National Base Ball Union Est. 1861

Eddie Paxil · 08-16-2021, 02:44 AM

Almost 12 years ago exactly I started I started a Dynasty called the National Base Ball Union with the vision of following in the footsteps of what metsgeek created in his dynasty PLAGUE!!!

I was never able to finish following through after some problems with the file, and while I did want to revisit it, time and life didn't allow for it.

I thought about PLAGUE!!! and the Dynasty I started recently for two reasons. One was the obvious. While not as extreme as the Plague metsgeek created COVID certainly made me think of it. The other reason was that a GM in my long running online league the OMLB, mentioned he was in a historical online league that wasn't very fun.

It made me think of my unfinished dynasty, and I thought, if I could get a file to play out from 1861-1870 this time and then introduce real life players maybe I could turn the idea into an online league. This way I'd get 7 other guys to help me foster both the baseball, the history, and the lore.

First I tested the hell out of the game to see what it would or wouldn't do in creating what we needed. Got the file pretty much working this time as I wanted it. Then I started contacting some friends and friends of friends in the game and got 7 other interested guys via invite. We created a Slack, picked teams, and set up our website through Statsplus also utilizing their app and all the other goodies they include. And so the online league iteration of the National Base Ball Union est. 1861was born.

Here is our news website: NBBU News

Here is our Statsplus Page: NBBU StatsPlus

I am going to be posting our news article links her and other thoughts here and there. I'm also going to let the other 7 guys know this is here so they can post anything they like along the way here besides the news and other contributions.

Many of the early articles so far are updates of the original Dynasty articles to fit this new start. I'm excited that this should last a long time as I really did test the hell out of the file, and there are other voices and idea people to help me.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on the idea, the league, as well the crazy and I'm sure far fetched ways we are twisting history. As our one GM Zach pointed out this is "historically inspired." Not history itself. If you're following along tell us, maybe we'll borrow from metsgeek more and get you guys involved in elections and such.

I do think its important to say a little something about where the idea for this came from and where it's going.

Four things contributed to the where the original idea came from:

1. As mentioned PLAGUE!!! I spent some time reading through the metsgeek masterpiece and it inspired me to do an alternate history. If you've never read it, treat yourself. It's worth a Saturday morning walk through its nearly 40 season history. In PLAGUE!!!! metsgeek was God in that world. I was intending to take that role in the original iteration of this. Now there are eight of us playing that role. Should be interesting to say the least.

2. Fictional leagues starting over steroids. I saw a rash of fictional leagues who's basic premise was steroids drove everyone away from the MLB and we're starting over. It inspired me to turn that on it's head. What if a major controversy drove everyone to professional baseball at the start of it's history.

3. Jim Creighton. After reading about this pioneering pitcher I wondered two things. What if it had been discovered that he was being paid to play by the president of the game's association? (There's my controversy) I also wondered what if he didn't die?

4. New Jersey. New Jersey was where the first organized games under the "Knickerbocker Rules" were played. Elysian Fields in Hoboken was part of the first real Baseball hot spot for lack of a better term. Yet, professional baseball has no New Jersey team. In fact the only professional major league New Jersey team ever was the Newark Pepper in the Federal League. That will not be a problem in my league. NJ will always be represented.

Notes to keep in mind:

1. We are trying to build our "historically inspired" league on a bedrock of as much fact as possible injected in it But still have fun. For example, I went through all the box scores I could find at the New York Times website between 1851-1861 and got player names from there. Almost all of it was last names though. I also edited nationalities to be more in line with what might be the makeup of an 1861 league with some surprises to have fun with historically.

2.From 1861-1869 the draft classes will be fictional but as above I will try to use box scores to get real names from history albeit with very little context into the game. Starting with the 1870 draft, players will come from the real historical MLB leagues.

3.For the sake of file stability since what we're doing pre 1871 is delicate we are using the default database. However, the GMs in the league have agreed to start importing Negro league players from Spritze's (RIP) database circa 1920.

4. There's going to be a world beyond the baseball. I've introduced that slowly. The further we get from the original history of base ball the more the world beyond baseball changes. Again we will try to inject as much fact as possible. As once mentioned by metsgeek, we won't be perfect, let's not pick nits. After all in the end this is for fun.

Eddie Paxil · 08-16-2021, 02:51 AM

Eddie Paxil · 08-16-2021, 03:05 AM

While our file has not reached February 11, we have already started our Dispersal (Inaugural) Draft. You can follow along with it here.

We actually held a live draft lottery on zoom and I was luck enough to get the first pick. Needless to say I went with the best pitcher in the file which was Jim Creighton. I'm going to write more about the draft later.

We've also got some great uniforms, logo, and other great
stuff in the pipeline.

Eddie Paxil · 08-18-2021, 11:10 PM

Feb. 8 1861

https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=108

Feb 9, 1861

https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=110

Eddie Paxil · 08-18-2021, 11:16 PM

The first 3 rounds of our Dispersal Draft a more formal article coming.

Eddie Paxil · 08-18-2021, 11:19 PM

Our Top 10 prospects with Baltimore well Represented. Again, a more formal Article with coverage coming.

Eddie Paxil · 08-21-2021, 07:39 PM

February 11, 1861
https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=112

The following is a BIG Preview of the teams, their logos, their uniforms, their expected top lineup, draft results, ballparks, and a short season, and future preview.

February 14, 1861
https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=114

08-16-2021, 02:44 AM	#1
Eddie Paxil Major Leagues Join Date: May 2007 Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana Posts: 411	National Base Ball Union Est. 1861 Almost 12 years ago exactly I started I started a Dynasty called the National Base Ball Union with the vision of following in the footsteps of what metsgeek created in his dynasty PLAGUE!!! I was never able to finish following through after some problems with the file, and while I did want to revisit it, time and life didn't allow for it. I thought about PLAGUE!!! and the Dynasty I started recently for two reasons. One was the obvious. While not as extreme as the Plague metsgeek created COVID certainly made me think of it. The other reason was that a GM in my long running online league the OMLB, mentioned he was in a historical online league that wasn't very fun. It made me think of my unfinished dynasty, and I thought, if I could get a file to play out from 1861-1870 this time and then introduce real life players maybe I could turn the idea into an online league. This way I'd get 7 other guys to help me foster both the baseball, the history, and the lore. First I tested the hell out of the game to see what it would or wouldn't do in creating what we needed. Got the file pretty much working this time as I wanted it. Then I started contacting some friends and friends of friends in the game and got 7 other interested guys via invite. We created a Slack, picked teams, and set up our website through Statsplus also utilizing their app and all the other goodies they include. And so the online league iteration of the National Base Ball Union est. 1861was born. Here is our news website: NBBU News Here is our Statsplus Page: NBBU StatsPlus I am going to be posting our news article links her and other thoughts here and there. I'm also going to let the other 7 guys know this is here so they can post anything they like along the way here besides the news and other contributions. Many of the early articles so far are updates of the original Dynasty articles to fit this new start. I'm excited that this should last a long time as I really did test the hell out of the file, and there are other voices and idea people to help me. We'd love to hear your thoughts on the idea, the league, as well the crazy and I'm sure far fetched ways we are twisting history. As our one GM Zach pointed out this is "historically inspired." Not history itself. If you're following along tell us, maybe we'll borrow from metsgeek more and get you guys involved in elections and such. I do think its important to say a little something about where the idea for this came from and where it's going. Four things contributed to the where the original idea came from: 1. As mentioned PLAGUE!!! I spent some time reading through the metsgeek masterpiece and it inspired me to do an alternate history. If you've never read it, treat yourself. It's worth a Saturday morning walk through its nearly 40 season history. In PLAGUE!!!! metsgeek was God in that world. I was intending to take that role in the original iteration of this. Now there are eight of us playing that role. Should be interesting to say the least. 2. Fictional leagues starting over steroids. I saw a rash of fictional leagues who's basic premise was steroids drove everyone away from the MLB and we're starting over. It inspired me to turn that on it's head. What if a major controversy drove everyone to professional baseball at the start of it's history. 3. Jim Creighton. After reading about this pioneering pitcher I wondered two things. What if it had been discovered that he was being paid to play by the president of the game's association? (There's my controversy) I also wondered what if he didn't die? 4. New Jersey. New Jersey was where the first organized games under the "Knickerbocker Rules" were played. Elysian Fields in Hoboken was part of the first real Baseball hot spot for lack of a better term. Yet, professional baseball has no New Jersey team. In fact the only professional major league New Jersey team ever was the Newark Pepper in the Federal League. That will not be a problem in my league. NJ will always be represented. Notes to keep in mind: 1. We are trying to build our "historically inspired" league on a bedrock of as much fact as possible injected in it But still have fun. For example, I went through all the box scores I could find at the New York Times website between 1851-1861 and got player names from there. Almost all of it was last names though. I also edited nationalities to be more in line with what might be the makeup of an 1861 league with some surprises to have fun with historically. 2.From 1861-1869 the draft classes will be fictional but as above I will try to use box scores to get real names from history albeit with very little context into the game. Starting with the 1870 draft, players will come from the real historical MLB leagues. 3.For the sake of file stability since what we're doing pre 1871 is delicate we are using the default database. However, the GMs in the league have agreed to start importing Negro league players from Spritze's (RIP) database circa 1920. 4. There's going to be a world beyond the baseball. I've introduced that slowly. The further we get from the original history of base ball the more the world beyond baseball changes. Again we will try to inject as much fact as possible. As once mentioned by metsgeek, we won't be perfect, let's not pick nits. After all in the end this is for fun. __________________ Eddie Paxil OOTP since 2007 Commissioner of the OMLB GM of the OMLB New Jersey Pioneers Commissioner of the NBBU GM of theNBBU Hoboken Knickerbockers Follow the NBBU Dynasty Thread Here. Last edited by Eddie Paxil; 08-16-2021 at 03:21 AM. Reason: Typo

08-16-2021, 02:51 AM	#2
Eddie Paxil Major Leagues Join Date: May 2007 Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana Posts: 411	Extra! Extra! Read All about it! June 30, 1860 https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=56 July 15, 1860 https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=65 July 29, 1860 https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=67 August 26, 1860 https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=69 September 30, 1860 https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=71 November 6, 1860 https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=77 December 20, 1860 https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=79 December 28, 1860 (Editorial) https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=82 December 30, 1860 https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=84 January 3, 1861 https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=84 January 10-11, 1861 https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=89 January 18, 1861 https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=95 January 26, 1861 https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=97 January 29, 1861 https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=99 __________________ Eddie Paxil OOTP since 2007 Commissioner of the OMLB GM of the OMLB New Jersey Pioneers Commissioner of the NBBU GM of theNBBU Hoboken Knickerbockers Follow the NBBU Dynasty Thread Here. Last edited by Eddie Paxil; 08-17-2021 at 09:21 PM.

08-16-2021, 03:05 AM	#3
Eddie Paxil Major Leagues Join Date: May 2007 Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana Posts: 411	While our file has not reached February 11, we have already started our Dispersal (Inaugural) Draft. You can follow along with it here. We actually held a live draft lottery on zoom and I was luck enough to get the first pick. Needless to say I went with the best pitcher in the file which was Jim Creighton. I'm going to write more about the draft later. We've also got some great uniforms, logo, and other great stuff in the pipeline. __________________ Eddie Paxil OOTP since 2007 Commissioner of the OMLB GM of the OMLB New Jersey Pioneers Commissioner of the NBBU GM of theNBBU Hoboken Knickerbockers Follow the NBBU Dynasty Thread Here.

08-18-2021, 11:10 PM	#4
Eddie Paxil Major Leagues Join Date: May 2007 Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana Posts: 411	Feb. 8 1861 https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=108 Feb 9, 1861 https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=110 __________________ Eddie Paxil OOTP since 2007 Commissioner of the OMLB GM of the OMLB New Jersey Pioneers Commissioner of the NBBU GM of theNBBU Hoboken Knickerbockers Follow the NBBU Dynasty Thread Here.

08-18-2021, 11:16 PM	#5
Eddie Paxil Major Leagues Join Date: May 2007 Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana Posts: 411	The first 3 rounds of our Dispersal Draft a more formal article coming. Attached Images __________________ Eddie Paxil OOTP since 2007 Commissioner of the OMLB GM of the OMLB New Jersey Pioneers Commissioner of the NBBU GM of theNBBU Hoboken Knickerbockers Follow the NBBU Dynasty Thread Here.

08-18-2021, 11:19 PM	#6
Eddie Paxil Major Leagues Join Date: May 2007 Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana Posts: 411	Our Top 10 prospects with Baltimore well Represented. Again, a more formal Article with coverage coming. Attached Images __________________ Eddie Paxil OOTP since 2007 Commissioner of the OMLB GM of the OMLB New Jersey Pioneers Commissioner of the NBBU GM of theNBBU Hoboken Knickerbockers Follow the NBBU Dynasty Thread Here.

08-21-2021, 07:39 PM	#7
Eddie Paxil Major Leagues Join Date: May 2007 Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana Posts: 411	February 11, 1861 https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=112 The following is a BIG Preview of the teams, their logos, their uniforms, their expected top lineup, draft results, ballparks, and a short season, and future preview. February 14, 1861 https://atl-01.statsplus.net/nbbu/home/?p=114 __________________ Eddie Paxil OOTP since 2007 Commissioner of the OMLB GM of the OMLB New Jersey Pioneers Commissioner of the NBBU GM of theNBBU Hoboken Knickerbockers Follow the NBBU Dynasty Thread Here.