OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

ericnease84 · 05-26-2024, 08:00 PM

Name: Buffalo_Destroyers_0b1236_218cc4.png
Views: 618
Size: 72.4 KB

Name: BUF_home.png
Views: 680
Size: 84.9 KB

Name: BUF_away.png
Views: 672
Size: 89.3 KB

Best Record: 107-47 (1945)
Worst Record: 34-91 (1932)
Playoff Appearances: 4
Championships: 4 (1940, 1941, 1943, 1945)

The Norfolk/Buffalo Destroyers had a rough beginning. After the 1928 season, the popular and well-liked Virginia Beach Captains were forced by the league to relocate to Louisville, Kentucky in order to salvage a market left void by the recently-departed Kentucky Kings, who had moved to Orlando prior to the season. To help offset the loss of their beloved team, the league had its first expansion and placed one of its expansion teams in nearby Norfolk, and the Destroyers were born. However, this expansion team was nowhere near as good or exciting as its predecessor, who was continuing to win consistently in its new home. Following a 108-loss season in 1934, help came to this struggling franchise from an unlikely source. The Captains had just won the World Series, and several of their players who had played for the team when it was still in Virginia Beach--led by star pitcher Chris Brubaker--requested to be traded from the Captains to the Destroyers, in order to come back to their former home and help this new franchise build a winner in front of the Captains' old fans. With Brubaker and rising star rookie Bob Kent on top of the pitching rotation, the Destroyers finally began to improve. They finished under .500 in 1935 and 1936 before finally posting their first ever winning record in 1937. They finally finished in first place in 1940, facing and defeating the Trenton Tigers in the World Series.
Brubaker retired following the 1940 season, but the team returned to the World Series in 1941, again defeating the Tigers. They missed the playoffs in 1942, before returning to the World Series in 1943 and winning it all again, this time over the Charlotte Roadrunners. After finishing third in 1944, they posted their best season ever in 1945, capping it off by winning another World Series, again defeating Charlotte. They have not been back to the playoffs since 1945, although that run does give them the distinction of being only one of two teams that are undefeated in all of their playoff appearances (and the other team is the California Stars with only one playoff appearance, so that doesn't really count). The Destroyers posted winning records in 1946 and 1947 before falling back under .500. Kent was soon dealt to the Knights as the team slipped back into mediocrity.
After the 1962 season, the team relocated from Norfolk up to Buffalo, New York, becoming the Buffalo Destroyers. However, the new home did not help the team as they continued to wallow in mediocrity. In 1972, after more than a decade of irrelevance, the Destroyers called up a young first baseman named Andy Grossman, who quickly became a star. Despite Grossman's presence, the Destroyers remained irrelevant and only finished with a winning record once, in 1975. That was their last winning record until 1989, when they just posted an 86-76 record.

Outlook for 1990:
They just posted their first winning record since 1975. They are on the rise, but nobody knows what to expect out of them. For 1990, they are probably a fringe playoff contender at best.

Current Manager:
Pete Marshall has been the Destroyers' manager for the past seven years. He had not managed or coached professionally before being hired by the Destroyers in 1983. He played as a first baseman in the minor leagues from 1958 until 1975 but never made the Majors.

Hall of Famers
Bob Kent, P, 1935-1953
Bob Kent is the only Canadian born player in the Hall of Fame and is also the only player in the Hall of Fame with a Destroyers cap on his plaque. He came up with the Norfolk Destroyers in 1935 and quickly established himself as a top pitcher for the Destroyers, including pitching a no-hitter against the Dover Green Sox in 1936. He was very consistent and very durable and was part of every single Destroyers team that has won the World Series. After the 1949 season, Norfolk dealt him to the Knight. Kent pitched with declining skills for four years in New York before he retired in 1953. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1959, his first year on the ballot, with a near unanimous vote, the second highest voting percentage in history (99.6%). Kent does not hold any all-time records, but he is 8th all time with 320 wins.

05-26-2024, 08:00 PM	#6
ericnease84 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jul 2019 Posts: 144	Buffalo Destroyers Best Record: 107-47 (1945) Worst Record: 34-91 (1932) Playoff Appearances: 4 Championships: 4 (1940, 1941, 1943, 1945) The Norfolk/Buffalo Destroyers had a rough beginning. After the 1928 season, the popular and well-liked Virginia Beach Captains were forced by the league to relocate to Louisville, Kentucky in order to salvage a market left void by the recently-departed Kentucky Kings, who had moved to Orlando prior to the season. To help offset the loss of their beloved team, the league had its first expansion and placed one of its expansion teams in nearby Norfolk, and the Destroyers were born. However, this expansion team was nowhere near as good or exciting as its predecessor, who was continuing to win consistently in its new home. Following a 108-loss season in 1934, help came to this struggling franchise from an unlikely source. The Captains had just won the World Series, and several of their players who had played for the team when it was still in Virginia Beach--led by star pitcher Chris Brubaker--requested to be traded from the Captains to the Destroyers, in order to come back to their former home and help this new franchise build a winner in front of the Captains' old fans. With Brubaker and rising star rookie Bob Kent on top of the pitching rotation, the Destroyers finally began to improve. They finished under .500 in 1935 and 1936 before finally posting their first ever winning record in 1937. They finally finished in first place in 1940, facing and defeating the Trenton Tigers in the World Series. Brubaker retired following the 1940 season, but the team returned to the World Series in 1941, again defeating the Tigers. They missed the playoffs in 1942, before returning to the World Series in 1943 and winning it all again, this time over the Charlotte Roadrunners. After finishing third in 1944, they posted their best season ever in 1945, capping it off by winning another World Series, again defeating Charlotte. They have not been back to the playoffs since 1945, although that run does give them the distinction of being only one of two teams that are undefeated in all of their playoff appearances (and the other team is the California Stars with only one playoff appearance, so that doesn't really count). The Destroyers posted winning records in 1946 and 1947 before falling back under .500. Kent was soon dealt to the Knights as the team slipped back into mediocrity. After the 1962 season, the team relocated from Norfolk up to Buffalo, New York, becoming the Buffalo Destroyers. However, the new home did not help the team as they continued to wallow in mediocrity. In 1972, after more than a decade of irrelevance, the Destroyers called up a young first baseman named Andy Grossman, who quickly became a star. Despite Grossman's presence, the Destroyers remained irrelevant and only finished with a winning record once, in 1975. That was their last winning record until 1989, when they just posted an 86-76 record. Outlook for 1990: They just posted their first winning record since 1975. They are on the rise, but nobody knows what to expect out of them. For 1990, they are probably a fringe playoff contender at best. Current Manager: Pete Marshall has been the Destroyers' manager for the past seven years. He had not managed or coached professionally before being hired by the Destroyers in 1983. He played as a first baseman in the minor leagues from 1958 until 1975 but never made the Majors. Hall of Famers Bob Kent, P, 1935-1953 Bob Kent is the only Canadian born player in the Hall of Fame and is also the only player in the Hall of Fame with a Destroyers cap on his plaque. He came up with the Norfolk Destroyers in 1935 and quickly established himself as a top pitcher for the Destroyers, including pitching a no-hitter against the Dover Green Sox in 1936. He was very consistent and very durable and was part of every single Destroyers team that has won the World Series. After the 1949 season, Norfolk dealt him to the Knight. Kent pitched with declining skills for four years in New York before he retired in 1953. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1959, his first year on the ballot, with a near unanimous vote, the second highest voting percentage in history (99.6%). Kent does not hold any all-time records, but he is 8th all time with 320 wins.