MLB Replay....A new History

[fishpole33]

Very nice job sir, really fun to read! My brother is a Blue Jays fan as well. Good to see my Phillies getting back to prominence, and having a much better history then their real-life counterparts.

Two questions for you: how is Junior Griffey doing? And I'm guessing Pat Burrell will be in the next draft class? Hopefully he comes out like a real-life #1 pick should.

[HerbertMcHoover]

Love the home run milestones.

Maddux is back!

I also seem to have nice luck with Todd Greene every few dynasties I play. Often a two or three time all-star. What a season!

Kevin Mitchell All-Star spotting! I love it.

All the NL All-Star numbers have me in love. Can't imagine next year and what these Hall of Fame ballots will look like.

Love the last name VanLandingHam.

Marlins made a huge splash grabbing Sandy Alomar Jr. Awesome move for them. Blue Jays make a very under-the-radar, but impressive move adding Eric Chavez as well.

I love the doomsday scenarios. This is one of the most underrated aspects of dynasties like this. When disaster strikes and strikes BAD. What an insane final game of the year. I love it.

The Yanks collapsed down the stretch!!!!!!! I'm looking at the All-Stars and all of your final stats and I can't help but to think -- if only we had one star. Not one good or great player; just a star. On the verge for about a decade, usually fading in the last month of the season. Steinbrenner, give us A-Rod or Barry Bonds. Someone for us to root for!

M's decided to tank a little bit too late, Mets are bad still, Expos are bad again, the NL Central is still ridiculous...

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by fishpole33

Very nice job sir, really fun to read! My brother is a Blue Jays fan as well. Good to see my Phillies getting back to prominence, and having a much better history then their real-life counterparts.

Two questions for you: how is Junior Griffey doing? And I'm guessing Pat Burrell will be in the next draft class? Hopefully he comes out like a real-life #1 pick should.

Thanks sir, ill get to those on my first update after the World Series!

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by HerbertMcHoover

The Yanks collapsed down the stretch!!!!!!! I'm looking at the All-Stars and all of your final stats and I can't help but to think -- if only we had one star. Not one good or great player; just a star. On the verge for about a decade, usually fading in the last month of the season. Steinbrenner, give us A-Rod or Barry Bonds. Someone for us to root for!

The one thing i have noticed for a while now, is the Yankees collapse. They always seem to be in the hunt or ahead of the game for a time midseason. Once September comes, they tank! Every season!!!

[George_Bell]

[George_Bell]

[George_Bell]

These two franchises met back in 1924, when the Orioles were the Browns. The Cubs won their 2^nd World title that year. They also met in 1940, with the Cubs denying St. Louis their 5^th straight championship! That was an upset! The last time the Orioles made a World Series, was in 1978, against…The Cubs, and again, the Cubs went on to win. History is one sided!

I don’t think the Orioles are that good. Compared to their league, they are pretty average. The middle of the batting order is solid, but not spectacular, the pitchers are decent, but not overwhelming. This is a OK team that looks like they overachieved. The Cubs are a good team, that won the big prize a few years back. A healthy Raph Palmerio is a huge plus, and I think de Jesus and Schilling can shut the O’s down.

I feel like I finally got smart. Both Todd Greene and Mike Greenwell, major players for each team, each had minor injuries, fully healed in just days. Each had been left off their playoff rosters for the World Series for scrubs who won’t ever play. I went in and manually added both players to their active and playoff rosters. Both will be healthy before game 3, so it’s stupid for the teams not to carry them. Something that can sure use adjustment for OOTP 17.

[HerbertMcHoover]

How many managers have been in New York the last fifteen years? Twenty? And how many of those guys were Billy Martin?

New WS blood in BAL. Upset the CWS. SF got upset by CHC as well.

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by HerbertMcHoover

How many managers have been in New York the last fifteen years? Twenty? And how many of those guys were Billy Martin?

I don't know an easy way to check a teams manager history, but their current manager, Donn Clendenon, has been on the job since taking over in 1989. He won the manager of the year his first campaign in New York. Clendenon was a 1962 all-star playing with the Cardinals.

Billy Martin managed the Amarillo Gold Sox in A ball for 3 seasons. He was under .500. Spent most of his career as a minor league hitting coach split between the Reno Silver Socks and the Hollywood Stars. He retired in 1989.

[George_Bell]

Premiere pitching match up highlights game 1. Curt Schilling duels with Brett Saberhagen. It is indeed a duel. Both starters go into the 3^rd before allowing a hit. Both starters go 6 innings before a run is scored. In the 7^th, Terrell Lowery reaches base after striking out on a passed ball. Horrible luck for Saberhagen. He advances to 2^nd on a Bret Barberie single, and to third on a ground out. Lowery scores on a wild pitch. Seems like some bad luck, but Mike Kelly hits a home run on the next pitch, and it’s 3-0 Cubs. Baltimore scores a meaningless run in the ninth. Chicago opens the series with a 3-1 win.

Rafael Palmerio hits a 2 run homer in the first, and just like that, the Cubs are out infront. Hensley Meulens hits a solo shot to get the Orioles within a run. Meulens would key a 5^th inning rally, that featured a Carlos Baerga 2 run double. Baltimore leads 3-2 after five. Herbert Perry responds right away, and doubles in the tying run for the Cubbies the next inning. In the 7^th, Herbert Petty comes up again with a runner on, and he goes yard. Those runs would stand up, and the Cubs win game two, 5-3.

Both Mike Greenwell and Todd Greene are healthy enough to return to their respective team’s lineups for game three. Greenwell doesn’t play, but his teammates didn't need him. They blast 12 hits, and scoring 8 runs. Todd Greene is 2/4 in his return, but this game is all Baltimore. 8-2 Orioles.

Baltimore jumps out to a 3-1 lead after one. John Jaha hits the first inning 3 run homer. The Orioles extend their lead with another Jaha home run. It’s 5-1 after three. Herbert Perry starts the Cubs comeback in the 5^th, with a RBI single. He scores on a two run, two out double by Terrell Lowery, and it’s 5-4. In the 8^th, Rafael Palmeiro homers to tie the game. Terrible collapse by Baltimore. We head to extras!

In the 11^th inning, Chicago’s Ray Holbert hits a massive 3 run home run to seemingly put Chicago ahead for good. In the bottom of the inning, two errors, a hit by pitch and a single have one Baltimore run in and the bases loaded, with 2 outs. Armando Rios came to the dish and hit a fly ball to deep left field, just not deep enough. It’s caught. Chicago wins 8-6 and lead the series 3-1.

After Ray Holbert walks on four pitches to open the game, Todd Greene goes deep, and it’s 2-0 Cubs right away. Todd Greene knocks in another run the next inning, and it’s 3-0 already. The Orioles need to wake up, or the season is over. They wake up in the 4^th. Brent Gates hits a 2 run homer, and in total, the team gets 7 hits, scoring 5 runs. They jump ahead 5-3. Todd Greene again strikes, a 2 out double scores a run in the 6^th and its 5-4. That’s as close as the Cubs would get. The Orioles score 3 more runs, and to go up 8-4, which is the final score. That makes the series 3-2 Chicago.

A low scoring game goes against what we have generally seen this series, but its 1-1 going into the 6^th. John Jaha breaks the tie with a 2 run homer, giving the Orioles a good chance to extend the series again. An error contributes to the Cubs 2^nd run the next frame, and Troy Neel homers in the 9^th to tie the game!!! Extra innings!

The Cubs Matt Franco doubles to lead off the 10^th, he moves to 3^rd after a bunt, and scores when a Carlos Baerga ground ball eats up Bret Barberie. The Cubs would not have any dramatics in the bottom of the innings. 4-3 Baltimore in ten innings. Series tied at 3.

GAME 7


For the most part, Schilling hasn't been good in the post season. He’s the Cubs best pitcher, but fans have to be uneasy, as he’s either been great or terrible during the playoffs. Livan Hernandez broke out in his 2^nd MLB campaign. The 22 year old won 19 games, and generally overachieved, like his teammates.

Hernandez walks the lead off batter, and gives up a 2 run bomb to Troy Neel. 2-0 Cubs right away. Schilling looks on early, bad news for O’s fans.

Ray Holbert doubles in Bret Barberie in the 4^th, which extends the Chicago lead to 3. Schilling finally makes a mistake in the 6^th, a Carlos Baerga solo shot, which cuts the lead to 3-1.

Todd Greene homers in the bottom of the seventh, which proves very important, as the next half inning, Matt Franco and Ellis Burks each drive in a run, cutting the lead to 4-3!

Herbert Perry hit a double and scores in the 8^th, a huge insurance run for Chicago. 5-3 heading into the ninth. Jeff Faserro is in to close, and he gives a leadoff home run to Danny Tartabull, giving the Orioles life. Noone else would touch the ball. 3 straight K’s ends the game, series and season. Chicago wins 5-4 and win the World Series!!

[George_Bell]

[George_Bell]

[George_Bell]

Originally Posted by fishpole33

Two questions for you: how is Junior Griffey doing? And I'm guessing Pat Burrell will be in the next draft class? Hopefully he comes out like a real-life #1 pick should.

He's not what he was in real life, but he's a decent player, who may have 1 or 2 all-star seasons left in him. Overall, a disappointment though.



Burrell, as you can see, gets drafted 16th overall by the Atlanta Braves

[joefromchicago]

Cubs! Woo! Cubs! Woo! Cubs! Woo woo woo!

[HerbertMcHoover]

Sad to see Griffey so... un-Griffey-like.

[George_Bell]

1997-98 Offfseason News and Notes

With the successes of the Colorado Rockies and Florida Marlins following the 1993 expansion, Major League Baseball by 1994 was looking to expand again from 28 to 30 teams. Buffalo, Nashville, Northern Virginia, Orlando, Phoenix, Tampa and Vancouver placed expansion requests. On March 9, 1995, Phoenix and Tampa were awarded franchises for a fee of 130 million.

The Arizona Diamondbacks would pick 4th in the amateur draft, and 1st in the expansion draft. The Tampa Bay Devils Rays will pick 3rd in the amateur draft and 2nd in the expansion draft. Here are the first 5 rounds in the 1998 expansion draft.



The NY Mets have the 1st pick in the draft and grab a potential ace, Johan Santana. Adam Dunn and Jason Werth are the first picks in the history of Tampa and Arizona. Mark Buerhle at 23 to Houston is the steal of the draft to me.




No Hall of Fame inductions this year. The game keeps electing the same group of guys that i keep rejecting. Guess this will go on for 10 years!!

Here is the Meet the Team feature for the NL West. The final installment for the series.



Pretty stacked free agent class. Hurts to see Mike Piazza leave the Jays, but they don't seem interested in winning anymore. Also to bad to see Bo Jackson leaving the Expos. He's a HOFer in a Expos uni atleast.



Alot of money thrown around. Piazza was the prize, but Bo Jackson looks like a bargain!

A good amount of trades this offseason. Moving up to average really worked well!! Nothing to big, but some interesting deals.

[HerbertMcHoover]

Randy Johnson gone!

Top of the draft strong, especially for Rays and Dbacks. Biggest under the radar add: Indians grabbing Adrian Beltre #7.

I also like Carlos Pena at 17, Cuddyer at 19, Buerhle at 23, Uribe at 18.

Big splash free agency by the Padres, Tigers and especially Mets.

Alert: Alfonso Soriano to the Pirates!!! I have them as my NL Central winners between that addition and Bo Knows.

[rjl518]

loved what the mets and marlins did...they are going to be tough outs in the future

[abell1198]

Check out what the Royals did...four 1st round picks, four starting pitchers. Mulder, Hernandez, Garland and Kennedy!!

[George_Bell]

1998 MLB Preview


With the addition of two new teams, MLB has realigned the divisions. Tampa joins the AL East, while Detroit leaves it for the central. Milwaukee moves from the AL Central to the NL central. Arizona joins the NL West. The AL now has 14 teams, while the NL has 16.





Top Player


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Top Prospect