The Continental League, 1995 to present…

[BigCity]

For a long time, I’ve wanted to try and simulate a league and report its progress here, on the board. Playing out a league in this way can have many benefits to both the “simmer” and the community. The game can be analyzed through the simulation, the “simmer” actually gets to “play” the game and share his results with the community – but the league premise (and the ability of the “simmer” to express the results in a way that is interesting) is critical to developing a regular following. BigSix’s Patrick O’Farrell thread is an excellent example of this concept working at its highest level, among others.

I’ve tried a couple ideas in the past including reporting on the progress of my Universal Baseball Association, but these ideas never quite got off the ground. The audience of those interested in the UBA is limited to those who have read the book, and some of the other ideas I had didn’t have a strong enough background to base the scenario on.

Yes, it has occurred to me that I might just be a lousy reporter but I also thought it might be the fact that nothing I have tried to date has generated the type of interest that gets a steady readership.

Well, I thought I’d try again, so here’s the concept. It’s based on the 1994 baseball strike (something recent enough that the majority of younger fans here have personally experienced it) and goes like this…

The 1994 baseball strike is not settled in the Spring of 1995, but is mired in finger pointing as neither side is willing to budge. In steps Carl Williams Clifton, a New York attorney who feels there is a chance of getting baseball back on the field – in the form of a new league – and is prepared to take advantage of a legal loophole to do it. Although most of those invited to hear his presentation are sceptical, his "loophole" proves to be more than a fantasy.

The Prologue below will escort you through the real-world history, followed by the alternative history I’ve created to set the stage for this story.

The teams that will actually make up this new league are teams that mean something to me in my lifetime with baseball as a hobby. This team list starts with my very first tabletop team in the 70s, the Richmond Rebels, and includes teams such as the New York Knights, from the movie, The Natural, my favorite team from the PCL – and some old MLB teams as well as other personal favorites.

I will become Manager of the Cleveland Spiders (my birth town) and report here the day-to-day trials and tribulations of my team and the league in general. Success or failure, it will be documented here, along with some sidebar stories as the “reporter bug” bites me. I’ll also make sidebar notes on the game’s operation as it affects the league simulation.

If the idea establishes a following, I’ll continue – otherwise I’ll fade off into the sunset and go back to reading the stories of other great imaginations like BigSix and his Patrick O’Farrell story

PROLOGUE
As history actually happened

The 1994 baseball strike began on Aug. 12th 1994. Although most of the media did not start covering the situation until the strike date was announced, negotiations actually started two years earlier in December of 1992. On December 7th of that year, owners voted 15-13 at Louisville Kentucky to reopen the collective bargaining agreement as of January 10th, 1993, in sections on free agency, salary arbitration and minimum salary. On December 8th owners sent notices to Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and the New York Mediation Board that they might lock out players after a 60-day window.

On January 13th, 1993, talks between the two sides began officially. Dick Ravitch was the player relation’s manager at the time and his first recommendation to the owners was to avoid a lockout for the 1993 season. He expressed his concern for the condition of the industry at the time.

On February 17th 1993 owners agreed to tie revenue sharing to a salary cap. Shortly after it became apparent that a revenue sharing agreement could not be reached between the players and owners; the owners agreed to not lockout the players for the 1993 season.

On December 31st, 1993 the Collective bargaining agreement expired. From this point on players relation’s manager Dick Ravitch was an extremely busy man. He constantly listens to the managers and reports to the players. Ravitch meets with players on March 7th with 75 players in Tampa, Florida and March 30th meets with 50 players in Phoenix in addition to numerous meetings with player’s union representatives.

On June 14th, 1994, the owners come up with their first package offer. They propose to split revenue with players 50-50 in exchange for limiting payrolls to 84-110% of current maximums. They also proposed to eliminate arbitration but, in return, lower free agency eligibility from six years of service to four. On July 18th the players rejected the salary cap proposal and asked owners to lower the arbitration threshold to two years, and raise minimum pay to $200,000. Ten days after the player’s proposal Dick Ravitch rejects it. This leads to the setting of the strike date, August 12th.

On August 3rd, the day after the union announced that management had failed to make its scheduled August 1st payment of $7.8 million to the pension plan, the sides agreed to resume talks that were suspended from July 28th. Dick Ravitch, the management’s negotiator at the time called the decision not to make the payment “absolutely normal” because of the lack of an agreement. The lack of payment made many players extremely upset and most of them wanted to declare an immediate strike. Union chief Don Fehr calmed down the troops saying, “Just because the owners are behaving in an irresponsible provocative manner doesn’t mean the players have to do so.”

There were several bargaining sessions between that time and August 12th, but they accomplished absolutely nothing. In fact the childish “he said she said” got even worse. Interim commissioner Bud Selig criticized the union for not believing that baseball had significant financial woes and the sessions held in the period between August 3rd and the 12th were so useless that the players and owners did not even meet on the last day before the strike deadline.

On August 12th 1994, the players walked out.

The owners and players never finished the 1994 season. In fact they argued back and forth for nearly eight months and still did not have an agreement at the start of the 1995 season.

The alternative history

On April 2nd, 1995 the players turned down a proposal to return to work, still without an agreement. The season was already about 18 games late per the schedule, the MLB had lost a total of 921 games, and the combined parties had suffered over $800 million in losses.

Both sides showed no interest in returning to the negotiations table, and it appeared the 1995 baseball season was also in jeopardy.

On April 14th, in a meeting room at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, Carl Williams Clifton, an attorney and Senior Partner of Sable, Clifton, and March (New York), met with a group of various investors including Marshall T. Grabel (Pacific Telecom), Anthony V. Phillips (United Bankcorp), and Cooper G. Wallings (US Edison) as well as a half dozen other leading American business leaders.

Clifton presented his vision of a new baseball association, modeled after William Shea’s 1960’s concept of the Continental League – proposed as a result of major league baseball refusing to expand at the time. The proposed league would, as had the Continental League, be based on eight teams, and would be designed to integrate with the MLB if, and when, they had settled their differences with the player’s union.

In what was a shocking move in the presentation to all present, was Clifton’s position (which was legally supported by his law firm) that the new league could have access to MLB player’s since the legalities of a non-negotiated strike lasting over 200 days would allow individual players to choose if they wished to continue negotiations with their present employers, or sever their contracts with the same.

This observation was taken notice of by all present, since the availability of players was the major roadblock in the creation of any new league. After his presentation, discussion became aggressive as each investor present began to see significant profit in the excitement that would be generated among fans when they saw the possibility to “build it right the second time”.

Ideas and compromises fell into place as the NEW “Continental League” took form. Sixteen teams would be formed into two leagues, each with two divisions consisting of four teams. If the new league proved to be successful, and the MLB also returned intact, a “Super Bowl” type playoff event could be arranged between the MLB and the new league.

Over the next several weeks and months, many more meetings took place – and, of course, news of the group’s plan got out.

The MLB immediately took issue with the position that the player’s union could void their contracts, but on May 7th, a court confirmed that was a choice available to each player as a result of prolonged and ineffectual negotiations. The MLB then responded by laying claim to all names, logos, and other merchandising identification of the current MLB teams, and this position was upheld by the courts later that same month. In an attempt to bar the new league from locating teams in MLB cities, the court ruled that was not the MLB’s prerogative – but a subsidiary claim to protect minor league players was upheld.

Although additional suits, claims, and counter claims followed, the initial decisions of the court allowed the new league to continue its plans.

On June 3rd, 1995, the newly named “Continental League” announced that over 100 players had expressed interest in voiding their contracts with the MLB for a chance to play in the CL. Upon publishing a list of these players, the MLB immediately warned all MLB contracted players that they would be barred for life from the MLB if their contracts were broken.

This action raised anger among all players, and by June 21st, the “list” had expanded to almost 200 players with 28 of them publicly announcing their intention to join the CL.

Among these was Curt Schilling, who ultimately became the player spokesman for those players wishing to join the CL.

Over the next six weeks, nineteen cities and/or investment groups applied, and sixteen were accepted as charter members of the Continental League.

(A list of teams, and their organization will follow shortly.)

[UncleBuc]

You have my attention. This is a great set up and I look forward to following along.

[blackrussian]

pretty cool, i'm reading. looks like we've had a few recent dynasty's start with the 1994 strike as their genesis (well, mine sort of counts, just a different country

[Claymore]

As I already mentioned in another post, I'm pretty interested in this sort of "what if" 1994 scenario.

[BigCity]

Federal League Standings

Great Lakes Division

Buffalo Soldiers
Chicago Black Sox
Cleveland Spiders (my team)
Detroit Windsors

Western Division

Bay City Blues
Hollywood Stars
Las Vegas Canyons
Seattle Pilots

Atlantic League Standings

Northeast Division

Boston Red Caps
New York Knights
Toronto Towers
Washington Senators

Southeast Division

Atlanta Crackers
Austin Capitals
Miami Gators
Richmond Rebels

[UncleBuc]

Personally I'd like to hear a little about the MLB defectors. Maybe some highlights or surprises from the draft. However, it's totally up to you.

[BigCity]

Before I get into the details, I should mention I always intended to create a league using only those teams (real or fictional) I was fond of for one reason or another. I decided to use this league premise to do just that. The only reason I haven't done it earlier, was because I never could decide which team I wanted to control - so if nothing else, I finally made that decision

Frontier League

Great Lakes Division

Buffalo Soldiers - Buffalo was considered as a charter team of the 1961 Continental League, and they have many times been mentioned as a possible expansion team. The success of the Bisons, however, has always gotten in the way of that idea. Here, now, in 1996, Buffalo will finally join the show. The nickname buffalo soldiers began with the Cheyenne warriors in 1867. The actual Cheyenne translation was Wild Buffalo. The nickname was given out of respect and the fierce fighting ability of the 10th cavalry. Overtime, Buffalo Soldiers became a generic term for all African American soldiers. Ballpark = State Fair Park (by Teflon Skies)

Chicago Black Sox - I love Chicago, and simply had to have a team there. Although I could have called it anything, the "Black Sox" seemed to be a tongue-in-cheek name that would fit well. Ballpark = Armour Field (a proposed stadium to replace Comisky Park (by Teflon Skies)

Cleveland Spiders (my team) - I often wondered what the Cleveland baseball team would be called if they ever stopped calling them the Indians. As many times as I've wondered that, I always came back to that silly name "Spiders" from the 19th century. All-in-all, it ain't that bad. This will be my team, having been born in Cleveland. Ballpark = Pioneer Stadium (Teflon Skies)

Detroit Windsors - Back in the days when Rotisserie baseball was all we had to live our fantasies ("baseball" fantasies), I used this name for one of my teams. It was a play on the geographical location of the cities of Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Canada. Ballpark = Metropolitan Park (by Henry)

Western Division

Bay City Blues - A 1983-84 TV show about a baseball team that was, well, pretty bad. I did like the name, however, and it provides a Continental League charter team that covers all of the Bay area. Ballpark = United Technologies Ballpark (by Teflon Skies)

Hollywood Stars - By far, my favorite pre-1958 PCL team. I imagine it must have been a real high to go to the Star's games and see various actors and actresses in the box seats. There were probably more autograph requests of the star's than the Star's (get it? I know, pretty bad). Ballperk = 20th Century Park (by Teflon Skies)

Las Vegas Canyons - LV will never really get a major league team, except in the CL, so here are the Canyons. The team is named after Red Rock Canyon, just north of the city and a beautiful drive if you have the time. The Canyons will play at the "Fabulous Avalon" which, as a result of Teflon's humor, posts a billboard of the nightly attraction in the Casino... "Steve Kuffrey LIVE!". I can see this is going to give me some wonderful opportunities to quote the man himself Ballpark = Fabulous Avalon Park (by Teflon Skies)

Seattle Pilots - I actually have always liked this name more than the "Mariners", and I love the city of Seattle. Bringing back this one season team by adding it to the CL is a longtime dream. Had Cleveland not been my personal team, the Pilots would certainly have been. Ballpark = Bridge Street Park (by Teflon Skies)


Atlantic League

Northeast Division

Boston Red Caps - This is another fantasy baseball team from my past. It is also the one in which I had the most success. I played in this league for 7 years, and won the World Series 5 times. How could I not bring this memory back? Ballpark = Teflon Field (by Teflon Skies)

New York Knights - From one of my favorite baseball movies, The Natural. Like many, I loved this film - Roy Hobbs, the hero going against all odds, we all look for in baseball. Maybe I'll add Roy to the team at some point just for the hell of it. If I had a rendition of the Rockpile (War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo where the movie was filmed) I would definitely watch the Knights play there - but, Ballpark = Metropolis Stadium (by Henry)

Toronto Towers - What the Cleveland Cavaliers would have been called had Ted Stepian moved them to Toronto in the 80s. Although I didn't want to see the team move at the time, I did like the name he chose and, as I remember, loved the logo. I guess the proposed name was never forgotten. Ballpark = Palisades Park (by Henry)

Washington Senators - As a kid, I always liked the underdogs, and the Senators were definately that for many years of my childhood. I hated to see them go the first time (Twins) and hated it the second time as well (Rangers). When Montreal moved to DC, I was really upset when they chose the name Nationals over the Senators, so the Senators return to life with the CL. Ballpark = Armed Forces Stadium (by Teflon Skies)

Southeast Division

Atlanta Crackers - I have to be honest, I didn't want to add a team in Atlanta (after all, they beat the Indians in '95), but I needed another southeast team for this division and didn't want another one from Florida. I would have loved to add Havanna, Cuba, but could resolve in my head how that could possible happen. So, we have the Atlanta Crackers. I decided to use a name from the pre-1958 Black Leagues to tie the city into its own history. Ballpark = Skyline Park (by Henry)

Austin Capitals - Another fantasy league team. I used this name for 3 years and never got out of last place. I would like to forget this team, but it occurred to me that this way, the Capitals might actually win something Ballpark = Lexus Park (by Teflon Skies)

Miami Gators - This team was mentioned in the movie, Back To The Future II. It was one of those name that caught me attention and seemed to be a logical choice for a Miami team that you could have some fun with (Mascot, contests, etc.). Ballpark = Tropicana Stadium (by DreamTeams)

Richmond Rebels - And finally, this was my first-ever fantasy baseball team (in the 70s), I won the Pennant in my first year, but lost the World Series. Did the same in the second year, and repeated it yet AGAIN in my third year with this team. I then quit the league, and the guy who took over the team won 111 games and won the World Series 4-0. Man was I p_ss_d!! Ballpark = Gatewood Park (by Teflon Skies)

[blackrussian]

Originally Posted by BigCity

Seattle Pilots - I actually have always liked this name more than the "Mariners", and I love the city of Seattle. Bringing back this one season team by adding it to the CL is a longtime dream. Had Cleveland not been my personal team, the Pilots would certainly have been. Ballpark = Bridge Street Park (by Teflon Skies)

you should bring back jim bouton to manage the pilots. it'd be great marketing to draw the crowds

[Le Grande Orange]

Sounds good so far, BC. Only one tiny quibble if I may: I don't think having one of your two leagues called the Frontier League is right. This is because the real independent Frontier League came into existence in 1993, or some two years before your Continental League is formed. So I think they'd have had ownership of that name first.

Atlantic League for the second league is all right, since the real-world independent Atlantic League didn't start until 1998, which means you could scoop the name for your new league.

Also, I did a rather nice (if I do say so myself) Richmond Rebels logo some time back. If you run a search for it you should find it. If not, I can always post it up again.

[BigCity]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

I don't think having one of your two leagues called the Frontier League is right. This is because the real independent Frontier League came into existence in 1993, or some two years before your Continental League is formed. So I think they'd have had ownership of that name first.

Hmmm.... I could call it the Federal League I guess.

[BigCity]

[BigCity]

[YankeeFanatic04]

Bright future for the Soldiers Infield Giambi,Renteria,Castillo,Jone all under 25

[BigCity]

(plus Vladimar Guererro in Single A)

[BigCity]

[BigCity]

[BigCity]

[BigCity]

[BigCity]

[BigCity]