Great OOTP Storyline: 498 wins and then...

[pjh5165]

Originally Posted by jpeters1734

The way he said it makes it sound like I'm not privy to the conversation.

And what's wrong with debating. One should never shy away from strong opinions.

Search around on the ootp14 forums for some of the storyline threads. It's an argument that always turns ugly.

[Questdog]

Originally Posted by jpeters1734

The way he said it makes it sound like I'm not privy to the conversation.

And what's wrong with debating. One should never shy away from strong opinions.

You can do a search and read all the strong opinions you want.....

[Raidergoo]

I wonder if he has grown tired of the pain in his arm, icing the elbow down so religiously, wondering how the painkillers are affecting his kidneys, and all the like. He might have two goals...collect his PhD and be able to tie his own shoes, when he is 50.

[jpeters1734]

Originally Posted by Raidergoo

I wonder if he has grown tired of the pain in his arm, icing the elbow down so religiously, wondering how the painkillers are affecting his kidneys, and all the like. He might have two goals...collect his PhD and be able to tie his own shoes, when he is 50.

maybe he learned from Barry Sanders.

[Dreifort]

Originally Posted by mm7607

I don't like story lines just from the repetitiveness. After a few thousand games the lines start to repeat with only the names changed.

But I don't think anyone not experiencing a career injury would ever retire with 498 wins. Go to comish mode and un-retire him and let him get his 500 wins. You will feel better later.

He must be hiding something, like steroids use, to retire so quickly.

[JMDurron]

Originally Posted by Raidergoo

I wonder if he has grown tired of the pain in his arm, icing the elbow down so religiously, wondering how the painkillers are affecting his kidneys, and all the like. He might have two goals...collect his PhD and be able to tie his own shoes, when he is 50.

His arm is probably so screwed up at this point that he'll be the one doctor who an excuse for his illegible signature.

[chucksabr]

I vote to not allow him to unretire. I think it's a great story as is.

[scott1964]

Great story

[BostonRS14]

Originally Posted by Roy Tucker

Thanks for liking my post guys. Really appreciate it, mainly cause I have nobody else to tell this stuff to

Looking over his stats, I wish I had the year 2055 back. He went 12-22 that year because about 1/4 of the way through the year, I realized my roster aged about 10 years in 6 months and that I had no chance of winning it all (remember I have no wild cards) so I blew up the whole team got a bunch of prospects that helped for later years, but in the process I won about 60 games that year when I probably had a team that was good for about 75 wins if I left things alone, which certainly meant more wins for Parker.

Alas!

I'd blame the Yankees manager that gave him 19 relief appearances in his rookie season.

[ihatenames]

Originally Posted by BostonRS14

I'd blame the Yankees manager that gave him 19 relief appearances in his rookie season.

I blame his 1955 team. He pitched his butt off and ended up 12-22

[BIG17EASY]

OK, I hate to do this, but I have to ask. Is this an actual OOTP storyline? Or simply a retirement news item? I have storylines off (always have), so I don't know the answer. The reason I ask is that if the announcement of his retirement says something like "is retiring and will pursue his PhD at Harvard" rather than "is retiring to pursue his PhD at Harvard," then there's a BIG difference.

Also, I give the guy props for finishing his undergrad AND his masters while putting together a first-ballot Hall of Fame career! **insert sarcastic emoji here**

And since people are informally "voting" on whether or not to unretire, I say don't do it. It's a great story as is.

[Roy Tucker]

Good question. I don't know if it is a storyline or not. I assumed it was. I have storylines turned on. Unfortunately, I know longer have the news item, but I received two emails at the end of the year. One was a generic player retirement email telling me of Parker's retirement. The other was an email that said something like Parker to pursue PhD at Harvard and then had a two paragraph story about how it was always Parker's dream to get his PhD and that he was following in the footsteps of Natalie Portman and other great people lol So it seemed to me that Harvard was the impetus that caused the retirement. Perhaps someone can go digging in the xml storyline file to tell us if it is an actual storyline.

[Roy Tucker]

I just went digging in the storyline file and it turns out BIGEASY is right. There is no mention of Harvard so this could have happened with storylines turned off.

To me him retiring then deciding to get his PhD at Harvard or retiring to get his PhD at Harvard is a distinction without a difference. In either case (to me) he decided to forgo the milestone.

Good catch bigeasy

[Sal, The Barber]

Let him get that PhD and teach at a university, so he can finally collect some real money!

[asaintsfan]

Originally Posted by LloydLungs

Haha... that's a fantastic story, and being from the New Orleans area it is extra amusing to me because this guy is from Chalmette, LA. Trust me, I'm pretty sure 98% of Chalmette has never heard of Harvard let alone have the ability to go there for a PhD. Way to represent Da Parish, Paul!

Lol! yeah you right!

[CT Wolverine]

Here's to Paul "Amazing" Parker, and to you for reporting his, and your story beautifully.
Bravo!

[BIG17EASY]

Originally Posted by Roy Tucker

I just went digging in the storyline file and it turns out BIGEASY is right. There is no mention of Harvard so this could have happened with storylines turned off.

To me him retiring then deciding to get his PhD at Harvard or retiring to get his PhD at Harvard is a distinction without a difference. In either case (to me) he decided to forgo the milestone.

Good catch bigeasy

Not that it matters, but to me there is a difference. If he retires TO pursue his PhD, then his reason for retiring is to go to school. If he retires AND pursues his PhD, then school is just what he's choosing to do now that his baseball career is over. But since what happened isn't an OOTP storyline, it's a moot point anyway.

[THEMURPH]

Originally Posted by Roy Tucker

Paul "Amazing" Parker has been my most consistent pitcher for years. I traded for him at the age of 29, but for his whole career he was in 20 all-star games. He received 13 Cy Young awards, the last one coming at age 42! Usually I end up trading pitchers or position players because they eventually fall off or are too inconsistent. By the way I have TCR at 200 and injuries at low.

At around the age of 43, I realized Parker had a chance at the unthinkable. 500 wins. Only one pitcher in baseball history has ever done it and soon I was thinking the Cy Young award would be renamed the Paul Parker award.

For some perspective, my league is in the year 2070 and only three other pitchers have 300 wins with a high of 331. Parker was something special.

Then at the age of 44 he suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow and would be out 14 months. The guy who had only missed a handful of starts in his whole career would be out at least a year. Maybe more.

When he suffered the injury he was a mere 29 wins away from history. I feared it could be a career ender. The age, the severity of the injury. He was probably done for. Halfway through the following season he comes back. I put him on a strict pitch count fearful of another injury. He no longer is a strikeout machine. His strikeout rate falls in half. But he wins. And his ERA looks good. He goes 11-5. Leaving him a mere 18 wins shy of 500 at the age of 46.

My team the following year is loaded , but Parker can't seem to buy a win. Even though my team is in first, by July Parker has suffered two minor injuries and only has 6 wins at the break. Then he goes on a hot streak. Pumping out win after win after win. He is up to 16 wins in late September. He needs two more wins and he has just two more starts to do it. Disaster strikes. He can't get past the 5th inning in either start, giving up hit after hit and taking a loss and a no decision.

I have no playoffs, so after the season, it is straight to the World Series. Even though Parker was hit hard his final two starts, I give him the ball for game 1. After all he has a 3.13 era and years of experience. Parker looks lost out there. He gets lit up for 7 runs in just three innings and takes the loss. Parker redeems himself and wins game 4 with guts and guile. He doesn't get any strikeouts, but the other team is unable to make good contact with the ball and he pitches 7 strong innings to get the win. It is a hard fought series that goes to a 7th game. We are at home. Parker gets the start. Neither team can score. Parker is pitching great, but finally in the 8th inning he runs out of gas and gives up a run before being pulled. He leaves the game losing 1-0. A solo home run from my team ties it up in the ninth and in extras we go. My relief pitching doesn't hold up and Parker despite a tremendous effort gets a no-decision and my team loses the World Series.

A disappointing ending to the season to be sure, but next year is full of hope because Parker is just two wins shy of getting 500 wins and he is under contract for another year. Then I check my email. Paul Parker has retired.

Paul Parker, 2 wins shy of 500, decides to retire so he can pursue his PhD at Harvard. I think to myself just go into commissioner mode and let him pitch another year so he can get 500. But I can't. The story is just too rich and fascinating to dismiss. Here is a guy who willingly forgoes a milestone to pursue higher learning. Here is a guy whose final game is 8 innings one run in game 7 of the world series , not getting the win, not getting the championship and he willingly walks away from that. Does this mean there is more to life than baseball? That can't be. This is a story I will always remember. It is unfair, heartbreaking and I wouldn't have it any other way. Here is to you Paul Parker. You were truly amazing.

I like that he only has 1 save.

[bazeall]

"People want to know why I retired two games shy of 500 wins. They say I retired two games shy of history. But I don't think so. Baseball is a young man's game. A man holds on to his youth as long as he can, but he has to realize that youth isn't forever. Your body tells you when it's time to move on from youth. Mine's been telling me for a few years. I ignored it as long as I could. Each man knows when it's time to step out of the young man's game. 498 wins or 500 wins...that doesn't matter. It was time to move on. My arm and my body had nothing left to make baseball history. The history I make from here will include a PhD, and picking up my grand children and great grand children. I always gave it my all. I'm happy with what I did in baseball. Folks call me Amazing for my pitching accomplishments. Maybe I was amazing. There's a lot more amazing life in store for me." - Paul "Amazing" Parker.

[DangeRussW3]

How do you find guys like this!!!! Amazing story.