Science B!+<# - MLB’s Quantum Leap

[majesty95]

Premium Energy Distortion Sciences has been working in a high tech laboratory in Algodones, New Mexico for more than 20 years. Their work is based in quantum theory. However, the overarching goal was a revolutionary science that would reshape the world as we know it.

PEDS had a breakthrough over a year ago. It was a breakthrough beyond the scope of comprehension for many, even those in the science arena. After many months of testing and validating the safety of their method, they needed to reveal it to the world. They could not do so conventionally though. The world was not ready for this kind of science. They needed a delivery method. Much like drugs are altered to be optimally delivered to the body, PEDS needed to optimize the delivery of this discovery to the public.

Dr. Ziggy Beckett was a lifelong baseball fan. As the founder and lead researcher at PEDS, he envisioned the game of baseball as his delivery method to the public. It would be rash, however. The game and our world would change forever. Would they be ready for this kind of science? How could he prove that it was real? Safe? How could he curtail the rational fear the public would have at its unveiling? What about government interference?

Dr. Beckett and his colleagues set up a secret meeting with Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem. The agenda for the meeting was vague to Manfred and Halem, however, they knew PEDS had a breakthrough technological advance that could change the game.

The group from PEDS debuted their technology. The presentation was convincing, but the science was beyond belief even for the most optimistic observer. Both Manfred and Halem wavered between excitement, disbelief, anger and fear. Was this real? Was this safe? Was it ethical? Were they being fools to even entertain the idea?

Dr. Beckett and company were ready for the skepticism and questions. They also had the ultimate answer to nearly all of them. Proof.

Brought into the meeting was a 52-year-old man, weathered and beaten. He looked sick. He sounded sick. That’s because he was.

“My name is George Herman Ruth,” the man said. “You may know be better by the name of Babe.”

Manfred and Halem looked at each other quizzically. They were not sure if they should burst out in laughter or drop their jaw in shock.

“Ask him anything,” guided Dr. Beckett.

Manfred began asking questions of the man in the flat cap with the raspy voice.

Ruth had been battling esophageal cancer. He was in his last year of life according to history. But he had the complete experience of his life and career in baseball. Manfred and Halem were mesmerized as Ruth recalled details seemingly only he could know. He certainly looked like the Babe and he knew more about the Babe’s life than anyone that they had ever met.

The plan, as laid out by Dr. Beckett, was to bring various stars from throughout the history of the game into the present day and let them compete against today’s stars under today’s rules and conditions. The details would need to be negotiated by the Major League teams, but the plan would prove to the world that the science existed and was possible. It would also alleviate concerns over time travelers meeting themselves or it impacting the world in some profoundly negative way as many of the players would be younger versions of former players still alive today.

“Time travel has often been thought to exit on a single plane, going straight backwards or forwards through time,” said Dr. Beckett. “The reality is that time travel is only possible through bending time. You travel on a curved plane back and forth with no effects on either the past or future. ”

Discussions were done behind closed doors. PEDS believed that the government would immediately try to block the effort and try and take control of the technology. Keeping the plan quiet proved difficult as getting current players to play in this environment was not as easy as one may think. Many of the game’s stars relished the opportunity to play against greats from the past. However, many clung to their own MLB dreams and feared this would diminish their own chances at stardom. Finally, after weeks of negotiations with MLB Player’s Association representatives, the league and Dr. Beckett unveiled the science to the players.

The meeting was held via military grade encrypted tele-conference technology with each team at their home office. The league sent an official to each conference area to secure all technology along with security personnel from PEDS. They also brought with them one of the players from their team’s past to solidify the proof of concept to the players.

The league was just weeks away from starting the 2018 season and the game, and our world, was about to change forever.

[majesty95]

This kind of revelation could not be put on hold. It could not be tabled until the off-season. It was going to be made public and the world would change because of it. Baseball had an opportunity to capitalize, and profit, from it. They had to act now.

Before going to the players, the owners had to agree on how to handle this revolutionary change. How many players could they bring back? How many should they? What will the effects on other players be? What’s most likely to get approved by the MLBPA?

The first step was figuring out the cost and technical limitations. The high-tech cylinder which could travel through time cost billions to perfect. It also cost millions to be put into action. However, the windfall from fan attendance, television viewership and sponsorships could be enormous. Safety, however, did not seem to be of primary importance.

After a week of intense negotiations, the owners decided on each team being able to bring back three players from their own team’s history. 90 players in all. There would be a draft for players and no player could be repeated on another team. Each team’s record over the past 10 seasons was used to determine “draft” order. The selection of players would not be like a typical draft, however. Each team would choose their three players before the next team selected. This would allow teams to have complete control over the three players they chose, but also give a slight advantage to the teams with the worse records.

The owners knew that the biggest contention the players would have is taking 90 spots away from existing players. So, they agreed to expand at the end of the 2019 or 2020 season depending on how quickly they could find and approve new owners. They would add two expansion teams bringing the league total to 32. That would only account for 50 of the 90 potential players losing a roster spot, though, and it would take 2-3 years to replace them.

The obvious solution was to expand rosters. However, some owners balked over the added salary expenses. With most owners, its all about money. However, they finally came to an agreement on expanding rosters from 25-27 players. There would now be 114 new roster spots opened when it was all said and done.

The league and owners were confident that they could get the players on board. However, the need to overwhelm the players so there could be no dissention was paramount. They continued to tweak and tinker and the game would forever change because of it.

[GoPedro99]

This looks awesome!!!

[majesty95]

The designated hitter was implemented in the American league in 1973. Since then debate has raged over whether the rule should be applied equally to both leagues. When the American League and National League united under the MLB umbrella in 2000 many believed that would bring about the designated hitter throughout baseball. It did not. Finally, in 2018, 45 years after its inception, the DH will be used in both leagues full time.

As the owners worked to secure overwhelming support for the interjection of past players into today’s game, the designated hitter became a somewhat obvious inclusion. New players were being added and the addition of an extra batter in the NL helped to absorb those new players while preserving spots for existing players. The owners were not done there, however.

The addition of 90 stars to the game, many who became Hall of Famers in their previous existence, raised the chances of the record books being shattered. What kind of numbers could super teams of Ruth, Mantle and DiMaggio put up? Could today’s stars like Stanton and Judge hitting in front of Ruth make them into demi-gods?

Those were rational fears of the owners. However, it’s irrational for owners to take way sources of revenue. That was the debate as the league began discussing a reduced schedule. Surely the players would be on board with a shorter schedule. But how much would the reduction of games reduce revenue, especially with the expected influx of interest from the new (old) players?

Eventually the owners agreed on a shortened 144-game schedule. The hope was that not only would the players be on board with a shorter season, but the fans would be able to follow along easier to a shorter schedule. Any revenue lost from the reduction in games would surely be made up from more rested players and fans less fatigued from a 162-game season. The playoffs would also starter earlier in September meaning the World Series would be held in early October with better weather than the recent early November games that have been played.

The owners also agreed to expand the playoffs when the league expanded. Major League Baseball had always prided themselves on the limited amount of playoff teams compared to other leagues. However, the landscape of professional sports was changing, and fans enjoyed the late season playoff pushes. When the two new expansion teams were added, the league would divide back into two, eight-team divisions with the division winners and four wild cards making the playoffs. The division winners would each get 1st round byes and home field advantage in subsequent rounds. The added round of playoffs and allowance of additional teams in the playoff race would, hopefully, also help to replace the revenue lost from the shorter schedule.

Just a few weeks earlier owners were preparing for the 2018 season and it was mostly business as usual. Now, owners had just approved the largest renovation to the game in the league’s history. How would it affect the game? How would the fans react? What would it mean for the players? We were just weeks away from finding out.

[majesty95]

The player draft, like all other things during this time, was held in secrecy. The owners agreed that only players who had not played in at least 10 years would be allowed to be selected. Of course, they all had to be convinced to get into this “time machine” and return to the future. That was of little concern though. The main concern was figuring out the targets for each team.

Each team would be able to draft three players from their own team’s history. Any player chosen would have had to play at least three full seasons worth of games for their franchise. Those players would also be brought back prior to their rookie season (or the year before if the player had a strong enough sample size to suggest they could play full-time right away). The idea was to give them another entire career in today’s game. They would all receive a Major League minimum salary and would inherit the service time they had established at the time they were brought back.

Since the player selection process was in reverse order of record over the past 10 years that meant San Diego would have first choice of players to return. There had been many great players in San Diego’s history. Tony Gwynn, for one, seemed to be a lock to return. He was not only the best Padre to ever play the game but also the most beloved. He had also passed away just a few years ago. His return would be a boon to the dilapidated franchise. But who else would they pick? And how would it affect the teams to select after them?

The submissions began to come in one team at a time. Who would we get to watch re-live their careers all over again? How would it impact their teams? How would they fare in today’s game?

Return to History Major League Baseball Player Selections

San Diego Padres – Tony Gwynn, Dave Winfield, Randy Jones
Seattle Mariners – Edgar Martinez, Mark Langston, Erik Hanson
Colorado Rockies – Larry Walker, Vinny Castilla, Andres Galarraga
Florida Marlins – Livan Hernandez, Alex Fernandez, Charles Johnson
Minnesota Twins – Kirby Puckett, Tony Oliva, Harmon Killebrew
Pittsburgh Pirates – Roberto Clemente, Honus Wagner, Ralph Kiner
Chicago White Sox – Carlton Fisk, Tommy John, Jack McDowell
Arizona Diamondbacks – Curt Schilling, Greg Swindell, Matt Williams
Houston Astros – Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Nolan Ryan
Kansas City Royals – George Brett, Bret Saberhagen, Kevin Appier
Cincinnati Reds – Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, Pete Rose
Baltimore Orioles – Cal Ripken, Jr., Jim Palmer, Frank Robinson
New York Mets – Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden, Mike Piazza
Oakland Athletics – Dennis Eckersely, Rickey Henderson, Jimmie Foxx
Milwaukee Brewers – Rollie Fingers, Teddy Higuera, Dan Plesac
Philadelphia Phillies – Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Nap Lajoie
Toronto Blue Jays – Fred McGriff, Juan Guzman, Tom Henke
Atlanta Braves – Hank Aaron, Eddie Matthews, Dale Murphy
Cleveland Indians – Bob Feller, Al Rosen, Larry Doby
Chicago Cubs – Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, Fergie Jenkins
Detroit Tigers – Ty Cobb, Hank Greenberg, Darrell Evans
Tampa Bay Rays – Greg Vaughn, Roberto Hernandez, Wilson Alvarez
Texas Rangers – Kevin Brown, Charlie Hough, Jeff Burroughs
Washington Nationals – Andre Dawson, Gary Carter, Tim Raines
San Francisco Giants – Willie Mays, Mel Ott, Wille McCovey
Los Angeles Angels – Reggie Jackson, Rod Carew, Chuck Finley
Boston Red Sox – Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Roger Clemens
St. Louis Cardinals – Stan Musial, Rogers Hornsby, Bob Gibson
Los Angeles Dodgers – Sandy Koufax, Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson
*New York Yankees – Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio

[majesty95]

Yes, there is an asterisk. The Yankees franchise who had endured calls for Roger Maris’ 61 home run season to have an asterisk were getting another one. This was at their own choosing, however.

Babe Ruth was the key to making this all work. The league and the Yankees agreed that Ruth would be one of their three players to return. They had also agreed to allow the elder Ruth to remain in present day to watch his younger self relive his career. The older Ruth would also receive treatment for his esophageal cancer, potentially prolonging his life.

When the selection process got to the Yankees, though, they had a dilemma. Lou Gehrig and Mickey Mantle seemed like locks to join Ruth. What about Joe DiMaggio though? Fans would be treated to a league which had both Iron Men in Ripken and Gehrig. They would get both home run kings in Ruth and Aaron. How could they ignore one of the greatest records in sports history, DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak? Could he duplicate that? Could they deny the fans of an outfield of Ruth, Mantle and DiMaggio?

The Yankees agree to a special exception with the league and the other owners. New York would “select” Mantle, Gehrig and DiMaggio. However, they would also get Babe Ruth. This was done for multiple reasons.

First, Ruth started as a pitcher. How would his career unfold if he was brought in as a rookie? Would they try to make him a hitter right away? How would that affect his development? The team and league both felt the fans deserved the Sultan of Swat in his prime. However, they did not want to make a special exception for only him as other teams would want to bring their guys in during their prime. The Yankees and the league also felt that the fans deserved to see DiMaggio amongst these all-time greats.

Not only was DiMaggio a fantastic player, he was also a unique personality, having married Marilyn Monroe, perhaps the most famous woman in history. It was compelling to think of how he would do in this world, not only on the field, but off of it as well.

The agreement would be that the Yankees would get Mantle, Gehrig and DiMaggio as rookies. They would also get Ruth as the player going into his first full-season as a hitter. Ruth would get a five-year, $125M contract. To offset the addition of their fourth legend, the Yankees would need to release the recently acquired Giancarlo Stanton and pitcher Sonny Gray. That would also mean that the Yankees gave up Starlin Castro as well who they traded for Stanton. New York would guarantee Stanton, who had signed a 13-year contract, at 20% over whatever he signed for as a free agent up to what he was guaranteed over the last 10 years of his contract.

Many owners felt that the Yankees were getting an advantage they were not, especially those who did not have the star power in their history that the Yankees did. They all eventually agreed, though, as the good of the game and the potential storylines outweighed their personal apprehensions.

The stage was set. Stanton would be a free agent and would be free to choose which group of legends to play with for the foreseeable future. 91 all-time greats were assigned to their present-day teams. Approval from the players would soon follow as well as the unveiling to the world and the fans. Now it was time to see how it would all play out.

[majesty95]

Once the teams were announced the fans and media started to pick apart the teams’ selections. Overall there were not a whole lot of surprises, though. Most people could predict most teams top three choices. There were a few selections that created debate, however.

Most notable was the Cubs selection of third baseman Ron Santo over second baseman Ryne Sandberg. The Cubs already had Kris Bryant so the selection of Santo was puzzling, especially since Sandberg could have played every day. Cubs President Theo Epstein later stated that Santo’s overall popularity and death in 2010 ultimately led to the selection. Although he did acknowledg it created a unique dilemma for his team.

Another notable omission was Rafael Palmeiro, who was passed up by the Texas Rangers. Palmeiro met the requirements to be selected. However, Rangers’ President Jon Daniels said Palmeiro’s steroid history and overall perception contributed. Fans will watch Jeff Burroughs to see how his career unfolds as he was likely the choice made instead of Palmeiro.

Toronto surprised a few by selecting Juan Guzman as one of their three players. Guzman was a heralded prospect who struggled with control in his initial career. Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins said Guzman’s arm talent was the deciding factor and that he was most likely to have success in the current age of baseball.

The Brewers also took an interesting route by selecting three pitchers. Teddy Higuera was a surprise to no one as was Rollie Fingers. The selection of left-hander closer Dan Plesac did surprise some, though. The Brewers history hasn’t been great and Plesac was regarded by the team as most likely to succeed in the present day.
The Twins selection of Tony Oliva over Rod Carew surprised a few as well. However, Twins GM Thad Levine said it was Oliva’s power and overall game that they thought would translate best to today. Carew was selected by the Angels, so they’ll get a chance to see if they were right.

The most interesting selections were probably from the recent expansion teams as they did not have much of a history. Those teams obviously raised the biggest objections to this new system. However, they were kind of the odd men out so to speak. The Marlins and Rays were really the biggest losers without many all-star appearances among their selections. They will, however, have the chance at both Stanton and Gray so there is some hope for their fans. Those markets will likely have a tough time under this new system, though, until these old-time players reach free agency.

[Recte44]

No Yount or Molitor for the Brewers?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[majesty95]

Yount was a tough omission by the Brewers. Since the players were being brought back as rookies, they didn't feel like he would fit in today's game. It took him so long to get going offensively back then. They felt it was best to leave his legacy in tact vs risking him turning into an average (or worse) player. The hope was that the three pitchers could help them offset some of the offense coming in and possibly close the gap on some of their talent discrepancy.

Molitor was similar in that he was mostly a singles hitter with speed early in his career. Similar to Yount, the Brewers felt his legacy was best left in tact instead of possibly being tarnished by today's game.

Great question!

[GoPedro99]

Kiner over bonds for the pirates ��������

[alexsimon99]

Mel Ott over Bonds for the Giants feels extremely curious, especially if the current team rosters are a factor in the decision ...

[majesty95]

Good points actually. Initially I was trying to avoid the more recent players and felt Bonds was right on the cusp. I can’t remmeber why I decided again him. Initially I thought he hadn’t been retired 10 years but he had. I also thought about him rejecting the offer to come to the future but didn’t work it in. Guess y’all will have to use your imagination as to why the Giants didn’t take him