Q & A with the Owners (sac_lambs)

18th in a series (by 69cubs)

There are a few owners in this world that you know will be back each season and they will be tough (no matter their record), one of them is sac_lambs and his Memphis Blues Boys. Another of the owners that has been here from day 1 of this world and a Mathewson only owner in HBD!

Here is an owner that when you communicate with him (trades, chat, etc), you know you will get a response and a respectful response. That was my opinion even before I read some of his answers below.

In Mathewson, sac_lambs has a 2008-1556 (.563) record with 5 division titles, 8 wild card appearances and has been in two World Series, winning one in season 6 with a 114-48 (.704) record but, only being a wild card team (thanks to the Charlotte Wolfpack's 117 victory season)!

He also is 2nd, in career victories for a single owner (behind only hoyanoel) in Mathewson history. And has managed several HOFers.

On with the Q & A with sac_lambs

Favorite MLB Team:
Atlanta Braves.
My second favorite team is whoever is playing against the New York Yankees!

Favorite all-time and/or current player(s):
Al Kaline of the Detroit Tigers and Sid Hudson, pitcher for the Washington Senators. What a nice man and great storyteller he was.

Currently, my favorite MLB players are Desmond Jennings, Tim Dillard, Mitch Moreland and the retired Jonathan Van Every, Dave Clark and Brian Maxcy because I served as their team chaplain or mentored them in college, high school or American Legion baseball. All of them are good men and good friends.

Favorite Mathewson player(s) current and/or All time:
Hall of Famers Don Gonzales, Kareem Nunnally and Vladimir Valentin. Pitcher Dorian Kinkade will get there eventually.

Significance of team name and/or username:
Memphis has a rich music history and B.B. King is translated "Blues Boy" King.

Favorite non-baseball team/sport:
Any team in the SEC. SEC. SEC.

Background:
Married with children. Live a couple of miles from Elvis' birthplace – just outside of Tupelo, Mississippi. I'm a college campus BSU Director/bi-vocational pastor/church planter. I made my "money" as a newspaper sports writer and columnist for 20-plus years.

I do contract work for the Associated Press about 50 assignments a year - SEC football, basketball, baseball, Bowl games, NCAA/NIT Tournaments, Regional and Super Regional Tournaments. Still enjoy college athletics - players, coaches, schools, stadiums, press boxes, locker rooms and most fans.

Favorite Mathewson moment:
Acquired two HOF players in the same trade - Nunnally and Valentin. Enjoyed winning a World Series. Once.
I want to live long enough to see hoyanoel win a World Series and pville win a division - then I could die a happy man. They need to hurry.

Team you most dislike to face:
I don't dislike any franchise, but I get spanked consistently by lots of teams.

One tip you can share with all:
Get to know the other owners - answer your trade chat and site mail - ask questions, seek insight, offer encouragement.
This is a game - the "players" aren't real - but the owners are, so make friends and enjoy this experience.

Thank You sac_lambs! As a former newspaper sports writer, I will expect a nice article (for the blog) next time your Blues Boys make headlines!

Q & A with the Owners (ws2005sox)

17th in a series (by 69cubs)

I believe the name says it all on who this owner supports, ws2005sox. The Chicago White Sox - World Series champs in 2005! With the exception of two earlier seasons in HBD, ws2005sox has been with his current team for 5 previous seasons and is on his 7th season overall in Mathewson.

Taking over a team that did not get over 67 wins in their previous 9 seasons, ws2005sox has turned this franchise around. Taking over after a 61 win season, this owner started to clean house and rebuild. Season 19 only saw a one game improvement in standings, but a different mindset for the franchise! Season 20 with 77 wins (15 game improvement), that was this franchises most wins in 14 seasons! Then in season 21, they exploded with a franchise best 97 wins and 20 games improvement AND their first ever 1st place finish! Unfortunately, they lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Season 22 and season 23, Tampa Bay has returned to good status, finishing season 22 in 2nd place and in a battle with Richmond in season 23 for the division title and a couple teams for the 2nd wild card spot.

Going into this season ws2005sox has a 464-508 (.477) record with the one division title.

On with the Q & A with ws2005sox

Favorite MLB Team:
I think the name says it all, Chicago White Sox!

Favorite all-time and/or current player(s):
favorite player All-time is the BIG Hurt, Frank Thomas. Another favorite is a player I once met, not a superstar, but an average player, Wayne Nordhagen.
Currently, I am looking forward to seeing Gordon Beckham mature and hopefully become an outstanding player.

Favorite Mathewson player(s) current and/or All time:
From my team now, Cozy Ponson and also rookie, Rolando Cortez. Do not really have one from the past yet.

Significance of team name and/or username:
The user name I use is the Chicago White Sox from 2005 when they won the Series. The team name was the USFL football team name for Tampa Bay.

Favorite non-baseball team/sport:
The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

Background:
Born, raised in Chicago area. Lived for about 5 years a couple miles from Frank Thomas's home. I work a regional position for the Hertz company and try to stay active when time and family allows!

Favorite Mathewson moment:
The 97 win season and being in the playoffs. I would love to get in again and make more noise in the playoffs.

Team you most dislike to face:
My first thought would be the Jackson Sizzle, but, since he has controlled the division, he is who I want to face and beat, so far 4-3 against him this season. But, I always have a tough time with Honolulu, plus, they knocked me out of the playoffs in season 21, too.

One tip you can share with all:
I rebuilt this team in a couple seasons, be smart and rebuilding should not take as many as "5" seasons. It can be done in a shorter time. To rebuild, you must be ready to trade very good players for an opportunity to get a great player!

Thank You ws2005sox! If the White Sox can do it, so can you!

Q & A with the Owners (pville)

16th in a series (by 69cubs)

We hit the half way mark of the Q & A's!

Next up is another of our original owners who has been with us since Day 1 and has kept his team in the same city (and name) since then also. There are some loyal fans down in Texas supporting this team as they have a history of struggling in the standings. But, with that support and the determination of the owner to give Texas a team, this franchise has stayed intact! This season, the Texas Steers have an opportunity to have or come close to their best record in franchise history.

Owner "pville" has a Mathewson World record of 1386-2178 (.389). While overall, including the 22 completed Mathewson, pville has completed 32 seasons in HBD with an overall record of 2025-3159 (.391) with one division title (lost in a AL championship series) and a 7-5 playoff record.

On with the Q & A with pville

Favorite MLB Team:
Texas Rangers. Have been following them since mid-80's.

Favorite all-time and/or current player(s):
favorite player from the past is Cliff Johnson as I met him as a child at the Astrodome.
Favorite player currently is Ian Kinsler for his all around skills.

Favorite Mathewson player(s) current and/or All time:
Lonny Pujols from his early years coming up through my farm system years before I traded him.
Current player is Leo Schoeneweis for the same reason.

Significance of team name and/or username:
The user name I use is pville which is a shortened version of my high school Pflugerville located just north of Austin, Texas.
The team name is what you would expect to find a lot of in Texas. It also is a variation of my favorite college team the Texas Longhorns.

Favorite non-baseball team/sport:
Texas Longhorns

Background:
Born, raised and still live in Austin, Texas. I have worked for the Department of State Health Services for 13 years. I am the Inventory Coordinator at the Laboratory.

Favorite Mathewson moment:
None, still waiting to create it.

Team you most dislike to face:
Seattle. No matter the record of either team, we can't win.

One tip you can share with all:
None. I'm still trying to figure this game out.

Thank You pville! The Texas Rangers took awhile to get on the right track and now look at them!

Q & A with the Owners (ptoday)

15th in a series (by 69cubs)

This owner could have been given a nickname of "Band Aid" by his early seasons in Mathewson. As owner of his current team, ptoday is on his 5th season with this franchise. Seasons 4, 6, 8, 22 and the current season 23. He came in the earlier seasons as an owner to maintain a team until a more permanent owner was found, but kept winding back with the same franchise, where he is today. A list of his franchises:

1) current Cheyenne Wranglers (no playoff appearances)
---4 completed seasons with a record of 286-362 (.441)
2) the current Boise Spuds (no playoff appearances)
---1 season with a record of 60-102 (.370)
3) the current New York Mobsters (3-1st place finishes)
---7 seasons with a record of 596-538 (.526)
4) outside of Mathewson (1 - 1st place and 1 WC)
---4 seasons with a record of 316-332 (.488)

On with the Q & A with ptoday

Favorite MLB Team:
Minnesota Twins

Favorite all-time and/or current player(s):
Harmon Killebrew and Frank Viola.

Favorite Mathewson player(s) current and/or All time:
When I had the team in Chicago, the ace of my staff and my favorite player was Jackie Little. On my current team, I like Marshall Dorsey, even though he has a durability rating of 52, he makes the most of the time I can give him.

Significance of team name and/or username:
My user name comes from when I first started HBD. I was at work and was told about this, I wanted to take a day off that day. The requested days off were called PTO days for "Paid Time Off". So, I put the 2 together and got ptoday!

Favorite non-baseball team/sport:
Dallas Stars, but was more of a fan when they were the Minnesota North Stars!

Background:
Minneapolis, if you could not guess from my teams! Played hockey while younger, but now, just work and family is my life!

Favorite Mathewson moment:
My time with the Chicago franchise (now the New York Mobsters), that is when I decided that I would spend more time with HBD. But, I am hoping to make more moments with this franchise.

Team you most dislike to face:
So far, I have done well within the division, BUT, outside the division, I am getting beaten up pretty good (especially by Memphis)!

One tip you can share with all:
Still trying to figure out my own strategy. My best seasons with Chicago (New York) were a benefit of the previous owner (bobcat_grad) leaving a very good team! I took over the team right after they won the World Series!

Thank You ptoday! You like to be in different cities regularly just like some of the Minnesota teams, North Stars, Lakers!

Q & A with the owners (noah79)

14th in a series (by 69cubs)

An owner who appears to be working on becoming known as the rebuilder is noah79. He has been involved with 2 franchises.

First he joined Mathewson in season 18 taking over in midseason the Boston Americans (now known as the Pittsburgh franchise). This franchise had NEVER won more than 73 games. noah79 guided this team to 80 victories and a new attitude. Followed that up in season 19 (moved to Washinton DC) with 105 victories (2nd place to the Chicago Billy Goats and their 108 victories). Fell back a little in season 20 to 83 victories where his desire to own an NL franchise had him leave this franchise in plymouth71's very capable hands.

Season 21 saw noah79 takeover a franchise that an owner (sonneboy2000) turned from an 80 win season to a 59 win season in 2 seasons. noah79 took this franchise and rebuilt it. Season 21 was getting rid of the deadwood and only 51 victories. Season 21 saw the change start with 66 victories (15 game improvement) and season 23 has this team on a pace for about 77 wins. Some key acquisitions has this team primed for more improvement next season.

Overall in Mathewson (and HBD), noah79 has compiled a 385-425(.475)record in 5 completed seasons with only one WC appearances in the 5 total seasons.

On with the Q & A with noah79

Favorite MLB Team:
Washington Nationals, was a Montreal Expo fan

Favorite all-time and/or current player(s):
Andre Dawson and Henry Aaron! Currently, I will go with Strasburg as he appears to be the one who will lead the National's franchise going forward with Bryce Harper.

Favorite Mathewson player(s) current and/or All time:
Troy Coles on my current team. I expect him to be my catcher for a long time. While with Washington (Pittsburgh), a big fan of Jackie Little, who went 40-15 for me before I traded him in season 20 (at the age of 36) for 3 players thinking he was almost done. NOTE: Little is still pitching (age 39) and has gone 32-17 since I traded him.

Significance of team name and/or username:
Milwaukee Braves - Hammerin Hank's team!

My user name is my son's name, the 79 has no significance.

Favorite non-baseball team/sport:
Indianapolis Colts! Bye, bye Peyton! But, will still be a fan!.

Background:
Grew up in the Buffalo area. currently live still in the NE. I am a teacher/high school basketball coach.
My secret interest is that I am a member of the WWE Universe!

Favorite Mathewson moment:
105 wins for the season 19 Washington Nationals, everything was going right until those Billy Goats took 1st place and I flopped in the playoffs. But 105 wins in my second season was my favorite moment. I feel that my current Milwaukee Braves will lead me into some favorite moments

Team you most dislike to face:
Luckily, I don't play the Billy Goats, especially with that win streak he has. So, the team I will claim for this is the Omah Cobfathers, they have given me a lot of trouble this season!

One tip you can share with all:
A good mix of youth and veterans, geared more towards the youth will allow you to grow a team and keep it competitive for many seasons.Hopefully this tip works for me!

Thank You noah79! Wrestlemania tickets or an HBD World Series championship, which would you want more?!?

Q & A with the Owners (rcf106)

13th in a series (by 69cubs)

rcf106, owner of the Richmond Riot, is on his 14th season in Mathewson. He took over a team that had won only 49 games the previous season and never had a .500 record. Last 2 seasons the Riot have been above .500 and this season, they are in a position to make thier first playoff appearance in their franchise history.
Overall in 13 seasons in Mathewson, rcf106 has a 940-1166 (.446) record.

Overall in HBD, rcf106 has compiled a 6686-7246 (.480) with 14 division titles and an additional 8 WC appearances in 86 total seasons.

On with the Q & A with rcf106

Favorite MLB Team:
Arizona Diamondbacks

Favorite all-time and/or current player(s):
Dale Murphy. Back in the early 80’s, when my family finally got hooked up to cable TV, we were perpetually tuned to TBS. Murph was and still is my all-time favorite.

Favorite Matthewson player(s) current and/or All time:
To be determined. I have some stud prospects that are just now hitting ML. I’ll get back to you on that one in a few seasons.

Significance of team name and/or username:
There is no significance to the team name. I just thought it worked well.

My user name is my initials and my ID number at work.

Favorite non-baseball team/sport:
Notre Dame football. I was born in South Bend, Indiana so my dad made sure I had very little say so in this.

Background:
I have lived my entire adult life in Arizona. I have been in law enforcement since 1990 and look forward to putting in another 8 years or so and retiring with a nice pension at a fairly young age.

I’m also proud to say that I am approaching 10 years as a member of WIS, having joined on March 3, 2002.

Favorite Matthewson moment:
Again, to be determined. So far, this season has been good. I hope to hang on and win what has become a very tough NL South (probably just jinxed myself).

Team you most dislike to face:
Colorado seems to be the consensus and I can’t disagree with that. I can’t entirely blame the park because they always come to my place and beat the tar out of me each time.

One tip you can share with all:
Draft wisely, develop your prospects and avoid the temptation to make dumb trades that you’ll regret later on.

Thank You rcf106! Law enforcement (definitely something to be proud of)...that is now a warning to all when your team goes into Richmond (and Arizona)!

Q & A with the Owners (zinpa)

12th in a series (by 69cubs)

Helena Handbaskets owner, zinpa, is on his 14th season in Mathewson and is on a roll! Having won the last 5 (and 6 of 7) division titles. This, for a team that barely had one winning season (83 wins in season 6) before zinpa took over. After building this team up, Helena is now a perennial powerhouse.

Overall in 13 seasons in Mathewson, zinpa has a 1087-1019 (.517) record with 6 division titles and 1 WC appearance. Helena did play in the season 19 World Series.

Overall in HBD, zinpa has built up a 3991-3461 (.536) with 22 division titles and an additional 5 WC appearances in 46 total seasons.

On with the Q & A with zinpa

Favorite MLB Team:
Cleveland Indians

Favorite all-time and/or current player(s):
Willie McCovey. Though not an Indian, he was an imposing player especially to an impressionable kid.

Favorite Matthewson player(s) current and/or All time:
Tomas Gonzalez. He was the 1st big international player I ever signed. He's the teams all-time leader in wins despite having an entire season plus part of another wiped out by an injury.

Significance of team name and/or username:
Hell in a handbasket? Thought I was being clever only to later find out someone had used the same team name seasons earlier.

Favorite non-baseball team/sport:
Big Chicago fan in all the other major sports. Also, a big fan of my local teams: Erie Otters of the OHL and the Erie Bayhawks of the NBA Development League(where Linsanity started, lol).

Background:
Born and raised in Erie, PA. Big sports fan. Season ticket holder for the Otters and Bayhawks. Former season ticket holder for the AA Erie Seawolves and Cleveland Indians.

Favorite Matthewson moment:
Making the season 19 World Series. Unfortunately, we got swept.

Team you most dislike to face:
I hate playing any Colorado team because of the ballpark, but I especially dislike playing Hoyanoel's Crush team because he usually handles me in the playoffs.

One tip you can share with all:
Get pitching!

Thank You zinpa! Keep those Handbaskets coming to collect all your division titles in them. Maybe soon, you will need a larger basket for a World Series title!

Q & A with the Owners (jmagliaro)

11th in a series (by 69cubs)

This edition is about jmagliaro. Owner in Mathewson of the Charleston Thunder, previously the Trenton Fire.

jmagliaro is on season 16 in Mathewson with 6 division titles (in a row from seasons 10-15) and 5 WC appearances (currently the last 4 seasons in a row). With these 11 playoff appearances comes 3 World Series appearances with one World Series championship (in season 10)! A record of 1353-1077 (.557) going into Season 23.

Overall in HBD has also been impressive, 41 total seasons, 3569-3073 (.537) record with 15 division titles, 9 WC appearances and 3 World Series championships!

On with the Q & A with jmagliaro

Favorite MLB team
New York Yankees

Favorite All-Time and/or current MLB player(s):
Don Mattingly

Favorite Mathewson player(s) current and/or All-time:
Larry Dupler put up some great numbers for me, was hard to trade him away.

On my current team, Archie Kraemer, coming off a Cy Young season, I locked him up for 5 seasons and he is having another great season!

Significance of team name and/or username:
No significance to my username.

Team name is after one of the Yankees minor league affiliates

Favorite non-baseball team/sport:
Football. NY Giants baby! been rooting for them since #56 changed how linebackers played the game!

Background:
Born and raised in New Jersey. Not sure how I came across the game, but glad I did! I've been here since season 8.

Favorite Mathewson moment:
Winning the world series in season 10!

Team you most dislike to face:
Anyone in the AL East the past couple seasons. It's a tough division. Last year 93 wins landed me in 3rd place.

One tip you can share with all:
You can never have enough pitching.

Thank You jmagliaro! In that tough AL East division, sometimes Thunder is not enough, maybe a tornado is what you need!

Q & A with the Owners (unitedcenter)

10th in a series (by 69cubs)

The history of unitedcenter is a strange one. One of the original owners in Mathewson. He owned the current Cleveland Tribes from seasons 1 thru 16 with the exception of season 10. Rumors have it that due to illegal recruiting of international prospects, he was given a one season suspension (writer's note-just messing with you unitedcenter)! During his time with this franchise, he posted a 1309-1121 (.539) record with 4 division titles and one WC appearance, making 1 World Series appearance.

He was not around at the beginning of season 17, but reappeared during the season to takeover the current Milwaukee Braves and finish that season and then season 18 compiling a 175-149 (.540) record.

Season 23 has the return of unitedcenter for his 18th season in Mathewson as he is running the Toronto Raptors in a division where his original franchise of 15 seasons also resides.

Outside of Mathewson, unitedcenter has not feared as well, 4 seasons, 288-360 (.444) record.

On with the Q & A with unitedcenter

Favorite MLB team:
Chicago White Sox

Favorite All-Time and/or current MLB player(s):
Dick Allen,1B White Sox slugger for 3 seasons in early 70's played with several teams.
Currently, it is Mark Buerhle, then he left the team to go to Florida!

Favorite Mathewson player(s) current and/or All-time:
I have a few from the early seasons:
1) Mickey Carpenter - (21-6) in season 1, but was a post season flop for me in seasons 1 thru 3.
2) Carlos Rincon - 104 steals in season 8, I pushed him for HOF, but, his stats are now becoming less outstanding as others are finishing their careers. Still, lots of SBs and very high OBA!
3) Robinson Dixon - my HBD version of Dick Allen (see above)

Currently, I am becoming a huge fan of my 1st round draft pick this season, Mo Sierra.

Significance of team name and/or username:
unitedcenter is the home of the Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Black Hawks.

Favorite non-baseball team/sport:
In this order, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Bears & Chicago Black hawks after the White Sox.

Background:
Born in Chicago, grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. I travel a lot for work, this past summer, visited outside of USA for the first time with 3 visits to Toronto area (current team name). I mostly travel Midwest and NE region.
Played sports throughout high school, football, basketball & baseball, eliminated football after freshman year (to focus on other sports), basketball after Sophomore year (stopped growing in 8th grade, was a center in junior high, but a guard in high school who could not dribble like a guard) and baseball after junior year (injury). Still play in pickup games/leagues when time permits in basketball and baseball.

Favorite Mathewson moment:
World Series appearance in season 2, even though I lost to t2bott (Louisville Wild Turkeys) and the hitting of Domingo Dali (25 RBIs for him in 15 playoff games that season)

Team you most dislike to face:
I would not say dislike, but thurmodore came into Mathewson and my division dominance went away and he was on top of division for awhile.
Currently I would say lylediekmann as he is the "goal" for this division to reach. We need to beat New Britain to take this division.

One tip you can share with all:
Grow some of your own talent and keep some of them for the future of your team. If you have enough talent in the minors, you can still trade some without depleting your farm system (see Colorado!)

Thank You unitedcenter! Welcome back, now if you can just get your team as good as those Bulls, you will be back battling at the top!

Q & A with the Owners (sprdthefield)

9th in a series (by 69cubs)

"sprdthefield" is actually only in Mathewson for a matter of days (as this username) at this point, BUT, as we all know, this owner is working in tandem with ginobili04.

The New York Mobsters are a creation of the ginobili04 owner name. This ownership "group" is on their 3rd season in Mathewson. In their 2 full seasons, they are rebuilding a franchise and have a 133-191 (.410)record without a playoff appearance at this point.

Overall in HBD, 15 seasons between the 2 of them with an overall record of 979-1451 (.403) with one division title. Now that this ownership group is settled, we expect that they will build this team and try to restore some of the glory this team had 5-10 seasons earlier where they won 3 division titles in a 5 season period.

On with the Q & A with sprdthefield

Favorite MLB team:
Boston Red Sox

Favorite All-Time and/or current MLB player(s):
Johnny Damon would have to be my favorite, until he left Boston and went to that other team! ughhh!!

Favorite Mathewson player(s) current and/or All-time:
Has to be Endy Fassero since he is probably the best on my team right now. He is only 25 so he should be a mobster for a while!

Significance of team name and/or username:
Team name I came up with since I love to read and watch things about the Mob, and NY is the biggest part where the Mob formed, so thats why I named them Mobsters.

user name is/was ginobili04 because my co-workers say I look like Manu Ginobili from the SA Spurs. But the sprdthefield ID is a name my co-coach grindi and I came up with to use for our GD(Gridiron Dynasty) rebuilds on mostly passing teams when the new engine came out.

Favorite non-baseball team/sport:
College Football - Auburn WAR DAMN EAGLE!!
NFL Football - Carolina Panthers because of Cam Newton!
NBA Basketball - Dallas Mavericks

Background:
Born and raised in Alabama

Team you most dislike to face:
Has to be Helena since they always beat me and wins the NL North Division every season since I been in Matthewson.

One tip you can share with all:
No tips yet, but maybe reading these I can find some out to put me/us in the playoffs.

Thank You sprdthefield! With a football username now and formerly a basketball username, maybe your baseball team is feeling neglected that you don't have a baseball username! :)

Q & A with the Owners (soulblazer)

8th in a series (by 69cubs)

As we hit the 25% mark on this series, we get with soulblazer, owner of the Seattle Lightning for 18 seasons completed, but 19 in Mathewson (1st season for soulblazer was with the current Pittsburgh team back in season 4 as Boston Colonials).

In Mathewson, soulblazer, in 19 completed seasons, has a 1394-1522 (.478) record. Including the best record in baseball in season 22. Seasons 21 & 22, Seattle, with soulblazer won its first 2 division titles and soulblazer 1t 2 Mathewson playoff appearances.

Overall in HBD, soulblazer has 24 seasons with a 1881-2007 (.484) record with the 2 Mathewson division titles and 3 WC appearances outside Mathewson.

On with the Q & A with soulblazer

Favorite MLB team:
Boston Red Sox

Favorite All-Time and/or current MLB player(s):
Curt Schilling

Favorite Mathewson player(s) current and/or All-time:
Endy Horton, he was a great player on my team and kills me each time I faced him.

My favorite on my team is catcher Dale Thomas, a rare catcher who can both catch and hit well. Very happy to have drafted him.

Significance of team name and/or username:
Username comes from a old SNES game and I thought of it when trying to come up with a unique username.
Team name comes from a desire to have a name for a Seattle based team that sounds like it could fit, Lightning seemed a good choice due to the major amounts of rain.

Favorite non-baseball team/sport:
Football and New England Patriots (I'm a die hard New England area fan for all sports)

Background:
Born and raised in New Hampshire, currently live in Rhode Island. Came across this game about four years due to a co-worker to settle a sports bet and really enjoyed it.

Favorite Mathewson moment:
Finally being able to make the playoffs with Seattle two years ago and then doing really well in my playoff run last year -- just one win away from the World Series. Too bad my team this year isn't doing as well!

Team you most dislike to face:
Chicago Billy Goats and New Britian Bombers. They kill me each time I play them. I've looked up to both owners and have tried to build my team around their models.

One tip you can share with all:
One thing I learned is don't rush players to the bigs and let them develop. Also keep a well stocked bench to help keep players rested and provide defensive help.

Thank You soulblazer! Did you jinx the Patriots by missing the World Series in season 22 or have the Patriots jinxed you for this season?

Q & A with the Owners (jpelot)

7th in a series (by 69cubs)

jpelot is on his 17th season as owner of the Chicago Billy Goats. He took over a franchise that had one winning season in its first 6 seasons and immediately won 1st place in his first season as owner. Now, after 16 complete seasons, he has 8 - 1st place finishes (including the last 7 in a row) 7 - 2nd place (with 3 WC appearances) and 1 - 3rd place. And along the way, 4 World Series championships! 1490-1102 (.575) record going into his 17th season. His franchise are one of the model franchises in Mathewson.

Overall in HBD, 4060-3230 (.557) record in 45 seasons with 20 division titles, 9 WC appearances and 6 World Series titles.

On with the Q & A with jpelot

Favorite MLB team:
Atlanta Braves (I used to be huge Oakland A’s fan but their past 10 years of tanking is ridiculous and St Louis that’s because I like LaRussa and Pujols)

Favorite All-Time and/or current MLB player(s):
Past: Mark McGwire – I had a hard time with him using steroids because he was my favorite player before the steroids.
Current: Albert Pujols – Hopefully he won’t test positive for steroids

Favorite Mathewson player(s) current and/or All-time:
Kevin Rolls and Gerardo Cedeno

Significance of team name and/or username:
Team name – I thought my team I was building would fit better in Chicago after a couple years in St. Louis. This was towards the tail end of the steroid era, so I wanted more offense. I am not a big Cubs fan but I thought it would be fun to reverse the curse in Sim World since they will probably not win one in real life.

Favorite non-baseball team/sport:
San Francisco 49ers

Background:
Grew up in California but moved to Georgia when I was in high school. I started my professional career in IT but now I am in Purchasing. Just graduated with an MBA and now I can spend more time trying to figure how to get another ring.
I had a previously love for SimLeague baseball. I took some time off and my brother “pelot” got me hooked building a dynasty vs. having to start over every year.

Favorite Mathewson moment:
It’s the overall feeling of accomplishment of knowing that I did not tank to build this team.
I enjoy playing Oakland a few times a season as well.

Team you most dislike to face:
I gear up every year for a possible playoff battle with lylediekmann. Unfortunately, I believe this is the only team that I have faced consistently that I do not have a winning record against. Another owner that I like to battle with is within my division is jmagliaro. We are about .500 playing each other. I gasp every time these owners find a way to raise the bar or make a move.
The AL East as a whole (including loneranger and plymouth) has just killed each other the past few seasons, it’s great competition.

One tip you can share with all:
Have short term and long term plans, stick with them. There is more than one way to win a WS.

Thank You jpelot! Bringing the Billy Goat back in Chicago was supposed to break the curse for the Cubs, you certainly proved that the Billy Goat can help win! Maybe you should talk to the Cubs and see if you can help them!

Q & A with the Owners (dn1266)

6th in a series (by 69cubs)

Omaha Cobfathers owner, dn1266, is in his 8th season of Mathewson. He is an owner who has been exclusive to Mathewson. In his 7 full seasons, he has a 562-572 (.496) record with one division title and one WC appearance. Omaha competes in the AL West, where 86 wins in season 22 got him 4th place.

On with the Q & A with dn1266

Favorite MLB team:
Chicago Cubs

Favorite All-Time and/or current MLB player(s):
Ryne Sandberg

Favorite Mathewson player(s) current and/or All-time:
Vincenzo Wall - He has been my most consistent and effective pitcher.

Significance of team name and/or username:
Cobfathers - Fan of the Godfather trilogy and a Nebraska Cornhusker fan.

Favorite non-baseball team/sport:
Nebraska Cornhusker college football

Background:
Lived in Omaha my entire life. Married with a step daughter and a daughter on the way - due end of March, early April. I work in the legal industry.

Favorite Mathewson moment:
Winning the AL West division a few seasons back, especially with the tough competitors in this division!

Team you most dislike to face:
Burlington - for some reason, they seem to have my number, even in down seasons.

One tip you can share with all:
Follow what Colorado, Helena, New Britain & Chicago Billy Goats do to stay on top. I'm just too dumb to figure that out!

Thank You dn1266! If you can get on a roll, season 23 World Series time will be in late March, about the same time as your daughter is due! Would be a great way to celebrate! Just saying!

Q & A with the Owners (plymouth71)

5th in a series (by 69cubs)

"plymouth71", owner of the "Pittsburgh all we do is win superbowls" is in his third season in Mathewson. But, he has 15 seasons under his belt in HBD with an overall record of 1233-1197 (.507). This includes 1 division title and 4 WC appearances.

In his 2 full seasons in Mathewson, he has led his team to 92 wins and 96 wins (188-136 overall .580 win percentage) with 2 WC appearances. This team has a history of losing until recently and plymouth71 has made the moves needed to help keep this franchise winning.

On with the...

Q & A with plymouth71

Favorite MLB team:
Pittsburgh Pirates

Favorite All-Time and/or current MLB player(s):
Roberto Clemente and Andy Van Slyke

Favorite Mathewson player(s) current and/or All-time:
Brandon Rigdon - I am still new, so he is mine and should be a great player, silver slugger and gold glove at 3B year after year!

A player I also like is Seattle's Pasqual Jimenez, he kills me game after game.

Significance of team name and/or username:
Username is taken from the 1971 Plymouth Duster.
Team name is to let people know how much I love my football team!

Favorite non-baseball team/sport:
Pittsburgh Steelers (if you have not guessed before now)

Background:
I grew up in western PA and played football, baseball and soccer from ages 5 to 19.
I was in the Navy for 4 years and saw the world!
I now live in North Carolina working and trying to figure a way to win the AL east!

Favorite Mathewson moment:
I don't really have a moment in Mathewson yet.

Team you most dislike to face:
I hate playing Chicago Billy Goats, 6-18 so far.

One tip you can share with all:
Do not always go by the players ratings. I always find a hidden gem with a 58 or so overall rating. SS's and catchers, just believe.

Thank You plymouth71, if you could just put that "Steel Curtain" on the field, you may never lose a game!

Q & A with the Owners (pelot)

4th in a series (by 69cubs)

Next in our series is "pelot", owner of the Oakland Elephants. pelot is another of our original owners and has kept his franchise in Oakland since day 1. In Mathewson, he has compiled a 1703-1861 (.478) record going into season 23. The Elephants have won 2 division titles and also had one WC appearance. He recognizes his playoff distinction in his responses.

Overall in HBD, he has compiled in 24 seasons. a 1851-2037 (.476) record with no additional appearances outside of Mathewson.

On with the...

Q & A with pelot

Favorite MLB team:
Oakland Athletics (Fire Billy Beane and get a new ballpark!)

Favorite All-Time and/or current MLB player(s):
Mark McGwire

Favorite Mathewson player(s)current and/or All-time):
Felipe Colon (9 time all star and closing in on the all time save record). He always likes to make in interesting at the end of the game.

Also gotta throw some love in for Jason Elder my long time Left Fielder. His last season he decided to hit .327 the previous season he hit only .240!

Significance of team name and/or username:
The Oakland mascot is an elephant!

Favorite non-baseball team/sport:
San Francisco 49ers

Background:
I work in IT and love Star Wars. I currently live outside of Atlanta.

Got my brother jpelot to sign up in our league. Aren't you glad everyone?

Favorite Mathewson moment:
Signing Harry Javier and when Hipolito Coronado stole home to beat the Billy Goats this season for the game’s only run.

Team you most dislike to face:
The Chicago Billy Goats (I always think I have a chance!)

One tip you can share with all:
I've been here from day one and never won a playoff game. BUT if you did want some advice, make a plan and stick to it.

Thank You pelot, it looks like that the Elephants are stomping over the AL West this season so far!

Q & A with the Owners (zoobaseball)

Third in a series (by 69cubs)

Burlington Bison owner, zoobaseball, is on his 18th season in Mathewson. He is the creator of this great blog for Mathewson! In his 17 seasons in Mathewson, he has compiled a 1532-1222 (.556) record with 6 division titles and 4 WC appearances.

Overall in HBD, he has completed 27 total seasons with a 2484-1890 (.568) record with 15 division titles and 4 WC appearances.

On with the ...

Q & A with zoobaseball

Favorite MLB team:
Philadelphia Phillies

Favorite All-Time or current MLB player:
Roberto Clemente

Favorite Mathewson player (current and/or All-time):
Cookie Ramirez - he was the ace of my pitching staff and the biggest star on my team when I joined in Season 6, and I built my teams around him, all the way to the Hall of Fame.

I also liked Aaron Bailey. He was the first player I drafted, and saw him establish himself as an awesome base stealer and solid center fielder, even if never a superstar.

Significance of username and/or team name:
Many years ago, a co-worker introduced some of us to whatifsports at lunch time. We worked at a zoo, and since we were in a work computer, the random name he created to show us the site was zoobaseball. Little did I know that 9 years later, I would keep the name and that it would still be the name I play under.

As for the Bison... I started the team in Iowa City, and I wanted some iconic name representing the plains. When I relocated to Burlington, Burlington Bison had a better ring to it, so it stayed.

Favorite non-baseball team/sport:
Oklahoma City Thunder - I lived in Oklahoma City when the team first relocated and it was awesome to feel a part of a "new" franchise coming to town.

Background:
I am a nomad and work makes me move every few years. I have lived in Puerto Rico, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, Oklahoma and Missouri. I have never lived in Vermont, Florida or Iowa City (locations where my franchise has been located).

I grew up playing baseball through high school until I got hurt in college and decided to refocus towards school instead of baseball.

In my real life, I am a veterinarian. I work with all species of animals. In recent years I have gotten more supervisory responsibilities and have had less time for my team(s) and for keeping up the blog on my own.

Favorite Mathewson moment:
Winning my first division in Season 9

Least favorite team to face:
Colorado Colorado Crush… hoyanoel’s teams are the antithesis of mine, and it is hard for my team to play in Coors Fields. The Buffalo team is always a fun and challenging rivalry – back in the day when Parker McIntyre was in his prime, I hated playing them. Parker alone could beat me every time.

One tip you can share with all:
I do something wrong every season. My teams do well enough in the regular season but choke in the playoffs… if I figure it out, I’ll let y’all know.

Thank You zoobaseball, with Bison, Wild Turkeys, Raptors, Billy Goats, Bucks, Steers and Elephants among the teams in Mathewson, it is good to have a veterinarian around to control these animals!

Q & A with the Owners (loneranger)

Second in a series (by 69cubs)

Charlotte Knights owner, loneranger, is on his 6th season in Mathewson. He has compiled a 408-402 (.504) record going into this season with one wild card appearance. His Knights have won 90 games each of the last 2 seasons, but each time, his team finished 4th as that AL East division has some tough teams in it.

Overall in HBD, he has compiled a 1000-1106 (.475) record (13 completed seasons) with 2 wild card appearances all together.
On with the........

Q & A with loneranger

Favorite MLB team:
New York Yankees

Favorite MLB players:
Robinson Cano & Jay Bruce

Favorite HBD players:
currently, Jose Martis & all time, Geoffry Gentry (hated to trade him)

Significance of user name:
I grew up in the 50's and My Dad & I would always watch the Lone Ranger together...Have several autographs and collectibles, including the 1st magazine dating back to 1938.

Favorite Non-Baseball team/sport:
Louisville Cardinals, college basketball & Detroit Lions (no laughs please).

Background:
Born in Stamford, CT...Moved to Milford, CT in 1978 with my lovely wife, Ann. Attended CIT and then worked for GECC as an Operations Manager. Last March, we had our first grandchild, Molly Elizabeth, who is our life!
I coached youth basketball for 12 years and Little League for 4 years. member of the K of C. I have retired after 43 years of working.

Favorite Mathewson moment:
NONE so far, have been denied playoff berths the last 2 seasons thanks to "jpelot", "jmagliaro" & "plymouth71"!

Least favorite teams to face:
"jpelot" (Chicago Billy Goats) & "hoyanoel" (Colorado Colorado Crush).

One tip you can share with all:
Are you sure you want a tip from someone who has not won a division?!?
Do your homework on amateur prospects.


Thank You "loneranger" as we ride off in the sunset awaiting our next owner's Q & A!

Q & A with the owners! (69cubs)

69cubs here,
I want to start a regular post with a Q & A session with different owners. We (Mathewson owners) have been together for a long time on the most part and what better way to have a stronger league than the owners knowing each other. I know a few of the owners currently outside of the HBD world and a few others from the past of this world. I always try and get some friends joining when there are openings. I would suggest that for all of you also. If you have someone you want to join, let me know and we can put them on a waiting list when the world rollovers and there are openings. The more you know each other, the better the rivalries will become for some.
So, without much more, let me explain what I will post. I came up with a list of questions. Other owners might include other questions that they want to include. I will ask each of you to participate and post the answers regularly. You can take the questions I put down for myself or add your own.
So, let's get started.

First off, we start with 69cubs, Mathewson World commissioner and owner of the Honolulu Volcanoes and an owner in the Mathewson World since day 1. In HBD, a total of 25 completed seasons with a 1986-2064 (.490) record with 2 division titles and 6 playoff appearances. In Mathewson, has a 1718-1846 (.482) record with one division title and 3 WC playoff appearances.

On with the Q & A with 69cubs

Favorite current MLB Team/Player:
Chicago White Sox - Paul Konerko

Favorite All -Time player:
Tom Seaver - as I grew up and played ball, I always looked to have his number.

Favorite All-Time Mathewson Player:
Santos Santana – yes he is one of the best currently, but when I acquired him, I was ecstatic!

Significance of user name:
Being a White Sox fan, you may ask, "why a cubs name?". That is easy, the 1969 Chicago Cubs is recognized as one of the biggest "choke" jobs in MLB history, and being a White Sox fan, that is one of the items (besides the Cub's World Series futility) that a Sox fan could throw at a Cub fan in the crosstown rivalry I grew up with.

Favorite Non-Baseball Sport Team:
Chicago Bears

Background:
Born and raised in the Chicago area before I headed east recently and now living (and working) in Eastern PA.

Played baseball, basketball and football through high school. Now I coach baseball and basketball to the grade school boys through the local youth association. I also stay active with basketball weekly, softball and when I am coaching baseball, will get a little of that in also with other coaches.

Favorite Mathewson moment/game:
Winning my first division title in Season 22. Then making it to the LCS in the NL.

Mathewson Team you least like to face:
Colorado, year in and year out this team is always one of the best in Mathewson. Plus, that HR park of his!That is why winning the division in season 22 was a great moment for my franchise. Colorado, along with Las Vegas and Omaha made the battle more satisfying as any of the 4 teams could just as easily won the division with the right breaks!

One tip you can give to all owners:
Save budget room for during the season to acquire a veteran from another team or sign a free agent because of an injury. Sometimes, you might not have a AAA player who can help your team because of an injury and there may be a FA who can help you more!

This first one was not so bad, at least I didn't "choke" on it like a certain team in the ownername! Let's keep this Q & A rolling with all owners involved!

All Star Game facts

By 69cubs (based on research by unitedcenter)

With the All Star game right around the corner, let's look at some interesting facts of the All Star game all-time rosters (including this season 23).

First, below list shows the players with the most all star games:

1) 16 games Brad Green
2) 11 games Horacio Vallarta
3) 10 games Cookie Ramirez
3) 10 games Don Gonzales
3) 10 games Parker McIntyre
6) 9 games Felipe Colon
6) 9 games Felipe Vega
6) 9 games John Russ
6) 9 games Leo Billingsley
10) 8 games Albert Cairo
10) 8 games Alexander Green
10) 8 games Carlos Cubillan
10) 8 games Endy Horton
10) 8 games Robb Gant
10) 8 games Russell Leonard
10) 8 games Santos Santana
10) 8 games Shea Brooks
10) 8 games Vladimir Valentin

Brad Green stands out here by far!

Remember, Babe Ruth only made 2 all star game appearances as the MLB was already started when the all star game was created! There were players here in Mathewson world who were great before we ever had an all star game.

Next, here is a list of the owners who have had the most all stars:

1) 114 in 23 seasons - hoyanoel
2) 78 in 12 seasons - wolfman19
3) 58 in 23 seasons - todzilla
4) 55 in 16 seasons - jmagliaro
5) 51 in 17 seasons - jpelot
6) 50 in 23 seasons - oddson
6) 50 in 18 seasons - thurmodore
8) 48 in 23 seasons - cavone
8) 48 in 23 seasons - sac_lambs
10)45 in 17 seasons - lylediekmann
11)43 in 23 seasons - pelot
12)42 in 16 seasons - hiloboy21
13)39 in 23 seasons - t2bott
14)37 in 23 seasons - 69cubs
15)33 in 18 seasons - zoobaseball
16)32 in 18 seasons - unitedcenter
16)32 in 14 seasons - zinpa
18)31 in 20 seasons - soulblazer
19)30 in 13 seasons - wild44
20)29 in 21 seasons - mileininger
20)29 in 20 seasons - pita323

Congrats to hoyanoel, that is an average of about 5 all stars per season for the previous 23 seasons!
Note - wolfman19 averaged 6.5 per season he was in Mathewson.

At last, here are the most appearances at each position;

Catcher
11 - Horacio Vallarta
8 - Albert Cairo
6 - Eduardo Silva
6 - Joel McNamara

First base
10 - Parker McIntyre
8 - Santos Santana
6 - Russell Leonard

Second Base
7 - Vladimir Valentin
5 - Tony Sakamoto
4 - Albert Bell

Third Base
7 - John Yashian
5 - Endy Horton
5 - Harry Moya

Shortstop
8 - Felipe Vega
7 - Howie Martin
6 - John Russ
6 - Leo Billingsley

Left Field
6 - Albert Hernandez
5 - Javier Valdez
4 - Hugh Stargell
4 - Angel Valdes

Center Field
8 - Robb Gant
8 - Shea Brooks
5 - Brendan Lee

Right Field
9 - Brad Green
8 - Alexander Green
7 - Ariel Santos

Designated Hitter
(tied with 2)
Emmett Halter
Jimmie Frias
Kareem Nunnally
Russell Leonard
Wilson Titan

Pitchers
10 - Cookie Ramirez
10 - Don Gonzales
9 - Felipe Colon
8 - Carlos Cubillan
7 - Juan Marin
7 - Sean Donovan
7 - Julian DeRojas
7 - Virgil Samuel
6 - Bip Bartee
6 - Esteban Sosa
6 - Jacob Johnson
6 - Julian Jimenez
6 - Ken Atkins
6 - Russ Service
6 - Terry Murphy
6 - Walt Falk
6 - Yogi Cooper

Looking at the all star names this season, 5 names made this chart change from last season: 1B - Santos Santana, 2B - Albert Bell, RF - Ariel Santos and pitchers, Felipe Colon and Esteban Sosa.
This file is saved for future updates.

History of Futility in Mathewson

By 69cubs
Looking at the new rule of Minimum 50 wins in one season or 110 wins in 2 seasons, here is a history of who did not make it (noting that all except one below was by owners not currently in the Mathewson World):
First the 50 win minimum::
Pawtucket – Season 5 – 39 wins, owner was one season and done in Mathewson.
Richmond – Season 9 – 49 wins, owner was one and done
Tampa Bay – Season 2 – 18 wins, owner was one and done
Helena – Season 2 – 33 wins (106 total for season 1 and 2) this owner was in Mathewson for only 2 seasons.
Salt Lake City - Season 2 – 17 wins – owner was one and done
Chicago – Season 2 – 26 wins – owner was one and done
Atlanta – Season 5 - 41 wins – owner was one and done
Charlotte – Season 13 – 48 wins – 1 of only 2 owners (kcbp) with under 50 wins that returned in the following season. 2nd owner story explained later in this article.
Charlotte also fell into the “failure to reach 110 wins in 2 seasons” category.
He (kcbp) did it twice, season 12 -13 with 108 wins and seasons 13-14 with only 100 wins.

Of the current owners, only 1 has ever been at default of one of the rules. And that was back in seasons 3 and 4, Pville (Texas Steers) never had less than 50 in a season, but in season 3-4, he had only 102 wins (51 wins in each of the 2 seasons).

One last team needs more space when explaining their history, That would be Pittsburgh’s history.
6 owners in its first 6 seasons (including soulblazer in season 4 taking over the team before moving west with his current team).
Season win total for seasons 1-6 ( 31, 67, 55, 58, 48, 59) – 2 seasons failed to get 50 wins, but owners were one and done on both instances.
Season 7 – 17 had one owner “jacoby66”, in season 8, only 44 wins, seasons 7-8 and 8-9, failed to reach the 110 win mark, but never defaulted after that. Interesting not is that “jacoby66” managed the team to its best record in his last season (season 17) with a 73-89 record. And leaving the team with a couple of very good prospects.
One more interesting note on this franchise – “noah79” took over this team and led the team to 80, then 105 (only a WC spot), followed by a 83 win seasons, then “plymouth71 continued the success and brought this once “futile” franchise to playoff appearances in both his full seasons.

So, the point of this article is that the futility is usually eliminated on its own, but, if an owner is involved in their team, this should not ever happen. (And, what was going on in Season 2 with some awful teams!)