Legacy Baseball League - Fictional/Historical

[LBL_Brendan]

JOIN US ON A JOURNEY THROUGH THE BASEBALL AGES.

Two years in the making, the LEGACY BASEBALL LEAGUE is a combination of creativity, history, writing, and competition. We are currently recruiting passionate, competitive, and creative GMs to join us on our baseball journey from 1895 to present day.

Full League Name (Initials): Legacy Baseball League (LBL)
Main URL: LBL Home Page
Reports URL: League Reports
Commissioner(s) OOTP Forum Username(s): catamount_kid
Email Address: andrew.visscher@gmail.com
OOTP Version: OOTP 23 (transitioning to '24 soon)
Game Needed: Required
Players: Fictional
# of Teams: 16
Sim Times: Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday
League Time Per Sim: One week/seven game days
First Season: 1895
Latest Season: Currently 1908
Special Rules & Settings: Constitution, StatsPlus integration, Writing Encouraged, Upgrades to Newest OOTP Version Required, Slack for casual communication (transitioning to Discord), Salary Cap


HOW DO I JOIN?

Apply here. As this is the labor of love for the founders, we are discerning in who we permit to manage teams in the LBL.

More information regarding our founding principles, rules, and League Constitution can be found at our website.

APPLY HERE
LEAGUE PODCAST
LEAGUE WEBSITE
LEAGUE REPORTS
STATS+
LEAGUE CONSTITUTION

CURRENT OPENINGS:

No current openings.

Credit to CooleyVol for the uniform presentation template throughout this thread.

[LBL_Brendan]

Franchise Highlight: The New York Kings

Owned by the loathsome Alexander Bingley, the embodiment of the term "robber baron," the Kings of New York having a pitching staff anchored by one of the most dominant pitchers in the LBL, Eduardo Chell, and a solid offensive core. Currently in third in the Eastern League's Ivy Division, the Kings are looking for a ruthless GM to match their owner's ferocity--someone driven to bend the LBL to his or her will.

Bread and circuses? The pursuit of great wealth at all costs, unscrupulous though the methods may have been, had been a successful one for Alexander Bingley. The son of an Episcopalian clergyman, the native New Yorker had treated the accumulation of vast sums of capital as his divine right throughout his lifetime. He started his impressive career in the backbone of the American capital markets—serving as an errand boy at the age of 14 before becoming a member of the New York Stock Exchange in his late teens. He would later use the wealth earned on Wall Street by acquiring, rehabilitating, and then selling flagging railroad lines—always at considerable profit.

Throughout his journey to the peak of capitalism—a journey aided by price-fixing, stock manipulation, collusion, bribery, and blackmail—one thing had become clear about the native-born Midas, Mr. Bingley: he was not to be trifled with and knew no boundaries in his pursuit of profit.

When the man who’s name had become synonymous with the phrase “robber baron” acquired a New York baseball organization of affiliated ball clubs in order to form a national caliber team to compete in Michael Monroe’s new baseball venture, those that had done business with Mr. Bingley in the past rightly assumed that he had done so in further pursuit of making money. Others assumed that he had done so to help rehabilitate his public image and to associate his name with America’s beloved sport in order to whitewash his own sullied reputation. While Bingley’s true motivations cannot be known, his actions suggest that both theories may ultimately be true.

Prior to the inaugural 1895 LBL season, Bingley acquired the plot of land for, and constructed, Kings Park using the proceeds of an insurance policy purchased on a dilapidated railyard that had burned under mysterious circumstances. Using his virtual monopoly on local New York talent to exact concessions from the new league, Bingley has been able to secure a larger percentage of the gate than his league rivals for games played in his ostentatious park.

Naming his New York club the “Kings,” a choice that would not have even been of interest in the burgeoning field of psychoanalysis (given its obvious roots in his ego), Mr. Bingley has encouraged his players to pursue fame and celebrity and, most crucially, to reference Mr. Bingley’s largesse frequently. Conversely, the Kings are the only LBL ballclub known to include non-disparagement clauses regarding club ownership in their contracts. Breach of these clauses is thought to carry with them significant penalties, although no reporter can get any current or former players to comment on the nuances of the contract in any detail.

Apply for the GM Position Here!

[LBL_Brendan]

Franchise Highlight: The Providence Angels

The Angels are a hard-charging, no frills, no nonsense ballclub owned by a devout New England judge. They started the LBL as a playoff mainstay, but have scuttled more recently. The Angels need a disciplined GM ready to roll his/her sleeves up in pursuit of the eternal glory of a Legacy Cup. Fierce rivals with the Baltimore Clippers, the Angels are looking to even the score with their rivals (Baltimore has 53 wins to Providence's 42 head-to-head as of the date of this post).

The life work of sporting enthusiast and Superior Court Judge Jacob Cartwright, the Providence Angels are a successful and strait-laced ballclub who play in the scenic center of Roger Williams Park on “Angel Island.”

A successful lawyer, respected judge and soft-spoken Roman Catholic deacon, Jacob Cartwright purchased the center of Roger Williams Park in 1893 to build a “holy, disciplined, and transcendent” baseball club. Originally formed from Judge Cartwright’s highly competitive diocesan club, the Angels were opened to non-Catholics in 1895 to comply with LBL mandates.

Likely the most rigid team in the Legacy Baseball League, Angels players are held to “Cartwright’s Canons,” a handbook of strict protocols, courtesies, and exercises written in the fashion of a Liturgy of the Hours. “Non-Catholic brethren are welcome to participate in the organization,” the introduction of Cartwright’s Canons reads, “just as our Savior Jesus Christ healed the gentiles and shared a well with the harlots.”

Players are fined for failure to shave, unkempt hair, cursing, rudeness, impiety, drunkenness, and failure to observe the sabbath.

Judge Cartwright’s no-nonsense franchise is often seen as the complete foil to Father Thomas Carlow’s rowdy Baltimore club. Archdiocesan gatherings between Baltimore and Rhode Island clergy are less than warm during the baseball season, with the respective Archbishops famously devoting pre-series homilies and Prayers of the Faithful to their respective teams.

A perennial contender in the Ivy Division, the Angels play a disciplined, clean, and polished form of baseball under LBL veteran manager Jimmy Heath. Behind pitching star and East Providence native John Griffith, the Angels established themselves as a LBL contender in the mid-1890s. Hard-hitting lefty Rufus Burnell leads a powerful offense.

A 4-time Ivy Division champion, Cartwright’s Angels are looking to win their first Eastern League Championship.

Apply for the GM Position Here!

[LBL_Brendan]

Monroe Tobacco Cards: Juby and Jones

All of the images were traced from T206 cards using Inkscape and then texture was added using GIMP. The GMs in the league were offered the opportunity to sign the card for their team as the relevant player. So, that’s the source of the signatures on the cards below.

Monroe Tobacco Baseball Cards

Monroe Tobacco Co., owned by the Richmond Rifles owner, Michael J. Monroe, issued a set of baseball cards to be included in packs of its cigarettes in 1901. Recognizing the growing popularity of baseball, Monroe seized on the promotional potential of including some of the game’s most famous players and most promising youngsters with its tobacco productions. Below is a subset of the cards put out in that infamous set.

Baltimore Clippers - SS Clovis Juby

Adjusting to life in the big leagues can be hard. Despite showing immense talent with his glove from the very beginning, Juby’s scuffling bat led the Clippers, already overstocked with talented leathermen, to ship him to the Whales of Brooklyn ahead of the 1903 season. The change of scenery helped the athletic shortstop to discover an approach at the plate that worked well-enough for him. Since joining Brooklyn, Juby has been something approximating an average bat while being among the best defenders at shortstop in the LBL. His glove has been so impressive for the Whales that he has won two Grande Snagger awards in three seasons in Brooklyn and finished third in MVP voting in 1905 despite slashing .228/.283/.313. An unlikely surge at the plate, and an unfortunate injury to Philadelphia’s Leo McKenzie, means the 27 year old shortstop could challenge for his first MVP award in 1906.

Boston Banshees - SS Kensington Jones

Debuting with the Boston Banshees in the LBL’s inaugural year—all frenetic energy and hustle—the rookie SS immediately made an impression on Boston baseball fans and the LBL at-large. Jones' high-energy style was at-once a perfect match for the outright hostile and often violent atmosphere at the Boston Yards. Hustle, grit, and spikes-up slides, Jones played to the preferences of his hometown Boston rooters. The dazzling shortstop—as likely to make a diving play as to be the first of his teammates into a scrum—has secured seven Grande Snagger awards at SS. But, as he has developed, he has also become a threat with his bat. He has won two Golden Bat awards in his career. The unexpected trade from Boston to Twin City just prior to Opening Day 1903 left the city of Boston devastated. Since the trade, Boston has mostly floundered in the standings without their passionate leader—never seriously challenging for a division title—while Twin City has won two Western League pennants behind their ever-charging shortstop.

[LBL_Brendan]

Monroe Tobacco Cards: Webb, Emig, and Johnson

All of the images were traced from T206 cards using Inkscape and then texture was added using GIMP. The GMs in the league were offered the opportunity to sign the card for their team as the relevant player. So, that’s the source of the signatures on the cards below.

Brooklyn Whales - P Alberto "Pappy" Webb

An unlikely baseball hero. After a career spent in obscure cornfields, freezing diamonds in the northern Midwest, and blazing baseball fields in the humid South, the soft-tossing righty debuted in the LBL as a 41 year old rookie and immediately finished third in Pitcher of the Year voting. A cerebral pitcher, reliant on guile rather than physical prowess, Pappy Webb immediately endeared himself to the Brooklyn rooters. An integral part of the Whales’ threepeat championship run from 1900-1902, Webb’s postseason heroics are already the stuff of legends. Down 3-2 to the dominant Twin City Empire in the 1901 Legacy Cup in a best of nine series, Webb stood his ground against legendary Empire starting pitcher Jim Nemmers and breathed new life into the somehow underdog defending champions. The Whales would go on to win the 1901 Legacy Cup in Minnesota in eight games. A revered baseball mind, Webb currently serves as the bench coach of the Detroit Giants.

Chicago Doves - P Billy Emig

The original ace for the Windy City Birds—Chicago’s more successful baseball franchise—since their days as an exhibition squad, Emig is the all-time leader for the Doves in WAR. Now retired, Emig’s smooth, effortless delivery was emblematic of the Doves’ striving to capture the most beautiful version of America’s great game. To any unbiased observer, Emig’s natural arm talent was easily among the best in the game throughout his tenure. But, Emig did not always put in the work to excel beyond his own physical limits. Nevertheless, Emig was a durable pitcher and a hard thrower; he led the LBL in both innings pitched and strikeouts in each of 1897 and 1898. He also led the LBL in WAR in 1897 but was not honored with the Pitcher of the Year award, losing out to Cleveland’s always great Matthew Holiday. Emig was above average in each of the first eight years of his nine-year career—only failing to post an ERA+ above 100 in his age 40 season—and had a stellar postseason in 1900 when the Doves won the Western League pennant. Emig’s casual, easy dominance was a strong foundation for the early Doves’ teams. Whether he ever captured the most of his enormous natural arm talent is a question that Doves fans will be left debating for a long time.

Chicago Packers - 1B/OF Gary Johnson

Johnson, no matter how bad the Packers were—and there have been many bad Packers’ seasons—has always been among the best hitters in the LBL. Johnson is second all-time on the LBL leaderboard for OBP and third all-time for OPS. As good as he is at hitting, he is equally hopeless with the glove. Likely miscast as an outfielder for much of his career, it is difficult to say if it was a lack of interest in fielding or some unresolved deficiency in technical ability that so limited him with the glove. But, none of the Packers’ faithful came to Powers Field to watch him field. They came to watch the lefty twist opposing pitchers into knots—like a cat toying with a mouse before delivering the killing blow. The two-time Golden Bat award winner has willed the Packers’ offense to something resembling competence—despite a limited supporting cast—nearly singlehandedly for most of his career. And, while he will likely never earn a Legacy Cup during his playing career, he has deservedly earned the respect of fans of baseball and his peers alike.

[LBL_Brendan]

Monroe Tobacco Cards: Holiday, McCoy, and Nash

All of the images were traced from T206 cards using Inkscape and then texture was added using GIMP. The GMs in the league were offered the opportunity to sign the card for their team as the relevant player. So, that’s the source of the signatures on the cards below.

Cleveland Athletics - P Matthew "Troll" Holiday

Simply, Matthew Holiday is the greatest pitcher the Legacy Baseball League has known. Joining the Cleveland Athletics at league inception in 1895, the big righty from Kansas City has befuddled LBL hitters in each of his professional seasons. By the time he finally hangs up his cleats, he will have nearly single-handedly written the LBL pitching record book. At 6'2", the mammoth right-hander is an intimidating sight when he takes the mound. Emerging from the old independent leagues in the Midwest, Holiday has never posted a season with less than 6.0 WAR/100 games. He has won 4 League Pitcher of the Year awards during his career (and come in second twice and third once) and has continued his dominance into his mid-30s after a trade to the Eastern League’s Richmond Rifles for a king’s ransom.

Detroit Giants - OF Ricky "Lightning" McCoy

Two-time Western League MVP and two-time Legacy Cup Champion, Ricky "Lightning" McCoy was the first LBL power-speed threat, while playing an above average defensive CF for most of his career. An extremely productive player in the field and at the plate, McCoy is a national fan favorite for his uniquely exciting brand of baseball. He plays with an all-consuming edge, unparalleled in the Western League, that has earned the respect of his teammates and competitors alike. McCoy led the Western League in stolen bases in nearly all of his professional seasons, finishing outside the top spot once in 1901 (he finished third). The all-time LBL leader in both stolen bases and homeruns, McCoy has amassed nearly 800 SB in his twelve-year career and 56 homeruns (ten more than second place). He has won the WL Golden Bat Award for CF four times.

New York Bakers - 2B Moe Nash

Moe Nash. Humble and hardworking, Moe debuted with the Bakers—the more humble of the New York franchises—and the fit should have been perfect. In limited time in 1900, Nash slashed .292/.346/.417 as a 20 year old rookie. He displayed a jack-of-all-trades skillset that made him a promising piece for the Bakers’ future. Unfortunately, Nash has yet to regain the initial spark that led to such a sterling slash line at a young age. Floundering in each of the next four seasons at the major league level, Nash now plays part-time for the Bakers’ AAA squad in Syracuse where he has shown promise of recapturing his initial exciting form. Nash is currently slashing .324/.410/.441 for the Syracuse Stars.

[LBL_Brendan]

Monroe Tobacco Cards: Dwyer, McKenzie, and Sliger

All of the images were traced from T206 cards using Inkscape and then texture was added using GIMP. The GMs in the league were offered the opportunity to sign the card for their team as the relevant player. So, that’s the source of the signatures on the cards below.

New York Kings - 2B Demetrius Dwyer

Demetrius Dwyer was blessed with an unbelievable batting eye. At times, his approach at the plate has been mistaken for passivity, but his mantra has always been consistent: do not swing at anything outside of the strike zone and make the pitcher beat him. Several Kings’ managers have accused him over the years of placing his own stats above the good-of-the team, often drawing a walk rather than swinging the bat with men in scoring position. Despite the criticisms, Dwyer can indisputably count himself among the best second basemen to ever play in the LBL. He debuted with the inauguration of the LBL in 1895 and, like his batting approach, has been quietly consistent throughout his time in the majors. He has won both a Golden Bat award and a Grande Snagger aware at 2B and generally finishes each season between 2 and 3 WAR like clockwork.

Philadelphia Brewers - 1B/OF Leo "Dizzy" McKenzie

Leo McKenzie is the most decorated ballplayer in the LBL. McKenzie has won the MVP Award nine times, and is a big reason the Brewers have won an LBL-leading five Legacy Cups. It would be impossible to overstate his impact at the plate. The 35 year old living legend boasts an impossible career .361/.484/.544 slash line with nearly 800 SB. He has wrecked the Eastern League since his debut with the Brewers in 1895 with his bat and with his legs. When McKenzie retires (hopefully many seasons from now), the baseball world will mourn and weep. But, his legacy will endure and the impact that he has made on the early LBL will be the stuff of legends passed down over generations of LBL fans.

Pittsburgh Oilers - OF Randy Sliger

All he’s done since joining the Legacy Baseball League is hit. The unquestioned leader of the Pittsburgh offense, Sliger has compiled a .318/.354/.449 career line (good for 135 wRC+). He has taken home the Golden Bat award five times (1895 and 1899, 1901, 1902, and 1904). Solidly built at 5’9” and 200 lbs., the Ohio native is well-known around Pittsburgh for the show he puts on at the plate. His exploits around town are nearly as legendary. On four occasions, the 35 year old slugger has led the Western League of the LBL in Hits and four times in total bases. He is routinely among the league leaders in batting average and extra base hits. The all-time hit king, he is the engine that makes the Oilers' offense go and the emotional leader of the squad from Western PA.

[LBL_Brendan]

Monroe Tobacco Cards: Griffith, Maw, and Pizza

All of the images were traced from T206 cards using Inkscape and then texture was added using GIMP. The GMs in the league were offered the opportunity to sign the card for their team as the relevant player. So, that’s the source of the signatures on the cards below.

Providence Angels - P John Griffith

The hometown boy—born in Eastern Providence, RI—captured the hearts of his friends and neighbors during his time on the mound for the Angels. The 1895 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year (he would finish second in 1896) led Providence to the postseason in each of 1895, 1896, 1898 and 1903. The solid righty dominated the 1890s with great command and a repertoire featuring a sinker and forkball, inducing weak contact while limiting walks. Endlessly adaptable—a must while playing under Judge Cartwright’s ever tightening set of restrictions and prescriptions for his players—and a natural leader, Griffith was as revered in the clubhouse as he was in the community. While never able to recapture the early brilliance that he flashed in his 20s, Griffith nevertheless aged gracefully through his age 32 season. A lifer in Providence, he can still be found frequently around town generously signing autographs for youngsters with professional baseball ambitions—just like him.

Richmond Rifles - P Ivy "Iron Horse" Maw

A favorite in Richmond, Maw joined the team in its second year in 1896. What has followed is a brilliant career. Maw, a cerebral pitcher who finishes the games he starts has won two Pitcher of the Year awards (finishing second twice and third once) and one Legacy Cup for the LBL’s only Southern team. He has led the LBL in WAR three times, BB/9 six times, complete games three times, and wins three times. Arguably the best pitcher in the LBL from 1898-1901, Maw has flourished for Monroe’s squad by matching pinpoint control with a five-pitch arsenal that keeps batters guessing. Now in his age 37 season, his cerebral approach to pitching is allowing him to continue to thrive despite diminishing stuff. At present, he ranks second all-time in WAR in the LBL behind current teammate Matthew Holiday.

St. Louis Beavers - OF Zach Pizza

Blessed with one of the sillier names in the LBL and an above-average ability to swing a bat, Zach Pizza made his debut with the inaugural 1895 St. Louis Beavers’ team. Subsequently, he has won four Golden Bat awards as an outfielder and mainstay in the Beavers’ lineup. Pizza routinely finishes among the best hitters in the game and sports a career .316/.373/.440 slash line. His mighty bat has propelled the Beavers’ to a dominant run atop the Frontier Division in the Western League of late, having won the division each of the last four seasons and winning two Western League pennants. There are no signs of Pizza slowing down in his age 39 season, either. He’s currently batting .295/.351/.405 (good for a 147 wRC+) and leads the LBL in homeruns as he creeps towards age 40.

[LBL_Brendan]

Monroe Tobacco Cards: Melin and Nemmers

All of the images were traced from T206 cards using Inkscape and then texture was added using GIMP. The GMs in the league were offered the opportunity to sign the card for their team as the relevant player. So, that’s the source of the signatures on the cards below.

St. Louis Reds - OF Mike Melin

A big part of the Running Reds teams that annually led the LBL in team steals, Melin led the St. Louis squad that challenged for the first Legacy Cup in 1895 against the Philadelphia Brewers. Time, however, comes for us all. As Melin’s knees got balkier with age—the change robbed him of much of the running speed and range that had made him such an exciting centerfielder for the Reds—his production began to decline. Still an effective part-time player through 1903, Melin will always be revered by Reds’ fans for his class in accepting a move to the bench to make room for superstar Golden Reeves and the relentless motor that helped the Reds run all over the Western League from its inception.

Twin City Empire - P Jim Nemmers

The anchor of Twin City’s highly effective experiment with a two-man rotation in the early aughts—an experiment only possible because of Nemmers’ legendary work ethic and durability—Nemmers holds the distinction of being the first player in the LBL to have his number retired. Number 16 was cursed with the unfortunate timing of the LBL’s inauguration given that he was 35 during the inaugural 1895 season. Despite his short tenure in the LBL, and his advanced age, Nemmers was nevertheless dominant during his eight year career. He won three Pitcher of the Year awards (also finishing second once and third once) and pitched well in two playoff runs, both times helping his team reach the Legacy Cup, before the toll of the extreme workload inevitably caused him to underperform in the championship series. It takes a special type of player to take the ball every second day—and to excel while doing so—but Nemmers was cut from a rare cloth. His legend will only continue to grow as the details of his career begin to blur with time and his tenacity and work ethic come to the fore of popular memory.

[Delgadodawg]

Great League!

Commishes put a ton of effort into this league and backstory. They have a long term vision so I predict this league will be around for a long time to come.

Plus you get a chance to play against my perennially mediocre team

[Blue Crew]

Looks like a great league. I submitted my application earlier today.

[LBL_Brendan]

Thank you, Blue Crew. And, thank you for your interest! Please check your email.

[catamount_kid]

This is a fantastic league with incredible attention to detail and an active crew with a long-term vision.

Don't miss an opportunity to join a passionate baseball writing community in her nascent years.

[LBL_Brendan]

Happy Friday, everyone.

The New York Kings and Providence Angels are still available. We are just passed the halfway mark of 1906. So, plenty of time to evaluate your potential roster in advance of the off-season.

Despite their current record, the Kings are well-positioned for the future with SP Eduardo Chell and two-way player Palmer Florey (who could dominate as a CF and SP). The Kings recently selected C Robert Thompson, a bat-first catcher with a heck of a bat, in the first round of the 1906 draft. They also should be set defensively at SS (Godfrey Barney) and CF (Isaiah Godbolt) for the foreseeable future. So, this team is positioned for a quick turnaround and ready to compete.

Providence has a bludgeoning offense, but a pitching staff that could use some work. They have former MVP SS Loyal Wright (probably ready for a move off the position, but still with a stellar bat), 2B Franz Slaughter, and corner outfielders Rufus Burnell and Madison Allighan. On the farm, Cornelius Cook is ready to supplement the big bats at the major league level. The Angels also recently selected a bat-first catcher in the amateur draft, C Robert Kimball. This team needs some work on the mound, but already boasts one of the most dangerous lineups in the LBL.

[LBL_Brendan]

Still looking to fill the Kings and Angels spots. Have a great weekend, everyone.

[LBL_Brendan]

New LBL Podcast summarizing the 1906 season.

We are in the middle of the 1906 playoffs. So, now would be a good time to join and get acquainted with the roster before the off-season. Kings and Angels still available.

Have a great weekend.

[catamount_kid]

This is a phenomenal time to come snag Providence or New York, both of which are looking for an enterprising GM. Some clever moves this offseason will make either team competitive!

[LBL_Brendan]

First post updated. Kings have been claimed. Last current opening is the Providence Angels.

[LBL_Brendan]

Still looking for someone to claim the Angels, an offensive powerhouse in need of a little pitching help.

We are wrapping up the Legacy Cup on Sunday. So, now is a good time to join in order to have the full off-season to tinker with your roster.

[LBL_Brendan]

We will be broadcasting the conclusion of the 1906 Legacy Cup (on Twitch at 3:30 ET today, February 5). Two perennial powerhouses are battling it out in a best of 9 series. Philadelphia, from the Eastern League, is trying to win its third consecutive Legacy Cup. Twin City, from the Western League, is trying to finally break through for its first Cup win despite falling just short a few times this decade. Twin City currently leads 4-2 as the series heads back to Philadelphia for its conclusion.