OOTP and real life

[Buccaneer]

As you know, I only play historical leagues when playing OOTP. I primarily play in the Golden Era (50s and 60s) since not only that was my favorite period in baseball (despite it being before my time) but it is also the period I collect. Through my collection and mostly through playing OOTP historical leagues, I have gotten to know some the players better, esp. the 2nd-tier stars. With OOTP (v.5), you never know which 2nd-tier star (pitcher or hiiter) would emerge and become dominant. In the historial league that I played before my current one, I remember OF Jim Lemon was the best hitter in the league for about 3-4 years. I even traded for him because I liked him a lot (he did good for only one year for us before I traded him again). Anyway, I saw that he has passed away this weekend and if it wasn't for OOTP and that he had some good peak values in that career, I wouldn't have given his passing any thought. RIP Jim, you were good in my alternate universe.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -Jim Lemon, a former All-Star outfielder and major league manager who once received personal congratulations from President Eisenhower after a slugging show, has died. He was 78.
Lemon died Sunday at his home in Brandon, Miss. He had been ill with cancer.
Lemon spent 26 seasons with the Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins as a player, manager, coach, scout and instructor. He also played for Cleveland, Philadelphia and the Chicago White Sox.
"I saw him actually last year because we had our 40th reunion of our '65 World Series team," former teammate Jim Kaat said Monday night. "Lem was a fixture in that organization for years. I just knew him as a good, power-hitting outfielder when I came up, and just a pleasant guy."
An All-Star in 1960, Lemon batted .262 with 121 doubles, 35 triples, 164 home runs and 529 RBIs in 1,010 career games. He hit 33 home runs with 100 RBIs for the Senators in 1959 and had 38 homers and 100 RBIs in 1960.
Lemon hit four home runs in the 1955 Southern Association All-Star game. The performance that really got him noticed, however, came the next year.
On Aug. 31, 1956, Lemon hit three straight home runs off Whitey Ford in a game the Senators lost to the New York Yankees. Eisenhower was in attendance that night at Griffith Stadium, and summoned Lemon to his box to shake his hand.
Originally signed by Cleveland as a free agent in 1948, Lemon was bought by the Senators in 1954 and continued playing with the Twins after the franchise moved west in 1961. He was a regular in the lineup for six years.
Lemon, who batted cleanup and played left field on opening day in 1961 for Minnesota, retired in 1963. He continued to work in the game for the next 20 years, including serving as hitting coach on the 1965 Twins team that went to the World Series.
"I think he had some strong ideas on hitting and later became a hitting coach," said Kaat, a pitcher who had 16 career home runs. "He actually helped me a little bit with my hitting because he used to say, 'Spread out, take a short stride and swing the bat like a hammer, not like a broom."'
Lemon took over for Gil Hodges and managed the Senators in 1968. They went 65-96, the worst record in the majors, and Ted Williams became Washington's manager in 1969.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2005-2006, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

[MizzouRah]

Works that way in the current crop of players as well. I never knew many Rockies until I've been playing the heck out of 6.51 and when they came to town last week, I knew them all while my friend only knew of Todd Helton.

[Chas in Cinti]

Great story...

I used OOTP to remind me what a find hitter Jeff Burroughs (Braves) was back in the mid-late 70s. He ended up even better than real life in one of my careers...

-Chas

[John Galt]

Cool story (except for the part where you lied that you aren't old enough to remember baseball in the 50's )