"Our League" Season 4--Who Wants To Play Our Way?

[Stanley Kuppchaser]

[QUOTE=HRBaker;4772356]Mixed feelings on my report for mid-week #3

CLEVELAND GRAYS, 45-50, 5th place
Best team is the Cleveland Grays, Although struggling to post a .500 season in Iron.198, they are holding a 10-3 record in the OL-Iron league. With only 3 OL games left in schedule, if they can win 2 of 3 in that series they have a shot at the OL crown.


I highlight that because, for me, the goal is an OL crown. The regular PT play, and even the playoffs, don't really float my boat. I kind of look at the PT play as extra perfect points. Unless I'm matched up against another OL team in the playoffs, I don't really follow them much. I'll always take an OL crown over a PT title, but that's just me. I guess the point of my drivel is that I think the Grays have a great shot at a successful season, but that's just one man's opinion.

[Stanley Kuppchaser]

Originally Posted by Boomcoach

I am having some issues deciding if I want to build Pete or not. Was a big fan of him as a kid, but his last few years as a player/manager and everything since has left a bad taste in my mouth. I am trying to decide if I want to go with a Reds theme team for the Labrats, and will want to go for the team legends if I do, but if I do the Rose BAL, it will be with bit of diffidence.

As a Mets fan, starting in 1962, I say, "Who needs that over rated bum?"


The reason he played 500 games at five positions, is that he was a crappy fielder. He was a hot dog, who didn't put in the work on his defense. He ran over a defenseless Ray Fosse in an exhibition game, tried to injure Bud Harrelson in the '73 playoffs, sparking their famous fight, etc., etc., etc.


Guess you can tell where I fall on the question of if you should work on the Rose card.

[Boomcoach]

Originally Posted by Stanley Kuppchaser

As a Mets fan, starting in 1962, I say, "Who needs that over rated bum?"


The reason he played 500 games at five positions, is that he was a crappy fielder. He was a hot dog, who didn't put in the work on his defense. He ran over a defenseless Ray Fosse in an exhibition game, tried to injure Bud Harrelson in the '73 playoffs, sparking their famous fight, etc., etc., etc.


Guess you can tell where I fall on the question of if you should work on the Rose card.

They Ray Fosse thing was one of things I look at as a measure of my own maturity. My 11-year old self thought it was really cool. As I grew older and started realizing that players are real people, I couldn't help think that he destroyed a man's career over an exhibition game.

When I was listening to 120+ Reds games a year (one of the benefits of working nights) while he was player/manager I would notice him sitting down a better hitter for a game if Pete thought he could snag one or two more hits off a particular pitcher. He was clearing putting his chase over the good of the team.

When the reports of his gambling surfaced, it was hard not to look back at some of his in-game decisions and wonder if any of the odd ones were made because he had money on todays game. (This is part of why I recognize gambling as far more dangerous to the league as a whole than PEDS or doctored baseballs. As soon as a fan starts to wonder if the winner of todays game was decided away from the field instead of on it, a sport has devolved into professional wrestling.)

[Bottom Of The Sixth]

Early this morning Keystone executives decided to test their pack luck by opening 7 standard packs, however, their excitement was very short lived and Keystone is still waiting on the arrival of some Star players.

Due to the very dismal success with the use of Jobu, who has been on loan from Port Ruppert since last week, the Keystone High Brass have given up all hope of turning their pack luck around and plan on shipping back Jobu by the close of business today.

Just as this story was going to press, a person very "familiar" with the Keystone organization, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly, said that the Keystones have sent their top negotiator and talent scout to Ireland in the hope of finding a "Diamond in the Rough".


Will Keystone be able locate a rainbow and be lucky enough to find a pot of gold at the end of it?





Or will they find a "Lucky" Leprechaun who just likes to dance?





Say tuned for more information as it becomes available!

-30-

[Bottom Of The Sixth]

Originally Posted by Boomcoach

I am having some issues deciding if I want to build Pete or not. Was a big fan of him as a kid, but his last few years as a player/manager and everything since has left a bad taste in my mouth. I am trying to decide if I want to go with a Reds theme team for the Labrats, and will want to go for the team legends if I do, but if I do the Rose BAL, it will be with bit of diffidence.

I can relate with you too however, I have hang-ups on other players like Barry Bonds.


I have never been a Bonds fan however, in PT21 I saw a chance to buy his 100 rated card at a very decent price with the hope that if he did not preform for me, I could easliy unload him and either make a minor profit or at the very least break even.


Needless to say, he was a flop on my team so I sold him on the AH. A week later and new mission came out and his street price went up over 125,000 pp which was 50,000 pp higher than what I sold him for......talk about bad timing!



Last year I sold 99% of the SE cards as soon as I was awarded them because I didn't want to be like 100's of other teams using all SE cards on their rosters.


As for Peter Rose, his 96 SE card from PT21 was one of my top two performers of the whole year.


Nine out of ten PT seasons, he was hitting over .300!


I hope that I can get him again through missions as he was a big stud for me last year and I hope I can get the same kind of production again from him, this year

[Boomcoach]

Originally Posted by Bottom Of The Sixth

I can relate with you too however, I have hang-ups on other players like Barry Bonds.

I think that if I had just pulled a good Pete Rose card, it may not have been as big of a deal. The Team Legend mission chain is a deliberate effort and that triggered the feelings somewhat. I never claimed to be a model of consistency!

[revmcgator]

The Patriots still lead in OL R78 as we head into the dog days of the schedule. Boston remains hot on their trail, with Bluffton just behind.

OL teams lead 5 of 6 divisions and retain 3 of 4 wild card spots at the moment. At the other end, as many as 9 OL teams could return to Rookie next season.

[Tinkerman]

Here's the latest for Iron.

The Lake Monsters (10), the Hot Rods and the Kings (both 9) have enough games left to pull off some kind of stunning comeback, BUT that totally depends on Otsego sweeping Cleveland in the Grays' last 3 game OL series. The Brewers are out of games, but at least look solid for the playoffs.

The engraver is apparently already working on the trophy...

[stl jason]

Waffletown picks up a trio of players for the stretch run (just finished the NL Live missions): Enos Slaughter, Roy Campanella, and Don Sutton join the squad.

3 players/1 team left to finish off the Live missions

[stl jason]

another solid tourney day for Waffletown, nabbing two more Silver-32 wins for 20 packs.... one live diamond to sell off from that, and picked up a nice Silver card to add to the tourney team:

[Stanley Kuppchaser]

Cary seems certain to continue it's progression while donning a stone OL crown this time. It's magic number over the three prime chasers is 2, 4, and 6 over Port Ruppert, Waffletown, and Nowhere, in that order. There are enough games remaining on the schedule should one of the three teams make 'em forget the Miracle Braves.The trio likely deserve kudos for their dogged pursuit of the front-runners, as they have posted numbers that could have spelled success in another time and place. It is unlikely that the teams and their fans would share that feeling right now.

[Stanley Kuppchaser]

My Saturday morning was kind meh, although for a time it looked like a pack-a-pa-loser. It sure was doubles-day, though, with 224 of the 300 cards being duplicates. I had four packs that had doubles in them. Got a couple of live diamonds and golds to sell and a 90Mel Parnell to add as a second lefty in the Mundys bullpen, as well as an 89 Ryan Howard, who make a nice left-handed side of a first base platoon, if I had room to squeeze him in. Ah, well the AAA Kakoola Reapers will have a little extra pop.

[Edster007]

I decided to open Coney Island packs on Saturday and Sugar Hill’s on Sunday. Did a lot better with Warriors this week than last where I yielded next to nothing.

Perfect: Live Acuna Jr

Diamond: Live Arenado and Live Bieber (second time I have pulled him-his current value is less than half of what I got for him last time)

Gold: A few live which may go towards building a tournament team.

As for historical

Ben Paschal who will enter the lineup as a platoon with Felix Jose in RF. Ben is already on Sugar Hill. I try not to repeat players on teams but he is a free upgrade over Bill Voss for the time being.

Wilson Ramos (2018): Will probably get sold. While he will he easily outhit any catcher on my roster his defense is abysmal.

Moose Solters: Holding on to him. Could unseat Jeff Leonard or Jose Felix

Jay Bell: He will go into the lineup today to start training at second base. Alvin Dark has gotten some clutch hits but when it comes to his glove he has underwhelmed. The hope is Bell can be a utility player and defensive replacement for Dark.

Bronze wise: Two Build a legends in Beltre and McCutchen and a few that may slot into my bronze tourney team.

[Tinkerman]

I had the high of winning 128 packs in 48 hours this week, but I haven't pulled an historical diamond+ in 2 weeks now .

[revmcgator]

The Patriots, Boomerangs, Penguins, Perfectos, and Red Sox are all battling it out for the Rookie title. The Patriots still retain a slim lead, but the Boomerangs only have six more OL games remaining (perhaps...hard to tell when not everyone uses the + )

The Patriots and Perfectos meet in a pivotal 3-game series at the Black Hole on Sept 4-6.

Once again proving that OL success doesn't always translate into the larger PT universe - and vice versa - the Patriots continue to lag in 4th place in the AC Central, while the Perfectos lead the AC West by 9 games.

The OL should see six teams promoted. The question will be which six?

[HRBaker]

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[Stanley Kuppchaser]

Originally Posted by HRBaker

.

I understand your angst as far as the Barons go. A promotion would be fairly pernicious for the team. I've forgotten how long it takes for the promotions to level off to the point where they are not so detrimental. I'm even a bit worried about Port Ruppert, which seems odd, I'm sure, for a team that is in first (but beginning to fade) and will make the playoffs.



My concern, however, is that they are being dragged along toward the higher levels. Because I'm pretty much eschewing Special Edition players, they can't compete with the teams that are completing those collections. The only one I have, and probably will have have, is Carl Hubbell. The others don't interest me because the ones I liked when I watched baseball have been on one of my teams in past PT iterations and I just like the spice of having new faces. Hell, I even pulled a 100 Cy Young early in PT 20. Before that finally ended he had a perfecto, at least three other no-hitters, and about a dozen one-hitters. So even been there, done that, for old Denton True.


Since I don't care that much how my team does outside of OL, it's not really a problem.



However, until the teams find their natural level of competition, those OL teams which have more of a dual focus will be tough to beat. Of course, if the Mundys can prevail against them on that basis, it will make the crown seem a bit shinier.



I wonder if I'm making a mistake sitting on my PP for the most part. I haven't let the balance fall below 120K for a couple of weeks and, by the time my cards currently up for sale go, it'll be at about 160,000. I just don't want to spend them because I'm afraid if I do, Willie Mays will show up and I won't be able to get him.



Ah well, enough of my Richie Rich whining.

[allenciox]

The assistant general manager of the Cary Southpaws took a breath and tentatively knocked on the door of the GM, Jim Cox. "Come In!" came a gruff voice from inside.

Opening the door, he saw the GM seated at a circular table, upon which were a slaver of coins, and the GM never raised his eyes as he focused on putting spare coins on top of a stack in front of him.

"Sir?" he offered.

"What do you want?"

"So what are those?" he asked, with trepidation.

"PPs. So what brought you to my door this morning?"

The assistant GM had no idea what a "PP" was, but he wasn't going to admit it. As the GM finished a stack and pushed it aside, he started another. From the intensity of the action, he wondered whether there might be a visitation by three "ghosts" in store for the GM's future.

"So, the press has been asking why the team is named the Southpaws, when there aren't many Southpaws on it," the assistant GM said quietly. "What should I tell them?"

"Well, Cary is in the South, right?" His eyes still focused on the rapidly growing stack of PPs in front of him. "And our players use their paws to round the bases, don't they?".

"Well, sure...."

"Listen, if you have a better name for the team, let me know. But meanwhile, I have a job to do. And..." he said, as he held up a baseball card, "if you see any of these, let me know.... particularly if they have a 100 on them. They are worth a lot."

As the assistant GM left the office, he shook his head. He still had no idea what to tell the clamoring press. And what the hell was a PP?

[HRBaker]

I miss the "thanks" button allencoix

[HRBaker]

Stanley, what can I say but "I agree"?


Right now we are riding the coat-tails of those who dream of greener fields - when all we want is to dominate the sandlots.


It's probably going to be at least 4 more weeks before we settle in. I just wish we could have found our balance sooner.