 |
11-02-2007, 03:02 PM
|
#1 | |||
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
A Brooklyn Story (OOTP2007)
INTRODUCTION
In 1993, MLB expanded by two teams. One of the teams was placed in Denver, Colorado. The other was placed in Washington, D.C. Denver had a tough time coming up with financial backers and when several possibilities fell through, it scrambled to find a money man — a Youngstown, Ohio, drug store magnate named Michael Monus. His presence — and so-called money, $26 million worth from him and his investors — clinched the bid for Denver. Well, it turned out Monus' money was built on fraud. A year after Denver had been awarded the bid, Monus had to pull out because he was charged with embezzling funds and falsifying profits at his Phar-Mor Inc. drugstore chain. Scrambling for new investors for their not-yet-fielded ballclub, the Colorado investors were forced to punt to a New York based investor named Wyatt Evans, who purchased their expansion franchise and decided to move it to Brooklyn, N.Y. Through legal problems, the team was placed in Newark, rather than New York to avoid the potential lawsuits that would follow. But Evans kept planning for his ballpark in Brooklyn. Both the Yankees and Mets balked at Newark, but two district court judges threw out challenges by the teams on anti-trust considerations, saying that the fact that New Jersey is an entirely different state did not prove that a team in Newark would not prove such claims. In 1995, a bill to repeal baseball's antitrust exemption was torpedoed by MLB lobbyists, but was later added a rider to a farm competitiveness bill and was passed in a late-night session, ushering a whole new era to Major League Baseball, rife with a variety of 'market corrections' to place teams in other markets, given that previously, all of the team moves in MLB had been orchestrated largely because of lawsuits or owner greed. It was at the end of that season that the Newark Rens, playing in a converted minor league stadium, announced a move to Brooklyn, returning major league baseball to the section of New York for the first time since the end of the 1957 season. The team, working with Borough President Nora Martinez, agreed on a deal to build a privately financed stadium -- the first in modern MLB -- called MetLife Stadium of Brooklyn to be located at the site for the Atlantic Yards, ironically a locale that was once considered for a stadium for the longlost Brooklyn Dodgers. The ballpark was finished in early 1997 and the team began their first season 40 years after the Dodgers started their last season in Brooklyn. Dimensions of MetLife Stadium (or simply "The Yard", who here irate at the name, afraid that some would be confused by the name and think the Mets had moved to Brooklyn..)  Quote:
The team, paying homage to the past, installed a center field area called "Champions Pavilion" where fans born before 1955 are able to get into games for $5.50 on Sundays. Brooklyn's Hall of Champions: 1890 (NL), 1899 (NL), 1900 (NL), 1916, 1920, 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1955 (WS), 1956 The team also retired the numbers of four Brooklyn Dodgers, referring to them instead as the "Brooklyn Four". The four were Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson and Duke Snider.     The team named itself the Brownstones, after the iconic residences that are famous in Brooklyn. "We wanted a name that represented our city past, present and future. Something everyone could rally around," said Evans.  In a concession to the Yankees and Mets, the newly named Brooklyn Brownstones agreed not to broadcast their games anywhere on New York City television stations for five years from the time they moved to Brooklyn. Team officials stated from the start that "the goal is to bring a title to Brooklyn." The team said that it would not be "inhibited by the ghosts of our past. We're here to be successful, we're here to rekindle the flame of Brooklyn baseball into a whole new generation and this time, we're not going anywhere." This Is A Brooklyn Story. |
|||
|
|
|
11-02-2007, 03:04 PM
|
#2 |
|
College Starter
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Roseville, CA
|
I see you decided on the Brownstones. Very kool...
|
|
|
|
|
11-03-2007, 04:44 PM
|
#3 | ||||||
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
A NEW DAY DAWNS IN BROOKLYN
D.C. Daly took the job as General Manager of the Brooklyn Brownstones during the 2008 season, after nearly a decade with the Toronto Blue Jays organization in a host of roles. The Jersey-born Daly said that he's "thrilled" to be part of a franchise with "a legacy that goes well beyond its years. I'm hoping to be part of the success here in Brooklyn for many, many years to come. When he arrived in 2008, the franchise had lost its three overall and second consecutive World Series. The losses -- despite the team's relative success during the decade the team had been in Brooklyn -- led New York area tabloids to brand the team the "Dem New Bums". Team ownership were adamant about what they called "Project 2020", which basically wrote that by the Year 2020, the Brownstones needed to be the #1 franchise in the NY Metro Area. This short document was based on a few tenets: Quote:
The goal from the time that Daly came on, was to established about a ten year window of success, past the "honeymoon" period (described as the first ten years of the franchise) so that in the 21st year of the team's existance and on, the team has some sort of sustainable history to lean on, melding the present with the past. But realizing that people who remember the Dodgers vividly were dwindling in numbers related to their time in Brooklyn, it was important for him to cultivate something that fans could cling to, when the team might not be doing so well. QUICK FACTS Here are some of the basic league facts: Quote:
WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS HISTORY (1994-present) Quote:
FROM HERE... After taking over in 2008, I decided to simulate an entire decade before taking over. Part of that, is because I wanted to get connected to the team, I wanted to get rid of most of the real players and gather a storyline for where the team will go into its third decade, after assessing the results of now until 2020 or so. So how this will work, is I'll be simming seasons until I get to the time where I want to begin telling a more detailed account of what's gone on. So what I'll do for each season is give a basic rundown of what happened, highlights if there were any and things that were important related to the ballclub that year. While the rest of the league is important, I'm going to attempt to narrow my focus a lot more on what's going on in Brooklyn to almost immerse you into the world of the Brownstones. Here is MLB's alignment as of the 2008 season: Quote:
2008 YEAR IN REVIEW Since arriving in Brooklyn in 1997, the Brownstones have now won seven division titles and have averaged about 3.7 million fans during that span, going over 4 million three times (2001, 2003, 2007). Despite returning the National League pennant to Brooklyn three times since 1999 (1999, 2000, 2007), the one problem the team had was a lack of execution at critical times. To hear it from new GM D.C. Daly, the team just suffered from cohesion issues. "We were a really good squad of individual players. I mean, from top to bottom we were good. We weren't great, because there wasn't any synthesis to how the team was constructed. When I got here, I thought it was important to build with a purpose." The dominoes started to fall into place once Cardinals first baseman Ryan Howard, a 28-year slugger who has star cred written all over him and a five-time all-star demanded a trade away from his hometown team. Daly said making the deal to get him was "something that doesn't fall into your lap too often. But once he visited us here, he knew he wanted to be part of The Brooklyn Experience." And what an experience it was. In his first season with the 'stones, Howard hit 61 homerrs, the most in Brooklyn franchise history. He became just the second player in modern history to hit 170+ RBI in a season, Carols Delgado's 174 in 2002 was the most ever, but Howard's 170 puts him #2 on that particular list. But Howard wasn't the only player that the team acquired who made an impact in his first year in Brooklyn. Despite the fact that some said he wouldn't like the "hardscrabble" nature of life in Brooklyn, Japanese ace Diasuke Matsuzaka adapted extremely well after being signed to a 6-year/$54 million deal in the off-season, that brought him to America and sushi to MetLife Park. The park offers all of Dice-K's favorite dishes at the park for fans to purchase at a sushi bar out in the Champions Pavillion. "It's a little more uptown than it is Brooklyn. But fans seem to love it, so we're glad we thought of it," said Daly. The 2008 season set a franchise record for wins - 113 - for a team that had never won 100 games before and last won 90 games back in 2002. "We told the guys that we were proud of what they'd done, but that without bringing a title back to Brooklyn, it'd be all for naught. I think they went into this year inspired by how much this borough loves this team." But the love for the Brownstones doesn't just stop when you hit the BQE. More and more, you see the Brooklyn "B", both old and new when you're walking throughout Manhattan and especially in Jersey, where the team has become the worst nightmare of the Yankees, who were afraid a team in Jersey would steal their market. Instead, it's the team that came from Jersey on its way to Brooklyn, that has captured the imagination of the large fanbase in North Jersey. "We love 'em. The boys are just a hard nosed team and fans love that out here," said Michael Franti, who writes for the Courier-News (Bridgewater). The Brownstones still play a three-game series each year against the Mets in Newark, the team's temporary home for three years. LEGENDS OF THE FALL Brooklyn won its four NL pennant after a hard-fought seven game series win over the Colorado Rockies, who won the World Series in 2006. The Brownstones faced off against the Detroit Tigers for the 2008 World Series title. The Tigers last appeared in the Fall Classic back in 2003, losing to San Francisco. The team's main lineup is one that if you look at the guys in it from top to bottom, you'd understand why fans are so enthuastic about a team that's probably one of the most dominant ever. Quote:
D.C. Daly beams when he talks about his lineup. "Now you have to remember that Jeff (Francoeur) is out for the rest of the year in this lineup and we're still happy about our depth. That's something that past teams here have lacked, the depth to know that if someone goes out for a while, that we've got sufficient cover. And not just sufficient, but guys who you know can come through for you. With future Hall of Famer and Brownstones legend Curt Schilling injured for most of the post-season, the World Series appearance by the Brownstones gave "Dirt" as he's affectionately known by fans in Brooklyn, one last chance to capture that ever elusive World Series ring -- not just for himself -- but for Brooklyn. "The people here are just downright amazing. When I came here in '97, I had no idea what I was getting into. Most people told me that playing in New York would be a bit much and the thing is, this isn't like playing in New York. It's like playing in front of 40,000 of your closest friends, who are with you when you suck and when you don't. Especially when you don't." The three-time Cy Young Award winner ('96, '99, '03) might not be a first-ballot guy, but 173 career wins are most in franchise history, #2 on the list? Is a guy with 374 career wins by the name of Roger Clemens, who spent the last 10 years of his career here. Why is Brooklyn such a draw for star players? To hear Daly explain it, he says they tell him it's like baseball mecca. "A lot of sports have that one locale that's the iconic place where that embodies the game more than anywhere else. In hockey, it's Montreal. Football, I'd say Green Bay. But in baseball? No place is better than Brooklyn. And we've proven through what this team has accomplished in a short period of time, that this is a great place to play baseball and guys are attracted to that, especially since -- when it's all said and done -- we're as much a part of New York as anywhere else. And that part helps a heck of a lot." Quote:
Fifty-three years after the Brooklyn Dodgers won their lone World Series title, a new generation of Bums have left their own mark on Brooklyn that will never be forgotten. The Brownstones won the World Series sweeping the Detroit Tigers in four straight games. Brooklyn is again on top of the world. |
||||||
|
|
|
|
11-03-2007, 11:27 PM
|
#4 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
 CURT SCHILLING (1997-2008) CURT SCHILLING RETURNS TO THE YARD, HAS HIS DAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2009 BROOKLYN -- It was a proud, proud day for the Brooklyn faitfhul, as they were able to see one of their own enshrined into a place where "many more will someday be remembered as fine example and pillars of Brooklyn greatness." The first player to receive that honor was hurler Curt Schilling. He spent the last 11 years of his career with the Brownstones, after starting in Philadelphia and holds the franchise record for wins and strikeouts. He went out a winner, as part of the 2008 World Series championship team last year. "Man, I never in a million years thought this would be such a great run or such a fantastic place to play. I mean, Brooklyn means so much to baseball and I can't tell you all how much it means to me and my family to know that I'll forever be part of the lore of the Brooklyn Brownstones. And to be the first player to wear the Brown to get a retired number is...wow." Some of the New York media were critical of the team's decision to retire Schilling's number just a year after he retired, saying that the team was too new and that it needed a criteria like the Boston Red Sox (10 years with the club and induction to the Hall of Fame) or else, they'd eventually end up like the Yankees, who have retired more numbers than any team in baseball. "I really like the idea -- and always have -- of remembering the greats. I just feel like it's paying homage to those who came before you. It's why we retired the numbers of former Brooklyn players before we stepped foot here. This is hallowed ground and rather than forget, we want to always remember," said Daly about the decision to enshire Schilling. He said that the team does have a criteria it uses to determine whose numbers to retire and that he would not share it with the general public. But that it was important to give the fans and the former player closure, especially in the case of a guy like Schilling who was madly popular in Brooklyn and who retired after the team's long-awaited title drought ended. "Why wait ten years to rekindle the fire? We're trying to make newer memories in the future and so, this was a good thing to do and a good time to do it." |
|
|
|
|
11-04-2007, 12:38 AM
|
#5 | |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
HOME SWEET HOME, THE 2009 SEASON
The 2009 season ended with another 100-win season, a batting title for a member of the Brownstones (Troy Tulowitzki) and Ryan Howard dominating capturing leaving the baseball world in the dust with nearly 50 HRs (he had 49.) But the Brownstones are quickly becoming a lot like their rivals in the Bronx, who measure season success on whether or not they won a title, versus moral victories of this and that. For a lineup that was pretty potent in 2008, it was more of the same in 2009 for first-year skipper Don Mattingly. Quote:
The rotation was anchored by 20-game winner Jonathon Papelbon in his 2nd year with the club and was backed up by Daisuke Matsuzaka who went 19-6. Ubaldo Jimenez, Mike Pelfrey and Taylor Buckhholz picked up the slack at the end of the rotation. The difference between this year's team and last year's championship squad? "I think that last year's team was a little bit less heralded in terms of its offense and yet, they managed to put together the right moves at the right time. This year, you can say that about our pitchers. I mean, besides Dice-K, who is an import and [Jonathon Papelbon] Pap, you can't really say that the rest of our guys are household names yet. But we kinda prefer it that way. Saying that he didn't "intentionally go out and seek stars," that the team was still the same core of guys, but that he hoped they would be even more poised down the stretch to capture a title. "I think that if I had to say one thing, it's that last year we hoped to win it all and this year, we're expecting it. Maybe that's a jinx, but...I just think that we've got all of the talent in the world and the fact that we didn't make any deadline deals proves that we like where the ballclub is and feel a lot more comfortable about the future than at any point. But I've only been here two years, so it's hard for me to say much of anything." CRUISE CONTROL The Browns flew through the playoffs, sweeping the Giants in four games and then taking out the Nationals -- who finished 9 games behind them in the NL East -- in five, to reach the Fall Classic for the third straight year. But getting to the World Series to face off against the Toronto Blue Jays -- a franchise looking for its fourth title and that has never lost in the World Series -- was going to be more than Mattingly's boys saw after their relative blitzing of the National League. "I think it immediately exposed our lack of team speed compared to what we had last year," said D.C. Daly, the architect of the ballclub. Down 3 games to 2 to the Jays, the 'Stones rallied in the bottom of the 10th with their season on the line, to pull out a 4-3 victory and to force a Game 7. Brooklyn sent Japanese ace Daisuke Matsuzaka to the mound in the deciding game. While there is always a lot of anxiety over big games, D.C. Daly said being around his team, you'd feel like it was just 'another game'. Brooklyn -- who play outstanding baseball at home (an astounding 58-19 this year), really showed their polish as the game went on. After getting out to a 3-0 lead after just an inning, the game stayed that way until the 5th, when the Browns put up 2 more runs, then 4 in the sixth and the game got completely out of hand in the bottom of the eighth after tempers flaired a bit with the Brownstones up 13-0 and heading into the 9th inning. The teams calmed down and the celebration experienced Brownstones headed to the mound and craziness got underway, as Brooklyn defended its World Series title. How does a team that showed up to a town that hadn't had a major league team since the 50s and win two World Series titles back to back explain itself? "I think some people saw the whole story of baseball back in Brooklyn as some sort of novelty act that needed to be approached with...I don't even know. But this is really serious business and I think America is starting to realize that we're not joking around, that this means just as much to us here as it does to fans in Boston or in the Bronx or wherever else. So in other words, they're probably going to start hating us just as much as they hate those other teams before too long," said Manager Don Mattingly, who was enjoying his first World Series title as a player or manager. What will the future be for the Brownstones? Will Brooklyn's finest become the newest team to hate from New York? Will they be dubbed the Evil Empire Strikes Back? Or will the self-professed "blue collar club with a rich uncle' make these days nothing more than a memory as the future takes root and the franchise begins to languish? The answer is one that we'll have to wait to discover. The next time we join the team, it'll be into that very future to find out what's happened and what's next for the team as the legends of the present retire and usher in a new era of Brooklyn baseball. The best is yet to come? |
|
|
|
|
|
11-04-2007, 02:41 PM
|
#6 | ||
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
MOST DIVISION TITLES (1994-2017)
---- Quote:
CHANGES SINCE 2009 - The Los Angeles Angels rebranded themselves back to the California Angels and moved to 34,000-seat Motorola Park in San Bernardino, CA for the 2018 season. - The Oakland Athletics moved to Vancouver, BC into a new 55,000 seat retractable roof stadium that replaced BC Place called EA Place, the stadium was the first privately financed ballpark in Canada and the team was sold to Canadian investors. ED NOTE: There is no Cisco Field in Fremont, just as there is no Miller Park in Milwaukee - The Chicago White Sox are looking for a new ballpark to replace Verizon Park (formerly New Comiskey) which is nearly 30 years old. - The Florida Marlins now play in Orlando at a baseball stadium at the Disney Wide World of Sports called Polaroid Park, a 33125 seat stadium. - The Minnesota Twins moved into their new open-air stadium which was named 'Park Nicollet Minneapolis' after Park Nicollet clinics recieved the naming rights to the new park. It's referred to by fans as "The Nick" - The Washington Nationals play at GEICO Park. Nicknamed "The Gecko" - Fenway Park and Wrigley Field were both deemed national landmarks and were not razed, but in 2020, both teams will move into new ballparks, neither of which has been named yet. The Red Sox new park will be on the Boston Harbor. WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS SINCE 2009 Quote:
WHAT'S NEXT? (DIRECTOR'S CUT) I'm preparing to take over the team in earnest for the 2018 season and will begin focusing more on the details of the team, what's going on with the players and really just the entire process of running the ballclub in Brooklyn into its second generation. I'm also going to load my financial system now. I've not run it up until now, largely because it's very time consuming. But I think now would be a good time to get it all together and so, that's what the plan for the 2018 season is. I'm trying to cut back on the extraneous information I provide in these dynasties, though it's hard for me because I'm pretty detail orientated, except I like more bizarre details than most. Next, I'll get right into the story of where the Brownstones are and what's ahead. Code:
Last edited by Young Drachma : 11-04-2007 at 03:41 PM. |
||
|
|
|
|
11-05-2007, 10:35 AM
|
#7 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
AT A CROSSROADS IN BROOKLYN
November 11, 2017 As Brooklyn is still abuzz after capturing the second title in franchise history of the Brownstownes this past year, the front office of the Brownstones have more difficult decisions to make. The Brownstones had the highest payroll this past year in MLB and the team is trying to assess whether it's time to cut bait with some of its stars and begin the process of rebuilding in earnest. It's the one thing that the team since its inception has truly failed to do in a significant way. "I don't think it was an intentional issue of neglect, as much as we were trying to from the start attempt to find a place in which we could have a measure of success and when you're always "so close" to a title, you never want to blow the whole thing up. But once you achieve the goal, having been through this once before, it's logical to assess where you're headed next and what to do." After all, despite being one of the most valuable franchises in baseball, the team could spend, spend, spend and yet...it would neglect the fact that the team has some glaring problems with some players aging and not a groundswell of talent to replace them in the coming years. "It's not really about whether we can compete for the next 2-3 years. I think we can definetely do that. But on some level, the strategy has to be about buying low and selling high and needless to say, we've spent a good decade buying high and not selling much at all," said D.C. Daly, the team's G.M. BROOKLYN BROWNSTONES ACTIVE ROSTER AS OF 17 NOVEMBER 2011 Code:
EXPANSION TO COME IN 2022 For the first time since 1998, Major League will expand by two teams in 2022. The move to expand was preciptated by a spate of cities wooing teams that are currently for sale. "The owners have been contemplating add two teams to the league to give us a total of four eight-team divisions and so, we believe now it the time to make this move," said the MLB Commissioner yesterday. The two cities have yet to be chosen, but an annoucement is expected around June of next year. WHITE SOX, MILWAUKEE OFFICIALS MEET MILWAUKEE (UPI) -- The city of Milwaukee, which lost the Brewers back in 2008, are ready to return to baseball. The city passed a bond initiative last year to build a publicty financed retractable roof stadium, the first public stadium in MLB since CitiField was built in New York for the Mets in 2010. The new ballpark would only be built if a new team is wooed to the city and the Stadium Authority has a year left to find that team. The city is zeroing in on the White Sox, who have previously played games in the city and who are looking for a stadium to replacing their aging facility on the South Side of Chicago. "We're evaluating our options," said White Sox owner Dr. Marshall Pauck. White Sox fans are irate at the team's considering another move and yet, others have said that they'll still support the team if they move. "I'm a Sox fan. As long as they don't become the Brewers or something or move to Canada or something. I'll still support them." Meanwhile, Chicago's city council is preparing proposals that might give the team what it's look for to stay in the city -- a new ballpark -- that would be built by 2021. But no information on the plan was available at press time. Last edited by Young Drachma : 11-05-2007 at 10:50 AM. |
|
|
|
|
11-05-2007, 03:32 PM
|
#8 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
FANS WANT TO KNOW...
WHAT BROOKLYN PLAYERS ARE SLATED TO HAVE THEIR NUMBERS RETIRED IF THEIR CAREERS ENDED TODAY? So far, the only slam dunk is Ryan Howard. He's the franchise leader in career games player, runs, hits, home runs, RBI and 10th in batting. He's been here over a decade now and is the face of the franchise. So for sure, you can be no one will wear #6 ever again in Brooklyn. Short of him? Umm...Troy Tulowitzki and Daisuke Matsuzaka are on the bubble. Dice-K is the all-time franchise leader in ERA, third in wins (134) and fourth in strikeouts. I think the fact that he's such a stellar guy (212 wins in his career) and the fact that he was so successful for his time here including being the one that propelled us over the top to our first World Series and stayed a while, makes me think that the #16 could head for the rafters, despite the fact that he only spent six years with us. Meanwhile, Tulo is still only 33 and only played with us for about five full seasons. Given that he's only been productive during his time in Brooklyn, it makes me believe that he'd have a strong case, provided the rest of his career is solid. But it'still too early to say for him. Besides those two? I can't see anyone right now. They need to be an icon that fans remember and that had a lasting impact on the franchise and our history. But then, that's a good thing maybe. |
|
|
|
|
11-06-2007, 05:38 PM
|
#9 | |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
MO MONEY, MO PROBLEMS
The problem in Brooklyn isn't money. It's having too much cash locked up in too few players. Ownership approved the deals, because the team was trying to surge towards its first World Series title in nine years, that culminated with a victory this past season. But heading into the 2018 season, the Flatbush Bruisers are looking at shedding as much as $30 million in payroll this off-season. Here are the season-ending stats for the Brooklyn roster -- at least, those who haven't already become free agents. STATS Code:
SALARIES Code:
But does that mean the team has to stop being competitive? According to GM D.C. Daly, "not necessarily." "We're obviously looking at all aspects of our operations this off-season and it seems that this year is the time for us to reevaluate how we're doing business and trying to figure out the best ways to ensure that we're competitive team for years to come," said Daly. It's likely that second baseman Tom Kelly, who team overpaid for in 2015. The three-time All-Star is largely valued for his defense, but most reports indicated that Brooklyn paid to keep him away from the Mets or Yankees, who were both hot on his tail. But that he will probably be dealt for prospects and with the team eating as much as $10 million of his deal. "We're not really talking about specific players, but we're exploring our options," said Daly. Third baseman Bobby Cartwright was acquired from Portland two years ago and is another one of those "non-slugging" players who hits for average, plays above-average defense and was likely overpaid from a spike in incomes two years ago during free agent bidding. No matter what the team decides, be assured that this year's off-season might result in a vastly different club taking the field at The Yard next March. WHADDYA CALL 'EM? When the Brownstones first came to Brooklyn, a lot of pundits and some fans complained the name was too long. But ownership said their goal was to give the fans a chance to call the team whatever they wanted. Except the Dodgers. "We didn't want to constrain them with the nickname we came up with it. But we also wanted to be sure that we didn't try to take them back to the 1950s, because well..that team left and took everything with them. We kept the numbers of the guys that played for the city and its people. But the rest of it? We're a new team with our own legacy." What about confusion with the Browns, who moved to Baltimore in 1954 and became the Baltimore Orioles? "Most modern fans would never make that connection. And the NFL team in Cleveland doesn't cause us much a problem either." Ownership strived for a color scheme that was different than that of the Dodgers, And true to form, the media and fans have adopted a host of nicknames for the ballclub. Here are just a smattering of the more common ones that have evolved over the past decade and a half. Quote:
Last edited by Young Drachma : 11-06-2007 at 05:40 PM. |
|
|
|
|
|
11-06-2007, 11:15 PM
|
#10 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
DOWN ON THE FARM...
Here is the November 2017 report for Baseball America's Top Minor League Systems Code:
DONNIE BASEBALL BACK IN TOW IN BROOKLYN After a three-year hiatus, Don Mattingly is back with the Brownstones. The former Yankee great signed a five-year deal with the club after spending the past three years as the hitting coach of the Detroit Tigers. Paul Molitor spent three years as Manager, culminating with a World Series victory last year, but left for the Toronto Blue Jays this past year, when they offered him a substantial pay increase. For his part, Mattingly said that he's glad to be back in tow with Brooklyn's Finest. He went 461-305 in his first 5 1/2 year stint with the club from 2009-2014. He was the skipper of the 2009 World Series team and says that he's ready to get to work. Mattingly resigned abruptly in the middle of the 2014 season, the only year the team didn't make the playoffs during his tenure. He said that he wanted to spend more time with his family, but ended up going to Detroit the following year to join the staff, when Scott Broius was selected as manager over him, he knew that it was time to 'come home'. "I have to say that Brooklyn means a lot to me and is an experience far different than what playing in New York was like for me. It's like a family here...I love this place and don't want to be anywhere else." TOM KELLY DEALT TO CLEVELAND NOVEMBER 19, 2017 BROOKLYN - Tom Kelly said that after the World Series, he savored the moments more, figuring that it was the last time he was going to be in that clubhouse with his teammates. Donning the title as "highest paid player in baseball," for the past few years has been "something that I can't say really suits me, but I don't reject the paychecks," he said laughing. The 28-year old two-time All-Star and former Gold Glove winner (at third base) was dealt to the Cleveland Indians today along with infielder Raul Sanchez and pitcher Arlen Goodyear. Coming to Brooklyn in return are 22-year old catcher and NYC native Zach Jackson, prospect Pat Shoemaker ,outfield prospect Vinnie Hooks from Australia and reliever Geoff Brerton. "We're happy with this deal and appreciate everything Tom did in his time here with us," said D.C. Daly, after announcing the deal this morning. "I was heading to the supermarket and before I could pick up some bread, they called to tell me that the deal was good and we were gonna do it. I was pretty excited and so, I'm willing to confirm the story now. But there won't be a press conference until later this week." 25-year old Jackson hit .267 this past season with 11 HR and 63 RBI in 611 ABs. But Shoemaker, 19, was the catalyst for the deal. He was Cleveland's 1st round pick in last year's amateur draft and projects well as an offensive threat from the middle infield position. "We're excited about his ability and hope that he can develop his game to be the type of player we're hoping that can help us down the road," said Daly. Brooklyn picked up about $15 million of Kelly's salary, a deal that still has $75 million in total cash left on it. The Indians last made the playoffs back in 2010, so the team is trying to get back to respectability after suffering through seven straight losing seasons. The deal will save the Brownstones about $10 million this season. Last edited by Young Drachma : 11-06-2007 at 11:39 PM. |
|
|
|
|
11-07-2007, 12:00 PM
|
#11 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
THE NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2017 REPORT
WANTED: A FIFTH STARTER BROOKLYN -- This off-season hasn't necessarily proceeded like a normal one would for a defending World Series champion. But the Brownstones are still assessing their place in the free agency market, looking not the least for a fifth starter. The player who inhabited that role last year primarily, was Arlen Goodyear, but the young Canadian and his near 7.00 ERA were dealt to Cleveland in the early stages this off-season. And in the absence of wooing pitching coach Roger Clemens out of retirement well into his sixties, the team will need a reliable arm going every fourth day. "We do need to shore up that side of things and we're certainly looking around to see what we can find," said GM D.C. Daly. What the team is also assessing is 'where is the market?' That's the thing right now, we're just not sure exactly where the market is and how we're going to be able to figure out what the going rate is for players out there right now. "We're not sure to be honest. It's an opaque market and we're just trying to do our best to make competitive offers to guys we want, without getting things out of hand." Payroll is at about $85 million right now, after the Tom Kelly deal in Brooklyn, so the team is willing to take on more salary to get about $100 million or so. "I'm not sure if that's where the 'cap' is so to speak, but we're not going out of our way to spend as we have in the past." One target in the crosshairs is 30-year old southpaw Billy Blake who won 49 games over the past 4 1/2 years with the 'stones. He became a free agent this year, but is consider within the budget for the team to reacquire, if he decides he wants to come back. "We'd love to have him back," said Daly. WELCOME TO BROOKLYN.. We signed Aaron Cook, starting pitcher to a 1-year deal worth $1.2 million. Cook, 38, went 7-7 last year with Cleveland in sixteen starts. He spent sixteen years with the Indians -- his entire career and will be suiting up with a new team for the time this season, after going 180-187 with 1117 strikeouts in 464 career starts for the Tribe. We also signed 37-year old hurler Chien-Ming Wang, who went 9-8 with a 3.35 ERA for the Yankees last season. The deal is $6.1 million over two years. Both will factor in spot starting roles, as well as out of the bullpen. STAYING CLOSE TO HOME.. Billy Blake was resigned after negotiations that went well near Christmas. The 30-year old left hander returns to Brooklyn for two more years and will earn $6.6 million per season. The Kansas City Royals resigned their star slugger, rightfielder Max Brosseau to a six-year deal that will pay him $127.6 million over the next six years. The 29-year old Canadian hit 36 HRs last year with 96 RBI and hit .288. The Atlanta Braves resigned pitcher Chad Billingsley to a four-year deal worth $54 million. The 33-year old righthander has spent his entire career in Atlanta, going 134-167 over his career. CARTWRIGHT TALKS HEAT UP In the other 'major' deal expected by the World Series champion Brooklyn Brownstones, they're talking with no less than a dozen clubs about 30-year old third baseman Bobby Cartwright. The rankling seems to be over Cartwright's contract and the nearly $60 million left on the deal and how much of that Brooklyn will eat to make a deal happen. It seems likely that there will be a combination of a reliever and a prospect or two in any deal, as most teams are not willing to part with major league talent to acquire Cartwright. "They don't want to sacrifice their depth to make the deal happen. But they also don't want to pay him to play somewhere else," said a source close to the team. ACCARDO INKED TO A 2-YEAR DEAL DECEMBER 26, 2017 36-year old reliever Jeremy Accardo became the latest veteran reliever to sign with Brooklyn, after inking a two-year deal today worth $14.4 million. "Let's just say, it'll be a good Christmas," said Accardo on a conference call after the deal was announced. He pitched in 34 games last year for Cleveland going 2-1 with a 3.24 ERA. For his career, he's made 733 appearances, the bulk of them for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2007-2016. D.C. Daly said that he felt that the team's bullpen was an area that the team neglected last year and that he wanted to go after guys that he knew were proven and could get the job done in the late innings. "We had a strategy that we executed this season to go after guys that had a certain pedigree and I'm looking forward to seeing it into action." Acccardo is likely to be slated for the setup role on the ballclub. |
|
|
|
|
11-07-2007, 03:23 PM
|
#12 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
AS SPRING SETS IN, BROOKLYN'S CARTWRIGHT WONDERS WHAT'S NEXT
January 22, 2018 With spring training less than two weeks ago, Bobby Cartwright says that he's not leaving Australia until he knows where he's playing this season. "You know, I'm just an ordinary bloke trying to make a go of it out there. I think I deserve to know what's gonna happen." The 30-year old third baseman is reportedly actively being shopped, but no deal has been reached and it's leading some to say that the team might not deal him. "They're not getting the value for him that they expect or teams that basically want Brooklyn to pay them to take him on," said one pundit close to the team. D.C. Daly has been extremely mum on the subject since the start of the year, saying that "I'm happy with our team as its composed right now and can't wait for the season. I won't be discussing deals for guys that we have now, because I like and respect our players too much to do anything else." But some reports say that the team will have Cartwright shipped out before the start of spring training. On whether the impending deal is a distraction, team captain Troy Tulowitzki say that it's just a business. "I think everyone on the team knows that it's not personal and that we all think Bobby is great and without him, we don't win a title last year. But management has to do what's best for the franchise long-term and so, we understand that..I think." WHITE SOX TO STAY IN CHICAGO  CHICAGO - The Chicago White Sox have reached a deal to stay in Chicago. The team will build a new $475 million ballpark that will encompass part of their current stadium and the team's parking lot at Comiskey Park. "We're thrilled to be able to announce this deal today," said Robert Daley IV, the Mayor of Chicago. The team will be sold to a group headed by Hope Developments, the real estate firm headed by the two daughters of former Illinois Senator Barack Obama. "We're thrilled to be able to keep this team in the city where it belongs," said C.J. Walker, a spokesman for the firm. Ground will break on the new park in February and will be completely by 2021. The signature is that the park will face towards the Chicago skyline. (see picture) That means that one more expansion city is in play for the decision by MLB to expand by two teams in 2022. The announcement of what two cities is expected sometime this spring. The frontrunners are Oklahoma City and Milwaukee. Other cities being considered are Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Jacksonville and Phoenix. |
|
|
|
|
11-07-2007, 05:27 PM
|
#13 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
WHITE SOX STADIUM TO BE NAMED SEARS STADIUM
CHICAGO - Sears Holdings today announced a naming rights deal for the new Chicago ballpark for the White Sox. The stadium will be named Sears Stadium and will seat approxmiately 46,230 fans. "We're thrilled to be able to attach our name to the newest landmark in the city of Chicago," said Sears CEO Martha Ziwilling. The terms of the deal were not announced. MOVIN' ON OUT.. The Brownstones have announced a change at their own ballpark in anticipation of the 2018 season. In a move that's long been debated by the ballclub, the team is changing its outfield fences, after over a decade with the leftfield line similar to that of old Ebbets field. It seems players on the home team have been complaining about that "quirk" more than anything. "That damn field has cost us more wins. We love playing at home, but seriously, that isn't doing us any favors at all," said Ryan Howard, elder statesman of the ballclub. Ownership approved the move of the fences at the end of last year and plan to add more seats down the right field line. "We're excited about a little different look at The Yard this year," said Roger Colbert, head of Grounds at MetLife Stadium of Brooklyn. The new dimensions will be 342 down the left field line, 330 down the right field line and 409 to center field. The wall in right field is now just sixteen feet high, with the added seating being put out there. Last edited by Young Drachma : 11-07-2007 at 05:27 PM. |
|
|
|
|
11-08-2007, 01:12 PM
|
#14 | |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
BYE-BYE BOBBY: CARTWRIGHT DEALT IN BLOCKBUSTER DEAL
FEBRUARY 24, 2018 SEATTLE - Four teams and 11 players changed hands as the deal that sent Bobby Cartwright out of Brooklyn finally happened. When the dust settled, here is where everybody ended up: Quote:
You don't often see deals that are "win, win for everyone. But I think this deal will pan out for all of us in the end. Or at least, as far as we're concerned, we're happy with where the deal has gone for us and we believe that the flexiblity it gives us going forward makes it well worth it." The Brownstones will enter the regular season 12th in payroll overall at $80.5 million. MLB OPENING DAY PAYROLLS, 2018 Code:
TOP PLAYER SALARIES, 2018 Code:
Next up are divisional previews and of course, a detailed preview of the Brownstones. Last edited by Young Drachma : 11-08-2007 at 01:13 PM. |
|
|
|
|
|
11-08-2007, 01:37 PM
|
#15 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
ACCOMPLISHMENTS (AS OF 2017)
Here are some of the notable accomplishments that have happened through the league, mostly for context: NO-HITTERS Code:
50+ HOME RUN SEASONS Code:
150+ RBI SEASONS Code:
SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS HOME RUNS Code:
RUNS BATTED IN Code:
STOLEN BASES Code:
STRIKEOUTS Code:
ERA Code:
WINS Code:
BATTING AVERAGE Code:
CAREER RECORDS HOME RUNS Code:
STOLEN BASES Code:
RUNS BATTED IN Code:
BATTING AVERAGE Code:
HITS Code:
Code:
SAVES Code:
STRIKEOUTS Code:
|
|
|
|
|
11-09-2007, 12:25 AM
|
#16 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
Here's the preseason preview for the 2018 Brooklyn Brownstones.
 MLB EXPANSION COMMITTEE WELCOMES TWO NEW CITIES FOR 2022 Major League Baseball today announced that two new teams will be added for the 2022 season, evening out baseball's four divisions and giving each eight teams. "We're excited about what's next for these ballclubs," said an MLB spokesman, as he unveiled the two cities on a digital screen. Los Angeles and Oklahoma City were selected. Los Angeles is building a new $385 million stadium in the South Central section of the city, part of a larger development called Woods Landing, that will create nearly 15,000 jobs. The team has not been named, but the area was once home to Wrigley Field, which used to host the LA Angels and the Dodgers during their nascent days. Oklahoma City has grown substantially over the past two decades and is the hub of the South Central Plains. The team's market mythically stretches from about Amarillo, TX all the way to Little Rock, to as far north as Springfield, MO. The team's selection was a coup, given the TV market ranks about 38th among metropolitan markets and more experienced former MLB cities were vying for ballclubs. But Oklahoma City might have lacked in MLB experience, it made up for in preparation. The city has already begun building a brand new 33,000-seat downtown baseball stadium called Tyson Park. Here's a mockup of the inside of the ballpark.  There is no indication as to where the team will be placed. An AL placement would give the team a natural rivalry with the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals. An NL rivarly would give the team a battle against the St. Louis Cardinals. Meanwhile, the new LA team has yet to be named. Some noted that without the repeal of baseball's long held anti-trust exemption over three decades ago, that this team would never have been possible. But the excitement surrounding the return of baseball to the area is one that has many buzzing at the possibilities. "So many players have come up through here. So we're just happy to see that MLB finally decided to put a team right here in our backyard," said J.C. Suarez, a city councilman for the area. "We've come a long way in our redevelopment and it's a place that everyone wants to live, so we're happy to have this recognition that we're truly a proud part of this city." |
|
|
|
|
11-10-2007, 02:21 PM
|
#17 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
CHANGES...
As the all-star break quickly approaches, Brooklyn's finest hold a 1 1/2 game lead on Norfolk in the NL East and sit two games ahead of the Washington Nationals. The team is enjoying another MVP-like season from the reigning NL MVP Clarence Austin who already has 23 HRs and 60 RBI this year. With third baseman Len Larkin out, the team got to find out how good infielder C.J. Sweeny was and as a result of his .327/ 8 RBI in 49 ABs call-up debut, the team dealt shortstop Kel Synder and reliever Geoff Brerton to the Norfolk Tides for SP Hayden Penn. Penn, 33, who was 3-0 in three starts for the Tides this year. "We wanted some depth on our staff and we thought this deal would help us a bit with that," said GM D.C. Daly. 1-2-3..ROTATE Speaking of rotation, the Brownstones rotation got a bit of a change after the slow start of newly acquired starter Lonnie Martin went 0-6 with a 4.80 ERA in seven starts, he was moved out of the rotation in favor of Aaron Cook, who is 4-1 in 10 appearances this year, including five starts. Manager Don Mattingly said that the team's moves this off-season have so far paid off in terms of how they've been able to change players out. "We've got a lot of options and you always like that as a manager, to have lots of different ways you can make things interchangable if you need to. So it's working out pretty well for us so far and we hope that it continues." NL EAST STANDINGS (as of June 2, 2018) Code:
WHERE WE STAND (as of June 2, 2018) Code:
|
|
|
|
|
11-10-2007, 03:54 PM
|
#18 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
2018 FIRST-YEAR DRAFT
Here are the profiles of our top five selections in the 2018 amateur draft. RD 1: SS Jerry Chandler A 6'1" 205 pound shortstop with contact and gap power potential. He's 18 years old and rates as a guy that could make a real contribution for us. RD 2: RF MAL COOPER Cooper is a left-handed hitter who was born and raised in Queens. But he's got a sweet swing and some ability on the basepaths, too. RD 3: MR CHAD REEVES 18-year old reliever with excellent potential. RD 4: KHALEEL HISHAM 18-year old Iraqi born shortstop who moved to the US when he was 7, becomes the highest-ever drafted player from Iraq. There has been a buzz about him for years and could easily become the first major leaguer from the Middle East. RD 5: CL MYRON SULLIVAN 18-year old reliever who has the potential to be up well before some of the other players, given that he's already pretty well developed. The Michigan native has good stuff with great potential. ON PACE... JUNE 16, 2018 Since 1994, the highest batting average for any player was Tony Gwynn's .384 in 1998. It's been 10 years since anyone even got close, Jeff Francoeur hit .371 in 2008. But this season, three players are all on pace to break that record. In the same year. Boston's Raul Ruiz, who was acquired from Cleveland early in the season, is hitting .430, Donnie Miller of the Washington Nationals is hitting .402 and John Brown of the Norfolk Tides is hitting .391. All three players are under 25. What gives? "It's amazing to see how well they're all doing," said Paul Schaunessy of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. "We're not even sure what to make of it on [the sportwriter angle] our end, but we'll just see what happens. DICE-K STRIKES BROOKLYN: 'STONES DEAL FOR LEGEND JUNE 16, 2018 BALTIMORE -- First place teams don't often deal for each other's front line starters, but in this particular case, the deal worked and the AL East leading Baltimore Orioles and NL East leading Brooklyn Brownstones swapped seven players today in an unexpected deal. Going to Baltimore is starter Jimmy Johnson, who was having another stellar year for the 'Stones, at 9-2 with a 2.74 ERA in 14 starts. The 34-year old righthander was heading into his third year in Brooklyn. The team also sent reliever Monty Coker, first baseman Frank Lancaster and outfielder Jack Simms to Baltimore. All three are veteran players who were bouncing up and down between Triple-A Buffalo and the big club, but should help Baltimore's depth down the stretch. In return, the 'Stones return one of the best players in the return to Brooklyn baseball. Matsuzaka is 37, but holds the career lead for ERA in Brooklyn at 2.26 and left as the #3 player on the all-time list for wins with the 'Stoneswith 134. It was important for both Brooklyn and Matsuzaka to make the deal happen once the Japanese righthander made it known to the Orioles that he wanted out after two years with the team, after being dealt from Seattle in 2016. He is 8-7 this year with a 2.47 ERA in 17 starts. For his career, he is 220-92 with a 2.36 ERA and despite coming to America well into his prime, he looks to be a lock for the Hall of Fame when he decides to shut it down. He can become a free agent at the end of the year, but has a player option in his deal worth $17.3 million. The Brownstones are aware of it and say that "if he wants to stay, that we're happy to have him, of course. We're thrilled to have him back in tow. He's a legend, was part of our early championship success and we're delighted that he seems to want to finish his career right here in Brooklyn." Along with Matsuzaka, the 'Stones acquired 23-year old reliever Pancho Zamora and first base prospect 20-year old Hector Perez, both were in the minors at the time of the deal and should remain there. The deal was done mostly to get Matsuzaka back to Brooklyn and it helps the Orioles depth, as Lancaster is just 29-years old, but was languishing in the minors in Brooklyn, but preferred to stay there unless a deal came along to get him back in the majors on a contending team and it worked for both him and Simms. "I'm glad that I get to play in games that mean sometimes and contribute to a winner," said Lancaster. Matsuzaka will be in Brooklyn for tomorrow night's game against the Colorado Rockies and may start, provided he wants to, said manager Don Mattingly. "We'll leave it up to him. He's already gotten his rest and that would've been Jimmy's night to start and [Matsuzaka's] night to go in Baltimore had he stayed. So if Dice-K wants to go, we'll be happy to let him fire it up. The fans are buzzing and so, I think it would be a pretty cool thing for him to return to Brooklyn for a Sunday afternoon game here at The Yard." Last edited by Young Drachma : 11-10-2007 at 03:58 PM. |
|
|
|
|
11-12-2007, 04:01 PM
|
#19 | |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
LATE JUNE-EARLY SEPTEMBER 2018 REPORT
AL FORBES OUT SEVEN WEEKS
JUNE 28, 2018 Brookly center fielder Alistair Forbes is out seven weeks with a strained rib cage. The team called up Sebastian Poulin for Triple-A to replace him. The 28-year old Poulin is thinly tested and will be getting his first reps of major league at-bats during this period. But GM D.C. Daly said that he's happy about the team's depth. "We've got guys that can come in and play right now, if we run into situations like this, so I'm happy that we laid things out as we have." GETTING IT TOGETHER Lonnie Martin, who got off to a slow start in his first season in Brooklyn after being acquired this past off-season seems to be finding his stroke. He went 4-1 in June with a 2.80 ERA, after being re-inserted into the rotation after a few weeks in the bullpen. He said he's found his stride and hopes to continue contributing. "It was a rought start, but sometimes that stuff happens and what tests you is whether you get over the hump or not and I believe I can." On the season, Martin is 5-7 with a 3.64 ERA in 20 appearances and 11 starts. STANDINGS @ THE TRADE DEADLINE Here are the MLB standings as of July 31, 2018 Code:
WELCOME BACK... The return of Daisuke Matsuzaka to Brooklyn has gone well so far. In eight starts since donning the Brown and Gold, Dice-K is 5-0 with a 3.05 ERA and 51 strikeouts. Is he just more comfortable in Brooklyn? "I think that's it's a combination of things. But I cannot say that I do not like being here, because I love it very much. It is why I wanted to come back and so far, it is good. But I hope it gets better in October." The main piece of the deal that sent him to Brooklyn - Jimmy Johnson - is 3-4 with a 2.88 ERA in 8 starts with the Orioles. ON PACE... August 1, 2018 Boston's Raul Ruiz is no longer on pace for .400, but he's still having a record year. He's currently hitting .374 and is in within striking distance of Tony Gwynn's .384. But Ruiz says that he's just wanting the team to get into position to get to the playoffs. "We want to win and that's it. So if me hitting more results in more wins, then so be it. But if I never get another hit this year and the team makes the playoffs, I will be happy. But I don't think that'll happen. For us to win, I need to hit and get on base and play great defense." SIGN 'EM OR DON'T AUGUST 18, 2018 If you take a look at the possible free agents list for the Brownstones for this up-coming offseason, it's not a list of solid contributors, but simply role players that the team wants to keep around and in some cases, a few guys who might factor down the road as players of the future for us. With players like outfielder Dane Austin, a hard-hitting 23-year old who has barely played in the majors, 29-year old starter Ramiro Valentin, who has won 94 games in six years with the team and past touted prospects centerfielder Chad Ritchie and Gil Ryan at first base waiting in the wings, there might be a youth front headed to Brooklyn faster than you can hurricane. "There comes a point when you have to make a decision about players and decide what your team will look like going forward. We're certainly getting to that point here," said GM D.C. Daly. Just days later, the Brownstones announced that it had locked up Dane Austin and Ramiro Valentin to long-term deals. WILD CARD WATCH September 1, 2018 In the American League, the California Angels (of San Bernardino) are leading the AL Wild Card race by 4.5 over the Boston Red Sox who are holding onto the second and final playoff spot in the AL over a game by the Detroit Tigers and 3 games over the Seattle Mariners. Chicago has an outside shot, sitting 6 games out with about 20 regular season games to go. In the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies are up by 6.5 in their pursuit of the 2018 postseason and the Norfolk Tides hold a six game advantage on the last spot in the NL, with Washington sitting seven games out, Chicago 8 and New York 9 games out. CUP O' COFFEE The following are prospects from Triple-A Buffalo that will get a cup of coffee in the majors over the last few games of September, as the Flatbush Bruisers head towards what they hope will be their third straight NL East title and tenth in 12 years. The player, their age, position and stats in Triple-A this past season follow: Quote:
|
|
|
|
|
|
11-12-2007, 08:19 PM
|
#20 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
2018 MLB POSTSEASON
Another regular season has come to an end and the matchups are set. In the AL, it came down to the wire as the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers faced off in a one-game playoff to determine the winner of the 2nd wild card. Detroit won 13-4 and as a result, will advance to the playoffs to take on the AL West champion Vancouver Athletics in the best-of-seven game AL Division Series. The A's -- playing in their first season north of the border -- won the AL west title by virtue of a 8-6 head-to-head record against the California Angels (of San Bernardino). In the other ALDS matchup, the Baltimore Orioles make their second straight appearance in the postseason, this time, they'll face off against the Angels. The Angels are in the playoffs for the first time since 1986, a drought of 32 years. The A's are in the playoffs for the first time since 2005 and the Tigers are back in the postseason after a two year drought. In the National League, Brooklyn looks to defend its World Series title against the Norfolk Tides, who finished third in the NL East, but captured the 2nd wild card. In the other NLDS matchup, the NL West champion San Diego Padres will take on the NL East 2nd place club, the Philadelphia Phillies. The Padres last made the playoffs in 1997 and the Phillies, meanwhile, are making their third straight postseason appearance. Code:
|
|
|
|
|
11-12-2007, 10:26 PM
|
#21 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
2018 FINANCIAL REPORT
ATTENDANCE Code:
THE BOTTOM LINE  Numbers generated directly by DC's Financial Model for Market Size, OOTP edition FORBES released its special report "The Business of Baseball" The report profiles the most valuable teams in Major League Baseball. The report is an assessment of the healthiest and least healthy franchises in all of the majors. The New York Yankees led all teams at $1.3 billion, the LA Dodgers were next at $1.2 billion and the Brooklyn Brownstones at $1.179 billion were just ahead of the Cubs to take third and the Wrigley Bums are the fourth club in the Billion Dollar Club at $1.136 billion in value. Picking up the bottom were the Kansas City Royals, the Vancouver A's were just behind them, but largely due to the exchange rate differences that make that club seem a lot less prosperous than it's been during its first year in Canada after moving from Oakland. Cincinnati is third least valuable, followed by Norfolk and Minnesota. Do these numbers mean that teams are in jeopardy of being relocated? No, said one economist who follows trends in sports business. "It would be very difficult for a major league club, on the cusp of expansion to go anywhere right now. That said, there are markets that would instantly propel some of these clubs out of the doldrums, just based on the media exposure." Some of the cities he cited, include some of the largest in the country - Phoenix, Tampa, Charlotte - all cities that a decade ago either decided that they didn't want baseball or baseball decided it didn't want them, which is partially why none of the aforementioned trio bid for expansion franchises. "The story is clear and the financials speak for themselves, but...I wouldn't expect any major shifts right now." LONG BEACH OR BUST The expansion team awarded to Los Angeles, California is moving to Long Beach before it takes a pitch. MLB approved today a decision by the ownership consortium of Los Angeles Baseball Ltd., to move to a site about 11 miles from their original location, after Long Beach officials approved an 11th hour deal to woo the team to their city, as chronic issues related to the original site continued to cause the team issues. "We're really excited about where we're headed and believe that we'll able to carve out a niche unlike anywhere else in America," said Chris Eliasson, a spokesman for the ownership group. The team will play at a ballpark that will be part of a facility at what used to be the Long Beach Naval Station and has been claimed at a $1.7 billion economic development project that will be anchored by a ballpark village and stadium called the Diamond Beach project. "We're ecstatic for our chance to showcase the beauty and splendor of Long Beach to all of America and the world, in this our first ever major league team," said Karetha Sanders, Mayor of Long Beach. Neither of the expansion teams scheduled to take the field in less than four years have been named as of yet. The other city selected for MLB expansion was Oklahoma City, OK. Last edited by Young Drachma : 11-12-2007 at 10:28 PM. |
|
|
|
|
11-12-2007, 10:58 PM
|
#22 | |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
THE HAVES VERSUS THE HAVE NOTS
Despite a generous revenue sharing plan that allows teams to thrive, Major League Baseball is again dealing with the issue of big market versus small market and it rears its ugly head as the sport again prepares to expand to a smaller market city. The Commissioner of Baseball says that the game will not solely be dictated by locations and money, but that its important for teams to be placed in locales where they can be successful. "We're not all about chasing the dollars. We want to be a successful, viable and lasting entity and that means being in places where people appreciate baseball year round and can embrace the sport even when their team might not be the best that year." Speaking to the idea that he might be targeting some teams, he scoffed saying that "we've tampered down any talk of teams relocating, we're preparing to expand for the first time in close to 30 years and revenues are higher than they've ever been." The Commissioner said during his "State of the Game" address, that MLB will 'never' expand past 32 teams. "We like where we are right now, we're looking forward to our two new members. But beyond that? We're not going anywhere further. That I can guarantee you. The owners will not want to split the pie anymore than they already have." As for discussion of expanding the World Series to a best-of-nine game series and playing the first two games at a neutral site, the Commissioner said that he's convinced the players association to take the most recent deal that the owners have proposed, which would give the players a bigger share of the playoff revenues, but the owners are banking on the buzz that would attract casual fans. "We're in a completely new era of the sport and to be the only sport of the big four - besides football, but that's a whole 'nother matter - to do something like this would be huge. Fans are overwhelmingly in favor of it, even traditionalists who no one ever thought would go for it. What it comes down to is, we love baseball and if the game can be showcased on a huge, national stage for everyone to see, then there isn't anything better out there to watch in the fall." World Series Weekend would offer a bidding process to cities each year, but no major league team's stadium could ever host the event. The idea, says the Commish, is to grow the game and to expand it beyond its traditional locales. "We're going to places where people want us, but also places where people will come to the games and pack the park. But we don't want to give anyone too much of an advantage either." The format, which would likely begin by 2020, but as early as next year as an "experiment" would be a 1-1-2-3-2 format, with the team getting home field advantage getting a possible 6 games as the home team, though one would be neutral site, rather than 5, but the format would guarantee that the team without home field would get at least one home World Series game and the first two games as neutral site with one team playing 'home' team once and the other getting it the next night. Baseball's playoffs start tonight, Sunday September 22nd. Quote:
Last edited by Young Drachma : 11-12-2007 at 10:58 PM. |
|
|
|
|
|
11-12-2007, 11:48 PM
|
#23 | |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
DIVISION SERIES RESULTS
September 23, 2018 Brooklyn 5, Norfolk 3 (BKN leads 1-0) Philadelhia 1, San Diego 0 (PHI lead 1-0) September 24, 2018 Baltimore 2, California 1 (BAL leads 1-0) Vancouver 7, Detroit 5 (VAN leads 1-0) Philadelphia 7, San Diego 1 (PHI leads 2-0) Brooklyn 5, Norfolk 4 (BKN leads 2-0) September 25, 2018 Baltimore 4, California 3 (BAL leads 2-0) Vancouver 9, Detroit 5 (VAN leads 2-0) September 26, 2018 Philadelphia 8, San Diego 4 (PHI leads 3-0) Brooklyn 5, Norfolk 3 (BKN leads 3-0) September 27, 2018 Baltimore 10, California 3 (BAL leads 3-0) Vancouver 6, Detroit 3 (VAN leads 3-0) Philadelphia 3, San Diego (PHI wins 4-0) Norfolk 11, Brooklyn 6 (BKN leads 3-1) September 28, 2018 Baltimore 4, California 3 (BAL wins 4-0) Detroit 4, Vancouver 1 (VAN leads 3-1) September 29, 2018 Norfolk 17, Brooklyn 6 (BKN leads 3-2) September 30, 2018 Detroit 6, Vancouver 1 (VAN leads 3-2) Brooklyn 8, Norfolk 7 (10 innings)(BKN wins series 4-2) October 1, 2018 Vancouver 7, Detroit 5 (VAN wins series 4-2) CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES PREVIEW It took a little bit of time, but the four best teams in each league emerged after some pretenders showed up at the ballroom with dancing shoes on, but got swept off the dance floor before they knew it. In the American League, the Baltimore Orioles claimed their last pennant in 2006. The Vancouver A's won the pennant as the Oakland A's back in 1999 and that team went on to win the whole thing. Either way, someone will end a pretty long drought this year after the dust settles from the ALCS. In the National League, it's a battle of NL East foes and the winners of the last two NL pennants as the defending World Series champs from Brooklyn, face off against the Philadelphia Phillies to determine who will represent the National League in the Fall Classic. The schedule is as follows: Quote:
|
|
|
|
|
|
11-13-2007, 10:25 AM
|
#24 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
2018 ALCS RESULTS
GM 1: Vancouver 5, Baltimore 4 GM 2: Vancouver 14, Baltimore 5 GM 3: Vancouver 9, Baltimore 6 GM 4: Baltimore 7, Vancouver 2 GM 5: Baltimore 4, Vancouver 2 GM 6: Vancouver 6, Baltimore 3 VANCOUVER WINS SERIES 4 GMS TO 2 2018 NLCS RESULTS GM 1: Philadelphia 3, Brooklyn 0 GM 2: Brooklyn 6, Philadelphia 5 (15 innings) GM 3: Brooklyn 18, Philadelphia 8 GM 4: Brooklyn 7, Philadelphia 6 GM 5: Brooklyn 9, Philadelphia 2 BROOKLYN WINS SERIES 4 GMS TO 1 2018 WORLD SERIES PREVIEW   AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPION VANCOUVER ATHLETICS V.  NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPION BROOKLYN BROWNSTONES VANCOUVER PREVIEW The A's boasted the second best offensive teams in the American League this year, hitting a combined .265, 2nd in the AL. They were also 2nd in OBP, Runs Scored, Hits and 1st in Slugging. Their offense is led by 27-year old catcher Gus Johnson, who hit .297 with a career high 31 home runs and 107 RBI this past year. Other standouts include first baseman Bernie Arellano, a 27-year old left hander who came over in June from Cincinnati and hit a combined .274 with 29 HR and 99 RBI this year. Second baseman Sang-yeon Pak had a breakout year with a .306 average and career highs in both home runs (20) and RBI (83). Along with 21-year old third baseman Zander Byrne made up part of the youngest infield in the majors. Byrne hit 23 HRs and 70 RBI in his first full season in the majors. The Vancouver pitching staff is led by a resurgent Cole Hamels, a 34-year southpaw who hadn't won more than 8 games in a season since 2015 with Houston. After signing a free agent deal with Vancouver, he's delivered big for the A's, going 18-10 this year with 3.67 ERA and 197 Ks, all career highs. 34-year old Dominican leftie Franciso Liriano is the second part of the dynamic duo and is in his eighth year with the A's. He went 14-7 this year with a 4.11 ERA in 33 starts. Closer Ruben Rosario is a Cy Young candidate after a season where he went 4-1 with 43 saves and a 1.27 ERA, his second sub 2.00-ERA season. THE BROOKLYN ADVANTAGE The advantage that Donnie's boys boasts over the A's, is their depth. D.C. Daly loaded up on veterans in the off-season for a run like this and has a variety of guys like Chien-Ming Wang, Aaron Cook and Hayden Penn, who are battled tested veterans who can pitch in any spot to get the job done. This post-season, Billy Blake and Daisuke Matsuzaka boast the 1-2 tandem that the Brownstones need to capture their second straight title. Together, the duo are 4-1 with 47 strikeouts in 6 playoff starts. Closer Jerry Green has 4 saves and a 1.50 ERA in 5 appearances. Offensively, Sebby Poulin has been clutch in the post-season. He only played in 46 games during the regular season and hit no home runs, but this post-season he's got 5 HRs and 8 RBI in 37 ABs. The 3-4-5 hitters of Gil Ryan, Len Larkin and Clarence Austin have been similarly fantastic, with 41 RBI in 11 post-season games among the three of them. Ryan is making his pitch to be the full-time starter at first base next year after a September callup that left Don Mattingly with "no choice" he said, but to put him in the lineup. SAY GOODBYE TO RYAN? It might signal the end of Ryan Howard's time in Brooklyn, as Howard has already indicated that he wants to play full-time and will not take a reduced role. He's 38-years old and hit .277 this past year with 33 HRs and 82 RBI, the lowest of his career in either category. Howard sits just 30 home runs behind Jim Thome for 2nd on the all-time list at 765. Barry Bonds and his 798 would likely take at least two more years at his current pace or more likely three years. Brooklyn officials say that as much as they'd like to see him play "in Brooklyn for the rest of his career," there was no way the team would be willing to continue paying him at his current rate. Howard is earning $18.375 this year and is set the earn the same amount next season. But D.C. Daly says there is no way he'll talk about this during the World Series. "I can't believe you all would even bring that up right now. We've got a great looking ballclub out there and I bet you there are lots of other teams that would switch spots with us right now. We're going to hit it hard, we've got 4 more games to win and our guys are staying focused on that and nothing else." Last edited by Young Drachma : 11-13-2007 at 10:26 AM. |
|
|
|
|
11-13-2007, 04:56 PM
|
#25 | |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
2018 WORLD SERIES
The Vancouver A's are the third straight team from the Pacific Northwest to represent the AL in the World Series. The Portland Beavers won three straight titles from 2014-16, Seattle lost to Brooklyn last year and now, in 2018, Vancouver is representing both the region and Canada - who last had a World Series title winner in 1995 when the Toronto Blue Jays won their third title. The Jays won the AL pennant in 2009, but lost to -- surprise, surprise -- Brooklyn. RESULTS GAME 1: BROOKLYN 6, VANCOUVER 2 GAME 2: VANCOUVER 12, BROOKLYN 10 GM 3: VANCOUVER 7, BROOKLYN 5 GM 4: BROOKLYN 14, VANCOUVER 9 GAME 5: Back in Brooklyn for at least two more games, maybe 3. Have to say that we're a pretty big fan of the 2-2-3 format, because it gives us a bit of security if you're a team that gets some comfort from playing at home, as we do. Lonnie Martin (0-0, 1 SV, 13 K in 13.1 innings this post-season) will make his second post-season start against the A's ace, Cole Hamels (3-1, 3.97 this post-season) Our lineup has been hot all post-season, here's the suspects with playoff stats: Quote:
GAME 5 REVIEW: Down 1-0 into the bottom of the sixth, Al Forbes got Brooklyn going with a leadoff double. After advancing to third on a passed ball, he scored on a flyout from Gil Ryan to make it 1-1. Chien-Ming Wang threw two scoreless innings to get the bottom of the ninth to closer Jerry Green, who blew a save in Game 2 in a game the team eventually lost. "But if you're gonna pay a closer big bucks, you better put him to work when it counts most," said Brooklyn Manager Don Mattingly. Mattingly made the right move, as Green retired the side into the top of the ninth, leaving the job up to the 5-6-7 hitters for the Brownstones. Len Larkin wasted no time, belting a leadoff triple and giving Ryan Howard, a Brooklyn legend who is hitting just .118 in the playoffs and might be on his way out of town after this season, an opportunity to be a hero. But he was walked in favor of third baseman C.J. Sweeny, with no outs and Larkin at third. Sweeney hit a pop-fly to the right side of the infield and Sang Pak bobled it, scoring the winning run and leaving the Brownstones just a win away from their second consecutive World Series title after a 2-1 win on Friday night. GAME 6 RECAP Billy Blake took the mound in Game 6 for Brooklyn, with his ballclub having the chance to close out the Fall Classic at the Yard in Brooklyn on a cool, crisp night at the park. In the bottom of the third, the Brownstones broke a 0-0 deadlock with an RBI single by Clarence Austin. Len Larkin followed that up with a 2-run homer to make it 3-0 Brooklyn. Apparently, that wasn't enough of a cushion of the Boys from Brooklyn. Three singles from Ryan Howard, Matt Vanier and Zach Jackson set the table for Al Forbes, who is making a huge claim to be MVP of the World Series, when he smacked a grand slam 353 feet to make it 7-0. The A's tried to rally in the 7th, scoring three, but it wasn't enough and in the 9th, Hayden Penn came into the game to shut the door on the Series and Aaron Cook pitched to the last batter and to send Brooklyn into a frenzy as the Brownstones captured their second straight World Series title, 8-4. As the stadium was lit abuzz with the excitement, there was a feeling that this might be more satisfying, knowing that there were changes to be made into the future and the success for the past decade, the first years of the new baseball century in Brooklyn, would test the resolve and the passion of the fans in the borough. |
|
|
|
|
|
11-13-2007, 11:39 PM
|
#26 | |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
RETIREES
Daisuke Matsuzaka retired this year. He ended his career at 228-94 with a 2.42 ERA. Aaron Cook and Chien-Ming Wang also retired this year. But as for Dice-K, you can be sure that the #18 will be hanging from left field at The Yard very soon. Here are some random message board comments about what fans are saying: Quote:
THE WELL RUNS DRY... The Kansas City Royals are officially up for sale. The team claims losses of over $45 million this past season and ownership said that playing at Kaufmann Stadium, which is aging and has lost much of its charm in the past 20 years and with no local owner in site, the team is considering "all of its options," said a spokesman for the current owners. MLB officials are said to be privately hoping for some sort of deal to put the team in a larger TV market, while publicly stating that "there ought to be some resolution with the city and the team that will allow the team to remain in Kansas City." But with sagging population and a declining base of corporations to choose from, some economists say that the team has no choice but to move. "It's just a fact of life. It doesn't make it right or wrong. But there are viable markets out there that would gladly support this team and provide an ownership group with a ready base of support, certainly more than they're getting now in a [television] market that's barely Top 30 in the US." FREE...FREE FALLIN' There are only three guys on the Brownstones eligible for free agency, backup catcher JacK Duchesne and Jeremy Hermida. But what about the rest of the team? No one has any comments in the front office of the Brownstones. "Look, it's not even November yet. We've got a lot of planning to do -- a lot of work and we're going to go about that business very seriously. We'll look at things, take our approach carefully and we'll assess what decisions need to be made at that time," said D.C. Daly, General Manager. Don't be surprised to see a deal that includes Ryan Howard. The long-time Brooklyn star and future Hall of Famer is rumored to be on the trading block, after expressing dissatisfaction with the team's decision to play him less with the emergence of rookie first baseman Gil Ryan. That, coupled with his large salary are likely to spell doom for his chances of staying with the ballclub into next year. Does that mean that 2019 will be a rebuilding year for the 'Stones? "We're still in 2018 and even as we head into next year, I fully expect that we'll have a very competitive team that will play hard nosed, Brooklyn-style baseball. No question," said Manager Don Mattingly. Last edited by Young Drachma : 11-13-2007 at 11:40 PM. |
|
|
|
|
|
11-13-2007, 11:51 PM
|
#27 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
Here are the profit/loss statements for the 2018 season across MLB:
 |
|
|
|
|
11-14-2007, 12:08 AM
|
#28 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
WHEN DO YOU CALL IT QUITS?
The hardest part of GMing a championship team is being smart enough to assess when it's time to cut your losses with particular players and move on. Not because you want to be cold hearted or mean, but simply because you have a desire to win and want to do your best to maximize the best years of the talent that you have and also, to maintain fan interest and the long-term financial viability of the franchise. In our particular csae, it's been a crazy, crazy run. WHen you consider that since the team got to Brooklyn in 1997, we've only had seven seasons (out of 21) where we missed the playoffs. We've never won a Wild Card, all of our trips to the post-season have been via a division title. 16 division titles and 4 World Series titles heading into our 25th year of existence. To put that into perspective for you, since 1994, we have more playoff appearances than any other team in baseball. The closest? The Colorado Rockies have 12 appearances, Toronto has 11 and St. Louis and Seattle are tied at 10. No team has more World Series titles during that stretch, the Beavers are close with 3 titles and they are more impressive in that they won their titles in three straight years and because they play in a solidly middle market city, their success is even more impressive than what we do in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. But besides all of that, do you need years of strife and failure to go from being an upstart club that's loved and revered to one that's hated? Brooklyn fans went from a city within a city of long-lost baseball fans, who were encapsulized in a long state of waiting, dreaming and anticipating a club to once again call their own. But this dream had an ending no one ever saw coming. They got a ballclub that does nothing more than win, it's creating a legacy of excellence that's simply unparalled in the majors today and it's turned them into one of the most lucrative brands in sports in less than a quarter-century. Does it mean that it has to end at some point? Does success wane in an era where money talks, where success is judged by the number of championship banners your ballclub has hanging from the outfield walls? Or is it all about the love of the game and the persistent pursuit of success above all else -- that is, except the core values that built the franchise. We're at a point now where we get to discover ourselves in earnest. We'll find out what we're made of and what we're about and get the chance to test what we believe in. If we succeed, we might have a new era to pass a baton to. If we don't, we'll be like every other soulless ballclub searching for itself in the midst of dollar signs, missed opportunities and a rememberance of a proud, resurgent past manifesting itself into a future generation of ambassadors of Brooklyn. |
|
|
|
|
11-14-2007, 05:37 PM
|
#29 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
DIRECTOR'S CUT
November 25, 2018 Let's take a step back for a second. The hardest part of running a franchise isn't just deciding "when" to give in and call it quits with a particular set of players, because usually you're assessing things to be worse than they are. It's heading to the farm system, seeing what you've got stocked up and realizing that some of those kids are NEVER going to pan out to be what you want. So the question then becomes, "who do I try to sell off?" Because you have no idea who'll materialize and which ones won't, so it's not like you have a crystal ball. It's not like we're on a budget. So it's no so much that we're strapped for cash like some teams that have to go out and make tough decisions. Instead, we just look around and try to find a way to piece together the talent we want, using a combination of our own players, as well as free agents. In a year like this one, when there aren't any real premium free agents on the market, you hit the trading decks to see what you can find and look for teams that are either selling off talent or making deals that will allow you to send talent for talent. It's not an easy thing to do and that's precisely the spot we're in right now. I could go through the machinery of that decision and precisely what we're trying to assess as we make the decision to jettison some players and keep others. But we probably won't. Instead, I'll just let you hear about the end result. |
|
|
|
|
11-15-2007, 12:33 AM
|
#30 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
ROYALS HEADED TO TAMPA? STEINBRENNER GROUP TO PURCHASE TEAM
The Steinbrenner family are among the most well known names in baseball history. George Steinbrenner owned the Yankees until ailing health forced him to sell the club in 2010, when his sons decided they didn't want to run the team. Now, Steinbrenner's grandson Preston Steinbrenner has used a burgeoning internet business empire to return to a business that he says is "in his blood," baseball. He's planning to purchase the Kansas City Royals, who have fallen on hard times and despite that, have a ton of talent. "It's a great team, we just need to get them to a place where baseball fans can truly appreciate them," he said. He believes that Tampa would be a great market for the team and would give the up-the-interstate rival Florida Marlins, who play in Orlando. "We believe our market would be totally bear the addition of a team in this market. It's a great time to be in Florida and it's a great time to add a new team to this market. It's long overdue." MLB's owners are expected to approve the move and it's not apparently whether the team will play a season at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a year before moving into a brand new retractable roof stadium that Steinbrenner worked with the city to get funded four years ago, in anticipation of a team moving to the area. "We've been proactive and we hope MLB will reward our planning." MLB CONSIDERS REVENUE SHARING PLAN, SALARY CAP AND REALIGNMENT With Long Beach and Oklahoma City joining MLB in 2022 and with MLB facing its second team move in two years, after going over a decade without a move, MLB owners are evaluating "proactive" plans towards allowing for more fiscal sanity in the game. "We cannot have an era anymore where the size of your city dictates whether your team will compete year in and year out," said Tigers owner Mike Illitch. As a result, the owners are said to be "extremely close" to a salary cap deal that would get implemented for the 2020 season. The other plan would be related to realignment in 2022 when two new teams are added to MLB, but the plan might be implemented as early as 2020, that would separate MLB from 2 divisions in each league to four divisions and expand the playoffs to allow 16 teams, rather than 8. The reason? Lost revenue. "Major League Baseball's regular season is longer than any other league, but with the lack of a compelling post-season product, cities are shutting off baseball and avoiding the ballpark earlier and earlier," said economist Paul McWhorter. While purists are railing against any such plans to expand the playoffs, it's not hard to note that since 2008, just fourteen different teams have made the World Series and there have been five teams that have won consecutive championships since 2001. "We're seeing more and more of this jugerranut mentality and it's not great for the game," said McWhorter. What the owners decide to do, could set the pace for the long-term future of the game. END OF AN ERA: HOWARD DEALT TO THE METS The Ryan Howard era came to an end in Brooklyn today. The Brownstones dealt their iconic first baseman in his 11th sesason with the club, due to his rankling over a desire for more playing time next year, after the team told him he'd be phased out. The 39-year old first baseman is attempting to pass Jim Thome and Barry Bonds on the all-time home run list. But GM D.C. Daly said that "be assured that no one will ever again wear #6 on this ballclub," related to the successes of Howard while in a Brooklyn uniform. The deal sent Howard, veteran pitcher Hayden Penn, infielder Ruben Sanchez and prospect reliever Chad Reeves to Queens for 27-year old outfielder Nolan Tanner, 20-year old catcher prospect Alex Lopez and 21-year old Cisco Lozano. Brooklyn also agreed to pay $3 million towards Howard's $18.375 million salary next year. The best part of the deal for Brookyln was all of the saved money. "We're really sad to see Ryan go, but tried to make this as dignified a process as can be possible," said D.C. Daly. "The guys we got in return, I believe, are the sorts of players that can be impact players at the major league level someday." Most fans are railing against the deal, saying Brooklyn was fleeced. But no so, says Daly, who said that "it's tough to find a team willing not only to take on payroll, but who are willing to send you quality prospects." Brooklyn saved a total of $18 million on that deal. |
|
|
|
|
11-15-2007, 02:42 PM
|
#31 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
BROOKLYN BROWNSTONES ROSTER (As of November 27, 2018)
Code:
On the offensive side, we have too any outfielders in the minors as well as too many young pitchers who aren't ready for prime time and so, it's making me evaluate our options and to make some decisions about what we're going to end up doing. Payroll is at $50 million right now. I'd like to keep things under about $65 million for this year and next year. Especially since there is no indication at the moment related to where the league is going to set the salary cap, I don't want to get caught in a situation where we're so bloated that we can't sign the young guys that we want to keep around. So we're going to make some adjustments. I do think we'll be more than competitive going into next year, because we're keeping our core generally intact. Last edited by Young Drachma : 11-15-2007 at 02:42 PM. |
|
|
|
|
11-15-2007, 07:49 PM
|
#32 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
FIVE FOR FIVE: DODGERS GET FIVE FROM 'STONES
DECEMBER 12, 2018 ASSOCIATED PRESS -- A deal that might someday be heralded as one of the most lopsided, the Brooklyn Brownstones sent five players to the Los Angeles Dodgers yesterday. This is the first time the two teams have ever traded with each other since the inception of the Brownstones in 1997. Coming to Brooklyn in the deal are starting pitching Darrel Price, a 24-year old righthander who went 15-12 last year with a 3.11 ERA. Relievers A.J. Terry, Grant Balfour and veteran first baseman Mike Jacobs were also part of the deal, which included a player to be named later. On the Brooklyn side, the 'Stones sent away some of their depth players, as well as sending away youngsters who the team was once high on, but who have seemingly fallen out of favour. Infielder Clarence Jackson, a 28-year old who hit .333 in 39 Major League ABs last year and didn't figure to get much more playing time this coming year. 29-year old outfielder Jared Burton, 24-year old minor league outfielder from Australia Vinnie Hooks, starter Tad Owens and first baseman Mario Padilla. All of the last four named players played in the minors, but would've likely started on other teams. It's an interesting trade, but there might be more to come, said Brooklyn officials who said they are in the midst of a "purge" of their minor league system. The team wouldn't comment in more detail, except to say that the ballclub was "happy to have the players it received." "We're trying to get a third World Series title and I'm confident that the deal we made today will help us towards that goal," said GM D.C. Daly. In a seperate deal made later in the day, the team sent 29-year old outfielder Sebastian Poulin to Washington for a prospect. MLB APPROVES EXPANSION OF WORLD SERIES Major League Baseball's GMs today approved a plan to expand the World Series from a best-of-seven, to a best-of-nine game series, the first in major pro sports since the World Series last did it in 1921. But MLB owners were attracted by the idea of World Series Weekend, which would allow for an atmopshere that goes on in other sports, including the presentation of the regular season awards at a ceremony on the Friday before the start of the Fall Classic. "We think this is the best opportunity to showcase the game in all of her grandeur, rather than being a whimper at the end of the year, baseball will be a grand even on the big stage." The city that hosts the World Series Weekend will always be a non-major league team city and owners say that they prefer someplace with "agreeable" weather during mid-to-late October. The GMs voted to make the experiment happen for two seasons to gauge its success, meaning that it will begin next season at a city that has yet to be announced. But the MLB commissioner has announced that they have a few candidate cities and will decide on a place before the start of Spring Training. ROYALS TO MOVE TO TAMPA The Kansas City Royals move to Tampa, Florida for the 2019 season was approved by MLB owners during last week's owners' meeting. The team's move was predicated by MLB's Commisioner imploring the players association that something "needed to be done to reign in the financial costs of doing business in some markets or else, we'll have a sport confined only to large metropolitan areas." This means that he's pushing hard for a salary cap, but the MLBPA have resisted those attempts. The owners are saying that they are willing to "do what it takes to ensure the long-term viability of the game," but no one is being very specific about what that means at present. |
|
|
|
|
11-15-2007, 09:03 PM
|
#33 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
OWNERS HINTING AT LOCKOUT
JANUARY 21, 2019 With negotiations with the Players Association stalling, the owners of at least 26 major league baseball clubs are willing to vote today to lockout the players, preventing spring training and the regular season from beginning. No one will comment on the validity of these claims, but anonymous reports coming from New York are that the owners are seriously considering ending negotiations in February, if there isn't a deal on the table. MARCH 1, 2019 After nearly a month of intense negotiations, the players and owners have come no closer to a decision reltaed to what the team will do. As a result, the owners are preparing to "restructure" the regular season schedule, after having cancelled spring training due to the lockout. "We're going to preserve this game one way or another and if it means we have to cut back some games, so be it," said one owners. Here are the proposals according to the owners: Owners' proposals: * Players would be guaranteed 48 percent of revenue from ticket sales and national and local radio and television contracts, which would make up about 82 percent of owners' total revenue. * A salary cap limiting the total amount of salary any team could pay to players. Players with 6 years or more experience would still be free agents, but they could not be signed by a particular team if doing so would put that team over the salary limit. The players are opposed to a salary cap and would like the owners to expand the active roster to 27 from its current 25. The impasse will most certainly cost at least a few regular season games, but no decision has been made on that as of yet. OFFICIAL: ALL MARCH REGULAR SEASON GAMES CANCELLED March 18, 2019 The owners have cancelled all March regular season games for the 2019 season. Because the schedule had already been devised the owners could only find a solution in cancelling whole blocks of dates, rather than indiviual games. According to spokesman Michael Bednarik, the two sides are "no closer to a deal than yesterday." This is the first cancellation of regular season games since 1981 and will cause some havoc in regards to post-season scheduling. WORLD SERIES WEEKEND SITES Provided we ever get baseball again, MLB has announced the finalists for MLB World Series Weekend for this year. The trick? If a city loses out this year, they'll be automatically considered for the following year. It's just a two-year experiment for now, so just two cities will be picked for the first run. So two cities will get picked out of this group to host the new event. That is, provided it still happens this year. Finalists: San Antonio, Miami, Phoenix, New Orleans, Milwaukee and Nashville |
|
|
|
|
11-15-2007, 09:06 PM
|
#34 |
|
College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Osaka, Japan via Honolulu, Hawaii via Birmingham, Alabama
|
Fantastic read!
__________________
U of Hawaii | U of Alabama | Montreal Impact | Montreal Canadiens | West Ham | West Indies cricket | Portland Trail Blazers |
|
|
|
|
11-15-2007, 09:08 PM
|
#35 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
APRIL GAMES CANCELLED
April 1, 2019 Making good on a promise that "if there was no deal in place by April 1st, that all April games would be cancelled, MLB's owners today agreed to cancel all April games and set a 'drop-dead' date on the 2019 season. The rankling is over the implementation of a salary cap and the owners have not budged from their stance that the players need to accept this if the baseball season is to continue. "Our position is firm and we're not budging," said a spokesman for the owners. |
|
|
|
|
11-15-2007, 09:56 PM
|
#36 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
BRIGHT LIGHT EMERGES
APRIL 5, 2019 Just a little over 72 hours after the owners cancelled all April games, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. MLB owners have tenatively come to an agreement with the players association that would implement a salary cap starting at the beginning of the 2020 season, but wouldn't penalize teams that are over it, it would just prevent them from being able to sign new players post-2020. There were some concessions on the side of the owners, including an expansion of active rosters from 25 to 26 players -- one less than the players asked for -- and there is a plan in place that would realign the MLB divisions in 2020 to three five team divisions in each league and bring back interleague play. The MLBPA stopped short of approving any plans that would allow for expanded playoffs beyond the three rounds that MLB currently has. "We're not out of the woods yet. But it's looking a lot better than it did just a week ago," said one spokesman for the players association. BASEBALL COMES BACK IN MAY MLB and the Players Association agreed today to set the regular season date for May 3, 2019. To determine the playoffs, MLB has decided to employ a split schedule, the first time since 1981 where that's happened. "We felt it was the most equitable solution." The new rules that were agreed to by the owners and players will take effect in 2020. |
|
|
|
|
11-22-2007, 01:20 AM
|
#37 | |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
2019 SEASON RECAP
With the lockout and such alike, this season was kinda strange and hum-drum. But I guess that happens sometimes. Here is the breakdown of playoff matchups: ALDS --- Boston def. Tampa Bay 4-0 California def. Vancouver 4-0 NLDS ---- Pittsburgh def. Brooklyn 4-2 Philadelphia def. St. Louis 4-3 ALCS --- Boston def. California 4-0 NLCS --- Philadelphia def. Pittsburgh 4-2 2019 WORLD SERIES --- Philadelphia def. Boston 5 games to 4 World Series Weekend, the first one ever, was held in New Orleans, Louisiana. Tampa's Pete Mills led the majors in batting average with a .378 BA. THE NEW RULES The salary cap for 2020 is set at $90 million. Eight teams are over the cap as of November 15, 2019. Quote:
MLB rules do not prevent these teams from staying over the cap, but each has essentially said that they will "work diligently" to get under the cap, which might create a flurry of activity this off-season, now that a labor deal is in place. NAMES YOU OUGHTA KNOW.. I was going through the teams and looking around and I saw all sorts of guys who I'd either 1) never heard of or 2) didn't realize were in that particular city. I decided that it might be helpful for me -- and perhaps, for you as a reader -- to go around the league and profile a player on each team that is a name you might not be familiar with, but ought to be. To start, here's a guy that I had no idea was around, maybe because of east coast bias or maybe for other reasons. Oliver Soto, Portland Beavers Soto is a 31-year old right fielder for the Beavers. He's spent his entire career there, racking up a career .286 batting average, 332 HRs and 1588 hits during a span that's gone from 2009 to 2019. He's a huge fan favourite there and while his numbers are declining to some degree, he's the sort of guy that if he played somewhere else, he'd be a huge star. Last year's lockout shortened season ended a streak of six-straight 100+ RBI season for Soto. He hit .286 with 31 HR and 84 RBI last year in 405 ABs. He's a 9-time All-Star and won four-straight AL MVPs from 2013-2016. John Brown, Norfolk Tides This 23-year old first baseman is on the cusp of becoming a bonafide star. The lockout hurt his numbers this year (.318/12 HR/65 RBI), but '18 was a breakout year for the Bronx native, who hit .337 with 17 HR and 107 RBI for the Tides. He's always a trade rumour, because of the decline of the Tides, but if he stays, he'll be the sort of familiar face that the Tides can come to rely on in future years, as he should just get better as time goes on. Willie Hodge, California Angels The 29-year old lefthanded hitting centerfielder just completed his first season in California, after spending the first nine years of his career as a member of the New York Yankees. A career .297 hitter, Hodge is already halfway to 3000 hits for his career. 2019 was another 20+ home season for the talented, six-time All-Star selection who was the 1st round pick of the Yankees back in 2009. He hit .288 this past year and only had 75 runs due to the shortened season, but has 90+ runs scored in the three previous seasons before this one. Whether he'll be a productive player into his 30s is always a guess, but if his work so far is any indication, Hodge ought to be a horse for the Halos. |
|
|
|
|
|
11-22-2007, 11:07 AM
|
#38 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
SALARY CAP EFFECT, FINANCES & POTENTIAL PLAYOFF EXPANSION
COMMENTARY The whole point of the salary cap is essentially to force teams at the bottom who aren't spending to do so, by freezing out the teams who near or over the cap from being able to sign players and leaving those players on the market and forcing those other teams into the market and making them more likely to be successful, whereas under normal conditions, they're not able to be. I haven't truly figured out -- and my financial model confuses me half the time, so I haven't invested the time to develop this more fully -- but, I think there has to be a way to ensure that there is parity across the league, with teams pitching for players and keeping things relatively stable across the board. I think part of what skews my noticing of talented players who don't get to play, is the fact that 1) injuries are on low, so it extends milestone careers, but keeps guys from cycling into the majors and 2) there are only 30 teams. But too many teams and it starts to get convoluted, so I don't want to go beyond the scheduled 32 teams in 2022. The next thing that we mentioned earlier that I'm seriously considering is the extended playoffs with four teams in four divisions in each league. That would be blasphemous to the average fan in today's world, yet..the NFL does it and coupled with their salary cap have the most powerful brand in American sports. The reason? Fans have a reason to root, root, root for the home team. Baseball has the opposite of what any sport does -- a lot of home dates -- that normally get filled. So the logic here is, if you have the same arsenal of home dates to fill and more teams eligible for the playoffs, while it might "hurt" the product on the field come playoff time (exclusivity is lost, average teams have a chance to go all the way...), what you do have, is the chance to give teams that get an injury or three, some margin for error. Because all things being equal, the playoff tickets -- especially in later rounds of the playoffs -- sell regardless of whether the teams are "good" or not. Fans will come see their teams as they get closer to the title and the games will still get broadcast, too. Increasing the likelihood that the more "venerable" brands get a chance to go 'all the way' or at least, have a shot to show up and coupling that with a schedule that gives fans a chance to see teams from other regions, will increase the cache of teams that otherwise get ignored right now. Baseball is and will forever be a regional sport. But by increasing the exposure that people have to the sport and by providing fans with a variety of ways to get plugged into the content and to get engaged in the sport throughout the season, it's more likely that the fairweather, "I only watch the playoffs" fans will either increase or will meld with diehard fans to create an increased amount of participation in the sport in the future. So for traditionalists, the idea of altering the entire setup of the sport as it's been known pretty much since its inception, to create a system that's more accessible to modern fans...might be blasphemy. But if the result is the significant expansion of revenue in the sport, then we have to serious consider that as the next logical step in baseball's evolution. |
|
|
|
|
11-23-2007, 08:52 AM
|
#39 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
EXPANSION, COMPETITIVENESS
In the situation where I want to 1) keep running the team I'm operating, but 2) create a baseball environment that allows more teams to participate and 3) makes things fair enough that teams are able to compete and new teams are able to take over the market over time.. I guess the only way to do that is expansion. After the lockout, MLB wrote into the agreement, a clause that allowed the owners to approve -- without the players consent -- the addition of up to four more teams, which would get MLB to a total of 36 teams. MLB owners have mulled adding teams for the current season, as there are more than half a dozen cities with suitable owners who have expressed interest and with stadiums in tow. "It'd be a move that would resemble what happened in the early 1960s during the first expansion, where MLB had its hand forced by people wanting teams and trying to crack at their superiority by creating rival leagues. And after the lockout, we're not too far away from that again," said Mitchell Flanagan, a baseball historian. Tyson Park in Oklahoma City is still about eight months from completion, but Arizona already has a stadium suitable for the new team there to play, as Salt Lake City. That would mean that in 2022, Omaha, Rochester, Long Beach and Oklahoma City would join at the same time. The new division alignment will be three divisions in each league of six teams apiece. While there are some who wanted a more expanded playoff system, others are heralding the new system, which will "force teams to win their division" versus the current system where the top two non-division winners advance to the post-season. "The idea is to simulate what the past of baseball did. You won the league, you made the post-season. Now it's simple. Win your division and get in. If you are the best non-division winner in the league, you get in. That's bigger than winning a division title, since you have to be better than the majority of the league. It's preserving what's special about baseball," said Mets owner Jamil Robertson. The goal is to ensure that fans get to see teams throughout the year and that there are a variety of rivalries in each league to satisfy media curiosities and such. At present, the new structure will provide for all of this and more. MLB DECIDES SIX FOR '22 Rather than allow expansion early, MLB has decided that the new divisional alignment of three divisions of six teams will start in 2022 with six new teams added to the slate. "We're excited about what the future holds for baseball's next 100 years," said MLB's commissioner. Also announced with the new expansion is something unprecedented in the 'big four' American sports -- a Cup competition during the season. The as-of-yet named Cup competition does not have any composition as yet, but the notion is to allow teams in the mid-table to "have something to play for," and that the tournament would be concurrent with the regular season and won't happen every year. "We want it to be meaningful and something folks look forward to," said an MLB spokesman. More information is to follow in the coming months. PAYROLL OPENING DAY 2020 Five teams are over the cap on opening day -- Houston, Seattle, Washington, Norfolk and Chicago White Sox. Code:
HIGHEST PAID PLAYERS ~ MLB, 2020 Code:
BROWNSTONES 2020 PREVIEW The most notable change in the Brooklyn lineup this year is the return of Bobby Cartwright (.273/8 HR/54 RBI) to play third base. The 32-year old is in the last year of his deal and whether because of his fan favourite status, big name status or just the fact that he's due to breakout one of these years, the team went after him, sending Matt Vanier to Seattle last off-season. The biggest question mark for the boys in brown this year will be the pitching staff and how it can hold up. Lonnie Martin (14-3, 2.93) and Darrel Price (14-1, 2.93) return to a staff that has no newcomers from a year ago. The lone newcomer to the long staff is Alex Bustamante, a 21-year old who came over in the deal that sent Ramiro Valentin and Matt Vanier to Seattle. He went 10-4 last year with 89 strikeouts and should be the spot starter to start the year. Offensively, Clarence Austin (.339/46/127) and Troy Tulowitzki are the dynamic duo (29 HR/110 RBI/.342) for the Brownstones. Look for Gil Ryan, who was vaunted as the replacement to living legend Ryan Howard, to have a breakout year, after being stunted during last year's lockout shortened season. Whether this team is competitive for a title will really depend on whether they've gelled together or not. Given the parts involved, it'll be interesting to see whether the strategy in recent years by D.C. Daly to stick to the team's home-grown talent has worked or not. |
|
|
|
|
12-01-2007, 12:18 PM
|
#40 |
|
Dark Cloud
Join Date: Apr 2001
|
September 1, 2021
On the eve of major changes in the setup of this league, I decided (without a press release) to change the whole idea a bit, because I wasn't particularly fond of my mass-expansion idea after all. Rather than go crazy and add six teams to the majors, we're just going to add two, to get to 32 teams and that's it. I am creating an separate independent league with an unspecified number of teams. I haven't decided whether the majors will stay two divisions or go to three divisions in each league. From there, I dunno what's next. But that's a good rundown of at least the first few changes I want to make. I'm also going to be implementing a variety of house rules starting in 2022 (which is next season) on myself and I might adopt a second team as the shadow GM, build them up and try to make them a power -- within my own division -- to rival the Brownstones dominance in recent years. I'm also going to attempt to create a cohesive structure to reporting information to you all, so it makes the dynasty more interesting to read as a result. Stay tuned. |
|
|
|
 |
| Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
| Thread Tools | |
|
|
