Incidental Dynasty

[Erik W.]

While watching hockey today (go Habs!) I decided to do something I've been pondering since OOTPB 2006, and that is to build a fictional version of MLB from ground up using the Lahman DB for settings, expansion, and that stuff, but no real players.

While this can't even be counted as a historical league, even of the fictional variety, because I'm just simming to build history with the intent of taking over a team in 2008, an oddity has made me slow down the sim and pay attention to things more.

That thing is: The Baltimore Orioles have won 9 straight titles (1957-1965), giving them 17 in franchise history. They are easily the Yankees of my MLB, while the Yankees are some other futile team, because they've won 0 titles in 65 years. Zilch. Nada. 0 for 2 appearances in the Series.

The Dodgers haven't been bad either, winning five straight titles at one point, for eight overall.

For long-suffering Cubs fans, your team is faring slightly better in fake-ality, having won 4 titles, with the last coming in 1932.

My Cardinals have won a respectable 6 championships.

Other facts:

The best player in league history is named Holden "Sleepy" Harper. He played for five different teams over his career, amassing 17 All Star appearances and an amazing 10 MVP awards to sit next to his Rookie of the Year trophy.

The numbers: .333/.437/.560, 3400 hits even, 1914 RBI, and only 687 career K's to counter his 1945 BB. He holds the career marks for OPS (.997), VORP (1532.4), runs (2249), total bases (5729), and RBI. He tossed in 514 steals for good measure.

Other notables:

The single season HR record sits at 65, set in 1964 by the Cardinals 1B... in his second full season.

The career HR mark is at 643 and rising, although at 39 Mr. Gomez is losing steam.

There has never been a .400 hitter. Ethan Wright of the Cardinals missed the mark by .001 in 1922.

[Erik W.]

In 1966, the Orioles extended their championship streak to 10 with a 4 games to 3 win over the Atlanta Braves.

Gerardo Gomez also added a shocking year, putting up 33 HR at age 39/40 to push his record to 676 longballs.

[Erik W.]

And it's all over.

The Orioles finished second behind the Kansas City A's. The O's 93 wins were only good enough to finish 6 games back of the KC club.

The A's went on to lose to the Reds, giving the Cinci ballclub their 6th franchise title, their first since 1945.

Mr. Gomez, on the other hand, is still going at 41 years old. He hit an amazing 40 HR in 1967, pushing his record to 716.

[Erik W.]

And 1968 marked the end of our favorite slugger. Gomez retired following a very poor year, but his 19 RBI were enough to pass Sleepy Harper for the career mark.

His final numbers:

.267/.371/.542
721 HR *
1922 RBI *
1615 BB
1747 K *

12 time All Star, 3 time MVP, and 1 Gold Glove.

And, of course, his a plaque in the Hall of Fame.

[Kelric]

I wonder if Gomez's final season was the game keeping him around to break the RBI record, or if 'Gomez' really thought he had the ratings to continue doing well.

[Erik W.]

Originally Posted by Kelric

I wonder if Gomez's final season was the game keeping him around to break the RBI record, or if 'Gomez' really thought he had the ratings to continue doing well.

Couldn't tell you. I have ratings turned off.

I can tell you that he was playing way above his potential ratings, though. There's no way he was supposed to do what he did.

It's postseason 2007 now (I just got done setting up logos and such and I'm making a backup before I take over for a team) and no one is any threat to his record yet. Someone did break the RBI mark, though.

Two players also hit over .400, one of them twice, and one of those times with a .440!

And rest easy, Yankees fans. Your team finally has a couple championships. Heh.

[Erik W.]

As a first-time historical simmer, one thing I've found intriguing is the little stories you can dig up by combing through the past.

Take Mr. Bernardo Casillas. He was an all-time great whose main claim to fame is amazing longevity, and a little thing called the career hits record. I dug him up when looking at the record for career games played, which he holds.

He made his MLB debut in 1957 with the Baltimore Orioles. Yes, those Baltimore Orioles. He stuck as a late season call up and won his first of seven consecutive World Series rings with the club, and then became their starting 2B the next season.

He stayed at 2B until 1961, a year in which he started a nearly-equal number of games at SS, 2B, and 3B. The next year he became their regular 3B, and stayed there for much of his remaining career, aside from a couple later years as a SS.

As the Baltimore dynasty was winding down, they could no longer afford to keep their talent third bagger, so he signed as a free agent with the Mets.

While there he won his eighth and ninth championships -- The Mets' first and second as a franchise.

As his career was winding down, Casillas was traded back to the Orioles, where he would finish his amazing career having played for only two teams. He retired after the 1980 season, having stepped on a Major League field in four different decades.

The career numbers:

.316/.365/.457
377 HR
1697 RBI
943 SB
2138 runs
3979 hits *
3070 singles *
12553 AB *
3128 games played *

[AZTarHeel]

very cool stuff -- keep posting!