The Baseball Life of Tom Haley (OOTP11)

[Big Six]

3025 Wellington Road
Alpharetta, GA 30022

July 3, 2024

Mrs. Denise O'Farrell
745 Riverside Drive
Newport News, Virginia 23606


Dear Aunt Denise,

Thank you for the sweet card you sent me yesterday! I don't write letters nearly as often as I should, since emailing and texting are so simple.

The boys and I are doing great. They are both into everything, and they keep me on my toes. Patrick is a wonderful big brother; he's patient with David and almost never loses it with him. That takes some doing, because David follows him everywhere now that he can walk and run better.

I'm sure you've seen how well Tom is pitching lately. After his rough start, I know there were people who wondered if he had lost his edge, if this was the beginning of the end. It seems ridiculous to me that someone would think a guy who's 32 is near the end of anything! Tom allowed only one run in June, so the doubters have quieted down some.

I'm glad we're going to be in Atlanta for a while. The Braves can't trade Tom without his permission now, since he's been in the major leagues for more than ten years and with the Braves for more than five. I don't think he'd accept a trade, even though the Braves are already 14 games out of first place--and that's with the Marlins finally starting to lose some of the time.

Tom told me that he'll leave some tickets for you and Uncle Frank when the Braves come up to Washington in early August. Hopefully the boys and I can come up for that series so we can see each other. Until then, take good care of yourselves, and keep in touch!

Love,
Trish

[Big Six]

To: Ty Williams (knuckler_ty49@speedmail.com)
From: Tom Haley (thaley120791@jetmail.ca)

July 14, 2024


Hey Ty,

Congratulations on your first All-Star game selection! You definitely deserved it last year too, but that's history now. It will be great to have you on the same team again, even if it's just for one game.

Trish and the boys will be flying out for the game, and apparently Megan has already been texting her about their plans. We'll all get together on Wednesday before we head back to join our teams.

Right now it looks like you're the one who would benefit most from a home field advantage in the World Series. We haven't been able to get it together this year. Between us, I'm rooting for you guys to hold off the Mets. Nothing against them, but none of the Mets are married to my sister.

I'm not sure you know, but it's become a tradition for the National League All-Stars to get lunch the day before the game, before we head to the ballpark for the Home Run Derby. Don't let the "veteran" All-Stars talk you into paying for the meal, though. That's not part of the tradition--we all pay for our own. However, with that sweet contract you signed, you can afford to buy mine.

Keep that arm feeling good, bro. We'll need it against the American League.

We'll see you in Oakland,
Tom

[Springbokus]

Seriously Big Six, wouldn't stress too much about Haley's salary drop. To be honest, it pretty much matches the character of Tom exactly as you've written him

So how do Ty and Tom look going into the All-Star Break? Has Jonah turned up on the draft pool for this year?

As always, a beautiful read. Can't wait to see how the AS game goes!

[AZTarHeel]

So, I go away for awhile to start a business and come back and Big Six has a gigantic dynasty story sitting there waiting for my return!!! Wa-hoo!!

I've only read the first page at this point but I'm hooked already ... Looking forward to catching up with a new character in the days to come. As with the legendary Pat O'Farrell story, I plan to take it nice and slow, and savor the great story-telling...

[Big Six]

Thanks for the comments, guys. I haven't updated in weeks, because my school year is now underway and I'm busy with football, but I'll be back on the boards very soon, I promise.

[Springbokus]

Hey Big Six,

Can't wait for the next Tom Haley update!!

Just starting a player dynasty (offline), have you got any pragmatic tips about how to run one, i.e. simming, draft mechanics, player development?

[Big Six]

To: Kate Jones (jonesk2027_3@stanford.edu)
From: Jonah White (whitej2027_2@stanford.edu)

July 17, 2024

Hi Kate,

The All-Star Game was INCREDIBLE! The night before at the Home Run Derby, Matthew and I went down to the rail behind the NL dugout and Tom Haley saw us. He waved to us and came over, and he signed a ball for both of us. Then he brought Ty Williams over and introduced us. They're friends from when Ty pitched for the Braves. Then Tom said, "If you guys give us back the balls we signed, we'll get the rest of the National League team to sign them for you." How awesome is that? All the players signed it--Jose Rodriguez, Joe Hooper, Jameson Taillon, Archie Faulkner--all of them.

Tom texted me this morning and invited us to go to breakfast with him and his family. Mrs. O'Farrell was my third grade teacher, so we all go way back.

Seeing the best players in the big leagues close up like I did makes my dreams seem much more real. They seem like they're a long way away, and I'll need to work harder than I've ever worked, but I've never been afraid of hard work.

I really miss you, Kate. Michigan is a long way from Georgia, and an even longer way from California. One reason why I'm glad I decided to spend the summer here working out is because being here reminds me of you. I can't wait until you're back here with me. One more month...

Love,
Jonah

Jonah White enjoyed an excellent freshman season for Stanford. He went 5-1 with a 2.31 ERA in 10 starts for a Cardinal team that won its division with a 32-18 record.

He was shut down in late May with shoulder soreness, so he didn't pitch at all in the postseason. The Cardinal were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by Pepperdine, the eventual national champion.

Jonah didn't appear in the draft pool this year. I'm thinking he'll probably pitch four collegiate seasons before he turns pro; if I remember correctly, college players don't go pro after their junior year in OOTP.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by Springbokus

Seriously Big Six, wouldn't stress too much about Haley's salary drop. To be honest, it pretty much matches the character of Tom exactly as you've written him

So how do Ty and Tom look going into the All-Star Break? Has Jonah turned up on the draft pool for this year?

As always, a beautiful read. Can't wait to see how the AS game goes!

In 34 appearances, Tom is 5-4 with a 2.19 ERA. He's fourth in the NL with 17 saves--pretty impressive, considering he's pitching for a fourth place team. Even more impressively, he's struck out 54 batters in 37 innings.

Ty is enjoying a magical year so far. He's 12-1 with a 1.96 ERA, and he's struck out 123 men in 142 innings. Ty is a strong candidate for a pitchers' Triple Crown; he leads the National League in wins and ERA, and is third in strikeouts.

Ty and Tom each worked a scoreless inning for the National League in their 2-1 victory in the All-Star Game. Each pitcher recorded a strikeout, and Ty allowed a hit to Rangers slugger Malcom Culver.

Thanks for your comments, and thanks for following along, Springbokus.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by Springbokus

Hey Big Six,

Can't wait for the next Tom Haley update!!

Just starting a player dynasty (offline), have you got any pragmatic tips about how to run one, i.e. simming, draft mechanics, player development?

If you PM me your email, I'll be happy to give you any advice I can.

[Big Six]

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 2, 2024


Haley's performance a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing year

The 2024 Atlanta Braves began their season basking in the glow of a World Series championship. Understandably high expectations surrounded them, even after the loss of long-time star Jason Heyward to free agency.

Six months later, it's obvious the Braves won't be returning to the playoffs. Their starting rotation has proved unreliable, with only one man on whom manager Bill Nesling can depend: deadline acquisition Owen Kolb.

Veteran hitters like Josh Vitters, Logan Morrison, and Alfredo Rodriguez, all of whom were brought in to help bolster the attack, have been steady, but unspectacular.

One player who was expected to be a star has performed like one.

For a decade now, Tom Haley has given the Braves exactly what they've asked of him: a closer who can be counted on to do his job far more often than not.

No ninth-inning specialist has held his job as long as Haley, who is completing his ninth season as the Braves' closer. "It seems to me that a lot of teams lose patience with their closers quickly these days," said Nesling. "Then again, they don't have Tom Haley."

Now 32, Haley still possesses the stuff that impressed the Braves brain trust so much that they made him their closer, replacing a pitcher who might one day make the Hall of Fame.

"I learned a lot about being a closer from Jonathan Papelbon," Haley said of the man whose job he took. "I watched the way he prepared himself mentally. He showed up at the park ready to work every day, no matter what happened the game before."

Haley learned his lessons well. Like all closers, he occasionally has rough outings, but he almost never has two rough ones in a row. Only twice all year has he allowed runs in consecutive apperances, and that happened in late April. Since the All-Star break he has been as unhittable as he's ever been, allowing a single run in 12 August appearances while recording 11 saves. Not surprisingly, the Braves have pulled their record to the .500 mark since Haley's outstanding run began...

[Big Six]

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 19, 2024

Braves rough up Williams, defeat Marlins 10-7

With the National League's best record and a playoff berth secured, the Florida Marlins can be excused if they're not worried about much as the season draws to a close.

Should the Marlins be concerned about the recent performance of All-Star ace Ty Williams? After a 12-1 start, the knuckleballer has lost seven of 11 decisions, and last night at Turner Field, the fourth-place Braves hit him hard and often. Williams was driven from the box in the fifth inning, after yielding a three-run homer to Alfredo Rodriguez that gave the Braves an 8-2 lead.

"We saw the ball really well tonight for some reason," said Braves DH Johnny Lang, who also homered off Williams. "Williams usually gives us a tough time. He's one of the toughest pitchers in the league."...

[shady industries]

I just wanted to say that I've enjoyed reading this and I was glued to my monitor at several parts wondering what would happen next.

One thing that I was wondering about was why you choose to make the character from Lindsay, ON? I went to college there so I found it kind of cool. I recognized the name of his high school but had to look it up to remember where in town it was.

[kailnurah]

So, in my first time on this board in about two years, I happen across this thread.

It's now 2:30 in the morning and I'm still glued to my screen.

Excellent writing and a great storyline thanks to both you and OOTP! I'm definitely feeling inspired and I don't know if I'll be able to sleep now anyway...i may have to fire up OOTP in the morning and see where it takes me!

Very excited to see where time takes Tom, Ty, Trisha, Megan, Jonah and the entire cast of characters - and an update on Jason Heyward would be nice, too Here's hoping the Braves pull it back together soon...

[HGVoyager]

Awesome stuff here, yet again, Big Six!

[FunkyBike1]

Just spent a while reading this. Great job, Big Six!

[Big Six]

Thank you, all of you, for your kind comments.

I'm going to be updating Tom's story again soon. I guess I got out of a baseball mood with the season over; I've been playing more college football and hockey lately.

I'll reply personally to your questions soon, too. I'd do it now, but I'm almost too tired to type.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by shady industries

I just wanted to say that I've enjoyed reading this and I was glued to my monitor at several parts wondering what would happen next.

One thing that I was wondering about was why you choose to make the character from Lindsay, ON? I went to college there so I found it kind of cool. I recognized the name of his high school but had to look it up to remember where in town it was.

My grandmother was born in Lindsay, and I have a lot of family in the area. We used to go up there fairly regularly for family get-togethers, and I wanted to feature it in my dynasty.

Thanks for following along! I'll be updating soon.

[Big Six]

The best word for the 2024 Braves..."blahhhhh."

A year after their World Series triumph, the Braves slid all the way down to fourth place in the NL East. Their 83-79 record left them 15 games behind Ty Williams' first-place Marlins.

The Braves managed to get on base and score runs, even without the long-time anchor of their lineup, Jason Heyward. Unfortunately, their starting pitchers couldn't stop other teams from scoring, too. No Braves starter who spend the whole year in Atlanta pitched well; mid-season acquisition Owen Kolb, who was obtained from Kansas City for Myron Webster.

Here are the stats for the Braves' key players:

PLAYER                   AB   AVG  HR  RBI  SB
C   Emilio Castro       341  .314  12   67   5
1B  Alfredo Rodriguez   490  .290  17   96   0
2B  Doug Tars           490  .208  29   87   8
3B  Josh Vitters        336  .286  15   62   1
SS  Dani Rivera         317  .290   6   44   2
OF  Joe Hooper          635  .298  11   73  82
OF  Logan Morrison      463  .285  16   66   3
OF  Blake Farley        302  .295   2   42   9
DH  Johnny Lang         499  .265  13   64   0

IF  Myron Webster       326  .209  10   32   7
OF  Bernardo Perez      285  .207  10   33  11
C   Rich Smith          272  .228   6   31   1
OF  Vic Mays            212  .316   3   26   7
SS  Brian Clagg         161  .217   2   10   5
IF  Marcus Reid         146  .267   7   25   3


PITCHERS                W-L     ERA   SV
SP  Brian Nolan         13-13  4.73    0
SP  Ezra Wells          14-15  4.23    0
SP  Tomas Tavira        10-10  4.97    0
SP  Mitchell Carson     8-12   4.65    0
SP  Kris Medlen         6-10   4.99    0
SP  Owen Kolb           7-3    3.01    0

RP  Denny Patterson     9-1    2.62    2
RP  Jonathan Coleman    4-2    3.30    2
RP  Tom Haley           6-8    2.48   40
RP  Gia Metastasio      2-2    3.65    2
RP  Arthur Cumberbat    1-0    4.19    1

The Braves can't blame their decline on their closer. Here is Tom's stat line for '24:

TEAM        LEVEL  G  GS  W  L  SV   ERA    IP   H   ER  HR  BB   SO  WHIP
Atlanta     MLB   66   0  6  8  40  2.48  65.1  57   18   4  22   89  1.21

Tom's WHIP was up a little bit, but so was his strikeout rate. His ratings are holding steady:

Stuff: 22/22
Movement: 16/16
Control: 17/17

He'll turn 33 in December. How long can he retain his formidable skills? We'll see...

[Big Six]

Kailnurah asked for an update on Jason Heyward, who signed a free-agent contract with the Colorado Rockies before the 2024 season.

As usual, Heyward spent part of the year hurt; this time, a torn thumb ligament sidelined him from mid-July until late August. When he was in the lineup, he hit .292/.414/.498, with 22 HR and 77 RBI in 130 games.

Now 35, Jason is beginning to make contact less frequently, although he can still drive the ball with power and make a pitcher pay for a mistake.

The Rockies signed Heyward to a 2-year deal, which will pay him a little over $14 million in 2025. Will he be worth it, or did Atlanta let him go in the nick of time? I would have liked to see him retire a Brave, but his price was higher than the Braves were willing to pay.

[Big Six]

From: Megan Haley Williams (mhw2024@speedmail.com)
To: Trish Haley (haleyp@lovett.edu)

October 14, 2024

Hi T,

Thanks for the quick email. I barely have time to answer you before we fly back home for the start of the NLCS. Ty's arm is feeling great, and he's going to get the start in Game One. Pittsburgh should be tough. Ty can't seem to get Jorge Pacheco out, but then again, almost everyone has trouble with him.

We saw Jonah White and his girlfriend at the game last night. They said they got some dirty looks from Giants fans because they were rooting for the Marlins, but Jonah said he's been a fan of Ty's since he pitched for the Braves. Jonah wanted to make sure I told you hello, and that he still signs his autograph neatly, like you taught him to do.

Hopefully, if we make the World Series, you can take a few days off so you, Tom, and the boys can come to a game. I know Ty would love to see Tom there.

I'll be in touch soon.

Love ya,
Megan

Ty Williams' Florida Marlins defeated the San Francisco Giants, 3 games to 1, in the NLDS. They will face the Pittsburgh Pirates, who dispatched the New York Mets in four games.

Ty pitched against the Giants in Game Two, working seven innings in a 6-3 Marlins victory. He allowed seven hits and three earned runs, and left the game with the score tied at 3. Ty's knuckler danced in the Florida humidity; he walked four and struck out ten.