Fictional Baseball, Our Manifest Destiny

[Henry]

What is it that captures those of us that immerse ourselves in the fictional worlds we create, whether that world is a recreation of a past season or the total creation of a fantasy scenario?

We are certainly baseball fans. We go to games, read about the sport, and research anything and everything that interests us about the game. Some of us memorize statistics, some of us analyze everything, and some of us have season tickets – but why do we have this need to “create” worlds and scenarios that don’t exist?

I believe it is because we are also, at the root of things, dreamers. In a sense, that means we are also authors of unwritten novels, creators of ideas and concepts, and inventors. We are human and we dream.

Some would scoff at our hobby, stating that we waste our time on something that provides no value. Many times, we respond that we see it as entertainment – no different than watching a movie, playing golf or listening to music.

The reality, however, is that there is a difference. Watching a movie, playing golf or listening to music are not “creative” activities. They are “observation” or “participating” activities.

At heart, I believe we are authors, scientists, and inventors. We have a need to create and analyze our creations – looking for ways to improve them.

Authors write more stories, improving on their previous works, as do inventors with new ideas, and scientists who are always searching for new concepts. Our hobby, although not as high and grand as these other creations, exercises the same human needs.

For those of us that are young, I would suggest you find your profession in something that is creative. For those of us that are older, find ways to teach that creativity to other‘s who have not yet found it.

As far as our hobby is concerned, however, what keeps us immersed in these fictional worlds? What causes us to think about these fictional scenarios while driving to work, or paying our bills?

Details.

It is the details of life that captures our imagination. The more detail, the more “real” our worlds become. It’s not enough to simply design a season and play out the games. We then have to study the statistics, read the news articles, create websites and newspapers to communicate those details we know about to others. It is the level of detail and the communication of these details that feeds our need for creativity – making our “worlds” real, to all our senses.

When you drive home from work and turn onto your street, it’s not just any street, it’s yours. You see the neighbors bright blue house (who did it your sure because he doesn’t like anyone). You notice the bent street sign that got hit by the snow plow four years ago. You notice the chuckhole that they’ve fixed for the umpteenth time.

When you pull in your driveway, it’s your driveway – not just any driveway. You see the tree you planted on your son’s first birthday, and the dent in the garage door (darn neighbor kid) and the crooked shutter that you let your nephew put up.

When you walk into your house, you see the spot on the carpet when you tried to get a stain out with one of those new cleaners, or the scratch on the banister where you hit it bringing in the sled last winter, or the maroon paint you and your wife put in the dining room 5 years ago (the time you and her got into the paint fight).

This is your life, full of the details that make it specifically yours.

THIS is what we strive to do in a fictional baseball league. We try and give it life by providing details – lots of them. Websites, newspapers, uniform numbers, emails, contracts, personalities, histories, and even arguments with the umpire. And even foul balls.

Imagine a game in the future (OOTP10?) that gave you some of this…..

“Johnson swings… it’s a long shot to left center. Michaels is on the run but I don’t think he’ll get there…. Going, going, gone !! What a slam by Johnson…. OH, and what a catch by a young man about 4 rows back !! Sign him up !! That was Johnson’s 45th homerun of the season and that young man's 15 seconds of glory !!

“The count is 1 ball and two strikes. Wagner steps out of the box. What’s this? Wagner is just standing there looking out at Wills on the mound – no, he “glaring” at Mills. I don’t think Wagner liked that last pitch. The Expos Manager comes up to the top step of the dugout…. Some tension in the air….”

How about a “color commentator”. A popup box during the game with comments from the CC… {pop} John, I think Johnson has shown a big improvement in his swing since the All Star game” {un-pop}

Or maybe a newspaper article about the leading pitcher in the league having some legal problems. Or, how about an actual “newspaper” with standings, stories, boxscores, etc.

Or an option during a rain delay that provides a summary of other games around the league, or a short narrative history from the leagues almanac? Even a slide show of historical statistics.

Or timeouts due to someone on the field or the possibility of a holdout signing, or even a Spring Training schedule (wink).

Details are what make our fictional worlds real. Details are what’s beginning to make OOTP a huge step ahead of any other baseball simulation. I hope Markus continues to love this game enough to never stop coming up with ideas, and I hope to see many of these ideas, and others, find themselves in the game.

When we talk about what “doesn’t work” with OOTP. Let’s think about how to make it work – not whether to get rid of it.

It is, and should be, our “manifest destiny” to see that OOTP becomes not just today’s leader in baseball simulations, but the one and only leader of this genre.

Henry

[manooly]

WOW! Great post Henry (As a tear falls to my keyboard). Seriously, I loved it! I find my self thinking of my fictional league and players all of the time.

Things like:

- Will 3B Willie "Smokey" Shope break the 3,000 hit mark in his career?

- I can't believe 2B Gregory Zapata had a career ending injury at the age of 26 with a homerun rating of 16.

I love this game!!!

[Gastric ReFlux]

My favorite marginal fictional player is Terry "Crackhead" Simpkins, so nicknamed after getting a broken skull.

[Whitey]

Great post. Wouldn't even begin to add to it.

[Lamorak]

It's very rare for an Inspirational piece to be so direct and succinct.

But geeze Henry, did you have refer to 'Manifest Destiny'! That term tends to make us Canadian folk a bit nervous.


--Dave

[Henry]

Originally posted by Lamorak
It's very rare for an Inspirational piece to be so direct and succinct.

But geeze Henry, did you have refer to 'Manifest Destiny'! That term tends to make us Canadian folk a bit nervous.


--Dave

LOL... I actually did try and find a better phrase, but that did capture what I was thinking

Henry

[kingcharlesxii]

Excellent post Henry. I too am drawn into fictional leagues because of the creative aspects of it. I know I don't like leagues with "real players" because I feel it limits my creativity.

As for the play-by-play, there's no reason to wait until OOTP 10 (OOTP X?) to do this. A lot of it is just writing more creative play-by-play descriptions. The color commentator could be as easy to add as having his text in a different color than the play-by-play guy.

[White Sox Matt]

Incredible post Henry, very good indeed!

All I can really say past that is thank you!

[merlin9761]

amen

[Chappy]

Henry, you forgot to mention that we are good looking. Sometimes, when people think about "authors, scientists, and inventors", they think of Arvid from "Head of the Class", or Steve Urkel. But everyone knows just handsome people play OOTP.

In all seriousness, good post.

[jkstewart1]

Thanks Henry! You made my wasting a little bit of time this afternoon at work worthwhile - at least much more so than it usually is.

Keep thinking those thoughts and challenging us to act on them as well!

John

[Oakjefferson]

I was going to quote something but it would of been a 4 paragraph quote. Excellent stuff Henry. I still wonder if anyone out there buys this game just to play solo.

[Jermanfu]

Very nice Henry. These things you talked about in your post are several of the reasons why I will be around the OOTP community until (Heavan forbid) Markus stops making the game. My love for the details. The passion for more stats and milestones. I love watching players come and go, and the legacies they leave behind.
I'm not sure how many of you remember the story about Rascoe Barahona by Wyattracks, but if you haven't read it, you need to. Then there's "The Universal Baseball Association" by Robert Coover. It's stories like these that bring these fictitional worlds to life. My wife once asked me why I get so envolved in sports figures that don't even exist when I could follow real ones. At the time I didn't know how to explain it to her and so it degraded into one of those arguments we have from time to time about priorities. But after reading your post Henry, I realize how to put it into words. It's like being an author. You may enjoy reading other author's books but the only real fullfilment comes from creating and laying out your own stories. I hope that OOTP continues to grow and becomes more realistic every year. I'll be around as long as it is still growing and evolving.
I think that DIPS is an important step forward in this evolution process, no matter how controversial it is. It represents the commitment by Markus (and his staff) to constantly bring this game to the next level. I have great hopes for DIPS, but even if it turns out to be not as sound as alot of us think (which I doubt ) it's still a good sign.

[fhomess]

Not only did it freshen my breath, OOTP gave me whiter teeth, too! Seriously, though, in spite of the cheesy-ness of your post, it's right on the money. Good stuff!

And yes, these types of posts ARE cheesy, but that's why we love them. Shoot, if more women knew how emotional we got about this game...

[Brandiles]

Originally posted by Oakjefferson
I was going to quote something but it would of been a 4 paragraph quote. Excellent stuff Henry. I still wonder if anyone out there buys this game just to play solo.

Err...I do. Did. Though I would like to play in a league someday. I really liked that Azarian Baseball League concept of scuffball's, but I need to get my freaking dissertation proposal finished and already have enough self-imposed distractions. And I remember how bad my obsession was when playing rotisserie baseball. It could only be worse with OOTP.
-Brandiles

[hit_or_miss54680]

Wow. I wish I had been class valadictorion last year and you had written this. I would of read it. And then everyone would be like "Why is this guy talking about baseball...?"

[Ragin Cajun]

Great piece Henry. I agree that fictional is best. I tell you what, if the game had that depth in the pbp I'd actually use it instead of just simming a week at a time and reviewing.

[albatross11]

Originally posted by Oakjefferson
I was going to quote something but it would of been a 4 paragraph quote. Excellent stuff Henry. I still wonder if anyone out there buys this game just to play solo.

There's another way to play?? Seriously, I only play solo, and I'm sure there are many others.
Nice post, Henry

[Dud_Selig]

Originally posted by hit_or_miss54680
Wow. I wish I had been class valadictorion last year and you had written this. I would of read it. And then everyone would be like "Why is this guy talking about baseball...?"

Hey, that's one of the cool things about being the Class Valedictorian. You can yammer on about anything -- from third-world poverty to third-rate poetry -- and it'll sound profound. It comes with the title.

[thomamon]

Way to go Henry, very good post and only makes me look even more forward to OOTP 6, 7, 8, 9 and definitely 10!