The New York Patriots - A Free To Play Project

[Magus978]

BRONZE LEAGUE .257 DAY 2 - THE DAY THE THEME EXPANDED REPORT

Record: 12-16
Overall Record: 24-30
Position: 25th in league, 2 games ahead of Daytona Beach Pickleballers for the second relegation place

TRANSACTIONS
CF - Augie Galan (78) 1943 Historical All-Star Purchased for 300 points
SP - Jim Merritt (77) 1970 Historical All-Star Purchased for 299 points
CF - Brett Butler (72) 1991 Historical All-Star Purchased for 220 points

HAPPY TRAILS
SP - Josh Johnson Demoted to Reserves
CF - Aaron Rowand Demoted to Reserves
RF - Brad Wilkerson Demoted to Reserves

HITTING STATS
C - Gary Carter (.195, 2 HR, 7 RBI)
C - Randy Hundley (.234, 3 HR, 15 RBI)
1B - Mark Grace (.291, 4 HR, 20 RBI)
2B - Edgardo Alfonzo (.299, 6 HR, 30 RBI)
2B - Jose Reyes (.362, 0 HR, 4 RBI)
3B - Luis Castillo (.338, 2 HR, 20 RBI)
3B - Tim Wallach (.230, 6 HR, 16 RBI)
SS - Don Kessinger (.254, 0 HR, 10 RBI)
LF - Dale Murphy (.272, 14 HR, 36 RBI)
LF - Enos Slaughter (.261, 2 HR, 8 RBI)
CF - Augie Galan (.185, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
CF - Brett Butler (No stats)
RF - Paul Waner (.301, 2 HR, 21 RBI)
DH - Andy Pafko (.273, 10 HR, 34 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Burleigh Grimes (1-5, 8.90)
SP - Doug Drabek (4-4, 4.37)
SP - Jim Merritt (1-1, 2.40)
SP - Rick Reed (3-5, 5.50)
SP - Joaquin Andujar (4-4, 3.31)

RP - Terry Leach (1-1, 3.38)
RP - Greg McMichael (0-1, 2.65)
RP - Bruce Sutter (3-1, 4.60, 1 sv)
RP - Jeff Reardon (2-2, 3.09)
RP - Jeff Lahti (2-1, 3.90)
CL - Gene Garber (0-3, 6.06, 9 sv)

WHAT'S HOT?
My seat.

WHO SUCKS?
Randy Hundley: .100 (2 for 20) in last 5 games

Notes: It's getting worse before it gets better. Luckily, that's the idea. We're under no illusions at this point, and the goal is clear. It's to get relegated. We're in the bottom 3 in the conference in most major pitching and defensive categories, and while we're 3rd in the conference in batting average and 2nd in hits, that's the only bit of good we're doing. When the offense fails, that's when the bottom will fall out and we will get the desired result.

With the team theme expanding to include the entire National League, there will be more budget players coming in for an opportunity, as we hope to find something that will serve us well when the inevitable happens and we get relegated back to Iron. The experimentation and training begins for the rest of this season as new signing Brett Butler will get an occasional look in the corner outfield spots.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 244

[Magus978]

BRONZE LEAGUE .257 DAY 4 - THE CATCHING UP REPORT

Record: 41-37
Overall Record: 53-53
Position: 4th in NC East, 8 games behind. 6th in NC Wildcard, 6.5 games behind. 17th overall, 10.5 games ahead of Laurelton Corsairs (29th place)

TRANSACTIONS
SS - Barry Larkin (78) 1995 Historical All-Star Purchased for 755 points
SP - Chan Ho Park (78) 2001 Historical All-Star Purchased for 500 points
C - Kirt Manwaring (64) 1993 Hardware Heroes Purchased for 50 points
RP - Mike Jackson (76) 1994 Record Breaker Purchased for 150 points (!)
SP - Charlie Morton (76) 2017 Unsung Heroes Purchased for 300 points
RF - Babe Herman (77) 1932 Hardware Heroes Purchased for 251 points

Note about Morton...In a previous post, I declared the entire National League eligible for the team. While the Houston Astros were part of the NL at some point, 2017 was not one of those years. In my haste to pick him up, I forgot that the Astros moved to the AL in 2013. As such, only Astros players who are listed from 1962 to 2012 would qualify for the team. Thus, Morton is not eligible. While he will be allowed to finish the season with the club for my own sake, as soon as the season is over, he will be removed from the main roster and made inactive. This will give me the entire weekend to find a replacement for him for next season.

HAPPY TRAILS!
LF - Dale Murphy Placed in Auction House, will return to team if unsold
CF - Aaron Rowand Demoted to Reserves
C - Gary Carter Sold for 270 points
SP - Jim Merritt Demoted to Reserves
RP - Bruce Sutter Demoted to Reserves
LF - Enos Slaughter Demoted to Reserves

HITTING STATS
C - Randy Hundley (.234, 4 HR, 25 RBI)
C - Kirt Manwaring (.389, 0 HR, 4 RBI)
1B - Mark Grace (.301, 11 HR, 48 RBI)
2B - Edgardo Alfonzo (.282, 7 HR, 46 RBI)
2B - Jose Reyes (.325, 0 HR, 9 RBI)
3B - Luis Castillo (.308, 5 HR, 38 RBI)
SS - Barry Larkin (.274, 5 HR, 19 RBI)
SS - Don Kessinger (.244, 1 HR, 16 RBI)
LF - Babe Herman (.077, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
CF - Brett Butler (.324, 0 HR, 12 RBI)
CF - Augie Galan (.237, 2 HR, 16 RBI)
RF - Paul Waner (.280, 8 HR, 50 RBI)
DH - Andy Pafko (.274, 22 HR, 64 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Doug Drabek (9-6, 4.46)
SP - Chan Ho Park (2-2, 4.54)
SP - Rick Reed (8-7, 4.27)
SP - Joaquin Andujar (8-5, 3.06)
SP - Charlie Morton (0-1, 7.59)

RP - Terry Leach (3-1, 3.29)
RP - Greg McMichael (1-1, 3.63)
RP - Burleigh Grimes (4-9, 6.62, 1 sv)
RP - Jeff Reardon (2-3, 3.02, 2 sv)
RP - Jeff Lahti (3-3, 4.37, 1 sv)
RP - Mike Jackson (1-0, 1.59)
CL - Gene Garber (2-5, 3.16, 24 sv)

WHO'S HOT?
Andy Pafko - .414 (12 for 29), 4 HR, 6 RBI in last 7 games

WHO SUCKS?
Randy Hundley - .115 (3 for 26), 0 HR, 2 RBI in last 7 games

Notes: For a brief moment, I thought we were gonna start the second half of the season on a big run and start overachieving big time. Instead, we sit at .500. Now, you may be wondering why I decided to ditch Murphy. Well, he has outlived his usefulness. The strikeouts are just too much. With an all or nothing hitter like Dale Murphy, the strikeouts will become a massive issue, and they have. I figured that I could go get a guy like Babe Herman who can hit for average (although he hasn't shown it yet), as well as a defensive wizard in Brett Butler who can also hit a little bit. In this case, Butler has slid over to center where he's most proficient, and he's produced recently to the tune of 8 hits in his last 5 games.

All the additions I've made, with the exception of Manwaring and Larkin, are meant to give us a combination of solid hitting and defense. Manwaring is all defense, and Larkin's primarily offense. As a hitter, Larkin's got no real flaws, and that's what I like to see from someone in that bottom third of the order.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 328

[Magus978]

BRONZE LEAGUE .257 DAY 5 - THE FADING HOPES REPORT

Record: 15-13
Overall Record: 68-66
Position: 4th in NC East, 7.5 games behind. 5th in wildcard, 6.5 games back. 12th overall

TRANSACTIONS
CF - Curt Flood (76) 1963 Hardware Heroes Purchased for 825 points
LF - Kal Daniels (78) 1988 One Hit Wonder Purchased for 344 points
RP - Mike G. Marshall (77) 1974 Historical All-Star Purchased for 452 points

HAPPY TRAILS!
CF - Dale Murphy Quicksold for 1,000 points
.244, 42 HR, 108 RBI in 220 games
SP - Rick Reed Demoted to Reserves
RP - Terry Leach Demoted to Reserves
RP - Greg McMichael Demoted to Reserves

HITTING STATS
C - Randy Hundley (.233, 6 HR, 33 RBI)
C - Kirt Manwaring (.284, 0 HR, 7 RBI)
1B - Mark Grace (.305, 14 HR, 67 RBI)
2B - Edgardo Alfonzo (.288, 9 HR, 75 RBI)
2B - Jose Reyes (.310, 0 HR, 11 RBI)
3B - Luis Castillo (.299, 5 HR, 49 RBI)
SS - Barry Larkin (.259, 5 HR, 22 RBI)
SS - Don Kessinger (.261, 2 HR, 23 RBI)
LF - Babe Herman (.255, 2 HR, 9 RBI)
LF - Augie Galan (.246, 3 HR, 17 RBI)
CF - Brett Butler (.286, 0 HR, 21 RBI)
CF - Curt Flood (6/10, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
RF - Paul Waner (.288, 9 HR, 65 RBI)
DH - Andy Pafko (.268, 23 HR, 77 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Doug Drabek (10-8, 4.64)
SP - Chan Ho Park (5-2, 4.04)
SP - Joaquin Andujar (9-8, 3.62)
SP - Charlie Morton (2-3, 4.69)
SP - Jim Merritt (2-4, 6.99)

RP - Burleigh Grimes (5-9, 5.97, 2 sv)
RP - Jeff Reardon (3-3, 2.57, 2 sv)
RP - Jeff Lahti (5-4, 3.76, 2 sv)
RP - Mike Jackson (3-0, 1.71)
RP - Mike G. Marshall (0-1, 2.57, 1 sv)
CL - Gene Garber (3-6, 3.48, 29 sv)

WHO'S HOT?
Jeff Reardon - 1-0, 0.52 ERA in last 17 games (17.1 IP)

WHO SUCKS?
Randy Hundley - .074, 0 HR, 0 RBI in last 8 games
Jim Merritt - 1-3, 10.07 ERA in last 5 starts (22.1 IP)

Notes: We needed to come out firing in August. We didn't. A pedestrian 15-13 will not get us back in the race...and I'm resigned to the fact that the run that I had hoped would come is simply not going to materialize. Now the focus is to finish as strong as possible and finish at or over .500. I'm hoping we can at least get 81 wins, and all it would take is a fairly pedestrian 13 wins.

Assuming we don't make the playoffs, which is likely given our 1.6% chance, we will be looking for another budget catcher. We will be looking for a competent bat to replace Randy Hundley, who has proven to be fairly worthless.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 297

[Magus978]

BREAKING: Patriots officially eliminated from postseason contention.

The run that some insiders thought could potentially happen down the stretch just never materialized. However, because of a solid 2nd half, they were able to make a few nice additions that you'll see in the end of season report which may serve them well for next season with new ballpark factors.

They will be playing in Bronze for a 3rd straight season.

[gemini615]

New additions?? Spill the beans lol

[Magus978]

Originally Posted by gemini615

New additions?? Spill the beans lol

Be patient. All will be revealed in the end of season report

I will say this...I didn't have the points to break the bank. However, I think I found a few budget favorites who will contribute greatly to the 2026 team.

[Magus978]

BRONZE LEAGUE .257 DAY 6 - THE BIG BAG OF MEH REPORT

Record: 13-15
Overall Record: 81-81
Final Position: 4th place in NC East, 6th in NC Wildcard, 16th overall

TRANSACTIONS
C - Bob Boone (78) 1978 Historical All-Star Purchased for 1,000 points
RF - Tony Gwynn (69) 1984 Historical All-Star Purchased for 480 points
1B - Orlando Cepeda (69) 1958 Rookie Sensation Purchased for 45 points

HAPPY TRAILS!
DH - Andy Pafko Sold for 1,800 points
.256, 64 HR, 195 RBI in 2 seasons with New York

SP - Charlie Morton Deactivated
C - Kirt Manwaring Demoted to Reserves
RF - Von Hayes Quicksold for 100 points
1B - Brad Wilkerson Quicksold for 25 points
CF - Timo Perez Quicksold for 25 points

2025 HITTING STATS
C - Randy Hundley (.232, 7 HR, 37 RBI)
C - Kirt Manwaring (.293, 0 HR, 7 RBI)
C - Gary Carter (.197, 3 HR, 10 RBI)
C - Bob Boone (2/4)
1B - Mark Grace (.291, 16 HR, 79 RBI)
1B - Orlando Cepeda (3/17, 4 RBI)
2B - Edgardo Alfonzo (.282, 12 HR, 89 RBI)
2B - Jose Reyes (.313, 0 HR, 12 RBI)
3B - Luis Castillo (.303, 6 HR, 61 RBI)
3B - Tim Wallach (.225, 6 HR, 17 RBI)
SS - Barry Larkin (.267, 8 HR, 30 RBI)
SS - Don Kessinger (.268, 4 HR, 35 RBI)
LF - Dale Murphy (.244, 19 HR, 59 RBI)
LF - Augie Galan (.249, 3 HR, 17 RBI)
LF - Enos Slaughter (.250, 2 HR, 10 RBI
LF - Babe Herman (.262, 6 HR, 23 RBI
LF - Curt Flood (.302, 0 HR, 2 RBI)
CF - Tony Gwynn (.333, 0 HR, 5 RBI)
CF - Brett Butler (.280, 0 HR, 21 RBI)
CF - Aaron Rowand (.232, 2 HR, 17 RBI)
RF - Paul Waner (.279, 11 HR, 78 RBI)
RF - Brad Wilkerson (.167, 1 HR, 8 RBI)
DH - Andy Pafko (.264, 26 HR, 86 RBI)

2025 PITCHING STATS
SP - Doug Drabek (12-10, 4.69)
SP - Joaquin Andujar (11-10, 4.03)
SP - Chan Ho Park (5-7, 4.29)
SP - Rick Reed (8-10, 4.63)
SP - Jim Merritt (3-7, 6.42)
SP - Charlie Morton (5-4, 4.26)
SP - Josh Johnson (4-3, 5.09)
RP - Terry Leach (3-1, 3.90)
RP - Greg McMichael (1-1, 3.38)
RP - Mike Jackson (4-0, 1.87, 1 sv)
RP - Jeff Reardon (3-3, 2.71, 2 sv)
RP - Mike G. Marshall (2-1, 2.87, 2 sv)
RP - Jeff Lahti (5-4, 3.30, 2 sv)
RP - Bruce Sutter (5-3, 4.13, 1 sv)
RP - Burleigh Grimes (6-9, 5.54, 2 sv)
CL - Gene Garber (4-8, 3.47, 36 sv)
2B - Jose Reyes (3 IP, 0 ER)
LF - Enos Slaughter (0.2 IP, 1 ER)
3B - Luis Castillo (0.1 IP, 4 ER)

Italics indicate player is no longer on active roster

Notes:Well...we got to 81 wins. Conglaturation?

In all seriousness...the starting pitching was absolutely putrid. Nothing much I can do about that. Still don't have the points to upgrade it significantly, because what it needs is a massive overhaul, and I can't do that right now. I was, however, able to overhaul the majority of the bats. With the next season being a complete shift in ballpark strategy, being more oriented towards contact hitters, I'm hoping the changes to be made will result in more wins and will allow us to make a bid for a wildcard.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 1,292

[Magus978]

It's that time again. Time for a new season. We have been placed in B272, and based on the talent level in the division...it's gonna be another terrible year. However, I believe we are slightly more prepared for it after the budget buys I've made. I'm quietly hoping we can play .500 ball within our division and finish with 85 wins.

That said, here's how we're going to line up this season.

RHP STARTING LINEUP
1. CF - Tony Gwynn (69)
2. LF - Curt Flood (76)
3. RF - Paul Waner (74)
4. 2B - Edgardo Alfonzo (87)
5. 1B - Mark Grace (70)
6. DH - Orlando Cepeda (69)
7. SS - Barry Larkin (78)
8. 3B - Luis Castillo (74)
9. C - Bob Boone (78)

LHP STARTING LINEUP
1. CF - Tony Gwynn (69)
2. LF - Curt Flood (76)
3. 2B - Edgardo Alfonzo (87)
4. DH - Orlando Cepeda (69)
5. RF - Paul Waner (74)
6. 1B - Mark Grace (70)
7. SS - Barry Larkin (78)
8. 3B - Luis Castillo (74)
9. C - Bob Boone (78)

STARTING ROTATION
1. Max Scherzer (79) 2016 Hardware Heroes Purchased for 929 points
2. Chan Ho Park (78)
3. Doug Drabek (76)
4. Joaquin Andujar (73)
5. Preacher Roe (75) 1949 Historical All-Star Purchased for 175 points

BULLPEN
Long Relief - Burleigh Grimes (79)
Middle Relief - Jeff Reardon (71)
Middle Relief - Jeff Lahti (75)
Middle Relief - Mike Jackson (76)
Setup - Mike G. Marshall (77)
Closer - Gene Garber (84)

[Magus978]

BRONZE .272 DAY 1 - THE PISS AWAY A GOOD START REPORT

Record: 13-14
Position: 4th in NC West

TRANSACTIONS
SS - Ozzie Smith (70) 1989 Historical All-Star Purchased for 799 points
SP - Mike Krukow (77) 1986 Historical All-Star Purchased for 375 points
C - Mike Matheny (60) 2000 Hardware Heroes Purchased for 49 points

HAPPY TRAILS
C - Randy Hundley Sold for 432 points
SS - Jeff Blauser Quicksold for 100 points
LF - Enos Slaughter Sold for 270 points
SS - Barry Larkin Demoted to Reserves

HITTING STATS
C - Bob Boone (.342, 4 HR, 14 RBI)
C - Kirt Manwaring (.393, 1 HR, 5 RBI)
1B - Mark Grace (.259, 1 HR, 12 RBI)
1B - Orlando Cepeda (.360, 4 HR, 21 RBI)
2B - Edgardo Alfonzo (.260, 2 HR, 12 RBI)
2B - Jose Reyes (5/12)
3B - Luis Castillo (.304, 2 HR, 10 RBI)
SS - Ozzie Smith (2/4)
SS - Don Kessinger (.250, 1 HR, 2 RBI)
LF - Curt Flood (.266, 1 HR, 9 RBI)
LF - Babe Herman (.338, 2 HR, 9 RBI)
CF - Tony Gwynn (.391, 1 HR, 11 RBI)
CF - Brett Butler (.163, 1 HR, 4 RBI)
RF - Paul Waner (.270, 0 HR, 6 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Max Scherzer (1-3, 6.15)
SP - Chan Ho Park (1-4, 4.84)
SP - Joaquin Andujar (3-2, 3.18)
SP - Doug Drabek (2-2, 5.58)
SP - Mike Krukow (1-1, 4.87)

RP - Jeff Reardon (1-0, 2.87)
RP - Jeff Lahti (0-0, 1.50)
RP - Mike G. Marshall (0-0, 0.00)
RP - Mike Jackson (1-0, 5.54, 1 sv)
RP - Burleigh Grimes (1-0, 1.83)
CL - Gene Garber (2-1, 3.00, 4 sv)

WHO'S HOT?
The bats were...for awhile.

WHO SUCKS?
OUR ENTIRE BLEEPING ROTATION!!!!!!

Notes: I've lost my mind. The rotation's been so bad, I'm now relegating everyone to relievers and instituting an opener/follower system. After pissing away a 10-5 start, I'm desperate to find something that will work and fix our "starters". I don't have the points to upgrade the rotation in any traditional sense, so this will have to do.

On the offensive side of things, the transition to a contact-based attack has worked out for the most part. We lead the conference in batting average (.298). However, as long as we hit like gods and pitch like redacted, we're not going anywhere except right back to the bar after another lost season.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 487

[Magus978]

BRONZE .272 DAY 2 - THE "THIS TEAM IS PISSING ME THE HELL OFF" REPORT

Record: 14-14
Overall Record: 27-28
Position: 3rd place in NC West

TRANSACTIONS
RF - Kevin Bass (72) 1986 Historical All-Star Purchased for 400 points
SP - Rick Wise (76) 1971 Historical All-Star Purchased for 299 points
SP - Claude Osteen (77) 1967 Historical All-Star Purchased for 259 points

HAPPY TRAILS
SP - Chan Ho Park Sold for 315 points
SP - Preacher Roe Quicksold for 100 points
SP - Jim Merritt Quicksold for 100 points
SP - Josh Johnson Quicksold for 100 points
3B - Tim Wallach Quicksold for 100 points
SS - Jeff Blauser Quicksold for 100 points
CF - Brett Butler Demoted to Reserves

HITTING STATS
C - Bob Boone (.327, 8 HR, 28 RBI)
C - Kirt Manwaring (.304, 1 HR, 5 RBI)
1B - Mark Grace (.250, 4 HR, 23 RBI)
2B - Edgardo Alfonzo (.263, 7 HR, 28 RBI)
2B - Barry Larkin (.257, 0 HR, 7 RBI)
3B - Luis Castillo (.299, 2 HR, 19 RBI)
SS - Ozzie Smith (.241, 0 HR, 2 RBI)
SS - Don Kessinger (.272, 1 HR, 11 RBI)
LF - Babe Herman (.307, 4 HR, 19 RBI)
LF - Curt Flood (.239, 1 HR, 17 RBI)
CF - Tony Gwynn (.293, 1 HR, 17 RBI)
RF - Paul Waner (.328, 2 HR, 17 RBI)
RF - Kevin Bass (.207, 1 HR, 1 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
Opener - Claude Osteen (0-0, 2.08)
Opener - Joaquin Andujar (3-5, 4.40)
Opener - Burleigh Grimes (2-1, 1.74)
Opener - Rick Wise (0-1, 9.00)
Opener - Max Scherzer (1-3, 5.10)

MR - Bruce Sutter (1-1, 5.66, 1 sv)
MR - Jeff Reardon (5-0, 2.21)
MR - Jeff Lahti (4-1, 2.43, 2 sv)
MR - Mike Jackson (1-0, 3.69, 1 sv)
MR - Mike G. Marshall (1-2, 4.62)
CL - Gene Garber (5-3, 1.50, 11 sv)

Notes: I'm absolutely disgusted with this team. No matter what I do with this pitching, it refuses to improve. I can add different pitchers, turn everyone into openers, put them on pitch counts, not a damn thing works. I want to solicit advice from my readers. Attached are my ballpark factors. What am I to do with 5 starters who refuse to do their jobs?

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 324

[Magus978]

*redacted*

[Magus978]

An executive decision has been made ahead of the 2027 season. Negro League Legends will be allowed to play for the Patriots. We consider ourselves an all-inclusive franchise, so with that said, we will welcome any Negro League players should we find one that fits our needs.

Another executive decision made to allow a broader range of players is that we will now allow up to 2 players who are not listed with a National League team. The caveat being that they have to had played at least one full season for a National League team. To qualify for this rule, hitters must have played in at least 81 National League games. Starting pitchers have to have made at least 15 starts for a National League team, and relievers have to have made at least 30 appearances for a National League team.

That said, we have 4,856 points to spend. With the offense pretty much set in stone going into next season, we are looking to improve our league-worst pitching. I have been deliberating about whether or not to make one big add, or potentially add two low-80's gold starters. I will decide on that tonight.

[Magus978]

MEET THE NEW BOYS
SP - Ismael Valdez
Cost: 2,500 points
Overall: 88 1995 Rookie Sensation
Ratings: 69 Stuff - 62 Movement - 73 Control

Ismael Valdez went 13-11 in 1995, his full rookie year, with an ERA of 3.05, finishing 7th in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. He is a groundball pitcher, who should have a good time with a trained up infield of Jose Reyes at 1st base, Dave Cash at 2nd, Luis Castillo at 3rd, and Larry Bowa at shortstop. He might not be worth the 88 overall, but I don't regret paying the small fee of 2,500 for him. Special thanks to discord user Killapop for being kind enough to sell him to me for this price!

SP - Bill Swift
Cost: 1,400 points
Overall: 82 1993 Hardware Heroes
Ratings: 66 Stuff - 56 Movement - 74 Control

Another groundballer, Swift went 21-8 for the Giants in 1993, eventually finishing 2nd in the NL Cy Young Award voting to Greg Maddux. He won the 1992 ERA title, posting a 2.08 ERA in 30 games (22 starts).

LF - Richie Ashburn
Cost: 205 points
Overall: 71 1948 Rookie Sensation
Ratings: 76 Contact, 45 Gap Power, 16 HR Power, 53 Eye, 79 Avoid K's

Ashburn hit .333 with 2 HR and 40 RBI in his 1948 rookie season. Throughout his career, he hit no worse than .257 in an individual season, and at the age of 35, turned back the clock to hit .306 with 7 HR and 28 RBI for the expansion Mets in 1962. The plan for him is that he'll play more against right-handed pitchers than left-handed ones, spending a majority of his time training up his left field rating. I don't remember if I actually had him already, but it's likely I have. Whatever, at that price he's earned a second chance (or a first chance).

DH - Felipe Alou
Cost: 375 points
Overall: 74 1966 Historical All-Star
Ratings: 78 Contact, 67 Gap Power, 73 HR Power, 17 Eye, 77 Avoid K's

The future manager of the Montreal Expos during their hottest time in 1994, Felipe Alou's best year by far was 1966, the year this card is based off of. He hit .327 with 31 HR and 74 RBI for the Atlanta Braves. You could argue his 1962 year with the San Francisco Giants was just as good, as he hit .316 with 25 HR and 98 RBI, the closest he'd come to a 100 RBI season. Felipe punishes lefties, but can also hit reasonably well against righties, making him an ideal budget DH if you can get over the fact that he won't draw any walks.

DH - Steve Garvey
Cost: 60 points
Overall: 68 1974 Historical All-Star
Ratings: 72 Contact, 66 Gap Power, 70 HR Power, 23 Eye, 57 Avoid K's

Garvey was picked up on the cheap to be a power/contact DH to replace Orlando Cepeda, who struck out way too many times for my liking. In 1974, Garvey hit .312 with 21 HR and 111 RBI. If he does anything close to those numbers, say .280 with 15 HR and 90 RBI, then the investment will be more than worth it. Normally a first baseman, he can't play the position even if you put a gun to his head.

We have not found a target as of yet to use one of my two exceptions on, but perhaps we will find one during next season.

[Magus978]

Looking at B248 for the upcoming season, I believe that we will once again be struggling against relegation. The quality just isn't there for us to be a contender at the moment. After finishing 76-86 last season, expectations are tempered and the club are hoping to win 82 games and get their first winning season at this level.

RHP LINEUP
1. 1B - Jose Reyes (73)
2. CF - Tony Gwynn (69)
3. DH - Felipe Alou (74)
4. C - Bob Boone (78)
5. RF - Babe Herman (77)
6. LF - Richie Ashburn (71)
7. 2B - Dave Cash (75)
8. 3B - Luis Castillo (74)
9. SS - Larry Bowa (67)

LHP LINEUP
1. 1B - Jose Reyes (73)
2. CF - Curt Flood (76)
3. DH - Felipe Alou (74)
4. C - Bob Boone (78)
5. RF - Kevin Bass (72)
6. LF - Tony Gwynn (69)
7. 2B - Dave Cash (75)
8. 3B - Luis Castillo (74)
9. SS - Larry Bowa (67)

STARTING ROTATION
1. Ismael Valdez (88)
2. Bill Swift (82)
3. Burleigh Grimes (79)
4. Dock Ellis (78)
5. Claude Osteen (77)

All starting pitchers placed on 90-pitch limits

BULLPEN
Long Relief - Rick Wise (76)
Middle Relief - Jeff Lahti (75)
Middle Relief - Doug Drabek (76)
Middle Relief - Mike Marshall (77)
Setup - Mike Jackson (76)
Closer - Gene Garber (84)

[Magus978]

BRONZE .248 DAY 1 - THE STRONG OUT THE GATE REPORT

Record: 18-10 (Lost last 3 games)
Position: 1st in AC East

TRANSACTIONS
C - Mike LaValliere (69) - 1987 Hardware Heroes Purchased for 925 points
3B - Sid Gordon (78) - 1949 Historical All-Star Purchased for 399 points

HAPPY TRAILS
SP - Don Gullett Sold for 225 points

HITTING STATS
C - Bob Boone (.316, 3 HR, 13 RBI)
C - Mike LaValliere (2/2, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
1B - Jose Reyes (.292, 3 HR, 15 RBI)
2B - Dave Cash (.247, 0 HR, 9 RBI)
2B - Barry Larkin (.154, 1 HR, 5 RBI)
3B - Luis Castillo (.292, 0 HR, 9 RBI)
SS - Larry Bowa (.366, 0 HR, 8 RBI)
SS - Ozzie Smith (.245, 0 HR, 7 RBI)
LF - Richie Ashburn (.388, 0 HR, 14 RBI)
LF - Babe Herman (.303, 3 HR, 11 RBI)
CF - Tony Gwynn (.337, 1 HR, 16 RBI)
CF - Curt Flood (.353, 0 HR, 4 RBI)
RF - Kevin Bass (.222, 1 HR, 5 RBI)
DH - Felipe Alou (.233, 2 HR, 14 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Ismael Valdez (3-0, 5.67)
SP - Bill Swift (1-2, 5.10)
SP - Burleigh Grimes (3-1, 2.19)
SP - Dock Ellis (1-1, 3.75)
SP - Claude Osteen (2-2, 2.64)

RP - Rick Wise (1-0, 3.28)
RP - Jeff Lahti (1-1, 3.38)
RP - Doug Drabek (2-0, 3.38, 1 sv)
RP - Mike Marshall (1-1, 1.15)
RP - Mike Jackson (0-0, 3.21)
CL - Gene Garber (3-2, 4.50, 6 sv)

WHO'S HOT?
Nobody

WHO SUCKS?
Luis Castillo: .095 (2 for 21) in last 5 games
Barry Larkin: .136 (3 for 22) in last 9 games

Notes: Ending the night on a 3 game losing streak is absolutely not ideal at all. I'm beginning to become concerned that this could manifest into a longer slump and thus killing my interest in the season. We have to get out to a good start tomorrow.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 202

[Magus978]

BRONZE .248 DAY 2 - THE "STILL OVERACHIEVING" REPORT

Record: 16-11
Overall Record: 34-21
Position: 2nd in AC East, 1st in AC Wildcard

TRANSACTIONS
LF - Pete Rose (73) 1973 Historical All-Star Purchased for 1,299 points

HAPPY TRAILS
1B - Mark Grace Sold for 360 points
SS - Don Kessinger Sold for 405 points
CF - Brett Butler Sold for 225 points
CL - Jeff Reardon Quicksold for 100 points
DH - Felipe Alou Sent to reserves

HITTING STATS
C - Bob Boone (.275, 7 HR, 26 RBI)
C - Mike LaValliere (.324, 0 HR, 7 RBI)
1B - Jose Reyes (.318, 3 HR, 26 RBI)
2B - Dave Cash (.246, 0 HR, 20 RBI)
2B - Barry Larkin (.224, 3 HR, 12 RBI)
3B - Luis Castillo (.274, 0 HR, 16 RBI)
3B - Sid Gordon (.267, 2 HR, 4 RBI)
SS - Larry Bowa (.247, 0 HR, 11 RBI)
SS - Ozzie Smith (.264, 0 HR, 13 RBI)
LF - Babe Herman (.330, 4 HR, 31 RBI)
LF - Richie Ashburn (.324, 0 HR, 21 RBI)
LF - Pete Rose (.364, 1 HR, 3 RBI)
CF - Curt Flood (.302, 0 HR, 12 RBI)
RF - Tony Gwynn (.371, 2 HR, 30 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Ismael Valdez (6-1, 4.11)
SP - Bill Swift (6-3, 4.01)
SP - Burleigh Grimes (5-2, 3.29)
SP - Claude Osteen (4-2, 2.15)
Opener - Mike Marshall (1-1, 2.28)

RP - Rick Wise (2-1, 3.55, 1 sv)
RP - Dock Ellis (1-5, 4.78, 1 sv)
RP - Jeff Lahti (1-1, 3.75, 2 sv)
RP - Doug Drabek (3-1, 4.28, 1 sv)
RP - Mike Jackson (1-1, 4.15)
CL - Gene Garber (4-3, 3.65, 11 sv)

WHO'S HOT?
Tony Gwynn: .515 (17 for 33), 1 HR, 7 RBI in last 8 games
Mike Marshall: 0-0, 1.69 ERA in last 2 starts (5.1 IP)
Claude Osteen: 0-0, 1.64 ERA in last 2 starts (11 IP)

WHO SUCKS?
Larry Bowa: .100 (2 for 20), 0 HR, 3 RBI in last 5 games

Notes: Hitting, solid pitching, and defensive efficiency. These are the things that make a good team a great team. If you can do well at everything, you can have a successful season. Had a bit of a rough patch during the sim, but recovered nicely to pull to within .5 of Hamilton in the AC East. We're well on our way to the modest goal of a first winning season at this level, and perhaps a promotion challenge. I still want to add more pitching, so we'll be waiting to add more points for that exact occasion.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 692

[Magus978]

BRONZE .248 DAY 3 - THE INSERT WITTY COMMENT HERE REPORT

Record: 18-10
Overall Record: 52-31
Position: 1st in AC East, Best Record in League

TRANSACTIONS
SP - Joey Hamilton (81) 1994 Rookie Sensation Purchased for 1,444 points
RP - Charlie Kerfeld (77) - 1986 One Hit Wonder Purchased for 550 points
RP - Hugh Casey (76) - 1942 Record Breaker Purchased for 226 points
2B - Eddie Mayo (69) - 1945 One Hit Wonder NON-LISTED NL EXCEPTION Purchased for 75 points

HAPPY TRAILS
C - Kirt Manwaring Quicksold for 25 points
3B - Sid Gordon Sold for 338 points
LF - Kal Daniels Quicksold for 100 points
SP - Dock Ellis Sold for 297 points
SP - Joaquin Andujar Sold for 243 points
SP - Jay Tibbs Quicksold for 100 points
RP - Greg McMichael Quicksold for 100 points

HITTING STATS
C - Bob Boone (.258, 8 HR, 37 RBI)
C - Mike LaValliere (.324, 0 HR, 10 RBI)
1B - Jose Reyes (.303, 3 HR, 31 RBI)
1B - Gregg Jefferies (.237, 0 HR, 4 RBI)
2B - Dave Cash (.258, 2 HR, 28 RBI)
2B - Barry Larkin (.248, 4 HR, 18 RBI)
3B - Luis Castillo (.280, 0 HR, 28 RBI)
SS - Eddie Mayo (.090, 0 HR, 2 RBI)
SS - Ozzie Smith (.293, 0 HR, 21 RBI)
LF - Pete Rose (.314, 1 HR, 19 RBI)
LF - Richie Ashburn (.344, 0 HR, 28 RBI)
CF - Tony Gwynn (.355, 2 HR, 47 RBI)
CF - Curt Flood (.294, 0 HR, 18 RBI)
RF - Babe Herman (.304, 6 HR, 41 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Ismael Valdez (8-3, 3.92)
SP - Bill Swift (9-3, 4.11)
SP - Burleigh Grimes (8-2, 3.15)
SP - Claude Osteen (6-4, 3.05)
SP - Joey Hamilton (1-1, 4.71)

RP - Rick Wise (5-1, 3.28, 2 sv)
RP - Hugh Casey (1-0, 5.06)
RP - Doug Drabek (3-2, 3.90, 3 sv)
RP - Mike Marshall (2-1, 1.21)
RP - Mike Jackson (2-2, 3.55)
CL - Gene Garber (5-3, 2.40, 20 sv)

WHO'S HOT?
Richie Ashburn: .556 (15 for 27), 3 RBI in last 8 games
Gene Garber: 0.51 ERA, 10 sv in last 14 appearances
Mike Marshall: 1-0, 0 runs allowed in last 11 appearances (3 starts)

WHO REALLY SUCKS?
Eddie Mayo: .090 (6 for 69) in last 20 games

Notes: I finally got Charlie Kerfeld! He comes highly recommended by a discord user who's still using him higher up the league pyramid. However, he'll have to wait for his chance because I'm not going to mess with my bullpen right now. Adding a third 80+ OVR starter was also a must. Unfortunately, that starter had to be Joey Hamilton. I could have had Omar Daal dammit...oh well, hopefully Hamilton will pick it up a bit. Really don't have too many complains right now, because all is well at the top of the division with a 6.5 game lead. While we can't put it on cruise control yet, we can start looking to meaningful Saturday games for the first time in a few weeks.

We also used up one of our two exceptions by signing Eddie Mayo. Mayo's card is shown with the Detroit Tigers...BUT, he played 119 games in the National League between the New York Giants and Boston Bees, and under the guidelines posted a few posts ago, he qualifies. I may replace him with another exception player and not have it count against me...but I may only have two exception players on the main roster at any time.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 521

[Magus978]

BRONZE .248 DAY 4 - THE STARTING TO WORRY REPORT

Record: 14-11
Overall Record: 66-42
Position: 1st in AC East, 3rd in league

TRANSACTIONS
SP - Mark Mulder (83) 2003 Hardware Heroes NON-LISTED NL EXCEPTION Purchased for 1,499 points
SS - Jody Reed (77) 1988 Rookie Sensation NON-LISTED NL EXCEPTION Purchased for 250 points

HAPPY TRAILS
CF - Augie Galan Sold for 225 points
SS - Larry Bowa Promoted briefly, then demoted back to reserves
RP - Doug Drabek Demoted to Reserves
SS - Eddie Mayo NON-LISTED NL EXCEPTION Demoted to Reserves

HITTING STATS
C - Bob Boone (.253, 11 HR, 47 RBI)
C - Mike LaValliere (.326, 0 HR, 13 RBI)
1B - Jose Reyes (.285, 4 HR, 37 RBI)
1B - Gregg Jefferies (.318, 1 HR, 11 RBI)
2B - Dave Cash (.285, 2 HR, 40 RBI)
2B - Barry Larkin (.271, 4 HR, 23 RBI)
3B - Luis Castillo (.289, 0 HR, 40 RBI)
SS - Jody Reed (2/10, 0 HR, 1 RBI)
SS - Ozzie Smith (.281, 1 HR, 26 RBI)
LF - Richie Ashburn (.323, 0 HR, 34 RBI)
LF - Pete Rose (.333, 1 HR, 34 RBI)
CF - Tony Gwynn (.319, 3 HR, 60 RBI)
CF - Curt Flood (.297, 0 HR, 26 RBI)
RF - Babe Herman (.297, 9 HR, 50 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Ismael Valdez (10-5, 3.65)
SP - Mark Mulder (No Stats)
SP - Bill Swift (12-3, 3.58)
SP - Claude Osteen (7-5, 3.20)
SP - Joey Hamilton (3-4, 4.47)

RP - Rick Wise (5-1, 3.67, 1 sv)
RP - Burleigh Grimes (10-4, 4.37)
RP - Mike Marshall (3-3, 2.29)
RP - Charlie Kerfeld (1-0, 0.59)
RP - Mike Jackson (2-2, 3.12, 1 sv)
CL - Gene Garber (6-3, 3.38, 25 sv)

WHO'S HOT?
Mike Marshall: 2-2, 2.21 ERA in last 26 appearances (36.2 IP, 3 starts)
Bill Swift: 2-0, 1.21 ERA in last 3 starts (20.2 IP)
Ismael Valdez: 1-0, 1.26 ERA in last 2 starts (14.1 IP)

WHO SUCKS?
Burleigh Grimes: 1-1, 10.80 ERA in last 3 starts (13.1 IP), 1 demotion to bullpen

Notes: It's not entirely Burleigh's fault that he's been demoted to the bullpen, but I've decided to use my second non-listed exception on Mark Mulder's 2003 Hardware Heroes card. Very similar to Grimes in almost every way, just a little better in general. I've had very good luck with control-based pitchers this season, so getting Mulder for his 7-day average was a nice surprise. The next major investment will be on offense for sure. That is, if we can earn enough points today for one. We've got a point to prove after being swept in 4 straight by our division rivals, so I expect us to come out pissed and start breaking teams down again.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 47

[Magus978]

BRONZE .248 DAY 5 - THE (ALMOST) EVERYTHING IS RUINED REPORT

Record: 16-10
Overall Record: 82-52
Position: 1st in AC East, 2.5 ahead of Hamilton Donzeitos

TRANSACTIONS
CF - Peanuts Lowrey (62) 1943 Rookie Sensation Purchased for 40 points

HAPPY TRAILS
RP - Burleigh Grimes Placed in Auction, not sold as of this post

HITTING STATS
C - Bob Boone (.265, 14 HR, 60 RBI)
C - Mike LaValliere (.272, 0 HR, 14 RBI)
1B - Jose Reyes (.296, 5 HR, 46 RBI)
1B - Gregg Jefferies (.297, 2 HR, 19 RBI)
2B - Dave Cash (.270, 2 HR, 44 RBI)
2B - Barry Larkin (.286, 6 HR, 30 RBI)
3B - Luis Castillo (.279, 1 HR, 48 RBI)
SS - Jody Reed (.231, 0 HR, 5 RBI)
SS - Ozzie Smith (.277, 1 HR, 27 RBI)
LF - Richie Ashburn (.306, 0 HR, 27 RBI)
LF - Pete Rose (.340, 1 HR, 44 RBI)
CF - Tony Gwynn (.308, 5 HR, 73 RBI)
CF - Curt Flood (.308, 1 HR, 31 RBI)
RF - Babe Herman (.286, 10 HR, 63 RBI)

PITCHING STATS
SP - Ismael Valdez (14-6, 3.27)
SP - Mark Mulder (2-1, 5.00)
SP - Bill Swift (12-5, 3.95)
SP - Claude Osteen (10-6, 3.19)
SP - Joey Hamilton (3-4, 3.69)

RP - Rick Wise (5-1, 3.41, 3 sv)
RP - Doug Drabek (4-3, 3.52, 3 sv)
RP - Mike Marshall (5-3, 2.27, 1 sv)
RP - Charlie Kerfeld (1-1, 3.65)
RP - Mike Jackson (3-3, 3.34, 1 sv)
CL - Gene Garber (7-5, 3.14, 36 sv)

WHO'S HOT?
Joey Hamilton: 2-1, 2.18 ERA in last 7 starts (41.1 IP)
Mike Marshall: 4-2, 2.20 ERA in last 37 appearances (6 starts, 49 IP)
Ismael Valdez: 3-0, 1.13 ERA in last 3 starts (24 IP)

WHO SUCKS?
Richie Ashburn: .143 (3 for 21), 1 RBI in last 7 games

Notes: I genuinely feel like the OOTP gods do not want me winning this division and are doing everything they possibly can to make sure I'm relegated to a wildcard berth. Every time we lose, it seems like Hamilton's winning...and when we win, they win too, so we can't even get a little breathing room. We need to be perfect on Saturday. Not possible, I know, but we do need to be as close to perfect as possible. We cannot afford anymore slip-ups if we want to win our first division title since the promotion season of 2023. It would also be a shame to not win the division because we've pretty much led this thing from wire to wire to this point. While I don't see how we're going to be even remotely competitive in Silver if we get promoted, I'll worry about that on Monday. For now, we have a division to win.

CURRENT COIN COUNT: 557

[Magus978]

BREAKING: As of September 27, 2027, the New York Patriots secured their 3rd trip to the playoffs. They have yet to win a playoff game in their franchise history, and will now fight for the right to be promoted to Silver. Where they'll start that quest is still an undecided matter, as they hold a 1 game lead over the Hamilton Donzeitos in the AC East with 9 games to play