J. Henry Waugh Moments

[StLee]

Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I have been unable to grab OOTP 18. That's OK. I started a new, smaller fictional league in OOTP 17 to keep me company. In just the third season of the league, my squad of good-hitting, not-so-good pitching younglings earned themselves a Series berth.

With 16 total teams and two total divisions, each league's pennant winner earns its way right into the Series. So, I was pretty pumped when with just eight games left in the season, my team, the New Orleans Creoles, overtook the Nashville Electrics for our first division lead of the season. This after we were in 8th place out of the first month. Well, they took back the lead by 1/2 a game later on, but thanks to them losing 3 out of their last 5, we were able to take the division by a game despite losing our last game of the season in extra innings.

So, moving on. The Series starts against the Oklahoma City Stampede. In May, we traded them our star player for a bunch of middling prospects. My Assistant GM said not to do it. Their GM was much too happy to take the trade. Why did I do it? Well, at the time, we were just climbing out of last place. He had spent much of the 2017 season on the IR. Just injury after injury after injury. He started off the 2018 season the same way: injuries and a major league slump. I gave him the heave ho despite what my fans thought. Well, he never hit the IR once with OKC, finishing second in that league in home runs and leading it in RBI. Ouch.

I'm facing my ex-star player, with a cool name to boot: Sam "Koz" Kozakiewicz, CF and slugger extraordinaire. I'm rallying with a couple of older but pretty good players I picked up through prospect-heavy trades. I have a young--too young--pitching staff, but they start to turn it around post-All Star Break. Three young, struggling pitchers start pitching like juggernauts. I'm managing most games (I sim until the 7th and then take over, so I basically manage 1/3 of a game), and I'm liking how things are working out. None of my stars are going down, only a fringe starter as a pitcher or position player here or there ever hit the IR.

Get to September and roster expansion, except that my AAA squad is playoff bound, too. So I only pick up a couple of AA guys I want to get an extended look at. Carry only 27 on my roster post roster expansion. Keep winning. Keep winning. 5 games here. 4 games there. Keep creeping up on the first place Electrics. Finally, with fewer than 10 games left, we taste first place. It was intoxicating. There was no stopping our freight train.

Flash forward a few hours today. Because, well, it's a holiday here in Korea, so I'm not working. I woke up at 6 AM anyway, while my children snoozed. I started making that push. And I pushed, and I pushed, and I pushed. Until we were in the playoffs--the Series.

I had company coming over at noon for a BBQ. I had cleaning to do. I did the cleaning. I prepped for the BBQ. But I also took breaks every few minutes to get a little more OOTP -- ooh, this league is the United Independent Baseball League, a collection of major cities NOT playing MLB. At around 11:00 AM, I got to Game One, finally. Met my owner's 6-year goal of making the playoffs in just three years. Played it out. Inning 1-9. In the top of the 4th, my team broke through, breaking a scoreless tie by knocking in four runs through a series of singles and doubles. In the end, we came away with a 7-4 Game One win. Man, I wanted to play more, but it was time to transfer all the stuff--food, drinks, tent, utensils, etc.--outside. So, it had to wait.

Well, about 3 hours into the BBQ, rain started falling, so we picked up and moved everything inside. The guests soon excused themselves for other (non)plans, and then I had the chance to fire up OOTP 17 again.

Start Game 2, antsy to play the Series. I fall behind quick, though, as the Stampede find their bats enough to get three first-inning singles to take a 1-0 lead. However, just like Game One, my bats find a way in the third to punch some runs across. Five this time. FIVE! I'm up 5-1 in Game Two, and I cannot contain myself. I reach for my beer to take a sip. What?!? Out? I'm out of beer? But it's only 4:00?!? We can't have that.

"Boys!" I call out to my two sons, aged 6 (this week) and 3.5, "we have to go to the convenience store! Chocolate on me!" Just like Waugh leaving to get a sandwich in the middle of Rutherford's potential no-hitter, I had to make a beer run in the middle of Game Two of the Series. There's a 7-11 only a two-minute walk from my apartment, so off we go.

Now, after purchasing my French beer (Kronenbourg 1664--the same beer I drank a lot of when I studied in Paris) on sale, I am sitting here writing right now, missing my dynasty writing days. Seriously, sometimes hang ups in life tend to suck!!! Anyway, my baseball boys, the Creoles, are up 5-1 now in the bottom of the third. Before I sip my last beer tonight, this series will be over. But my Waugh Moment will forever be alive.

Thank you, OOTP. Despite everything, your game can offer to me some pretty cool alternatives. Now, off to win the Series!

[StLee]

We had a 5-run lead going into the bottom of the 5th. What looked to be a cruise to a 2-0 series lead suddenly bottomed out as my pitching staff suddenly couldn't get an out. Following starter Chris Bevier surrendering the lead, two relievers in the inning could not prevent the onslaught as the Stampede stampeded its way to a 10-6 lead after 5, scoring what is probably already a Series record nine runs in the inning.

[StLee]

CHAMPIONS!!!!!

Down 3-1, we came back and did it. Too lazy to give a game-by-game replay. Just to summarize. We were up 1-0 and had a 5-run lead in Game Two. Blew that lead to lose Game 2 and then followed up with home losses in Games 3 and 4. Pulled out a close one in Game 5, overcoming a 6-2 deficit in the 8th to post 6 runs and win it 8-6. Returning to OKC, we took a 3-0 lead into the 9th in Game 6 before ultimately triumphing 3-2.

In Game 7, we took a 4-0 lead to start despite our first two batters getting out. With two outs, LF Andy Boles walked. First baseman Danny Kirk then singled to send Boles to third. Shortstop Jeff Little followed with an RBI single to make it 1-0. Matt Ramirez, 3B, followed with a two-RBI double for the 3-0 lead. Catcher Mike Owens then singled in Ramirez for the comfortable 4-0 lead in the 1st.

I could give more PBP, but, OKC scored two in the game. The 1st inning ended up being the deciding inning as the Creoles cruised to an 8-2 win and a three-game stretch to win the series in seven, four games to three.

[StLee]

I am not so happy with my starting staff so far since my team's starting ERA is the second worst. However, I can't complain too much since my team's offense is the best, period. What surprised me was that I was meticulous in accumulating pretty good defensive players. Despite being in first place 20 games in, my team is the worst in defensive efficiency; yet, the last place team is first in it. Yes, 20 games. Small sample size. But, now I am wondering if my approach to strategy may be unimportant. Also, small sample size results, too, but I HATE that my defense is so poor. My position in baseball (hell, also these days in my softball league) was always taking pride in my defensive accomplishments over my offensive ones.

[StLee]

A couple of pics for the season start: