International Leagues - Who's using them?

I believe we have at least one person using the Korean KBO. Anybody else out there using Japan/Taiwan/Mexico or has dared to step into the European baseballing worlds of the Italian or Nederlands leagues?

My first venture into the game probably will be something like - start unemployed - see where the journey takes me

[Rockfan616]

I've dabbled with them a little bit, transferring some players over from the Japanese, Cuban, and Mexican leagues into my fantasy draft season. I probably will play a season with them at some point but not yet.

Originally Posted by Rockfan616

I've dabbled with them a little bit, transferring some players over from the Japanese, Cuban, and Mexican leagues into my fantasy draft season. I probably will play a season with them at some point but not yet.

I get that 99% of people don't really care for them and they don't really impact the real world so much, well maybe the Japanese league does, but I always wanted to play out some careers in these leagues on old OOTP games but the lack of real players/teams and rules always put me off eventually!

Be sure to let us all know if you do try them out.

[Padreman]

I play Mexico since Mexico was allowing black players in years before MLB. Greats like Josh Gibson and Paige. So I'm Playing with them currently

Originally Posted by Padreman

I play Mexico since Mexico was allowing black players in years before MLB. Greats like Josh Gibson and Paige. So I'm Playing with them currently

Interesting I never knew this. I watched all the episodes of that 9 innings documentary and it never told me this!?

I've recently discovered too that the Mexican league is a lot bigger than I once thought.

[Aceshigh24]

Originally Posted by Garethw87

Interesting I never knew this. I watched all the episodes of that 9 innings documentary and it never told me this!?

I've recently discovered too that the Mexican league is a lot bigger than I once thought.

Based on the fact that the International Leagues sign MLB players that can't get a contract, It seems intriguing to take over a Japanese team and try to pull some of those guys away from the Major Leagues to see how much they can dominate in Japan.

This may make me want to start season over seas.

Originally Posted by Aceshigh24

Based on the fact that the International Leagues sign MLB players that can't get a contract, It seems intriguing to take over a Japanese team and try to pull some of those guys away from the Major Leagues to see how much they can dominate in Japan.

This may make me want to start season over seas.

Japan/Korea/Taiwan are where my main interests lie, and Cuba because it's a strange situation for baseball in that country and having no finances makes things pretty tough!

When I first downloaded the game I managed to sign Jason Bay in the Italian league from FA I'm not the best baseball guy but he's played a lot of MLB and he cost me most of my available FA budget!

[Aceshigh24]

Originally Posted by Garethw87

Japan/Korea/Taiwan are where my main interests lie, and Cuba because it's a strange situation for baseball in that country and having no finances makes things pretty tough!

When I first downloaded the game I managed to sign Jason Bay in the Italian league from FA I'm not the best baseball guy but he's played a lot of MLB and he cost me most of my available FA budget!

What team are you currently controlling and what did you sign Bay for? He in my eyes is the type of guy that will go over to Japan and just smash. Obviously there are other guys that could do the same but a fresh start for him could do the trick.

[Padreman]

I found his book on the history of the mexican league in fact in the 40's they where even offering big contracts to MLB free-agents but someone MLB owners were going to ban any players that left

[Padreman]

The Mexican League was founded in 1925 with 5 teams and slowly grew. By the late 30s and 40s, the league was drawing the top players from the Negro Leagues, including Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Martin Dihigo, Ray Dandridge and Willie Wells. Native Mexican talent was almost run out of the league in 1940, when many Cuban and Negro League stars took central stage - only a handful of Mexican players like Angel Castro and Jesus Valenzuela were competitive with the foreign imports. Four Negro Leaguers (Bell, Wild Bill Wright, René González and Alonzo Perry) won Triple Crowns - since then only three other players have won Triple Crowns in the Mexican League (Ángel Castro, Ty Gainey and Kit Pellow). In 1946, millionaire owner Jorge Pasquel began luring big-leaguers like Sal Maglie and Max Lanier to Mexico and offered blank contracts to Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, and Ted Williams. While the white Americans who did jump borders added prestige and famous names to the league, they generally were of lesser talent than and could not compete with the league's population of Cuban and Negro League greats. Also, by this time Mexican players were much more prevalent and productive than they had been in the '40-'41 seasons, when Negro Leaguers almost forced them out of the league. Legal action by the American major leagues and salary cuts by the Mexican clubs led to most of the Americans leaving by 1948. With integration the black stars mostly returned north as well, though some stayed south due to the racially tolerant environment.
By 1955, the Mexican League was fading. New owners helped make the league part of Organized Baseball as a AA circuit. Later, it became a AAA league - while the talent was AA on average, the attendance and size of the cities represented were comparable to other AAA circuits.

[Padreman]

Josh Gibson - BR Bullpen
Here you can see an example that he was recruited to Mexican league

[Trebro]

My first gane with 15 is a Japan only league. I grabbed the Giants because I wanted to ease into it. Am having cheap owner issues and high injuries but my group of old guys and a few young SP smashed their way to the 2016 championship after two failed runs that went to the finals.

I love that I can do this now. I am going to do my off season, takea break and start a new game I think. Want to stop playing one at a time.

[MIBS98]

I'm playing in Korea with the Japanese and Taiwanese leagues active as well.

[olivertheorem]

I'm playing as the Astros, but I put ALL the international leagues into my game. I'm still getting started, but I just had to tack on a $50,000 signing bonus as I try to sign an extra minor-league 3B to keep him from jumping ship to Japan. It's an interesting twist.

And I think it's really cool that you can offer a signing bonus to everyday FA's. Haven't looekd for it on a MLB contract, but I wouldn't think it would be available.

[mgom27]

I use all.

[MUFC1878]

I use all the leagues, except the Europeans one. But the game sims quick, so I might try them all. I play mostly as Orix Buffaloes in the ***. I'll probably play as a KBO team later on.

[stevens84]

Currently doing a Phillies rebuild, but will head out to Japan when I'm done this dynasty.

I'll probably end up doing a Mexican dynasty too, I don't know about the Italian or Dutch leagues, they don't really interest me.

Korea/China would be interesting, but I'd rather do Japan.

Cuba would get boring since players can't leave the country, or enter for that matter.

[majesty95]

I added the ***. It slows my sims down a little but I like seeing their free agents come over. I assume some ML free agents have gone that way but I haven't really paid much attention.

[sc_superstar]

I like using them, like above posters said its fun to see guys who end up going either way. I lost out on a bullpen guy in free agency cause he signed in Korea, he chose to be a closer in Korea (was a 5* pitcher relative to that league) rather than a low leverage arm in an ML bulppen for the same money. Was cool

Originally Posted by Padreman

The Mexican League was founded in 1925 with 5 teams and slowly grew. By the late 30s and 40s, the league was drawing the top players from the Negro Leagues, including Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Martin Dihigo, Ray Dandridge and Willie Wells. Native Mexican talent was almost run out of the league in 1940, when many Cuban and Negro League stars took central stage - only a handful of Mexican players like Angel Castro and Jesus Valenzuela were competitive with the foreign imports. Four Negro Leaguers (Bell, Wild Bill Wright, René González and Alonzo Perry) won Triple Crowns - since then only three other players have won Triple Crowns in the Mexican League (Ángel Castro, Ty Gainey and Kit Pellow). In 1946, millionaire owner Jorge Pasquel began luring big-leaguers like Sal Maglie and Max Lanier to Mexico and offered blank contracts to Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, and Ted Williams. While the white Americans who did jump borders added prestige and famous names to the league, they generally were of lesser talent than and could not compete with the league's population of Cuban and Negro League greats. Also, by this time Mexican players were much more prevalent and productive than they had been in the '40-'41 seasons, when Negro Leaguers almost forced them out of the league. Legal action by the American major leagues and salary cuts by the Mexican clubs led to most of the Americans leaving by 1948. With integration the black stars mostly returned north as well, though some stayed south due to the racially tolerant environment.
By 1955, the Mexican League was fading. New owners helped make the league part of Organized Baseball as a AA circuit. Later, it became a AAA league - while the talent was AA on average, the attendance and size of the cities represented were comparable to other AAA circuits.

Satchel Paige played in Mexico? See that documentary had a lot on him and never mentioned that. It was in depth with the Negro leagues too and still never mentioned it! Oh well. Thanks for the write up, nice and interesting!