The Base Ball Life of Patrick O'Farrell

[HGVoyager]

Originally Posted by bwburke94

What's with the bump? Just putting an epic thread on the first page?

He's trying to give us dynasty writers some more inspiration.

[Powderguy]

AWESOME (bump)

[Polar Bear]

This is most diverting, and as a relative newcomer to base ball I can say that I have gleaned a good deal of information and impressions regarding the historic game. I commend this dynasty thread to viewers; thank you for taking the time to write it.

[Galeg]

Big thanks to whoever bumped this. I had a lot of fun reading it over the past few days.

[sflcat61]

Even if this dynasty never continues, it was wonderful. I sometimes wish Big Six would write an Afterward to let us know what happen to all the O'Farrells.

[Orcin]

Good job bumping this one. It's one of the all-time greats. Hall of Fame inner circle!

[Big Six]

When I saw someone had bumped Pat back up to the top of the page, my first reaction was to smile and shake my head. It's been almost six years since I wrote the post that "officially" ended Pat's tale, after all.

I decided to take a look back at the earliest posts in the thread, which are now nearly 11 years old. With breaks to tuck the kids into bed, I spent the better part of the next four hours reading Pat's story again.

I remember why I ended the story when I did. Pat had retired, and the story didn't grab me quite as much with its main character playing a secondary role. I wasn't enjoying whichever version of OOTP I was playing then nearly as much as I had good ol' OOTP 6/6.5. I moved on and wrote other dynasties, but none of them ever came close to drawing me in the way The Base Ball Life of Patrick O'Farrell did.

The idea of bringing Pat back to life is very appealing.

I'm thinking about introducing him into another baseball universe, such as my Continental Baseball Association, the same way I would a "real" historical player. I wrote a post about Pat's peak ratings, so I could easily create a new version of him. I wonder how I'd feel if he didn't turn out to be as good as the "first" Pat O'Farrell?

I'm also considering another "chapter" of The Base Ball Life, an alternate story that begins in the early 1930s, after Pat has retired, and takes him in a different direction. He'll still be married to Sarah, and they'll still have Beth, Mike, Mary Kate, Johnny, and Billy. Some of the characters who played supporting roles in the story--Bill Carrigan, Joe Wood, Roy Hitt, Archie Graham, etc.--might find their way into this chapter, too. And there would, of course, be an OOTP universe at the basis of this tale, and I'd write about it on the forum here.

Or, I could do both.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by Orcin

Good job bumping this one. It's one of the all-time greats. Hall of Fame inner circle!

Thank you, Orcin. Coming from you, this is high praise indeed. You've got a Hall of Fame dynasty of your own, after all.

It's like having Pat O'Farrell tell you that you're a good ballplayer.

[boblight24]

Quote:




Originally Posted by Orcin

Good job bumping this one. It's one of the all-time greats. Hall of Fame inner circle!

Thank you, Orcin. Coming from you, this is high praise indeed. You've got a Hall of Fame dynasty of your own, after all.

It's like having Pat O'Farrell tell you that you're a good ballplayer.

This is awesome! It's like a conversation between OOTP's versions of John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway.

Let me say that both of you have managed to take a simulation baseball game, the write-ups in an online forum about your seasons and made them come to life. If I close my eyes sometimes I can see myself in Boston during Pat's early years with the other 'rooters' in the stands or see myself passing Sal's Barber Shop en route to another post-season game in Louisville.

I don't think Markus could have envisioned the way that not only the two of you, but anyone who's written about their dynasties, that these reports have transformed this game.

We are all blessed to be able to become part of your universes, if only in our minds and only for a short while.

Magic.

[reflections]

This was seriously one of the most amazing reads.
Not only did I get a lot of inspiration from it, but
just the overall nuance and just storylines.
Love it.
I've always thought the MLB network should have tv shows..This would make an amazing tv series.

[KingofWarsaw]

I came across this the other day, and have read all 1,000 + entries. Big six this has been the best dynasty report I have read and I found myself getting nervous during the pennant races against the Tigers and the various World Series. I couldn't imagine writing a series for as long as you did, and I understand why you ended it, but I have to admit I'm sad that it is over. I wish there could be a resurgence of the O'Farrell story soon!

[Big Six]

I wanted to take a few minutes to thank those of you who have taken the time to read a long (perhaps overly long) story that hasn't been active since George W. Bush was President. Thank you, especially, to the readers who stopped by and wrote comments. When I'm having a bad day, I'll sometimes log in here and read the supportive, complimentary messages you've left me. That experience never fails to boost my spirits.

I've always thought I'd bring Pat back in some form or fashion. His story deserves a more conclusive ending than I gave it back in '08. I simply stopped writing, without any closure of any kind. I tried writing an alternative story about Pat, but it happened at a time when I wasn't feeling terribly creative. I couldn't decide where to go with it, and it fizzled out.

I have an idea for a setting for the next chapters of Pat's life. And, as I wrote about the last time I tried a sequel, "he'll still be married to Sarah, and they'll still have Beth, Mike, Mary Kate, Johnny, and Billy. Some of the characters who played supporting roles in the story--Bill Carrigan, Joe Wood, Roy Hitt, Archie Graham, etc.--might find their way into this chapter, too. And there would, of course, be an OOTP universe at the basis of this tale, and I'd write about it on the forum here.

Pat's coming back.

[Tyke]

This is good news!!!