Could There Be An America's Team? Let's try

[uruguru]

This has nothing to do with your sim, but I thought I would share this with you since it's Pirate-related and interesting.

"The Most Important Hit in MLB History"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyhSIluwb_g

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by uruguru

This has nothing to do with your sim, but I thought I would share this with you since it's Pirate-related and interesting.

"The Most Important Hit in MLB History"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyhSIluwb_g

Thank you. That is really cool.

I was eating a late lunch at a sports bar on the 50th anniversary of the Maz HR and they were playing the show with Bob Costas about the event. Hal Smith was in the audience. Costas called on him with the preface that he must of thought after the home run that the next day his picture would be on the front page of every newspaper in the country.

Smith apparently hadn't thought that but said when he rounded 2B and everyone was cheering he though "what have I done"?. Really cool guy.

On stage with Costas were Dick Groat and Bill Virdon with Bobby Richardson as the Yankees representative. Richardson said some really neat things.

Thanks again.

[Brad K]

November 20 1966

SP Sandy Koufax signed with the Giants. He got 4 x $412 plus 3 x $378. Player opt out after year 4, vesting for year 7 180 IP. Fans are not happy. Interest modifier dropped 3 points.


December 20 1966

RP Moe Drabowski 31 yo 3.5 stars signed with White Sox 4 x $184k. He didn't give me a chance to match.

In Rule 5 lost 2B George Spriggs 29 yo 2.0/2.0 and LF William Bradley 24 yo 2.0/2.0. Selected C Clay Dalrymple 30 yo 2.5/2.5. He's 14 on defense. Doesn't hit quite as well as backup Jay Porter. We'll see. I might keep 3 Cs on the 25 man as Porter can also play 1B, LF, RF.

I need to win now. I have money to spend but no one to spend it on unless I want to give up future stars for high paid veterans. I believe last year's team underperformed. At this point I can hope they've retained their skill and will perform to their level in 1967. I might still give up some future stars for a better chance to win now.

Sandy Koufax, Moe Drabowski, Clay Dalrymple

[Brad K]

January 19 1967

Received RP Gary Bell age 30 3.5 starts (2.5 as SP) for CF George Johnson age 23 2.5/2.5 and minor league SP Bruce Dal Canton age 25 1.5/2.5. Johnson is rated 14 in center and right, 7 Contact, 8 HR, 18 Eye but historically never played MLB. I think Detroit would have been better off with Matty Alou. Detroit is broke and I offered Alou retaining 40$ and Detroit still wanted an additional solid prospect. I did my best. I can't help it they want Johnson. (Now watch. After my comments he'll be an all star.)


Gary Bell, Bruce Dal Canton, Matty Alou

[Brad K]

March 6 1967

Traded C Ron Brand age 27 1.5 stars for 2B Bob Johnson age 31 2.5 stars

April 7 1967

Sent C Clay Dalrymple Rule 5 pick back to Braves. There was a big drop in his defensive rating during spring training and Jay Porter hits a bit better.

April 10 1967

Steve Blass and Woodie Fryman made the team for the first time as the first two out of the pen. Put RP Dick Hall on waivers. IF Bob Johnson acquired in trade made the team. Dick Schofield wouldn't accept demotion so he's on waivers. IF Gene Michael is out of options and on waivers.

Experts expect a fourth place finish. We have MLBs highest payroll. I sure hope we were over rated last year and under rated this year. I think the got it right last year and we blew it. This year I think we're not a fourth place team but maybe not a close contender.

[uruguru]

Experts expect a fourth place finish. We have MLBs highest payroll.

oof! good luck.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by uruguru

oof! good luck.

Thank you. Right now the answer to "could there be an America's team" is "probably not". At least not the Bucs. But then coming close and failing makes for more interesting reading!

[Brad K]

April 11 1967

SP Bob Gibson pitched three innings in the opener, gave up three runs, and is heading to the injury list for three weeks. Threes Wild! We won 5-3 in a 16 inning marathon where we used six pitchers.

Brought up Bob Moose to replace Gibson. Murtaugh put him 4th in the rotation ahead of Gary Bell.

Bob Moose, Danny Murtaugh

[Brad K]

April 20 1967

5-3 half a game out of first.

Cleared waivers players: SS Gene Michael accepted a demotion to AAA, RP Dick Hall and SS Dick Schofield did not.

Offered Hall and Schofield as a package in trade retaining up to 50% of their salaries with no takers. Got offered RP Wilbur Wood age 25 for Dick Hall age 36 but Wood is making $174k and has a two year extension for $184k. OOTP won't allow retention of an extension. Hall is making $72k.

Was offered 26 yo RP Dave DeBusschere. I guess the Pistons deal didn't work out in this universe.

After considerable struggle traded RP Dick Hall age 36 2.5 stars for OF Lou Johnson age 32 2.5 stars as LF. Johson has no options so I have to send down corner OF Bob Oliver to make room for him on the 25 man.

Released IF Dick Schofield.


Dave DeBusschere

[uruguru]

Originally Posted by Brad K

Thank you. Right now the answer to "could there be an America's team" is "probably not". At least not the Bucs. But then coming close and failing makes for more interesting reading!

The reality is that no one has ever had a run like the Yankees, and that is the standard of success that any "America's Team" will likely have to measure against.

Or you could take a different approach and be a gazillionaire like Ted Turner, buy a team and a national cable channel and just broadcast your games to the entire country for free and become sort of "America's Team" that way. Any town that doesn't have a nearby MLB team will gradually adopt yours as theirs.

[Brad K]

I didn't define it but I figure a market size of HUGE or the top attendance or the most revenue is probably a win. That probably requires that the Yankees and Dodgers fail for a while.

[Brad K]

...

[Brad K]

May 4 1967

Bob Baily is contact 10 eye 11 and Gene Alley is contact 13 eye 7. Kind of a toss up but I've set Bailey required to lead off. He is hitting .359 and Alley is hitting .238. Clemente has dropped to .235 and Clendenon is up but only to .231. I don't know how this team won so many games with 1-2-3 Alley Clemente Clendenon hitting .238 .235 .231.

We beat St Louis and have split the first two with LA. Lead is one game.


May 10 1967

We're up by 4 1/2 over the second place Astos. LA is now in third 5 games back. We're 20-6 (.679)

Bob Gibson pitched 7 2/3 in one start in AAA giving up one earned run. He's rested after that start and I'm bringing him up. Bob Moose, his roster replacement, was 3-2 in five starts with a 2.88 ERA. He's going back to AAA through no fault of his own.

[Brad K]

June 1 1967

We're in first place 33-14 (.702) 8 ahead of the Dodgers. We're up to second in the NL on runs scored. We're still first on runs against.

3B Bob Bailey's BA has dropped but now he's hitting HRs. Ten in May. He and Willie Mays are tied for the team lead with 15. Willie Stargell has 12. C Jim Pagliaroni is now the only serious under perfomer at the plate hitting .177. He defensive rating has dropped to 9. I'm going to stick with him over Jay Porter.

Team ERA is 2.25 more than a run better than the Astros who are next best. SP Bob Gibson has yet to win a game despite a 3.10 ERA. In six starts he's 0-3. Recall he missed a month after being removed on opening day after 3 IP.

[Brad K]

June 19 1967

SP Camilo Pascual has a DTD shoulder injury that has a moderate effect of throwing. Duration to be four weeks. Like what? I sent him to the injury list and called up Bob Moose.

We've cooled off a bit. Now 42-23 (.646) 4 games ahead of LA. Roberto Clemente is having a poor year for him, .282 BA, Donn Clendenon is close to his spot at .272 with 6 HRs, Pagliaroni is at .200.

I like an OBP over .330 for a lead off hitter. The only ones I have is Bob Bailey at .349 and Willie Mays at .331. Just figures they'd be guys who hit HRs. Mays has more power so Bailey hits first.

The real life Pirates rarely signed any amateurs who drew walks. Six of my eight current position players came up through the Pirate farm system and Pagliaroni was a real life Pirate via trade.

[uruguru]

Nice to see you in first place!

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by uruguru

Nice to see you in first place!

Thank you. Its nice to be there. I'm thinking maybe Pirates Moneyball was a better scenario than this one because in Moneyball I wasn't supposed to win much!

[Brad K]

July 10 1967

We're 52-32 (.619) and lead the Dodgers by 5. The Python has us with 53 projected wins.

All Star game tomorrow. 3B Bob Bailey (.285 17 HR) and LF Willie Stargell (.271 18 HRs) voted onto the All Star team by the fans. None of the Pirate SP made the top five in fan voting. RP Stu Miller finished 4th in fan voting. This is a staff leading the NL with a 2.57 ERA and the second best Giants are 3.32. However the NL Manager selected SP Mike Cuellar (8-5 2.16 ERA) and RP Woodie Fryman (4-6 11 saves 1.97 ERA).

Among position players CF Willie Mays (.256 18 HRs) was selected by the NL Manager. Mays finished second in the voting for center fielders.

Remember Milton Hite who several years ago BNN rated the best 2B in baseball? The guy who never played MLB? He made his first All Star team. He's hitting .270, 48 points over his career mark, and has a .441 OBP versus .365 career. SF is paying him $156k and he's a FA after this season.

Pirate offense has improved to 4th in the NL in runs scored and we lead the NL in home runs with 71. Although BA is second at .265, the typical real life Pirate problem of no walks persists. OBP is 6th at .307. Think that's bad, just wait until Sanguillen and Stennett are on the team!

Attendance is great, up 25.5% to an average of 27,567. We've broken 30,000 for a single game several times. We're first in MLB in attendance at 1.3m. The Mets are second, a little over 1m while the Yankees are fifth (!) at 933k and the Dodgers are seventh (!!!) at 908k.

[uruguru]

Originally Posted by Brad K

Attendance is great, up 25.5% to an average of 27,567. We've broken 30,000 for a single game several times. We're first in MLB in attendance at 1.3m. The Mets are second, a little over 1m while the Yankees are fifth (!) at 933k and the Dodgers are seventh (!!!) at 908k.

The fair weather fans have arrived and they're bringing their wallets with them! Great news!

[Brad K]

I think I 70 from Columbus opened!