over the winter, and Nate Nabholz being streaky AF, makes me a bit cautious on them.

The preseason predictions actually have our #5 starter, Chris Stuart in the top 10 pitchers. No-one else appears, and we're reckoned to lose a tight fight for the division with the Astros:

FromElevenOne · 03-21-2022, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MathBandit

Yikes. There's slashing payroll, and then there's what that tightwad wants you to do.

Right!? It's crazy money. But it's been quite fun, in a sick kinda way

MathBandit · 03-21-2022, 08:54 AM

I'm extremely confused by those predicted standings which have you scoring 70 more runs than the Astros and allowing 50 less runs, but finishing tied in wins.

FromElevenOne · 03-21-2022, 11:07 AM

Yeah, it's fair to say if that came to pass, I'd be a little irritated

Early season check in. We're 20-13, 3 GB from Portland.

Max Fried has returned from his injury, but his stamina is down at 35. I'm hoping this rebounds soon. After a couple of starts in AAA, he's in the bullpen. I want him in the rotation soon, as Shu-de Jen has been absolutely woeful.

The rest of the rotation has been decent enough, Nabholz the best of them, but as I said before, he's streaky. The bullpen has been very hit and miss. Eli Kerim's save streak came to an end at 41, but he's been good other than that one blip. Jack Little came back from meeting a guru in the offseason, and despite the news story looking good, he has been smacked around so far (a BABIP of .611!

).

Delgado has been the pick of the hitters again. After hitting 49 HRs last season, he's on course for 59 this year. Mike Trout's been good. In the last year of his deal he needs 22 homers to have 600 in his career. He's on course for 29 atm.

Valdez and O'Neal have been disappointing in their race for a permanent OF spot. Valdez has the edge right now, but "neither" is looking like a more enticing option. Ohtani is still at least a couple of weeks away, and his ratings look like they've taken a hit. Colton Sims continues to fail to put it together, and is in danger of losing his spot to the new kid, Jerry "Sticky" Galindo...

Art Deco · 03-21-2022, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FromElevenOne

Max Fried has returned from his injury, but his stamina is down at 35. I'm hoping this rebounds soon.

Whenever I've had a starter suffer a serious arm injury and come back with low stamina it didn't return, so I'm pretty sure Fried is a reliever now.

FromElevenOne · 03-21-2022, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art Deco

Whenever I've had a starter suffer a serious arm injury and come back with low stamina it didn't return, so I'm pretty sure Fried is a reliever now.

Corbin Burnes had his stamina return for me, but I'll take it that I shouldn't expect lightning to strike twice then

Fried has a $20m player option next year, I'm sure he'll stay on

MathBandit · 03-21-2022, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FromElevenOne

Corbin Burnes had his stamina return for me, but I'll take it that I shouldn't expect lightning to strike twice then

Fried has a $20m player option next year, I'm sure he'll stay on

It's possible (probably not likely, admittedly) that he is pissed off enough by being a middle reliever that he decides he wants to opt out.

FromElevenOne · 03-23-2022, 03:04 PM

With 4 wins in a row (and Portland losing their last 3), we top the division for the first time in ages, although it is very, very close:

That is most of the good news. Other good stuff, Max Fried's stamina has returned (though he isn't pitching very well). All-Star performers are; SP Nate Nabholz, CL Eli Kerim, 2B Victor Delgado, and LF Mike Trout.

The bad news is a bit more extensive. Shu-de Jen is back in the bullpen, he's been awful, despite his BABIP being better than either of the last two years.

Wander Franco has been out since mid-May, and will be out for another 2 months. Also missing the next 2 months is Wilman Diaz, which is a real shame, as he had started very well. Jen's replacement, Luke Delongchamp has also just gone down. He had been alright.

Ohtani has been bad so far.

I've traded away guru-effected reliever, Jack Little, getting LHP Brandon Clarke in return. I actually drafted him in the 5th round in 2021, but traded him to Toronto in 2023 in the ill-fated Danny Jansen trade. I let him go as I didn't think his 3rd and 4th pitches would develop enough to be a starter. Turns out I was mostly right about that, but he looks a promising reliever (and has started well).

I have an only just 20 year-old (#22 prospect in baseball) tearing it up in AAA. Is that too young to promote to MLB? I don't want to hinder his progress trying to salvage a season in which we're unlikely to succeed. I also have a 19 year-old (#32 prospect) who has just come up to AAA as he was destroying AA. They are both corner outfielders that are weak in the field, but give me hope for the middle order in any post-Trout/Ohtani era that may occur...

Clemente21PIT · 03-23-2022, 03:44 PM

I've been following this since the start, but haven't been logged in to respond, so I figured I finally would. I haven't read and enjoyed a dynasty report as much as this one in years! I really enjoy the pacing of this dynasty report and watching you learn more about the sport.

I also read a bit of your FM blog as well and got into some of the CoffeehouseFM blogs as well, lol. Big fan of your writing style and congrats on the World Series win with the Angels!

03-19-2022, 07:37 AM	#142
FromElevenOne Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Posts: 135	October 1st, 2029 Despite a few critical injuries, and no additions before the deadline, the last two months of the season were excellent, and included a 12 game winning streak. We finished comfortably atop the division, and are once again the #1 team in MLB. However, we go in to the playoffs without our #1 & #2 starting pitchers, with Shane Bieber having joined Max Fried on the long term injury list. Bieber was excellent this year, but with a torn flexor tendon keeping him out until he turns 35, I don't think I'll be signing him to an extension. We'll also be missing Josh Stewart and Josh Ekness from the bullpen, and Chris Stuart will miss at least the ALDS. He likely would've been #4 in the rotation. The headline injury is Shohei though He broke his kneecap on 12th September, and may not even be back for opening day 2030.

03-20-2022, 06:29 AM	#147
FromElevenOne Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Posts: 135	Finally, a World Series... Into the playoffs, and we faced old favourites the Astros in the ALDS. We opened with two comfortable wins, before travelling to Houston, where our bats went quiet. A stressful game 5 then, the series tied at 2 apiece. Karson Mildbrandt pitched for the win, with Wander Franco and Benny Montgomery doing most of the damage with the bats in a 7-4 win. Benny was awarded ALDS MVP. In the ALCS we faced the Yankees, and totally blew them away 14-1 in game 1. They shut us out in game 2, but otherwise we never really looked like losing the series. A 4 games to 2 win, in which Wilman Diaz came to play, and the big fish, Mike Trout got the ALCS MVP. Our first World Series then, and we'd face fellow Californians, the San Francisco Giants. Game 1 was a good 4-2 win, with Milbrandt (currently my most trusted starter) performing well and the bullpen closing it out when things got tight in the 6th. We then proceeded to lose three on the spin. Our pitching was pretty decent throughout, but we got shutout in both game 2 and game 4. We were in big trouble. Game 5 saw the return of Milbrandt, and he got the win against former Angel A.J. Puk. Franco and the previously ice cold Salvador Perez did the damage with the bat in a 4-1 win. The key moment in game 6 came in the bottom of the 6th, with that man Benny Montgomery hitting a base clearing 3 RBI triple to give us the lead. We never looked back, winning 6-1. So to a deciding game 7, where we'd have Shu-de Jen on the mound. He started the year in the bullpen, and ended it pitching 8 shutout innings in the World Series, only giving up 4 hits. Trout, Sims and Diaz hit homers for us, before our closer Eli Kerim pitched the final inning without giving up a thing. A glorious 5-0 win to take the series, with a highly stressful comeback Wander Franco got World Series MVP. My man of the post season is Karson Milbrandt, who made 5 good starts for us, and though he was only credited with 2 wins, the team won all 5 games in which he started.

03-20-2022, 06:36 AM	#148
FromElevenOne Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Posts: 135	Awards 2029 Gold Glove: C Salvador Perez, 3B Wander Franco, CF Benny Montgomery Reliever of the Year: CL Eli Kerim Silver Slugger: 3B Wander Franco, LF Victor Delgado, DH Shohei Ohtani Manager of the Year: Ozzie Guillen

03-21-2022, 07:59 AM	#150
FromElevenOne Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Posts: 135	Opening Day 2030 One thing I forgot to mention last season, was the death of the owner. Arte has been replaced by Eric from Fargo. Eric is a bit more about the money. He doesn't want anything more than a winning record, but by 2031, he wants the payroll down to $160m... ...in the 2029 season, our payroll was $232.3m... It's an interesting change of direction, and actually isn't timed too badly. This offseason saw the departures of Corbin Burnes ($25m), and Shane Bieber ($21.3m). As a result of the ownership change, I didn't extend Terrin Vavra ($23.5m). He was good for us, 4 All-Star appearances and a Silver Slugger award from his 6 seasons in L.A., but I didn't think he was justifying his price tag, and now that money is a factor, he's off. Josh Jung ($7.8m) is also gone. He didn't have a good year, and got traded to the Nats for a pair of relievers. He was allowed to go as I wanted to get this guy in: Younger, cheaper, and hopefully, better. All told, the payroll has been reduced to $174.9m as of opening day. With our three most veteran bats (Perez, Delgado, Trout) (~$74m) potentially all in their last season, getting down to $160m shouldn't be too tough...though we'll see what that does to our performances...

03-21-2022, 08:43 AM	#152
FromElevenOne Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Posts: 135	Opening Day 2030 II Delgado will be filling in the Vavra-shaped hole at 2B, so I'm hoping Sims can make 1B his own. He didn't convince last year. With Delgado moving back to the infield, Freddy Valdez and Mike O'Neal will move up from AAA to audition for a role in the outfield while Ohtani misses the first couple of months. Both came in in trades in the last months of 2028 (Valdez came in with Sims in the deal that sent Cabrera Jr. to the Mets, O'Neal we stole from the Padres for our 4th choice second baseman). Both tore it up in Spring Training, so hopefully one of them can stake a claim. We lack depth due to all this money saving, but our first choice team doesn't look too bad. Theoretically, Max Fried returns from his torn UCL in a month. He's probably our best shot at having an ace in the rotation this season, assuming the injury hasn't destroyed him. Milbrandt's ratings have dropped a bit over the winter, and Nate Nabholz being streaky AF, makes me a bit cautious on them. The preseason predictions actually have our #5 starter, Chris Stuart in the top 10 pitchers. No-one else appears, and we're reckoned to lose a tight fight for the division with the Astros:

03-19-2022, 09:41 AM	#143
OrangeP47 All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2020 Posts: 805	You know, injuries are annoying, but it's yet another thing I prefer in OOTP over FM. FM injuries are static. A concussion is always 2-3 weeks. Earlier this year I had a guy with a concussion in OOTP get 11 months, and after I was done being pissed, I was actually impressed, and it taught me how serious concussions can actually be.

03-20-2022, 07:51 AM	#149
OrangeP47 All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2020 Posts: 805	Oh snap, and while not as sweet as one over the Dodgers, it's still a pretty local series, so a great matchup.

03-21-2022, 08:34 AM	#151
MathBandit All Star Starter Join Date: Feb 2021 Posts: 1,445	Yikes. There's slashing payroll, and then there's what that tightwad wants you to do.

03-21-2022, 08:54 AM	#154
MathBandit All Star Starter Join Date: Feb 2021 Posts: 1,445	I'm extremely confused by those predicted standings which have you scoring 70 more runs than the Astros and allowing 50 less runs, but finishing tied in wins.

03-21-2022, 11:07 AM	#155
FromElevenOne Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Posts: 135	May 9th 2030 Yeah, it's fair to say if that came to pass, I'd be a little irritated Early season check in. We're 20-13, 3 GB from Portland. Max Fried has returned from his injury, but his stamina is down at 35. I'm hoping this rebounds soon. After a couple of starts in AAA, he's in the bullpen. I want him in the rotation soon, as Shu-de Jen has been absolutely woeful. The rest of the rotation has been decent enough, Nabholz the best of them, but as I said before, he's streaky. The bullpen has been very hit and miss. Eli Kerim's save streak came to an end at 41, but he's been good other than that one blip. Jack Little came back from meeting a guru in the offseason, and despite the news story looking good, he has been smacked around so far (a BABIP of .611! ). Delgado has been the pick of the hitters again. After hitting 49 HRs last season, he's on course for 59 this year. Mike Trout's been good. In the last year of his deal he needs 22 homers to have 600 in his career. He's on course for 29 atm. Valdez and O'Neal have been disappointing in their race for a permanent OF spot. Valdez has the edge right now, but "neither" is looking like a more enticing option. Ohtani is still at least a couple of weeks away, and his ratings look like they've taken a hit. Colton Sims continues to fail to put it together, and is in danger of losing his spot to the new kid, Jerry "Sticky" Galindo...

03-23-2022, 03:04 PM	#159
FromElevenOne Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jan 2022 Posts: 135	All-Star Break 2030 With 4 wins in a row (and Portland losing their last 3), we top the division for the first time in ages, although it is very, very close: That is most of the good news. Other good stuff, Max Fried's stamina has returned (though he isn't pitching very well). All-Star performers are; SP Nate Nabholz, CL Eli Kerim, 2B Victor Delgado, and LF Mike Trout. The bad news is a bit more extensive. Shu-de Jen is back in the bullpen, he's been awful, despite his BABIP being better than either of the last two years. Wander Franco has been out since mid-May, and will be out for another 2 months. Also missing the next 2 months is Wilman Diaz, which is a real shame, as he had started very well. Jen's replacement, Luke Delongchamp has also just gone down. He had been alright. Ohtani has been bad so far. I've traded away guru-effected reliever, Jack Little, getting LHP Brandon Clarke in return. I actually drafted him in the 5th round in 2021, but traded him to Toronto in 2023 in the ill-fated Danny Jansen trade. I let him go as I didn't think his 3rd and 4th pitches would develop enough to be a starter. Turns out I was mostly right about that, but he looks a promising reliever (and has started well). I have an only just 20 year-old (#22 prospect in baseball) tearing it up in AAA. Is that too young to promote to MLB? I don't want to hinder his progress trying to salvage a season in which we're unlikely to succeed. I also have a 19 year-old (#32 prospect) who has just come up to AAA as he was destroying AA. They are both corner outfielders that are weak in the field, but give me hope for the middle order in any post-Trout/Ohtani era that may occur...

03-23-2022, 03:44 PM	#160
Clemente21PIT Major Leagues Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 436	I've been following this since the start, but haven't been logged in to respond, so I figured I finally would. I haven't read and enjoyed a dynasty report as much as this one in years! I really enjoy the pacing of this dynasty report and watching you learn more about the sport. I also read a bit of your FM blog as well and got into some of the CoffeehouseFM blogs as well, lol. Big fan of your writing style and congrats on the World Series win with the Angels!