Orcin's Brave New World

[Orcin]

Cincinnati Reds (48-67) @ St. Louis Cardinals (63-52)
Rookie Gerald Thompson will get a little easier draw this time, facing the last-place Reds at home. The bad news is the calendar – it’s Friday the 13th. Superstition is a powerful thing, so we decided to move Rosenthal up to Friday (on regular rest) and split the two rookies in the rotation. Rosenthal would be our third starter in a playoff series and it would be nice to get him into that slot eventually (with Flores as the #4).


August 13, 2021: G116 (64-52, 1st, +4.5G)

Star: STL SP Trevor Rosenthal 7.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
SS J.P. Crawford was 3-4 with a double, homer, and 2 RBI.


August 14, 2021: G117 (65-52, 1st, +5.5G)

Star: STL SS J.P. Crawford 3-4, DBL, 2 SB, scored winning run
Nice game by Thompson: 6.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 93p/62s

Oscar Taveras is in a horrible slump, and we have decided to drop him to sixth in the order for a game or two. Wong will bat second and T-Mick will hit third for now.


August 15, 2021: G118 (66-52, 1st, +6.5G)

Star: STL SP Jake Odorizzi 9 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 13 K, game score = 96
That’s another dominant performance by Odorizzi – his third shutout of the season.

Kolten Wong sent me a private message. He finds it perplexing that he has not received an offer to extend his contract. His agent has given me a working figure of 9 years and $162 million. My thought was 4 years, $50 million. We are so far apart that I don't want to alienate him with an offer. My answer was, “Let’s talk about it after the season.”


Players of the Week:
AL: TOR RF Dennis Donovan 15-25, 2 HR, 11 RBI
NL: LA CF Matt Kemp 13-25, 2 HR, 5 RBI

[Orcin]

St. Louis Cardinals Internal Analysis – Stretch Drive 2021

Executive Summary
The team is 23-17 (.575) over the past 40 games, so we continue to play decent – but not great – baseball. Our record in close ballgames is improving, and we are playing better against left-handed pitching – both were recognized weaknesses that we sought to address. We must play better on the road down the stretch.


Pitching Staff
This chart separates starters/swingmen from pure relievers, and includes every pitcher on the 40-man roster with a major league appearance.



Jake Odorizzi has performed up to his contract – which means he has been a true ace. I am confident that Walker will be a good #2 down the stretch and in the playoffs. Flores has pitched well for his first year in the rotation, and I am determined to give Thompson a chance to show what he can do also.

That leaves one starter spot up for discussion. A case can be made for Ray Chambers or Michael Wacha on stats as opposed to record, but I am sticking with Rosenthal as long as he continues to produce results. Chambers is a phone call away in Memphis just in case. Wacha will remain in the bullpen as the long man for now. I hope to bring Wacha back next year at a lower salary to compete for that fifth starter job.

The entire bullpen has become more reliable and settled into defined roles. My primary problem right now is getting everyone consistent work. I want to see more of Stroman in case Brothers does not exercise his option and I need a closer. Montgomery would also be a candidate, along with Darryl Chambers.


Position Players
We are getting solid production from all of the starters. Shortstop J.P. Crawford ranks third on the team in WAR despite playing in less than half of the games.



Designated hitter Tarou Sano is a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year. His OPS vs. LH pitching, a question going into the season, is nearly on a par with his performance vs. right-handers.

Kolten Wong is making it hard to ignore his impending free agency, but I simply will not pay him more than Alfaro. It would be far harder to replace Crawford, and he is only one year away from free agency also.

Oscar Taveras has been slow to come back from his injury, but I feel confident that he will get hot at some point. He has to contribute for us to do well in the playoffs.

Kyle Cooper has not hit for much power (most of his homers came while he was still with the Nationals), and he is leaving the door wide open for prospect Josh Williams to win the first base job next spring.


Personnel
At this point in the season, we typically address expiring personnel contracts. The major league positions are set for a while, so we need to look at the minors. The following positions will be open if nothing is done:
• Memphis (AAA) PC Bryan Eversgerd (rated good)
• Springfield (AA) MGR Mike Shildt (rated good)
• Springfield (AA) HC Gregg Ritchie (rated excellent)
• Jupiter (R) MGR Steve Turco (rated good)
• Jupiter (R) PC Darwin Marrero (rated good)

I believe we can upgrade all of these positions, and there aren’t too many to fill. I will be hiring a complete new staff to handle incoming draft classes at Jupiter after promoting highly-rated hitting coach Mendy Lopez to the same position at AA Springfield. Lopez is signed through 2023 at $200K per year.

[majesty95]

Orcin, just spent the past 2+ hours reading everything. I enjoy it a lot and looking forward to getting my own started! I do have to say, I feel like you robbed Atlanta for that 2B though. Not sure why they would trade a 25 year old starter for three overpaid scrubs. What am I missing?

I do have to confess, I get excited when you win and disappointed when you lose. What's wrong with me lol

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by majesty95

Orcin, just spent the past 2+ hours reading everything. I enjoy it a lot and looking forward to getting my own started! I do have to say, I feel like you robbed Atlanta for that 2B though. Not sure why they would trade a 25 year old starter for three overpaid scrubs. What am I missing?

Atlanta's owner had identified shortstop and first base as positions of weakness, so their GM was motivated to fill those spots. On the other hand, Atlanta had a 4.5-star prospect ready to take over at second base. He had a .908 OPS in AAA before they called him up to replace Barreto. This prospect has a 40 arm and is not rated at shortstop.

Espinosa plays shortstop at 50+ and Snyder is a competent first baseman. They are clearly overpaid and having off years, but I don't think it is fair to characterize them as scrubs. They were both 2+ WAR players last season.

I think I won the trade, but it was not as lop-sided as it may seem. My constant criticism of Matt Snyder may have contributed to your perception of the deal, and wasn't totally objective.

[edtheguy]

Originally Posted by Orcin

My constant criticism of Matt Snyder may have contributed to your perception of the deal, and wasn't totally objective.

Matt Snyder... rings a bell... wasn't he a AAA DH or something?

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by edtheguy

Matt Snyder... rings a bell... wasn't he a AAA DH or something?

He was last year's starting first baseman. I moved T-Mick over there to start the season because I wanted to evaluate Ryder Jones at third base. Snyder played quite a bit when T-Mick was hurt, but did not hit much and was sent down to AAA (where he did DH so prospect Josh Williams could continue to play first base).

In real life, Matt Snyder is a prospect for the New York Yankees, playing first base for Tampa in the Florida State League (high-A). In my league, he had already made it to AAA in 2014.

[Orcin]

Pittsburgh Pirates (55-64) at St. Louis Cardinals (66-52)
The Pirates are 1-5 against us this season, and they come in having lost three straight in Philadelphia. Pittsburgh has been below par since the all-star break and they are in danger of falling out of the race completely. We would like to give them a gentle nudge over the cliff and reduce our competition to just the Cubs.


August 16, 2021: G119 (67-52, 1st, +6.5G)

Star: STL C Jorge Alfaro 2-4, HR, GWRBI, 2 RS
Consecutive homers by Wong, T-Mick, and Alfaro in the 8th provided the margin of victory.

We released 31-year-old Memphis SP Dail Villanueva (6-4, 4.57) to create a roster spot in AAA as we begin to promote prospects for a brief look at their appropriate level for next season. Springfield closer Takuma Arai (1.79 ERA, 27 saves) was promoted to a setup role at Memphis for their playoff run.


August 17, 2021: G120 (68-52, 1st, +6.5G)

Star: STL SP Jose Flores 8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

Oscar Taveras was hit by a pitch and will be sidelined with a deep thigh bruise for roughly one week. This leaves us two outfielders short for a few days until Almora is healthy. To solve this short-term problem, Sano will play left field, Alfaro will DH, and Steve Bean will catch for a couple of games. That will still leave You (not you) on the bench as a mid-game sub if needed.

Later in the game, T-Mick was also hit by a pitch and he will sit out the next game with a bruised elbow. The second incident seemed to rally the club, and we scored three in the eighth to bag another comeback win. We spent the rest of the evening discussing which of Pittsburgh’s players to bean in tomorrow’s game.


August 18, 2021: G121 (69-52, 1st, +6.5G)

Star: STL 1B Kyle Cooper 1-3, solo HR in 8th for GWRBI

In the third inning, with one out and a man on second, Rosenthal lost control of a changeup and hit Pittsburgh’s star outfielder Rodney Rutledge on the soft part of his backside. No warning was issued.

In the fifth inning, with two out and no one on base, Rosenthal accidentally hit Rutledge on the wrist with a 96mph fastball. Rutledge shook it off and went to first without incident.

In the seventh inning with the Cardinals trailing 4-2, Michael Wacha entered the game as a reliever. The first batter he faced, Rodney Rutledge, was inadvertently hit in the shoulder with a 97 mph fastball. He was checked by the trainers but stayed in the game.

Rutledge was up again in the ninth with a man on base, and Rex Brothers struck him out on his way to the save. Rutledge looked tentative at the plate.

[Orcin]

St. Louis Cardinals (69-52) @ New York Mets (61-60)
The Mets are 4-12 in August and are just playing out the string. They trail the Phillies in the N.L. East race by 15 games, and are 8 games off the pace for the wild card. Ace pitcher Tim Lincecum (8-2, 2.83) went down for the year in early June, and their offense stinks. Super prospect SP Francisco Noriega (#12 prospect in MLB) is 4-12 with a 6.37 ERA in AAA, adding to the anxiety around the Citi Field offices.


August 19, 2021: OFF
I spent an hour on the phone with the commissioner today. He found it unusual that the same player was hit by a pitched ball three times in yesterday’s game. I told him that it was just one of those fluke things and the odds were against it happening again.

Dodgers’ SP Andrew Cashner (14-5, 3.67) has been diagnosed with a torn labrum and is out for the season. Former 19-game winner Jacob Turner will move into the rotation to replace Cashner.


August 20, 2021: G122 (70-52, 1st, +7.5G)

Star: STL 1B Kyle Cooper 2-3, 2 HR, 3 RBI
Gerald Thompson picked up his first major league win (7 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K).


August 21, 2021: G123 (71-52, 1st, +7.5G)

Star: STL 3B Trey Michalczewski 3-3, DBL, HR, 3 RBI
Odorizzi’s line: 7.2 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, W (17-5, 2.58 ERA)


August 22, 2021: G124 (72-52, 1st, +8.5G)

Star: STL SP Taijuan Walker 8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Jorge Alfaro was 3-4. Tarou Sano hit a grand slam in the first inning.


Players of the Week:
AL: TEX 2B Tony Renda 12-25, 2 HR, 7 RBI
NL: STL 1B Kyle Cooper 8-21, 3 HR, 6 RBI

The Cardinals are #1 in the power rankings this week, having won 9 straight games.

[Westheim]

You swept the Mets. I can not make me thank you for this.

[Orcin]

Reliever Dalton Friend will be sidelined for six days after hurting his arm while tearing a phone book in half. No word on how long the phone book will be sidelined, and there was no explanation for where he got the phone book. Who still uses phone books in 2021? I just tell SIRI to get the number for me, dial it, and add it to my contacts.

We need a left-hander in the bullpen (besides Brothers) tomorrow, so Dalton Friend will go on the 15-day disabled list and Jesse Biddle will be promoted from AAA to the active roster (he is already on the secondary roster).

This is a sneaky move. Now Biddle and Friend will both be eligible for the post-season roster, allowing the option of dropping a starter in favor of a third bullpen left-hander for the playoffs. Biddle can also go long in an emergency.

Unfortunately, Biddle just threw 108 pitches in a start yesterday, so he probably won’t be available for the upcoming series with Miami. Brothers may have to enter a game early in a high-leverage situation, and leave the save(s) for Stroman or Montgomery.

[edtheguy]

This is a sneaky move.

That's a brilliant move! This is why I love reading your dynasties, I can always pick up good ideas. An extra lefty is about the best use for that last roster spot a lot of the time.

Who still uses phone books in 2021

Maybe Friend was so eager to get into the game he wanted the number to call the dugout and tore the book up in rage when it wouldn't answer him....

[Orcin]

St. Louis Cardinals (72-52) @ Miami Marlins (60-63)
We have swept the Marlins in our six previous games this season. Miami has been inconsistent recently (8-12 in the month of August). They are actually better on the road (32-32) than at home (28-31). Their lineup leans to the left side of the plate, contributing to their 12-26 record against left-handed pitching. Our lefty, Jose Flores, cheerfully starts game two of the series, with Trevor Rosenthal completing his transition to the third rotation slot by starting game one of the four-game set.


August 23, 2021: G125 (73-52, 1st, +8.5G)

Star: STL SS J.P. Crawford 2-3, TPL, 3 RBI, BB, 2 RS

Brothers struck out the side (all LH batters) in the eighth to protect a one-run lead before Bean’s grand slam blew the game open in the ninth.


August 24, 2021: G126 (73-53, 1st, +7.5G)

Star: MIA LF Christian Yelich 2-4, HR, 2 RBI

Marcus Stroman gave up the walk-off homer to Hansen, ending our 10-game winning streak. Stroman has appeared in 10 games for us, compiling a 5.79 ERA and a 1.93 WHIP. He has been prone to walks and homers, a bad combination. Montgomery has been moved up to 8th inning duty with Darryl Chambers slotted for 7th inning work. Stroman will be the ROOGY for the time being, and his chances of a new contract here are declining rapidly.


August 25, 2021: G127 (74-53, 1st, +8.5G)

Star: STL SS J.P. Crawford 5-6, 2 DBL, HR, 5 RBI, 3 RS
Star: STL SP Gerald Thompson 9 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 6 K (first career shutout)

Memphis SP Roberto Mercado is done for the year with shoulder inflammation. It’s another bad break for the promising 23-year-old right-hander, who spent last winter and most of this season recovering from Tommy John surgery.


August 26, 2021: G128 (74-54, 1st, +7.5G)

Star: MIA LF Christian Yelich 1-4, HR, 2 RBI (GWRBI)

Mets SP Tim Lincecum has not recovered from a partially torn labrum suffered in June and is now expected to miss the rest of the season. Could this be the end for him?

[progen]

Love the phone book story, and nice rebound by the Marlins to win game four, after getting steamrolled 15-0, the previous day!

[Orcin]

Roster Shuffling
The post-season roster eligibility date is rapidly approaching. I have decided to leave You (and you) off the playoff roster in favor of another reserve infielder. You (not you) has a slash line of .229/.283/.381 in 118 at bats. His OPS is a respectable .703 against left-handers, but I won’t be platooning or removing regulars in a playoff game for that tiny advantage.

Infielder Hector Rios was called up from AAA to replace him. Rios, who plays all three infield positions, was killing AAA pitching with a slash line of .363/.420/.516 (in 91 AB). The trade deadline has passed, so You must be placed on waivers again to be removed from the active roster. This is a formality only as I don’t expect anyone to claim You (or you). He will be in DFA limbo for a couple of days and then re-activated on September 1 (when the rosters expand to 40).

**********

I have been toying with the idea of getting catcher Steve Bean into the lineup. He is an outstanding defensive catcher, better than even Alfaro, and he is batting .341 in a very limited role. A couple of weeks ago, Sano played left field with Bean as the catcher and Alfaro as the DH. That experiment went pretty well for a few games, and has made me consider a permanent change.

It is a bit late in the year to shuffle the lineup, but this move could make us better in the post-season. My bench is deeper and more flexible if my DH is also my backup catcher. Dutch Deol has been disappointing as the regular left fielder, but his OPS of .855 vs. LH pitchers and excellent corner outfield defense could be useful off the bench. Alfaro would still catch against left-handed pitching with Deol in left field and Sano as the DH.

Bean and Deol have arbitration estimates exceeding $5 million and I will have trouble affording both next season. I have to question spending $5M for a backup catcher that plays 35 games per year. I would also like to have Alfaro’s bat in the lineup every day. Bean’s exceptional catcher ability and cannon arm would make us stronger defensively, but Sano in left field could be a liability. I just feel like I need to see this idea on the field for a week or two to know if it is brilliant or crazy.

[Orcin]

St. Louis Cardinals (74-54) @ Milwaukee Brewers (46-81)
We lost two of three to the last-place Brewers at Miller Park in June. We must take care of business this time, because the Cubs are playing better ball lately. The Brewers rank near the bottom of the league in every statistical category except home runs and defense. Their team batting average of .229 is truly horrible, and they lead the majors with 1187 strikeouts.


August 27, 2021: G129 (75-54, 1st, +8.5G)

Star: STL SP Taijuan Walker 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
The three-hit shutout improves Walker’s STL record to 6-7 with a 3.18 ERA in 17 starts.


August 28, 2021: G130 (76-54, 1st, +9.5G)

Star: STL SP Trevor Rosenthal 8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K


August 29, 2021: G131 (77-54, 1st, +10.5G)

Star: STL SP Jose Flores 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Kyle Cooper was 2-4 with 3 RBI.
J.P. Crawford’s hitting streak was stopped at 14 games.


Players of the Week:
AL: MIN LF Jerry Ball 11-20, 2 HR, 6 RBI
NL: STL SS J.P. Crawford 11-33, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 7 RS


MLB Weekly Power Rankings
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) New York Yankees (127.3, +)
2) Minnesota Twins (125.7, +)
3) Los Angeles Dodgers (122.6, +)
4) St. Louis Cardinals (114.8, --)
5) Boston Red Sox (108.8, ++)
6) Philadelphia Phillies (108.4, -)
7) Chicago White Sox (104.8, +)
8) Atlanta Braves (104.8, ++)
9) San Diego Padres (104.1, --)
10) Houston Astros (102.7, +)

[Orcin]

Washington Nationals (58-71) @ St. Louis Cardinals (77-54)
We have another series against a last-place team, but the Nationals are better than the Brewers. Injuries to Freddie Freeman and Chris Parmelee have slowed their offense, and their starting rotation is a mess with the exception of injury-prone ace Matt Moore. We have taken 5 out of 6 from Washington this season.


August 30, 2021: G132 (78-54, 1st, +10.5G)

Star: STL SP Gerald Thompson 7.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Taveras and Alfaro both had 2 hits and 2 RBIs.

Min-Zhong You cleared waivers and will return to the active roster on Wednesday.


August 31, 2021: G133 (78-55, 1st, +10.5G)

Star: WAS RF K.J. Woods 2-5, HR, RBI
Cardinals finished the month of August with a 20-9 record.


Players of the Month for August:
TOR RF Dennis Donovan (.416-6-37)
LA RF Joc Pederson (.352-9-26) *
* Pederson was placed on the 15-day D/L today with a broken finger (5 weeks).


Pitchers of the Month for August:
TOR SP Griffin Murphy (5-0, 1.79)
LA SP Clayton Kershaw (5-1, 1.61)

Memphis closer Merlin Mackey was AAA Pitcher of the Month (2-1, 2.87 ERA, 10 SV).


MLB Roster Expansion
The Cardinals added 3 players to the active roster: MR Ryan Rodebaugh, 3B Gilbert Griffin, and LF Min-Zhong You (playoff eligible because he was in DFA limbo).


September 1, 2021: G134 (79-55, 1st, +11.5G, M#18)

Star: STL SP Taijuan Walker 8 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K

The Kansas City Royals (63-71) fired manager Rob Leary in his second season. Leary was 150-146 in his brief tenure as manager.

[Orcin]

St. Louis Cardinals (79-55) @ Atlanta Braves (71-63)
We return to Cobb County Stadium, where we swept the Braves on the first weekend of the season. Atlanta is 9.5 games out of first in the East and 5.5 games behind in the wild card race, so time is running out for them to make a move. Slugger Miguel Cabrera is eligible to return from the D/L for the final game of the series.

By the way, none of the three players (Espinosa, Snyder, and Jenkins) that we traded to Atlanta for 2B Franklin Barreto has made a significant impact there. On the other hand, Barreto is hitting .324 with a .931 OPS in 11 games off the bench for us, and he is a big reason why we aren’t jumping into a long-term contract with Kolten Wong.


September 2, 2021: OFF


September 3, 2021: G135 (80-55, 1st, +12.5G, M#16)

Star: STL LF Tarou Sano (his 3-run HR in the first inning got us off and running)


September 4, 2021: G136 (80-56, 1st, +12.5G, M#15)

Star: ATL SP John Lamb 7.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Quality start by former Cardinals lefty Lamb (traded for reliever Marcus Stroman)


September 5, 2021: G137 (81-56, 1st, +13.5G, M#13)

Star: STL SP Gerald Thompson 7 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Thompson (4-0, 3.05 ERA) is making me look like a genius – or maybe an idiot for not bringing him up sooner.

The Cubs (67-69) have lost 5 straight games, and have very little hope of catching the hottest team in baseball. (We have won 18 of our last 22 games.)


Players of the Week:
AL: NY 3B Jeimer Candelario 11-22, 3 HR, 6 RBI
NL: SF C Buster Posey 12-23, 1 HR, 9 RBI

[Orcin]

Los Angeles Dodgers (89-49) @ St. Louis Cardinals (81-56)
There is a playoff atmosphere in Busch Stadium for this series. We are ready to test ourselves against the best team in our league. The Dodgers’ leading hitter, all-star RF Joc Pederson, is still on the D/L with a broken finger and #2 starter Andrew Cashner is out for the season. That might even the odds just a little. The Dodgers come in having lost three straight games. They are 5-2 against the Cardinals so far this season.


September 6, 2021: OFF
Closer Rex Brothers will miss this series with a virus. Mark Montgomery will assume the closer role in his absence. Lefty Dalton Friend will be activated from the D/L in time for tomorrow’s game. Friend is eligible for the playoff roster.


September 7, 2021: G138 (81-57, 1st, +12G, M#13)

Star: L.A. SP Jose Fernandez 7.1 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Matt Kemp’s 2-run HR spoiled another dominant performance by Odorizzi.
Odorizzi’s line: 9 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 14 K, #3 PotD


September 8, 2021: G139 (82-57, 1st, +13G, M#11)

Star: STL 3B Trey Michalczewski 3-4, HR, 2 RBI
Kolten Wong sprained his ankle and is listed day-to-day (9%) for one week.


September 9, 2021: G140 (82-58, 1st, +12.5G, M#11)

Star: LA SP Jacob Turner 8 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K


Reserve catcher Steve Bean has been disappointing in his audition as the starting catcher, hitting around .200 since the lineup change. I did accomplish one goal: his arbitration estimate has dropped under $5 million. I approached him with a 3-year contract extension at an average annual salary of $3M, but his agent scoffed at me.

It is time to get back to our regular lineup with Alfaro behind the plate. Vance Knox and Dutch Deol will platoon in left field. Tarou Sano will return to full-time DH duties, having proven to be less than adequate in left field (ZR of -2.1, efficiency of .877).

[gwalk]

Hello Orcin,

I love reading your dynasties. i finsihed this one and then started back on your first two.
i'm like a quarter of the way on the first read, but i have some questions.

1) what are your amatuer draft settings?
i noticed you often got quite a few multiple star prospects after the first round. With my luck (i normally do 20picks w/ 25 rounds of players)

2) Do you have advice or a thread you read that'll show me the best way to sim 10-20 seasons.
i'm looking at creating something similar to your first dynasty. A sort of alternate history but i wanna start a 24 team fictional league, give it 10-20 years of history and then take over a team i decide worthy (either a cellar dweller or a constant barely misser)

I tried simming multiple seasons and it took me like 2 hours.

3) do you have any other suggestions for "under the hood" or maybe even a point in the right direction?
i noticed you normally list some suggestions, normally those are major ones, just curious if you mess around the statistical modifers or developing modifiers!


Thanks in advance sir!
Keep it up!

[Orcin]

Originally Posted by gwalk

1) what are your amatuer draft settings?

I used the default. I think it is the same setting as yours.

Originally Posted by gwalk

2) Do you have advice or a thread you read that'll show me the best way to sim 10-20 seasons.
I tried simming multiple seasons and it took me like 2 hours.

I sim one season, look at the results, then sim another. It took me a LOT longer than 2 hours.

Originally Posted by gwalk

3) do you have any other suggestions for "under the hood" or maybe even a point in the right direction?
i noticed you normally list some suggestions, normally those are major ones, just curious if you mess around the statistical modifers or developing modifiers!

If I don't mention it, I used the default. I really don't change the "under the hood" settings. I have found the game does a pretty good job on its own.