Kansas City Monarchs: A Fictional OOTP Dynasty
 

The United Baseball Association

It's 1912. Major League Baseball is a thing that never was, and all of the ballplayers you know of have never and will never exist. This is the story of the Kansas City Monarchs, one of twelve professional baseball clubs playing under the banner of the United Baseball Association, or UBA.

The twelve teams are split into two leagues. The Monarchs play in the Columbia League, along with the Brooklyn Robins, the Baltimore Terrapins, the Newark Peppers, the St. Louis Terriers, and the Pittsburgh Arsenal.

At the end of a 154-game campaign, they face-off in a best of nine contest known as the Presidents Cup Series with the winner of the United League, which is comprised of the New York Giants, Detroit Wolves, Philadelphia Athletics, Minnesota North Stars, Chicago Packers, and finally, the north-of-the-border Toronto Maple Leafs.

The United Baseball Association is the proprietor of an unchanging game. Statistics recorded in 1912 will be comparable to the statistics recorded in 2012. Records will be broken, and their destruction will be meaningful and without controversy. However, there may be more teams added to the contest in the future.

The Kansas City Monarchs

We'll touch on the other teams a bit, but like I said, this is the story of the Kansas City Monarchs. The Monarch nine play at Gordon & Koppel Field, a small park in the heart of Kansas City that tends to favors home run hitting ballplayers. It would be different if it were my choice, but beyond the walls are streets for motorcars, and the walls will remain there for eternity.

As for our club? Well, to be completely honest I don't know much about them yet, and there's no use worrying until we get to see them in action. At first glance, it appears our top arm belongs to the 31-year-old RHP Juan Villarreal, a Dominican-born hurler with fantastic stuff and great control, though he may be a little susceptible to the long-ball, especially in our park.

As for our position players, things look fairly bleak. Our hopes will rest on LF Brent Taylor, a right-handed bat that will play well in our park but he simply doesn't wow me with his bat, though his defense is solid in left.

All in all, our first year will likely be uninteresting and unsuccessful. However, because of the way the contracts are handled (service-time based on previous ball-playing experience), we will have an opportunity to have some turnover (a positive, in this case) and I'll be able to bring in some of my own guys.

With that, we march through 1912. See you on the other side.

1912 Season: Amateur Draft

Well, things are looking bleak for the Monarchs. On June 5th, we sit at a very underwhelming 17-44. I thought things would be bad, but I didn't even fathom a record as poor as this.

However, with all bad things in baseball comes opportunity, as the 1912 Amateur Draft is upon us, and we own the rights to the 1st Overall Selection. While it was earned from unsavory performance, it was still earned, and we'll use it to add to an already solid (4th of 12, according to experts) minor league system.

The Farm Leagues

Oh, now is a good time to explain that system. The UBA uses a three-tiered system to develop ballplayers, commonly known as Triple-A, Double-A, and Single-A ball.

The top tier, Triple-A, is known as the Eastern League, with teams situated in the eastern half of the United States to allow quick travel by train to their parent club.

Double-A is known as the Southern League, with two divisions within known as the Grapefruit League and the Texas League.

Finally, the lowest level of minor league ball, Single-A, is known as Liga Caribe, or, Caribbean League, with all twelve teams situated in the Dominican Republic, allowing year-round training for young future stars.

The Draft

The fifteen-round ordeal, which takes place at the league office in New York, will begin with our pick.

If I'm going to be completely frank here, I'm not all that impressed with the available youngsters, despite one player's (SS Adrian Black) demand of a $10.5m signing bonus. The 21-year-old clearly believes himself to be the top player in the draft, and my $8.5m budget from ownership not withstanding, he is merely good, not great. His range looks quite good enough (7) to play his natural position at shortstop, but his arm (4) leaves a lot to be desired. His offense fits the profile; a contact-hitting (6p), no-power (2p), speedy kind of guy (7sp/6st).

Note: For those of you unaware with scouting jargon, all of these numbers fall on a 2-8 scale. A 'p' next to a number represents 'potential'. The speed numbers are also out of 8, with 'sp' representing 'raw speed' and 'st' representing 'stealing ability'.

I'm having trouble finding another player to compare him to, with the two top raw-talents being relievers (who I won't even consider selecting with this pick).

1B Otto Mason is an alternative, and by alternative, I mean a completely different direction. This 18-year-old hometown kid (he is from Missouri) is already 6'5" and weighs 250, and as you could guess, he's got massive power (7p). He can't run, he can't field, but the guy can mash. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a very good eye (4p) but unlike a lot of other massive power hitters, he may not strike out a lot (6p).

SP Jon Goulding and SP Dave Keeling are two other guys I'd at least consider. Both have very similar raw skill sets, each rated the same in stuff, movement, and control (5p, 5p, 6p, respectfully), although Goulding has better stamina and also better individual pitch ratings. Goulding, 20, is coming out of college and did very well on that stage facing great competition, while Keeling had better stats but did it against a fairly weak conference.

Looking at our minor-league system, we have six players who are ranked as Top-50 prospects, and four of them are pitchers, one is a catcher, and one is a center-fielder. I think we could really use a young infielder to balance out the system. We'll figure out the budget.

SS Adrian Black, welcome to the Kansas City Monarchs.

1912 Season: International Amateurs

This always feels like a little bit of a crapshoot, but I spent $1.5m to sign the top international amateur pitcher, SP Juan Hernandez, from the Dominican Republic. He's only 16, but he's got a tremendous ground-ball rate (65%) from a decent sinker that will play very well in our park, along with the height and stamina to stay a starter as long as everything else goes well.

1912 Season: Presidents Cup Series

We went on a little bit of a roll at the end there, winning our last six games, going 8-2 in our last ten games, and putting together a 12-3 record in September after a 14-15 August. Perhaps things are looking up for the Monarchs. Well, I certainly hope so, as we finish 57-97, worst in the league and a whopping 37GB of the Pittsburgh Arsenal.

The Arsenal went on to play the New York Giants, who finished with the best record at 99-55. After taking a two game lead, the Giants lost their next four to the Arsenal. Despite winning game seven, New York fell to Pittsburgh, 5 games to 3.

So is the idea to play through 100 years or at least a very long time to see what kind of long time records can be set?

SI

Nah, I just mentioned that because I don't have the game setup to change stats based on era. So there will be no dead ball era, no steroid era, etc. 50 HR in the first year of the dynasty will be equivalent to 50 HR in the 100th year.

Thanks for following. :D

1913 Off-Season

This is where I start to put my own stamp on this team. We have five arbitration eligible players, four free agents, no coaches (all were fired or out of contract after the Presidents Cup Series), and a hell of a lot of holes to fill.

1913 Off-Season: Arbitration

Five players, only one obvious non-tender, and two non-tender candidates. MR Charles Churchis is actually not terrible. He has decent ratings and would not be the worst 7th man in the bullpen in the league, by a long-shot. He also put up decent numbers in an 11-game rehab stint this year in AAA. But coming off a $2m contract, and dealing with an injured ulnar nerve that could push into next season, it's a no-brainer to non-tender him.

2B Julio Nunez is the first of two guys I need to dig into a bit. He's a solid defender, let's start there. He played 144 of 146 games at 2B, finishing with a UZR of +6.5 and only 8 errors. But his bat...yea, his bat is letting us down. He doesn't strike out a ton but the guy just doesn't walk at all, and with a .246 average, his 38 walks over 144 games is pretty bad. 17 2B and 10 HR don't make up for it much either.

He also is expected to pull in $6.5m. While I need a stop-gap at 2B while we wait for 1912's 1st overall pick Adrian Black, I can probably get a defense-first 2B for a year for much cheaper in free agency, through our minors, or through a trade if need be. He'll be non-tendered and will become a free agent.

Then, we have LF Archie Diemer, a power-hitting (7) right-fielder with solid defensive skills. He looks like he could be a decent 4th or 5th outfielder, a power bat off the bench, etc. However, he only hit 3 HR in 61 games and struck out 57 times while walking just 8 times. His triple-slash line of .223/.272/.351 doesn't do much to inspire me, even though he'd only cost $900k. We have a solid right-field prospect in 22-year-old RF John Harrington, who I'll talk more about soon.

So with that, Nunez, Diemer, and Churchis are let go, and we'll tender contracts to LF Brent Taylor and 3B Kirby Meisner.

Next up, free agents.

1913 Off-Season: Free Agents

We have four guys set to come off the books, not counting the guys we just non-tendered in arbitration.

SP Calvin Archer is a 34-year-old Type A free agent who was the ace of the staff this year, despite his 8-13 record. He finished the campaign with a 2.95 ERA and 153K/76BB over 216.1 IP. The fact that he's already 34, and attached to a possible first-round draft choice and a sandwich round pick makes it a no-brainer. He'll walk and hopefully sign with a team that doesn't have a protected pick.

SP John Mitchell is another 34-year-old, with no compensation attached. He had a bad year and nothing to tell me his future is any brighter. He'll become a free agent.

The guy I tagged as our best pitcher prior to the season, SP Juan Villarreal, had a decent season, pitching 202.2 innings with a 4.26 ERA. He probably got a little unlucky, as he finished with a pretty solid 3.63 FIP. At 32, and with a Type-A compensation attached to him, he'll be let go.

Finally, RF Bill Blaylock will hit the road. He's terrible, so no need to go in depth with him.

1912 Season: Final Standings and Awards

Final Standings:


Columbia League Rookie of the Year:

C Larry Woolridge (St. Louis)
.314/.413/.533
27 HR/109 RBI
5.0 WAR

United League Rookie of the Year:

SS Pete Valenti (Toronto)
.259/.313/.386
20 SB
2.4 WAR

Columbia League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Bartolo Flores (Pittsburgh)
18-4
2.34 ERA 101 K/30 BB
2.4 WAR

United League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Roger Browder (Detroit)
17-5
2.11 ERA 286 K/47 BB
10.5 WAR

Columbia League Hitter of the Year:

C Larry Woolridge (St. Louis)
.314/.413/.533
27 HR/109 RBI
5.0 WAR

United League Hitter of the Year:

LF Gerald Greenfield (Detroit)
.360/.453/.650
38 HR/121 RBI/22 SB
11.5 WAR

1913 Off-Season: Outlook

There will be a lot of changes in Kansas City this off-season, but we're still keeping our eye on the future. Rome was not built in a day, and we also have a major financial issue to consider. We have the lowest budget in the league at $86m. That seems like a good amount, but after scouting and player development costs (which we have set to the average league amount for the time being), our budget for the 1913 payroll is set for approximately $60m.

As it stands on the first day of free agency, we have $39m under contract, leaving us with $21m to work with. If we want to bump up scouting and development, which in this case may be a good idea, we'll have even less.

To get things in perspective, I've raised the scouting budget $2m to a total of $6m, and raised the player development budget by $4m to a total of $10m. This gives us a final balance of $15.25m to work with to fill the rest of the roster.

After looking at our team-wide statistics from this past season, there's not much to report other than we need to upgrade on offense, pitching, speed, and defense. Yes, pretty much everywhere. We were 6th in scoring in the CL and 6th in run prevention.

1913 Off-Season: Club Overview

So where do we go from here? Here's a quick snapshot of the club, what we have, what we have coming soon, and what we need.


Yea, seriously. Not kidding, this is who I'd feel comfortable with going into next year. Obviously we have other guys but, in an ideal world, they'd be minor league depth or off the team completely. For now, we still need some warm bodies.

Still, we have some room to improve and I'd like to not just plug in my Triple-A guys to fill holes unless I think they have a future. Two young guys we'll be doing that with, with some hope of them turning into a solid starting player, are RF John Harrington and SP Elmer Glasgow.

Harrington is 22, and our scouts love his hitting ability and his speed and think he can play one of the corner-outfield spots. Last year in limited time with our club, he hit .258/.371/.351. His power isn't quite there yet, and I'm considering letting him develop more of that in the minors, but for now he'll be our starting right-fielder in 1913.

Glasgow, 24, pitched just 14 innings in 1912 for us, but in those 14 innings he had a 1.93 ERA with 12 K and 4 BB. Sustainable? We'll have to find out. He has a great ground-ball rate (61%) that will do well in our park.

Priorities

The major holes in our lineup are at 2B and in CF. At 2B, we have Adrian Black on his way up, either sometime this year or next, so I'd prefer to sign a veteran on a one-year deal and go from there. However, we also have an internal option in Paul Stonge, who is fairly average and struggled last year but is a guy I'd like to see one more try out of.

At CF, we can be a little more creative. Our best CF prospect is only 18 and is at least two years away, so we'll have to see our options there and keep an open mind in trade discussions, if we get involved in that front.

In terms of pitching, we have massive holes that need to be filled, with two rotation spots up for grabs (and not a lot of internal options), and a ton of bullpen spots that will be handed to a deserving party. Whether we take the best from last years crop (not very good) remains to be seen. Part of me wouldn't be surprised if they were all un-involved in 1913.

1913 Off-Season: Free Agency (Part 1)

Before we do anything, there is a guy that I would just love to have sitting in free agency. Russ Ashley is just 24 years old. He hit .361/.456/.441 last year, so his contact-only approach is a little bit of a turn-off since my park won't allow too many doubles, but his defense in the outfield is lovely. Our scouts have him at a 7 of 8 across the board in range, avoiding errors, and arm.

He walked 77 times and struck out 88 times, but our scouts say he may get better in terms of plate discipline (5c/6p). One downside is that he's fast, but has some terrible baserunning skills (2) and stealing ability (4). He stole 25 bases for Chicago last year, but got caught 30 times. As a team that has very little in the way of hitting, I'd like to be able to use that speed to our advantage.

He also wants $105m over 5 years, which we don't have.

However, I have two players coming off the books after 1913, 3B Antonio Moreno who is making $13.3m and SP Antonio Romero who is making $5.8m. Moreno is dreadful, a 34-year-old with no range who should probably be playing 1B who spent the vast majority of 1912 wasting away in AAA. Romero is decent, and I'd keep him just to have another starter on the roster, but if we can dump the salary, we might do it. I don't think anyone will trade for Moreno, but we'll try.

***

The Philadelphia Athletics are suckers, desperate for a third-baseman, I sent them 3B Antonio Moreno and $3.1m to cover some salary costs for a Single-A reliever you will never know about. The move clears a net of around $10m in funds.

SP Antonio Romero is actually harder to deal, so we'll stick with him for 1913.

***

We'll go back to filling CF in a few. Taking a look at the 2B available, and yea, there's really not much other than SS Ricardo Olivares, an extremely injury prone 38-year-old who wants $11m for one year. I'll probably end up sticking with SS Paul Stonge to play 2B.

Now, back to CF. I think CF Russ Ashley would be great manning CF for us for the next five years, but I really can't justify that kind of coin on a guy when we are so dreadfully bad and have so many holes to fill.

The next guy that catches my eye is RF Larry Teets. Teets is a RF by trade and really isn't all that great, but he'd sign a one-year deal for $2.6m and I could probably get him lower. He has decent enough range (6) to fill in for a year, and the 33-year-old also has some decent power, hitting 15 HR in 380 AB last year with Newark. He also has pretty good speed and stealing ratings, so I put in an offer at $2m.

The other major hole is in the rotation. I have two guys in AAA, SP Matt DeBolt and SP Ryan Pederson who I'd give a shot to, but I'd like one somewhat reliable arm to add to the rotation. 1912's 27-year-old Pitcher of the Year Award winner SP Roger Browder is available, but again, a massive chunk of my budget would disappear instantly.

SP Toby Arthur doesn't look bad. He's got decent ratings (5s/5m/6c) (Stuff, movement, control) and four pretty decent pitches in his arsenal. The 57% groundball stat isn't bad either, and he's a lefty, which is good because the three guys I have slotted in the rotation are all right-handed. His ERA wasn't all that great at 4.56, finishing with an ERA+ of just 85 (100 is league average). There's a good amount not to love about him, but for just $1.6m and a one-year deal, he's a good signing. I submit an offer for $1.2m, and I think we'll get him.

Now, there's another guy out there, SP Ken Evans, who's recovering from Tommy John surgery and will be out until at least May next season. In 15 games started, he pitched to the tune of a 2.24 ERA with 71 K/25 BB. Right now he's asking for a bit much ($8.5m per year for four years) but as we get into the end of free agency, he'll probably change his tune. I'd love to get him for one year, even at that salary, as long as we have the budget room in a couple months.

Finally, we put in a $2.2m offer for MR John Brancal, a left-handed reliever who pitched for Toronto last season. His left-handed delivery and 62% groundball rate are enticing, and in 70 games with Toronto, he had a 3.53 ERA and a FIP to match (3.56).

More to come as we get deeper into free agency.

1913 Off-Season: Free Agency (Part 2)

Well, CF Russ Ashley signed Brooklyn, our league rivals, for $54m over three years. That gives him another shot at free agency at just 27-years-old.

SP Toby Arthur, MR John Brancal, and CF Larry Teets all sign with us.

As we progress further into free agency, Pitcher of the Year winner Roger Browder also signs with Brooklyn. Deep pockets over there. The 28-year-old will make $104m over 4 years. We're also notified that SP Juan Villarreal, who pitched for us last year and was attached to Type-A compensation, will net us a supplemental round pick, as well as a wonderfully bad 5th-round pick, because he signed with Brooklyn as well, and their top four choices have already been distributed.

As we get into February, SP Ken Evans, who's out until May with a torn UCL, is still around and is asking for a one-year deal. I offer $4m, and he accepts. He'll be placed directly on the 60-day disabled list. I add some final pieces in MR Chris Caviness, SS Alfonso Rodriguez, and UTIL Rob McMorris. All were signed for less than $1m and could potentially be cut prior to the season.

1913 Season: Spring Training

Won't go too in depth here. There's a good amount of battles at several positions, specifically backups and in the bullpen. We get some bad news about 20 games in that SP Eldon Tully, who was slotted to start opening day, partially tore his UCL and will be out six months.

We finish spring training with a 9-15 record, and no other major injuries to report. Now, we cut down to 25.

1913 Season: Amateur Draft

Well, we actually started out halfway decent, going 13-15 in April. Then, we had some injuries hit and we went 9-20 in May. We're tied for 2nd in the CL with 50 home runs, which is something. As it stands, we're in last place with a 24-37 record, with only the Chicago Packers holding a worse record.

Our new signing SP Toby Arthur got off to a great start, with a 2.03 ERA in his first ten games. Then he ran into some shoulder inflammation issues on May 19th, and he's projected to be out another 2-3 months.

Rookie SP Ryan Pederson has been a nice surprise, with a 3.47 ERA thus far. Our standout performance on offense has been SS Weston Clark, who has 2.1 WAR so far.

Now, to the draft. We once again have the first pick in the draft, along with a couple picks in the supplemental round and the top two picks in the 2nd round, which gives us five of the top twenty-three picks.

At the top, there's really only one guy that I like. CF Mark Cooper is, in my opinion, the best player available and also fills a massive need for us. At 21, he'll hopefully be ready in a year or two. He has no power and his discipline is pretty suspect, but he's got great contact (6p) and the defensive skill set to play CF pretty well. At Rice, he hit .376 and stole 35 bases in 52 games.

With the first of our supplemental picks, we take the Salvadoran-American 3B Luis Rey, a power hitter with good range and a great arm. Next is SP John Nicholson, a 23-year-old RHP from Fordham.

Now's a fantastic time to check in on 2B Adrian Black, who's been playing SS in AAA. He got off to a great start in A and AA last year after the draft, playing in 32 games and hitting around .300 at both levels. This year, he's spent his entire year at AAA and is progressing nicely. He's hitting .282/.349/.384 with 13 steals in 60 games.

After the draft, we find out we've had three players named to the Columbia League All-Star Team:

SP Antonio Romero
6-4
2.84 ERA 66 K/37 BB
1.4 WAR

C Orlando Torres
.284/.375/.432
8 HR/28 RBI
2.0 WAR

SS Weston Clark
.291/.346/.498
10 HR/26 RBI
2.1 WAR

1913 Season: Presidents Cup Series

The St. Louis Terriers did their best to overtake last year's Columbia League champions by winning five games at the end, but they finished two games shy of Pittsburgh, who will once again face the New York Giants, who will make another attempt to win the Presidents Cup.

As for us? Well, things didn't end well. After a tremendous July in which we went 16-12, we went 8-22 in August and finished dreadfully with a 1-13 September, giving us a final record of 56-98, the worst record in the league, and we'll have another 1st overall pick in the 1914 Amateur Draft.

The Presidents Cup was a back and forth affair. The teams split the first four games, then Pittsburgh won an offensive battle in Game Five, 11-7. New York took control from there, winning Game Six at home and taking Seven and Eight in Pittsburgh to win the 1913 Presidents Cup, 5 games to 3!

1914 Off-Season

This coming season should be somewhat defining. We'll see the debut (barring an injury or something else terrible) of 2B Adrian Black and possibly even CF Mark Cooper, though he didn't have a very stellar debut minor league season. We also a good chunk of salary coming off the books, and we only have $26.1m guaranteed to players so far for 1914. However, we also have SP Toby Arthur and SP Antonio Romero hitting free agency, and Romero specifically anchored a rotation that, well, needs anchoring.

We have ten arb-eligible players going into the off-season, with five of those almost undoubtedly being non-tender candidates and two definite re-signs. We have seven free agents, and I don't see any coming back.

194 Off-Season: Arbitration

We kick things off by signing 1913 All-Star SS Weston Clark to a three-year extension that will buy out three of his first four (he is a super-2) arbitration years scaling from $6m to $7m. On that third arbitration year, we hold an option as well.

The other guy I definitely want to re-sign is C Orlando Torres, who has quietly been a 3.7/3.8 WAR player in his first two years with our team. He's already 30 years old, and is just reaching arbitration for the first time. However, he has no intention of re-signing with me, so we'll have to head to arbitration.

Four players are non-tendered, one of which is 3B Kirby Meisner. He had a great 1912 (.242/.370/.413 in 108 games) but really did terrible this year, hitting .166/.229/.258.

The remaining players are offered one-year deals at less than $1m each.

1914 Off-Season: Free Agents

Hinted at this before, but barring a ridiculously low request from the three good free agents we have (SP Toby Arthur, SP Ken Evans, and +), they're going to be let go, especially because they all have Type-B compensation attached, so we'll get three extra draft picks which will help our rebuilding club.

Four other guys, SS Alfonoso Rodriguez, LF Brent Taylor, LF Rob McMorris, and CF Larry Teets will also not be renewed.

1913 Season: Final Standings and Awards


Columbia League Rookie of the Year:

SP Ryan Pederson (Kansas City)
12-12
3.50 ERA 178 K/110 BB
3.0 WAR

United League Rookie of the Year:

C Ronnie Terrill (Philadelphia)
.243/.309/.446
10 HR/46 RBI
0.2 WAR

Columbia League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Jeff Powell (St. Louis)
20-6
3.71 ERA 122 K/69 BB
3.9 WAR

United League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Donahey Merrilees (New York)
15-9
3.13 ERA 161 K/42 BB
3.4 WAR

Columbia League Hitter of the Year:

2B Matt Hixon (Pittsburgh)
.323/.401/.490
10 HR/ 90 RBI/51 SB
8.0 WAR

United League Hitter of the Year:

CF Sean Hester (Toronto)
.307/.422/.575
31 HR/ 90 RBI/ 26 SB
9.3 WAR

1914 Off-Season: Club Overview and Outlook



Yuck. Only three offensive spots (not including backup catcher) set in stone, and three rotation spots that need to be filled, not to mention the bullpen. But, bright news. Our owner has increased our total budget, and while some of it will go beef up scouting and development, we'll have a little over $30m to work with, and with some young guys making their way up through the system, I feel a little more comfortable working through free agency.

Our major needs are 3B, LF, SP, and bullpen help. I'll try to fill in the hole at 1B with a cheap rental-type player.

Our minor league system is currently ranked 4th of 12, and our top two prospects (SP Floyd Frankel, and 2B Adrian Black) will, barring unforeseen circumstances, will make their debut at some point in 1914.

1914 Off-Season: Free Agency (Part 1)

I hesitate to go after a guy named Loosemoor, but 3B Bertrand Loosemoor played for Pittsburgh, the best team in the Columbia League the past two years, so maybe I shouldn't worry about it.

The 26-year-old is hitting free agency for the first time, and I think he'd be a great addition to Kansas City, and would come fairly cheap. His initial demand is $36m over four years, but just $5m for 1914, which could help us since we'll likely have a lot of one-year deals. I slightly modify the offer and submit it.

My next target is 1B Paul Devoe, who has yet to play in the UBA, but spent his last two years in AAA. He'll get a minor league offer, but I'd give him around $800k for a major-league deal if he doesn't accept.

Call me crazy, but LF Gerald Greenfield, winner of the 1912 Hitter of the Year Award, is available. He fits a major need and is very likely the best offensive player in the league. In 1913, his power numbers were down from 38 HR to 21, and his numbers were down overall, but listen to this: He walked 108 times, and struck out just 37 times. He also stole 30 bases, had a UZR of +8.7 in LF, and played in 154 games both seasons. Obviously, budget is the only thing stopping me from submitting exactly what he wants, and I'm almost positive I'm going to get into a bidding war, but I feel like I have to at least try. We submit an offer that would potentially get to $146m over seven years. The first five would be guaranteed, the sixth is a player option, and the seventh vests with just 25 PA in the sixth season, giving us some protection in case of a season-ending injury. I don't know how much we can raise this offer, but we'll hope for the best.

***

As we move forward, it's becoming clear that we'll probably be out of luck on LF Gerald Greenfield, with both Brooklyn and New York, the two teams with the biggest budgets, also going after the former Detroit star.

Some good news though a few days later, as New York signed the other major free agent outfielder, CF Ed Shinault. The same day, however, Greenfield comes back to us with some bad news. He likes the offer from the Chicago Packers more. Unfortunately, no info on their offer. I make a new offer, same options as before, but for $150.6m.

***

That's it. Brooklyn topped our offer, I made one more and he didn't even consider it at above $155m. It's over. We'll see where he goes. Really hoping he goes back to the United League.

***

3B Bertrand Loosemoor signs with us, a 4-year deal worth $33m.

***

We make an offer 2B Junji Hayagawa, a 30-year-old player from Japan, for $1m, and he signs with us a few days later. He'll likely start the season with us until our young prospect 2B Adrian Black comes up to the big club in June.

***

In the Rule-5 draft, we select CF Ed Broaddus. He's only reached AA in his young career, but the 22-year-old has world-class range and speed, and even hit 10 HR in 73 AA games in 1913. We also pick up MR Tsumemasa Tanaka, a left-handed reliever who pitched very well throughout his two minor-league seasons.

***

On December 4th, we make a minor trade that could pay some dividends. Last year, we had 2B Paul Stonge take the role of starting 2B. After a dreadful start, he was sent to AAA where he did fairly well, but he never caught on once he was back up with the club after some injuries and in September, finishing with a .198/.275/.319 line. I also think his defense has diminished since I made the decision to start him. The Brooklyn Robins approached us with an offer that I couldn't refuse, sending us 2B Nessun Sommers, a better defender and a .287/.355/.402 hitter. For Sommers, we send back Stonge and a minor-league reliever who has put up some BABIP-related solid numbers in the minors. I'll take the risk that he's not as good as his numbers indicate (which jives with our scout's assement) and definitely take Sommers over Stonge.

***

Good news! Star player LF Gerald Greenfield has decided to sign with the New York Giants, which means we'll avoid him outside of a Presidents Cup Series meeting. He has a similar contract with them to what we offered, but with a final potential total of $157.8m over seven years.

***

Japanese import 2B Junji Hayagawa signs with us, and with the addition of Nessun Sommers, we actually have a nice little platoon at 2B until 2B Adrian Black comes up. 1B Paul Devoe signs with us as well for $900k, and now the focus turns to pitching, where we'll look to find some cheap, no-risk pickups to fill in another makeshift rotation.

1914 Off-Season: Free Agency (Part 2)

Just two quick signings right off the bat, in SP Mal Petty and SP Nelson Perez, both on very small one-year deals. Perez actually has a minor-league contract, but it will vest into a major-league deal worth $1.5m if he is on the roster within day 30 of the regular season.

With that, we head into spring training.

1914 Season: Spring Training

We finish Spring Training with a 13-11 record, and while I won't read into that too much, hopefully we can build on that and put together a decent season.

1914 Season: Amateur Draft

LF Gerald Greenfield is hitting .429 through the first two months of the season. He would have helped us, as we're once again floundering at the bottom of the standings with a 16-39 record.

But again, we have a chance to make a franchise-altering decision with the third number-one overall pick in a row. We also have two supplemental picks.

Luckily, there is a pitcher in the draft this year that we absolutely love. SP Tom Crumpler, a 19-year-old Californian, started 15 games for West Hills High School, finishing his senior year with 197 K's and just 13 BB through 107.2 innings. He'll need to develop his control (2c/6p), but his ability to prevent home runs is just amazing, with our scouts already feeling great about his movement (6c/7p), and think his stuff is promising (3c/6p). He has three pitches; a sinker, curve, and change, and while his sinker is currently his best pitch (5c/6p), our scouts think his change can really develop into something great (3c/7p).

We use the rest of our draft to really focus on pitching, using six of our first seven picks on starting pitchers.

1914 Season: Adrian Black to Make Debut

1912's first-overall pick 2B Adrian Black is set to make his debut for the Monarchs on July 2nd against Baltimore. He was set to be called up on June 27th, but had some forearm soreness. The former shortstop prospect has had a tremendous season so far in AAA, hitting .299/.383/.442 with 39 BB and just 45 K in 71 games. While we see him as a future 2B, our manager Gilberto Bravo wants to see him at SS for a bit. He'll play SS against RHP, and 2B against LHP.

In other news, we've had two players named to the Columbia League All-Star Team.

C Orlando Torres
.274/.345/.541
17 HR/44 RBI
1.8 WAR

CF Kelly Ahrens
.287/.349/.472
11 HR/29 RBI
1.0 WAR

***

And what a debut it was. 2B Adrian Black started at SS and went 3-for-4 with three singles and a run scored in a losing effort against Baltimore.

1914 Season: President's Cup Series

For the first time, it's not the Pittsburgh Arsenal against the New York Giants. The 1914 Presidents Cup Series will see the Brooklyn Robins face off against the Chicago Packers.

While both teams have great offenses, it's their pitching that has really gotten them to this point. Brooklyn is led by SP Roger Browder, who pitched to the tune of a league-leading 2.66 ERA, while Chicago's ace is SP Jay Leonhardt, whose 2.53 ERA led the United League.

The promise of a pitcher's duel kind of series was completely broken in Game One, as the Brooklyn Robins came to bay 48 times, hitting safely 24 times, and scoring a whopping TWENTY-EIGHT RUNS!! Their offense came alive again in game two, though less dramatically, winning 7-2.

Chicago made it close in the end, but the Brooklyn Robins take the series, 5 games to 3!

1915 Off-Season

Another disappointing season for the Monarchs is in the books, with the club finishing at a dreadful 52-102, somehow finishing worse than our first two seasons despite perceived improvements in my eyes. In what's becoming a running trend, we'll pick 1st overall in the 1915 Amateur Draft, but really, something else has to be done to get ourselves into a position to contend. We have a whopping sixteen players eligible for arbitration and one free agent.

However, as it stands, we only have $4.9m available to spend on new players, and while we might gain some of that back with non-tendered arbitration-eligibles, we're going to need to be creative to put some better talent on the field. We may need to use the trade market more heavily than we have in the past.

1915 Off-Season: Arbitration

Sixteen players are eligible for arbitration, and at first glance, there's at least six players who will likely be non-tendered. Unfortunately, they're all making less than $1m, so it won't impact our budget too much.

One guy that we're disappointed to see let go is 2B Nessun Sommers, a guy we traded for last off-season that I thought was really going to be a great player off the bench. We traded 2B Paul Stonge to get him, as he had really under-performed when he landed the starting role in 1913, and luckily, it looks like he didn't have a very good year for Brooklyn either. Sommers, who ended up started 98 games at 2B, finished with a .213/.268/.261 line and -0.4 WAR. He's a left-handed infielder which I like, but we have 2B Bill Salem, who performed slightly better.

In the end, we end up non-tendering five players, and hanging on to RF Eduardo Cuellar, who we picked up on waivers in April. He had a .199/.308/.346 line this year, but we have very little outfield depth.

Now here's the real problem. We've had the luxury of a very good catcher the last few seasons. C Orlando Torres has made the All-Star team twice in the last three seasons and hit 20+ HR with a .330 OBP or better each year. The problem is that he's in his 2nd year of arbitration and is slated to get somewhere around $9.75m.

In addition, his backup, C Kazu Okamoto, has done very well. In three seasons, he's hit .267/.404/.453. He's in his first year of arbitration and is going from the minimum contract ($490k) to $5m. We can't afford to have nearly $15m locked up in the catching position, so we'll have to do something there.

After a little exploring, I think our best move is to trade C Orlando Torres to the Minnesota North Stars for four prospects, the best of which is SP Carlos Cabral, a 20-year-old Venezuelan who signed as an international free agent this season.

We offer one-year contracts to ten players to avoid arbitration.

1915 Off-Season: Free Agents

Only one to deal with, MR Chris Caviness, who joined the club as a free agent prior to the 1913 season. He's done very well for us, specifically last year when he finished with a 2.74 ERA over 42.2 innings. However, that was certainly helped by a BABIP of .183, but he had a very low walk rate (1.05 per 9) and a FIP of 3.11, so I actually think he could have another good year.

We offer him a one-year deal worth $1m with a vesting option that kicks in at 50 IP.

1914 Season: Final Standings and Awards


Columbia League Rookie of the Year:

LF Don Edwards (Brooklyn)
.292/.333/.503
20 HR/63 RBI
2.6 WAR

United League Rookie of the Year:

CF Samuel Loehr (Philadelphia)
.287/.329/.471
13 HR/ 57 RBI
1.5 WAR

Columbia League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Roger Browder (Brooklyn)
14-9
2.66 ERA 199 K/47 BB
6.5 WAR

United League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Jay Leonhardt (Chicago)
18-7
2.53 ERA 227 K/53 BB
8.2 WAR

Columbia League Hitter of the Year:

RF Warren Meyers (Newark)
.291/.395/.495
24 HR/73 RBI/21 SB
6.8 WAR

United League Hitter of the Year:

LF Gerald Greenfield (New York)
.350/.454/.592
25 HR/107 RBI/17 SB
7.7 WAR

1915 Off-Season: Outlook and Overview


Things are looking a little better. We could definitely use an upgrade in the rotation, another stop-gap CF while we wait for the somewhat-struggling CF Mark Cooper. Finally, 1B has been a rotating door for three years, and it's a spot we could really use a big hitter. I know they're out there, but we haven't been lucky. We have a total of $15m to spend on new players.

1915 Off-Season: Free Agency (Part 1)

So here is what I'm thinking. We actually, after a draft focusing on the rotation, have some decent depth in AAA. I feel semi-confident in four starters, and I think the fifth could rotate through a bunch of different guys until someone works out. In CF, we have Cooper, and while he's not quite ready, he'll probably come up this year since he only has one option left. That means we can allocate a large chunk of our budget towards a 1B. There's also the dilemma of borrowing from out scouting and development budget to put towards new players. We allocate $2m from player development and $1m from scouting towards our free agency budget.

***

There's not many stud 1B available in free agency, but one guy we like is 37-year-old 1B Roger Alexander, who spent his last three seasons with Philadelphia. With the Athletics, he averaged 152 games with a .247/.347/.386 line. In 1914, the Florida-native hit 24 HR, and the best part is that he's only looking for a two-year, $7.6, deal. A one-year deal sounds better to me, so we offer a one-year, $3.6m contract.

***

In CF, there really is no one out there worth signing that played in the majors. However, there is 26-year-old CF Pedro Trujillo, who hit .314/.368/.458 with 10 HR and 18 SB in AAA last year. We offer him a one-year deal worth $900k.

***

To round out the initial offers, we go after SP Edmond Martin, a 35-year-old who's bounced between Pittsburgh and New York the last three years. We also submit a contract to SP Duane Grady, who has just nine starts in 1914, but went 52 IP with a 2.60 ERA, and a very impressive 45 K/3 BB ratio. Finally, we go after the reliable SP Manuel Rosas, who over the last two seasons has started sixty-three games with a 3.76 ERA and accumulating 7.2 WAR. He gets a two-year, $10m deal with the second year being a team option.

***

I just remembered we need a backup catcher. There's a free agent, C Mike Davidson, who has yet to play for a team in the UBA but has made his availability known. He bats left-handed, which will compliment our starter nicely, and is pretty good on defense, so we'll give him a shot with a $800k deal.

***

Everyone other than SP Manuel Rosas has signed with us. We upped the offer to $12m over two-years, keeping the option intact, but it wasn't good enough. We submit one more attempt, but I don't know if we can go higher than this.

***

And Newark has once again topped our offer, and we're going to back out of this one. A few days later, he signs with Philadelphia for $13.4m over two years.

***

It's February 5th, and SP Jay Leonhardt, winner of the 1914 United League Pitcher of the Year Award, is still available. It appears four teams are in on him, but it appears Brooklyn has made a massive offer, possibly around $200m. On February 8th, the news comes that he has indeed signed with Brooklyn, for a whopping $178.8m over six years. This makes him the highest paid player in the UBA, and gives Brooklyn a rotation anchored at the top by Pitcher of the Year Award winners SP Jay Leonhardt and SP Roger Browder, and an annual payroll of $271.7m.

1915 Off-Season: Free Agency (Part 2)

We bring in MR Francisco Salinas, who had a 3.13 ERA in 1914, on a one-year, $2m deal.

To wrap up free agency, we actually checked around the league to bring in a SP via trade, but nothing came of it.

***

Towards the very end of free agency, we seize an opportunity to grab C Bruce Stephens, a power-hitting catcher with superb defensive skills who was having trouble finding a deal. We get him on a one-year deal for $4.5m.

***

And that's it! Next up, spring training.

1915 Season: Spring Training

We make it out of Spring Training with a 10-14 record. One of our new players, SP Duane Grady, will be out for the first five weeks, but otherwise we made it out rather healthy.

Former number-one pick CF Mark Cooper was optioned back to AAA, which used up his final option. That means we're almost certainly going to call him up this year, and there's been some some nice improvements according to our scouts.

2B Adrian Black will lead off for us on Opening Day, and the home-grown SP Ryan Pederson will take the mound with recent signing C Bruce Stephens manning the dish.

1915 Season: Amateur Draft

Another losing season so far, but there's a few things we can happy about. We sit at 22-24 at the amateur draft, but have won four games in a row and 2B Adrian Black looks like a number one pick:

2B Adrian Black
.313/.402/.374
8 2B/34 BB/45 K/12 SB
2.2 WAR

The guy has no power, but he's also playing terrific defense with a +5.8 UZR and only 3 errors through 56 games.

Some other highlights around the team:

SS Weston Clark
.287/.369/.507
6 HR/24 BB/25 K
2.5 WAR

3B Bertrand Loosemoor
.270/.327/.423
6 HR/27 RBI
2.0 WAR

His defense has also been incredible, with a +10.0 UZR and just four errors in 157 chances at third.

On the mound, everyone sucks other than SP Ryan Pederson, who's been out for two weeks and is out for another 1-2 weeks. He has a 2.78 ERA so far, but as a whole we've been terrible preventing runs. We're tied for 4th in the CL with 230 runs scored, but have given up 286, worst in our league. However, most of this blame can be placed on our starting pitchers, who have a Columbia League-worst 5.08 ERA, but our bullpen is pitching better with a 4.30 ERA, and our defense is pretty solid, 2nd in the league according defensive efficiency.

***

More pressing matters are at hand, however, as it's the 1915 Amateur Draft and we (for the fourth year in a row) have first-overall pick. This year, it's an absolute no-brainer. We select SP Larry Gibson, a 22-year-old from Texas Tech whose senior year had him throw 105.2 innings with a 1.96 ERA and 134 K with just 23 BB. Gibson can reach 97 MPH with his fastball, but he also has a great forkball, a good curveball and change-up, as well an okay slider. He wants a $10m signing bonus, and probably a major league deal as well. Right now, we may not have the budget room, but hopefully that works itself out moving forward.

It feels odd to see things like "arbitration eligible Kazu Okamoto has 2.5 WAR in 1916". The amount of anachronism in that one sentence is staggering (arbitration contracts, Japanese player, and sabermetrics all in 1916).

Is there any particular story angle(s) you will be working on this dynasty going forward?

SI

Well, I tried to make it clear that I'm not following history, other than the fact that the years go in sequential order and start in 1912. Sorry if that didn't come across. It's my preference to play OOTP in a modern financial and statistical environment because it's what I know. At the same time, I tend to imagine the league in a different time culturally, between 1920-150 or so, without all of the bad things that come with it (namely, segregation).

But, as the title implies, it's a fictional league, so I can play it however I want, right? :)

In terms of story? There's no real "story" here other than the decisions I make regarding the team, and attempting to take the lowest-budget team and bring them success, and following along as the league takes shape over the years.

1915 Season: President's Cup Series

The Brooklyn Robins and their $274.6m payroll will try to defend their title against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto's highest paid player, CF Sean Hester, made a little over $13m this year. There are a staggering NINE players on Brooklyn's roster that make more.

After six games, Brooklyn led the series 4 games to 2, but only outscored Toronto 17-13 in those six games, with five of the six ending just one run apart. With the series heading back to Toronto in Game 7, it looked close again going into the top of the 8th inning as a 2-2 game, but Brooklyn pounced on Toronto's MR Simon Willard, scoring 7 runs in the inning. Willard had a great regular season, finishing with a 2.54 ERA over 85 innings, but gave up a grand-slam to the 37-year-old 3B Travis Godsell.

There would be no David over Goliath story here, as Brooklyn wins the series 5 games to 2.

1916 Off-Season

Another last place finish. But as we move forward, we'll finally (hopefully) start to see the impact of our four draft classes. As it currently stands, we have the third-best farm system in the entire league, and have the top prospect in all of baseball, 20-year-old SP Tom Crumpler. He was our top pick in the 1914 draft, and our scouts have him pegged to be a superstar. The last thing I want to do is rush him though. He'll need another year at AAA, along with his potential future battery-mate, the 4th best prospect in baseball, 20-year-old C John Acton. That makes 1918 our first real window of opportunity (since they'll likely be called up in the middle of the 1917 season).

Speaking of former top picks, I haven't had the chance to write about CF Mark Cooper, who we took first-overall in the 1913 draft. Prior to this most recent season, he was ranked as the 19th best prospect in baseball, but he didn't quite perform up to the level we had hoped.

He played in 119 games, and finished with a batting line of .274/.311/.351. He also had 29 SB which was nice, but we'd like to see his walk-rate go up (25 BB) and his strikeout rate go down (80). His defense also wasn't nearly as good as we were hoping for when we drafted him. He mostly played RF, and did okay there, but he struggled in CF, finishing with a -3.6 UZR, but that could bounce back as he does have pretty good range.

We have thirteen arbitration eligible players heading into the off-season with four free agents. The biggest loss to free agency will be C Bruce Stephens, who we brought in late on a one-year deal last off-season. His average and OBP left a lot to be desired, but he played incredible defense behind the plate and also hit 29 HR.

In terms of the thirteen arbitration players, there's three definite non-tenders in the mix, and three players I'll need to look into more in depth.

1916 Off-Season: Arbitration

Three players were set to be non-tendered, but I also did not offer MR Chris Brown a contract either. Last year, I had him slotted in as our closer. He didn't get that job, but after just three appearances, he tore his flexor tendon in his elbow. He's been out since April 15th, and will be out for another 8 months, which means June of 1916. He wants $1.4m, and I can't justify giving that to him, so he is non-tendered as well.

As I'm going through the list, the first question mark comes up not based on the decision to tender or not, but the question of an extension. SP Ryan Pederson is hitting arbitration for the first time and is set to make $4.4m. Over the past three seasons, Pederson has a 3.86 ERA with a 8.82 K/9 rate. His control has improved significantly, dropping from 5.34 to 5.11 to just 2.76 last year. I like the idea of having him as a veteran presence for when the young guns show up, so we sign him to a three-year deal worth $13.2m, with a fourth year team option.

The next question comes with C Kazu Okamoto. The 30-year old had a starting spot waiting for him after the trade of C Orlando Torres. The last minute signing of C Bruce Stephens changed that plan, and Okamoto responded with a less-than-stellar season, hitting .227/.320/.373, a long shot from 1914's .264/.404/.453 campaign. His defense also seems to have taken a hit, and his asking price of $5.8m is just too much. He does not get a contract offer.

The final issue to resolve is that of RF John Harrington. He's been up and down since starting full-time in 1913. He had a fantastic year in 1914, but was once again down this past season. He struck out a whopping 160 times, up from just 98 in 1914. I'd like to offer him a one-year deal, but he simply won't accept, and wants to go to arbitration to get what he wants. Budget is an issue of course, and while I'd love to give him another shot, maybe trading him is a better option, let some other team deal with his demands.

***

After searching around with a bunch of teams, we come to a six-player agreement with the Toronto Maple Leafs, sending them RF John Harrington, C Kazu Okamoto and a low-level relief prospect for 1B Charlie Stewart, 3B Jaimie Gutierrez, and SP Stu Pitts. All three players we get in return were on the Top-100 prospects list prior to last season, with Stewart on top at #60.

1915 Season: Final Standings and Awards


Columbia League Rookie of the Year:

3B Jose Gonzalez (Newark)
.294/.336/.377
2 HR/40 RBI/46 SB
1.4 WAR

United League Rookie of the Year:

C Damien Swetnam (Minnesota)
.282/.393/.458
18 HR/49 RBI
3.4 WAR

Columbia League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Colin Sabin (Newark)
12-5
2.18 ERA 243 K/47 BB
8.0 WAR

United League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Junior Childress (Toronto)
14-10
1.84 ERA ERA 248 K/48 BB
10.6 WAR

Columbia League Hitter of the Year:

1B Duncan Glazier (Brooklyn)
.269/.327/.521
38 HR/109 RBI
3.9 WAR

United League Hitter of the Year:

LF Gerald Greenfield (New York)
.324/.443/.491
16 HR/77 RBI/21 SB (I should note, 113 BB and just 28 K)
6.5 WAR

1916 Off-Season: Outlook and Overview


My main focus going into free agency is C, LF, and SP. I could use some infield and outfield depth, and of course some bullpen help. We have $17m to work with before any budget re-allocations, as well as $5m in cash to use in trades or one-year deals.

1916 Off-Season: Free Agency (Part 1)

Our first target is C Carlos Valle, who played with the Presidents Cup Champion Brooklyn Robins last season, and Newark for three seasons prior. He hit .257/.367/.335 over 208 PA. He has a decent arm, throwing out 32.3% of base stealers, which was above the league average and better than our catchers last year. We offer him a one-year deal worth $3.36m.

The next guy we target is RF Don Nelson, a defense-first outfielder who we'd hope could fill in off the bench for us. We make him an offer for $1m. In a similar vein, we also go after SP Rafael Rodriguez for $800k as rotation depth.

We also are pursuing 2B Gary Hoffer, a switch-hitting infielder who can play all four positions and has great discipline at the plate. He split time between the Baltimore Terrapins and the Detroit Wolves last year, totaling 397 AB and a .252/.377/.428 hitting line with 15 HR and 51 RBI. We'll probably use him as a super-utility guy, or he might even play 1B. He gets a one-year offer worth $6.5m.

***

All four of our initial targets sign with us during the Winter Meetings, and now we'll start to focus on getting ourselves a backup C, some better OF depth, and some bullpen help with the remaining
$10.35m left in our budget.

***

We sign some depth players not really worth mentioning, but also make an one-year, $7.5m offer to CL Manuel Torres.

***

We lose out on CL Manuel Torres, who signs with the Minnesota North Stars for $7.9m.

1916 Off-Season: Free Agency (Part 2)

We round out the end of free agency with another reliever, left-handed MR Tim Moultrie, on a one-year, $7m offer.

1916 Season: Spring Training

We finish Spring Training 10-14, but lose new signing RF Don Nelson for 5 weeks. Otherwise, we make it out healthy.

1916 Season: SP Ryan Pederson Out Five Months

It's May 13th, and the Monarchs sit tied for 3rd place in the CL with a 17-20 record. However, we were dealt a tough hand as our ace pitcher SP Ryan Pederson goes down for five months, as he needs surgery to remove bone chips.

This is the perfect time to call up #1 overall prospect SP Larry Gibson, who's been dominating AAA with a 2.58 ERA thus far.

1916 Season: Amateur Draft

Since the last update, things haven't went too well, as we dropped into 6th place with a 22-36 record.

In better news, CF Mark Cooper has been destroying Columbia League pitching so far, hitting .355 with a .399 OBP, along with 19 SB.

For the fifth year in a row, we have the top pick in the amateur draft. The last few drafts have had a clear best player, and it seems to be that way again, with SP John Hadfield, 6'2" 19-year old leading the amateurs. We select him with the top pick.

1916 Season: Budget Problems

Top pick SP John Hadfield won't sign with us. He's demanding $9m, and even before signing any other picks, we couldn't afford him. After that realization, we went on a selling spree, trading as many of the one-year deals we had signed prior to the season (MR Tim Moultrie and C Carlos Valle to Brooklyn) and we also traded our long-time SS Weston Clark to New York, who will hit free agency after the 1917 season.

In the end, SP John Hadfield would still not sign with us as we still didn't have the budget, but as we'll probably have the #1 and #2 pick next year now, we can attempt to sign him again.

1916 Season: Presidents Cup Series

The Brooklyn Robins will attempt to win their third Presidents Cup Series in a row, but they'll have to go through their cross-town rivals, the New York Giants.

It takes eight games, but in the end, Brooklyn defeats New York, 5 games to 3.

1917 Off-Season

While 1917 was supposed to be the beginning of change with a few top prospects, we ran into a serious injury problem with SP Tom Crumper, the 21-year-old #2 prospect. In August, the former first-overall pick tore his labrum, and will be out until August or September of this upcoming season. The plan was to have him come up sometime in June, but obviously, that plan will have to change. However, the more important issue is that he comes back from the injury without losing any of the amazing potential our scouts see of him.

We still have five other Top-100 prospects who will be ready at some point this year or next, and a full season of SP Larry Gibson (who finished with a 3.64 ERA in 20 starts) won't completely mess up the plan.

We also now feel extremely confident in RF Mark Cooper. Prior to the season I was worried he wouldn't live up to his number-one pick status, but he finished the season with a monstrous .354 batting average, which wins him the 1916 Columbia League batting title.

For the upcoming offseason, we have a bunch of holes to fill, which is a running trend of course. For the first time, we'll be looking for a new SS, but internal option SS Ed Coffelt (who I'd like to see as a bench guy) was incredible on defense in 114 games last year. For now, it's his job to lose, but I'll be keeping my eyes open for an upgrade.

We're also losing veteran 2B Gary Hoffer, who split his time between 1B and 2B last season. With 2B Adrian Black entrenched in his spot, we'll be looking for a more permanent 1B, which has been a revolving door over the last five seasons. We'll need a new starting C, and as always, rotation and bullpen help as well.

1917 Off-Season: Arbitration

We have eight players eligible, and luckily, three of the players we're considering letting go actually make a decent amount of money, which will help our budget significantly.

The player most eligible to be let go is CF Kelly Ahrens, who was once locked in as one of our starting-three OF's. His AVG/OBP/SLG line dropped from .289/.345/.422 in 1915 to a dreadfully bad .161/.224/.241 in 1916. Set to make somewhere in the neighborhood of $4.8m, it's an easy decision to let him go. Before we do, as we typically do, we offer him up in trade discussions. Somehow, New York is interested, likely because they're looking for someone capable of playing CF. They offer us their own corner OF, LF Pierce Bracebridge, who is nothing extraordinary, but he'd certainly start for us in LF and is set to make $1.2m next year. We'll save some money and gain a starting LF through the trade.

With seven remaining players, we end up non-tendering six of them, only retaining MR Raul Flores.

1917 Off-Season: Free Agents

We have five free agents, and as you could have guessed, none will be re-signed prior to them filing themselves as such. Going into free agency, we have a payroll of just $28m, giving us a $38m budget to play with. I think it's time we finally doing something to make a move.

Before the arbitration and free agency period end, the Minnesota North Stars offer us C Manuel Salazar, a guy who's bounced between AAA and the UBA for a while. In return, they want two guys that were not tendered contracts, so we accept and hope Salazar can become a decent backup.

1916 Season: Final Standings and Awards


Columbia League Rookie of the Year:

C Ed Mayer (Pittsburgh)
.257/.373/.452
20 HR/79 RBI
1.6 WAR

United League Rookie of the Year:

C Lou Dail (New York)
.283/.380/.511
14 HR/51 RBI
1.4 WAR

Columbia League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Roger Browder (Brooklyn)
12-8
2.58 ERA 213 K/58 BB
7.5 WAR

United League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Junior Childress (Toronto)
21-5
2.05 ERA ERA 241 K/44 BB
8.8 WAR

Columbia League Hitter of the Year:

2B Matt Hixon (Pittsburgh)
.290/.284/.448
8 HR/76 RBI/41 SB
6.1 WAR

United League Hitter of the Year:

CF Gerald Greenfield (New York)
.340/.465/.574
24 HR/96 RBI/22 SB/119 BB/28 K
7.1 WAR

1917 Off-Season: Outlook and Overview


FYI, I've added a few notations to better describe the outlook on the team. The "+" indicates a long-term injury. This color represents a good player that could potentially be upgraded, and this color signifies a player pretty much entrenched in his position. Red signifies a player in his last year.

After our final moves prior to free agency, we enter the market with $41m to spend.

In 1917, do they treat a torn labrum with leeches?

SI

:p

1917 Off-Season: Free Agency

Three offers on the table to players on the first day of free agency. One is crazy. I have around $40m in budget room for my payroll, and three-time Columbia League Pitcher of the Year Award winner, SP Roget Browder, is available. He would immediately change the entire look of our club. He's pitching 200+ innings since the league's inception five seasons ago, and has missed 200 strikeouts just once, when he had 199. The guy is an absolute beast.

We also offered a contract to C Carlos Valle, who caught for us last year and did well, but was traded to Brooklyn at the deadline. He finished the year batting .236/.366/.375 and was solid on defense, allowing only 4 PB.

Finally, we also offered a three-year, $27m deal (with a team and vesting option included on the 2nd and 3rd year) to 2B Jim Riggs.

***

We're already in a bidding war with Toronto a few days later over SP Roger Browding. I never mentioned the offer I made to him, but it's already going up. My next offer is a four-year, $77m deal.

***

C Carlos Valle signs a one-year $5.25m deal with a team option for a second year at $6.75m.

***

While we're embroiled in a bidding war with Brooklyn and New York, 2B Jim Riggs signs with us.

***

We draft CF Pedro Rodriguez from the Pittsburgh Arsenal with the first pick in the Rule-5 draft.

***

Wow. SP Roger Browder signs with us! It's a four-year deal worth $94m, with two vesting years at $20m each. The fifth year vests with 15 GS in the fourth year, and the sixth year vests with 20 GS in the fifth year.

This is a huge signing for us, and we front-loaded the contract a bit so as our young players hit free agency we'll have a bit more wiggle room in the later years of the deal.

That wraps up free agency for us, as we don't have much room left, though I may make some minor-league offers before we get to spring training.

1917 Season: Spring Training

We finish spring training at 11-13, with no major injuries.

1917 Season: Amateur Draft

Things started off well, but injuries have taken their toll and we're now in 5th place with a 26-33 record. Other than far too many walks, our pitching has been very good. It's our offense that has stuttered, and part of that is because of injuries to SS Ed Coffelt, who is out for the year, and RF Mark Cooper, who already missed three weeks in May, and then went on the disabled list again in early June for a two-month stay.

In the draft, we have the great opportunity to have the top two picks, thanks to our inability to sign our pick last year, SP John Hadfield. He's back on the table now, as is SP Paul Mach. I feel like I probably should draft a position player with one of the picks though, and 2B Ismael Roman fits that bill nicely. He can probably play SS as well, and he has some power.

The debate really comes down to Hadfield or Mach. They are both 20, but Mach seems to have the better mastery of individual pitches to go along with his great abilities.

With the first pick, we take SP Paul Mach, and with the second pick, we go with 2B Ismael Roman.

In other news, top prospect SP Tom Crumpler is now dealing with another injury, suffered just five games after coming back from his torn labrum. He'll be out for the rest of the year.

1917 Season: Presidents Cup Series

This is not where we wanted to be. We finish 63-91. The only positives we can take from this record is that it's our first time above 60 wins, and that we weren't the worst team in the league.

In the Columbia League, the Baltimore Terrapins have made it to the Presidents Cup Series for the first time, and the United League sees the New York Giants returning, making their fourth trip in six seasons.

In a UBA first, the New York Giants sweep the Baltimore Terrapins, 5 games to 0.

1918 Off-Season: Arbitration and Free Agents

The 1917 season was a failure. I always looked at it as a stepping stone, a season where a bunch of prospects would be called up and set is up with a real core. Injuries screwed up that plan, and our catcher of the future, C John Acton, didn't make his debut until September, so he'll probably start in the AAA next season

Going into the off-season, we have five players eligible for arbitration. RF Mark Cooper, a super-two, will be going for the first time, along with CL Tsumemasa Tanaka and 2B Adrian Black. All three of the guys will be looked at for a long-term extension.

SP Elmer Glasgow, who has bounced between AAA and KC, will be let go.

A more interesting decision is LF Pierce Bracebridge, who we picked up in a trade last off-season. He's in his final year of arbitration, and is asking for $3.2m. He had a down year, but I think he can bounce back in his contract year.

2B Adrian Black was not interested in a reasonable extension, and RF Mark Cooper was uninterested completely. Luckily, our closer CL Tsumemasa Tanaka was interested, and signed a four-year, $8.6m deal.

Free agents MR Raul Flores, MR Gideon Infield, C Carlos Valle, and 2B Jim Riggs will all be let go.

1917 Season: Final Standings and Awards


Columbia League Rookie of the Year:

SP Cesar Hernandez (Baltimore)
10-5
2.36 ERA 117 K/58 BB
3.7 WAR

United League Rookie of the Year:

Mitsuhide Kodama (Toronto)
.283/.380/.511
14 HR/51 RBI
1.4 WAR

Columbia League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Dewey Peterson (Pittsburgh)
18-8
2.70 ERA 154 K/51 BB
4.1 WAR

United League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Junior Childress (Toronto)
15-2
1.96 ERA ERA 225 K/43 BB
8.8 WAR

Columbia League Hitter of the Year:

2B Matt Hixon (Pittsburgh)
.328/.421/.470
11 HR/91 RBI/33 SB
8.2 WAR

United League Hitter of the Year:

CF Gerald Greenfield (New York)
.349/.478/.576
28 HR/109 RBI/17 SB/133 BB (!)/34 K
8.0 WAR

1918 Off-Season: Outlook and Overview



Sorry to change up the format, but I think you'll agree that this is much easier to look at, and makes me not dread doing this part.

We have plenty of guys ready and waiting to step in to the rotation. God willing, SP Tom Crumpler will avoid another injury and make his debut, but the other four guys are also decent prospects who have a shot to be in the rotation later in the year.

That doesn't necessarily complicate things too much, but the question is, do I stick with the incumbent #4 and #5 starters, SP Stu Pitts and young prospect SP Carlos Cabral, who both struggled, or rely on just one of them and sign a veteran to a one-year deal?

Our bullpen is finally starting to take shape, but I'm in desperate need of a solid left-hander to pair with setup man MR Lance Eldridge.

Every year we also seem to be looking for a 3B and CF, and this year is no different. We have OF Jamie Gutierrez, who played all year for us last year at different positions. He can actually play 3B very well, but he also incredible range in the outfield, but very little experience playing CF. If we can get him the reps he needs there, he could play, but he could also take the 3B job if we find someone in free agency.

We don't have the luxury of $41m to play with like we did last year, but we do have $10m in budget room and $5m extra in cash for one-year deals or trades.

1918 Off-Season: Free Agency

I think OF Jamie Gutierrez gives us much more value as a CF, so we kick things off by checking out available 3B. The first guy to catch my eye is 3B Enrico Dominguez. This guy is a defensive wizard, capable of playing SS in his younger days, but his range now lends itself well to 3B. According to our scouts, he's rated an 8 (on a 2-8 scale) in throwing arm, avoiding errors, and turning double plays. His range (6) is fine for 3B, but the guy can still steal bases, with 239 over the last six seasons. We extend an offer a two-year, $14m deal, with the second year being a team option.

Next, we look at the available CF, but there's only two legit starting options who both are asking for $17m or more. There is OF Mal Horton, a switch-hitter who's capable of playing LF and CF, but probably lack the arm to play RF. He had a decent season with Chicago last year, hitting .284/.326/.413 in limited action (218 AB), but it was his first season with a .300+ OBP since 1914, so expecting that again is foolish. But he'd be a decent bench option and his ability to switch hit is nice. He gets a one-year, $1m offer.

Next up, relievers, and we probably need two. We could use a left-handed specialist and a left-hander who can be a setup guy, so he'd need to be good against both sides of the plate.

MR Kenny Reed is a minor league free agent who's bounced around the league a bit. He would sign for $550k, and has some really solid tools, including a fastball that can reach 97MPH and a sinker that induces ground balls at a rate of 67%. At that price, I'm definitely willing to give him a shot.

Our second offer goes to MR Louis Scroggs, a 39-year-old left-hander who had a down year in 1917 after five tremendous years. He gets a one-year, $1.6m offer.

Our final opening offer goes out to 2B Nessun Sommers, who a year in Kansas City in 1914. He struggled then, but it seems to be the only year he struggled. He gets a $900k offer to come off the bench for us in 1918.

***

MR Kenny Reed, LF Mal Horton, and 2B Nessun Sommers all sign. A few days later, 3B Enrico Dominguez signs as well.

***

MR Louis Scroggs signs, giving us all of our opening targets. I may try to sign a veteran SP once we get later into the off-season and demands drop, but until then, we're done in free agency.

***

The Rule-5 draft comes, and in order to protect our young talent, we have to waive a few players, two of which got claimed. MR Martin Watkins, who actually did very well for us in the bullpen, is claimed by Newark, and C Manuel Salazar is claimed by Baltimore. We make no picks in the draft.

1918 Season: Spring Training

We don't make any more offers in free agency, and head into Spring Training. We finish 11-13. cut down to 25, and start praying for a .500 record.

1918 Season: Early Trade

I've been trying to avoid it, but SP Ryan Pederson really lost something over the last two years. He's still just 28 year old, but his walks have started to kill him. Last year, he walked 98 batters. This year, he's walked 11 in just 5.1 innings.

On opening day, we claimed SP Felix Chavez from New York. We're struggling at catcher, and now New York is willing to take on Pederson in exhange for C Bob Fitzgerald. It works out for us, but I'm sad to see Pederson go.

1918 Season: Amateur Draft

SP Roger Browder was having a Pitcher of the Year Award type season. He won't pitch again in 1918. This is a devastating blow to our team, who are managing a record of 29-31 so far. This does open up a spot for SP Tom Crumpler, who's been destroying AAA hitting with a 1.88 ERA so far. When he made his debut, he went eight innings, giving up just one run and three hits while tallying seven strikeouts and walking one.

In the draft, we have the second pick. We take 3B Andy Davis. The 21-year-old power hitter can play any of the four infield spots, but we really see him as a 3B with his very strong arm. If his power develops like we think it will, he'll be a great fit with our team.

1918 Season: A Winning Record

Presidents Cup Series results to come, but after six long, grueling seasons, we've finally achieved a winning record, and a good one at that. We finish the season at 85-69, good for a tie for 2nd place in the Columbia League. That, despite a four-month injury to our best and highest paid player, SP Roger Browder.

1918 Season: Presidents Cup Series

In a rematch of last years Presidents Cup Series, the Baltimore Terrapins will attempt to not just avoid a replay of the five-game sweep they had imposed on them last year by the New York Giants, but to win for the first time in their short history.

Well, in the end, they failed to do either. Another five-game sweep, as the New York Giants overcome the Baltimore Terrapins, 5 games to 0, winning their 3rd Presidents Cup.

1918 Season: Final Standings and Awards



Columbia League Rookie of the Year:

1B Darren Stanley (Brooklyn)
.279/.320/.595
42 HR/122 RBI
3.3 WAR

United League Rookie of the Year:

CF Norm Dodds (Philadelphia)
.271/.336/.420
9 HR/49 RBI
1.0 WAR

Columbia League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Declan Scudamore (Newark/Brooklyn)
21-6
2.20 ERA 197 K/64 BB
6.3 WAR

United League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Lester Almond (Minnesota)
15-7
2.35 ERA ERA 191 K/84 BB
3.6 WAR

Columbia League Hitter of the Year:

2B Matt Hixon (Pittsburgh)
.321/.427/.448
5 HR/72 RBI/30 SB
6.7 WAR

United League Hitter of the Year:

CF Gerald Greenfield (New York)
.338/.449/.626
36 HR/120 RBI/17 SB/109 BB/18 K (!)
7.3 WAR

This is Greenfield's fifth straight Hitter of the Year Award, and his sixth overall.

1919 Off-Season: Arbitration and Free Agents

What a ride that was. But now, this is our moment to strike. We have a very good team right now, but 1919 and 1920 are our last two years with 2B Adrian Black before he hits a massive payday (somewhere else, most likely). We have some pretty good prospects, so we'll have to take a look at any surplus and see if we can use it in a trade to land a final missing piece.

We have nine arbitration-eligible players and three free agents. The first is super-two SP Larry Gibson, and there are some things starting to worry me. In the 1917 season, Gibson finished with a 2.99 ERA despite walking 98 batters, which can largely be attributed to his .238 BABIP. Now, we have a ridiculously good defense which will factor into that, but we also need to consider luck. Our scouts love everything about him other than his control, but he did improve on that this year. However, in twenty fewer innings, he gave up 9 HR more than he did last season. His 4.39 ERA was pretty pedestrian, as were his 130 K. He doesn't want a ton of money in his first arbitration year, but it's worth noting the issues.

The next guy we're looking at isn't because of any issues, but because he has made a ridiculous jump in the last year. 1B Sean Sawicki hit .278.330/.532 with 40 HR and 122 RBI this year, up from .234/.261/.407 with 18 HR last year. We offer him a three-year extension worth $20m, with two team options tacked on that could bring the offer to five-years and $33m.

Because of Sawicki's success, LF Charlie Stewart, who we got in a trade from Toronto thinking he would be our future 1B, has been playing LF, and doing it well, hitting .285/.404/.436 with 13 HR. We're open to signing him to an extension, but our terms are way off. He won't even agree to a one-year deal with me, so we'll be heading to arbitration. Same with 2B Adrian Black.

We do extend SS Ed Coffelt with a three-year, $8.5m deal.

We also extend RF Mark Cooper, with a four-year, $34m deal with a fifth-year team option worth $12.75m.

1919 Off-Season: Outlook and Overview



On offense, we're pretty much set. We could use a right-handed OF for the bench, but otherwise, I feel comfortable with what we have.

Our rotation is looking great as well. One of the rotation spots will be taken up by one of the many AAA guys we have, who are all good prospects. As a matter of fact, I didn't have enough room on the chart. There's one or two other guys that could step in.

The bullpen is where we really need some arms, but again, those spots could be taken by the rotation guys who don't make it.

I'm debating whether one more top rotation arm, through a trade, would be the best allocation of my resources. I can basically afford a one-year deal for just over $10m. I could find a player in his final arbitration year headed to free agency, but giving up a bunch of young guys for a rental doesn't seem like a perfect idea. I'll have to think about this.

1919 Off-Season: Free Agency

There's really not much to be done, but our first offer is to a right-handed hitting OF for a spot on our bench. CF Octavio Lucero, a 31-year-old who spent time with with Brooklyn last year gets a $1.5m offer.

We also make an offer to MR Chris Brown, who is no stranger to Kansas City. He spent 1912-1915 pitching well for the Monarchs, and after two seasons with St. Louis, he'll hopefully be coming back. He gets an offer for $929k.

***

Both players sign, and barring a trade, our shopping is done.

1919 Season: Spring Training

We finish Spring Training with a record of 14-10. We have to make a few tough cuts to get to 25, specifically in the bullpen, but it's mostly because we have a lot of good guys.

1919 Season: Amateur Draft

Despite a rough patch where all three of our starting outfielders were hurt for two weeks, we're two games up on the Baltimore Terrapins, and for the first time, are in first place.

Remember I said SS Ed Coffelt was a no-hit shortstop? Well, he's shutting me up so far with a .325/.352/.438 batting line, already matching his 2B total from last year (14) and surpassing his two home runs (he has 6 now).

His double-play partner 2B Adrian Black holds the lead in the batting race with a .338 average, and 1B Sean Sawicki leads the entire league with 19 HR.

On the mound, our focus on developing pitching (and the signing of SP Roger Browder are paying massive dividends, as Browder sits atop the pitching WAR leaders with 3.6, followed directly by SP Larry Gibson (2.5 WAR) and SP Tom Crumpler (2.4 WAR).

While SP Stu Pitts is struggling as our fifth starter, we have a truly incredible performance happening from our fourth starter, who was called up because of an injury to SP Felix Chavez. SP Carlos Cabral made his debut a little over a month ago, and the team hasn't lost in a game he has started. He's given up just three earned runs over six starts, giving him a tremendous 0.68 ERA so far. Sustainable? Probably not, but when we had to replaced Chavez, it was between Cabral and top prospect SP Steve Wulff. I went with Cabral because of his prior major-league experience, and it looks like it's paid off so far.

***

But, the topic at hand is the 1919 Amateur Draft, which is our first draft that has us selecting lower than the #2 pick. We'll be picking 9th this year thanks to our first winning record last season.

Once again, there's a clear favorite when our spot comes up, and it's CF Sean Basse. This guy's clearly got the defensive tools to stick in CF, with great speed and some pretty good power potential as well. If he can put everything he has the potential to be good at together, he could be a power-hitting CF with good range in the outfield and speed on the bases, maybe a 15 HR/25 SB kind of guy.

1919 Season: Presidents Cup Series

The long years of rebuilding have paid off. After a Columbia League record 96-win season, we're heading to the Presidents Cup Series! We also set a league record for fewest runs allowed over the season, which was previously at 544, which we set by allowing just 518 runs. To win, we'll need to beat the New York Giants, who are going for their third Presidents Cup in a row.

SP Roger Browder was hurt two games before the end of the season, and we're still waiting to hear how bad it is. Losing him would be a tough blow, but our pitching really is good enough to overcome it.

Game 1

Sensation SP Carlos Cabral, who finished the year with a 16-3 record and a 2.38 ERA came out struggling, finishing just 3.1 innings with a whopping 10 BB and 5 ER.

But then, down 6-2 in the top of the 8th, a grand slam by C John Acton and then a run-scoring fielders choice puts us in the lead! P Steve Wulff and CL Tsumemasa Tanaka close out the 8th and 9th to get the win!

Game 2

We find out SP Roger Browder won't be available for the remainder of the series before the game, but that disappointment quickly wears off as we take a 5-0 lead after five innings. New York scores two, but we make it 9-0 with a four-run 9th and win on the road, heading back to Kansas City up 2 games to 0. 1B Sean Sawicki lead the charge with a 2-for-4 night with a 2B, a HR, 3 RBI and 3 R.

Game 3

C John Acton did his best to win Game 3 for us with a 2 HR game, but SP Tom Crumpler struggles, only lasting 2.2 innings. We lose 8-3.

Game 4

Another tough loss, as once again, our starter can't quite find his command, with SP Felix Chavez walking seven in four innings. We lose 7-4.

Game 5

We head back to New York, tied at two. SP Larry Gibson holds New York to 1 H over 6 IP, but unfortunately walked in a run in the 2nd inning and then gave up a sacrifice fly to the following batter. Our offense does nothing, and we lose 2-0, putting us down in the series 3 games to 2.

Game 6

We desperately need a win, and SP Carlos Cabral comes through with an eight-inning, three-hit game, giving up three runs but keeping us in the game. Our offense broke through in the the top of the 4th, scoring three, and we put it away in the top of the 7th, scoring four more. We win 7-4, and we head back to Kansas City tied 3-3.

Game 7

After an injury during the 2nd inning to SP Tom Crumpler, we were done for. The bullpen valiantly made it to the 6th keeping it 1-1, but by the bottom of the 9th, it was 4-1. With New York closer CL Travis Tremblay, one of the best in the game coming in, it was all but over.

But we wouldn't go down without a fight. After a lead-off walk and then an error, pinch-hitter SS Steve Jacobs struck out. But CF Pedro Rodriguez, who was almost left off the series roster, comes through with line drive into the outfield, scoring both runners, making it 4-3.

After RF Mark Cooper grounded out, it was up to 2B Adrian Black, who smacked a hard grounder to the right of the first-baseman, tying the game at 4-4.

And finally, it was 1B Sean Sawicki. With two outs in the bottom of the 9th, Sawicki launched a deep ball over the center-fielder's head, and over the wall behind him, walking off in his home park, and bringing the Monarchs within a game of the Presidents Cup!

Game 8

Can we win it in front of our home crowd? It will be SP Felix Chavez, who's struggled so far this series.

Unfortunately, the heroics were not from us this game. We took a 6-1 lead after four innings, but nine runs scored between the 5th and 7th innings made it 10-6. We made it 10-8, but wouldn't score again. The series is tied 4-4, and we're heading to New York for the first 9th Game in Presidents Cup history.

Game 9

This is it. The winner goes on a champion, the loser waits for another chance.

After eight innings, we trail 6-5, but it's been us on the attack, coming back from a 6-2 deficit. SS Ed Coffelt, our #6 hitter, leads off. He hits a 2-2 pitch deep, over the right-fielders head and ends up at 2B with a leadoff double!

Now, it's 3B Steve Jacobs. On a 3-1 count, he hits a deep fly ball to LF, but it's not deep enough to move the speedy Coffelt to third.

With one out and Coffelt on 2nd, it's CF Jamie Gutierrez. He swings and missed on a 2-2 count, and now we're down to our final out. It's PH Bob Fitzgerald, our backup catcher, who gets the call.

He swings at the first pitch, and skies it high to LF, but it's not deep enough to even get an over-reaction from fans. The game is over, and New York defeats Kansas City, 5 games to 4.

1919 Season: 2B Adrian Black Signs Six-Year, $79m Deal

The last out was just recorded, but before we do anything else, we reach out to 2B Adrian Black who is entering his final year of team control. He's been our most reliable player since taking the starting job his first full season in 1916, playing in every game but one since. Each year since then, his WAR has gone up, reaching a stunning 7.1 this season with a .313/.396/.408 line and 51 SB.

He accepts a six-year, $79m deal. He can opt out after the fifth season.

1919 Season: Final Standings and Awards



Columbia League Rookie of the Year:

CF Mike Hawkins (Kansas City)
.285/.367/.446
15 HR/68 RBI
4.5 WAR

United League Rookie of the Year:

LF Henry Rush (Philadelphia)
.323/.351/.373
1 HR/37 RBI/20 SB
2.0 WAR

Columbia League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Carlos Cabral (Kansas City)
16-3
2.38 ERA 156 K/76 BB
4.2 WAR

United League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Louis Benques (New York)
17-6
2.84 ERA ERA 204 K/45 BB
7.5 WAR

Columbia League Hitter of the Year:

3B John Boyd (Brooklyn)
.309/.368/.565
31 HR/86 RBI
6.7 WAR

United League Hitter of the Year:

LF Gerald Greenfield (New York)
.322/.449/.533
23 HR/113 RBI/125 BB/23 K
7.3 WAR

1920 Off-Season: Arbitration and Free Agents

We haven nine players eligible for arbitration, and three free agents going into the off-season. There are two arb guys that we'll consider offering long-term extensions to, SP Larry Gibson and LF Charlie Stewart, as well as five non-tender candidates.

Prior to last year, I mentioned my concerns about SP Larry Gibson. His overall numbers were better this year, but he still had a high BB/9 rate (3.76), down from 4.18 the year prior and 4.65 in 1917. Meanwhile, his K/9 rate has slowly climbed from 6.31, to 6.96, to 7.01 this year. The big difference for him this year was his HR/9 rate, which ballooned to 1.23 last year and is down to 0.35 this year. So, now that he is in his second of four arbitration years (he was a super-two), we have to consider a long-term deal. After some negotiating, he accepts a four-year, $24m extension, with a fifth-year option worth $8.5m.

Next up is LF Charlie Stewart. He's been a consisten 4.5+ WAR player for three seasons with improving OBP (.360, .404, .415) and decreasing strikeout totals (125, 116, 75). Unfortunately, he's not interested in anything less than a massive contract, and not willing to sign a one-year deal, so we'll be heading to arbitration.

1920 Off-Season: Overview and Outlook



Our biggest weakness in the lineup is obviously at 3B, but with three guys who we view as good prospects at that position, I'm leaning towards giving 3B Ruben Flores a shot. If he doesn't work out, we go to 3B Luis Rey.

Doing that will let us allocate our budget (about $8m) towards the bullpen, where we're in need of a LHP or two.

1920 Off-Season: Free Agency

The plan is to sign one or two left-handed relievers, maybe a left-handed infield bat for the bench, and that's really it. Of course, I'm always exploring different trade scenarios but I really don't want to mess up the dynamic of our team.

Our first offer goes to SP Dewey Peterson, who we'd plan to use in the bullpen. I like the fact that he can start in an emergency, plus the fact that his very good stats (a career 3.22 ERA) as a starter could be even better out of the bullpen. He gets a one-year, $1.5m offer.

We also make an offer to switch-hitter 3B Bob McTeir for $1.7m. He can play any position in the infield, but is most comfortable at 2B and 3B. He's got some decent power too, hitting 14 HR last year with Newark. He could be our starting 3B, actually, which will change the plan a bit, but having him come off the bench would not be a disappointment.

***

Both players sign with us, and we'll head into the 1920 season as our roster currently stands.

1920 Season: Spring Training

We finish 19-5 with no major injuries, but cutting down to 25 was actually hard for the first time. On the position player side it was easy, but we have a bunch of pitchers who are out of options, so we have to make do with some young guys (like top prospect SP Paul Mach) who only have a few games under their belt. Mach specifically looks like he'll be coming out of the bullpen for a bit, which isn't ideal. I'd rather have him starting in AAA, but I don't have that choice.

1920 Season: Amateur Draft

It's June 5th, 1920, and we're in first place again! Our pitching has been lights out, with three of our five starters sporting a 2.50 ERA or lower, with SP Roger Browder leading by example with a 1.62 ERA. On offense, RF Mark Cooper is leading the charge, hitting .339/.392/.395 with 20 SB.

We pick 15th in the draft, and we have some options. First, there is MR Gustav Boden, probably the best overall talent in the draft, but I'm wary of picking a reliever with our first pick.

SS Brad Patterson is another option, but I really don't like his skill combination. His hitting ratings are one thing, but on defense, he's got good range, but just an average arm, so I'd see him as a 2B, but his ability to turn the double play is below average, so I don't know where I'd put him.

The best starter available is SP Chris Brown, a 6'6" RHP who's skill set would fit well in our park. Good control, great movement, but below average stuff.

The final option is C Mauro Valdez, a 17-year-old Puerto Rican backstop whose only real above-average tool is his plate discipline.

When I put it all like that, maybe the reliever is the best option? MR Gustav Boden is a 22-year-old left-hander with excellent stuff, good movement, and good control. He could probably step in immediately, but we'll let him develop for a bit. We take him with the 15th pick.

***

It looks like we made the right move, considering we end up getting SS Brad Patterson and C Mauro Valdez with our next two picks.

1920 Season: Trade Deadline

I have a crazy idea.

I have an abundance of pitching, so much so that not only is my entire rotation pitching like an ace, but I have at least three guys in the bullpen that could also be starting. The ace of my team is SP Roger Browder, but he's also owed another $40m for the next two seasons. The contract wasn't a mistake by any means, and I'm definitely getting enough value out of it, but I made that offer when we had, literally, no pitching to speak of.

If I traded Browder and got, say a power-hitting 3B, or a SS that could field AND hit, I'd probably be making my team much better just by making it more balanced. The downgrade in pitching wouldn't be a big one, but I could really upgrade my offense. Even a package of prospects would help more than losing Browder hurt.

Initially, it seems like our most willing trade partner is Chicago, but I don't think they're willing to give up enough. We'll re-approach this in the off-season, when some of the bigger budget teams are looking to reload.

***

Wait. One more idea. I had sort of knocked out Brooklyn as a rebuilding team since they are 11 games back. I didn't consider turning this in to a "buyers" kind of trade for us, but if we went after a guy like 3B John Boyd from Brooklyn who's in his last year and is a power-hitting, slick fielding third baseman, and sent Browder along with a few prospects, maybe the the idea would work? It turns out I was right. We send SP Roger Browder, SP Juan Hernandez, 2B Carlos Bernal, 3B Ruben Flores, and SP Stu Pitts to Brooklyn, getting 3B John Boyd, MR Scott Powell, and 1B John Cooper.

1920 Season: Presidents Cup Series

We do it again! With a 93-61 record, we finish 1st in the Columbia League, and we'll face off once again with the New York Giants.

Game 1

SP Tom Crumpler delivers a gem, with 7 IP, giving up no runs and just four hits. 1B Sean Sawicki and CF Mike Hawkins both hit one deep, and we win 3-0.

Game 2

The polar opposite of Game 1, the score was 7-5 after just two innings. Our six-run 2nd inning put us on top, but we gave up three more and lose 9-7.

Game 3

A fairly non-descript game. It was pretty close, everyone was always within a run or two of each other, and only one crooked number on the board, when New York scored two in the 4th off two doubles. We lose 4-2.

Game 4

This one is tough to take. In the top of the 9th, we're down 7-4, when 3B John Boyd hits a two-run HR to make it 7-6, and then RF Mark Cooper triples to tie it up with two outs, and the game goes to extras. In the bottom of the 11th, three straight one-out singles brings home the winning run, and we lose 8-7, and go down 3 games to 1.

Game 5

Payback! It was close, as we almost blew it. Up 2-0 going into the 8th, New York scored after we loaded the bases on two walks and a HBP, followed by another walk, making it 2-1. In the 9th, the tie the game on a RBI-single. In the bottom of the 9th, a leadoff double by LF Charlie Stewart, an intentional walk to 3B John Boyd, and then a sac fly made it 1st and 3rd with one out. OF Jaime Gutierrez struck out, but RF Mark Cooper comes through with a single, and we win 3-2, bringing the series to 3-2.

Game 6

A win and we're even. Down 5-2 in the bottom of the 8th, we tie the game with three runs as nine players come to the plate and record just three hits, with a bases loaded walk and a RBI-fielders choice contributing. After a scoreless 9th and 10th, we came to bat in the bottom of the 11th, and after a one-out single by RF Mark Cooper, 1B Sean Sawicki launched a bomb, deep into the night over the left-field wall. We win 7-5, and the series is tied at three games a piece!

Game 7

Just a bad game. We lose 8-2, and we're one loss away from going home again.

Game 8

After going down 4-0 in the 5th inning, things didn't look good. In the top of the 8th, we made our move, scoring two runs on four straight singles. C John Acton brought us within one with another RBI-single two batters later, but with one out and runners on first and second, CF Mike Hawkins grounded into a 6-4-3 DP. We went down 1-2-3 in the 9th, and New York wins their fourth straight Presidents Cup, 5 games to 3.

1920 Season: Final Standings and Awards



Columbia League Rookie of the Year:

RF Ramiro Torres (St. Louis)
.312/.346/.472
11 HR/69 RBI
3.4 WAR

United League Rookie of the Year:

MR Jose Martinez (Minnesota)
78 IP
76 K/ 24 BB
1.3 WAR

Columbia League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Carlos Cabral (Kansas City)
19-4
2.68 ERA 192 K/104 BB
3.5 WAR

United League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Mario Romero (Chicago)
16-8
3.19 ERA ERA 158 K/71 BB
5.5 WAR

Columbia League Hitter of the Year:

1B Darren Stanley (Brooklyn)
.282/.347/.574
45 HR/126 RBI
5.2 WAR

United League Hitter of the Year:

3B Wayne Keeler (Detroit)
.335/.388/.559
38 HR/127 RBI
6.4 WAR

1921 Off-Season: Arbitration and Free Agents

After three straight winning seasons, our attendance has risen dramatically. A yearly crowd of less than 1.3m in 1912 reached just under 3.8m in 1920. We'll have to keep up what we're doing if we want that to continue, but luckily the increase in attendance has also given us a pretty significant bump in budget, going from $90m or so in 1912 to $140m. I tend to invest much more of that than league average back into scouting and player development, but it also allows us to lock up some of these guys like 2B Adrian Black that looked like goners a few years ago.

We have a few interesting cases in our arbitration class this off-season. CF Jamie Rodriguez, who's lost the starting job to CF Mike Hawkins still had a very good year, and he's extremely versatile, coming off the bench or spelling our starting OF's against RHP's, but starting at 3B against LHP. I love that, but he's now in his first year of arbitration and asking for $4.4m. Not bad, but I'd really like to lock up these years, just for the sake of cost certainty. I wouldn't want him demanding $10m a year from now and be forced to trade him or something. We offer him a three-year deal worth $18.2m, essentially giving him what he wants, along with a raise each year, but now we'll know his cost moving forward until he hits free agency.

Then, there's LF Charlie Stewart. He refused to sign any kind of offer last year, and now that he's in his last year under team control, I'm not sure what to expect. It looks like he's expected to make $13.75m in arbitration, which is a lot, but probably worth it for an almost-guaranteed 3.5 WAR. He's asking for a four-year, $60m extension, with the ability to opt-out after three years. I'll have to come back to this.

Bob McTeir was signed last off-season and came off the bench for us, only getting 90 AB. Despite that, he did very well in those 90 AB, so he gets a one-year, $2m offer to keep that role going into 1921.

Now, a very tough call is SP Felix Chavez, who we claimed on waivers prior to the 1918 season. He's done extremely well for us, both in the rotation and in the bullpen, finishing last season with a 3.65 ERA with 96 K, 45 BB, and 2.6 WAR in 133.1 innings. The hard part? He's injured with a very serious arm injury and will be out for nine months. That means a June return, and a month of rehab or so, so in the end three months of contribution for his $3m asking price. Obviously, paying it would also let us retain him for future years. He gets his asking price, a one-year deal for $3m, but because he'll finish with just four years of service time, we'll still control his rights after the contract.

Now, the really hard one. SP Carlos Cabral has had stunning results with us. We landed him way back in 1914, in the trade that sent C Orland Torres to Minnesota. He's 26 years old now, and over the last two seasons has pitched to absolutely stunning results, winning the 1919 Pitcher of the Year Award, and probably being in the mix for it again this year after a 19-4, 2.68 ERA season with 192 K's. The problem? I have no idea if it's sustainable. He walks far too many guys, finishing with 104 walks this year. He also gave up 22 HR. The part that scares me is his .213 BABIP. As I've said before, we have a terrific defense, but our team-wide pitching BABIP is .276, so even with that as the baseline, .213 is pretty crazy. I'm not considering non-tendering him, but I am debating a long-term deal. He'd sign one, too, and it'd be a bargain. Five years, $50.25m is his asking price, so I could probably get him down a bit. But do I commit that to a guy that looks like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode back to his true talent level? Do I go year to year and pray that his demands don't go up to $20m per year when he puts up the same numbers for another two years? After looking at his 4.14 FIP, I can't take the risk, and I offer him a one-year deal for $6.8m, and we'll revisit the extension after 1921 season, or just go year-to-year in arbitration if I'm not convinced. I really hope I didn't just make a mistake passing on that extension.

Going back to LF Charlie Stewart, I think I'm willing to make the move and offer him a three-year, $41m deal with two team options that would bring the total to $69m.

That's it for arbitration players, but 3B John Boyd, who we picked up from Brooklyn, is a free agent. He's asking for a seven-year, $157m deal, and I can't justify giving that to him with multiple 3B prospects waiting. He is a Type-A free agent, so we'll at least get a couple extra picks.

1921 Off-Season: Outlook and Overview



With 3B Andy Davis ready and waiting, I don't think I'll be doing anything crazy to fill that spot. For now, OF/3B Jaime Gutierrez will likely take that job until mid-June.

As usual, I could use another left-handed reliever so our focus will be on that. Otherwise, we'll put some of our budget back into player development, but may also try to make a big international splash in the upcoming season.

1921 Off-Season: Free Agency

Our first, and possibly only offer goes to MR Jose Hernandez, a 33-year-old left-handed reliever who finished last season with a 2.64 ERA and a 2.80 FIP. He wants a three-year deal worth $6.5 per year, so I offer him two. He signs a few days later.

1921 Off-Season: Kansas City Acquires SP Cesar Hernandez

We just made a big move. Risky? Definitely. But it also erases some of the things I've been worried about.

SP Carlos Cabral accomplished incredible things for us, but I really had no way of knowing if he could continue them. I can let some other team worry about that. Baltimore was very willing to take Cabral, along with four other players, in exchange for SP Cesar Hernandez, a 24-year-old who's already going into his 5th big-league season. He boasts a 95 MPH fastball, along with a great curve and change, with a good splitter as well, the combination of which leads to a 75% ground ball rate. In addition, he's left-handed, which will compliment my four other right-handed starters nicely. In four seasons, he has a 2.54 ERA and a 3.05 FIP, and strikes out 7.72 per nine innings, while walking 3.27.

To get him, we deal SP Carlos Cabral, 2B Ismael Roman, SS Dennis Dasher, C Diego Castro, and SP Steve Wulff.

1921 Off-Season: UBA Announces Expansion Plans

The UBA has announced that four new teams will begin play in the 1922 season. Two teams will be added to each league, and existing teams will each be able to protect 40 players from their organization, while some players who have under a specific number of years experience will be automatically protected. Teams will be allowed to choose just one player from each team, and must fill the remainder of their roster with free agents.

The city and name of each of the four teams will be announced during the 1921 season.

1921 Season: Spring Training

We finish the spring with a 16-8 record, but RF Mark Cooper will miss the first month of the season.

1921 Season: Amateur Draft

Because of 3B John Boyd heading back to Brooklyn on a four-year $74m deal, we get their first-round pick and a supplemental pick, giving us 3 of the top 19 picks.

With our first pick, we select 20-year-old 2B Louis Blake. This doesn't seem like a very deep draft, but Blake is a good fielder with a good eye and fantastic speed on the bases.

With our next pick, we take SP Tommy Mossman, and our supplemental pick nets us power-hitting LF Brooks Bosley.

In other news around the league, the four expansion teams have been named for the 1922 season. Playing for the Columbia League will be the Cleveland Foresters and the Washington Capitols. For the Federal League, the two new clubs will be the Boston Minutemen and the Buffalo Blues.

Our record stands at 38-21, back on top in first place, eight games ahead of St. Louis.

1921 Season: Presidents Cup Series

For the third straight season, we've made it to the Presidents Cup Series, but for the first time, we'll be looking to win it. The United League featured an intensely close race, with the Chicago Packer winning their final game of the season, and the Minnesota North Stars losing their final game of the season, after going into those final games tied with an 88-65 record.

We're going into the series without LF Charlie Stewart and SP Paul Mach, who's first year in the rotation was incredible, finishing 12-8 with a 2.64 ERA. Unfortunately, he had a devastating injury at the end of August, and not only will he miss this series, but he'll be out until at least September of next season.

This is also the first time we're not facing the juggernaut offense of the New York Giants. Chicago's pitching is their strong suit, finishing with the best overall ERA in the United League with a 4.04 ERA. Luckily for us, ours is just 3.29, so we should have an advantage in almost every area.

Game 1

Our ace SP Tom Crumpler takes the mound for us in Game 1 and gets demolished, finishing just two innings with 7 H allowed and 4 ER. Our offense does nothing, and we lose 6-1.

Game 2

That's more like it. SP Larry Gibson goes seven, giving up just 3 H with 8 K and 0 BB. 3B Steve Jacobs comes through with 2-3 day with a HR, 2 RBI, and 2 R scored.

Game 3

Another game where we just can't muster any offense. We get just 3 H and score one. We lose 5-1.

Game 4

We go down 3-0 early, but in the top of the 5th, we have a two-out rally, scoring four. We scored one, then an error on their shortstop kept our inning alive, and we scored three more to take the lead. They matched us in the 6th, scoring one to tie, and the game went scoreless until the top of the 10th, when rookie CF Sean Basse drove him 2B Adrian Black on a sac fly after he reached third on an error. We struck out with the bases loaded to end the inning, but we had our run. A 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half sealed the 5-4 win, and we tie the series at 2.

Game 5

Wow. Just wow. We go into the top of the 9th with a 4-1 lead after an 8-inning masterpiece by SP Tom Crumpler. We get two quick outs. A single, and then a double make it 2nd and 3rd. A 2-RBI single makes it 4-3. Then, disaster, as 3B Bob McTeir makes an error on an easy play. Thet batter singles, driving home the winning run, and we go out 1-2-3 in the bottom half. We lose 5-4.

Game 6

Another terrible performance. Not much to be said, other than we lose 11-1. We need a miracle.

Game 7

Another blown lead. We're up 3-2 in the 8th, and the typically reliable CL Tsumemasa Tanaka blows it, allowing the inherited runner at 2nd to score on a double, and then another single. We lose 4-3, and the Chicago Packers take the series, 5 games to 2.

1921 Season: Final Standings and Awards



Columbia League Rookie of the Year:

1B Armand Gibson (Pittsburgh)
.276/.361/.405
11 HR/73 RBI
2.5 WAR

United League Rookie of the Year:

CF Santiago Barajas (Philadelphia)
.360/.376/.563
13 HR/47 RBI/21 SB
4.2 WAR

Columbia League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Cesar Hernandez (Kansas City)
20-7
2.88 ERA 211 K/85 BB
6.1 WAR

Hernandez wins the Pitcher of the Year Award after being traded for the incumbent POTY award, Carlos Cabral. My instincts on Cabral were correct, at least for this past season. He finished with a 9-15 record with a 4.18 ERA, 166 K, and 114 BB.

United League Pitcher of the Year:

SP Colin Sabin (New York)
17-8
2.63 ERA 206 K/42 BB
7.5 WAR

Columbia League Hitter of the Year:

1B John Searle (St. Louis)
.288/.358/.544
40 HR/114 RBI
4.1 WAR

United League Hitter of the Year:

LF Gerald Greenfield (New York)
.333/.442/.530
22 HR/70 RBI/100 BB/29 K
6.3 WAR

This is Greenfield's 8th HOTY award.

1922 Off-Season: Arbitration and Free Agents

This is going to be a challenge. We have a lot of good guys up for arbitration, the majority of them in their first year, and they're already asking for a lot. Six guys are eligible for their first time, and we have a difficult call to make with the injured SP Felix Chavez.

Let's start there. Chavez has been with the team since the 1918 season and has performed in multiple roles, both starting and coming out of the bullpen. He injured his shoulder during the Presidents Cup Series, but will be back before the start of the 1922 campaign. He had an okay, but not great season in 1921. He only made 12 starts due to other injuries throughout the year, and finished with a 4.55 ERA. It would take $3.4m to sign him for the year, and I could really use the depth now that SP Paul Mach is out for the season. At the same time, I could really use the money, as you'll see soon, with two free agents leaving that I'd like to re-sign. For now, I'm going to non-tender him, but attempt to sign him back in free agency at a lower cost.

SP Tom Crumpler also had limited action due to injury, starting 13 games but finishing with a solid 3.42 ERA, but a 4.02 FIP. He had a homerun rate almost double that of the previous seasons. Luckily, he's open to a very team-friendly deal, as we basically buy out his first two arbitration years for $14.5m, his third arbitration year will be worth $6.25m but we hold a team option on it, and his first free agent year will be worth $7.25, but we also hold a team option on that.

We sign MR Bill Alexander to a five-year, $10.6m deal with the last two years being team options. We also re-sign MR Greg Sommer to a low-cost two-year deal.

The next big name is C John Acton, who has become an incredible player in his first four years. For the past two seasons, he's hit 31 HR each time and hit .281/.339/.512 and .276/.340/.491, finishing with 4.8 and then 4.3 WAR. He's the ideal long-term extension candidate, and we offer him a four-year, $39m deal, with two team options that would bring it to six-years, $64.6m.

The final long-term candidate is CF Mike Hawkins, who's first three full-time seasons have totaled 12.2 WAR. Last season, he finished with a .293/.396/.492 line, but his CF defense has been just average. Still, he's contributing in a huge way on offense. He's not as open to a team-friendly deal, asking for a six-year, $93m contract. We talk some sense into him, a get him at six-years, $61.7m, with the final of two of those six years being team options.

Now, free agents. 3B Bob McTeir had a down year and will walk, but CL Tsumemasa Tanaka and starting SS Ed Coffelt are both big parts of our team.

We try to get Tanaka, who wanted a five-year deal, down to two years, but after a back and forth he broke off negotiations. As for Coffelt, I actually thought he'd be open to something very reasonable, considering it's his defense that's contributed so heavily to his value. He's finished with an OBP higher than .300 just three times in his six full seasons. I was wrong. He's asking for a five-year, $73m deal, which I can't even come close to affording at this point. He'll enter free agency and we'll see what we can do, but it looks like he'll be playing for someone else next season.

That is, unless we bring our scouting and player development budgets down to league average. If we did that, we could afford him. The question is, should we do that? Scouting is probably a little more important now that we're picking lower in the draft, as guys aren't as sure of thing, but in terms of player development, maybe we can sacrifice a little there now that we don't have the type of budget that makes prospects can't miss. Coffelt has been such an important part of our club, and I also haven't even tried to get him down to a friendlier deal. Let's see what we can do.

We got him. It's not the most favorable deal in the world, but we get him for five years for $64.5m, the final of which he can opt out, but that year is worth $16.5m, but we had to do that to save some money up front.

1922 Off-Season: Overview and Outlook



Wow, our farm system is barren. We need a closer and a RHB infielder for the bench, but I'm going to look on the scrap heap, so any remaining budget can go towards signing some international amateurs. We clearly have other guys in the minors who could step up and become good prospects, but for this, I only marked guys that I think have a chance of becoming regulars in the majors.

1922 Off-Season: Free Agency

We bring back 3B Bob McTeir on a one-year, $900k deal. There's literally no bullpen help worth pursuing.