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Young Drachma · 11-07-2024, 10:12 PM

Remember 2051? When gas was cheaper, TikTok was still cool, and the Portland Stags put together the kind of season that makes you believe in baseball magic? That 112-win campaign wasn't just the high-water mark for Portland baseball—it was a glimpse of what this franchise could be. Now, at 45-46, the 2062 Stags find themselves at a crossroads that feels eerily familiar to long-time fans.

The Three Ages of Stags Baseball
The Foundation Years (2032-2037)

Made the playoffs in three of their first six seasons
Never finished worse than 6th
Established a pattern of competitive-but-not-dominant baseball
First playoff appearance in 2032 (86-76)
Built around solid pitching (3.82 ERA in inaugural season)

The Golden Era (2038-2044)

Won their first championship in 2038
Seven straight winning seasons
Division titles in 2039 and 2044
Peak offensive production (.282 batting average in 2043)
Five playoff appearances in seven years

The Modern Era (2045-Present)

The legendary 2051 season (112-50)
Another championship
Dramatic pendulum swings:

112 wins in 2051
61 wins in 2059
Now hovering around .500

The 2051 Blueprint
That 112-win team wasn't just good—it was historically great:

.313 team batting average
Made the playoffs AND won it all
+9 run differential per game

Everything that could go right, did

The Current Reality
The 2062 Stags are eerily similar to many of their predecessor teams:

Current .495 winning percentage (franchise average: .509)
5.04 ERA (franchise average in losing seasons: 4.87)
.273 batting average (franchise historical: .274)

What History Tells Us
Looking at the Stags' 30-year history, a few patterns emerge:

They're never bad for long (longest streak under .500: four seasons)
Their best years come after period of "meh" baseball
When they hit, they hit BIG (see: 2051, 2039)

The Case for Going For It
History suggests the Stags are due. Consider:

Their last significant playoff push came after a similar period of mediocrity
Their batting average (.273) matches their historical norm during successful runs
They've historically turned around pitching struggles mid-season

The Case for Patience
Then again:

Their current ERA (5.04) is closer to their down years
They haven't had back-to-back playoff appearances since 2051-2052
The franchise has historically needed full retools, not half-measures

The Bottom Line
The 2062 Stags aren't the 2051 team—but they might not need to be. This is a franchise that's made the playoffs with less, won with worse, and historically shown a knack for turning "maybe" seasons into "magic" ones.

The current team sits at a familiar crossroads: good enough to dream, flawed enough to doubt. But if 30 years of Stags baseball has taught us anything, it's that this franchise has a habit of making history just when everyone's stopped expecting it.

The only question is: Will 2062 be another footnote in Stags history, or the start of its next golden age?

11-07-2024, 10:12 PM	#25
Young Drachma Dark Cloud Join Date: Apr 2001	The Portland Paradox: 30 Years of Almost-There Baseball Remember 2051? When gas was cheaper, TikTok was still cool, and the Portland Stags put together the kind of season that makes you believe in baseball magic? That 112-win campaign wasn't just the high-water mark for Portland baseball—it was a glimpse of what this franchise could be. Now, at 45-46, the 2062 Stags find themselves at a crossroads that feels eerily familiar to long-time fans. The Three Ages of Stags Baseball The Foundation Years (2032-2037) Made the playoffs in three of their first six seasons Never finished worse than 6th Established a pattern of competitive-but-not-dominant baseball First playoff appearance in 2032 (86-76) Built around solid pitching (3.82 ERA in inaugural season) The Golden Era (2038-2044) Won their first championship in 2038 Seven straight winning seasons Division titles in 2039 and 2044 Peak offensive production (.282 batting average in 2043) Five playoff appearances in seven years The Modern Era (2045-Present) The legendary 2051 season (112-50) Another championship Dramatic pendulum swings: 112 wins in 2051 61 wins in 2059 Now hovering around .500 The 2051 Blueprint That 112-win team wasn't just good—it was historically great: .313 team batting average Made the playoffs AND won it all +9 run differential per game Everything that could go right, did The Current Reality The 2062 Stags are eerily similar to many of their predecessor teams: Current .495 winning percentage (franchise average: .509) 5.04 ERA (franchise average in losing seasons: 4.87) .273 batting average (franchise historical: .274) What History Tells Us Looking at the Stags' 30-year history, a few patterns emerge: They're never bad for long (longest streak under .500: four seasons) Their best years come after period of "meh" baseball When they hit, they hit BIG (see: 2051, 2039) The Case for Going For It History suggests the Stags are due. Consider: Their last significant playoff push came after a similar period of mediocrity Their batting average (.273) matches their historical norm during successful runs They've historically turned around pitching struggles mid-season The Case for Patience Then again: Their current ERA (5.04) is closer to their down years They haven't had back-to-back playoff appearances since 2051-2052 The franchise has historically needed full retools, not half-measures The Bottom Line The 2062 Stags aren't the 2051 team—but they might not need to be. This is a franchise that's made the playoffs with less, won with worse, and historically shown a knack for turning "maybe" seasons into "magic" ones. The current team sits at a familiar crossroads: good enough to dream, flawed enough to doubt. But if 30 years of Stags baseball has taught us anything, it's that this franchise has a habit of making history just when everyone's stopped expecting it. The only question is: Will 2062 be another footnote in Stags history, or the start of its next golden age? Last edited by Young Drachma : 11-07-2024 at 10:13 PM.