So the Figment Universe is doing a time jump from 1952 to 1969. The process
will take some time, real-time months will pass before we see an online version
again. The OOTP AI will be in charge of all of the teams during this time and it will
be a painful trip. I just took this team over so I'm surprised at how attached to
some of these players I became in such a short time. We will be getting the league
file after every season so that we can keep up with things and in my case keep this
thread updated. When the dust settles I plan to take over pro football and pro basketball
teams, hopefully also in Chicago. For now, sit back and enjoy the ride as we watch
history unfold.
I'm showing you the final standings now because if I had kept them for the end you would have thought one of two things: 1. How did you win so many games?
2. How many could you have won had the GM and manager hadn't worked so hard to make other teams better?
We started the season 3-10 and we had to fight to stay close to .500 for the rest of the season. If the proper lineups had been used(yes, I know the entire league
had problems but I don't care about them!) and our ACE had not been traded mid-season then what could have been? We probably don't catch Detroit but we
absolutely should have finished above .500.
-Ed Bloom led the FABL in bases on balls for the second season in a row and he was also the only All-Star selection from the Chiefs starting
at third base and leading off the bottom of the first with a hit.
-Shearer, Moss, and Leckie started 460 of 462 possible games in the outfield and they were all great with the bat and the glove.
Shearer led the FABL with 130 RBI while Leckie won the FED Kellogg for the top rookie. Moss boasted a 26.6 ZR while getting on base
almost 38% of the time. The three combined for 36 OF assists.
-Tim Hopkins had averaged 36 homers and 114 RBI heading into this season so manager Irv Howard benched to start 1952. Bloom
would move to first base and Len Stewart would be handed the third base job. Then Stewart was traded to Detroit for his own replacement,
Jim Gaiter. Gaiter and Stewart combined for a .230 BA, 13 homers, and 52 RBI. Hopkins finished the season with the year at .247, 4 homers,
and 20 RBI in just 102 plate appearances. Oh yeah, and over $48k in his bank account.
-John Stallings led the FED in ERA in 1951 and yes he did struggle out of the gate in 1952 posting an ERA of 5.10 in his first 23 starts. It was
at that point that GM BJ Smith decided to trade Stallings, our ACE, for a couple of middling prospects. With New York Stallings went 7-0 in
73 innings while posting a 2.45 ERA(.12 lower than he won the league title with in 1951). We sure showed him, didn't we BJ!
-After Stallings' departure the team was led by 42 year old Charlie Bingham, 37 year old Al Miller, and 34 year old Ernie Espanoza. You get
the pattern here?
-28 year old Johnny Duncan did show some promise finishing the season with a 2.20 ERA split between the pen and the rotation.
[someone whispers in my ear] Oh wait...BJ Smith traded Duncan away after the season for a 20 year old 2B who has never hit above
.231 in professional ball.
-At least we have 25 year old Bill Kline who posted a 2.73 ERA for the Chiefs in 89 innings this year.
[Again someone whispers in my ear] HE DID WHAT??? Apparently BJ Smith has traded Kline to St. Louis for...another outfielder?
Didn't we just say we had one of the best outfield in the FABL? Does Smith know we have to pitch to the other teams? Is he aware how
baseball works?
Fans and sports writers all over Chicago are demanding these two be fired. "How long will Billy Whitney put up with this garbage?" one sportswriter asked.
Billy Whitney responds....TWO YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION FOR BOTH!!!
1969 cannot come fast enough!!