Tribute to KG Erwin

[DonBraswell]

I have always played with fictional players. However, I have also read every report KG Erwin has written about his Association. So I thought I'd give it a try. First I started an Association with real players from 1943. I dumped every one into the draft and drafted players. I could not get into it for some reason. So I started another one in affinity mode. I thought I would just trade for what players I could get and build my team that way. I decided to pick the worst team I could, the St. Louis Browns. The first season I was able to work a few trades with the other picky GM's. I got Keltner and Johnny Sain. Then during the off season I was surprised to find that there would be an amateur draft. I thought all players would be assigned to their real teams. Oh well, my gain. I went draft and trade crazy. Pee Wee, Marty Marion, Wynn, Dutch Leonard, Spud Chandler, Micky Vernon, Ted Williams, Vince and Dom DiMaggio. Any way I'm having a great time.
Thanks KG Erwin
Don Braswell

[motnahp]

At least you've had the courage to try it both ways. I haven't (yet) gotten into the fictional side of things. The flexibility of Pure Sim is what makes it such a great program! I confess that I occasionally search for other baseball sims, foolishly thinking I'll find something even better. Thus far, I have not.

I won't mention any names, but I DID find a program that appeared to have all of the options that would make my baseball sim world complete. I did a mental checklist as I went along: large active roster sizes (yes); schedule generator (yes); player participation based on their real-life stats (yes); ability to import entire teams and particular players (not without spending $ for each season). I likened that particular program to buying a new car and then having to pay a toll for each new road you drive it on.

With Pure Sim, we've bought the car and can drive any d--- where we want to. We can even, if technically able, ADD on to the car and change its specs. by investing only our time and not more money! That's why I'll gladly pay for a new "paint job" every year or two. This car kicks A$$.

[KG Erwin]

Wow, thank you, Don. I'm humbled, and glad you're enjoying using real players. With using the early draft entry feature, I'm looking forward to the next couple of seasons. Who knows -- with luck, I might be able to get Mays or Mantle once they reach 18 or 19. [;)]

[DonBraswell]

This weekend I'll try to post some updates for my Tribute to KG Erwin League. But don't expect them to be as good as KG Erwin's Great post. I wasn't expecting to be able to draft. I guess I thought all players would be automaticly assigned to their orignal teams. Then I would have to work trades to try an improve my team. Thats why I chose the St Louis Browns. With the players they had I figured it would be tuff to get good players in return. I do not play out each game I sim and/or watch the games then adjust rosters and make trades. I was surprised at some of the trades I was able to make and at some of the players I was able to pick late in the draft each time. I let Ted Williams go until the 5th round, when no one took him I grabbed him. The same with Stan the Man. More to come later.
Don

[DonBraswell]

1936 season was tuff. The all Browns roster was pittiful. Russ Van Atta (6-9 3.63) was the only pitcher who showed promise. Jim Bottomley (2 70 .300), Harlond Clift (10 87 .266) and Beau Bell (4 68 .306) provided what little hitting we had. No power hitters except Clift. We finnished 67-87 in 6th place 31 games back.
1937 we picked up Sid Hudson, Spud Chandler and Monty Stratton for our rotation. They all performed poorly. Russ Van Atta 15-9 4.73 was our best pitcher. Hudson 9-13 5.28 was next. Rudy York (33 93 .290) added power to the line up of Bottomley (6 58 .300) , Clift (21 87 .303), Roy Weatherly (11 73 .370), Beau Bell (5 57 .300) and rookie Gee Walker (4 17 .322). Still we finnished 6th 22 games back.
1938 Van Atta fell fell apart. Chandler (12-10 3.46), Hudson (14-13 4.74) lead the staff. Traded for rookie Mickey Vernon (10 57 .335) who joined York (41 108 .344), Clift (30 111 .317), Weatherly (8 77 .310) and Gee Walker (10 63 .342). We finnished 7th 18 games back. We needed pitching badly.
Don

[DonBraswell]

1939 we traded and drafted for pitching. Hugh Casey (19-7 3.46) Lefty Grove 13-10 3.61), Ernie White (15-7 2.76) and Stratton (13-9 4.22) became a solid rotation for the Browns. York (29 85 .268) and Clift (21 80 .264) were assisted by rookies Ted Williams (28 104 .322) and Stan Musial (4 56 .270). Tony Cuccinello (0 11 .296) who was picked up in a trade took over 2B. Vernon (1 44 .275) ,1B, had a average year. Pitching made a big difference and we finnished 2nd 8 games behind Cleveland, who won their 3rd title.
1940, we started the season with high hopes. Aging Grove (11-7 2.96) and Casey (14-8 3.24) had a good years. but, Stratton (2-9 6.69) and White (4-5 4.44) could not match last years records. Rudy York (26 102 .328) and Ted Williams (20 60 .322) performed very well again. the rest of the team slumped. even Musial only managed a .270 avg. Ken Keltner (11 58 .278) played 3B after Clift slipped (13 68 .261) and spent alot of time at 2B. Without Clift's power and poor pitching the Browns fell to 5th place. It was a big disapointment. In late June 1941 we traded rookie Tex Hughson and Monty Stratton to the Cardinals for 31 yr old Dizzy Dean. The Cardinals had sent Dizzy down to the minors. With a 2-8 W/L record the Cards lost faith in Dizzy. Dean in real life was on hie way out of base ball do to an arm injury after being hit on the foot an injuring his big toe. Dean finnished 12-10 with the Browns. Clift was traded for 23 yr old Dom DiMaggio. He will join his brother Vince (14 57 .255) in the Browns outfield.
Don

PS Clift for Cleveland hits 20 78 .288 in 1941. Keltner .268 is traded for 18 yr old George Kell.

[KG Erwin]

What kind of ratings does Kell have, Don?  He's one of the standouts on my 1947 Pirates.

[DonBraswell]

Currently George Kell's ratings are, contact-73, power-5, eye-45, speed-27, hands-92, arm-71, range-52 and potential-100. Kell is 22 yrs old in 1944. He is playing behind Whitey Kurowski (6 40 .264) and hitting (0 5 .381).
Don

[DonBraswell]

Without My Almanac it would be a big pain to try and post updates. So I'm waiting for Shaun's fix. I have reached 1953 and don't know how to change the Browns ID numbers to Baltimore. I think Boston moved to Milwaukee also. I don't have MS Access.

KG, Spahn never performed very well for me. I traded him to the Braves. At one time or another I've drafted and traded off Ted Williams, Musial, Mantle, Mays, Duke Snider, Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews. The same with pitchers (Dizzy Dean, etc). I've found it too easy to pickup the best players and the AI GM just ignors them. The AI perfers scrubs with 5's and 10's for ratings. I was looking at my player pool and you would not beleive how many scrubs there are. Also I can't get over how many real players go unsigned. I'm a little frustrated. I've started a new league in 1920 to fill my time until I can fix the team ID's for 1953.

Don

[KG Erwin]

Don, you're simming games, right? You seem to have been doing fine until the WWII years. You traded Warren Spahn to his actual team --that's cool.

The more I'm learning, the more I'm convinced that quick-simming eventually leads to odd results. This game seems to be OK on a GBG manager basis. Look, I won the WS in my first year, but in my second, I'm in a dogfight with another team.

No matter, maybe it's a built-in breaking point after 5 years or so. The relative ratings start to break down, and the historical model falls apart. Strictly conjecture on my part.

Consider this, perhaps -- are all new players rated against the existing player pool? In this case, a guys like Mays or Mantle, in using early entry, will have lower ratings than expected, and may have to spend a couple of years in the minors. This possibility has not been fully explored. However, I've already seen hints of this with guys like Richie Ashburn, who entered the majors (in my league) at age 19. Too soon?

[DonBraswell]

I decided to start an association in 1920 with 35 man rosters. It was a mistake. The AI still likes scrubs, but can't sign as many. I think the problem is the Ai doesn't know real players from scrubs. Some real players have very low ratings. I'm in my fourth season and hope to get the title this year.
My line up consist of: George Sisler, 1B/LF, 1/55/.317; Travis Jackson, SS,2/38/.293; Lou Gehrig, 1B, 5/28/.336; Frankie Frisch, 16/76/.274; Hal Rice, 4/54/.327; Harold Severeid, C, 2/44/.283; Hack Wilson, CF, 3/38/.246; Andy High, 2B, 0/63/.305; Joe Jackson, LF/RF/CF, 6/54/.286 and Joe Sewell, SS/2B, 3/38/.288.
My pitching rotation is: Urban Shocker, 19-10 2.26; Pete Alexander,14-8 3.77; Lefty Grove (21), 10-12 4.54 and Ted Lyons 12-5 2.78. Relief comes from Hud Pruett, 5-0 1.87; George Earnshaw, 1-6 4.74; Red Lucas, 9-13 3.84; Wild Bill Hallahan, 5-7 4.03 And Ken Holloway 0-0 6.26. The Yanks, A's and White Sox are making it very hard to get and keep first place.

Don
PS. I moved this. It didn't belong were it was posted. But some times I get carried away.

[DonBraswell]

Last years 20 game winner Wally Bunker got off to a poor start. He spent a few months in the bullpen before working his way back into the starting rotation. Here is how my Starters finnished the season in 1966 for Baltimore.








The Yankees kept sending Whitey Ford down to the minors each time I promoted him. Then they released him. Needless to say I grabbed him up. Two years ago the Dodgers had seldom used Koufax in the bullpen. I asked for a trade and they were very happy to dump Koufax. I was happy too. In 1956 the Indians released Herb Score. I scooped him up as fast as I could. He has been the leader of my pitching staff ever since. My lineup may not be the strongest, but my pitching really takes up the gap.
Don (very happy Baltimore owner)

[DonBraswell]

After flirting with having four 20 game winners a few times in their history, the Baltimore pitching staff finnaly has four 20 game winners in the same season. Herb Score (age 36) and Sandy Koufax (age 34) both had the best seasons of their careers. Wally Bunker (22)and Jim Hardin (23) joined in as 20 game winners. Can they do it again next year? I'll keep you posted.
Don

[DonBraswell]

I don't see how but the Seatle Pilots won the Western Division their first season. In the LCS Seatle and Baltimore are tied 1 to 1.
Don