[PilotMan]

I'm going to add something here because I think it's a great idea. I love to hear snippets from others games and I always have things I want to add from mine, but they aren't worthy of a full dynasty. So.....

I've been playing OOTP 10 as manager (no GM duties at all, just game to game stuff, that means minors are completely off limits and I get the hand I'm dealt) of the Los Angeles Dodgers, with real players. I ran the game from 1975 to 1982 and took over in 1983. Right now it's 1984, and deep in September. We were in first, but the wheels have come off and we sit 3 games in back of the Atlanta Braves.

The good news is that we have one of the best offensive teams in the league. Between Dale Murphy (.266, 35, 101) and George Brett (.338, 27, 94) we have two of the best weapons in baseball. Our standard lineup looks like this:

SS Hubie Brooks (.291, 6, 30)
2B Jim Morrison (.275, 17, 68)
3B George Brett
CF Dale Murphy
RF Ken Landreaux (.263, 13, 54)
LF Gary Matthews (.258, 7, 30)
1B Steve Garvey (.260, 9, 45)
C Bob Brenly (.238, 12, 46)

We have had terrible production out of our 1B, LF and RF slots. Ken Landreaux has been an 8 year starter but is way down after 2 killer years. Garvey and Bob Watson have shared time at first but neither are very effective. Al Bumbry has been mixed in with The Sarge.

That brings me to our pitching staff. We have Rick Rhoden (18-11, 2.66). That's about it on the front line. Rhoden has had a sub 3.00 ERA for 6 years straight and won the Cy Young in 1981.

The rest of our rotation looks like this:

Joel Finch (15-10, 4.10)
Mike Witt (13-12, 3.54)
Dennis Leonard (3-8, 3.82) (Waiver pickup from the Blue Jays)

Our #5 slot has gone back and forth between Mark Lemongello (4-7, 4.71) and Pete Vuckovich (5-12, 3.94).

On the back end we have been blessed. Gene Garber had 48 saves last year in his first year with the Dodgers since coming from the Reds. Garber (2-1, 1.47, 4 Saves) has been all over the place and done well being the closer for the Phillies, Red Sox, Yankees, Brewers all since 1975. Even through all of that he lost his job to super-stud closer Goose Gossage (2-2, 2.05, 28 S), who was the big offseason signing last year.

That brings me to our September call-ups. All year long Nick Esasky killed pitchers in AAA. He hit .294, hit 43HR, and drove in 109 RBI's. He could play 1B better than either Watson or Garvey and I salivated all year hoping the GM would bring him up. When I got the chance he started right away. He hit .244, with 0 HR and 4 RBI with 12 K's in 41 AB's, before tearing a quad and ending his season.

The other big hurt was Dave Henderson was promoted mid year when injuries opened up a spot. Henderson was drafted by the Dodgers and got some early shots in his first two years as a professional. He wasn't anything special and spent the next two years in AAA where he blossomed into a player with 20/20 skill and a near .300 average. He finally got his chance again this year and he immediately paid dividends in our lineup. Of course, our GM sent him back down as soon as Gary Matthews came back from his injury (BOOO!). Henderson is back and has hit .290 with 6 HR and 17 RBI on the year.

The other youngsters getting looks are Mike Lavalliere (hit .310 @AAA) and Dick Schofield (a 21-year old, former 3rd round pick) who has gotten better and better. Now, Lavalliere doesn't have much competition in front of him with Bob Brenly and Earl Williams, so he has a shot next year. But Schofield is still young and is behind Hubie Brooks who is only 27, and is arbitration eligible this year. There's not much in the farm system after that.

I wasn't really going anywhere with this, just wanted to share some of the trials we have been enduring.

One more funny thing. Doc Gooden, only 19, was actually drafted by the Mets and has lead them to first place, no hit us earlier this year. He worked his record to 18-5 and posted a 1.80 ERA before tearing his triceps. He may still win the Cy Young award. As a rookie he went 13-4 with a 1.85 ERA and 193K's in 165 IP and didn't win Rookie of the Year. That went to Greg Walker, the Reds first baseman, who hit .309 with 42 HR and 105RBI. Walker also won league MVP in his rookie year and then fell into a sophomore slump hitting .289 with 9 HR's and 36 RBI. He can't hit lefties now and is platooning with Pat Tabler. There's some other good stuff, so if anyone has any stories they would like to hear I'd gladly tell.