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Old 03-25-2020, 08:14 PM   #1
Bluellama44
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Death, Taxes, and the Raisin Bears Sucking.

Three things are certain in life: death, taxes, and the Fresno Raisin Bears sucking.

In 1920, with the MLB still trying to recover from the Black Sox scandal, a group of big city businessmen came together to form a baseball league of their own, which they called the Golden League of Baseball. The original plan was for there to be 19 teams in the USA’s biggest cities, and to have one team in Toronto which would be independent from the other divisions and play every team an (almost) equal amount of times. There were to be 2 sub-leagues, the Captain’s League and the Veteran’s League, which would both feature their own East and West divisions. Fancy ballparks were built, and rosters were filled through an inaugural draft.



Veteran’s League East:
New York Hawks (NYH)
Baltimore Barons (BAL)
Boston Trolleys (BOS)
Detroit Wolves (DET)
Cleveland Buckeyes (CLE)

Veteran’s League West:
Seattle Metros (SEA)
Houston Cosmos (HOU)
San Antonio Stallions (SA)
Jacksonville Sharks (JAC)
San Francisco Seals (SFS)

Captain’s League East:
Philadelphia Liberty (PHI)
Chicago Rogues (CHR)
Washington Senators (WAS)
Buffalo Bisons (BUF)
Milwaukee Admirals (MIL)

Captain’s League West:
Dallas Sheriffs (DAL)
Denver Loggers (DEN)
San Diego Surf Dawgs (SD)
Los Angeles Knights (LAK)

Independent:
Toronto Blue Jays (TOR)



Just a few months before the GLB’s Opening Day, the owner of the Toronto Blue Jays fell ill. Just 30 days later, he uttered his famous last words: “Move the team to uh, like, Fresno or something.” Fresno's team would be set up with homes in California immediately, and they would be moved to the Captain's League West Division.

The city of Fresno had just 39 days to prepare a ballpark, so they poured money into creating a stadium with fancy grandstands and a beautiful entrance. They called their team the Fresno Raisins.

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Old 03-25-2020, 08:31 PM   #2
progen
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Sounds interesting. Good luck with this and have fun!!
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Old 03-25-2020, 10:10 PM   #3
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A Black Bear's Ballpark

With a stadium that appeared ready for baseball by Opening Day, the Raisins were packing Raisins Ballpark with fans… until the day after the 5th game of the season, when an earthquake struck California, destroying the grandstands whose supports weren’t actually complete. This left a glaring hole in the walls surrounding the stadium, and the team, who blew almost all of their money on the grandstands and had to pay their players, couldn’t afford to fix it.

This led to a franchise-altering event occurring, which no one should’ve really been surprised by considering Fresno’s run of terrible luck. At 3:30PM during a home game against the much more popular Los Angeles Knights, a black bear found its way into Raisin Ballpark, injuring one fan in the last row of section 1 behind home plate before it stormed onto the field. Everyone was evacuated from the stadium safely, but the bear was still sitting in the infield.

Due to the black bear seemingly owning the stadium, it’s name was changed to “Raisin Bears Ballpark”. After an otherwise successful 89 win first season, the name of the team itself followed suit, becoming the Fresno Raisin Bears. With fresh new grandstands the city of Fresno installed using their revenue from the 1920 season and a new name and logo, the future seemed bright for the Raisin Bears!


Plot twist you were expecting: It wasn’t.


With barely enough money left to pay the team, Fresno's budget was the lowest in the league by over $10,000, and it showed in their records. They failed to go over .500 again until 1926, when the team won 82 games. The next time Raisin Bears fans would see playoff baseball was 5 years later, when the team snuck in with, again, 82 wins. They failed to win a game. Another horrible stretch ensued, featuring 18 straight seasons in which the team failed to go over .500. The next 21 years were even worse.

The losing baseball the Raisin Bears were known to play had become unwatchable. Attendance was awful, with the exception of Old Bill and his tortured grandchildren. Tickets to Fresno games were used as punishments parents gave to their kids, and prisons even sent their occupants to the park as a way for them to take time off their sentence. With their budgets still trailing way behind those of their California rivals and a good amount below the next worst teams, it didn't seem like the Raisin Bears had any hope of winning. Old Bill, who had supported the team since before "Bear" part of their name had been added, still hadn't lost his passion for the team, even if it had disappointed him for 50 years and counting.

In a survey recently conducted, 80% of Fresno residents surveyed claimed they had heard of the team the rest of the league deemed "Team 20", while only 1% of the city claimed they had followed the team even once.

"What even is a Raisin Bear?"
"I know that they're awful, and that's all."
"I've never heard of the Braisin Rears."
"The Raisin Bears are the reason I don't watch baseball anymore."
"I would rather eat dirt than go to Raisin Bear Ballpark."
"I should've just stayed in my cell."
"No better team in baseball! 1970 is our year! 1970 champs! Rise up Fresno!"

That last one was Old Bill.
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Old 03-26-2020, 01:23 AM   #4
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Raisin Bears might be my new favorite team nickname.
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Old 03-26-2020, 10:11 AM   #5
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Legends of the GLB

Jeff Picknell was the first ever GLB draft pick, as Jacksonville took him with the 1st overall pick in the 1920 Inaugural Draft. Picknell would take home the MVP Award, which has since been renamed to the Ed Day Award, hitting .388 with a .484 OBP, stealing 39 bases and striking out only 12 times. While 1920 was everything Jacksonville expected from him and more, his 1921 season is the most iconic in GLB history. He hit .434 and got on base at a .542 clip, stealing 39 bases and striking out 16 times. His .434 BA and .542 OBP still stand as unbeaten records.

Picknell would sign with San Diego after the 1921 season, taking home 2 more MVPs in 1922 and 1923 before signing with Houston and winning one more in 1926. This is when injuries really got the best of him, and he failed to play over 100 games in a season from 1928 to 1934, the year he retired at 39 years old. Still, even through his injury ridden years, the lowest he hit was .316. Jeff Picknell quietly retired to his farm in Iowa, where he still lives today as a 75 year old. He helped make baseball what it is today, and is one of the reasons the GLB has been successful as it’s been. In 1940, Jeff was elected into the GLB Hall of Fame, and the GLB Championship was named after him.



Ed Day grew up watching the legendary Picknell smash records and win MVPs. Little did he know, he would put up a record shattering season of his own in his 2nd year in the league, just as Picknell had. The Dallas Sheriffs, who had then played in Phoenix, picked him #1 overall in the 1934 draft. He would debut a year later, hitting .319 and winning the CL Rookie of the Year Award, but as you know, his 2nd year was his greatest. 10 years after Picknell won his final MVP, Ed Day won his first. He hit .358, smashed 21 HRs, hit 29 triples and drove in a record setting 152 runs, which still stands today as the best single season mark in GLB history.

Ed Day would put together 12 more magical seasons for Phoenix, winning 4 more MVPs and making 12 more All Star Games. At age 37, he decided to sign with San Francisco, and 2 years later, he signed with Baltimore. He retired at age 41 in 1953, completing his 19 year career in which he broke the all time hits (3184), at bats (10030), total bases (4980), singles (2161), doubles (511), triples (251) and RBI (1574) records, which all still stand today. He was elected unanimously into the GLB Hall of Fame in 1959, when CL and VL MVP Awards were named after him.



While Ed Day and Jeff Picknell are two of the GLB’s greatest hitters ever, neither were as dominant as John Hurrelbrink. Hurrelbrink wasn’t a super highly regarded prospect coming up, as he was picked 18th overall by the Washington Senators in 1936 out of high school. He would make his debut in 1940, putting in decent innings out of the bullpen. Washington promoted him to the rotation a year later, and while he was solid, the league hadn’t yet seen what John Hurrelbrink was all about. In 1943, his 17 year run of dominance began, as he won 23 games with a 2.57 ERA. He wouldn’t record an ERA over 3 again until 1954.

Hurrelbrink ended up winning 284 games with a career ERA of 2.70. He won 5 Pitcher of the Year Awards, made 11 All Star Games, and won 5 Picknell Series Trophies. He pitched for Buffalo, San Diego and Milwaukee in addition to his time with the Senators, but went into the Hall of Fame wearing a Washington cap in 1965, when 97.9% of voters voted in his favor and the CL and VL Pitcher of the Year Awards were named after him.



We now find ourselves on October 27th of 1969. The Baltimore Barons just won their league-leading 6th Picknell Trophy. The Boston Trolleys, San Francisco Seals, Seattle Metros and Fresno Raisin Bears have never won it.
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Old 03-26-2020, 11:38 AM   #6
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I'm excited to see some creative, well-written dynasties appearing on the board. Are we about to enter a Golden Age of story writing on the OOTP forum?

At any rate, I'm following along. Good luck with your story!
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My dynasties:

The Base Ball Life of Patrick O'Farrell: 2014 inductee, OOTP Dynasty Hall of Fame

Kenilworth: A Town and its Team: fun with a fictional league
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Old 03-26-2020, 03:52 PM   #7
Bluellama44
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Who Needs Experience?

Believe or not, the Fresno Raisin Bears set a record last year! They cemented themselves as legends of the game, setting a new GLB single season record in...

Losses.

1969 was the worst season in Fresno (and GLB) history, and it had some fierce competition considering the team had lost over 100 games 9 times. 50-112 was the record setting mark, the one record Fresno might ever be remembered for. They saw good pitching in the form of Danny Fuentes and absolutely no one else, and lacked a player who hit over .252. Their payroll of $1.06M was the lowest in the league by over $100K. Their $1.8M budget was the lowest in the league by over $200K. Their total revenue was the lowest in the league by over $250K. Worst of all, their attendance was the lowest in the league by over 200K fans.

This, ladies and gents, is where I come in.

My name is Michael De Luca. I grew up in a wealthy Chicago family, born and raised to be a baseball fan. Being one of the Rogues' most loyal supporters, I got to witness a lot of playoff baseball. I've been alive for 17 of Chicago's 35 playoff appearances, and I got to see them win the 1962 Picknell Series Trophy in the upper deck of Charlie Wilburn ballpark. Being a GM crossed my mind when I was, say, 15. I was very interested in what went into the management of a GLB franchise, and how the Rogues had assembled playoff teams year after year. This curiosity quickly turned into a passion, one that led me to earn my sports management degree at University of Florida. Due to the somewhat close proximity, I thought I’d land myself a job with a high school team and work my way up to a job with a minor league team, and then maybe to the Jacksonville Sharks front office.
To my surprise, a little team in the Golden State didn't need someone with experience working in baseball to be the head of their operations.

A sports management degree and a passion for baseball was all I needed to get a GM offer from the Fresno Raisin Bears.
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Old 03-26-2020, 04:04 PM   #8
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I'm laughing out loud at your latest post. Especially at the end, a sports degree and a passion for the game, and you have a job. You may be the modern day Casey Stengel, who took over the expansion Mets in 1962, and guided them to a 40-102 record, and oh, they had a tie as well. lol

At least with Fresno, there's only one way to go, and that's up!!

And I agree with you Big Six. There are some awesome Dynasty stories on here. I started my own as the GM of the expansion Expos. I hope folks will enjoy reading my dynasty, as much as I know I'll enjoy playing through it. There are some clever ideas on here! Great to see!!

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Old 03-27-2020, 09:16 AM   #9
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First Day On The Job

I came across a nice fellow who just appeared to have robbed the announcers booth while walking to my office today. I've been told that we can't afford to pay announcers, so we probably didn't need that equipment anyway. I told the then sprinting robber to slow down so I could get a better look at him. He had to be at least 55 or 60, with long, wet jet black hair. He was wearing aviator sunglasses, and although I couldn't see his eyes, I could tell he wasn't happy about the interruption.

With a telescope, microphone and notebook in hand, he told me:
"Don't interrupt a master practicing his craft, broski." Fresno weirdo count: 1
Maybe that was Old Bill? Whoever it was, I bet more people would watch us on TV if he was our actual announcer.

I spent an hour or two waiting for the manager to come to my dank little office with a report on the roster, but then realized I might end up waiting forever considering the manager failed to even show up to half of our games last year. Apparently that's where 40 of our 50 wins came from. I did, however, have another encounter with the weirdo. I mistakenly forgot to lock my door, so when I heard something that sounded like a giant snake slithering against my door and screeching, I was prepared to call my family and tell them I love them. Thankfully, it was just the robber. "Become one with Xenu, broski. Let the thetans get you down, and you shall live a life of endless suffering. The Galactic Confederacy has a spot open just for you, if you make the choice to ascend from this Earth." He straightened up and fixed his tone of voice, trying hard to sound like a normal human being. "With that in mind, here's our roster. You can find me in the announcer's booth."

Weird encounters in Fresno: 2
Normal encounters in Fresno: 0
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Old 03-27-2020, 10:38 AM   #10
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Roster Preview

Starting Pitchers

We have a clear #1 starter, and although he isn't an ace, he's done very well with us over the years. The rest of the rotation is subject to change.

Danny Fuentes (31, throws L) - A 2 time All Star, Fuentes is 38-44 with a 2.85 ERA in 4 seasons with us. He's making a hefty $200K per year for the next 5 seasons, so if we get an opportunity to trade him for a good return, we'll take it.

Nick Kain (29, throws R) - He lacks good stuff and any gas on his fastball, but has gotten by on his control. I personally don't buy his success, but he went 4-3 with a 3.06 ERA last year.

Cody Hurley (26, throws R) - Like Kain, he lacks a strong fastball and gets by on control. He's a horrible guy to have in the locker room, so I'm probably going to non-tender him.

Jose Mora (26, throws R) - Man we're really good at getting starters who don't throw hard. He's still on his rookie contract and put up a 3.63 ERA last year, so I plan on having him stick around.

Martin Lopez (28, throws R) - Maybe the worst starting pitcher in the in the league, Lopez won 2 games last year and lost 23.

Relief Pitchers

Our bullpen will definitely see changes over the offseason, so I'm just going to list the guys who should still be contending for spots by Opening Day.

Jason Springer (32, throws R) - He has a good curveball-cutter mix, but really struggles with control. There could be big potential here.

Blake Cline (32, throws L) - Throwing a hard cutter and nice slider, Cline should be a fairly reliable lefty option for us.

Nate Cross (25, throws R) - Cross puts great movement on his pitches and draws a ton of groundballs. He desperately needs to cut the walks down.

Matt Nickey (32, throws L) - He has a very nasty curveball and not much else. Nickey should be a decent lefty option.

You'll notice we lack any good young pitching. This is something we need to address throughout the offseason, whether it's through trades or signings.

Infield

Our infield last year was about as bad as they come.

1B Victor Krueger (36, bats R) - A 4 time All Star, Krueger was once an amazing player but is way past his prime. His $240K contract will mercifully end this offseason.

1B/2B Rich Butler (26, bats L) - He's a free swinger and plays run of the mill defense.

2B Rafeal Rangel (30, switch hitter) - Nothing but speed. Very disruptive in the locker room.

2B Fernando Nunez (29, bats R) - He should be able to make a decent amount of contact and turn some double plays.

2B/SS Manny Gomez (25, bats R) - Plays good 2B defense but can't hit.

3B Tony Sistos (35, bats R) - He has a rocket for an arm at third base but lacks much of a bat. He'll be making $150K per year until after the 1971 season.

SS Gabriel Silva (26, bats R) - He can't do anything at the plate besides walk, and he plays subpar SS defense.

SS Name Unknown (?, ?) - No one really cared to ask him his name because he hit .134 last year. Fans decided not to look when he's up, so no one really knows how he bats.

Yikes.

Catchers

We have a pretty good crop of catchers. No need to try and spend money on the catcher during the offseason.

C Jon Pimentel (27, bats R) - He can't take a pitch, but he handles pitchers well. Good 3rd catcher material.

C Travis McConnell (26, bats R) - He has some pop and can field well. McConnell is probably my favorite catcher in the organization.

C Teodoro Ceraolo (33, switch hitter) - A 5 time All Star, Ceraolo is a good defender but is no longer a threat at the plate. His $160K contract expires after next season.

Outfield

This, although it isn't a very strong outfield, is definitely the bright spot of our team. All of the guys I mention here could be good trade bait, but I also wouldn't mind keeping them.

OF Danny Vasquez (31, bats R) - A 2 time All Star, I think his best days are behind him, but he's still decent.

OF Jorge Rivera (23, bats R) - One of the most promising hitters on the team, the kid can crush the ball but has no business fielding in the outfield. Perhaps some first base training is in order for Rivera.

OF Mike Wargo (25, bats L) - He makes a lot of contact but lacks power. Wargo plays super hard and should be our third biggest threat on the basepaths.

OF Tyler Blin (25, bats L) - Undoubtedly the fastest player on the team, Blin needs to get on base more.

OF Ricardo Ramirez (23, bats L) - I think we have one of the most underrated young players in the league here in Ramirez. He gets on base at a good rate and crushes line drives into the gaps routinely. I'm very curious to see the kind of season he puts together when given adequate playing time.

OF Rob Grabenstein (22, bats L) - There's a lot of untouched potential in Grabenstein. His bat clearly wasn't ready for the majors last year, as his .187 BA demonstrates, but he has great speed, plays phenomenal defense, and may even be a solid hitter who slaps the ball into the gaps when he reaches his potential.

Moving forward, the outfield isn't a spot we'll really need to improve on. Everywhere else is a different story.
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Old 03-27-2020, 11:15 AM   #11
progen
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I'll trade you a first round pick for the Unknown player. Kinda like the Unknown Comic from the Gong Show. lol
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Old 03-27-2020, 02:21 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by progen View Post
I'll trade you a first round pick for the Unknown player. Kinda like the Unknown Comic from the Gong Show. lol
I'd give him (her?) to you for free, that 1st round pick's gonna end up asking for double my budget as a signing bonus!

Now that I've got my bearings with the roster, it's time to do the following:
  • Fill out my staff
  • Tender contracts to players in arbitration
  • Offer extensions to minor league players on expiring contracts

First of all, the staff. Jonathan Janes managed our team last year. He was a 42 year old rookie manager, and, considering the rumors about his poor attendance, I'm going to fire him. I think I know just the man I want to replace him. Dustin Malone came out of the bullpen from 1948-1966 for Chicago, Buffalo, San Diego, Dallas and Detroit, recording 259 saves and an ERA of 2.98. He's the proud owner of 7 CL Reliever of the Year Awards, 7 All Star Game appearances and 4 Picknell Series Trophies. He now lives at home in Greenville, Michigan, where he's expressed interest in becoming a manager.

I flew over to Detroit to meet Dustin at a restaurant. We talked for a few hours. First, the typical "how are the wife and kids doing", and then the conversation went right to baseball. Malone is 43 now, around the usual age a guy starts his managerial career. He says he'll use conventional strategies, meaning no overuse of smallball, no batting the pitcher 8th, and no screaming at players. If we reached an agreement, he said he'd plan to hit the youngest hitters possible and throw out the youngest pitchers my roster allowed him to. He also said I could take control of pitching assignments and lineups if need be. I offered Malone a 3 year, $75K contract on the spot. Cool dude

I've also decided that we'll be bringing in a new Pitching Coach, Hitting Coach and Scouting Director for next season. My Pitching Coach of choice was Luis Dominguez, a 50 year old who started his GLB coaching career with the New York Hawks a decade ago. He has a good reputation around the league and excels in developing groundball pitchers, which he'll see a lot of Fresno. I chose former 3B Helespontico Lopez to be my Hitting Coach. He started coaching hitting in 1954 with Dallas, and after he was let go in 1963, he decided to take a 7 year hiatus. Hopefully he chooses us as the team he wants to make his comeback with. He prefers to teach hitting with an all-around approach, rather than focusing on perfecting one tool. I selected the best scout out there to join me in finding players that will win us a championship, a 63 year old New Yorker who previously worked for San Diego named Nate Derrough.

SP Cody Hurley, SP Martin Lopez, RP Matt Nickey and RP Jason Springer are our arbitration eligible players this offseason. All 4 of them contacted me requesting to be non-tendered and released into free agency. Their wishes were fulfilled. We now have 4 pitchers left on the active roster... Looks like we have some spots to fill!
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Old 03-28-2020, 08:20 AM   #13
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Clubhouse Destruction

There's nothing like waking up on a beautiful Sunday morning and hearing about how a guy you just fired trashed your baseball team's locker room. That was my reality today! I got to attend my first press conference (they didn't care to hold one when I was hired) and the Baseball News Network even released a report on it.

Janes Let Go--Fired as Fresno Manager
The Fresno Raisin Bears are now without a manager. Not only do they have a team to rebuild, they're now going to have to repair the clubhouse.

Today, Jonathan Janes was dismissed as team manager, and in what the front office is calling a "disgusting and uncalled for" act, the former field boss vandalized the team's clubhouse after finding out he had been fired.

"He just seemed to snap and started picking up stuff and throwing it down, smashing things all over the place," said a clubhouse attendant who witnessed the incident. "I've seen him mad before... but never this way."

Team officials have not yet decided whether they will press charges against Janes.

"Jonathan has always had a volatile temper," said Fresno GM Michael De Luca. "I think that little display tells us we made the right decision in letting him go."

The team is now in the process of searching for a new manager -- and also planning to do some renovations in the clubhouse.


Hah! Bold of them to assume we could afford a clubhouse renovation, but hey, if it helps attract some free agents...

(11/05/1969) - Chris Maddox has won the 1969 Veteran's League Reliever of the Year Award. Pitching for Boston, the 24 year old lefty logged 94 innings, struck out 89 hitters, put up a 1.72 ERA and recorded 24 saves.

(11/05/1969) - Joel Jones is the CL's 1969 Reliever of the Year Award winner. He won a remarkable 17 games while coming out of Dallas' bullpen. The 31 year old New York native threw 120.2 innings with 27 saves and a 2.46 ERA. This is his 6th time receiving the award.

(11/07/1969) - Bill Chance has won the 1969 VL Rookie of the Year Award just 11 days after being named the Picknell Series MVP for Baltimore. He hit .290 with 20 HRs and an OBP of .383 in right field last season.

(11/07/1969) - Buffalo's Luis Baltazar has won the 1969 CL Rookie of the Year Award. The 23 third basemen year old hit .274 with 10 HRs and 64 RBIs.

(11/08/1969) - Baltimore's Ramon Leon has won the VL Manager of the Year Award after leading the Barons to their 2nd straight Picknell Series Trophy. The 57 year old accepted the honor with grace, claiming his coaching staff and players are the ones who really earned the attention.

(11/08/1969) - Tony Paralta, the manager of the CL pennant-winning Denver Loggers, has won the Manager of the Year Award. Denver's GM and Owner spoke very highly of him in the press conference that followed the announcement.

(11/09/1969) - Jacksonville's outstanding Troy Chapple took home the illustrious VL Hurrelbrink Award today. The 23 year old righty followed up a season in which he finished 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting with a 12-6 record and a 1.68 ERA.

(11/09/1969) - Valter Rapazote played an integral role in Denver's deep playoff run, and his tremendous efforts earned him the Captain's League Hurrelbrink Award. The right-hander went 21-4 with a 2.17 ERA and 216 strikeouts in his age 24 season.

(11/10/1969) - Cleveland's 26 year old centerfielder Austin Wyss won the 1969 VL Ed Day Award today. The league's most popular star as of late broke out in a huge way last year, hitting .308 with a .374 OBP, 37 HRs, 109 RBIs and 31 stolen bases.

(11/10/1969) - Denver's Valter Rapazote won the CL Ed Day Award in 1969, in addition to the Hurrelbrink Award he earned yesterday.

Luis Dominguez and Helespontico Lopez both accepted my outstretched offers, becoming our pitching and hitting coaches for the 1970 and 1971 seasons.

We’re just waiting on Derrough and Malone!
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Old 03-28-2020, 10:06 PM   #14
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New Scout, New Me

I woke up to some better news this morning. Now, what can be better than being told your former manager trashed the locker room in a fit of rage after firing him, you ask? Well, Nate Derrough accepted my 4 year, $480K offer, and is now my Scouting Director. We got right to work, discussing the top prospects we inherited. We seemed to identify the team's top 3 prospects, guys we wouldn't want to give up any time soon unless we received some serious value in return.

The first guy on our list was Pedro Carbajal, who my predecessor selected with the 4th overall pick last year. He spent his age 21 season at Rookie League Bakersfield, where he hit .260 with a .370 OBP and 3 HRs in 121 plate appearances. Carbajal can be described as a 5 tool player, but he isn't really amazing at anything. He has good plate recognition, and Nate projects a .270, 20 HR season from him. Pedro is prone to the occasional lapse in judgement in the outfield, but he has sure hands, a strong arm and very good range. He stole a staggering 38 bases in 47 games at Auburn before being drafted, but he only managed to steal 6 in Rookie League while being thrown out 3 times.

Bottom Line: Carbajal needs some refinement, but the raw tools are in place to be a big league starter. His outfielding skills best project at CF, but Grabenstein should have that spot on lockdown by the time Pedro's ready for the majors. We have a solid player here, but there may not be space for him on our roster.

Our #2 prospect is a shortstop we signed out of Venezuela in 1965 named David Lorenzo. The way our last Front Office managed him was questionable, to say the least. They tossed him in AA Augusta last year, where he hit a putrid .194 in 43 games before a torn labrum ended his season. Derrough suggests he really should've been in Low-A last year, meaning he'd start at A-Ball Jackson this year, so that's where I'll put him. Despite what his 1969 statline would suggest, Lorenzo makes a lot of solid contact and is great at putting the ball in play. Nate thinks there's no reason why he can't develop into a .290-.300 hitter. David doesn't possess much speed on the bases, but he has great range at shortstop to go along with his great hands and excellent footwork while turning double plays. He's also had some practice at the corner outfield positions and can play them in games if need be.

Bottom Line: Like Carbajal, Lorenzo needs some more experience before he makes the jump to the upper minors and eventually Fresno. He should be one of the better shortstops in the league once he's fully developed.

Nate and I agree that we have one of the most interesting prospects in the league here in SS Sean Jones. He spent his age 20 season last year in A-Ball, hitting .227 with a .353 OBP, 22 HRs and 122 strikeouts in 120 starts. My predecessor used the 111th overall pick on him in 1966, and I believe he may have struck gold. Sean's 1969 season reflects his skillset perfectly, as he has huge power, walks an ample amount and strikes out a lot. Jones obviously struggles with making contact, but he drives in runs and gets on base, which is exactly what we'll need out of him. Sean's defense at SS really has no flaws, as he's about as good as they come in the middle infield.

Bottom Line: With a concerning strikeout rate that he doesn't seem to be trying to improve, there's definitely a chance he doesn't pan out. If he does, with excellent defensive skills and the ability to smash towering home runs, you can't not love his upside.

Overall, our farm system is ranked 20th in the league, or, last, for those of you who skipped past my first post. This isn't too concerning though, as Jorge Rivera, Ricardo Ramirez and Rob Grabenstein are very young and were recently considered prospects.

Believe it or not, being the worst team ever has its perks! We have the first selection in the draft this year, and it's never too early to begin scouting. Considering the fact that the whole draft pool is available and we may not have a pick as good as this, I think it's extremely important that we hit on this pick. A High School SP named Curtis Murray is Nate's favorite in the pool by far at the moment, but we still need to see what kind of season he has in his senior year before we choose him as our guy. We'll discuss him more as we learn about him and select some other players we may want to consider.
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Old 03-29-2020, 09:58 PM   #15
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Our First Acquisition

The day after salary arbitration hearings would've been held for us, Derrough outlined a list of prospects nearing the majors teams may be undervaluing. We wanted to find players who made stints in the majors and failed to perform up to their team's expectations, thus possibly weakening their team's opinions on them. This practice can be a great way to acquire good young players for cheap, but it can also backfire when that player never pans out. This is just a risk we'll have to take when acquiring prospects.

The #1 player on our list was 24 year old Barons 2B Curt Cochet, who disappointed in his rookie year. Baltimore GM John Barger wouldn't talk to me about trading him, which is understandable considering he took him with the 2nd overall pick in 1967. The Senators wouldn't part with Troy Ferdinand, their top hitting prospect, but they did express interest in a trade involving Danny Fuentes on our end and catching prospect Michelangelo Martinez on their end, who fits our mold perfectly. Martinez, who was 23 last year, was called up by Washington in September and hit just .192 in limited time. Despite his struggles, Martinez excels at putting good pitches in play and has excellent discipline. I wouldn't be surprised if he puts up OBPs around .370, which I'm more than happy with paying a premium for at the catcher position. However, before parting with our #1 starter in Fuentes, I'd like to wait until free agents file and extend some offers to pitchers.

Isaac Forbes, San Antonio's #2 hitting prospect, was another player who caught our eye. He possesses all 5 tools, but hit only .211 in his GLB cup of coffee. We love his ability, but the Stallions' asking price of Fuentes, Grabenstein and one of Carbajal, Lorenzo or Sean Jones exceeded what I'm willing to give up. Cleveland CF Juan Sanchez was the final player we looked at, and the only one we decided to pull the trigger on. Although he only hit .195 with Cleveland last year in the GLB, his .302 AAA BA is a very good indicator of the kind of player he is. Sanchez is an excellent hitter against righties, making a ton of solid contact while consistently smashing line drives into the gaps. While he's not an elite base stealer, his great speed translates to his fielding at CF, where he tracks down more balls than your average centerfielder would and uses a strong arm to gun down baserunners.

Fresno and Cleveland Execute Mike De Luca's First Trade The Fresno Bee - November 18th, 1969

It was only a matter of time before the Raisin Bears' new head of operations pulled the strings on his first trade, and this was no minor swap. De Luca dealt 25-year-old CF Tyler Blin, 35-year-old 3B Tony Sistos, 25-year-old 2B Manny Gomez and 23-year-old minor league RHP Carlos Canales to the Buckeyes for 23-year-old CF Juan Sanchez and 19-year-old minor league 2B Ben Bitto.

His career numbers show Sistos is batting .262 with a total of 102 home runs. Juan Sanchez is ranked as the #55 prospect in baseball, while Bitto is unranked. Our 1970 prediction of 60 wins and 102 losses still stands for Fresno, as past trades they've made show that nothing will ever go in this team's favor.


When I realized the Buckeyes weren't going to need Fuentes in this deal, I knew we'd eventually get it done. While losing Blin's speed may hurt a little, unloading Sistos' contract will give us a lot more flexibility heading into free agency. Canales and Manny Gomez are mere throw-ins, as they hardly hold any value to me. Bitto is also a nice acquisition, as he's a slick fielder and already shows great discipline at 19. He's a smart guy and works very hard, which should only propel him towards becoming our 2B of the future. Doing this trade allows us to put Grabenstein in AAA where he can refine his hitting while our newest top prospect plays CF in the majors. I plan to give Sanchez a lot of Spring Training playing time at the corner outfield spots, where he'll play when Grabenstein gets the call. This deal also makes Pedro Carbajal available now that we have a youngster Derrough and I prefer at CF. I'll be on the lookout for young starting pitchers, but before that, it's time to set up Juan's welcome party!
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Old 03-30-2020, 11:12 AM   #16
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A Busy Day In Fresno

GLB News: Free Agents File: Free agency is upon us. GLB Daily - November 19th, 1969

Teams, players and pundits who follow Golden League of Baseball will be thrust headlong into a whirlpool of intrigue and uncertainty. The free agent signing period will continue throughout the offseason as some clubs will go a long way toward sealing up a championship -- or a spot in the cellar.

The magic, the unpredictability of hot stove baseball, is fascinating to the fan; particularly the fan whose team comes out on top!

This year's list of free agents is highlighted by these players:


Sandy Acosta, 31 year-old SS
Reed Ward, 29 year-old RH SP
David Paez, 32 year-old LF
John Freeman, 33 year-old CF
Eduardo Morales, 30 year-old RF
Mike Fernandes, 31 year-old 3B
Luis Sanchez, 31 year-old C
Jeff Nobles, 35 year-old RH SP
Erik Boser, 35 year-old RH SP
Jon Cook, 29 year-old 2B


Reed Ward is definitely the most intriguing player on this list, but with a demand for a contract in the 250K range, we can guarantee Fresno won't be his destination. A surefire Hall of Famer, Ward had his worst season in 4 seasons last year, going 19-11 with a 2.49 ERA and 240 Ks. During his time with Dallas (the team that drafted him), Ward went 145-62 with a 2.38 ERA and 1715 Ks. He's a 6 time All Star, 4 time Hurrelbrink Award winner, 1 time Ed Day Award winner and a 2 time Picknell Series champion. Shortstop is certainly a position we need to fill, and there are no shortages of them in this FA class. Ex-Seattle Metro Sandy Acosta and ex-Philadelphia Liberty player Miguel Rosales are considered elite shortstops, but we once again don't have the available funds to land one of the class-headliners. Luis Sanchez would be an excellent option at the catcher position, but we already have 3 capable catchers and may be trading for another. Jon Cook, Erik Boser, Jeff Nobles, Joel Letona, Mike Fernandes and Mario Flores are all mid-tier players at positions we need to fill, but are still expensive. When you have a lot of open spaces in your team, you don't want to spend all your money on filling one.

Before we start extending offers, I want to let some of the big spenders throw some of their cash at the big names, leaving us some cheaper, lower-tier players. Also, it appears that our biggest signing has already been made...

Fresno Signs ex-Chicago Relief Pitching Legend Dustin Malone To Be Their Manager. GLB Daily - November 19th, 1969

Just 4 hours after the Golden League of Baseball's free agents filed, 43-year-old former RP Dustin Malone has agreed to a 3 year, $75K contract extended by Fresno earlier this winter. 1970 will be his first season managing, and he will start off his career by taking on the worst team in baseball. "I was on-board with the offer the Raisin Bears proposed, and I think more big changes are coming to this team. I fully believe Fresno fans will see winning baseball in the near future. The organization is headed in the right direction." Perhaps Dustin had a bit too much to drink? We may find that out in his introductory press conference tomorrow, which will take place in a remote location somewhere in California called Raisin Bears Ballpark. Hey people, we have more important things to cover, like the story behind Austin Wyss and the papercut on his thumb. Stay tuned!

Well, I guess we know their priorities now... Anyway, welcome to Fresno, Dustin!
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Old 03-30-2020, 12:01 PM   #17
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Good he kept his cap on. At the end of the season, with this team, if he takes it off, he'll either be bald, or as gray as a 70 year old man.
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Old 03-30-2020, 06:31 PM   #18
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Trade #2: Electric Boogaloo

FYI: Who is the active leader in career RBI?

Chris Ifkovits, WAS, 1268
Adam Williams, BOS, 1123
Jonathan Olivencia, LAK, 908
Vinny Grande, WAS, 898
David Osma, BAL, 889


(11/27/1969) - The first big name free agent to sign ends up being the biggest name in the class, SP Reed Ward. He agreed to terms on a 7 year, $1.778M deal with the Detroit Wolves. He finished 3rd in Hurrelbrink Award voting last year.

We find ourselves on the 10th day of free agency. With Ward off the table and other big names currently being bid on, this is our time to reach out to under-the-radar players we could use. The first player we looked at was 25 year old 2B Brady Weinstein. Playing in AA last year, Weinstein hit .330 in 37 games before losing the rest of his season to injury. He plays a position we need, so I offered him a 1 year, $30K contract with the intent of playing him in AAA and calling him up if he's needed. We offered Nate Stone, a 33 year old SS, a 1 year, $50K deal. He hit only .214 in 92 games last year, but his .291 BA the year before and lack of K's suggest it was a result of bad luck. Stone also should be a threat on the basepaths and is still a solid defender at 33 years old. Lupe Salas, a 30 year old RP, has a nasty slider that he used to put up a 2.88 ERA 2 years ago. He was offered a 1 year, $45K contract. The final contract we extended was a 1 year, $55K offer to SP Jonathan Ellis. Although he's already 36, Ellis is an extremely solid pitcher and contacted me about wanting to play with us. He went 12-14 with a 3.32 ERA last year. He'd be our temporary Fuentes replacement in the event that he gets traded......

Speaking of that:

Fresno Raisin Bears Ship Fuentes to Washington The Fresno Bee - November 28th, 1969

Reports have surfaced that Fresno has agreed to send 32-year-old LHP Danny Fuentes, 21-year-old minor league 2B Noah Peacock, 25-year-old minor league CF Jeff Whetham and 26-year-old minor league C Naoichi Abe to the Washington Senators in exchange for 23-year-old C Michelangelo Martinez, 26-year-old 3B Ryan Hartman, 28-year-old RHP Bobby Long and 27-year-old RHP Alex Martinez. "It's a done deal," said Fresno GM Michael De Luca. "I'm surprised word got around so quickly. We just signed off on this an hour ago." The deal apparently is awaiting physicals before an official announcement is made by either team.

Fresno will retain a portion of Fuentes's remaining contract.

In his career, Fuentes has crafted a 81-96 mark with a 3.18 ERA and tossed 1809 innings. Opposing clubs are batting .240 against him and he has 1352 strikeouts. Michelangelo Martinez is ranked as the #6 catching prospect in the GLB.


I love this trade for us. I spoke about Martinez previously, but for anyone who's forgotten what he's all about: "Martinez, who was 23 last year, was called up by Washington in September and hit just .192 in limited time. Despite his struggles, Martinez excels at putting good pitches in play and has excellent discipline. I wouldn't be surprised if he puts up OBPs around .370, which I'm more than happy with paying a premium for at the catcher position." Ryan Hartman hit .263 with a .364 OBP last year in AAA, smashing 27 HRs while driving in 95 runs in the process. I plan to let him start at 3B for us in Fresno on Opening Day. Bobby Long and Alex Martinez are two solid SPs, but they'll never headline the rotation. The rotation, as it stands: Nick Kain, Jose Mora, Bobby Long, Alex Martinez. If Ellis signs, he'd slot in at the #1 spot. The acquisition of our new catcher makes 2 of Jon Pimentel, Travis McConnell and Teodoro Ceraolo expendable and available for trade, as I plan to make Martinez our starting catcher on Opening Day. Perhaps I could include one of them in a deal with Pedro Carbajal for a solid young SP?
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Old 03-31-2020, 03:20 PM   #19
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Third Time's a Charm

FYI: Who is the all time leader in career K's?

Edwin Vega, MIL, 3013 (Active)
Mark Hibbard, CHR, 2993 (Active)
Joe Drexler, DEN, 2686
Esteban Morejon, HOU, 2641
Angelo Garcia, BAL, 2601 (HOF)


(11/30/1969) - The 2nd most productive player in the FA class has signed. The Philadelphia Liberty signed SS Miguel Rosales to a 5 year, $900K contract.

(12/03/1969) - Seattle trades 24 year old RHP Josh Greenberg to San Diego for 31 year old RHP Bernie Schuh.

(12/04/1969) - Jacksonville sends 23 year old RHP David Gomez, 24 year old CF Wessel Ijpma and 19 year old C Pedro Requeno to San Diego for 30 year old LHP Jose Martinez and 21 year old 2B Justin Burnette.

(12/05/1969) - Chicago sends 28 year old RHP Luis Lopez and 23 year old C Ricky Padilla for 26 year old C Silas Brennecke.

Winter Meetings Start GLB Daily - December 6th, 1969

The hot stove will be blazing for the next few days as Golden League of Baseball's Winter Meetings are set to kick off. Owners, GM's, and other front office personnel will gather while players looking for a new contract will be there with their agents alongside them. Naturally, the press vultures will be on hand to peck at any morsel that smells the least bit enticing. Expect a lot of rumors to go unfounded, but don't be surprised to see a major trade or two go down as well. Agents will be looking to get their players the best possible contract and will be trying to play GM's off of each other to do so. Weak willed GM's will commit more than they should, and astute GM's may walk away with a bargain. The picture of what the coming season will look like is about to get a lot sharper.

Lupe Salas, Nate Stone and Brady Weinstein's agents met with me during Winter Meetings. Stone's agent told me Nate was favoring our offer over 2 other ones he recieved, but Weinstein and Salas' requested I up their cash amounts slightly and remove the option I added that only grants them their money if I play them in the majors during April. I complied to their requests.

Jonathan Ellis and his agent met me in person at a restaurant, and he agreed to terms on my 1 year, $55K offer. "Your offer is exactly what I'm looking for at this stage in my career. My focus is finishing off my career on a high note. The money will be there if I work hard and put together solid numbers. Thank you again for being such a class act."

Before Winter Meetings closed, I met with legendary Milwaukee GM Hector Iracheta to conduct a trade that net us our new starting 2B. He began the conversation by offering ace Dennis Runion for a prospect package that included Juan Sanchez and Sean Jones, but I decided Sanchez and Jones weren't worth a guy that I could hardly afford. The deal ended up much different by the time we were done with it.

New Guy Michael De Luca Is Back At It Again, and Trying Hard to Make The League Take Us Seriously The Fresno Bee - December 8th, 1969

The Baseball News Network is reporting that Fresno and Milwaukee have made a swap with 29-year-old 2B Fernando Nunez, 33-year-old RHP Tom Ramsdell, 21-year-old minor league RF Rogelio Mesa and 22-year-old minor league RHP Rob Reed being shipped to the Admirals and in return the Raisin Bears would get 29-year-old 2B Jonathan Gary, 19-year-old minor league 2B Alejandro Martinez, 23-year-old minor league RF Nick Morrison and 29-year-old RHP Alex Torres.

Fresno general manager Michael De Luca said the two sides were close to a blockbuster trade before agreeing upon a smaller scale transaction.

"This is just a bit of housekeeping compared to what we wanted to do," he said. "I won't name names, but the potential deal we were close to making would have certainly grabbed some headlines."

A source inside the Fresno organization said the two sides might not be done dealing, and another transaction could be in the works.

Fresno will retain a portion of Nunez's remaining contract.

During his career Nunez has hit .267 with 73 hits, 2 home runs, 33 RBIs and scored 23 runs.

For his career Gary has batted .221 and hit 24 home runs.


The centerpiece of the deal on our side, 2B Jonathan Gary is a very cheap but quite talented player. Milwaukee's deep depth chart pushed him down to the starting spot at AAA, where he showed good discipline and great ability to produce extra-base hits. Alejandro Martinez currently isn't anything special, but he may be a solid infield option in the future if he develops well. Morrison should start the year at AAA San Bernardino, but may come off the bench for Fresno if he performs. Alex Torres has an outside chance of joining the starting rotation, but he'll likely play in AAA.

The starting rotation, as it stands: Jonathan Ellis, Nick Kain, Jose Mora, Bobby Long and Alex Martinez.

The surefire starters in our Opening Day lineup: Jonathan Gary (2B), Jorge Rivera (1B), Ryan Hartman (3B), Juan Sanchez (CF), Ricardo Ramirez (RF), Michelangelo Martinez (C).
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Old 03-31-2020, 06:08 PM   #20
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Good you found some trading partners. Looks like you're ready for the season!
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