MLB 2050: A GM's story

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JIMMY RICHART JOURNAL: 2/21/2050:
I woke up in my bed today and went to my screen room, and was checking my messages when I saw a message from Arthur Russell from San Jose. I tapped it and a hologram of Mr. Russell appeared. "Son, I am Arthur Russell, owner of the new Major League Baseball franchise San Jose Sharks, and I need a talented individual to be the GM of my team. Are you up for it? Take a first-class train to San Jose if you are interested." I wasn't convinced. Must be a scam, I muttered. Just to check, I looked Arthur Russell up with my iGlasses, and I was shocked about what I found. It was real! All of the photos matched up and even his voice was the same. But why would he want me, out of all people, to be the general manager of his Sharks? 2 weeks ago, I had just been 'cut' as GM of the Mexican League team La Paz Tormenta when it had to fold with the addition of a Major League team in Tijuana, Mexico City, Chihuahua, and Puebla in the expansion from 50 to 64 teams. Sure, I had been OK as manager of the La Paz Tormenta but I never expected this because I am still young and inexperienced, at 36 years old. Anyways, I hitched my ride to San Jose, and riding first class it only took 3.5 hours. Mr. Russell was very generous and we were able to work out a 1 year deal. I rode back to my apartment, and packed my bags. I'm going to San Jose!

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The ML has expanded to 64 teams by 2050 and now the game's championship is truly a 'World Series' with the addition of teams in Havana, Mexico City, North Mexico (Chihuahua), South Mexico (Puebla), Tijuana, Seoul, Tokyo, London, Paris, Calgary, Honolulu, Ottawa, and Quebec, and 1 US city as well, San Jose. The MLB now has 8 divisions of 8, and 8 teams in the playoffs. Here is the new format:
file:///C:/Users/owner/Documents/Out%20of%20the%20Park%20Developments/OOTP%20Baseball%2015/saved_games/2050real.lg/temp/picture_preview.html

You can copy and paste it.

[xepicx2729]

Wow what an expansion.

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Originally Posted by xepicx2729

Wow what an expansion.

By 2050 I believe that transportation will be cheap enough and the baseball population big enough to where they can do this.

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Journal: 2/14/50:
Here is the team that I take over, note that we have a DH:

Catcher:
We have 2 good catchers in John Frank and Carlos Tavares. Frank is 31 years old and Tavares is 26. Frank is a huge power hitter, while Tavares is more of a contact/eye/defense guy. Frank's contract is 10 million more than Tavares', and Mr. Russell told me to try to sell off big contracts so getting rid of Frank is a priority.

1B:
We have 2 options here, both over 30: Richard Smith and Pat O'Clancy. O'Clancy is primarily a 3B but still is a better defensive player than Smith. Smith is better offensively, and younger, though, so Smith will start while O'Clancy will likely be traded.

2B:
We only have 1 option, which is Rudy Watkins. Watkins is good defensively and solid offensively so I like him.

SS:
Jesus Valentin is one of our best players, and I love him at short. He is good offensively and defensively and is in his prime.

3B:
Joseph Miller is 26 and average across the board. He is not a stopgap but is not the perfect option.

OF:
Dave Taylor and Bill Johnson are near the end of their primes and cost a lot but produce. Mike Mitchell will likely have CF, he has a ton of speed and defense but no power and a below average hitter.

SP: I will go with the normal 4 man rotation with Alonso Garcia, Jack Frazier, Alejandro Gutierrez, and Dave Gee being the favorites. I don't love our rotation, but I don't hate it either.

RP: We have 3 of the best relievers in the league in 39 year old Brian Dunlap, Travis Moran, and Enrique Muniz and Zasha Barannikov and Cliff Chapman help.

Trading block:
John Frank
Pat O'Clancy
Maybe Bill Johnson and Jesus Valentin

Time to prove my worth!

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2/16/50
New San Jose GM Richart tells fans "Don't get too comfortable with team"
San Jose, California

Jimmy Richart is only 36, but he has shown the confidence of veteran general managers already. Asked if he has any words for fans at an inaugural press conference yesterday, the young Richart answered, "Don't get too comfortable with this team's roster. I have big plans and expect some moves to be made. Richart was hired on the 13th. Before being hired for the Sharks, Richart was GM of the Mexican League's La Paz Tormenta. The San Jose Sharks have taken advantage of the expansion draft including the best Mexican League, Canadian League, and European League players by selecting players such as Carlos Tavares (ML), Pat O'Clancy (EL), Rudy Watkins (ML), Jesus Valentin (ML), Dave Taylor (CL), Mike Mitchell (CL), and Alonso Garcia (ML).

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JOURNAL, 2/18/16:

I made my first trade recently, trading John Frank to Paris for RF Roy Wright. Wright has a more team-friendly contract than Frank, and at 29 he is in his prime. He is a good defensive outfielder and is capable of playing almost anywhere. He is good at getting on base and can hit for power fairly well, a good 4-5-6 guy.

Then, I traded Bill Johnson and a minor league pitcher to Louisville for excellent SP Jorge Perez and CF Santiago Gonzalez. Perez is 33 but overall an ace and Gonzalez is a good utility outfielder with good range, average hitting, and a lot of speed.

I shopped O'Clancy around but found no offers that I liked so no trade.

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Mr. Russell's room.
(R for Russell, J For Richart)
R: Hello, Jimmy.
J: Good evening, Mr. Russell.
R: So, about your recent trades, Jimmy...
J: I... I can explain. Those trades are part of a 3 year plan. Mr. Russell, we will be in the playoffs within 3 years, and those trades will be a major part if that. We save budget room and get better, and I promise tha-
R: Jimmy. JIMMY! I wanted to tell you that I LOVED those trades. Getting that guy... Wright, and then trading Bill... Genius!
J: {Sighing with relief}, Thank you. Just want to do the best for my team!
R: BUT... I need to ask you do do something for me.
J: {Mumbling} Of course there's a catch. There's always a catch.
R: I am worried about how many fans will come to the stadium. You know just as well as I do that attendance is reeling because anyone can watch the game from their comfortable homes, and even with the advancements in ballpark comfort, well, people need a reason to show up.
J: So, we build a competitive ball club, within a couple of years. They can't expect us to win in year one, and-
R: Yes, Jimmy, they do expect us to win. We have some of the best Mexican League and European League stars on our team. We are expected to be a good squad.
J: So where are you taking me with this?
R: I need you to pick up someone to make these fans watch. I don't care who it is, but we need to be trending every day we play. We can't be a boring team, we just can't be. I'm not asking for a superstar, just a good player who will bring fans to San Jose.
J: But... But... This may sacrifice our future, Mr. Russell, and in all due respect I need to be in contr-
R: {Raises voice a tad bit} Jimmy, I believe that you can get fans to come and still have a bright future at the same time. You did it in La Paz, you can do it here.
J: Okay, sir. Goodbye, sir.

{End of recording}

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JIMMY RICHART Journal, 2/26/50:

Recently the boss brought me in to his office, and concerned about the fan interest in the team, asked me to pick up a popular player. OK, boss, I will trade for former Royal Miguel Gonzalez. He is a left fielder who is fast and good defensively, a great player to watch, but because of his below average hitting skills, not an amazing player to have in your lineup every day. To get Gonzalez, we gave up star utility player Danny McClure, who is like Gonzalez but can play more positions, and reliever prospect Xavier Cantu, who probably isn't going to be a star but I still was reluctant to give him up. Immediately, the season ticket numbers spiked, so at least Mr. Russell will be happy, because I'm sure not.

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JIMMY RICHART Journal, 3/9/50:

It is Spring Training time. But I don't feel like I have sufficiently destroyed my team yet. I love pitching, and I found a Louisville Dragons pitcher who could be my star. Welcome to the San Jose Sharks, Robert Dodd! The 27 year old Dodd is a balanced pitcher with good velocity and a nasty change-up. Also, in the deal I got right fielder William Donaldson, who is a stopgap outfielder who can hit homers and do nothing else. Who did I have to give up to receive these players? Dave Taylor and Jack Frazier. Ouch. Frazier is a piece that, in acquiring Dodd, is useless, but Taylor is one of our best hitters. I need to push the notion that pitching is key in San Jose, so I made the trade.

(Please don't kill me, press!)

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Featured on San Jose Shark's teammedia show-Located on columns on SI.com. (teammedia is where every major sports team is assigned a writer/former TV personality to cover them. Sort of like radio now, except more mainstream)

San Jose teammedia host Brian Diamond

So now we come to the part of this preview extravaganza where we analyze everything about spring training. So let's look at this positional review of everyone in spring. And just in case you are watching or listening or reading this and have not been following the Sharks through spring, and I don't blame you, here were some major news points:

• The injury bug struck on March 22nd when Miguel Gonzalez, who, if you remember fans are really excited about, got shoulder tendinitis, and is out for the first month or so of the season.
• Another major injury happened 4 days later to reliever Yasha Barannikov, who got shoulder inflammation and is out until June. This is not great for the Sharks, because Barannikov is only 26 and he is a player that the Sharks would have liked to protect.
• The Sharks finished in 3rd with a 15-13 record.
• Owner Arthur Russell was asked what he thought of the team's chances this year and he replied, "I would like to win it all this year. Don't you?" Whether he was joking or not was unclear, but what was clear was that GM Jimmy Richart and Manager Steve Bugg will have high expectations this year.

So that was the overall rundown, now here is the player's standpoint by position:

Catcher:
Carlos Tavares came in as an almost lock for the starting job and won it fairly by hitting .307 with 6 HR's this year. 29 year old Tony Cabrera surprised many by hitting .350 in 20 at bats. Everyone else failed to produce, so Cabrera was the favorite to back Tavares up and he did make the 25 man roster.
First Base:
Richard Smith failed to show up with the bat, hitting .232 during spring, but neither did Pat O'Clancy. O'Clancy is the better fielder, so O'Clancy will be the first baseman.
Second Base:
Rudy Watkins showed promise by hitting .266, but another bright spot was 31 year old Jose Magana, who hit .333 in 39 AB. Magana will start the year in AAA but he excites with his speed.
Shortstop:
Jesus Valentin is the star of this team. He proved it by hitting .297 with 4 HR's during spring.
Third Base:
Joseph Miller was the breakout spring star as he hit .383 with 5 home runs. Safe to say he earned the starting job.
Outfield:
With Miguel Gonzalez hurt it opened up a wide-open race that Roy White, Santiago Gonzalez, and William Bodie won. White will play left field as he hit 4 homers, Gonzalez earned center with an all-around performance, and Bodie won right by not hitting .177 (William Donaldson).
Starter:
Robert Dodd had a 0.75 ERA, Alejandro Gutierrez had a 3.15 ERA, and Jorge Perez had a 3 ERA. Now that the good is out of the way, Alonso Garcia and his 6.45 ERA carry problems.
Relief:
Travis Moran and Enrique Muniz are a deadly relief duo. Brian Dunlap, Cliff Chapman, and Jorge Reyes also looked good. On the other hand, Yasha Barannikov had a 5.04 ERA before getting hurt, Chris Clement didn't have a great time with hitters, and Yuri Lucciardi had a 9 ERA in 12 innings. Still, it looks like one of the best groups in the league.

So, with that completed, it's time to look at the opening day lineup and rotation:
1. CF Santiago Gonzalez
2. 3B Joseph Miller
3. C Carlos Tavares
4. SS Jesus Valentin
5. RF Roy White
6. DH Richard Smith
7. LF William Donaldson
8. 1B Pat O'Clancy
9. 2B Rudy Watkins
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C Tony Cabrera
IF Jose Magana
OF William Bodie
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1. Robert Dodd
2. Jorge Perez
3. Alonso Garcia
4. Alejandro Gutierrez
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CL Enrique Muniz
8th Travis Moran
7th Brian Dunlap
MR Chris Chapman
Chris Clement
Jorge Reyes
Armando Orama
LR Santiago Sanchez
LR Alberto Martinez
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DL: RP Yasha Barannikov, LF Miguel Gonzalez

(I did not set these lineups except when I make a minor change such as switching O'Clancy to first base, Smith to DH, and Miller to 3B)

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JIMMY RICHART JOURNAL: 5/16/50:
It is Mid-May, and the San Jose Sharks are 22-18, 2 back on Honolulu, which is about what I expected. Joseph Miller suffered an injury on opening day, and was out for most of April, but since he returned, he has hit well. We actually lead the league in runs scored, but are 25th in runs against. The only players that have not performed in the lineup are Jesus Valentin(!) and Pat O'Clancy. On the other hand, Jorge Perez and the bullpen are the only good performers in the rotation. I have asked the manager to insert Santiago Sanchez in the rotation for a struggling Alonso Garcia.

The draft class's final stragglers made their decisions last week and I have already sent my scout to grade it for me. In the meantime, I have work to do.

Goodbye,
Jimmy Richart

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JIMMY RICHART JOURNAL, 7/1/50:
In the amateur draft, we had the twelfth pick.

Seoul, Cleveland, Newark, Philly, Dallas/Fort Worth had the top 10 picks, and they selected:
CF Esteban Garcia (Mexico), C Steven Anderson (USA), CF Joe Teslo (Canada), CF Matt Francois (Canada), C Jake Lalonde (Canada), respectively. Obviously the MLB has done a good job of promoting international presence.

Our top 10 picks and my notes on them are: RD 1: 3B Tien-kai ‘Sourface’ Chew. 21 yrs old, amazing speed, hits for contact, good fielding, can play almost anywhere.
RD 2: SP Dong-jin Park, 18, control pitcher, good sinker.
RD 3: SS Brett Bannatyne, 21, Great fielder, great speed, poor hitting.
RD 4: OF Teppo Vuorio, 22, Great fielder, Great speed.
RD 5: SP Willie Townes, 19, An all-around pitcher who actually has OK hitting ratings.
RD 6: C Luis Garza, 21, Good power and a solid fielder, Capable player.
RD 7: 1B Pedro Sanchez, 20, Good power, not much else.
RD 8: LF Dwight Henderson, 21, Power, can field.
RD 9: SP Jack Potter, 20, Cutter, Slider are good, crafty pitcher.
RD 10: ??? Willie Hodges, 21, Interesting player. Good fielding at 2B, can’t hit, has great stuff as a pitcher, throws 100 MPH.

Mr. Irrelevant was a utility player named Ray Flanigan, who was drafted by Winnipeg. He can’t hit worth beans.

Here’s how our players that we have traded have done:
John Frank: Has had a good year for Paris, hitting .271 and is on pace for 26 HR’s. Roy White has had more power but has hit for less average.
Bill Johnson: He’s on pace for 57 homers. Now, Jorge Perez is in the Cy Young conversation and Santiago Gonzalez has been pretty good so… fair?
Danny McClure and Xavier Cantu: McClure has hit .236 with great defense. Cantu is moving up the ranks. Not the best trade because Miguel Gonzalez has only played OK when not injured.
Dave Taylor and Jack Frazier: Taylor has been a relative disappointment and Frazier has an ERA over 5. Dodd and Donaldson have been a little bit better.

So I did an OK job.

And remember Dwight Henderson, our 8th round pick? Yeah, less than a week after we drafted him, he suffered a career-ending injury sooo... Our trainer is on the chopping block. Usually the advancements in technology prevent that. Oh well...

Jorge Perez was our All-Star.
At the beginning of July, we sit 43-37, in 4th, 6 back on Honolulu, and tied for the wild-card spot.
Goodbye,
Jimmy Richart

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BTW, I will review the minor league teams after the season

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JIMMY RICHART JOURNAL, 9/1/50:

In mid-July, Miguel Gonzalez suffered ANOTHER injury.

After many a night of unrest, I decided to stand pat at the deadline.

And I extended Rudy Watkins another 3 years. He was having a good year. But, who I didn’t extend was Jesus Valentin. He had turned his year around by hitting .260 with 24 homers, but it was just too much money. Other notables that will go are Cliff Chapman, Brian Dunlap, Miguel Gonzalez, Tony Cabrera, Jorge Reyes, and Jose Magana.

At the beginning of September, the San Jose Sharks are 75-62, and while we are 15 games back on the best team in baseball, Honolulu, we are only 1 game back on the final wild-card spot. MLB: Watch out, the Sharks are coming…






(Note: I forgot to mention what the playoff system is. The 4 division winners get in+4 wild cards, then NBA-style playoffs.

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JIMMY RICHART JOURNAL, 9/11/50:

We are 7-3 since I last wrote, and the Sharks are 1 game out of a wild-card. This next week will go a long way in deciding who gets it. 3 games @ San Antonio, who hold the first wild-card, and 3 at home vs. Tampa Bay, who are trying to clinch a playoff spot.

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JIMMY RICHART JOURNAL, 9/19/50:

The San Jose Sharks have a tough road ahead of them, to make the playoffs. Losing both series' en route to a 2-4 week does that.

Still, we are only 1 game back on a wild-card spot. And it is still very much in our own hands, as we play two teams that have said spot, the Charlotte Hornets and Boston Red Sox. Should we win both series, a playoff spot is likely ours.

It's in our own hands! Come on, Sharks!

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JIMMY RICHART JOURNAL, 9/25/50:

Getting swept by Boston and having Charlotte take 2 of 3 from you does that. It didn't help that Rudy Watkins was lost for the season... All we can do now is try to play spoiler to Dallas/Fort Worth's playoff push...

I'll be back to wrap up our season.

Goodbye,
Jimmy Richart

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Quick note: The Sharks kept the Mustangs out of the postseason by sweeping them. Yay, now why couldn't we have made it?