Tag Archives: History

WGOM Draft

2020 WGOM Draft: Expansion – Stadium and Manager

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I will admit, when this project started, I sat it out because I didn't figure I'd be interested. But, I was wrong in a big way. So, to get involved, I'm going to be running an expansion draft. Pretty much anyone not already claimed is fair game, and I'll be following the other rules set forth throughout the original draft.

To get started, I'm going to put forth my stadium and manager first, then I'll announce my starting fielders, my bench players, then my pitchers - I'm envisioning four posts in all.

I'm starting with stadium and manager because they're easiest, if I'm being honest. I just want to get something out there to get started.

My Stadium

I grew up in Indianapolis, visiting Bush Stadium since as long as I can remember. It's said its ivy walls were the inspiration for those at Wrigley. Above the main turnstiles, there were big murals of old Indians players who went on to the majors. It hosted not only the Indians, but the city's Negro Leagues teams as well. Looking back, the teepee in CF was way out-of-bounds, so that's out now that I'm in charge.


Mural pictures from Great American Baseball Trips

My Manager

Career highlights

  • 3 WS Apperances, 1 WS Title
  • One of 7 managers with AL and NL pennant
  • 3x manager of the year award winner
  • 17th all-time in wins as manager
  • World Baseball Classic title
  • Could rock a pillbox hat

Games, MLB

Off-Day Distractions: The $700 Lineup Game

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I'm stealing this from Sean McInhoe at The Athletic, but he did it with hockey, and I'm suggesting that we do it with baseball, so it's totally different.

We'll need a slightly bigger team, and a bigger budget due to the longer seasons, but we can make this work.

  • 10 players needed
    • 2 pitchers
    • 1 catcher
    • 1 first baseman
    • 1 second baseman
    • 1 third baseman
    • 1 shortstop
    • 3 outfielders (any combination of right/center/left)
  • $1 per game appeared in for whatever team you are signing the player to. (Example: The Phillies can sign Pedro Martinez for $9)
  • The team gets the full career WAR of that player (Pedro's 83.9 bWAR for $9 is a pretty good steal)
  • You can spend up to $700.

Here's my sample Phillies team. They're pretty stacked (Ryne Sandberg's 68 WAR for $13 didn't make the cut)

Pos Player Cost WAR
P Pedro Martinez $9 83.9
P Kid Nichols $21 116.1
C Benito Santiago $136 27.3
1B Jimmie Foxx $89 96.6
2B Joe Morgan $123 100.6
3B Tony Perez $91 54
SS Julio Franco $16 43.5
OF Hack Wilson $7 38.9
OF Hunter Pence $155 30.7
OF Hugh Duffy $34 43.1
TOTAL $681 634.7

Who did I miss?  What franchise would run away with this?

First Monday Book Day

First or Second Monday or Tuesday Book Day

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I'm currently working my way through The Accidental City: Improvising New Orleans by Lawrence Powell, a history professor at Tulane. It's occasionally dry in its recounting of names, but the history of New Orleans as a city that kept itself as independent as possible from the various 17th and 18th century colonial powers is an interesting one. I'm almost up to the Louisiana Purchase.

On deck, I have Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War by Susan Southard, so I have a little mini theme of city-based historical books going on right now.

What are you reading?