Pasttime: An Alternative MLB History

[darkcloud4579]

Here's our banner. Since the team became the Yankees in 1924, we've never lost in the World Series, hence no reference to A.L. pennants.

[Powderguy]

Originally Posted by darkcloud4579

MARCH 2009

The POWDER Report
In his first professional season, Chad "Powder" First was signed by the Atlanta Firecrackers and spent a winter league season in Corpus Christi. He was injured during his first three weeks of the season, so he missed a significant period of time, yet managed to come back to hit .268 in 97 ABs with 0 HRs and 17 RBI.

He has not been moved up to the Triple-A roster as of the start of spring training and so, we'll see whether he gets any reps this year on the bigger stages en route to the majors!

Woooo, hopefully I make it BIG

[darkcloud4579]

Friday, August 14th, 2009:
Miami-Atlanta Deal: Vélez for Carter
A trade between the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Firecrackers was made official this morning. The Miami Marlins have sent 19-year old closer James Webb, 22-year old starting pitcher Todd Coyle, 38-year old starting pitcher César Hernández, 18-year old reliever Juan Gallardo and 24-year old starting pitcher Manny Vélez to the Atlanta Firecrackers in exchange for 30-year old starting pitcher Peter Carter, 19-year old shortstop Chad First, 23-year old reliever António Morales and 31-year old starting pitcher Sam Collins.

This year Vélez has gone 9-12 with an ERA of 3.77 and has 203 strikeouts in 186 innings.

In 2009 Carter has a 6-11 record with a 5.05 ERA in 27 starts.

[darkcloud4579]

Here's the banner for the San Francisco Seals. This poor franchise's fans have suffered for a while now. Their last playoff appearance was in 1981 and they've only been to the post-season three times since 1945.



Here's the Seattle Pilots banner.


Here's the Philadelphia Blue Jays.

[darkcloud4579]

With banners, I've pretty employed the theory that if a team kept the same nickname or stayed in the same city, that they get the champions from that particular era.

So the Keokuk Kernals/Comets/Cardinals are the same organization and get all of the titles. The Tampa/Boston Yankees are the same organization. But the Dallas Travelers and the Detroit Mustangs...not so much or the New York Metropolitans/Philadelphia Blue Jays, no.

[darkcloud4579]

I've decided to go a different route with this dynasty. Either on this thread or a new one, I've decided to sim at the pace that I'm accustomed to. I can't sustain a slow-pace dynasty without lots of feedback and reader interest. That's no knock on any of you, it's just...that's the only way to motivate myself to get interested in the storylines.

And the thing is, I write at such a volume that it's not really realistic for me to expect anyone to keep up with me.

Sooo...my plan is to do something a little unorthodox. I'm going to go through and actually play out the 20-30 or more years of history and then go back and recall for you the highlights and low-lights of that timeframe. It'll be fun, because I can talk about players, the stuff that happened, what they did and of course, focus on the teams and the storylines therein.

I think that'll be a more interesting way of doing it and also, the pace won't be such that stuff is happening all of the time. It'll be like a dynasty on ESPN Classic, rather than watching it on Sportscenter.

We'll see if it works, but..I like the idea of trying it out.

[Powderguy]

Yes! I see how my career comes out, I'm dying to know.

[darkcloud4579]

It's not time for the comprehensive update yet. But it's 2011 and I'm simming just fine. Things are a little different in that two more teams have relocated. And a certain shortstop is in the majors, too.

I'll have more for you eventually. I've actually found myself way more immersed doing it this way than I would've been if I had to post regular updates. So I'm having fun and hopefully, the recap will be just as enjoyable.

[darkcloud4579]

I think I'm almost ready to get started with the next phase of this story. I'm not sure whether to do it on this thread or another one as a fresh start, but I'm going to decide here shortly and get going.

[darkcloud4579]

Originally Posted by Powderguy

Yes! I see how my career comes out, I'm dying to know.

Powder's career

Let's just say...it ended earlier than we'd hoped.

But he ended up on the Chicago Whales club that moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin and became the...Green Bay Giants, playing at Harley-Davidson Park.

It was a good few years, but in the end...the dreaded CEI came to haunt and he was done.

To this day, many muse about "what might have been." I don't know what happened to him post-career, though.

[darkcloud4579]

Well, let's see. I stopped writing in 2009. I am tempted to start over and do this all on a completely new thread, but I figure that out of context, none of this stuff would make any sense. So I'm going to keep it on here for a while and see if it can retain the interest of the people who were already reading, plus get some new stragglers.

Like I said earlier, I've retaken over a new team and it's now 2023, though the season hasn't started yet.

It's been a busy, busy 13 years since the last time I wrote about this story. I don't even know where to start. It's hard to chronicle it backwards if you don't keep copious notes. And at that point, it's almost worth it to post it all for you to read. Which takes us back to the problems from before.

Anyway...let's talk about what happened in a recap format I've never tried. Season-by-season highlights.

[darkcloud4579]

2009: Philadelphia Blue Jays (NL) def. Nevada Silverhawks
The Blue Jays are one of the best teams in recent memory, stringing together their third straight NL East title en route to the franchise's first World Series since 1990.

At the end of the 2009 season, the San Francisco Seals moved to Oakland, California to become the Oakland Seals.


2010: Boston Yankees (AL) def. Keokuk Cardinals
At 124-38, this team might go down as the best in history. Wait until I go back and talk about the talent this team had on it, when I recap. Just amazing how well they worked together and the combination of young developed talent and veterans meshed perfectly culminating with the Yankees first World Series title in Boston and the franchise's 5th World Series since 1992.

At the end of the 2010 season, the Chicago Whales moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin to become the Green Bay Giants.

2011: Boston Yankees def. San Diego Marines
Yankees become the first team to repeat since Brooklyn back in 97-98

At the end of the 2011 season, the Los Angeles Stars moved to San Jose, California to become the San Jose Orioles.

2012: Boston Yankees def. Philadelphia Blue Jays
The two best teams of the 2000s face off in a World Series for the ages and Boston becomes the first three-peat champion since Keokuk from 1966-68

2013: Portland Beavers (NL) def. Boston Yankees
In their first year since moving from Vancouver, the new Portland franchise captured the first World Series in Portland since 1928, when the AL Portland Beavers (who later moved to New York) won their 5th and final World Series that season. This Portland team twarts the desire of the Yankees to become the first four-peat champ in baseball history.

At the end of the 2013 season, the Brooklyn Athletics moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico to become the Albuquerque Athletics.

2014: Boston Yankees def. Detroit Mustangs
Only two franchises in history have won four titles in five years. Columbus (1912-14, 1916) and Keokuk (1963-64, 1965-66)

2015: Boston Yankees def. Philadelphia Blue Jays
It's fitting that the record-tying World Series victory for most in one span, comes against such a formidible opponent. Only Keokuk (1963-64, 1965-67) has ever won five titles in a six year span. This title marks the 14th in Yankees franchise history (Tampa/Boston) and breaks the record for most titles by any team, previously held by Columbus with 13.

2016: Arizona Sidewinders (AL) def. Albuquerque Athletics
The first all-Southwest World Series. These sorts of regional title bouts are what MLB was looking for, in its recent spate of moves to create more geography in baseball and to reflect a sport that "looks like America" with teams in a variety of cities and locales, rather than turning baseball into a "big city, big money" sport. This sort of expansion to markets often deemed "too small" by other sports prompted revenue sharing by owners and turned baseball into a global business enterprise and the game experiences huge growth in the Indian subcontinent and parts of Africa

2017: Portland Beavers (NL) def. Seattle Pilots
The Pilots were looking for their first World Series title since 1970, the only time the team has won one. They faced off against interleague and regional rival, Portland. This battle was one of the most exciting and eletrifying in the history of the World Series. Another regional series to capture the nation and it results in another Portland victory, their 2nd in five years.

2018: Boston Yankees def. Detroit Mustangs
A repeat of the 2014 series, Boston captures the 15th title in Yankees history and the sixth since coming to Boston in 2008.

2019: San Jose Orioles def. Seattle Pilots
Another West Coast World Series results in more Sleepless nights in Seattle as the team can't win the big one and the Orioles of San Jose capture the first title in franchise history and are the first California team to win a World Series since 2001.

In 2014, baseball had announced plans that in 2020 it would expand by an unprecedented 10 teams to cap both leagues at 40 teams. There was some talk, that it would be just 32 teams, but in the end, baseball officials felt that it made more sense to 'shock' the league once and keep its numbers fixed, rather than not. Plus, the rapid interest in baseball around the country demanded such moves and gave the owners all of the motivation they needed to make the decision to expand. The new cities were: Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh, Norfolk, Jackson Mississippi, Newark, Boise, Wichita, Indiana, San Antonio and Tampa.

Baseball realigned to eight divisions of five teams apiece. The playoffs were determined using first half and second half champions for 2020 and 2021 and a best-of-five game "Regional Series" preceded the best-of-five game Division Series.

2020: San Jose Orioles def. Chicago Cyclones
Another year, another AL city of suffering fans looking for a break. The wait of Cyclones fans has only been 16 years, but...San Jose ensured it'd be at least another year before the Windy City could claim a world title, as they took their 2nd straight series win. As this was the first World Series of the expanded playoff era, baseball's season began in mid-March and both San Jose and Chicago were champions of their respective divisions.

2021: Portland Beavers def. Columbus Clippers
The Clippers were once the juggernauts of baseball, but in recent years, they can't seem to get over the hump. Their last World Series came in 1972 and it wasn't to be in '21 as the Beavers claim their third title in modern franchise history. 91-win Portland knocked off 91-win Columbus in the first-ever battle of two Wild Card teams for the World Series title.

Baseball officials ended the 1st half/2nd half champions format after 2021 and decided for 2022 to go back to calcuating entire season standings and giving four wild cards in each league, after fans complained about the old system. In the new setup, a best-of-three game Wild Card Series would come before a best-of-seven game Division Series, followed by the League Championship and finally, the World Series.

2022: Atlanta Firecrackers def. Cleveland Blues
The Firecrackers claim their first World Series since 1996 with a win over Cleveland, who have never won a title, the fourth straight NL victory. The 88-win NL Central championships from Atlanta were the lowest regular season record team to win a World Series, knocking off 93-win Cleveland in the first playoffs of the Wild Card Series format.

It's important to note that my last season running the Yankees was in 2011. I didn't make anymore decisions for the club and actually quicksimmed until 2017 after the 2011 season. So the results you see here are a testament perhaps to good scouting and more importantly, a great farm system and a willingness -- which happens all around this game more than real life -- to sign your own players to long term deals.

To see the names of prospects I cultivated dotted through their championship rosters was staggering to me and actually, the coolest feeling I've had in ages regarding a team I could connect to.

In 2022, I ended my hiatus and took over the New York Heroes (who in 2023, switched their name slightly to the Heroes of New York). The Heroes, since moving to New York in 1962, have just nine playoff appearances and a lone World Series title (2003) to their credit in their 61 year history.

I decided that New Yorkers were tired of such suffering and decided to do for them what I did for Boston. Or at least, to try. Talentwise, this team doesn't come close to the core of what I had in Tampa/Boston when I started there. But, I still tried to do some things to get the club on solid group pretty early on.

[Powderguy]

Originally Posted by darkcloud4579

Powder's career

Let's just say...it ended earlier than we'd hoped.

But he ended up on the Chicago Whales club that moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin and became the...Green Bay Giants, playing at Harley-Davidson Park.

It was a good few years, but in the end...the dreaded CEI came to haunt and he was done.

To this day, many muse about "what might have been." I don't know what happened to him post-career, though.

[darkcloud4579]

Originally Posted by Powderguy

You can always have me put his son in the game. It does suck and I considered actually reversing the injury, since I found out about it two years after it happened (fast sim and all), but I decided that these are the kinds of stories baseball is made on. The "what might have been" scenarios. You're Boston's Tony Cagneliero.

[darkcloud4579]

We began the year 19th in payroll and we're 16th to end the year.

Here we go with the playoff qualifiers:


AL EAST: Cleveland Blues (94-68)
For the first time since 2005, the Yankees did not win the AL East title. The streak of 17 division titles in a row is obviously unprecedented and may never be broken by anyone. Cleveland's second-straight playoff appearance results in a division title and perhaps, the start of something more significant as the reigning AL champions look for more in '23.

AL WEST: Arizona Sidewinders (93-69)
First playoff appearance since 2018 for a club that last won the World Series back in 2016.

AL SOUTH: Houston Generals (100-62)
Back-to-back division titles for the Generals, who have made just three playoff appearances since 2000.

AL CENTRAL: Columbus Clippers (96-66)
Fourth straight playoff appearance for the Clippers, who are two years removed from an AL pennant.

AL WILD CARDS:
Boston Yankees (93-69)
This is the first time the Yankees have ever qualified for the playoffs via the Wild Card. I once said that when I ran the team, that if we ever qualified via the Wild Card (back when there was just 1) that we'd decline the invitation to the playoffs. Needless to say, they won't be doing that this time.) The Yankees have 22 playoff appearances (21 division titles) over the past quarter-century.

New York Nine (90-72)
In 2011, the NY Highlanders changed their nickname to the New York Nine, honouring the first baseball game ever played in Hoboken, New Jersey. This is their third straight playoff appearance. Last WS: 2000

Los Angeles Angels (85-77)
The only charter franchise in the majors still playing in their original city. The Angels are making their 2nd appearance in 3 years. Last WS: 2003

Seattle Pilots (85-77)
Fifth straight appearance and sixth in seven years. Only WS title came in 1970. But won the AL pennant as recently as 2017 and 2019.

NL EAST: Heroes of New York (102-60)
Dark Cloud's boys had another good year, after rebounding last year to make the playoffs, this time they up the ante and claim their first NL East title since 2011. The team's only World Series came in 2002 and they last won the NL pennant in 2008. Let's see how they handle the pressure of being the juggernaut.

NL WEST: Salt Lake City Bees (90-72)
The expansion Bees make their first playoff appearance in their fourth year of existance.

NL CENTRAL:Atlanta Firecrackers (87-75)
The defending World Series champs are back in the playoffs, claiming their third straight division title along the way. Can they make it two in a row?

NL NORTH:Green Bay Giants (99-63)
The third straight playoff appearance for the G-men and their 5th in seven years. 99 wins is the most wins since the franchise moved to Green Bay. Last WS victory: 1938 as the Chicago Whales. Will this be the year the drought ends?

NL WILD CARD
Washington Senators (99-63)
Fourth straight playoff appearance for the Sens, but their streak of three straight NL East titles was snapped by the upstart New York squad.

Minnesota Mets (94-68)
Second appearance in four years for the Mets.

Omaha Royals (85-77)
Omaha makes a return to the playoffs after a two year absence.

Portland Beavers (85-77)
The 2021 champs make their fourth straight appearance in the post-season.

[darkcloud4579]

Here are the matchups in the AL & NL Wild Card Series. The idea is simple. A best-of-three game series. Why a three-game set? It's the most common event in a baseball season. It separates the wheat from the chaff. And I just like the idea of something we could condense into a whole weeklong event, so basically you could come home and there would baseball on regular TV for a whole week after work. Like on NBC and ABC and maybe a third game on ESPN.

For the first two years after the mass expansion and realignment, we had something called the Regional Series. It was a best-of-five game event before the best-of-five game Division Series. It worked okay, but that coupled with the weird half game champions thing, was too much for the fans and while attendance and viewership was up, the new system has been a huge hit.

It's be exciting, pressure-filled and even if a fluke team makes it out of here, their depth has to last them through a seven-game series just after it, in the Division Series which was expanded from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven.

So far, it's ensured we have better matchups in the World Series and I like the real world nature of it, so....there ya go.

Seattle v. Houston
Los Angeles v. Columbus
New York v. Cleveland
Boston v. Arizona

Portland v. New York
Omaha v. Green Bay
Minnesota v. Salt Lake City
Washington v. Atlanta

[darkcloud4579]

Seattle (def. Houston 2-0) v. Columbus (def. Los Angeles 2-1)
New York (def. Cleveland 2-0) v. Boston (def. Arizona 2-1)

Green Bay (def. Omaha 2-0) v. New York (def. Portland 2-1)
Atlanta (def. Washington 2-1) v. Salt Lake City (def. Minnesota 2-1)

[darkcloud4579]

Boston (defeated New York 4-1) v. Columbus (defeated Seattle 4-2)
It is fitting that the teams with the most World Series titles among them meet on even ground to settle a score that will send on to the World Series. The juggernaut of a past era versus a modern day juggernaut.


Green Bay (def. New York 4-3) v. Salt Lake City (def. Atlanta 4-2)
In this matchup, it's all about the upstart. Green Bay arrived as a major league city in 2011 when the Chicago Whales moved north. The franchise hasn't won a World Series since 1938. Meanwhile, Salt Lake City was a major league city from 1977 until 2007, when the original Bees moved to Nevada. So it took 47 years, but the city is on the cusp of hosting the World Series for the first time ever. Either way, the winner of this series comes out a pioneer and a trailblazer.

[CatKnight]

What's your criteria for deciding when/if/where a team should move?

[darkcloud4579]

Originally Posted by CatKnight

What's your criteria for deciding when/if/where a team should move?

In this particular universe, my only criteria was 1) poor results over a period of time, signaling a long-term ownership group that may or may not have done well with the club. I also started to consider more and more, the idea that 2) baseball should be represented around the country, rather than having multiple teams in cities, when say, a team in a adjacent locale could still blanket that area.

For instance, Green Bay. They were close enough to Chicago, that I believe some of the old fan base would support the ballclub so long as it began to become successful.

Same with San Jose's move from Los Angeles.

In a few random cases, it was just me going "that move would make sense and I have a uniform to match that locale or could make a good looking one."

But that one is usually after considering other things.

The realism in terms of what we consider today to be a real-life market versus what we don't is not employed here. Because I believe cities that have minor league clubs would support a major league team provided it was close enough to a population centre and given that MLB had revenue sharing to ensure that teams weren't provided with a huge advantage by simple matter of geography in the case of say, New York or Philadelphia.

That said, the current alignment and team locales are pretty much fixed at this point, as I can't really see too many other places to move teams to or teams to move. Will it happen? It might. But, I think looking at the map, you can see that we have a good part of the country covered and that's my preference for baseball and what the original premise of this dynasty was about anyway.

<****** width="850" height="700" frameborder="yes" scrolling="yes" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&om=1&msa=0&msid=107011263023411354395.00043812b606344386a62&ll=37.160317,-95.888672&spn=35.105572,81.738281&output=embed&s=AARTsJoUN1hdXS7uTh27hy1ZajiMq1IRPQ">
View Larger Map

To that end, the only region that's technically underrepresented is the Caribbean, but I preferred to keep MLB an essentially American league, with the exception of a Canadian team represented. Other countries don't let their top flight leagues go willynilly across borders and I felt ours shouldn't either out of respect for other countries leagues and simply out of convenience for ours.

I also pour pretty heavily over population projections and because I've been to all of the lower 48 states, I tend to use ancedotal research in determining which markets can support teams from what I've seen from them.

So there is a method to my (seeming) madness.