Well at least you are getting some pitching but owwww, the hammers that you are losing. I have always been a pitching fanatic, so I never seem to have teams with sluggers on them, but that power in the middle of your lineup is going to be hard to replace, no matter what the pitchers do.

MORALES TO COLORADO FOR TWO OUTFIELDERS
November 20, 2002
BOSTON - The remaking of the World Series champs continues as the team dealt starter Luis Manuel Morales and outfielder Miguel Martinez to Colorado for outfielder prospects Paco Franco (.288/17 HR) and Jessie Hinton and a minor league prospect (2B Alexander Herbert)

SAN ANTONIO SENDS HARVEY, TWO OTHERS TO SAN ANTONIO IN A MASSIVE 8-PLAYER DEAL

In a deal that D.C. Daly should "give you a good idea of the type of ballclub we're going to be next year," the Boston Yankees sent five players, most notably 3B Ricardo Serrano, who was acquired from San Antonio during the trade deadline rookie outfielder Derek Dowd, recently acquired outfielder from Colorado Jesse Hinton and two minor leaguers (SP Ethan Deadman and SS Christian Johnson) were sent to San Antonio for veteran outfielder Mel Harvey, who should supply a bit of the offense the team lost with its earlier cost-cutting moves. Harvey, 36, hit 35 HRs last year and 132 RBI for the Aviators. 20-year old Rookie outfielder, Joe Smith was also dealt, he hit 15 HR and 75 RBI in 503 ABs during his rookie campaign. 3B prospect Mario Santos was also acquired in the deal.

"I think we're pretty much done," said D.C. Daly, who successful shaved more than $25 million from the team's roster. This deal actually resulted in a net gain of payroll of $4 million, because the team is taking on Harvey's $7.8 million salary this year, but he's in the last year of his deal, though he has a player option for 2004.

The Yankees also sent cash in this trade.

YANKEES UNVEIL DRAWINGS FOR NEW PARK

Despite the initial euphoria over the team's World Series victory -- the first since 1976 -- the dismantling of the team by jettisoning several favourite players have left the team's fans wondering what's next. But the team quieted all of that talk of the team's new stadium on the Boston Harbor.

"We're thrilled to present "Yankee Field @ Dunkin Donuts Park" said team ownership at the public event held this afternoon at Boston Common.

Yeah, we're not going to be able to slug our way to victories next year, like we did this past season. I'm intrigued to see how it turns out. I was actually considering leaving at one point, because I just wasn't sure that I wanted to selloff my roster. But...after I took a look at what we had in the minors and just took a good measure of my team, I decided that maybe it was worth staying for another year at least, to see what they could do with a retooled lineup and using essentially a different strategy than anything we did last year.

I'll review the lineup that we're heading into next year with, so you all can see who we have, who is new (fewer guys than you'd think) and basically, what we're expecting from the new batch of guys coming up for next year.

It'll be interesting, that's for sure.

Nice, I'll have to try to read through the rest of this tomorrow (if I can avoid work long enough :) ).

Are the steroid rumors about Jewell true? ;)

2003 PAYROLL NUMBERS
TEAM PAYROLL NUMBERS

HIGHEST PAID PLAYERS

HISTORICAL LEADERBOARDS

We haven't addressed this stuff lately.

Here are the career leaders in a host of category, as well as the single-season leaders:

CAREER HOME-RUN LIST


CAREER HITS LIST

CAREER WINS

CAREER BATTING AVERAGE

CAREER ERA LEADERBOARD

CAREER STRIKEOUTS LEADERBOARD

CAREER SAVES

SINGLE-SEASON_HRs

SINGLE-SEASON WINS

SINGLE-SEASON AVERAGE

LEADERBOARD MAIN PAGE

MARCH 1, 2003
---
Just as I was getting ready to show you all the rosters of the 2003 Boston Yankees, I decided to go out and see if I could get us a little bit more help heading into the year.

I've come to think of the Continental League as a place where bargains begin and end. It's like the flea market of baseball. You can find gems and whatever else you're looking for. But they're only open on the weekends.

Anyway, we dealt three prospects (SS Lawrence Flowers, SS Dave Banks, C Foppe Vroonland) and $3m in cash to the Milwaukee Braves of the CL for SS Quinn Wouters. Wouters, 24, hit 23 HR and 101 RBI last year for the Braves, has good fielding ability at short and can also play 2nd. I went after him for his bat, of course. It's a bit more of an upgrade from what we had before and it'll enable me to flip one or two more guys before the start of the season for -- you guessed it -- more pop.

REPORT: BROOKLYN OFFERED D.C. JOB AFTER WORLD SERIES
NEW YORK - The New York Post tabloid page today had an unusual story about baseball. According to reports, the Brooklyn Cyclones, who have suffered three losses in the World Series all in Game 7s, including the past two seasons, reported offered Boston Yankees G.M. D.C. Daly, a job that included the title of President of Baseball Operations and a pay raise, to come to their team and help them build a champion.

With the Yankees deciding to cut payroll in the wake of their World Series season, Daly was reported "hours" away from resigning and taking the job. But, in the end, opted against it and stayed in Boston.

No one in Boston or Brooklyn could be reached for comment to confirm or deny these reports.

BALTIMORE, BOSTON & NEVADA (CL) pull off three-team deal:

Orioles receive: SS Michael Warren, who was hero of the 2002 World Series hitting the game winning homer in Game 7. Warren, 21, is a Baltimore native and says he "would love to end his career at home." He hit .270 with 15 HR and 76 RBI last year, but recent acquisitions didn't factor him in as a starter. The Orioles also acquired SP Jeremy Thompson, reliever Felx Murillo and outfielder Jack Miller.

The Yankees receive: Minor league outfileder Andrew McMillan from Baltimore and pitcher Jose Rodriguez (15-5, 2.54 ERA in 29 starts last year) and reliever Miguel Chapa from Nevada.

The Nevada Silverhawks get: 2B Terry Wilkie, 3B Weldon Young and prospect pitcher Alfredo Aguirre from Boston and SP Tristan Lamberti (18-11, 3.67 ERA) from Baltimore.

WHY WOULD ANY PLAYER WANT TO PLAY IN THE CONTINENTAL LEAGUE?

As I just traded a guy (Tristan Lamberti) who had a great season in MLB to the CL, if it were real life I'm sure there would be all sorts of restrictions in deals down there. But the thing is, the guys still get paid their regular salaries. And if they're good, they should dominate down there, which puts them on the radar of GMs like me, who almost focus more on the players coming out of that league, because there are few teams and fewer stars, than I would with major league teams. Plus, they're generally easier to get.

That's all an advantage to the player and so, I have yet to see a star player in his prime settling for pennies on the dollar to sign with a CL team. It's almost always young guys who are on their way up or veterans trying to hang on.

NO DRAFT THIS YEAR
I'm trying to develop a feeder league system that will work with all of the up and downward mobility of teams in both leagues. I'd like the players to come directly from the feeder system into the majors. The draft to me isn't really a model that I like for a setup like this. So I've scratched it for now and hope to have a resolution by next season.

TWO DEALS WITH CL TEAMS AS THE MLB SEASON GETS READY TO KICK OFF
BOSTON -- You can't fault D.C. Daly for being creative. Daly sent outfielder Joe Jones and three prospects to the Philadelphia Phillies (CL) for outfielder Ismael Morales. Morales, 22, hit 32 HRs last year and 98 RBI. Jones, 21, was acquired in the Toronto Blue Sox deal that sent M.A. Charbonneau to Canada earlier in the off-season.

In a separate deal, the team acquired outfielder Emilio Correa from Minnesota for two prospects.

"We have to do the best with what we have and I think we've done that and more, this off-season." Daly said in his weekly press conference that he was "more excited about this season than any other."

"I just think that when you consider that we're about to get World Series rings in a few days, that the whirlwind of last year to now is pretty crazy to me. I mean, I remember when I took this job and enduring that first season of losing almost 100 games and worrying if we might end up getting relegated. So to be able to be where we are now, is a heck of a feeling. Even if there is uncertainty among you all or some of our fans, I can tell you that we've got a great group of guys [points to the field] and I can't wait to see them strut their stuff out there. They're gonna surprise some of you, I think. But we're not gonna roll over on this one. We're the defending champs and if other teams want the crown, they're gonna have to come get it."

HIGHEST PAID PLAYERS, MLB

TEAM PAYROLL NUMBERS, 2003

CONTINENTAL LEAGUE PAYROLL

CONTINENTAL LEAGUE HIGHEST PAID PLAYERS

YANKEE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE, 2003

We inducted #39 Jose Rodriguez into the Yankee Hall of Fame, on Sunday April 13th in a home game against the Cincinnati Reds. He's the all-time Yankees leader in home-runs (327), batting average (.330), 2nd in RBI (994) and until last year was the team's single-season home-run leader. (45), which was broken by Vic Ross (48) and Dan Warren (47).



NO REALIGNMENT IN 2003
The Providence Bees are still playing in the Western Division this year. MLB didn't realign the divisions and the league hasn't indicated whether they'll restructure the divisions for next year or if they'll wait for the team to move into their new stadium in Providence in 2005 before moving the divisions.

Some are crying foul, while others argue that the team gets an "unfair advantage" by playing the perceptually weaker Western Division, versus the Eastern division.

"The bottom line is, you have to win against who you play, period. I think with the way our system is setup, if you have a good year, you'll make the playoffs. I can't see anyone complaining too much about being "snubbed" or being left out of the playoffs," said one MLB official related to the scheduling issue.

APRIL 10, 2003
Ralph Oliver, who is 3-0 so far this year with a 3.76 ERA went down with a strained bicep tendon and will be out for three weeks.

We called up rookie Saku Kawano, a hard-throwing Japanese righthander who has been tearing up the minors to replace him on the staff.

STANDINGS OF APRIL 16, 2003

Well gang, the season is here. And boy, what it season it's started out to be. I have no way to substantiate this, but I can almost be certain, that this is the best start in franchise history for Yankees. It's a long year, we play in a tough division and anything can happen. But boy, what a way to start, no? And our friends from Monterrey aren't too strong out of the gate and might be the first promoted to face relegation the following year.

But like I said, it's early.



COMING UP BIG?
So who's coming up clutch for us early? Remember last year's middle of the order? Well this year, the firm of (Dan)Warren, (Melvin) Harvey and (Jacob) Snow want you to forget all about it. While they're not slouches on the home run side of the ball (Snow has 6 HRs already this season), they're the 1-2-3 leaders on the ballclub in RBI with 60 combined RBI just a month into the season. With pop like that, you're likely to hear their names a lot more this year.

On the pitching side, Jose Hernandez had a 1.98 ERA in 38 games last year, but after starting the year 4-0 in relief, the team decided to put him into the rotation to see what he's made of. He's currently 5-0 with a 0.83 ERA, though he walks entirely too many batters (18 walks in 21.2 innings), he's still the kind of guy that will keep the Yankees bullpen tops in the league.

Game 7 hero of last year's World Series Alvaro Vega is back in form with a 4-1 record and a 3.25 ERA in 5 starts this year.

It's a long year ahead of us, but if the start is any indication, the Yankees are showing no signs of slowing down.

DESPITE SUCCESS, YANKEES TWEAK, DEAL ELLIS AND CORREA FOR VETERANS
May 4, 2003
BOSTON - Despite a 34-7 record, the Boston Yankees felt the need to tweak more, sending reserve third baseman 21-year old Curt Ellis (.091) and recently acquired 24-year old outfielder Emilio Correa (.149 in 47 ABs) to the Chicago Cubs for shortshop Alfredo Rocha and 3BArt Frierson.

23-year old Frierson is hitting .227 with 1 HR in 119 ABs this season, while Rocha is hitting 6 HR on .222 batting as the starter for the Cubs.

"I think it's the case of guys who probably all could use a change of scenario. Hopefully it'll work out for both teams," said Cubs GM Tony Manley about the deal.

BEES FEVER HITS SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
The Providence Bees are spending their first two seasons in Hartford while CVS Field is built and the team is selling out games at a record pace. Less than two months into the season, the team already has over 700,000 fans and that's considering the 31,000 stadium they play in was built for football.

"We're extremely excited about the reception we've received," said Bees GM Hayden Wood.

The team is in its third major league after winning the 2000 Challenge Series that promoted them to the majors.

Wood attributed the team's success to the fact that the Northeast is the "home" of baseball.

"Here it's not just a novelty or something you do with the kids and the family as if there isn't anything else. It's a way of life and we've just really appreciated how receptive the fans have been to the team since we've arrived and we're hoping to do even more."

The team invested tens of millions in new players during the off-season and at $62.9 million have the sixth highest payroll in baseball this year.

"I think it's a clear case of the team trying to quickly establish itself in the market," said a baseball writer with the Hartford Courant.

"You have to consider that there are three teams in New York City and a team in Boston. Fans here weren't devoid of teams to watch on TV or to root for, especially since at any given time all of those teams are going to be good. But to add another team to the fray, gives a bit of civic pride to the locals -- not so much in Hartford, but Providence -- but since the team is here now, people can embrace the team a bit more. After all, it's not as if the Yankees or the Bombers have come to town to play their home games. So, this is a meaningful experience."



MLB SUSPENDS ASTROS KEN MANNING FOR 100 GAMES
HOUSTON - During his years with the Detroit Tigers during the 1990s, Ken Manning became known as one of the fiercest hitters in the game. From 1990 until 1999, Manning logged 10 straight seasons of 100+ RBI. He had 453 career home runs, 2725 career hits and is a career .291 hitter.

And now, he's got another distinction. The first major player to be suspended for testing positive under MLB's new drug testing policy.

Manning had no comment and through his agent released a statement.

"At no time, have I ever knowingly taken any illegal substances. I pride myself in being a gamer, in being a great baseball player and I just cannot believe these accusations. I will do my best to clear my name."

Manning has been a hell of his former self since coming to Houston in a trade back in 2001. He hit just .238 last year with 15 HR and 72 RBI and has just 1 HR this year with 12 RBI.

One major league player, who refused to be named for this article said that the accusations of steroid use are not surprising. "This stuff has been going on in the game forever now. It's just now they're finally starting to notice and ding guys for it. You think guys hit 160+ RBI without some help? C'mon man, you gotta think with your head."

Most observers say that Manning will never play in the league again.

"No way, he's toast."

STANDINGS REPORT
The East is still being run away with by the Boston Yankees, who don't seem to be slowing down playing .800 on the season and look to shatter any sembelnce of the single-season record for wins. The Tigers are heading up the American, while the upstart Bees are being slowed a bit by the veteran Angels. In the National, the Rangers seek to foil Cincinnati plans at a division championship repeat. In the relegation zone, San Franciso holds a half game lead on Monterrey for the worst record in baseball, with Pittsburgh -- which won the World Series in 2000 - not too far behind.

In the Continental League, the fact that more and more MLB-native teams are making their way down there, are giving the divisions races there a different compexion than ever before. The White Sox and Twins are battling it out in the West, while the Tampa Bay Rays and newly returned to Philly Phillies trying to make their way to the majors for the first time ever.

MAJOR LEAGUE STANDINGS
June 1, 2003

CONTINENTAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
JUNE 1, 2003

TEAM STATS SO FAR
June 1, 2003

SOX MACIAS SUSPENDED FOR DRUG VIOLATION
Another day, another suspension. This time, Chicago White Sox third baseman
Pepe Macias was suspended for a violation of the MLB controlled substance policy. Macias is 5th in the CL in hitting batting .353 and so, his absence will be a blow to the first-place White Sox, who are seeking to get back to the majors after being relegated at the end of the 2000 season.

"We're not okay with this kind of behavior," said GM Hector Hernandez. He did not say whether Macias would be retained, but indicated that "we cannot have players breaking these kinds of rules."

The nature of what Macias took that came up positive is up for some debate, but MLB officials have declined comment, only to say that the suspensions will continue if players violate the rules.

PEACOAT LABS RAIDED BY FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS
OMAHA - A small laboratory in Omaha, Nebraska is the home to an investigation of epic proportions. With two major league players recently suspended for drug violations, many are wondering whether or not the drugs were supplied by the PEACOAT lab partnership.

A clear balm and a blue pill which together are called "The Solution" have been cited as the new drug de jour for players, because it is undetectable by most drug tests, though if taken excessively, residue from the drug builds up and it triggers a positive result.

"We're not sure how it works," said Dr. Medico Vonjo, an independent chemist who is consulting the DEA during this investigation.

"We only know that it is a very powerful balm and that it was shipped to people around the world."

Apparently, the PEACOAT lab staff were meticiously in their notetaking and seven books of names, addresses and phone numbers were kept at the Omaha lab.

More information is forthcoming on this potential scandal.

Here are the finalist locations for the 2003 MLB Challenge Series:

STANDINGS UPDATE ~ JULY 2, 2003
Before we even get to the division leaders, we notice that the San Francisco Giants (24-66) are 5 1/2 games behind Monterrey (31-60) for the worst record in baseball. Arizona and Houston (32-58) are right next door. So far, the Giants have the inside track to the Challenge Series. But there are still two months of a season to go.

As we scan the division races, we see the the National Division is led by the Texas Rangers (57-34) who hold a 1 1/2 game lead on the Atlantaa A's (55-35)

In the geographically challenged West, Providence (57-33) has a half game lead on the Los Angeles Angels (57-34).

In the American, Columbus (54-37) holds a 3 game lead on the Comets and Detroit (51-40).

In the East, Boston (74-17) is running away with it, anchored with a 37-7 record at home. Behind them are the Brooklyn Cyclones and New York (58-33) are 16 games out.

In the Continental League East, the Phillies (37-25) and Rays are tied for the division, with Charlotte and New York sitting 4 games out.

In the CL West, Minnesota is a half game up on the White Sox.

AT&T signs on as title sponsor for Challenge Series
The MLB Challenge Series will be now known as the AT&T Challenge Series after AT&T signed on as the title sponsor of the matchup between MLB's qualifier and the champion of the Continental League's Guinness Cup Series.

Terms of the sponsorship deal were not announced, but it's reportedly a three-year deal.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
August 1, 2003

CONTINENTAL LEAGUE
August 1, 2003

REFLECTING ON THE SEASON TO DATE
I can't really explain this year. I mean, I think it was around January or so, when I was seriously considering leaving this team and going to Providence to run the Bees -- with a blank check to get who I wanted as a free agent -- that I started to look at the minor leagues and thought to myself, "this might not be as bad as I thought."

I liken it a lot to the '93 Blue Jays who dumped a bunch of guys that played on the '92 team and as a fan, I thought that they'd be a shell of themselves the following year. But instead, Olerud, Molitor and Alomar finish 1-2-3 in the batting race that year and the Jays win their 2nd straight World Series. Now that's real life and this is just a game...but I think this season is almost one of those where I felt bad for having a good year. I mean, I'm all about realism and so, on paper, you look at the team that gives up the bulk of its offense from the previous year and replaces them with other players and think to yourself that it's just not going to be the same and yet, if I look at our roster, I knew it was possible. I knew that the prospects that we had would be a year older, that the kids who played over the past three years would be another year wiser and that a breakout was possible on all fronts.

And so, I can't say that I'm entirely surprised by this year especially when you consider that I really went out of my way to stockpile pitching when I first got this gig. I mean, that was something I worked hard at. And then we had no middle infielders and so, I went crazy to get those too. And obviously, I dealt some first-rate guys and so, I had to get stuff in return for them.

So to some degree, it's not even that it's a surprise as much as...I guess I'm impressed with the dominance. It's probably more like what the Braves did. I mean, for over a decade, they really did produce superior talent. And they kept doing it in a very tough division. Whereas a team like the A's are good and such, they're not dominant when playoff time comes and they would always fall short because of some inevitable flaw. The Braves always had the money to get another player if they needed it, but had someone who could step up to get them to that next spot at different times. Now obviously they only have 1 World Series to show for it, but...the reference still works for me, because it proves there is a real world model to aspire to and that it's not just AI going awry or somehow me fleecing the computer unfairly. Well, maybe it is..but I don't feel like it's that at all.

I think if the goal is truly to win and not just tinker around or something, then you ought to consistently challenge yourself. And I think, that after last year, having to purge salary and do whatever was a very, very risky thing to do have to do. And like I said, I was sooo close to leaving. To the point where I was mulling hard over where I would go and what scenario I wanted to pursue. The only thing that stopped me from taking over a CL team was that I was a World Series winning GM and that doing that wouldn't even be a step up, really. The Brooklyn job thing wasn't on my radar. I mean, I never even considered it. I only considered taking the Providence job, because I wanted to help them get good early on, so they could compete with Boston and create a NY style rivarly between the clubs.

The fact that they're good and playing a different division will probably add a little fuel to that flame, but more than a few folks have been vocal about how "unfair" it is that they're playing in a different division. I say that it doesn't make sense to scream. If they hadn't moved, they'd be in that division and the divisions are only setup generally for travel concerns and so, it's not as if it's that big a deal in the grand scheme of things. But Whatever.

Our magic number is 25. That means that barring anything insane, if we win the division we'll have achieved the best regular season in franchise history, surpassing the 108 wins of the 1969 World Series championship team.

None of it will matter if we don't repeat as Champions and given I made NO deals at the deadline, we're stuck pretty much with who we have. We have a nice core, though. It'll just be interesting to see how it all shapes out, as there are probably teams gunning for us at all angles. The other question one has when you're this far ahead is, "who do you rest and when do you start resting them? I mean....you don't want anyone to get a catastrophic injury at this point in the year. The stakes are too high.

HOW ARE THEY NOW?
As you know, I dealt a lot of guys last off-season, in part because I was told to and because we needed to cut payroll.

It was tough to do, but this Peter Gammons article articulates to me that there is something that separates a great G.M. from someone who just runs a team with his eyes closed and using a dartboard. Us fans, we look at the teams and think "doh, of course this will happen" and then it doesn't and you're confused as to why.

It's about an idea that I read in a different article of his where he talked about John Schuerholz and about the idea that a GM who knows 'what' talent to trade, can be a genius. And so, maybe it inspired me to make the deals I did this year, I dunno. And a lot of these numbers aren't indicative of the quality of a lot of these guys, as a vast majority of the younger players are starting too soon and putting up numbers that reflect that.

I think the most notable thing you can take from this, is that we made very smart tactical decisions related to finding a way to leverage the players we had to deal to get offensive players that would keep putting runs on the board. I was woefully afraid of that as we got closer to the season and so, I kept tweaking and seeking out guys that would be able to produce at a high level.

I think the main difference is, the team this year pitches even better than last year's team and this year's team is more efficient offensively and as a result, more productive. It's an interesting thing to watch, though.

But anyway, here are the guys we dealt last off-season and how they're doing as of August 19, 2003.

BEST RECORD IN BASEBALL HISTORY: RANDOM FACTS
I thought it was the Mets two years ago that broke the Atlanta record of 109. But they're both wrong and it still stood. The 1969 Detroit Tigers went 114-48, but did not win the World Series that year. (As you know, it was the Boston Yankees. The Yanks knocked the Tigers out in the Semi-Finals after a seven-game series)

Well, the 2003 Yanks are about to break the single-season team win record this year after their torrid start that's lasted the entire year.

2002 and 2003 are the first time the Yankees have had back-to-back 100+ win seasons. The two previous times the team won 100+ games (1969, 1976) the team won the World Series both times.

The 1975 Boston Yankees (87-76) are the worst team record wise to win a World Series. If the 2003 team wins, it will be the best record team to ever win it all. The 2001 Mets with their 110 wins that year are currently the holders of that title.

OMAHA WILL HOST CHALLENGE SERIES
For the first time ever, the AT&T Challenge Series will be hosted on US soil. MLB announced today that Rosenblatt Stadium, home to the College World Series, will host the MLB Challenge Series in 2003. The best-of-five game event is now sponsored by AT&T and features the MLB team with the worst record and the champion of the CL's Guinness Cup Series.

Ok, so I'm going to post our Top 10 prospects from Baseball America. We're again the #1 farm system in baseball for the 3rd straight year.

That said, we were #3 before I got here, so the climb up wasn't as steep as it seems.

I mostly want to focus on who came here and from where, because it's evidenced by good scouting, but also by good trading that's gotten us to this point and it's impressive to me.
The next conversation we'll have after this, is trying to make a decision about who to lock into long-term deals on this current squad. Basically, that discussion will determine if I plan to be the John Schuerholz of this team -- that is, ushering an era of Yankee dominance or whatever -- or if I plan to be Pat Gillick, traveling around the baseball universe, trying to make good teams great.

I'm not sure what to do this at this point, but if you have an idea, be sure to put it out there.

SEPT. 6, 2003 ~ YANKEES BREAK SINGLE-SEASON WINS RECORD

After a 9-5 victory over the New York Bombers at New York Life Park in The Bronx, the Boston Yankees were jubiliant and yet, reserved.

The team had just broken the single-season record for most wins in a regular season, set by the 1969 Detroit Tigers who won 114 games that year.

The 34-year record finally fell today, but the Yankees -- ever aware of history -- said that they were not done yet.

"That team didn't win it all. But we want to go ahead and finish the job we started," said pitcher Jay Jackson.

What the Yankees have been able to do on the heels of the breakup of their team is impressive. Ranked 18th in payroll this year at just over $40 million, only the Kansas City Royals at just over $41 million and 17th are likely playoff contenders at this payroll level.

While the team is excited about the rest of this season, GM D.C. Daly is already thinking about the future.

"We're going to have to think long and hard about locking up some of our key guys. What's happening now is awesome. I mean, I can't say to you that last November, I would've ever predicted this. But, now that we're here and it's happening..I'm really looking forward to what's ahead for us."

The team will move into Dunkin Donuts Park in 2005, which should help the team's attendance numbers. They're currently ranked 8th in attendance at just under 3 million, but should be able to get over the 3 million mark again for the third straight year this season.

Ever the student of history, Daly says that he wants to create legends among the current crop of players.

"I think that if things continue as they have, that we can have a team that endures. I'd love to look back on this team in a decade and focus on the legends on the roster."

But before they can be legends, they have to repeat as Champions.

If the Yankees win the Series this year, it'll be the organization's 5th World Series title, tying them with San Antonio for the most in baseball history.

The Aviators won titles in 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989 and 1995.

The Yanks are currently tied with the Mets who have four (1981, 1997, 1998, 2001)

PLAYERS UNION CONSIDERING TAKING ACTION AGAINST MLB FOR FALSE CLAIMS

After the suspension of two MLB players for reported violations of the drug policy in MLB, it appears that MLB was wrong.

In a stunning statement, MLB reported came out today to report that its initial tests were flawed and that the players who were suspended for wrongdoing were falsely accused.

"With significant regret and apologies, we do not believe that our initial reports were accurate," said an MLB spokesman in a report today.

Players throughout the league have reported decided to 'take action' against the decisionmaking process of MLB. This is exacerbated by some players belief that salaries across baseball are too low.

The average salary in MLB this year is $1,476,409. In the Continental League, it's $610,898.

Meanwhile, MLB owners are reaping huge benefits while cutting costs for players.

Major market teams like the LA Angels have a payroll of just under $25 million and some players say "this is just wrong."

What sort of action might be taken in response is not known at present, but there seems to be a swirling cloud over the game -- first with the drug allegations, now with players brewing with discontent and of course, owners who are constantly frustrated with revenue sharing and other mechanisms that affect their ability to compete.

What might be brewing is a storm that few can stop the winds on.

MILESTONES HISTORY
I just figure that some of the league's milestones might be of interest to folks, so here are some of them:

NO-HITTERS

50+ HOMER SEASONS

150+ RBI SEASONS

15+ STRIKEOUT GAMES

TRIPLE CROWN SEASONS

HITTING STREAKS

New independent Triple-A circuit to start in 2004.

A new Triple-A league called the "Republic League" will start in 2004 with 10 teams across the country.

The teams are:

The league has a $10 million salary cap and plays a 134-game schedule.
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FINAL STANDINGS
2003 MAJOR LEAGUE STANDINGS

The San Francisco Giants finished at 53-109, making them the MLB candidate to the
AT&T Challenge Series at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha.

WORLD SERIES QUARTERFINALS MATCHUPS
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CONTINENTAL LEAGUE FINALS

WORLD SERIES QUARTERFINALS RESULTS
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Boston def. San Antonio 3-0
The defending champion Yankees are still guns ablazing as they sweep the Aviators in the first round.

Detroit def. Brooklyn 3-0
The 104-win Cyclones get swept by the 95-win American Division champion Tigers for our first post-season upset. Despite 12 playoff appearances in history, the Tigers have never won the World Series.

Angels def. Texas 3-1
The 97-win Angels knock off the National Division champion Rangers in four games.

Providence def. Cincinnati 3-2
The upstart Bees, who won a franchise record 107-wins in the regular season knock off the 95-win Reds to setup a semifinals matchup between the Boston Yankees.

PROVIDENCE V. BOSTON PREVIEW

BOSTON - A year ago, the Bees were in Salt Lake City. The Yankees were on their way to winning their first World Series title since 1976.

Fast forward to 2003, the Bees are playing in Hartford while their new stadium in Providence, with a new owner whose opened the checkbook and a remade team that build on the progress of the team's last season.

The Bees have taken New England by storm and the funny part is, they've done it buoyed by trades that have put four former Yankees on the starting squad of the Bees.

Closer Paul Moneur (6-5, 43 SV, 3.12 ERA) was a Yankees prospect acquired in the Dan Warren trade two years ago. Along with him, came Andrew Cooper (.286/46 HR/118 RBI), whose established himself as one of the game's formidible sluggers. Former Yankees catcher Vic Ross came to Providence in a salary dump last off-season and has continued to blossom (.263/45 HR/105 RBI) and former Yankees farmhand Alfie Penrice has excelled in his rookie season hitting .277/38 HR/85 RBI.

GM D.C. Daly says that "it's just a testament to our scouting department that we could let some guys go who have talent and still be able to excel at a very high level."

The Yankees meanwhile are in the midst of the best season in baseball history after winning 122 regular season games and coasting through the Quarterfinals, sit on the doorstep again of a return trip to the World Series.

But is it different facing a new regional rival?

To that, Daly says, "I think it's great for baseball when you have pockets of energy and enthuisiam. But you need a willing partner. If we weren't very good or if they weren't, none of this would be particularly possible. So on some level, it's a signal of two franchises that have the ability and the talent to excel that makes a series like this possible. We've been here and they're new, so we'll see how long it lasts. But rivalries are good for the game, I think."

TWINS WIN GUINNESS CUP SERIES, SETUP SHOWDOWN WITH GIANTS
October 1, 2003
PHILADELPHIA - Despite not having home field advantage in the 2003 Guinness Cup Series, the Minnesota Twins were determined to get a shot back at major league glory and with a 7-2 win on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies today, the ballclub is heading for a showdown in Omaha against the San Francisco Giants for the right to play in MLB in 2004.

"This is what we wanted to happen," said Twins ace Eric Alexander (21-7, 2.80 ERA) about the team's ascent to the Continental League title. They're the first relegated team to ever win the CL championship and so, to advance a year after being relegated would be "huge" said veteran second baseman Gary Bryant.

The team set the CL record for attendance with 1.5 million fans this season. "We want to win this for them. They supported us and so we need to get back where we belong," said Twins Executive VP David Hawley.

Meanwhile, the Giants are poised to become the first team to ever "hold serve" and not get relegated after winning the Challenge Series. "We're going to play our hardest. This means a ton to us," said outfielder Jae Butler, a CL alum who said that he "much prefers the lifestyle" of the MLB than the CL.

And it's not just about money, he said.

"It's just about prestige man. I mean, a lot of the games down there you play to empty crowds. It's getting better now, I think. I just prefer this. Just the chance to know you can win the World Series is huge."

Talentwise, the Twins are a lot better than the Giants. The Giants ace Phil Martin (1-19, 4.75 ERA) said he believes the team can make it out of this series with the Twins, at neutral site Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, the first time the AT&T Challenge Series has ever been held in the U.S.

"We believe in ourselves and we know what this team is capable of. We might surprise some people, but not ourselves."

The Giants win the Pennant! Ok, so not really. But they become the first team to hold serve in the AT&T Challenge Series and as a result, the Giants will stay in MLB another year, while the Twins go back to defend their Guinness Cup Series title in the Continental League for 2004.

Ed Note: I had no idea this would happen. On paper, the Twins were a lot of better than the Giants. But with a Series like this, it could've gone either way and so...how exciting?

WORLD SERIES SEMI-FINALS

October 6, 2003
The Los Angeles Angels won the battle of teams that have never won a title despite lots of playoff appearances in seven close games. The Angels won Game 7 3-2, to advance to the World Series. In 13 playoff appearances, the team has yet to win a World Series, while the Tigers have gone 12 without winning the ultimate prize.

Meanwhile, in the other Semifinals Series, the battle of New England has boiled over, as the defending champion Boston Yankees are heading to Yankee Field where they've not lost in the playoffs this year, to take on the upstart Providence Bees, who were down 2-0 in the series before winning three straight at their home away from home in Hartford.

The Bees meanwhile are 1-4 on the road this post-season.

The team says they're not panicking.

"We're pretty ready for this," said Ralph Oliver who'll be on the mound for the Yanks in the decisive Game 7.

"We knew this could happen. It's a talented team over there and of course, we know a lot of those guys and so that adds a whole layer to it."

When asked if he expected a pro-Yankees crowd at Yankee Field tonight, he said, "Oh, no doubt. I mean, I'm sure they'll be some yellow bandwagon jumpers there, but I expect to place to be rocking and in favor of whatever we're doing right."

Down 5-4 in the bottom of the 8th, the Yankees were lifted by one swing when Mel Harvey blasted a 375ft shot to tie the game. Jacob Snow scored the game winning run on an Ismael Morales triple and with that, the Yankees closed out the 9th and with that, head to their 2nd straight World Series.

"It's huge, man. What a tough series," said Snow about the victory. "I can't say I was worried late in the game, because we've got so many guys who come up clutch on this team that's all just a matter of time before somebody gets that decisive hit. This team is special."

Fresh off their tight series with the Bees, the Yanks will now face off against the Los Angeles Angels for the World Series title.

YANKEES HAVE BACKS AGAINST THE WALL, FORCE GAME 7 IN WORLD SERIES
October 15, 2003
BOSTON – Down 3 games to 2 in the 2003 World Series, the Yankees found themselves in a similar position, but with a completely different team. The Yanks of 2002 would’ve simply slugged their way to victory. But the ’03 version of the Tea Dumpers are far more focused on finesse than brawn.

“We’re a completely different ballclub in so many respects, despite a lot of the same cast of characters,” said hitting coach Max Brownlee.

No more was this evident than in Game 6 of the World Series where the Yankees grinded out a 1-0 victory in 12 innings.

Francisco Ortiz pitched 2 innings of no-hit ball in relief to notch the victory, but he was only part of the story for the Yankees. Jorge Montes got the start and gave up 5 hits, struck out 8 in 6 1/3 innings. Lorenzo Lopez gave up just one hit and struck out six in 3 2/3 innings of work and so, without that sort of stellar performance, the team would've had a hard time being certain they'd be playing tomorrow.


"Those guys were clutch, no doubt about it," said first baseman Dan Warren who went 2 for 5 in the game.

The victory was secured by catcher Chris Elliott who hit a solo shot in the bottom of the 12th off Angels pitcher Ramiro Castellanos, to send Yankee Field into an absolute frenzy.

While there is still one game left, the Yankees are riding high on confidence. They’ve been here before and they’re hoping to lean on that experience tomorrow night.

“We’re battle tested, man. And no matter how many games we won in the regular season, the minute the clock hit October, no one cared anymore. We’ve gotta make this thing count. We’ve got to finish the job,” said hurler Jay Jackson.

Here's the obligatory "is anyone reading? is this still interesting?" post... I've taken to writing the dynasty in a separate file and so, I'll update this threads less often, to give people time to catch up.

ANOTHER WORLD SERIES IN THE BOOKS...

The Angels, who have never won a World Series and the Yankees who were driving for their 5th title in franchise history dueled in the 7th game of the 2003 World Series.

In the end, there was a winner. A 4-3 victory for....(box score) | (game log)

2003 FINAL STATISTICS ~ BOSTON YANKEES

AFTER 122 WINS AND NO TITLE, YANKEES GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD
October 16, 2003
BOSTON – The devastation of the Yankee Field crowd after the 4-3 loss Thursday night in Game 7 of the World Series was something that was extremely hard for Yankees GM D.C. Daly to watch.

Not so much for himself or even his players, but for the fans of the team.

“You have to understand that we went from World Series champs to chumps when we had to sell off guys last year. So to have the year we had this year was crazy good for our fan base. It let them know, we really do know what we’re doing up here and that we’re gonna be good for a long, long time.”

Now that the World Series is over and the team is heading towards another off-season, Daly said that he has one priority – longevity.

“We’ve got to lock up the guys who we want to represent this organization for a long time. And that’s a tough decision to figure out who gets to do that and who you let move on.”

The team needs more offense, he said, because despite being one of the best hitting teams during the regular season, his patchwork attempt at making up for the loss of offense the team had in 2002 obviously cost the team in ’03 he said.

“We did a great job trying to recreate the impossible. Last year’s ballclub was awesome and it almost cost us in the Providence series.”

Best of all, Daly said, he was able to spend the year imparting on the ownership of the importance of maintaining the fan base. First, just after the excellent season and seeing the fans come out, but after the Providence series – it became apparent – that it could all go away.

“I think they realized after that series, where a quarter of our stadium were clad in yellow…they understood very quickly that if we falter that there are people to the south of us who are going to be very happy to fill up their stadium with our fans and probably some of our talent.”

With a bonafide rivalry in place and a new mission to reclaim the title the team has lost, Daly said that the team is not going to be shaken as they head into next year.

“There always have to be changes made. It’s the nature of the business. But we’re going to do our best not just to regroup, but to respond proactively to whatever comes next.”

HARVEY VOIDS LAST YEAR OF DEAL
October 18, 2003
37-year old outfielder Melvin Harvey opted out of the last year of his deal today. He hit .297 with 23 HR and 86 RBI this past season. “We thank Mel for his contributions this season and wish him the best of luck,” said Yankees GM D.C. Daly about Harvey. He said he’s known for the past few weeks that Harvey was likely to leave the team after spending the bulk of his career in Washington D.C. and San Antonio.


BASEBALL WILL NAME ‘LEAGUE CHAMPIONS’ FOR REGULAR SEASON CHAMPS STARTING IN 2004
Taking a cue from hockey, Major League Baseball will begin to award a cash prize for the team that has the best record in the regular season. The MLB Champions League will be a parallel pennant awarded to the division champion with the best regular season record.

“We wanted to recognize the excellence of teams that win the regular season, because that is an accomplishment,” said MLB spokesman Todd Carroll.

Teams will not be able to retroactively claim the title.

MLB AVERTS DISASTER, A LABOR AGREEMENT IS REACHED
OCTOBER 19, 2003
Just when it seemed that baseball might be headed for a long off-season, the sport came together during the World Series to come up with an agreement to determine what changes the sport would make. The most notable change is that the league salaries will increase from the $1.4 million to more next season. Owners agreed to concessions that would give players more access to the massive revenues in the sport over the past decade.

The owners sought out a salary cap at the major league level, but such a proposal was declined by the players in this particular agreement which will last until 2007.

“We’re really happy to have this out of the way,” said MLBPA lead counsel Mark Schwartz.

YANKEES SIGN DAN WARREN TO 6-YEAR EXTENSION
OCTOBER 21, 2003
BOSTON – After two straight 40+ homer seasons, Yankee officials decided to make Dan Warren the first baseman of the foreseeable future in Beantown, inking the 25-year old Canadian to a 6-year deal worth over $83.2 million. Warren is the single-season leader for home-runs in Yankee history with 49 this past year, to go with 142 RBI and a .321 average.

“I’m really happy they go tit together. I didn’t know that it would happen so fast. But man, those are a lot of zeroes,” said the young slugger.

Said Yankee G.M. D.C. Daly, “He’s the kind of guy that we can really appreciate because he’s scrappy on the field and a hard worker off of it. We’re glad that he’s agreed to stay a Yankee for the foreseeable future.”

REALIGNMENT HAPPENS FOR 2004
MLB 2004
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In addition to realigning the divisions, the American and National division are back to their geographic names - Central and Southern - respectively.

In other news, the Philadelphia Colonials have changed their name to the Pennsylvania Colonials. The team moved to a new stadium 50 miles outside of Philadelphia last season and with the return of the Phillies to Philadelphia of the Continental League, the team decided to go with the change as a "branding decision."

REPORT: DALY TO LEAVE BOSTON
OCTOBER 28, 2003
BOSTON At 28, boy wonder D.C. Daly was ready to step out on his own.

The Yankees general manager walked away from the team on Monday, stunning Boston and the baseball world just one year after helping the franchise win its first World Series championship since 1918.

"I gave my entire heart and soul to the organization," Daly said in a statement. "During the process leading up to today's decision, I came to the conclusion that I can no longer do so. In the end, my choice is the right one not only for me but for the Yankees."

Daly will continue working for a few days to assist in the transition and prepare for the offseason. The Boston Herald, which first reported the news on its Web site, said the start GM has told associates that he might leave baseball or at least take a year off.

The Dodgers, Bees and Riverside Red Sox have GM openings.

Still the youngest GM in baseball history and still the youngest to assemble a World Series champion, Daly was reportedly offered about $1.5 million a year for a three-year extension. That was quadruple his previous salary but still short of the $2.5 million the Yankees offered Atlanta's Dave Beane in 1998 before hiring Daly.

But even after the money was settled, the negotiations turned into a fierce and Freudian standoff between the boy GM and the mentor who nurtured him from an intern to a World Series champion. By leaving, Daly breaks a longtime link with Yankees president Arnold Fuchs, who hired him as a Yankees intern while a student at Washington University in St. Louis and later as a graduate student at Harvard.

The Herald said Daly went through "agonizing soul-searching" over office politics and his relationship with his boss. Published reports that contained inside information about their relationship, "slanted too much in Fuchs favor," helped convince Daly there had been a breach of trust, the Herald said.

Yankees pitcher Ralph Oliver told The Associated Press he was disappointed in the news but had seen indications that it might be coming.

"You don't get better losing a guy like D.C.," said Oliver.

"It's obviously going to be an incredibly unpopular decision with the players. But we'll show up in spring training and get ready for the season and try to win another World Series. It's not like we're going to have a sit-down," he said.

A devotee of unorthordox signings from foreign countries and one who values his scouts as well, Daly's tenure has been marked by bold adventures that often conflicted with baseball orthodoxy:


• He dealt star players in both years with the team.

• He rebuilt the team's farm system to one of the best in baseball.

• He was ordered to rebuild the team after the team's World Series title in 2002 and had the best record in baseball history (122-40) in 2003.

But the efforts paid off.

The Yankees had not been to the World Series since 1995. Seven years later, with a new manager at the helm and a new attitude it had been missing, the ballclub won its first World Series since 1976.

Boston reached the postseason for a second consecutive year this season before losing in the World Series to the Los Angeles Angels in 7 games.

Good stuff. I'm still reading!

me too

Yeah, you have some really good writing here. The series result had to leave a bittersweet taste in your mouth. It's hard to see domination like that not translate into the title that your eyes were on for the whole season. Being a Dodgers fan I have no idea what that feels like since we havn't been dominant since 1981 (forgive me Orel, I love ya, but that team wasn't dominant.)

I think that I would have done the same thing and walk away.

That was one hell of a pitching staff you had there, too bad that that was one horrid postseason by Rodriguez. Did you hem and haw about the starter decision, especially considering the depth of the rotation?

Still you did have plenty of power again, and some speed too. In the end though, either way, the stage was set for a change.

I had NO idea who to put in for Game 7. I mean it took me 2 or 3 hours to decide. And it was stupid managing for me, because if I'd looked at his ERA (I don't know how it escaped my eyes), no way I give him the ball in that game.

But maybe it was for the best. We probably had no business getting out of that Providence series. And history proves that teams that win as many games as we did, don't usually win it all and so, I kinda expected it.

All in all, I'm extremely proud of the team and what they managed to do. But I'm also excited about the future. It'll be a bit strange to some degree...especially once I decide what I want to do.

And no, I haven't figured it out yet.

The one Yankee whose number was retired before I got the job as GM with the team was manager Nick Jennings. He presided over the 3 World Series the team won from 1969 to 1975.

DALY VISITS COLORADO ROCKIES
DENVER – Feeling a lot like a “free agent”, former Yankees GM D.C. Daly visited the Colorado Rockies, after the team invited him to Coors Field to get an introduction to the team and their philosophy.

“We’re going to throw our hat in the ring. We might get all of that east coast exposure that he’s used to back in Boston, but we’re trying to build a winner out here.”

The Rockies last made the playoffs in 1998 and won their only World Series in 1978.

The team’s leader is outfielder Javier Rubio, who at 31 has spent his entire career in Denver. He hit 35 HRs last year with 104 RBI. The team also features a familiar face for D.C. in Luis Manuel Morales who spent two years in Boston before being dealt last off-season to the Rockies. He went 12-14 last year with a 4.36 ERA.

For his part, D.C. said he appreciated the invite to Denver and said he’d be in California later this week. “It’s a great ballpark out here and the team seems to be well supported.”

DODGERS ATTEMPT TO WOO DALY TO LA
LOS ANGELES – Dodgertown was the site for a visit from former Yankees GM D.C. Daly, who visited the Los Angeles Dodgers today. With the crosstown Angels winning the World Series this past year over D.C.’s Yankees, the Dodgers are trying to claw their way back into relevance in the city. The team has just five playoff appearances since 1969, but two of those were within the past five years.

The team doesn’t boast a ton of talent, its best player is probably 23-year old outfielder Stephen Woodward who had a breakout year in 2003 hitting 38 HR and 134 RBI on .278 hitting.

But the team beliefs that with D.C. at the helm , they can get better faster than ever.

“We’re excited about the opportunity to have him here. The Dodgers franchise is a proud name in sports and we believe that with a guy D.C. calling the shots, we can propel that brand back to prominence again.”

Daly, for his part, said he wasn’t sure what his plans were. That he’d take some time to “figure out what I want to do and just make sure that if I do something else, that it’s really what I want and that I’m not just rushing back out there. But I’m too competitive to sit still for too much longer.”

NOVEMBER 10, 2003

Here is the positional strength overview for all of MLB as of November 10, 2003

D.C. DALY MOVES SOUTH
Former Yankees GM plans to make a name in Providence
HARTFORD – The Boston Yankees-Providence Bees rivalry just got a bit more heat to it. The Providence Bees today announced a press conference to introduce D.C. Daly as their new Vice President of Baseball Operations and GM.

“Wow, we’ll it sure is different on this side of the fence,” said the smiling 28-year old GM after signing a 5-year deal worth an undisclosed amount, but estimated at well over $12 million total.

“We can’t tell you how happy we are to be able to welcome D.C. to the Bees family,” said Bees Team President and Hall of Famer Charlie Cousins.

The Bees joined the majors in 2001 after gaining promotion from the Continental League, after finishing out one more season in Salt Lake City, the team moved east and will move to a brand new ballpark in Providence, RI next year. The team will spend more season at Rentschler Field outside Hartford, CT. They already have a playoff appearance, before losing last year in 7 hard-fought games to the Boston Yankees.

“Wow. I’m just overwhelmed at how nice everyone here is,” said Daly in his first public statement since accepting the position with the Bees this morning.

“I have to say that this team’s commitment to excellence was astounding. This is baseball country here in the northeast and turning the Bees into the team of choice for Southern New England is something I’m extremely excited about the chance to contribute to that cause.”

Cousins said the team was planning to invest in its young players and would lock a few guys up to long-term deals before the off-season was out and that they would defer to Daly for what he thought was best in terms of the team’s immediate future.

“We’re gracious to our fans here in Hartford for hosting us and want them to be able to bask in the excitement of World Series baseball before we move an hour up the road.”

Setting the bar that high doesn’t bother Daly, who has been in two straight World Series, but whose Yankees felt short in Game 7 of the 2003 Series versus the Angels. Asked if he’s worried about any backlash from Boston fans, Daly said no.

“Part of the reason I took this job is because I didn’t have to sell my house. I love New England and I love baseball. This opportunity wasn’t as much about me, as it was about the opportunity to use my skills to contribute to a team on the rise. I’m thrilled to be part of the Bees team and I think we’re going to do some awesome stuff in the coming years.”

BEES MAKE FIRST DEAL OF THE D.C. ERA, GET FOUR FROM RENS
NEW YORK - That sure didn't take long. Within 48 hours of taking the job as GM of the Providence Bees, GM D.C. Daly has hit the airwaves and made his first major deal. The team acquired four players from the CL New York Rens including second baseman Jeff Mavor (.308/18 HR/58 RBI), reliever Jorge Melendez (4-2, 30 SV, 1.84 ERA), reliever Ben Moore (4-1, 3 SV 1.82 ERA) and prospect SP Reggie O'Neal for outfielder and New York native Phil Waller (.253/40 HR/ 118 RBI), SP Wes Lynch (12-6, 3.84 ERA, 85 K) relievers Jorge Reyes and Carlos Diaz, as well as two prospects and cash.

"We're really happy to make this one happen," said Daly who is said to have seen scout reports of O'neal and thinks he can help the ballclub shore up its staff long-term.

"Daly is nothing if he's not a player development guy. I think he's working hard to shore up their farm and get a pipeline here that can compete for a long time," said ESPN's Peter Gammons about the deal.

I created a new league called the Collegiate Baseball of America. It’s a feeder to MLB and the players from that league are eligible for the draft yearly, which comes back this year.

Here are the teams:

TOP FARM SYSTEMS REPORT (MLB) - MARCH 2004

TOP FARM SYSTEMS (CL) - MARCH 2004

MLB PAYROLL NUMBERS ~ OPENING DAY 2004

HIGHEST PAID PLAYERS ~ MLB

CONTINENTAL LEAGUE PAYROLL NUMBERS ~ OPENING DAY 2005

CONTINENTAL LEAGUE TOP SALARIES

IT'S BEE SEASON: PROVIDENCE BEES 2004 SEASON PREVIEW

Ok gang. I have to admit, I had no idea this was coming. I contemplating taking this job last off-season, but I didn't think it was time and I'd pretty much reckoned to settle in to the Boston job. After all, that team is stacked and they're deep with players in the minors who'll someday contibute and that's not going to change anytime soon. Trust me.

My focus here in Providence..er Hartford is completely different. We've established a fan buzz, but to really get this team over the hump, we're going to need to sustain a winning attitude. After all, the Yankees hadn't been good much at all in the 1990s and so, fans are just coming around again there. The Bees are new and so, they can attract a whole new fan base and of course, their market is bigger because they can draw from Boston and southern New England in a way that the Yankees have been by virtue of being the only team in the region.

Anyway, let's take a look at the Bees roster heading into this year:

Here are the 25-man roster players, with their stats from last year:

BATTING

PITCHING

Ok, so here's the story. There is A LOT of pop in this lineup. Yeah, they strike out a lot too. But we acquired Allen Lee from Nevada in the off-season and if he can adjust to playing
in MLB, he'll be a solid pickup. Manolo Ramirez (aka, Manny) is a bonafide star. We got him from Chicago this off-season for four players. But he's a really solid guy and he's
only 21.

On the pitching side, our biggest free agent acquisition this off-season was Spike Ironside, a fan favorite in Pittsburgh, he comes to Providence at 29. He signed a
4-year deal worth over $58 million. He went 10-9 last year with a 4.33 ERA. He's got 112 career wins and I think on a team that can give him run support, he'll be a star.
He won 20 games two years ago, so he's got it in 'em and won a World Series with the Pirates in 2000. The rookies in our rotation include Miguel Ortega, who is a native
of Connecticut and Dominic Black, another local product who will come out of the bullpen to start the year, but will also spot start.

I think on paper we've got a team that should at least be solid enough to compete on a relatively high level. Given that we're in the uber competitive east, we'll know early on if the team
is the real deal or not. Coming off a division title, I expect them to be successful, but we'll go slow enough that if I need to make adjustments, we can.

It'll be very interesting to see how it all comes together.

The most ironic part of all of this, is the fact that Boston has a higher payroll than I do in Providence and part of why I came here was because of the owner's willingness to spend.

But this is Year 1. Let us begin!

Dark Cloud - this is a great read.

I have a question for you. Does OOTP support promotion and relagation? I'm curious to how you can do all of these things?

Well if by "support" you mean it does it automatically? No. But it does allow you to do it with some tinkering. But it's pretty much a seamless transition and there aren't a host of problems. If you want me to walk you through the process, I can do that for you. You basically just edit the league structure and move teams from one league to the other.

Then you build the schedule during the pre-season and play like normal. The stats don't make a distinction between leagues unless you make one league "lower" in quality, meaning you can make one a Triple-A league or something and the player's stats will reflect that. That's the difference between say, lower division soccer and baseball, you'd have to make the actual distinction that the league is of lower quality or else, the stats will remain major league.

In my particular league, MLB and the CL are effectively major league. Eventually, I'll have a Triple-A league or maybe an Open classification league that's defined as "international" that'll be a step below MLB.

I'd like to eventually have it setup so you could see a team from say, a small town, make it to the majors. There would obviously need to be some tweaks in terms of the 'realism' of such a system to make it seem like "oh, this could happen." But...yeah.

BOMBERS IN LAST? NEW YORK BRACES FOR THE WORST
NEW YORK - $98 million can buy you a lot of things. Most notably, it can help you acquire a
last place team. The New York Bombers have the highest payroll in baseball, but it's done nothing to help
that ballclub rise in the standings. The Bombers currently sit just a half game ahead Arizona in the
relegation standings.

No in baseball is really sure what to make of it.

The most notable thing is that the money doesn't equate to talent. It's the result of bad signings that the team can't get rid of now.

Case in point - Roberto Flores was signed after the 2001 season where he hit .270 with 17 HR and 69 RBI with Seattle. The Bombers signed him to a 6-year deal worth $120 million. No one is quite sure why.

Lorenzo Negron is a 34-year old hurler who came over from Columbus in 2002 on a four-year $62 million contract. He won 21 games, a career high in 2002, but went 10-13 last year and is 5-5 this year with a 4.63 ERA.

"I think they prove that you can't buy a title," said one baseball observer, who commented that the team will probably have to conduct a fire sale or pay significant amounts to get rid of players and attempt to pick up prospects to salvage the season.

"It's a lost year for them," said New York Times reporter Will Torre.

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL STANDINGS ~ JUNE 1, 2004

JUNE 2004

UN BEE-LIEVEABLE!
So the fact that the Bees are in first probably isn't all that shocking. This team took the Yankees to the wire in the playoffs and dominated their division last year.

So here are how things are going so far.

We're the best hitting team in baseball pretty much hands down. We have five guys at or over 40 RBI already (Andrew Cooper, Manny Ramirez, Lawrence Hill, Alfie Penrice and Pete Coleman). I think the real flaw is in our pitching.

We've managed to get up to about the middle of the pack in terms of most categories, but we probably need one more solid arm.

To contrast, last year in Boston, I had a team full of young flamethrowers. Providence isn't remotely that deep and so, I had to patch together something, plus use what we already had to keep the team in play.

The weakest link in the rotation is 28-year old Isai Villa (4-4, 6.02) and I'll probably try to move him.

Save for that, I'm hoping we can hold onto the division and enter the playoffs hot. If so, watch out for us.

But as we all know, the season is quite long and there is a long, long way to go.

BASEBALL'S REORGANIZATION

Starting in 2005, we're going to change baseball a bit.

MLB has officially decided to approve the Republic League's application for Tier II status. That means that the league will officially certified by MLB and be put under its umbrella

What does that mean?
It means that teams will for the first time be eligible to be relegated from the Continental League starting in 2006.

So what will change?

MLB is trying its best to make sure that teams are in all of the major media markets, as well as covering the markets that are just below that tier.

There will be some overlap, but eventually you could see teams in the Top 100 MSAs or more before long.

How will the new alignment look?
The Republic League will be merged into a larger structure. Another league will join it. The number of teams is unknown beyond the 10 that are in the RL right now. Salaries will go up. The average salary in the RL right now is $57,000 and I imagine that will likely at least double if not more.

Potential cities?
Orlando, Indianapolis, Norfolk, Austin, Jacksonville, Memphis, Louisville, Richmond, Oklahoma City, Buffalo, Birmingham, Salt Lake City, New Orleans, Omaha, Boise, to name a few.

Any other layers?
There will not be minors at this level.

What happens to the draft?
How'd you know about that? We're eliminating the draft permanently after the 2004 season. A new level of league will be established. It will be 4th division of American baseball. The teams will not be allowed to carry players over the age of 25.

There will be no playoffs in that league. The #1 team will enter a playoff with the worst team from the Republic League. The winner of that best-of-seven series will be given RL rights for the following season.

The lower league will primarily be a place where younger players 'get their start'.

Ok, so tell me this again. In less than 20 words.

It's simple:

MLB (Premier League of Baseball)

CL (1st Division)

RL (2nd Division)*no promotion to CL until 2006.

new league (3rd Division)*no promotion to RL until 2007.

Welcome to the future of American baseball.

COLLEGE PLAYOFFS
Mississippi State def. Nebraska 4 gms to 2

UCLA def. Rutgers 4 games to 2

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES FINALS
UCLA beat Mississippi State 4 games to 2 to capture the 2004 College World Series title.

COLLEGE STANDINGS, FINAL 2004

I am officially soliciting cities for the 3rd division. No city is too small. Ok, let's not be ridiculous. Give me a legitimate reason to put a team there.

QUITE A DEAL: BEES MAKE PACT WITH BOMBERS & ROCKIES
June 17, 2004
PROVIDENCE -- The Providence Bees pulled the trigger on a three-team deal tonight that included a package of name players and prospects.

The deal allowed both Providence and New York to jettison overpaid players who weren't pulling their weight.

The Bombers sent underacheving outfielder Roberto Flores to the Bees along with catcher Rafael Medine(.209/1 HR/22 RBI), outfield prospect Ricky Rodriguez and 34-year starter Lorenzo Negron to Providence for 26-year old outfielder Andy Carney (.201/12 HR/ 39 RBI), 23-year old catcher Lawrence Hill (.277/ 14 HR/47 RBI), reliever Joe Fulton (2-1, 2 SV, 20 K)and outfielder Trent Pagnal (.290/3 HR/ 17 RBI in 100 ABs)

The Bees then sent Flores and starter Isai Villa to the Colorado Rockies for three prospects and reliever Kinnojo Sato (0-2, 4.19 ERA in 30 appearances)

"I think this will help us shore things up from a veteran perspective, it saves us some money and long-term, it gives us a few prospect shots in the arm. All very valuable things," said GM D.C. Daly about the move.

You should see this:

JUNE 29, 2004

RED SOX TO CHANGE NAME IN 2005

RIVERSIDE - If the Red Sox can hold on and stay in the majors for another season, the Riverside Red Sox announced today that the team will change its identity in 2005.

It's expected the team intends to try to tie itself to Los Angeles more closely, to capitalize on that region's marketing power.

DOWN THE STRETCH
Playoff time means fighting for spots and for titles. The Boston Yankees and Providence Bees are not just fighting for the Eastern Division title, but the winner of the east is presumed to be named the first-ever winner of the MLB Champions League, the regular season champion of baseball. The Colorado Rockies are meanwhile just fighting for a shot to get into the playoffs. The ballclub is just 1 1/2 games out. It seems that the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Bombers will duel in the waning days of the MLB season to determine who will participate in the AT&T Challenge Series.

It should be an interesting few weeks of the regular season!

STANDINGS
SEPTEMBER 1, 2004

WHAT IF THERE IS A TIE IN THE CHALLENGE SERIES STANDINGS
Here's the answer to a natural trivia question that might be coming up really soon.
If there is a tie in the challenge series standings, the teams play a one-game playoff to determine who advances to the Challenge Series.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2004
THE BATTLE DOWN THE WIRE
While there are no division races and the Wild Card spots also seemed to be dealt out, there is a heated battle at the bottom of the baseball standings with 3 games left in the regular season.

CHALLENGE SERIES STANDINGS
New York (57-102)
Arizona (58-101)
Riverside (59-100)

It is plausible that all three teams could finish with the same record. The team with the best head-to-head record among the three would get the option of two home games against both teams or playing the winner of the two other teams on the road.

That said, all they have to do to stay out of this is to keep winning. The Arizona Diamondbacks actually made deals at the deadline to try to stave off relegation and have won 4 straight and 7 of their last 10, better than any of the three teams in the relegation zone.

The Bombers can help their cause by winning and saving themselves the embarassment of having to shed about $40 million more in payroll should they lose the Challenge Series. They've already dumped about $18 million in payroll via deals earlier this off-season.

"We're trying not to focus on anything but winning," said Bombers outfielder Trent Pagnal.

WORLD SERIES QUARTERFINALS MATCHUPS
NY METS V. BOSTON
WASHINGTON V. CINCINNATI
PROVIDENCE V. LA DODGERS
BROOKLYN V. DETROIT

BOMBERS FACE RELEGATION
In the strangest turn of events in New York baseball history, the New York Bombers will enter the AT&T Challenge Series facing the winner of the Portland Beavers/New York Rens Guinness Cup Series matchup.

The Bombers can take solace in the fact that the San Francisco Giants became the first MLB team to fight off relegation, dispatching the Minnesota Twins in last year's Challenge Series.

CONTINENTAL LEAGUE
FINAL STANDINGS 2004

PROVIDENCE V. LA DODGERS PREVIEW
Well how about this one? I almost took the Dodgers job and assessed them to be a bit short and not really ready to do anything. Well, I look at it now and think..well..pretty much what I thought then.

They're thin. But then, that doesn't mean they won't beat us.

The Dodgers have the best relief corps in baseball. Closer Mike Sharpe had 39 saves and a 1.57 ERA this year, and their starting staff is a two-headed monster of John Shaffer (19-11, 3.22) and Francisco Marquez (17-12, 3.58 ERA)

CF Juan Alvarez is giving the #42 significance in Dodger country. He only hit .210 this year, but he had 40 HRs and 102 RBI. Weird? But it worked for him...

Stephen Woodward is on the other side of the outfield. He hit .301 with 34 HR and 123 RBI this past year and Chris Womack is the right fielder and hit .311 with 27 HR and 110 RBI.

I think they're a solid team all around and whereas we're running with a lot of youngsters and spare parts, they're far more "chemistry" based.

You know the names, but I'll tell you again. It all starts and ends with Andrew Cooper at first base. A career high 52 HRs this year and 133 RBI. He's a beast.

Manny Ramirez is in his first season in Providence, he's no longer "Manolo" but he's He-Man to us. 44HRs and 100 RBI and we're hoping a stellar playoff season.

Al Jacobs hit .272 with 30 HR and 102 RBI to round out the order.

You might think it's weird when I say our pitching is a weakness. But we give up a lot of runs and I'm not convinced that we're playoff tested. We'll rely on Miguel Ortega (19-7, 2.73) and Ron Cowan (17-13, 4.81)

I know if it comes down to it, Paul Monuer is one of the best in the business (5-3, 44 SV, 1.72 ERA) and he'll shut down the door.

It'll be a toss-up series, but if the boys in black can dig deep...they'll prevail.

FINAL PITCHING STATS ~ 2004 PROVIDENCE BEES

FINAL BATTING STATS ~ 2004 PROVIDENCE BEES

MLB CHALLENGE SERIES
The matchup is between the New York Rens (Harlem, Manhattan) and the New York Bombers (Bronx). Because the matchup is a subway series, MLB decided to play the Series in New York City, using the same double header format as usual.

The Rens are seeking to become the first major league team to play in Manhattan since the New York Giants played at the Polo Grounds, while the Bombers are seeking not to be relegated.

GAME 1: RENS 1 BOMBERS 0
GAME 2: RENS 9 BOMBERS 8
GAME 3: RENS 10 BOMBERS 7
NEW YORK BOMBERS ARE RELEGATED TO THE CONTINENTAL LEAGUE, RENS PROMOTED TO MLB, WIN COMMISSIONERS PIN & 2004 AT&T CHALLENGE SERIES

GAME 1 WSQF: PROVIDENCE 5, LA DODGERS 3

After a pitcher duel broke out for the first 8 1/2 innings, the Los Angeles Dodgers broke the game open with three runs in the bottom of the 8th.

Undaunted, the Bees scored 5 in the 9th, spurred by a Pete Coleman grand slam.

The win puts the Bees up 1-0 in the Series.

GAME 2 WSQF: PROVIDENCE 10, LA DODGERS 8
It seems whatever the Dodgers do, the Bees wait until the 9th to prove their mettle.

Despite being down 8-1 after 7 innings, the Bees chopped at the lead, scoring 4 in the top half of the 8th. Needing 3 runs to tie in the 9th, the Bees brought out their bats. A solo shot by Alfie Penrice and a three-run homer by Manny Ramirez spurred a 5 run 9th that gave the Bees a 10-8 win and a 2-0 lead in the series.

GAME 3: LA DODGERS 6, BEES 0
No magic exlir could be found for Game 3 at home, as the Dodgers put up 6 runs and Mike Moore pitched 8 2/3 innings of 2-hit ball, to give the Dodgers their first win of the series.

GAME 4: PROVIDENCE 6, LA DODGERS 3
The Bees got eight strong innings of work from Lorenzo Negron, who struck out 5, to win advance to the semifinals series for the 2nd straight year.

GAME 1: PROVIDENCE 5, BROOKLYN 2
The Bees got strong pitching from Reggie O'Neal, who struck out 4 in 7 1/3 and [b]Alfie Penrice went deep twice for his 3rd and 4th homers of the post-season to capture a 1-0 series lead on the road against the Brooklyn Cyclones.

GAME 2: BROOKLYN 3, PROVIDENCE 1
Mitsuo Asai pitched eight innings of 5 hit ball, while the struggles of Spike Ironside of the Bees in the playoffs continue. He's got a 7.50 ERA in the playoffs, as the Bees go down and the series gets tied 1-1.

GAME 3: BROOKLYN 8, PROVIDENCE 3

The Cyclones lit up Miguel Ortega for 6 earned in 6 1/3 innings, while Anastastio Lopez gave up just 3 earned and four hits in 7 innings, to give the Cyclones a 2-1 series lead.

GAME 4: PROVIDENCE 5, BROOKLYN 4
If you had to summarize the Bees performances in the playoffs to date, it'd simply be "they just win."

Game 4 was no exception to that rule, as the Bees scored 5 runs in the bottom of the eighth after being down 4-0 to win Game 4 of the World Series Semi-Finals over the Brooklyn Cyclones.
Andrew Cooper had a double in the 8th with 2 out and bases loaded to break the game open.

GAME 5: PROVIDENCE 6 BROOKLYN 1
Lorenzo Negron pitched a complete game 4-hitter, as he was in complete control of the game and as a result, have the Bees on the doorstep of the World Series for the first time in franchise history.

Al Jacobs hit his first homerun of the post-season and Alfie Penrice continues to be on fire, hitting his sixth homer of the post-season.

GAME 6: PROVIDENCE 7, BROOKLYN 3
It was a team effort, as the Bees used five pitchers to secure a narrow lead 5-3 lead heading into the 9th, but they tacked on 2 runs and made Paul Moneur's job easy to give the Bees a 4-2 series victory against the Brooklyn Cyclones.

The Bees got home runs from Manny Ramirez, his 3rd of the post-season and Andrew Cooper in the 9th.

Manager Manny Serna attributes the team's recent offensive surge in a new lineup.

"We decided to tweak things a bit and it's had a lot of success for us. I hope it works in the next round," he said.

The Bees will take on the winner of the Cincinnati Reds-Boston Yankees series, that has gone to a 7th game, despite the heavily favored Yankees having a 3-1 series lead after four games.

The Yankees-Bees matchup would be a rematch of last year's hotly contested Semifinals Series matchup that was won by Boston in seven games.

REDS UPSET THE YANKEES 5-3 IN GAME 7 OF SEMIS
BOSTON - Well, so much for a matchup between the two New England ballclubs, a rematch of last year's semifinals game, that everyone called "the real world series."

Nope. The Cincinnati Reds, who were dismissed by most because they play in the "weaker" Southern Division, won 105 games this year and weren't slouches.

The Reds got out to an early 3-1 lead, before the Yanks tied it in the bottom of the 7th. The score stayed knotted up at 3-3 until the top of the 12th, when a rally yielded 2 runs, which was all reliever Legesse Gichinga needed to close out the game and to send the Reds to the World Series for the first time.

"It's why they play the games," said Reds GM Enrique Martinez. "People doubted this team all year. But they're a great group of guys."

The Reds finished the regular season Top 5 in most offensive and pitching categories.

"We're going to be a tough matchup for the next team."

GAME 1: CINCINNATI 4, PROVIDENCE 3
GAME 2: CINCINNATI 4, PROVIDENCE 3
GAME 3: CINCINNATI 6, PROVIDENCE 3
GAME 4: PROVIDENCE 8, CINCINNATI 7
GAME 5: CINCINNATI 7, PROVIDENCE 5

CINCINNATI REDS WIN 2004 WORLD SERIES

In the end, I knew we were overmatched. I didn't see this team on our radar and thought Boston would pull it out. But they're dangerous and they proved it. More importantly, we're just not very good. I mean, we have some playmakers, but the more I looked at this roster late in the year, the less happy I was with it. Maybe it's going from a complete team to one that you inherit after just one year.

Whatever it is, I'm proud that we got far and that we did as well as we did. But, there is a factor of me that looks up north and the mess that's up there and think to myself, "I could've done better than that."

It's like building a house, putting all of the stuff in it and then deciding to move after you just get comfortable. Or before you can truly appreciate how great a decorating job you did.

Well, that's how this year felt to me. Very bittersweet.

DALY QUITS BEES JOB
After just one year on the job as GM of the Providence Bees, the 29-year old GM says he's had enough.

"I want to do something in baseball, but I want something that's closer to my roots. This is just...I dunno. I've had a great run and the World Series and the players -- all of it, I've enjoyed immensely. But I just need a break."

The announcement comes just days after the Bees were beaten in 5 games by the Cincinnati Reds in the '04 World Series.

The Reds also beat D.C. former team, the Boston Yankees and his resignation has fueled intense speculation that he'll be heading back to Beantown for next season.

Both the Yankees and D.C. have denied such reports, but reports have him returning in all sorts of capacities such as team President, Executive VP or some other roles which will give him the control he craved when he left the team abruptly last season.

"You can believe he'll be back in baseball sooner than later," said one executive who declined comment.

Daly had four years left on his deal in Providence at the time of his resignation.

I'll put in a vote for Gary, IN as a team in the new 3rd division. A suburb of Chicago (kinda how Newark is a suburb of new York city), it should have the market to support a team.

Team name suggestions: Steelheads (current USBL team), the Railcats (current Northern League team), and the Panthers (my high school team).

I have to speak up for my midwestern bretheren with Fargo Bison, St. Paul Saints. Other cities that would be good are Ft. Worth Cattlemen, Salt Lake City, Omaha, Little Rock, Vero Beach, Dayton.

For reference, here's a current map of all of the teams in MLB and the CL.

It's useful for me to "see" where the teams are geographically, so I understand where the concentration of teams truly are.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...2b2c8d1a3397fb

WHAT WE DID
Ok, so there were a lot of changes and frankly, I'm not sure how I kept up with it all.

But anyway.

Here's what happened.

- The Dominican Development League was folded.

- The minor league of the Continental League was also jettisoned.

- The Republic League in its original form was folded, as were all of its team, the league will be 'reborn' as a new league that'll announce shortly.

- The 3rd division will also be announced at that time.
----
MLB UNVEILS NEW SETUP
Baseball's growth around the world, said MLB's Commissioner and a desire to "enhance the competitive experience of baseball fans around the world," has facilitated a new baseball "pyramid" that will "revolutionize" the game.

While baseball was already the first American team sport to introduce promotion and relegation to the landscape, what will take place this season will surpass anything baseball's seen before.

In order to get the players association to agree to the new 'pyramid' structure of baseball, free agency was granted to EVERY player at every level.

The rationale? "Players should have the right of self-determination. And if we've got owners who can make decisions about where their teams will play and what that'll be all about, the players ought to get a one-chance shot to do the same thing," said MLBPA spokesman Matt Holliday.

So there are over 5,000 players in the pool.

"The teams are all back in it and cities that were once home to minor league clubs or to independent teams are dreaming of their one day when they too can be major league. It's a great story."

The Republic League has been officially closed and will be replaced by the National League (AAA). The American League (AA) will be the 4th division, leaving the final setup as:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL (1st division/Premier League)
CONTINENTAL LEAGUE (2nd division)
NATIONAL LEAGUE (3rd division)
AMERICAN LEAGUE (4th division)

To streamline the process, MLB decided that promotion and relegation in the NL and AL will begin at the start of the 2007 season for both teams. The American League setup will be announced by December 1st.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

I wrestled and still have for a bit about the 'distinctions' of the leagues. I mean, what do you call them? Is MLB the Premier League or the 1st division? I know that England has it a certain way and our setup with the MLB and CL are basically similar to the EPL and Coca-Coca Championship. But it's an American spin on a decidedly unAmerican practice and so, I struggle with the semantics to some degree as I go through it.

I won't focus on the lower leagues in-depth much at all unless people specifically ask about a team or something, unless the story calls for it. Because if I do, it'll distract and get really confusing (if it's not already) and I'd hate to take away from the interesting parts of whatever story we're following to give you mundane details.

I've decided to hold off on adding the American League until the end of the 2005 season and it might even wait until the end of 2006, we'll see.

It'll put them at a disadvantage to be sure, but I'd kinda like to get this crazy off-season out of the way, because with everybody shifting all over the place, I think it would just be better to let the dust settle a bit, let things get a little less convoluted. The setup is new, it's different and we've got to get it moving before we go adding another team to the setup and so...that's just what I think about that.

So that being said, the next few years will be a fly-by as we discuss the relevant stuff that needs discussed and leave the rest out.

Mostly just where teams have regrouped and found themselves, what the salaries in each are and payroll numbers, etc.

The NL will have a best-of-seven game playoff to determine the winners of each Association, followed by a best-of-seven game NLCS. The winner of the NLCS will be promoted to the Continental League. There is no relegation playoff at that level. And I think we'll employ that method at the lower levels across the board.

There is a possibility for a future playoff between the last-place team and some sort of 2nd place finisher, but...we're not anywhere close to being there yet.

I'm gonna sim the off-season completely and come back with some numbers and stuff.

DESPITE THE CRAZINESS, ALL IS WELL
When we first approached the idea of making everyone a free agent, I worried that it wouldn’t work.

And it didn’t.

At first, anyway.

The game clearly isn’t equipped to handle when about 5000 players decide to magically become free agents at the same time. And despite 3 pro leagues with ample cash to sign them, players weren’t getting acquired.

I was worried the whole dynasty might be in jeopardy. But I used my head.

Basically, all you have to do is fill the rosters with fictional players. But not good ones. Instead, you change the creation modifiers to make the players newly created awful and after a day or two, the teams will release them all and sign the good players waiting out in free agency.

Why does this happen? I have no freakin’ idea. I’m just glad it worked or else I’d have to spin this year as the “year of the replacement player.”

Because things are working smoothly, promotion and relegation will happen as normal. I feared if things went wacky, that we’d have to wait a year to do it in all of the leagues. But, things will go as planned.

Also, in the National League we’ve gotten rid of the DH. So it’s the only league that doesn’t use it. I figured that’d add a nice old-school twist to things.

REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS ~ FINAL
Remember: NL - 3rd division CL - 2nd division MLB - Premier League

NATIONAL LEAGUE 2005 FINAL STANDINGS
Only division champs make the playoffs. NL will not be promoting/relegating in 2005.

CONTINENTAL LEAGUE 2005 FINAL STANDINGS

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 2005 FINAL STANDINGS

NCAA PLAYOFFS
Wichita State def. Mississippi State 4 gms to 1
UCLA def. Maryland 4 gms to 2

2005 COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
Wichita State def. UCLA 4 gms to 1

2005 PLAYOFF MATCHUPS

NATIONAL LEAGUE
ASSOCIATION FINALS

2005 NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Buffalo def. Indianapolis 4 gms to 3

CONTINENTAL LEAGUE GUINNESS CUP SERIES

AT&T CHALLENGE SERIES presented by MLB
@ Rosenblatt Stadium, Omaha
Monterrey def. Milwaukee 3 gms to 0

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
WS QUARTERFINALS

WORLD SERIES SEMIFINALS
Boston def. Cubs 4 gms to 2
Pennsylvania def. Texas 4 gms to 2

2005 WORLD SERIES
Pennyslvania def. Boston 4 gms to 1

Who knew that it'd just take a name change to get the Colonials their first World Series?

Here's the American League's inaugural setup for 2006.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SETUP (2006)
NORTHERN CONFERENCE
---
Worcester, MA
Hartford, CT
Appleton, WI
Rockford, IL
Grand Rapids, MI
Harrisburg, PA

Pacific CONFERENCE
-----
Santa Maria, CA
Spokane, WA
Bend, OR
Reno, NV
Grand Junction, CO
Fargo, ND

Fantastic read, I am following, however, I am shocked you are left the Bees considering you fawned over them the year previous, you take them over and go to the WS.

How do you decide when to contract/move a team?

Would you be willing to post your league/universe file? I'd love to see how the league works and how it looks within the game.

Thanks for the post.

You will soon find out why I left the Bees.

And originally my team move/contraction methodology was based solely on geography and of course, a team's lagging attendance. But I try to do it less and less, because it can be hard to follow the game if the teams are always moving around and so, I try to minimize it. That said, I'm always willing to take new team suggestion/city suggestions, because I always feel like there are more cities as we get further down the line that get neglected or make for a compelling story as we move forward.

It's easier now with lower leagues and stuff, because with promotion/relegation, the league is subject less to my whims and if I do get the desire to add random teams in Nowhere, USA, I can just create a lower league that may or may not enter MLB's promotion/relegation scheme.

Here's a link to the league file if you wanna download it/check it out. Just contains the .dat files. Unzip it to your saved games folder (it's already in a folder called MLB 2.0 and it should load okay. Lemme know whatcha think. I haven't named all of the teams in the American League in this version and you don't get any of my logos to the custom teams (not 'cuz I mind if you have 'em, I just didn't want to upload a 200MB file)

Link

If you check out the map, you can exactly where all of the teams are, including the newly added American League teams.

AMERICAN LEAGUE TEAMS NAMED
NORTHERN CONFERENCE
Appleton Foxes
Grand Rapids Griffins
Hartford Whalers
Rockford Foresters
Harrisburg Senators
Worcester Browns

PACIFIC CONFERENCE
Bend Brewers
Dakota Thundercats
Grand Junction Grays
Reno Miners
Santa Maria Winemakers
Spokane Natives

This is amazing, I updated the AL team names in the file that I downloaded - was there anything else you did? Doesn't sound it.

Also, I thought you played without view of the ratings, I thought I read that somewhere up there.

I used to. I turned them back on though. I hate scouts because it adds them to the payroll and there isn't a real steady flow of players coming in. I forget why I turned them back on. Oh, I just think having more information was better than less.

I just changed it from 1-20 to 1-100 when I stopped running the Bees.

Nope, didn't do anything else otherwise.

And for those at home wondering, I wrestled with making the lower leagues something lesser than major leagues. But in the end, I decided that the players talent levels across the board doesn't really change the fact that they're major leaguers and it wasn't worth the confusion in stats and stuff, to try to change the distinctions. It'll be evident to me, when it comes time to put a guy in the Hall or more importantly, when I'm signing guys what the difference between a 30 homer season in the AL is like versus MLB.

I wanted to mirror more the European style rather than trying to artifically diminish the importance of one league versus the other and so, they're all major leagues technically, it's just one is a lower tiered league (and the player creation modifiers reflect this) than the others.

I actually agree with that rationale, for what its worth.

Oh, there are a few name changes I made:

San Juan is now the Puerto Rico Leones. I did this so I could use the Puerto Rico WBC jersey for the team.

Indianapolis Browns are now the Indianapolis Nine.

Los Angeles Empires are now the California Empires. (I almost went with Los Angeles Empires of Riverside. Almost...)

Toronto Blue Sox are now the Toronto Blue Jays.

That's all my moves.

Well thanks. I really sure wasn't too sure what to do, but I do like the way things are now. I think the European setup was what convinced me in the end. I mean, we all know MLS isn't on par with the EPL or La Liga, but we don't need a "Double-A" moniker to indicate that.

D.C. TO PURCHASE AL'S WORCESTER FRANCHISE
WORCESTER, MA - After almost two years away from the game, it seems that D.C. Daly is ready to come back. But this time, the only person he's answering to is himself.

The 30-year old baseball exec who has already help build two New England clubs and took them to the World Series has a far more daunting task ahead of him as the new primary owner of the Worcester Browns of the new American League.

"I've always wanted to own my own team. I can't tell you how exciting it is that I get to do this, especially at my age. It's a childhood dream come true, but it won't be complete until we're someday playing on the biggest stage possible," said Daly about the acquisition.

He formed a partnership with several of his contacts from his days with the Boston Yankees and with those minority owners backing him, was able to put his own money up to buy the team. He reminds people that he went to college for economics, not baseball.

"Let's just say I know how to save a penny when I need to."

With just four months until the American League season begins, D.C. expects to dive right in.

"The best part of this, is that I get to combine my love for player development and talent, with being able to do something sustainable. I can't wait."

2006 CHANGES
Just so you know, the AL has effectively eliminated its cash maximum. Here's why. In theory, the AL teams could get rich and fat simply selling off their best players to leagues above them. The main difference as I see it between the National League and the American League for the purposes of this game, is that the NL is a competitive league with teams all gunning for the next level. Whereas, AL teams are split down the middle. Half are player development factories that have no intention of 'trying' to make it to the majors, with the others trying to develop young players with some veterans to get in while their window allows for it.

In 2006, the AL isn't eligible for promotion to the NL and so, it'll just be a 'test run' season to see what the new league is all about.

The salary cap is $15 million this year. In the NL it's $20 million and the winner of the NLCS will receive automatic promotion to the CL for 2007, with the worst CL team being demoted.

The salary cap in the CL this year is $50 million.