EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a fictional simulation that I began way back on OOTP 20 (migrated to 22 and now 25) and have stopped and re-started over the years. As of this writing, I am 104 seasons in and figured it was time to share this sprawling alternate universe with the world.
There are a lot of logos in this save that were created by others and are either used as-is or with some modifications. I am not claiming ownership to these and if you see a logo of yours on here, THANK YOU!
Obviously, going with a retrospective like this, the day-to-day details are simply lost to history, but all teams, leagues, and players are preserved. As for my character, I began leading the Kansas City Blues, but over the coming decades would bounce around to moribund franchises to pull out of the gutter. Since my game manager uses my real name, this character will be known as "The Skipper".
I hope you enjoy!
1900
It's the dawning of a new century as the United States continues to establish itself as a major player on the world stage. Amidst the backdrop of internal turmoil in the final 40 years of the 19th century, one thing has increasingly united our great nation: baseball.
By 1900, leagues have spring up throughout the East, with a quartet emerging as formidable loops. Throughout the 1890's, debate raged through the major newspapers as the respective champions of those leagues claimed titles as "national champions" or other similar monikers.
But, in the winter of 1899-00, a major development occurred: executives from the four strongest leagues met to shore some things up. For the 1900 season, the four leagues agreed on a 140-game schedule, uniform roster and contract rules...and most importantly: a national championship would be contested. The New England League, Eastern League, Western League, and Midwest Association had joined forces, thus giving berth to the
United States Baseball Federation.
The leagues would look as follows:
New England League
Boston Beaneaters
Boston Pilgrims
Buffalo Bisons
Brooklyn Dodgers
New Haven Weavers
New York Gothams
Newark Bears
Rochester Stars
Eastern League
Baltimore Terrapins
Jersey City Giants
Philadelphia Athletics
Philadelphia Quakers
Pittsburgh Ironmen
Providence Patriots
Richmond Rebels
Washington Senators
Midwest Association
Chicago Colts
Chicago Whales
Cincinnati Tigers
Cleveland Buckeyes
Detroit Wolverines
Indianapolis Hoosiers
Milwaukee Black Hawks
St. Louis Browns
Western League
Columbus Senators
Denver Bears
Kansas City Blues
Louisville Colonels
Memphis Chicks
Minneapolis Millers
Omaha Golden Spikes
St. Paul Saints
Additionally, two other minor leagues had formed as fully-professional entities and would be recognized as part of the Federation, though they would remain fully independent...until someone had a check for a player.
Pacific Coast League
Los Angeles Angels
Oakland Oaks
Portland Beavers
Sacramento Solons
San Diego Sailors
San Francisco Missions
San Francisco Seals
Seattle Indians
Southeastern League
Atlanta Crackers
Birmingham Steelers
Charleston Cannons
Little Rock Rangers
Mobile Greenhorns
Nashville Vols
New Orleans Pelicans
Norfolk Admirals
Now let the games begin!
All four leagues had rather uninteresting playoff races, with only the Midwest Association title being decided by less than eight games. The winners of the four leagues met in a playoff, decided simply by the "best" champion facing the "worst" and the other two teams matching up.
Regardless of how it was set up, October belonged to the Cincinnati Tigers, who swept through the top-seeded Pittsburgh Ironmen and then the Rochester Stars, dispatching both in four-game sweeps to take home the inaugural National Championship. The sky seemed like the limit for the Tigers...
25-year-old Rochester ace
Jim Greene set an impressive precedent by logging 405.2 innings and winning 32 games to claim Pitcher of the Year honors. Though he'd never reach 30 wins again, he won plenty of games over the ensuing 15 years...
Meanwhile, St. Paul outfielder
Matt Rustin also never reached his lofty totals again, but leading the league in doubles (43), RBI (113), and slugging (.619) while hitting .362 was enough to crown him MVP. Additionally, on May 2, 1900 he hit for the first cycle in USBF history.
Minor League Champions
Pacific Coast League: Portland Beavers, 94-50
Southeastern League: New Orleans Pelicans, 117-23
New Orleans' .836 winning percentage set a standard that to this day has not been met in any league, setting a precedent for an extended SEL dynasty...