Centurion comes...to OOTP5

darkcloud4579 · 06-30-2003, 02:14 AM

The Centurion Dynasty series, award winning on two different boards has arrived here in OOTP. It'll be nice to be in a place where not only baseball is first, but where I know they'll be people reading the dynasties.

The Centurion Sports Management Group takes franchises that are languishing and turns them into contenders. Its our turn to do what we do best, this time in OOTP5.

Our first franchise are the expansion Oregon Emeralds. The American League expanded by two teams in 2003, adding the New Jersey Cyclones to the AL East and the Ems to the AL West.

The league site is
The Premiership here. I'll begin the dynasty with a recap of 2003 and then we'll get into 2004, explaining my moves along the way and other goodies that I muster.

darkcloud4579 · 06-30-2003, 02:22 AM

We play 154 game season.
In 2004, the following teams moved:

Montreal Expos became the Washington Legends
Kansas City Royals became the Raleigh Blue Stripes

The Division Series is best-of-seven games
The World Series is best-of-nine games

darkcloud4579 · 06-30-2003, 02:43 AM

PORTLAND - Fans in Oregon are thrilled that Major League Baseball decided to accept a proposal to grant two American League expansion franchises. One team was granted to an ownership group headed up by Donald Trump, who placed his new team in Atlantic City, NJ and are named the Cyclones.

The franchise in Oregon will play at a newly renovated PGE Park in Portland and will be called the Oregon Emeralds. "We want this club to be the jewel of the major leagues.", said owner Paul Allen.

At the press conference, Allen announced that the Centurion Group would be signing a deal to administer the franchise. "We're delighted to have such a successful organization work with our club to build a winner", he said.

"Dark Cloud knows how to make a winner", he said of the famed GM who was responsible for the consulting for the 1986 Mets, 1992 and 1993 Toronto Blue Jays and worked with Pat Gillick, who now consults for the Centurion firm as a successful run with Seattle and Toronto (we won't talk about Baltimore...).

"Simply put, we're committed to doing what it takes to win. We're delighted to be able to start a new era of winning here in Oregon." said Dark Cloud.

darkcloud4579 · 06-30-2003, 03:09 AM

Recognizing that this season (2003) has already past and I'm merely catching you all up. Here is some background on what I did.

Basically, the goal during Year 1 was to get the team some respectability. At Centurion, I employ the idea that there is always talent out there waiting to be scouted. I like stockpiling pitching and when it comes to talented offensive players, I generally stick to proven veterans and developing young players and signing them to long-term deals prior to their striking it big. Doesn't always work that way though...

During Year 1 in Oregon, we signed a ton of veterans. Here are just a few of the names:

Rickey Henderson
Jose Lima
Travis Fryman
Mike Caruso
Todd Stottlmyre
Shawon Dunston..et. al.

As I'm sure you know, the computer has loves to release players that don't fit into its plans. Thus, we managed to get some halfway decent name players early in the season. One of those was Eric Karros, who was released by the Cubs.

I attempted to deal him and it worked. The New York Yankees took him off my hands, for a 40-year old David Wells and his contract. I gladly took him and his girth, figuring that it was better than any pitching I had on my team (and I was right)

I had no desire or plan to keep him. And alas, I did not for very long...a few months later, we ended doing a four team trade. All the Oregon components are indicated.

Arizona gets: SP David Wells (ORE), David Maurer (ORE) and two minor leaguers. (ORE)

Boston gets: 1B Steve Cox (ORE), SP Curt Schilling

New York Mets get: SP Byung Kim, SP Andy Ashby (ORE)

Oregon gets: C Mike Piazza and five minor leaguers.

The reason this deal worked, was because 1) Arizona was having money problems and I think they predicted (accurately, as it turned out) that Schilling was nearing the end of the line. (more on that in a different post) and the kid Maurer is an absolutely stud, front line starter that they would have never managed to get otherwise.

The reason we managed to come out on top is, the Mets wanted to dump Piazza's salary and we took it since we had the cash to do that. One of the minor leaguers from New York was Aaron Heilman, a top rated starter. We also got three minor leaguers from Boston, all who have a shot do to great things.

This trade marked the beginning of the Centurion plan in Oregon to start constructing a team looked like one I wanted to play with, rather than being just an "expansion team" with no hope.

darkcloud4579 · 06-30-2003, 04:03 AM

The Phase Two portion of the Oregon project occured when we recieved SP Dontrelle Willis from the Florida Marlins for another minor leaguer.

The 2003 season ended with the Oregon Emeralds finishing with a 52-102 record, third worst in the majors during 2003.

HIGH POINTS
We had the 9th highest batting average (.268) in the majors
7th in runs scored
We had the third lowest payroll ($26.695 mil)

LOW POINTS
We had the worst ERA in the majors at 6.53.
(This was induced by the fact that I set the stadium conditions wrong when I first built it....probably helped our BA, but hurt our pitchers a lot. Not that it would've done much good. They sucked pretty bad)

Worst in the majors in every other major pitching category of note.

darkcloud4579 · 06-30-2003, 04:18 AM

2003 Off-Season

We just wanted to improve the club through free agency. We had the most money to work with, but realizing that the majority of players had no desire to play for a last-place team. That was the biggest knock against us being able to outbid teams for a lot of the players I would've preferred to have.

That said, we didn't do bad at all. Far surpassing my expectations.

KEY SIGNINGS
SP Pedro Martinez 6 yrs./$84 million
SP Jim Coates 4 yrs./$20.75 million
1B Brian Daubach 3 yrs./$4.95 million
CF Kenny Lofton 4 yrs./$3.6 million
SP Shawn Estes 4 yrs/$29.8 million
RF Karim Garcia 2 yrs/$5 million

KEY TRADES
Acquired Ken Griffey, Jr. from Cincinnati for 1B Clay Bellinger and CF Michael Wilson (20, absolutely stud...::sniffles:

(Logic of trade: I wanted to resurrect his career. I figured bringing him back to the Pac Northwest would do it for him and being in the AL would help. We restructured his contract to make him a Emerald for the rest of his career. But alas, the marriage would not last long)

Acquired: 2B Jose Vidro, RP Scott Stewart from DC for SP Jim Coates and Shawn Estes
Rationale: We ended up needing those guys more and it wasn't about the money, seeing as DC had moved, could pony up the money, but might have been able to get them otherwise. The deal works for both teams..or at least, I think so.

TRay · 07-01-2003, 10:50 AM

Just be sure that Donald Trump doesn't try to get the league to switch seasons! I'm still pissed at him for killing the USFL!

darkcloud4579 · 07-01-2003, 12:58 PM

2004 Season

As a second year club, we had improved the team greatly. Probably the most gaping thing to note, is we ended the 2004 season with the highest payroll in baseball ($84.5 mil), while the Yankees managed to cut about $30 million because of a bunch of players they added (it sucks when you have lots of friends who are Yankee fans and want to be added to the game...cheap rookies)

Anyway, the 2004 season was much better to the fans in Oregon

MID-SEASON
We had eight players named to the All-Star team in 2004. We had a commanding 9 game lead in the AL West at the all-star break and had the best record in baseball virtually wire to wire.

We were active transaction-wise during midseason:

We sent Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey, Jr. to San Francisco for an aging Barry Bonds and SP Jason Schmidt. This was more about freeing up contracts than anything else. Well that and Griffey simply wasn't working out for us.

darkcloud4579 · 07-01-2003, 01:14 PM

First of all, in 2003, The Texas Rangers beat the Chicago Cubs 5 games to 2 in the World Series.

In 2004, the playoffs featured:

AL East: NY Yankees
AL Central: Minnesota Twins
AL West: Oregon Emeralds
AL Wild Card: Oakland A's
NL East: Philadelphia Phillies
NL Central: Cincinnati Reds
NL West: Colorado Rockies
NL Wild Card: Atlanta Braves

In the Division Series
We beat the Twins in five games to setup the matchup everyone in baseball was calling "the Real World Series" against the Yankees, because everyone expected the team from the AL to dominate whoever came out of the NL.

In the NL, The Braves and Phillies won their respective matchups and won the right to face off in the NLCS.

LEAGUE SERIES
In the Championship round, my Oregon club was surprisingly overmatched against New York. My best young pitchers were nothing more than BP pitchers against the Yankees sluggers. (You ought to go to the site and check out their lineups...go to the first post and get the link that says "The Premiership")

The Yankees won the Series 4 games to 2.

In the NL, the Braves and Phillies battled, but in the end, the Braves squeaked out and won the NLCS in 7 games, leaving them as the winners of the war, that started after a one game playoff to determine the winner of the NL East.

In the World Series, the Yankees and Braves battled it out, in what people are calling the best World Series in over forty years.
This marked the second year of the best-of-nine game format, abandoned after 1921, but reinstituted last season. "We wanted to provide fans with the maximum in playoff baseball. With a shorter season, but extended playoffs, the true champion can be crowned on the field, through an ardous, but thrilling playoff competition that is unmatched in any other league, said Board of Governors (the forerunner to the Commissioner position, which was abolished) Chairman Sandy Alderson.

It was the first Series to go the full nine game in World Series history and when the dust settled, who but the team of history, the New York Yankees would emerge as the 2004 World Series Champions.

"We're pleased with the effort of our guys and we look forward to coming back next year." said Joe Torre.

Not if I have anything to do with it, Joe.

darkcloud4579 · 07-01-2003, 01:21 PM

2004 OREGON EMERALDS

Now its time for the part of the dynasty where I analyze the year that was, talking about what was done right and what was done wrong. We call it HIGH POINTS/LOW POINTS

HIGH POINTS
------------------
We had an amazing year considering how Year 1 ended. We were the #1 team in baseball according to record (105-49)

We won our first playoff series in franchise history.
Our pitching staff had the lowest ERA (3.44) in baseball in 2004.

Pedro Martinez won the Cy Young, Dontrelle Willis won the Rookie of the Year

Jared Fernandes led the league (.345) in batting.

LOW POINTS
-----
I can't say I'm thrilled with having spent the most money of any team this year. Its not characteristic of a Centurion club to be free wheeling and spend crazy, but I think we've done it the right way. If its any consolation, New Jersey - the other expansion club that came in with us - isn't far behind in spending and their results are absymal thus far.

Too much player movement. I think we killed ourselves at mid-season with making too many trades and leaving ourselves too exposed without any real veterans in the pitching rotation.

While we were 7th in batting average, we need more consistent offense from the whole lineup.

We will retool, we will come roaring back...its hard to be upset with the results of this year..but I am not pleased throughly. We can be better.

darkcloud4579 · 07-01-2003, 10:25 PM

I ended the fiasco that was major league baseball in Florida.

I moved the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, through a clause in the contract for the stadium that allowed MLB to move the team, so long as a team was playing at Tropicana Field. Thus, the team's AAA will play there (which is likely an upgrade), and the Devil Rays will move to Indiana and become the Indiana Aeros.

The name was chosen because the little mighty mouse dude was like rising and showing like he was forging a new era and well..this team needs that.

The Florida Marlins, against my better judgement for a stadium in Orlando, were moved to Portland, Maine to become the New England Whitecaps. With Montreal losing its team, this club fills a void and draws from fans in the Northern part of the US and Canadian fans who were thrilled at the moving of the team there.

darkcloud4579 · 07-01-2003, 10:49 PM

We sent Barry Bonds to New England for a young, 2.5 star Leftfielder (age 23) named Will Smith.

We sent Tim Salmon to San Diego for an A ball 2B named Peter Ramos.

Key Acquisitions
Oregon: Free agent 2B Jeff Kent has been signed to a contract of $8,750,000 per year, for 3 years.

Trade between Oregon and Washington :
Washington gets :
CF Kenny Lofton
RF William Auclair
Oregon gets :
RF Josh Womack

Oregon: Free agent P Greg Maddux has been signed to a contract of $850,000 per year, for 2 years.
(Maddux informed me into the season, that he will retire at the end of this season.)
Oregon: Free agent RF Bill Selby has been signed to a contract of $3,500,000 per year, for 3 years.
Oregon: Free agent 1B Jim Thome has been signed to a contract of $12,500,000 per year, for 4 years.

Thome was the critical part of the free agent signing period for us. I wanted Alfonso Soriano, but I didn't really have the money to pay him what he wanted. So, I just got over it.

The goal for this season is to keep a stable team for as long as possible. If it doesn't work, then I won't worry about it. But thats the goal, is to keep a core of players on the club.

darkcloud4579 · 07-03-2003, 03:03 AM

THE SEARCH FOR GREENER PASTURES BEGINS

As the trade deadline nears, the LA Dodgers, who are out of the NL West race are considering trading star Shawn Green.

Green, 32, has expressed his desire to play in a major market, with a winning club. "I came here with high expectations. I'm pleased with the committment of the club, but unfortunately we haven't got the job done." said Green. "As much I would love to stay in LA, I have to explore my options when the time comes." he said about his free agency at the end of the season.

Dodgers GM Mark Manley said the team was exploring offers from a half dozen teams. He declined to name them, but sources report those clubs are both New York clubs, Baltimore, Oregon, St. Louis and of all places, New England.

Rumored to want to go closer to his hometown of Des Plaines, IL, Green would have to move to Left Field if he wanted to play for the White Sox, who have Magglio Ordonez locked up until 2009. The Cubs are said not to be interested in the former All-Star.

VLAD IS GOING GOING....
Vladimir Guerrero shocked the baseball world, opting to sign with the Anaheim Angels two years ago, instead of the deep pocketed Washington Legends ownership, which bought the former Montreal Expos for $190 million from Major League Baseball.

The honeymoon is almost over at Capital One Ballfield, but Vlad is not interested in going back to rescue his former club in its new digs. What he is interested in however, is playing for a contender.

"I want to play for winner. No more losing." said Guerrero on ESPN's Baseball Tonight. Because Guerrero makes nearly $20 million per year and is second only to San Diego's Sammy Sosa in salary, few teams are willing to take the contract on.

"I'd trade for him in an instant, but that contract really puts a damper on things," said one AL General Manager. Despite the huge salary, a few teams are privately talking with the Angels about a deal for the 2-time MVP, who is the first player to follow up an MVP season in one league, to win the MVP in the other league the following season.

While they Yankees are always interested, rumor has it, Guerrero has no desire to go to New York. Some say Alex Rodriguez has called from Texas, encouraging the young star to join the club. Texas won the 2003 World Series and A-Rod is looking to help the club - which has over $70 million availible for free agents next year - to start it shopping spree early with a deal for Vlad.

The difference will not only be the contract, but also what Anaheim gets in return. Few contenders are stocked with talented players ready to play now, like Oregon is, so expect Dark Cloud to make a bid for the star - despite the huge contract he commands.

"There aren't many contenders out there that could put a package together to meet with Anaheim wants. Ultimately, they'd rather have him bring in fans for them, then go someplace where he'd be disappointed - and where they'll get screwed on prospects. So they're going to think long and hard about this one." said one observer close to the club.

Other clubs with a shot include Boston and the Chicago White Sox, who with both Green and Guerrero, would bust the bank, but create the most potent lineup in baseball. But few expect this to happen.

Stay tuned...for there will certainly be new developments soon!

TC Dale · 07-03-2003, 09:02 AM

Enjoying this a lot. Please continue.

This is good stuff!

darkcloud4579 · 07-03-2003, 12:45 PM

While you won't be able to see this until the end of the season when the league site is updated, the trade deadline offered a number of exciting moves.

Since being traded on July 28th from Pittsburgh to NL West leading Colorado for Richard Hidalgo and two prospects (including Nomar's brother Michael), Brian Giles has simply been en fuego.

Giles won Player of the Week honors his first week in Colorado on August 9th, after hitting an out of this world .565 with 4 homers and 11 RBI. He followed that two weeks later with another Player of the Week performance, this time going .373 with 12 homers and 39 RBI. 39 RBI?! In a WEEK?!

Needless to say, he won August Batter of Month and is a favorite for the MVP award in 2005. Giles said he feels energized being on a winning club. "I haven't experienced anything like this. Even during my time in Cleveland, I've never been on a team that's been so energized and talented." he said.

The Colorado Rockies have all but dominated the NL West this year, despite having the 9th lowest payroll in the majors. They've already clinched the division title, their second in a row, and hope to do even bigger things on the back of their new star, who signed a contract extension that should enable him to finish his career as a Rockie.

darkcloud4579 · 07-03-2003, 12:58 PM

CARDINAL MOVES

Shawn Green goes to St. Louis and signs a 6 yr./$101 million deal with the Cardinals that will keep him in chillin' with Nelly until 2011.

"We're pleased to have Shawn as a Cardinal. We're looking forward to winning a number of championships with him." said Tony LaRussa.

Speaking of Nelly, didn't you know that the man who changed hip-hop is now a baseball player? Making a Jordan-esque move, Nelly decided to "retire" from rap and to pursue his first love, baseball. Where else to do it but "The Lou"?

"I figured that it was time for me to do sumthin else. I used to play ball in high school and I figure if Mike can do it, I can't do much worse." Nelly says, laughing. "Seriously though, I can do this. I'm committed and I'm gonna make it." he added.

"We're pleased to have Nelly on board. Our fans are thrilled to have him as a Cardinal and I'm sure we're all awaiting the day he earns his way to Bank of America Ballfield to play in front of his hometown fans at the Arch. It'll be a great day for all for us." said GM Tom Littlefield.

Nelly's contract stipulates that he has a no-trade clause and can only play in St. Louis. It can be terminated when both parties decide its time. But, some scouts say, Nelly has real potential. "He played in high school and was scouted fairly heavily. He could've translated that raw talent into something special. He's a project, but his upside potential is huge" said one AL scout.

darkcloud4579 · 07-03-2003, 01:08 PM

EMS GET VLAD
Despite pundits arguing that Centurion wouldn't open the wallet or trade the prospects, the Oregon Emeralds got their man. Vladimir Guerrero is an Emerald. "I am happy. This is good day for me and for baseball. I will make fans very proud." said Guerrero in a press conference on July 5th after the deal was made.

Anaheim GM Jerry Brenner said the Oregon deal, even though they were in the same division, was about giving his team the best upside. "No team had the offer Oregon did and that's why we made the deal. It was a great deal for them, because Vlad is a special, rare kind of player. But we didn't make out too bad either." he said.

In return, the Angels got CF Bernie Williams, RF Ryan Church and IF Mike Caruso. "We managed to solidify our outfield with two very talented players. We hope Ryan Church will be a member of our club for a long time to come." said Brenner. Church, 26, shortly thereafter signed a 3 yr/$19.5 million deal to stay with the Angels. Williams also signed a contract extension. Church was traded to Oregon in the off-season for 2B Jose Vidro, who ironically was a former teammate of Guerrero's on the old Montreal Expos club.

He hit .288 last year with 28 homers and 84 RBI in 419 at-bats. This season, he has already surpassed his previous career high with 29 homers and is on pace to exceed 100 RBI for the first time in his three year career.

Guerrero is the second highest paid player in baseball, behind Sammy Sosa.

darkcloud4579 · 07-03-2003, 01:14 PM

SAMMY SLUGGING IN BALTIMORE
The AL East got thicker when Sammy Sosa was traded in July to the Baltimore Orioles in a three-team deal.

Sosa and and a minor leaguer were sent to Baltimore for ace Roy Halladay and RF Jay Gibbons. San Diego then traded Halladay to Texas for a young starter named Greg Runser and a highly touted minor league pitcher.

"This deal helps our club tremendously", said Texas GM John Hart, who pulled the trigger and helped seal it for San Diego. The Padres, shifted gears once they realized the club would not contend and attempted to do whatever they could to free up space on their payroll to acquire other players. Sosa's deal inhibited that, so being able to send him away and to a contender, was important. "We wanted to make sure Sammy was able to pursue his goal of winning a title. We'll be there someday, but right now is not the time for us." said Padres GM Kevin Towers.

darkcloud4579 · 07-03-2003, 04:44 PM

The 2005 season is over and they'll be lots for me to write about.

In the meantime, visit our site and chew on the results.

The Premiership

darkcloud4579 · 07-03-2003, 08:48 PM

Nelly off to a HOT start

ST. LOUIS - Most fans outside St. Louis downright ridiculed the St. Louis Cardinals for bringing a former rapper, St. Louis native and former rap megastar Nelly into their fold. "People called and laughed. They didn't think we were serious." Especially considering the Cards were a contending team and St. Louis is one of the better drawing teams in baseball, few thought they needed to devolve into a stunt like this. "We were serious and Nelly hasn't proven us wrong."

Despite hitting .223 in Single-A, the Cards brought the fan favorite to the majors in September. What he managed to do, no one saw coming. "We figured he'd come up, get into a few games, we'd play his songs and everyone would cheer. That was it." said one unnamed Cardinals source.

Nelly took the 17-game honeymoon and put up big. He hit .343 with 3 homers, 12 RBI and slugged .627. "I never expected it. He basically tied my hands behind my back, because I couldn't get him out of the lineup." said Tony LaRussa.

Because of his performance, Nelly earned a spot on the post-season roster. Though the Cards didn't "Ride with him" to the World Series, Nelly hit a respectable .296 with 2 homers and 5 steals in his first post-season. "I learned a lot up here." he said. No one has stated whether they expect him back in the minors next season. "We'll have to give him a real hard look in spring training".

06-30-2003, 02:22 AM	#2
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	Quirks about the League We play 154 game season. In 2004, the following teams moved: Montreal Expos became the Washington Legends Kansas City Royals became the Raleigh Blue Stripes The Division Series is best-of-seven games The World Series is best-of-nine games

06-30-2003, 02:43 AM	#3
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	OREGON GETS BASEBALL PORTLAND - Fans in Oregon are thrilled that Major League Baseball decided to accept a proposal to grant two American League expansion franchises. One team was granted to an ownership group headed up by Donald Trump, who placed his new team in Atlantic City, NJ and are named the Cyclones. The franchise in Oregon will play at a newly renovated PGE Park in Portland and will be called the Oregon Emeralds. "We want this club to be the jewel of the major leagues.", said owner Paul Allen. At the press conference, Allen announced that the Centurion Group would be signing a deal to administer the franchise. "We're delighted to have such a successful organization work with our club to build a winner", he said. "Dark Cloud knows how to make a winner", he said of the famed GM who was responsible for the consulting for the 1986 Mets, 1992 and 1993 Toronto Blue Jays and worked with Pat Gillick, who now consults for the Centurion firm as a successful run with Seattle and Toronto (we won't talk about Baltimore...). "Simply put, we're committed to doing what it takes to win. We're delighted to be able to start a new era of winning here in Oregon." said Dark Cloud.

06-30-2003, 03:09 AM	#4
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	Starting out... Recognizing that this season (2003) has already past and I'm merely catching you all up. Here is some background on what I did. Basically, the goal during Year 1 was to get the team some respectability. At Centurion, I employ the idea that there is always talent out there waiting to be scouted. I like stockpiling pitching and when it comes to talented offensive players, I generally stick to proven veterans and developing young players and signing them to long-term deals prior to their striking it big. Doesn't always work that way though... During Year 1 in Oregon, we signed a ton of veterans. Here are just a few of the names: Rickey Henderson Jose Lima Travis Fryman Mike Caruso Todd Stottlmyre Shawon Dunston..et. al. As I'm sure you know, the computer has loves to release players that don't fit into its plans. Thus, we managed to get some halfway decent name players early in the season. One of those was Eric Karros, who was released by the Cubs. I attempted to deal him and it worked. The New York Yankees took him off my hands, for a 40-year old David Wells and his contract. I gladly took him and his girth, figuring that it was better than any pitching I had on my team (and I was right) I had no desire or plan to keep him. And alas, I did not for very long...a few months later, we ended doing a four team trade. All the Oregon components are indicated. Arizona gets: SP David Wells (ORE), David Maurer (ORE) and two minor leaguers. (ORE) Boston gets: 1B Steve Cox (ORE), SP Curt Schilling New York Mets get: SP Byung Kim, SP Andy Ashby (ORE) Oregon gets: C Mike Piazza and five minor leaguers. The reason this deal worked, was because 1) Arizona was having money problems and I think they predicted (accurately, as it turned out) that Schilling was nearing the end of the line. (more on that in a different post) and the kid Maurer is an absolutely stud, front line starter that they would have never managed to get otherwise. The reason we managed to come out on top is, the Mets wanted to dump Piazza's salary and we took it since we had the cash to do that. One of the minor leaguers from New York was Aaron Heilman, a top rated starter. We also got three minor leaguers from Boston, all who have a shot do to great things. This trade marked the beginning of the Centurion plan in Oregon to start constructing a team looked like one I wanted to play with, rather than being just an "expansion team" with no hope.

06-30-2003, 04:03 AM	#5
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	The Phase Two portion of the Oregon project occured when we recieved SP Dontrelle Willis from the Florida Marlins for another minor leaguer. The 2003 season ended with the Oregon Emeralds finishing with a 52-102 record, third worst in the majors during 2003. HIGH POINTS We had the 9th highest batting average (.268) in the majors 7th in runs scored We had the third lowest payroll ($26.695 mil) LOW POINTS We had the worst ERA in the majors at 6.53. (This was induced by the fact that I set the stadium conditions wrong when I first built it....probably helped our BA, but hurt our pitchers a lot. Not that it would've done much good. They sucked pretty bad) Worst in the majors in every other major pitching category of note. __________________ ------ My Mods Managerial Strategy Pack Competitive Balance Tax Calculator Major League Women's Baseball (OOTP24) quickstart Indian Premier League \| 300+ years of baseball quickstart \| Expatriate League quickstart \| Off-Field Injuries Update \| Women's Name File for OOTP \| ---- Dynasty classics: Centurion comes to OOTP5 \| DC Moneyball Dynasty (2004)

06-30-2003, 04:18 AM	#6
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	2003 Off-Season We just wanted to improve the club through free agency. We had the most money to work with, but realizing that the majority of players had no desire to play for a last-place team. That was the biggest knock against us being able to outbid teams for a lot of the players I would've preferred to have. That said, we didn't do bad at all. Far surpassing my expectations. KEY SIGNINGS SP Pedro Martinez 6 yrs./$84 million SP Jim Coates 4 yrs./$20.75 million 1B Brian Daubach 3 yrs./$4.95 million CF Kenny Lofton 4 yrs./$3.6 million SP Shawn Estes 4 yrs/$29.8 million RF Karim Garcia 2 yrs/$5 million KEY TRADES Acquired Ken Griffey, Jr. from Cincinnati for 1B Clay Bellinger and CF Michael Wilson (20, absolutely stud...::sniffles: (Logic of trade: I wanted to resurrect his career. I figured bringing him back to the Pac Northwest would do it for him and being in the AL would help. We restructured his contract to make him a Emerald for the rest of his career. But alas, the marriage would not last long) Acquired: 2B Jose Vidro, RP Scott Stewart from DC for SP Jim Coates and Shawn Estes Rationale: We ended up needing those guys more and it wasn't about the money, seeing as DC had moved, could pony up the money, but might have been able to get them otherwise. The deal works for both teams..or at least, I think so. __________________ ------ My Mods Managerial Strategy Pack Competitive Balance Tax Calculator Major League Women's Baseball (OOTP24) quickstart Indian Premier League \| 300+ years of baseball quickstart \| Expatriate League quickstart \| Off-Field Injuries Update \| Women's Name File for OOTP \| ---- Dynasty classics: Centurion comes to OOTP5 \| DC Moneyball Dynasty (2004)

06-30-2003, 02:14 AM	#1
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	Centurion comes...to OOTP5 The Centurion Dynasty series, award winning on two different boards has arrived here in OOTP. It'll be nice to be in a place where not only baseball is first, but where I know they'll be people reading the dynasties. The Centurion Sports Management Group takes franchises that are languishing and turns them into contenders. Its our turn to do what we do best, this time in OOTP5. Our first franchise are the expansion Oregon Emeralds. The American League expanded by two teams in 2003, adding the New Jersey Cyclones to the AL East and the Ems to the AL West. The league site is The Premiership here. I'll begin the dynasty with a recap of 2003 and then we'll get into 2004, explaining my moves along the way and other goodies that I muster.

07-01-2003, 10:50 AM	#7
TRay Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 46	Just be sure that Donald Trump doesn't try to get the league to switch seasons! I'm still pissed at him for killing the USFL!

07-01-2003, 12:58 PM	#8
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	2004 Season As a second year club, we had improved the team greatly. Probably the most gaping thing to note, is we ended the 2004 season with the highest payroll in baseball ($84.5 mil), while the Yankees managed to cut about $30 million because of a bunch of players they added (it sucks when you have lots of friends who are Yankee fans and want to be added to the game...cheap rookies) Anyway, the 2004 season was much better to the fans in Oregon MID-SEASON We had eight players named to the All-Star team in 2004. We had a commanding 9 game lead in the AL West at the all-star break and had the best record in baseball virtually wire to wire. We were active transaction-wise during midseason: We sent Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey, Jr. to San Francisco for an aging Barry Bonds and SP Jason Schmidt. This was more about freeing up contracts than anything else. Well that and Griffey simply wasn't working out for us. __________________ ------ My Mods Managerial Strategy Pack Competitive Balance Tax Calculator Major League Women's Baseball (OOTP24) quickstart Indian Premier League \| 300+ years of baseball quickstart \| Expatriate League quickstart \| Off-Field Injuries Update \| Women's Name File for OOTP \| ---- Dynasty classics: Centurion comes to OOTP5 \| DC Moneyball Dynasty (2004)

07-01-2003, 01:14 PM	#9
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	First of all, in 2003, The Texas Rangers beat the Chicago Cubs 5 games to 2 in the World Series. In 2004, the playoffs featured: AL East: NY Yankees AL Central: Minnesota Twins AL West: Oregon Emeralds AL Wild Card: Oakland A's NL East: Philadelphia Phillies NL Central: Cincinnati Reds NL West: Colorado Rockies NL Wild Card: Atlanta Braves In the Division Series We beat the Twins in five games to setup the matchup everyone in baseball was calling "the Real World Series" against the Yankees, because everyone expected the team from the AL to dominate whoever came out of the NL. In the NL, The Braves and Phillies won their respective matchups and won the right to face off in the NLCS. LEAGUE SERIES In the Championship round, my Oregon club was surprisingly overmatched against New York. My best young pitchers were nothing more than BP pitchers against the Yankees sluggers. (You ought to go to the site and check out their lineups...go to the first post and get the link that says "The Premiership") The Yankees won the Series 4 games to 2. In the NL, the Braves and Phillies battled, but in the end, the Braves squeaked out and won the NLCS in 7 games, leaving them as the winners of the war, that started after a one game playoff to determine the winner of the NL East. In the World Series, the Yankees and Braves battled it out, in what people are calling the best World Series in over forty years. This marked the second year of the best-of-nine game format, abandoned after 1921, but reinstituted last season. "We wanted to provide fans with the maximum in playoff baseball. With a shorter season, but extended playoffs, the true champion can be crowned on the field, through an ardous, but thrilling playoff competition that is unmatched in any other league, said Board of Governors (the forerunner to the Commissioner position, which was abolished) Chairman Sandy Alderson. It was the first Series to go the full nine game in World Series history and when the dust settled, who but the team of history, the New York Yankees would emerge as the 2004 World Series Champions. "We're pleased with the effort of our guys and we look forward to coming back next year." said Joe Torre. Not if I have anything to do with it, Joe. __________________ ------ My Mods Managerial Strategy Pack Competitive Balance Tax Calculator Major League Women's Baseball (OOTP24) quickstart Indian Premier League \| 300+ years of baseball quickstart \| Expatriate League quickstart \| Off-Field Injuries Update \| Women's Name File for OOTP \| ---- Dynasty classics: Centurion comes to OOTP5 \| DC Moneyball Dynasty (2004)

07-01-2003, 01:21 PM	#10
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	2004 OREGON EMERALDS Now its time for the part of the dynasty where I analyze the year that was, talking about what was done right and what was done wrong. We call it HIGH POINTS/LOW POINTS HIGH POINTS ------------------ We had an amazing year considering how Year 1 ended. We were the #1 team in baseball according to record (105-49) We won our first playoff series in franchise history. Our pitching staff had the lowest ERA (3.44) in baseball in 2004. Pedro Martinez won the Cy Young, Dontrelle Willis won the Rookie of the Year Jared Fernandes led the league (.345) in batting. LOW POINTS ----- I can't say I'm thrilled with having spent the most money of any team this year. Its not characteristic of a Centurion club to be free wheeling and spend crazy, but I think we've done it the right way. If its any consolation, New Jersey - the other expansion club that came in with us - isn't far behind in spending and their results are absymal thus far. Too much player movement. I think we killed ourselves at mid-season with making too many trades and leaving ourselves too exposed without any real veterans in the pitching rotation. While we were 7th in batting average, we need more consistent offense from the whole lineup. We will retool, we will come roaring back...its hard to be upset with the results of this year..but I am not pleased throughly. We can be better. __________________ ------ My Mods Managerial Strategy Pack Competitive Balance Tax Calculator Major League Women's Baseball (OOTP24) quickstart Indian Premier League \| 300+ years of baseball quickstart \| Expatriate League quickstart \| Off-Field Injuries Update \| Women's Name File for OOTP \| ---- Dynasty classics: Centurion comes to OOTP5 \| DC Moneyball Dynasty (2004)

07-01-2003, 10:25 PM	#11
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	FRANCHISE SHIFTS I ended the fiasco that was major league baseball in Florida. I moved the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, through a clause in the contract for the stadium that allowed MLB to move the team, so long as a team was playing at Tropicana Field. Thus, the team's AAA will play there (which is likely an upgrade), and the Devil Rays will move to Indiana and become the Indiana Aeros. The name was chosen because the little mighty mouse dude was like rising and showing like he was forging a new era and well..this team needs that. The Florida Marlins, against my better judgement for a stadium in Orlando, were moved to Portland, Maine to become the New England Whitecaps. With Montreal losing its team, this club fills a void and draws from fans in the Northern part of the US and Canadian fans who were thrilled at the moving of the team there.

07-01-2003, 10:49 PM	#12
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	2004 OFF-SEASON We sent Barry Bonds to New England for a young, 2.5 star Leftfielder (age 23) named Will Smith. We sent Tim Salmon to San Diego for an A ball 2B named Peter Ramos. Key Acquisitions Oregon: Free agent 2B Jeff Kent has been signed to a contract of $8,750,000 per year, for 3 years. Trade between Oregon and Washington : Washington gets : CF Kenny Lofton RF William Auclair Oregon gets : RF Josh Womack Oregon: Free agent P Greg Maddux has been signed to a contract of $850,000 per year, for 2 years. (Maddux informed me into the season, that he will retire at the end of this season.) Oregon: Free agent RF Bill Selby has been signed to a contract of $3,500,000 per year, for 3 years. Oregon: Free agent 1B Jim Thome has been signed to a contract of $12,500,000 per year, for 4 years. Thome was the critical part of the free agent signing period for us. I wanted Alfonso Soriano, but I didn't really have the money to pay him what he wanted. So, I just got over it. The goal for this season is to keep a stable team for as long as possible. If it doesn't work, then I won't worry about it. But thats the goal, is to keep a core of players on the club.

07-03-2003, 03:03 AM	#13
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	2005 Trade Rumblings THE SEARCH FOR GREENER PASTURES BEGINS As the trade deadline nears, the LA Dodgers, who are out of the NL West race are considering trading star Shawn Green. Green, 32, has expressed his desire to play in a major market, with a winning club. "I came here with high expectations. I'm pleased with the committment of the club, but unfortunately we haven't got the job done." said Green. "As much I would love to stay in LA, I have to explore my options when the time comes." he said about his free agency at the end of the season. Dodgers GM Mark Manley said the team was exploring offers from a half dozen teams. He declined to name them, but sources report those clubs are both New York clubs, Baltimore, Oregon, St. Louis and of all places, New England. Rumored to want to go closer to his hometown of Des Plaines, IL, Green would have to move to Left Field if he wanted to play for the White Sox, who have Magglio Ordonez locked up until 2009. The Cubs are said not to be interested in the former All-Star. VLAD IS GOING GOING.... Vladimir Guerrero shocked the baseball world, opting to sign with the Anaheim Angels two years ago, instead of the deep pocketed Washington Legends ownership, which bought the former Montreal Expos for $190 million from Major League Baseball. The honeymoon is almost over at Capital One Ballfield, but Vlad is not interested in going back to rescue his former club in its new digs. What he is interested in however, is playing for a contender. "I want to play for winner. No more losing." said Guerrero on ESPN's Baseball Tonight. Because Guerrero makes nearly $20 million per year and is second only to San Diego's Sammy Sosa in salary, few teams are willing to take the contract on. "I'd trade for him in an instant, but that contract really puts a damper on things," said one AL General Manager. Despite the huge salary, a few teams are privately talking with the Angels about a deal for the 2-time MVP, who is the first player to follow up an MVP season in one league, to win the MVP in the other league the following season. While they Yankees are always interested, rumor has it, Guerrero has no desire to go to New York. Some say Alex Rodriguez has called from Texas, encouraging the young star to join the club. Texas won the 2003 World Series and A-Rod is looking to help the club - which has over $70 million availible for free agents next year - to start it shopping spree early with a deal for Vlad. The difference will not only be the contract, but also what Anaheim gets in return. Few contenders are stocked with talented players ready to play now, like Oregon is, so expect Dark Cloud to make a bid for the star - despite the huge contract he commands. "There aren't many contenders out there that could put a package together to meet with Anaheim wants. Ultimately, they'd rather have him bring in fans for them, then go someplace where he'd be disappointed - and where they'll get screwed on prospects. So they're going to think long and hard about this one." said one observer close to the club. Other clubs with a shot include Boston and the Chicago White Sox, who with both Green and Guerrero, would bust the bank, but create the most potent lineup in baseball. But few expect this to happen. Stay tuned...for there will certainly be new developments soon!

07-03-2003, 09:02 AM	#14
TC Dale Global Moderator Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 4,917	Enjoying this a lot. Please continue. This is good stuff! __________________ ----------------------------------

07-03-2003, 12:45 PM	#15
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	The Resurgence of Brian Giles While you won't be able to see this until the end of the season when the league site is updated, the trade deadline offered a number of exciting moves. Since being traded on July 28th from Pittsburgh to NL West leading Colorado for Richard Hidalgo and two prospects (including Nomar's brother Michael), Brian Giles has simply been en fuego. Giles won Player of the Week honors his first week in Colorado on August 9th, after hitting an out of this world .565 with 4 homers and 11 RBI. He followed that two weeks later with another Player of the Week performance, this time going .373 with 12 homers and 39 RBI. 39 RBI?! In a WEEK?! Needless to say, he won August Batter of Month and is a favorite for the MVP award in 2005. Giles said he feels energized being on a winning club. "I haven't experienced anything like this. Even during my time in Cleveland, I've never been on a team that's been so energized and talented." he said. The Colorado Rockies have all but dominated the NL West this year, despite having the 9th lowest payroll in the majors. They've already clinched the division title, their second in a row, and hope to do even bigger things on the back of their new star, who signed a contract extension that should enable him to finish his career as a Rockie.

07-03-2003, 12:58 PM	#16
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	CARDINAL MOVES Shawn Green goes to St. Louis and signs a 6 yr./$101 million deal with the Cardinals that will keep him in chillin' with Nelly until 2011. "We're pleased to have Shawn as a Cardinal. We're looking forward to winning a number of championships with him." said Tony LaRussa. Speaking of Nelly, didn't you know that the man who changed hip-hop is now a baseball player? Making a Jordan-esque move, Nelly decided to "retire" from rap and to pursue his first love, baseball. Where else to do it but "The Lou"? "I figured that it was time for me to do sumthin else. I used to play ball in high school and I figure if Mike can do it, I can't do much worse." Nelly says, laughing. "Seriously though, I can do this. I'm committed and I'm gonna make it." he added. "We're pleased to have Nelly on board. Our fans are thrilled to have him as a Cardinal and I'm sure we're all awaiting the day he earns his way to Bank of America Ballfield to play in front of his hometown fans at the Arch. It'll be a great day for all for us." said GM Tom Littlefield. Nelly's contract stipulates that he has a no-trade clause and can only play in St. Louis. It can be terminated when both parties decide its time. But, some scouts say, Nelly has real potential. "He played in high school and was scouted fairly heavily. He could've translated that raw talent into something special. He's a project, but his upside potential is huge" said one AL scout. __________________ ------ My Mods Managerial Strategy Pack Competitive Balance Tax Calculator Major League Women's Baseball (OOTP24) quickstart Indian Premier League \| 300+ years of baseball quickstart \| Expatriate League quickstart \| Off-Field Injuries Update \| Women's Name File for OOTP \| ---- Dynasty classics: Centurion comes to OOTP5 \| DC Moneyball Dynasty (2004)

07-03-2003, 01:08 PM	#17
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	EMS GET VLAD Despite pundits arguing that Centurion wouldn't open the wallet or trade the prospects, the Oregon Emeralds got their man. Vladimir Guerrero is an Emerald. "I am happy. This is good day for me and for baseball. I will make fans very proud." said Guerrero in a press conference on July 5th after the deal was made. Anaheim GM Jerry Brenner said the Oregon deal, even though they were in the same division, was about giving his team the best upside. "No team had the offer Oregon did and that's why we made the deal. It was a great deal for them, because Vlad is a special, rare kind of player. But we didn't make out too bad either." he said. In return, the Angels got CF Bernie Williams, RF Ryan Church and IF Mike Caruso. "We managed to solidify our outfield with two very talented players. We hope Ryan Church will be a member of our club for a long time to come." said Brenner. Church, 26, shortly thereafter signed a 3 yr/$19.5 million deal to stay with the Angels. Williams also signed a contract extension. Church was traded to Oregon in the off-season for 2B Jose Vidro, who ironically was a former teammate of Guerrero's on the old Montreal Expos club. He hit .288 last year with 28 homers and 84 RBI in 419 at-bats. This season, he has already surpassed his previous career high with 29 homers and is on pace to exceed 100 RBI for the first time in his three year career. Guerrero is the second highest paid player in baseball, behind Sammy Sosa. __________________ ------ My Mods Managerial Strategy Pack Competitive Balance Tax Calculator Major League Women's Baseball (OOTP24) quickstart Indian Premier League \| 300+ years of baseball quickstart \| Expatriate League quickstart \| Off-Field Injuries Update \| Women's Name File for OOTP \| ---- Dynasty classics: Centurion comes to OOTP5 \| DC Moneyball Dynasty (2004)

07-03-2003, 01:14 PM	#18
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	SAMMY SLUGGING IN BALTIMORE The AL East got thicker when Sammy Sosa was traded in July to the Baltimore Orioles in a three-team deal. Sosa and and a minor leaguer were sent to Baltimore for ace Roy Halladay and RF Jay Gibbons. San Diego then traded Halladay to Texas for a young starter named Greg Runser and a highly touted minor league pitcher. "This deal helps our club tremendously", said Texas GM John Hart, who pulled the trigger and helped seal it for San Diego. The Padres, shifted gears once they realized the club would not contend and attempted to do whatever they could to free up space on their payroll to acquire other players. Sosa's deal inhibited that, so being able to send him away and to a contender, was important. "We wanted to make sure Sammy was able to pursue his goal of winning a title. We'll be there someday, but right now is not the time for us." said Padres GM Kevin Towers. __________________ ------ My Mods Managerial Strategy Pack Competitive Balance Tax Calculator Major League Women's Baseball (OOTP24) quickstart Indian Premier League \| 300+ years of baseball quickstart \| Expatriate League quickstart \| Off-Field Injuries Update \| Women's Name File for OOTP \| ---- Dynasty classics: Centurion comes to OOTP5 \| DC Moneyball Dynasty (2004)

07-03-2003, 04:44 PM	#19
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	2005 SEASON COMPLETED The 2005 season is over and they'll be lots for me to write about. In the meantime, visit our site and chew on the results. The Premiership

07-03-2003, 08:48 PM	#20
darkcloud4579 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 8,659	IT'S GETTIN' HOT IN HERE... Nelly off to a HOT start ST. LOUIS - Most fans outside St. Louis downright ridiculed the St. Louis Cardinals for bringing a former rapper, St. Louis native and former rap megastar Nelly into their fold. "People called and laughed. They didn't think we were serious." Especially considering the Cards were a contending team and St. Louis is one of the better drawing teams in baseball, few thought they needed to devolve into a stunt like this. "We were serious and Nelly hasn't proven us wrong." Despite hitting .223 in Single-A, the Cards brought the fan favorite to the majors in September. What he managed to do, no one saw coming. "We figured he'd come up, get into a few games, we'd play his songs and everyone would cheer. That was it." said one unnamed Cardinals source. Nelly took the 17-game honeymoon and put up big. He hit .343 with 3 homers, 12 RBI and slugged .627. "I never expected it. He basically tied my hands behind my back, because I couldn't get him out of the lineup." said Tony LaRussa. Because of his performance, Nelly earned a spot on the post-season roster. Though the Cards didn't "Ride with him" to the World Series, Nelly hit a respectable .296 with 2 homers and 5 steals in his first post-season. "I learned a lot up here." he said. No one has stated whether they expect him back in the minors next season. "We'll have to give him a real hard look in spring training".