Graphics Collection from CD's Ultra-Fine House of Style

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Looks like D.J. has a good chance of doing fairly well in his career, once he gets enough playing experience, based on the above-related screenshots. He might perhaps unseat Reichling sooner than later, even. Thinking that Elijah could perhaps play on the other side of second base in due time, once he debuts as well, if I create him with enough potential and all, most likely, starting in 1906. CD out.

[jg2977]

I don't understand why people are so romantic about uniform numbers. It literally has nothing to do with how a player performs. Uniform numbers are just about as important as hair color. Someone got me a book for my birthday a few years ago about uniform numbers in baseball history, and it was most boring book I ever tried to read.

I probably chose a different number for Follis because someone else already had the number that you requested.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Think I need more information about Reichling, Casado, and Sullivan for the Cardinals, and perhaps even Lombardi, so I can hopefully better tailor Elijah Freeman's profile here. As for the Cardinals bullpen, it's getting too old too soon, I think. They'll definitely need to get more good pitching there before too much longer, if they want to have sustained success here.

If I were actually managing and/or running them, I'd dump at least Ruiz, Honda, and Engelberger as soon as I could this offseason, for younger and better pitching. Any player over 30 in my bullpen would have to have good statistics, and preferably an ERA under 4.00, if not under 3.50 or even 3.00, most definitely. And a certain number of hitters for them would also be out the door here, if they didn't have certain other positive qualities for themselves to make up for poor hitting and all here, no doubt, of course. CD out.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Okay, then let's let Follis have his current number as long as the game chooses to have him use that number on the Cardinals, at least. I suppose in OOTP terms, it probably doesn't make much difference, in many cases, but some people certainly prefer certain numbers and all in their lives, as you know, jg2977.

For instance, 42 is one of my favorite numbers, for at least one reason you can no doubt guess here. I also liked Neil Lomax with the NFL Cardinals, and Julius Erving with the NBA Sixers, and Mike Liut with the NHL Blues. Of course, in reality, 6 is Musial's number with the MLB Cardinals. 15 was Porter's with them, as well as being other players' number with them, including Edmonds. Ozzie has #1 for them, and his number is retired too by them.

How soon do you think we'll see 5 retired for the Cardinals and Angels, seeing as Pujols spent quite a bit of time playing for both teams? Molina is going to have 4 retired for himself as well, I'm sure. That would then just leave 3 and 7 and 8 left for single-digit Cardinals numbers available for people to use, if memory serves me correctly here.

1 belongs to Ozzie. 2 to Red. 4 Molina, 5 Pujols, 6 Musial, 9 Slaughter.

Then we have La Russa as 10, Boyer 14, Dean 17, Brock 20, Simmons 23, Herzog 24, Sutter/Robinson 42, Gibson 45, and Busch 85, at least, if memory serves me correctly, at the moment, for them, in terms of retired numbers. Of course, Hornsby and Buck, among others, don't actually have any retired numbers for themselves with the Cardinals, but they've still been honored by the Cardinals here, you know. CD out.

[jg2977]

Originally Posted by Clovidequano Dovatha

These recent contracts in reality are utterly insane, I think. There's no way we'll see them fully realized in terms of history and all, before certain things happen as they likely will or must in this world. It's a huge waste of money for such a short length of effective time related to each contract, no doubt.

No player in any sport is worth more than 20 million a year, and nobody has been for decades, in my view. What real good is it for a single pro athlete to be paid much more money in a single year than most normal people could make in maybe at least two or three lifetimes for themselves, as pro athletes?

There needs to be a salary cap instituted immediately on all major pro sports teams, and caps on ticket prices. The owners don't need to make hundreds of millions, if not billions, every year, I think. Players don't need eight or nine-figure contracts either for their services, either in the short-term or the long-term, for sure. And fans can no longer afford expensive ticket prices and all in order to attend games they might want to see in person. I think a maximum ticket price of something around 20 dollars per ticket would probably be best here, actually, for adult tickets to games, even for postseason or All-Star games, folks.

Of course, you all can disagree with me here, but with the ways that certain things now are in this world, and in pro sports, at least, the financial waste for contracts and all is insane. I get that many players are quite good players, mind you. But I still think that no player ever actually needs an eight-figure salary per year of their playing careers, or any nine-figure contracts for any potential length of time here in them, most definitely. CD out.

I think even the best players are worth about $2.25 per year, at best.

I will post other things related to my IPA-MLB later tonight.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

As for other numbers that should probably be retired soon for the Cardinals besides 4 and 5, I'd perhaps nominate 50 for Adam Wainwright and 51 for Willie McGee, once they're done playing or coaching for the Cardinals. I don't know if 7 should actually be retired by the Cardinals for Holliday, however. 25 won't be retired for McGwire, I think, because he played too little for them to merit it, even with his good power hitting for them while he was with us from 1997 to 2001.

Personally, I think at least McGwire, Sosa, and Clemens's numbers were each sufficiently legitimate, at least for the most part, if not entirely, to warrant eventual Hall induction. But the actual reality here is, whether fair or not, that they're all not very likely to even be inducted anytime soon into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown as players, for various reasons, to be sure. Other players are likely being kept out as well, fairly or not, like Schilling, for instance. Schilling was a very good player, if not a great one, when he played, no doubt. As were others, of course.

There are probably others who I'd induct that others wouldn't, and vice versa. Personally, I'd induct Shoeless Joe immediately, because I think he was treated unfairly and that he was innocent of whatever claims were made against him at the time and since his banishment. Besides, he's been long dead, and his punishment has been served for a very long time, whether he was innocent or guilty of the things he was thought to have done more than a century ago. Let him be reinstated and inducted into Cooperstown, as soon as possible.

Rose, however, shouldn't be inducted in his lifetime, if ever, for he still shows no real remorse for what he did against the spirit and the rule of the game, even with his superb playing statistics. And he agreed to a lifetime banishment, with sufficient proof of his egregious wrongdoing in terms of gambling and all. As such, no Hall of Fame induction for him in his lifetime should be allowed or even considered, I think. CD out.

[jg2977]

Originally Posted by Clovidequano Dovatha

Okay, then let's let Follis have his current number as long as the game chooses to have him use that number on the Cardinals, at least. I suppose in OOTP terms, it probably doesn't make much difference, in many cases, but some people certainly prefer certain numbers and all in their lives, as you know, jg2977.

For instance, 42 is one of my favorite numbers, for at least one reason you can no doubt guess here. I also liked Neil Lomax with the NFL Cardinals, and Julius Erving with the NBA Sixers, and Mike Liut with the NHL Blues. Of course, in reality, 6 is Musial's number with the MLB Cardinals. 15 was Porter's with them, as well as being other players' number with them, including Edmonds. Ozzie has #1 for them, and his number is retired too by them.

How soon do you think we'll see 5 retired for the Cardinals and Angels, seeing as Pujols spent quite a bit of time playing for both teams? Molina is going to have 4 retired for himself as well, I'm sure. That would then just leave 3 and 7 and 8 left for single-digit Cardinals numbers available for people to use, if memory serves me correctly here.

1 belongs to Ozzie. 2 to Red. 4 Molina, 5 Pujols, 6 Musial, 9 Slaughter.

Then we have La Russa as 10, Boyer 14, Dean 17, Brock 20, Simmons 23, Herzog 24, Sutter/Robinson 42, Gibson 45, and Busch 85, at least, if memory serves me correctly, at the moment, for them, in terms of retired numbers. Of course, Hornsby and Buck, among others, don't actually have any retired numbers for themselves with the Cardinals, but they've still been honored by the Cardinals here, you know. CD out.

I have no opinion on anybody's retired numbers. It doesn't matter to me. Although, I look forward to the day when so many numbers are retired, they'll have to start putting strange symbols on the jerseys.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

In the NFL, the Bears and Giants have the most retired numbers, it seems, with 14 each. In the NBA, it looks like the Boston Celtics have retired the most. And as for the NHL, it is likely the Montreal Canadiens who have retired the most numbers as well, come to think of it. The Yankees have an undeniable reputation for success and have had many excellent-quality players in their team history, who've actually had their numbers retired by them, you know. CD out.

[jg2977]

.

[jg2977]

Originally Posted by Clovidequano Dovatha

Think I need more information about Reichling, Casado, and Sullivan for the Cardinals, and perhaps even Lombardi, so I can hopefully better tailor Elijah Freeman's profile here. As for the Cardinals bullpen, it's getting too old too soon, I think. They'll definitely need to get more good pitching there before too much longer, if they want to have sustained success here.

If I were actually managing and/or running them, I'd dump at least Ruiz, Honda, and Engelberger as soon as I could this offseason, for younger and better pitching. Any player over 30 in my bullpen would have to have good statistics, and preferably an ERA under 4.00, if not under 3.50 or even 3.00, most definitely. And a certain number of hitters for them would also be out the door here, if they didn't have certain other positive qualities for themselves to make up for poor hitting and all here, no doubt, of course. CD out.

You would make a better GM than I would, CD. That's why I don't like to run teams. I just enjoy watching them.

[jg2977]

Here's team pages for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Glasco Celtics. If there's any other teams you need to see, let me know.

[jg2977]

deleted

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Did you mean to post that Boston Red Sox - Hartford Huskies box score here, jg2977? I don't think you meant to, however. CD out.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Let's see the Twins by the time you post the award winners for 1905. And the Devil Rays, come to think of it. I'd like to see if Reichling might fit well on the Twins, and Casado on the Devil Rays. As for Lombardi, maybe the Dodgers could use him too, at least a bit, in return for some pitching sent to the Cardinals. I'd perhaps trade Lombardi and some older pitching to the Dodgers for some younger pitching or someone who can help the Cardinals better in the outfield, I think. What do you think? CD out.

[jg2977]

Minnesota Twins

[jg2977]

Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Tampa hit only 50 home runs as an entire team! That means that Judge this year outhomered the whole team by 12! Their pitching is really bad too. No wonder they only won 53 games.

[jg2977]

I'm using the standard 20-80 scale. Maybe I'll switch to the 1-100 scale, if you think that's better.

[jg2977]

Originally Posted by Clovidequano Dovatha

Let's see the Twins by the time you post the award winners for 1905. And the Devil Rays, come to think of it. I'd like to see if Reichling might fit well on the Twins, and Casado on the Devil Rays. As for Lombardi, maybe the Dodgers could use him too, at least a bit, in return for some pitching sent to the Cardinals. I'd perhaps trade Lombardi and some older pitching to the Dodgers for some younger pitching or someone who can help the Cardinals better in the outfield, I think. What do you think? CD out.

As commissioner I will be glad to force a trade, of course we'll try to keep it as fair as possible for both sides.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

We likely need to clear a rotation spot for Hugh Clairborne on the Dodgers, if he ends up there in the MLB, starting his career in 1907. San Francisco is not an option for him, even though he's from there, and the Padres don't really need more help at the moment, pitching-wise, I think. So the Los Angeles Dodgers are probably the next best alternative starting team for him here, if we actually do want him to start in the NL here, in order to compete against Elijah Freeman for many years to come, it seems to me.

Abel Morse is due to start in 1907 as well, but we don't know which team he'll be best for here, seeing as he isn't a son of either Zebulon or Jethro Morse, in truth. Whether it's an MLB team or an IPA team, at that. I would like to put him on a team that isn't one that any of his uncles or other relatives have started on, but I don't want to put him on any team any or all of the rivals have started their respective careers on to date, to be honest, in either league or either generation. He's going to be from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by birth, but he doesn't necessarily have to start on the Phillies, as a result, if we don't want him to do that here.

As for the eight to rivals after Follis's chief rival and Hugh Clairborne, let's start them all off in the same overall league that the Morses and Talbot Tulach each start their respective careers in, so that they can hopefully compete quite frequently against the second-generation Morses and Talbot Tulach, if and when possible and all. That likely will mean that they'll start out as IPA players here, of course, you know, jg2977.

The Walton boys will likely end up starting on Hillsboro's Blazers, in turn, if we do that, so any potential rivals of theirs would probably have to be in the IPA as well, come to think of it. But the Walton boys won't likely appear in your dynasty until much closer to the end of its second generation, it seems to me, for your information. CD out.

[Clovidequano Dovatha]

Both the Twins and Devil Rays need help. As for rating scales, I typically use 1-100 for a rating scale when it comes to players, in truth.

After we retire Jethro Morse, Jeddy Holmes, and Tanner Garber this offseason, following the 1905 awards' announcements, let's perhaps do some wheeling and dealing between various teams in both leagues. Once we've instituted the necessary upper age limits in both leagues as suggested, that is. All three of them have most certainly played for long enough times in their respective careers here, for sure. So they need to retire or be retired as soon as possible after the awards are announced for 1905 in order to clear roster spots for the youngsters coming into your dynasty here, jg2977.

One of the first moves that the Cardinals will likely need to make so that Elijah Freeman has a place to play for them is most likely Reichling to the Twins along with one of the Cardinal pitchers I mentioned above. Then Casado and at least one of the older pitchers that still remain which may not be as good as they need to be could go to the Devil Rays to provide some veteran leadership. Lombardi and more pitching could go to the Dodgers, especially if it's older pitching, for players that might be a better fit for the Cardinals, especially ones that can run well for St. Louis and play at least halfway decent defense, but who won't block the Freemans too easily, if at all, at certain positions.

We most likely will need to build the Dodgers a good deal around Hugh Clairborne, for starters, I think, starting by 1907. Build them to play well at home, if and when you can, over time, so that they can compete easily against the Cardinals, the Giants, the Astros, and the Marlins, at least, jg2977.

I'll no doubt have more thoughts later on, once the awards are finally all announced in both leagues for 1905 here sufficiently well. Once we've adjusted teams better, and made all the rules changes needed here, whether financially related or not, we can then perhaps move to 1906, and see who gets inducted next into the Hall of Fame, of course. CD out.