1987 Regular Season thread!

[Alan T]

I am pretty pumped about this regular season. I am interested in seeing what happens more-so this year then many of the past few.

I am planning on starting things at the normal time, but will have to play it by ear tonight. Woke up this morning with a huge ice storm and no power to about 150,000 homes in my area. Power company says late Saturday estimated restoral time.

So since there is no power, that means no heat. Since my wife has pulmonary fibrosis, I decided to just make a get-away day out of it. I took a personal day from work, and drove in to a boston suburb and rented a hotel room for the day/night for my family.

Sooo I expect to get things going on time tonight, but we'll see at that time.

[ekcut]

I'm on pins and needles. My new $5mil closer had a 17+era in the pre season...something like 14 runs in 8 innings. 7 Dingers allowed...ya...I'm worried as my entire team didn't hit 7 dingers! (I may be exagerating, I never really looked at my hitters)

But my team is definatly catered to the 'old ball'.
This newer livlier ball may be the death of my Gothams.

That said, I have a far better team this year...I have 3 new arms in my pen this year that are better than my best arm last year. My #5 starter who had a low 3 era last year, is now in AAA and replaced with a talented rookie. But I am SO far from confident. I'm loaded with high contact low power hitters, so it all depends on how the new ball effects the balance of power! I think "Earl Weaver Ball", the 3-run homerun, is going to kill me.

I'm not even making predictions this time. Too many new factors to consider.

[Young Drachma]

Excited to be in St. Louis. Not excited about anything else. I have absolutely no confidence in my team to get the job done, at all. Ever. Hartford won't die, Colorado, San Diego and Boston are all probably a bit step ahead of us.

Alas, we'll probably be in 5th place again. Which sucks.

[Young Drachma]

Dola

I am glad that the dead ball era of FOOL is coming to an end, though.

[ekcut]

It happened at the perfect time for me. It's almost time for a rebuild...I got a season or maybe two left with my current batch which gives me time to guage what type of players are successful in the new fool!

[gstelmack]

I am hopeful that my poor showing in Spring training means great things are ahead for the regular season...

[Chief Rum]

I am really excited looking forward to this season as well.

My pitching is more or less the same as it has been, which is solid. It isn't going to be the best ERA (it rarely is), but it won't be worst, and my bullpen figures to better simply by luck (same guys as #1 ERA two years ago, more or less, but had #6 ERA last year).

My hitting is getting a huge boost in adding Morgan, Peterson, Ostrom, Dawson and Chase. I think this is the best I have felt about the major league team since the 1983 season, when we won 97 games and went to the Classic.

Doesn't mean we'll win crap, of course, but I like the way the squad looks.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

I am hopeful that my poor showing in Spring training means great things are ahead for the regular season...

Good point. I actually "won" Spring Training. Start the ATL Cracker death nell now. Ouch, I hate winning that league.

[ekcut]

Can anyone direct me to where I can learn more about FOF?

Football is #3 on my list behind hockey and baseball. But I've got enough interest to sniff around to see if online leagues would interest me.

[gstelmack]

There's this cool place called Front Office Football Central. Just Google it.

[gstelmack]

[ekcut]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

There's this cool place called Front Office Football Central. Just Google it.

How can I find this "Google" thing?

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by ekcut

How can I find this "Google" thing?

google - Yahoo! Search Results

[ekcut]

Originally Posted by Alan T

google - Yahoo! Search Results

I googled my yahoo the other night...it was FANTASTIC...

So....is FOF what OOTP should strive to be? Or vise versa, or can an arguement be made for both....I suppose that is what I really want to know

[kaosfere]

Originally Posted by ekcut

How can I find this "Google" thing?

Here you go.

[kaosfere]

dola,

Regarding the season, meh. A few of my young kids are starting to blossom, but they're still a year or two from their prime, and my rotation is weak and lame and totally weak and lame. I picked up a couple old vets, including Wiley, to hold me over, but this is still definitely a team under reconstruction.

I hope to finish 6th this year. Anything better will make me squee with joy.

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by ekcut

I googled my yahoo the other night...it was FANTASTIC...

So....is FOF what OOTP should strive to be? Or vise versa, or can an arguement be made for both....I suppose that is what I really want to know

FOF is similar to OOTP in the sense that it is a huge market with untapped potential and very few other competitor products do what FOF or OOTP do well.

In both cases you have a huge number of die-hard fan boys and you also have a decent sized group of people who don't like the game for whatever reasons.

All I can suggest is try out the demo and see if it is something that you like. You should get a fairly decent feel for how much you can get into the game from the demo.

[kaosfere]

Regarding FOF, if you've ever thought that OOTP felt like playing a spreadsheet, it has nothing on FOF. I think the game defines "playing a spreadsheet".

It's enjoyable, but I've never gotten hooked on it because I find MP most enjoyable in these games, and ISTM that in order to compete in MP you need to spend a lot of time tweaking an incredibly long list of down-and-position strategies through a clumsy interface that makes Markus look like a UI god.

If I'm wrong on this, I'd love to know. Maybe I can give it a second shot.

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by kaosfere

Regarding FOF, if you've ever thought that OOTP felt like playing a spreadsheet, it has nothing on FOF. I think the game defines "playing a spreadsheet".

It's enjoyable, but I've never gotten hooked on it because I find MP most enjoyable in these games, and ISTM that in order to compete in MP you need to spend a lot of time tweaking an incredibly long list of down-and-position strategies through a clumsy interface that makes Markus look like a UI god.

If I'm wrong on this, I'd love to know. Maybe I can give it a second shot.

Considering how I play OOTP when I play OOTP, I don't think anything can compare to OOTP for "playing a spreadsheet". I think that there are many people (including some in this league) who enjoy FOF multiplayer.

My biggest issue with FOF is I hate the interface, it feels clumsy and it is ugly in my opinion. But I think the game engine is for the most part sound. If you are interested in a football game, it is in my opinion the best pro football game out there.

For multiplayer football though, I still don't think any game can beat BBCF (college football) for multiplayer play.

[Alan T]

Back on the subject of tonight, it looks like I'll probably be back to do the sim by about 10:30 - 10:45, so a slight delay is likely.. but get your exports in by 10pm ET as normal just in case I am on time.

[allpro10050]

After QUICKLY looking through the RL teams here is what i have come up with.

Contenders
1. Hartford
2. Colorado

Solid
3. San Diego
4. Ann Arbor

Mediorce
5. St Louis
6. Boston

Crappy AI
7. Columbus
8. Chicago

[Young Drachma]

I don't think we're mediocre. Our pitching just needs to grow a pair and we'll be right in the thick of it. Don't count us out. I can be down on this team, as they've simply not met muster for years. But...I think if I were another team, I'd keep one eye open just in case.

[brittdad]

I'm finally starting to feel comfortable enough with my team to start making a few moves. It would be very nice to approach .500 this season but it may take one more. It was nice to get a pitcher in the first round of the draft because it awfully expensive any other way. I am also working on a new team name for the near future. Thanks for all of your patience.

Scott

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

I did fairly well with the draft, with 8, 10, and 14 going with my top 3 picks, and my 4th round pick was the 4th of the 4 decently talent pitchers capable of being SP (IMO). That's not saying much--he was a good deal behind the top three. But, still, at least I got a guy I could convert into a starter.

The SP issue is something to consider, though.

We have 16 teams currently, most of whom are starting 5 man rotations, and even the 4 man squads usually have at least a fifth in reserve. So that's 80 major league spots. If everyone lasts an average of 15 years in the bigs, that means about 5-6 are retiring (or becoming too old to be useful) every year. Drafts have been producing maybe 3-4 pitchers per year at best who have the talent to be major league SPs, and more than half of these, it seems are MRs with high END.

So I think we're definitely looking at a pitching crunch in the near future, as we start to lose guys like Craig Davis, Guillermo Arrojo, Art Wiley, etc. to retirement, and not finding much with which to replace them.

Is the 40 END SP too far away? I am beginning to wonder.

I posted the above as the last post in the Offseason thread, and maybe no responses means it doesn't deserve any.

But I thought I would re-post it, because I think it is an interesting thing to consider when looking to the future of FOOL, and wondering how what, to me, looks like an obvious coming shortage in good pitching.

Every year, I set my draft list using a "Potential Rating" of "At Least 23", which usually gives me 6-9 pages of players to sort through. Every year, without fail, about 3/4 of these pages are hitters, and, also without fail, of the remaining qualifying pitchers, something like 4/5 of pitchers are not SPs. Even counting MRs with 40+ END, it's at best 3/10's of pitchers could end up as starters (regardless of talent, this is just a reflection of potential major league talent).

I can't remember if the Draft List window is 10 players listed or 12. I will go with 12 (best case scenario).

In a year in which I get 9 pages of sortable players at 23 Potential rating or above (which sets the bar very low, IMO, for being major league potential, even fringe)--and 9 is the most I have ever gotten, it was 6 this year only--we're talking about 9*12==108 major league potential players. 3/4 of those are hitters, so you take out 81 players, leaving just 27 pitchers of even approaching major league quality. At 1/5 of that as starting pitchers, you're looking at 5-6 per year, maybe add another one per year for MRs with the requisite END.

And that counts guys like 50-90-50 and 85-75-30 SPs who no one really thinks will make the bigs.

That, combined with the offensive surge and my anticipation that some CL owners when it comes their time again will regress their parks from the pitching-extreme parks they are now, means that an offensive era of unprecedented levels is on the horizon in FOOL. This might in fact be the first year of it.

I am guessing we will have a 50 HR hitter this year and a .350 average hitter. Maybe even more than one of each.

[Chief Rum]

Oh, yeah, based off of this, I am also thinking sign hitters now to long term deals for whatever you can get them to sign for. Because their price is going to go up sharply with their numbers. And don't overspend for a pitcher at today's prices. There is no point.

I wish I could extend Jose Gonzalez now, but with his option for next year out there, he won't listen to extension offers (if he was smart, he would know I am not likely to pick up that option).

[Tasan]

I'm not sure I'm gonna be on here tonight. I've finally caught the mess going around my house and feel like crap. I've exported so I'm ready, but I may miss my team storming to victory tonight! ;- )

[TimGuru]

Don't say storm. Its a touchy subject to us massachusettsians (me, alan, brittdad...others?)

[Chief Rum]

This is completely unscientific. My predictions:

RL

Hartford
Colorado
Ann Arbor
San Diego
St. Louis
Boston
Chicago
Columbus

Neither Hartford nor Colorado quite have the great offensive depth they need to be truly great teams, but they have the same formula of some great hitters and awesome pitching. Ann Arbor and San Diego are actually both a little deeper than the top two teams, but their lack of top of the line talent to compare with Hartford and Colorado means another year looking up. St. Louis is a solid ball club, but I think they're still a step behind the second tier. Boston needs a lot more offensive help to catch St. Louis, but they have decent pitching. Chicago and Columbus continue rebuilding years.

CL

Baltimore
Brooklyn
Atlanta
New York
Napa Valley
Toronto
Rio Grande
Wyoming

The top four are just insanely tight. I threw them in that order, really, completely on gut. Baltimore, I think you have to give them the edge, based on history. Brooklyn was probably the roster that impressed me the most on the eyeball test. Atlanta has a very strong team, but the pitching may be just a little behind where it needs to be. New York is also right there, but I felt Tim's team is just slightly lacking in the top end talent. These four could be interchangeable, really. Napa Valley might have the best offense, and has okay pitching, so they can make a run at the heels of the contenders. Toronto has built a surprisingly solid pitching staff, which I think gives them an edge on the bottom two. Rio Grande has some nice hitters, but the cupboard is bare with respect to pitching, so Wyoming could realistically catch them. I think that one's going to be tight to the end. They both look better than Chicago and Columbus in the RL.

[Chief Rum]

So call it. Try to pick out the league leading totals of AVG, HR, and RBI

RL

AVG: .377
HR: 48
RBI: 124

CL

AVG: .345
HR: 36
RBI: 111

[Alan T]

Ok, I'm here, looks like tonight should run close to on time. So getting ready to start things up in about 5minutes.

[Commo_Soldier]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

CL

Baltimore
Brooklyn
Atlanta
New York
Napa Valley
Toronto
Rio Grande
Wyoming

Hopefully I will make it this year. After another disappointing year last year, where I would have made the playoffs if my team did not perform 7 games under their expected record, I decided to revamp my team strategy, as it just has not worked out real well.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Commo_Soldier

Hopefully I will make it this year. After another disappointing year last year, where I would have made the playoffs if my team did not perform 7 games under their expected record, I decided to revamp my team strategy, as it just has not worked out real well.

As I said above, I really think you have a very strong roster. But this is an extremely tough league to win. All it takes is for some key player to have an unreasonably poor year, and you fall short by a game or two. For instance, look how close I came last year, and that was with Jose Gonzalez, arguably my best hitter, having an awful year by his standards. I get a normal year from him, I win two more games (that's all I needed), and then we have a playoff.

[Commo_Soldier]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

So call it. Try to pick out the league leading totals of AVG, HR, and RBI

RL

AVG: .359
HR: 43
RBI: 128

CL

AVG: .378
HR: 33
RBI: 117

[Alan T]

Ok, lets get this show on the road! Getting exports now.

[Alan T]

No exports from San Diego and Rio Grande

[Alan T]

Only Salary cap violater this season is the AI team (Chicago). Going to clean that up real quick and then get the season going.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Alan T

Only Salary cap violater this season is the AI team (Chicago). Going to clean that up real quick and then get the season going.

It's amazing to me that they can go over the cap with that team.

[Tasan]

RL

AVG: .363
HR: 54 (a Ranchero)
RBI: 145

CL

AVG: .336
HR: 37
RBI: 121
DOUBLES: 62 (by an Atlanta player)

[Tasan]

Looks like I will be on here. A little medicating from the wife, and some relax time this evening after a busy shopping day and I feel a little better.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Tasan

RL

AVG: .363
HR: 54 (a Ranchero)
RBI: 145

CL

AVG: .336
HR: 37
RBI: 121
DOUBLES: 62 (by an Atlanta player)

I could see that.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Tasan

Looks like I will be on here. A little medicating from the wife, and some relax time this evening after a busy shopping day and I feel a little better.

Glad to hear it. Love it when we can get a bunch of the league on for the sim.

[Alan T]

First pitch of the season comes courtesy of Napa Valley's Karl Gates vs Brooklyn!

[Tasan]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

I could see that.

You know, I put it there, but looking over your roster, I'm not sure there's a guy there with the speed/base running/gap/contact totals that could pull it off. I know how you build and your stadium, but I'm not sure the player is there for it. Maybe Dawson or Gonzales will go nuts, but I don't see it.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Alan T

First pitch of the season comes courtesy of Napa Valley's Karl Gates vs Brooklyn!

Ex Cracker!

He was one of those guys (my "second" five man rotation) that I couldn't seem to get anyone to trade for back a few years ago, even though they were better than a lot of starters out in the league.

[Tasan]

My guess from Gates? A 100+ mph heater from the looks of him.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Tasan

You know, I put it there, but looking over your roster, I'm not sure there's a guy there with the speed/base running/gap/contact totals that could pull it off. I know how you build and your stadium, but I'm not sure the player is there for it. Maybe Dawson or Gonzales will go nuts, but I don't see it.

You may be right, but I don't think you need speed to get doubles, just triples. So Romero and Dawson have probably really good chances. Gonzales would, too, except he actually is fast, so he would turn some of those into triples. Cutileiro probably falls short because he just doesn't hit enough GAPers, although he gets a ton of hits.

[Tasan]

Whew....moment of panic there. I toyed with going to a 5 man rotation at one point, but decided on 4. Had to go and check to make sure that's what I put the setting back to. It was.

[Tasan]

You know I hate that setting. It should just base it off the number of guys you put in there.

[Chief Rum]

Come to think of it, Cutileiro had 47 last year...

[Tasan]

Boy, the waiting is horrible. Come on Alan, get us the first month!