Oh the frustration...but I Like it!!

[Matter2003]

I started a MLB league and took over a Florida Marlins team that wasn't too good, finishing 4th 2 years in a row, including a dreadful 67-95 record. I started turning it around by making some good free agent signings and working on rebuilding my roster with good young players. My drafts have been less than stellar...I have had 2 1st round picks retire due to CEI's and a 3rd player, who was chosen 4th overall turn into 3.5 million dollar uber bust. I have managed to finish above .500 the past 2 seasons, but have not managed to make it to the playoffs, as my pitching has failed me both seasons, even tho I have been one of the better hitting teams, even averaging .283 the one season. With a pitching staff that includes Josh Johnson, Zack Greinke(almost stolen from the KC Royals as they were in rebuilding mode I thought, until one the prospects I sent to them blossomed into a hitting machine 2 years later, leading the AL in batting average and RBI's), and Jair Jurgens, along with what was supposed to be one of the best young pitchers in the league in Aroldis Chapman, I thought pitching would be as good or better than my hitting....wrong. Greinke keeps getting injured on me, and Chapman was pitching so badly I had to demote him back to AAA, and they now say he is a mop up guy...Jurgens hasn't come close to matching the 19 wins he had as a member of the Braves, and has been average at best.

I am hoping this is the year I can put it all together, but as I wait for the playoffs to finish and try and see who I can go after in the free agent market, I am still upset my drafting has been poor enough that I have only 3 prospects listed in the minor league systems report and my rating is towards the bottom of the league...it has been a very frustrating time for me, but it has been a blast---by far the most fun I have ever had playing OOTP---I can't just grab a lot of good young players and end up with a great team year after year after year...I don't think it ever took more than 3 or 4 years for me to turn around a team in previous versions, but I am headed into my 6th season as GM only(I even had to fire my manager the one year after he lost 14 straight games), and worried again about my rebuilt pitching staff which I devoted lots and lots of resources too with little to show for it. With little to trade in my minor league systems, I am going to have to spend $ for overpriced free agents to compete....man this is really fun....

[MizzouRah]

I'm with you.. this version is definitetly a lot tougher for me.