Advice for an expansion team.

megamanmatt · 03-31-2014, 09:34 PM

Hey folks. Just took over an expansion team in 1977 in my fictional league and I'm just wondering how other players approach the situation.

Baseballman2K5 · 04-01-2014, 02:24 AM

its just like a rebuild situation

megamanmatt · 04-01-2014, 07:46 AM

That's pretty much how I'm doing it. So far not bad. We're last, which obviously I was pretty much expecting. My pitching is beyond what 'terrible' encompasses and fittingly I rank last in all categories except bullpen ERA, BABIP, walks and strikeouts.

Offensively my team has been pleasantly surprising. Not last in any offensive category, and in fact first in strikeouts. First in the good way I mean. 387 K's through just a bit over half the season. Next lowest is 405.

ThePretender · 04-01-2014, 06:35 PM

Sign good free agents so that you can trade them at the deadline. Focus on defensive players as your starters to make your SP look good. Beyond that do it like any other rebuild.

ThatSeventiesGuy · 04-01-2014, 06:59 PM

Once won a division with a 89-73 record with the expansion 1977 Mariners. Pretty much murdered my minor leagues making the trades to do it, though. Free agency also helped, but not completely (Roberto Clemente was 1979 Stargell-esque - Hank Aaron, not so much).

If you want to win right away, do it that way...and hope you have enough money to keep it going through free agency. If you don't mind waiting, trade your old guys for prospects/draft picks.

I suppose the middle-ground approach would be to trade old guys for younger guys who have some experience as backups, but are roadblocked at their position on their current teams. I did a bit of that, too. More than one approach works.

Weird thing about those Mariners: I left them after the 1984 season, it's now 1989, and they still haven't finished worse than second...ever. I must have done something right!

03-31-2014, 09:34 PM	#1
megamanmatt Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Lakeville, Minnesota Posts: 2,416	Advice for an expansion team. Hey folks. Just took over an expansion team in 1977 in my fictional league and I'm just wondering how other players approach the situation. __________________ "The Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles, where there are no lakes; The Oilers moved to Tennessee where there is no oil; the Jazz moved to Salt Lake City where they don't allow music; The Oakland Raiders moved to Los Angeles and then back to Oakland, no one in Los Angeles seemed to notice." Note to self: Princess Kenny was really off-putting.

04-01-2014, 07:46 AM	#3
megamanmatt Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Lakeville, Minnesota Posts: 2,416	That's pretty much how I'm doing it. So far not bad. We're last, which obviously I was pretty much expecting. My pitching is beyond what 'terrible' encompasses and fittingly I rank last in all categories except bullpen ERA, BABIP, walks and strikeouts. Offensively my team has been pleasantly surprising. Not last in any offensive category, and in fact first in strikeouts. First in the good way I mean. 387 K's through just a bit over half the season. Next lowest is 405. __________________ "The Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles, where there are no lakes; The Oilers moved to Tennessee where there is no oil; the Jazz moved to Salt Lake City where they don't allow music; The Oakland Raiders moved to Los Angeles and then back to Oakland, no one in Los Angeles seemed to notice." Note to self: Princess Kenny was really off-putting.

04-01-2014, 06:59 PM	#5
ThatSeventiesGuy Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Midland, MI Posts: 3,421	Once won a division with a 89-73 record with the expansion 1977 Mariners. Pretty much murdered my minor leagues making the trades to do it, though. Free agency also helped, but not completely (Roberto Clemente was 1979 Stargell-esque - Hank Aaron, not so much). If you want to win right away, do it that way...and hope you have enough money to keep it going through free agency. If you don't mind waiting, trade your old guys for prospects/draft picks. I suppose the middle-ground approach would be to trade old guys for younger guys who have some experience as backups, but are roadblocked at their position on their current teams. I did a bit of that, too. More than one approach works. Weird thing about those Mariners: I left them after the 1984 season, it's now 1989, and they still haven't finished worse than second...ever. I must have done something right! __________________ https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...00&postcount=1 Last edited by ThatSeventiesGuy; 04-01-2014 at 07:00 PM.

04-01-2014, 02:24 AM	#2
Baseballman2K5 Major Leagues Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Phoenix Posts: 382	its just like a rebuild situation

04-01-2014, 06:35 PM	#4
ThePretender All Star Starter Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 1,303	Sign good free agents so that you can trade them at the deadline. Focus on defensive players as your starters to make your SP look good. Beyond that do it like any other rebuild.