Arena The Baseball Draft Seven - Say Hey From Baseball Heaven

Do any of these quotes immediately resonate with you, and take you to a place within your memories that brings you unspeakable joy or absolute terror?

"If it stays fair... home run! The Red Sox win!"
"We will see you tomorrow night!"
"Touch 'em all, Joe! You'll never hit a bigger home run in your life!"
"but what about that throw from "That Son of a Bitch" George Gore, JR? Lofton tried to go to third, and Gore just nailed him!
"Got him! The greatest game ever pitched in baseball history by Don Larsen! A no-hitter, a perfect game in a World Series."
"There's a new home run champion of all time, and it's Henry Aaron!"
"The count is full at 3-2... Porray looks in for the sign, gets it... here’s the payoff pitch... Ground ball to second! Gehringer fields it cleanly, flips to Cronin at short... back to Gehrig at first... Double play!! And that's it! The Rum Row Runners are the champions of the FODEUSS Baseball Classic! The crowd here at Cleveland Municipal Stadium is going wild! They love Ed Porray, and the Runners are celebrating on the field! What a way to finish this series! The Runners clinch it with a fantastic double play to end the game and secure the championship! Congratulations to the Rum Row Runners, your FODEUSS Baseball Classic champions!"
"There's a long drive... way back in center field... way back, back, it is... oh, what a catch by Mays! Willie Mays just brought this crowd to its feet with a catch which must have been an optical illusion to a lot of people!"
"Ground ball to short! Ozzie Smith scoops it up, flips it to Jackie Robinson at second, and that's the game! That's the championship! The Every City Bandwagoners are your World Series Champions!"
​

If you, like me, are given goosebumps, chills, sadness, and euphoria by those calls and others like them, and you want to participate in a game where you can recreate not just those moments, but moments that combine them together, this is the game for you!

This game might also be for you if you

• need to occupy the next year of your life with something that will fill you with joy, bliss, frustration, good times, bad times, stress, anxiety, relief, euphoria, and all things in between those points.
• Enjoy random discussions about finding graves
• Are a card carrying member of the church of baseball
• Have always seen these "sports drafts" and wanted to sign up
• want to spend some Intybucks even if you have no idea what Intybucks are
• are the current Head Admin and a huge fan of Philadelphia sports

Have you ever wanted to answer the question "just how many days in a row can Old Hoss pitch and flip off reporters before his middle finger falls off"? Wondered if Ty Cobb could throw out Billy Hamilton at the plate on a sac fly? Wanted to call George Gore a "son of a bitch", in ways that are both praising and damning, all at once? Fantasized about watching Babe Ruth pitch to Babe Ruth with Chris Hoiles behind the plate? Dreamt about putting together a team of post-season heroes featuring Joe Carter, Rajai Davis, Orel Hershiser, Luis Gonzalez, and maybe a few guys who played for the Yankees (but definitely not the Marlins)? Maybe you just wanna see John Wetteland or Cap Anson get buried (literally and figuratively)? Or, maybe you just want to see how good Bob Gibson can be ....

If any of those (or something similar) describes you ... good news. This is the Sorta Annual, Dynasty-Driven, basically-year-long game for you.

This is our 14th Sports draft, and the we are now firmly entrenched in using Out of the Park Baseball. For this version, we're using OOTP 25.

But, just like the last few baseball drafts you are invited to build the best fake baseball team in history. But, as always, good luck beating this ultra fake team:



If you're somewhat new to this, I'd encourage you to go back and read (or at least skim) the previous sports drafts. If for no other reason than to understand why the Coveted Tunes Bless is so coveted.

The First NBA Draft, won by @EmpireForever (Able to draft any player any time)
The Second NBA Draft, won by @tom (Limited to only players from the 2012-13 NBA Season)
The Third NBA Draft, won by @tom (Back to any player, any time)
The Fourth NBA Draft, won by @PRENNTACULAR (auction style Franchise Acquisition)
The Fifth NBA Draft, won by @Point Given (all GMs must draft from the same franchise every round)
The First College Football Draft, won by @LloydChristmas (any player from the modern era)
The First Baseball Draft, won by @Point Given (All GMS must draft from the same franchise every round)
The Second Baseball Draft, won by @Point Given (All GMS must draft from the same franchise every round)
The Third Baseball Draft, won by @LloydChristmas (Free-for-all on drafting, mechanisms to carry players through to the next draft)
The Fourth Baseball Draft, won by @LloydChristmas (Free-for-all on drafting, mechanisms to carry players from previous draft and into next draft, first use of OOTP, expansion into the Negro Leagues)
The Fifth Baseball Draft, won by @dp4m (free-for-all on drafting, mechanisms to carry players from previous draft into next draft, expanded uses of OOTP, actual import of Negro Leagues Players, limited international players available)
The Sixth Baseball draft, won by @heels1785 , somehow ending the "heels can never win a draft" meme and possibly causing irreparable harm to the space-time continuum
The First FODEUSS Baseball Draft Classic, won by @mnjedi using an auction system to allocate countries and decades in our attempt to replicate the World Baseball Classic and inadvertently release the Kraken.

The Participants:

1) The Commish - That's me. I'm going to keep the draft going by moving along the selection process (see below), posting games, posting results, and generally keeping the game moving forward.
2) The GMs - that's you. However goddamn many of of you sign up. Maybe Fourteen Maybe Twelve? Maaaaaaybe more? New parties interested can express so in this thread until we announce we've reached the point you cannot. From there, each GM will assemble your team, put together lineups, and rotations, set strategies, and respond to the ebbs and flows in your attempts to win. You're really the owner, GM, and Manager of your team all in one. Or sometimes Shaq cosplays as you filling all those roles.
3) The Peanut Gallery - that's people like @Juliet316. Vital to the game. You do things like make fun of dp, forget Addie Joss exists, and generally enhance my life by letting me know people care about the stuff I'm spending my free time on and reinforcing positive images in my head and helping me to fight off Imposter Syndrome.

The Phases of the Game;

ASSEMBLING YOUR ROSTER

At the start of the game, every team is given the following assets:


32 Draft Picks*
$75 in Intybucks**
3 Keeper Slots

*Expansion teams and non-playoff teams are given additional draft picks to help with competitive balance
Expansion teams receive additional draft picks in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounds of the draft
Non-playoff returning teams receive additional draft picks in the 4th, 6th, and/or 10th round depending on final position in the standings
**Expansion teams will receive $100 in Intybucks

These assets are all tradeable, and can be used in each phase outlined below as appropriate.

IntyBucks can be used for the following:

• One additional Keeper slot (75) (only useable once per draft)
• Scouting Reports (1/report) (note: every team will get a spreadsheet with batting, fielding, pitching, and individual pitch ratings once we hit Spring Training at no charge)
• Sign a Free Agent (5/signing)
• Send someone through the time machine (20)*
• Sending Nook (50)
• View in-season team chemistry report (5) (note: I will send everyone a team chemistry report free of charge at the start and end of Spring Training)
• Firing/hiring a new manager mid-season, including interim managers (5)
• Various Stadium Projects since in FODEUSS the taxpayers are NEVER on the hook for stadiums (see below under "Mandatory Strategies"

*a quick clarification on the time machine. Once we break from Spring Training, the year designated to every player is locked in. You can change that year only by paying the fee above, or by trading for the player, at which time a year change can be done free of charge, but only before any games are played. However, if you trade for an injured player, the year change will not be conducted until after the injury has been fully recovered from.

There are Four methods for roster assembly:

1) The Carryover from Previous Draft

GMs who played last year and chose to carry-through were able to use mechanisms to carry over a number of players into this season. These are the foundation of the rosters. If you are new to this season, since you can't carry over players, you'll get additional draft picks. In the build-up to the draft, however, you can trade for players that were on rosters last year with returning players however you must also acquire a keeper spot

Which brings us to ...

2) The Draft

We will be doing thirty-two rounds of drafting in a snake-style draft. Each player in Major League Baseball History (American League, National League, Negro Leagues, The American Association, the Union Association, the Players League, and the Federal League) and Minor League Baseball is eligible to be drafted and/or rostered once. (as an homage to the Jedi and Starfighter drafts, and their Anakin/Vader dynamic, we will allow two Babe Ruths - One Pitcher, One Outfielder. No other exceptions)

Note: Select International Leagues are available - check with the Commish before selecting from an international league to verify eligibility.

If you would like to get scouting reports on player(s) you are considering drafting, requests can be placed in thread or via PM to the commissioner. They will be sent via PM, and each scouting report will cost $1 in Intybucks.

Draft Order will be finalized based upon two draft lotteries. Expansion teams will go through a draft lottery and be slotted into the top slots of odd numbered rounds. Non-Playoff teams that return from the previous season will go through a draft lottery for the middle picks. Playoff teams that return from the previous season will be slotted at the end of even-numbered rounds based on final standings, with World Series winner picking last.

Note: At the draft lottery, we will also determine the year / era this season will be played in, and the division assignments for each team.

When drafting a player, please use the following to make things easy on me:

Name - Position (year)

The year is important as the OOTP simulator will look at the current year and two previous years (if possible) as well as player ratings in the database to determine performance level.

Note: you will be able to update the year - see below for timing and restrictions

3) Free Agency

Once the draft is finished, we will open free agency.

For the first 48 hours of free agency, we will use a waiver wire system, with the standard order from even numbered rounds being the waiver wire order for each claim. I will post instructions and timing once we get to this point. Once we are beyond that, it will be declared in the thread, and we will go to a first-come, first-serve claim basis for free agency.

To sign a free agent will cost $5 in Intybucks.

You must have a total number of at least 40 players on your roster; 25 on the active roster and at least 15 on the inactive/AAA roster. There is a link at the bottom of this post with the roster information.

If you are unable to get to a total of 40 players when this phase comes to an end ...

4) Inty Assignment

I will assign players to your roster. Most of them will be on the level of terrible players I thought were good in my naive innocence growing up as a Cleveland fan, or perhaps worse and much worse. So, if you want to avoid Pat Tabler or something on your roster, you should avoid this being necessary. Though, I hope you don't.

If you drop below 40 players at some point during the season (say, a 3-for-1 trade) and are unable to sign a new player with other mechanisms, you will be assigned a player via Inty Assignment.

As the Commish, I also retain the right to do an Inty Assignment to a team with enough players, simply because it amuses me to have you assigned, say, Cecil Fielder to go along with Prince Fielder, or 54-year-old Minnie Miñoso to go along with a prime version of Minnie Miñoso (note: this one will ALWAYS happen)

Players allocated via Inty Assignment cannot be traded or released. Except 54-year old Minnie Miñoso, who would be traded along the prime version should you trade him, unless otherwise explicitly stated in the trade agreement.

Once everyone is at 40 (or more) players on the roster, we are ready to move forward with the next phase

SETTING OF BASE STRATEGIES

There are both mandatory and optional strategies:

Mandatory Strategies

• Choosing a home ballpark. You can choose any ballpark that has been used in the AL/NL (current or historical) or that shows up naturally in OOTP for free.
  • You can modify an historical ballpark (e.g. change the dimensions or heights of the walls) at a cost of 10 IntyBucks
  • Or design your own, provided it meets MLB guidelines for new ballparks for a cost of 20 IntyBucks
• Choosing a location. You can pick pretty much any city on the planet. You cannot be on the moon
  • Please note, if you want to use a location where Altitude might come into play with your stadium effects, please work with me ahead of time.
• Choosing a nickname.
• Choosing a manager. You can use a historical manager, you can retire a real-life player, or you can create your own - see this post in the third game thread to see the guidelines and options.
• Setting a standard lineup vs. RHP and a standard lineup vs. LHP
  • Please note, this year we are using the Designated Hitter
• Setting a standard rotation - you can pick a rotation of any size between a one-man rotation and a six-man rotation. You must also decide whether your rotation is strict order, strict with flexibility to allow higher rested, or to simply always start the highest rested pitcher in the rotation. You must also decide if you want to allow starting pitchers to pitch in relief (you can choose yes, nor, or only in high leverage)

Optional Strategies

• Setting a logo and/or brand colors for your team.
• Setting a capacity and/or ticket prices for your stadium (if custom - historical parks will get their historical capacity, but you can still set ticket prices)
• Naming your AAA affiliate
  • You can also choose to import an entire existing minor league team and place on your AAA roster to "fill it out"
• Assigning Depth Charts for each position (up to two backups, plus a defense-only sub). You can also set the depth-usage strategy, with options of Never, If Starter Tired, or every nth game, with n from 1-10, 12, 15, or 20.
• Assigning a preference order for pinch hitters and pinch runners (in general, or vs LHP/RHP)
• Assigning primary role (Closer, Stopper, Setup, Specialist, Middle Relief, Long Relief, and Emergency SP) and secondary role for any pitcher that can come out of the bullpen.
• Set strategy for the following for general, and for close/late games (if you are interested in this, we'll talk about it, rather than make this post even longer):
  • Stealing Bases, Base-Running, Hit and Run, Sac Bunt, Squeeze play
  • Pitch around, Intentional Play, Use of Infield in, Use of Infield Shifts
  • Hook starters, Hook relievers, Favor L/R, pinch hit for pitchers, setting of max pitch counts, use of the "opener" strategy
  • Situations where you would use defensive substitutions and response to an opponent using an opener.
  • Note: Instead of hand-picking each of these, you can choose an over-arching strategy - traditional, balanced, small ball, moderate small ball, sabermetric, moderate sabermetric, tactician, moderate tactician and completely unorthodox.
  • Note: The setting for this season will be 1993, so all ratings for strategy are "relative" to average in 1993.

For all Optional Strategies, you can simply not do it. In this case, we'll use the sim defaults and that's 100% okay. You can also just say "let my manager decide" and we can do that.

You also don't need to wait until the drafting is done and rosters are final to post your strategies. You can post them anytime you want (but you might find it smarter to wait until you have more of your core roster)

Player Specific Strategies

Each team can designate up to five players to have Player Specific Strategies that overrule the team strategies. The strategies you can set are:

• Changes to the strategy around stealing bases, base-running, hit&run, sacrifice bunt, and bunt for hit tendencies.
• Changes to the strategy around hook starter/reliever, pitch around, intentional walk, hold runner, infield in, guard lines, infield shifts, outfield shifts tendencies.
• Ability to use as a two-way player
• Ability to skip using the DH when this player pitches
• Set a maximum pitch count and/or maximum batters faced
• Bench player if DTD depending on severity
• Bench player if a certain fatigue level is hit
• Force a certain position for use
• Force a certain line-up spot (vs. LHP, vs. RHP, or both)
• "never lift for a pinch hitter" strategy
• save for high leverage PH only
• Set a minimum inning for when player can be removed for a PH

Note: for all starting pitchers you can do the optional strategy of "skip DH when they are pitching" and it will not count as one of your five optional player strategies if that is the only optional strategy you use

For all Optional Strategies, you can simply not do it. In this case, we'll use the sim defaults and that's 100% okay.

Once we’re all assembled …

PLAYING THE SEASON

First, we have Spring Training. At the start of Spring Training, you will receive a spreadsheet with batting, fielding, pitching, and individual pitch ratings as well as a team chemistry report.

We will have a five-week Spring Training, with minor updates (including injuries) given at the end of the third week, and each GM allowed to make adjustments to strategies, lineups, etc. for the final two weeks

At the end of spring Training, you will need to have your active roster trimmed to 26, with the remainder of players either on the DL, the inactive list, or at your AAA affiliate.

We will play a 162-game season (plus All-Star festivities), with the league divided into two divisions.

I will be posting 3-6 games at a time (1-2 series between teams; normally two sets of games for each team, but sometimes only one). You can make adjustments or just let it fly with your standard lineups and pitching rotations. I will then do some weekly summaries (IntyCenter on YouTube), probably a game of the week, and provide major updates like injuries (weekly) and stats (monthly).

A note about this sim: I can't control every individual game. I will do my best to ensure that your specific choices for specific games happen, but there is a non-zero chance that the sim/manager will overrule my inputs and go with something else. This happens a few times every season, but by and large, I don’t think it seriously impacted final standings; Just … be aware of it, and do your best to not bust my chops when/if it happens.

At the end of the season .. the best teams will make ...

THE PLAYOFFS

The winners of each division, plus the four teams with the best records will make the playoffs. The four non-division winners will face each other in best-of-seven series, with a 2-3-2 format. From there, a pair of 2-3-2 best-of-seven LCS series is followed by a (new for draft 7) Best-of-nine World Series played in a 2-2-2-2-1 format. Lineups and strategy can be adjusted for each playoff game. We will broadcast all playoff games live on zoom and post the recordings in thread.

The winner of the playoffs gets a prize given out by the mods - colors for I don't want to guarantee an amount of time, plus title. Bragging rights for-ev-er. And their name - okay, Star Wars Boards username - etched in the history books.


THE CARRYOVER TO NEXT SEASON

That's right. We're playing for keeps! Again. Still? Always. FOR.EV.ER.

Everyone playing in this draft and continuing to the next season gets three keepers. Any three players (keeping in mind, if you have designated a player as your Franchise Player, you must carry them through as your Franchise Player) on your team you want to bring through and make sure you have them next season – they are yours to take. But, you can keep more … if you want to, that is.

Cost of additional keeper slots, in terms of draft capital:

+1: 1st and 2nd
+2: 1st - 5th
+3: 1st-10th
+4: 1st-18th
+5: 1st-31st

Note: Can purchase 1 (one) Keeper Slot for 75 Intybucks
Note: Trading for a Keeper Slot will make it impossible to use another mechanism to get an additional keeper slot
Note: Any player named as Vin Scully Memorial Most Valuable Player, Reliever of the Year, or Cy Young will cost 10 Intybucks to keep. Any player that wins a Willie Mays Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence or Silver Slugger will cost 5 Intybucks to keep. Franchise keepers are exempt from these charges.

You can also keep fewer carryover players. If you want to keep only two, you’ll net an additional pick at the end of the third round in the next draft. Only want to keep one? You’ll net additional picks at the end of the second and third round, and if you don’t want to keep any, you get additional picks at the end of each of the first three rounds.

Keepers is also a tradeable asset (noting the limit above). You can trade another team your right to carry a player (or two or three) as part of a trade. So are future draft picks. You can go to the trade deadline and offer up your first round pick next year to get that ace pitcher at the deadline! (Of course, if you trade away a future pick, you can’t use it to keep additional players … so plan your strategy wisely. Once your keeper train derails, you can’t get it back on the tracks).

You can also keep one player as a "joke keeper" provided the player is on your roster for the lolz of it. This keeper is subject to Inty Approval and costs 0.05 Intybucks and your 32nd round draft pick. You are also mandated to carry over Ed Porray on your roster if you won the inaugural FODEUSS Baseball Classic and he was on the mound for the final out, but will not incur any cost of any kind to roster him.

You also carryover any unused Allocation Money to next season, up to a maximum of 150 IntyBucks to start a new season.

Anyone who plays and wants to play again in the eighth draft will be allowed to carry-through, and we will always allow Expansion Teams to join.

And, with that long post out of the way ...



USEFUL LINKS WILL GO HERE:
Draft Seven Rosters Spreadsheet
Box Scores and Logos
Regular Season Batting Stats
Regular Season Batting Stats by Team
Regular Season Pitching Stats
Regular Season Pitching Stats by Team
Regular Season Fielding Stats
Regular Season Fielding Stats by Team
Honkball Stats

 

LGF!

 

I am fascinated and terrified by this all at once.

 

Well, I guess I'll join.

 

Four out of six!

Amazing.

 

So ready for this!!!

 

We're back, baby! Except... we're moving to a ballpark that's maybe a little more friendly to hitters. The San Francisco Six Demon Bags of Chinatown are moving back to Chase Field for this season.

We also will now be known as The San Francisco Six Demon Bags of Phoenix.

Back to the desert, boys!

 

I hope you’ve got the Mary Hart seats…



.





New slogan for the Free Fallers this time:

 

The thought of rebranding came into my mind...

And then @DarthIntegral began reading The Dragonbone Chair! So, I can't change now! The Sithi of Osten Ard is back for season 3 of Regular Season FODEUSS! Home will still be Honolulu, Hawai'i but with a third different stadium: The transported historic Cleveland landmark known as League Park will house the ballclub, with Terry Francona (2016) returning as manager.

 

I'm from New England but the best years of my life were when I was in San Diego, so hopefully no one has a team there already in this league.
We'll be the San Diego Surfers and play in Petco Park. Bruce Bochy (1998) will be the manager.
Ron Burgundy and the Channel 4 news team will keep the locals updated on the Surfers throughout the season!

 

Here's what I've got in my records:

Returning Teams

heels - Every City Bandwagoners (Defending Champions) - $8 in Intybucks carried over; Lou Gehrig as the Franchise Keeper - reigning and defending champion
tom - stone temple seattle pilots - $16.95 in Intybucks carried over, a 12th round pick from mnjedi, an additional 1st round pick (via trade with the devil dp4m), Willie Mays and Wheezer Dell as Franchise Keepers
Pointy - Performance Enhancers - $18.40 in Intybucks carried over, Old Hoss and Tim Tebow as Franchise Keepers
Wang Chi - The San Francisco Six Demonbags of Phoenix - $11.40 Intybucks carried over; extra keeper slot; Ken Griffey Jr. + Randy Poffo as Franchise Keepers; 3rd Place Price Package from FODEUSS Baseball Classic
Cubbie - Let's Play Two - $8 in Intybucks carried over; Greg Maddux as Franchise Keeper
AmazingB - Amazings - $12.05 in Intybucks carried over; Ty Cobb as Franchise Keeper
Rx_Sith - Game of Throws; $18 in Intybucks carried over; Arky Vaughan as Franchise Keeper
mnjedi - Northern Shores Gales of November - $1.95 in Intybucks carried over; extra keeper slot; 12th round pick (from Wang); First Place price pack from FODUESS Baseball Classic; Josh GIbson and Deion Sanders as Franchise Keepers; Ed Porray as Kraken4Life
LMTShawn - Sithi of Osten Ard - $26 in Intybucks carried over;

Confirmed Expansion Teams

Dark Lord of the Empire - San Diego Surfers - 2nd place price pack from FODEUSS Baseball Classic
SithOverlord101 - Name TBD
DarthTunick - Reseda Free Fallers

Rumoured/Unconfirmed Expansion Teams

@MandaloreYak - The Burning Strangers
@JimFoxJedi - The Birmingham Shaq Barons

Let me know if I'm missing anything that should be included in addition to the "normal" carryover stuff.

 

I acquired a 5th rounder from mnjedi in the deal in which I also got Bob Gibson.

 

Northern Shores is back. Ballpark is going to be [era specific Minneapolis ballpark] so I’ll wait till that gets drawn.

 

Club seats for me!

 

Come join us! It might seem like a lot at first, but the first post makes it seem more complicated than it actually is. At the end of the day, we'll play fake baseball with historical greats, Wang's team won't be able to hit, and B will end up with heartbreak.

 

Amazing.

 

Questions (forgive me if they were in the OP, I continue to reread):

1. How often do we update lineups? Daily? Weekly?
2. How are scores tabulated? Are these actual player box scores for "this day in 19**" etc? Or randomized, but calculated to achieve their season totals for that particular year? Even more random?
3. Do we play head to head match-ups? Daily? Weekly? Series?
4. Is there a bias for home/away games?
5. Are there simulated injuries? suspensions?
6. How big is the FA pool? How much can we change our lineups?
7. Once a player is picked in one year, does that lock out the player for all other years?
8. 2 Babe Ruths...Not 2 Shohei Ohtani's? Active players not allowed?

 

Sure I'll try

 

1/3. Weekly. We play 6 games per week but can only update before the first game of the week (or you can allow your manager to do so)
2/3. Teams play head-to-head, 2 series per week. The simulator does everything
5. YES!
6. If they have a baseball-reference page, have been in a league incorporated in OOTP, and aren't on another team's roster, they're free to sign (after the draft, so long as you have 'Intybucks' to sign them)
7. Once they're drafted (or signed), they're off-limits for any other season
8. Active players are allowed, but this, for the time being, may just be a special Babe Ruth rule.

 

What stat categories are scored? Does having quality fielding mean anything compared to batting stats?

Am I taking this too seriously already?

 

Everything is scored and taken into consideration. It's truly like a real baseball game. There's a winner of the game and a loser, a 162-game season + playoffs. Fielding does matter. You will also think you've assembled the greatest team ever and they will suck. And vice-versa. And if you think you're taking this too seriously already, you're going to fit right in! It's just the tip of the iceberg.

 

So you batters are going to be assigned scouting ratings between 20-80 based on their stats. Just like real scouting the rating you get aren’t going to be 100% accurate.

basic overview of the ratings

CONTACT: Batting average, how often your player is going to put the ball in play.

AVOID Ks: fairly self explanatory, affects strikeout rate.

GAP: ability to generate extra base hits

POWER: Home run rate

EYE: rate of drawing walks