Please Consider Adding the Brooklyn Bushwicks & Other Like Teams to OOTP Baseball

MorrisButtermaker · 05-06-2019, 10:43 AM

I think it is wonderful that the Negro Leagues were included in OOTP Baseball. Perhaps this inclusion means a case could be made for the Brooklyn Bushwicks to be included in OOTP Baseball as well since they played a lot of games against and were arch rivals of the Negro League teams and were as good as the top AAA teams at the time. Maybe the Metropolitan Baseball Association, which was a league that included the Buchwicks as well as several other strong independent/semipro teams such as the Bay Parkways, the Barton's Nighthawks and the Springfield Greys could be created.The vast majority of Bushwicks players were people who had played in the minors and/or majors or would do so in their future. Sometimes major or minor league players played for the Bushwicks for a few games at a time between seasons or at times when they were temporarily without a minor or major league contract and/or team to play for. For some veterans the Bushwicks were their last chance to play baseball for pay before retiring. It was not uncommon for major and minor league teams to sign players straight off of and away from the Bushwicks and they would be a great place to obtain free agents for those playing OOTP Baseball. Researching the Bushwicks would actually be easier than researching the Negro League players. All of the Bushwicks games were covered in New York newspapers and box scores were printed for them. (See: https://fultonsearch.org/) The teams best season was 1946. They played 92 games and finished with a winning percentage that was just a fraction better than that ever achieved by a National or American League team. That year they played 41 games against Negro League teams and won 27 of them. A last interesting fact about the Bushwicks is they played 95% of their games at home in Dexter Park. If MLB teams had played there it would be remembered as one of the most extreme pitcher's parks in baseball history. For an interesting article on the Bushwicks see WITH A BUNCH OF GARBAGEMEN IN THE LINEUP, THE BUSHWICKS CLEANED UP (https://www.si.com/vault/1981/06/15/...cks-cleaned-up) There has also been a book wirtten about them. It is Baseball's Peerless Semipros: The Brooklyn Bushwicks of Dexter Park by Thomas Barthel. I can provide more info it anyone is interested.

MorrisButtermaker · 05-15-2019, 09:56 PM

Dexter Park sat 15,000 and in some years the Bushwicks drew more fans than some teams from the American and National Leagues even though they never played more than about 92 games in a season.

There either is available for sale, or has been for sale in the recent past, seven different style Brooklyn Bushwick caps from seven different seasons. One can also buy authentic reproductions of a 1933 jersey and grounds crew jacket. The Brooklyn Bushwicks team name has also been, and in some cases still is, sold on a number of modern apparel items. I believe the availability of these items proves that the public is interested in the team and that if OOTP Baseball were to include the Bushwicks in a future version of the simulation it would be well received. Other posts made by others that mention the team can be found in these forums.

05-06-2019, 10:43 AM	#1
MorrisButtermaker Minors (Single A) Join Date: Apr 2019 Posts: 54	Please Consider Adding the Brooklyn Bushwicks & Other Like Teams to OOTP Baseball I think it is wonderful that the Negro Leagues were included in OOTP Baseball. Perhaps this inclusion means a case could be made for the Brooklyn Bushwicks to be included in OOTP Baseball as well since they played a lot of games against and were arch rivals of the Negro League teams and were as good as the top AAA teams at the time. Maybe the Metropolitan Baseball Association, which was a league that included the Buchwicks as well as several other strong independent/semipro teams such as the Bay Parkways, the Barton's Nighthawks and the Springfield Greys could be created.The vast majority of Bushwicks players were people who had played in the minors and/or majors or would do so in their future. Sometimes major or minor league players played for the Bushwicks for a few games at a time between seasons or at times when they were temporarily without a minor or major league contract and/or team to play for. For some veterans the Bushwicks were their last chance to play baseball for pay before retiring. It was not uncommon for major and minor league teams to sign players straight off of and away from the Bushwicks and they would be a great place to obtain free agents for those playing OOTP Baseball. Researching the Bushwicks would actually be easier than researching the Negro League players. All of the Bushwicks games were covered in New York newspapers and box scores were printed for them. (See: https://fultonsearch.org/) The teams best season was 1946. They played 92 games and finished with a winning percentage that was just a fraction better than that ever achieved by a National or American League team. That year they played 41 games against Negro League teams and won 27 of them. A last interesting fact about the Bushwicks is they played 95% of their games at home in Dexter Park. If MLB teams had played there it would be remembered as one of the most extreme pitcher's parks in baseball history. For an interesting article on the Bushwicks see WITH A BUNCH OF GARBAGEMEN IN THE LINEUP, THE BUSHWICKS CLEANED UP (https://www.si.com/vault/1981/06/15/...cks-cleaned-up) There has also been a book wirtten about them. It is Baseball's Peerless Semipros: The Brooklyn Bushwicks of Dexter Park by Thomas Barthel. I can provide more info it anyone is interested. Last edited by MorrisButtermaker; 05-15-2019 at 09:55 PM. Reason: made a correction and addition to the post

05-15-2019, 09:56 PM	#2
MorrisButtermaker Minors (Single A) Join Date: Apr 2019 Posts: 54	I just want to add a few more thoughts to this thread. Dexter Park sat 15,000 and in some years the Bushwicks drew more fans than some teams from the American and National Leagues even though they never played more than about 92 games in a season. There either is available for sale, or has been for sale in the recent past, seven different style Brooklyn Bushwick caps from seven different seasons. One can also buy authentic reproductions of a 1933 jersey and grounds crew jacket. The Brooklyn Bushwicks team name has also been, and in some cases still is, sold on a number of modern apparel items. I believe the availability of these items proves that the public is interested in the team and that if OOTP Baseball were to include the Bushwicks in a future version of the simulation it would be well received. Other posts made by others that mention the team can be found in these forums. Attached Images Last edited by MorrisButtermaker; 05-15-2019 at 11:08 PM.