How it Went All Wrong Pt.3 (2042.12)
Posted: Sat May 23, 2020 5:43 pm
This is a continuation of the article I put out yesterday. Here it is.
So, I ended the season 74-88. Definitely did not expect that to happen. My key offensive players picked up their play in September, but it was too late at that point. They were performing well for nothing. However, I want to look at team stats from the entire season. In 2041, the Mounties offense ranked among the best in the Frick in nearly every team statistical category. This year, they ranked among the worst. The same can be said for the pitching, who fared even worse.
Something I think is interesting is when you look at team splits. There are two different splits I want to look at. First, home/away team records. If you remember from the first article, I said I changed my park factors so I can play in a neutral park as opposed to a pitcher's park. I did this because in 2041, I had a better record on the road, something only 3 other teams in the league did at the time. I felt that my park was suppressing my offensive potential. Let's just say that my little experiment didn't work.
2041:
Home: 45-36
Away: 52-29
2042:
Home: 41-40
Away: 33-48
Not exactly playoff material. So, I may have overvalued park factors, or there is something I am completely missing. I understand that the BBA environment is changing around me. Everyone seems to have a comparable offense to my own. But I don't have the thing that all the great teams have, good pitching. Hawaii now has great pitching, California is consistently good, Valencia is young and hungry, even San Fernando are not out of it. Of course, Long Beach has the best pitcher in the league. Then you look at the Johnson league. I just couldn't compete with them. To be fair, neither could most of the Pacific. Despite that, I don't understand how my performance on the road can change so drastically in just one season, even though my best players are still here. But then I think about how the BBA environment has changed this season. So that's my home/road dilemma.
My next dilemma deals with facing RHP and LHP. Now, if you look through my lineup, most of my players are better equipped to face RHP. However, with the combination of an underperforming offense and the influx of above average to elite RHP's in the Frick, that is a recipe for disaster.
2042:
vs RHP: 47-65
vs LHP: 27-23
I couldn't find these splits for the 2041 season. Still, this is a drastic difference, a difference that the top teams in the league don't face.
Now I have to wonder, if my players turn up in 2043 with the same type of performances they showed this season, do I just move on and sell? Do I accept the fact that I am not able to compete with the teams around me? One season could mean I'm underperforming, two seasons means that I am not good enough. This decision would not be easy though. My fan interest is at the lowest it has ever been. If you read the previous article, you would know my disdain for fan interest. Right now it's at 54, despite all of the homegrown stars. If I traded them for prospects, how far would fan interest drop? And seeing how after a 97 win season that fan interest does not move up, will I ever be able to recover? This is the main dilemma I face. This is why I contemplated building a new stadium last offseason. I saw the fan interest boost and knew that would help me. I ended up not doing that and probably won't do that at any point in the foreseeable future.
So here I am. A team with a puzzling offense, below average pitchers, stagnant fan interest, no playoff revenue, mediocre placement in the 2043 draft, and only a couple of top prospects worth trading to upgrade the team. You can say I'm not really in a good spot. All in all, this season was definitely a learning experience for me. Whatever 2043 brings will define the direction of my franchise for the rest of the 2040's.
That's the end of my 3 part rant. Sorry if I seem whiny, but I needed to get all of this out. Good luck to everyone in the playoffs.
So, I ended the season 74-88. Definitely did not expect that to happen. My key offensive players picked up their play in September, but it was too late at that point. They were performing well for nothing. However, I want to look at team stats from the entire season. In 2041, the Mounties offense ranked among the best in the Frick in nearly every team statistical category. This year, they ranked among the worst. The same can be said for the pitching, who fared even worse.
Something I think is interesting is when you look at team splits. There are two different splits I want to look at. First, home/away team records. If you remember from the first article, I said I changed my park factors so I can play in a neutral park as opposed to a pitcher's park. I did this because in 2041, I had a better record on the road, something only 3 other teams in the league did at the time. I felt that my park was suppressing my offensive potential. Let's just say that my little experiment didn't work.
2041:
Home: 45-36
Away: 52-29
2042:
Home: 41-40
Away: 33-48
Not exactly playoff material. So, I may have overvalued park factors, or there is something I am completely missing. I understand that the BBA environment is changing around me. Everyone seems to have a comparable offense to my own. But I don't have the thing that all the great teams have, good pitching. Hawaii now has great pitching, California is consistently good, Valencia is young and hungry, even San Fernando are not out of it. Of course, Long Beach has the best pitcher in the league. Then you look at the Johnson league. I just couldn't compete with them. To be fair, neither could most of the Pacific. Despite that, I don't understand how my performance on the road can change so drastically in just one season, even though my best players are still here. But then I think about how the BBA environment has changed this season. So that's my home/road dilemma.
My next dilemma deals with facing RHP and LHP. Now, if you look through my lineup, most of my players are better equipped to face RHP. However, with the combination of an underperforming offense and the influx of above average to elite RHP's in the Frick, that is a recipe for disaster.
2042:
vs RHP: 47-65
vs LHP: 27-23
I couldn't find these splits for the 2041 season. Still, this is a drastic difference, a difference that the top teams in the league don't face.
Now I have to wonder, if my players turn up in 2043 with the same type of performances they showed this season, do I just move on and sell? Do I accept the fact that I am not able to compete with the teams around me? One season could mean I'm underperforming, two seasons means that I am not good enough. This decision would not be easy though. My fan interest is at the lowest it has ever been. If you read the previous article, you would know my disdain for fan interest. Right now it's at 54, despite all of the homegrown stars. If I traded them for prospects, how far would fan interest drop? And seeing how after a 97 win season that fan interest does not move up, will I ever be able to recover? This is the main dilemma I face. This is why I contemplated building a new stadium last offseason. I saw the fan interest boost and knew that would help me. I ended up not doing that and probably won't do that at any point in the foreseeable future.
So here I am. A team with a puzzling offense, below average pitchers, stagnant fan interest, no playoff revenue, mediocre placement in the 2043 draft, and only a couple of top prospects worth trading to upgrade the team. You can say I'm not really in a good spot. All in all, this season was definitely a learning experience for me. Whatever 2043 brings will define the direction of my franchise for the rest of the 2040's.
That's the end of my 3 part rant. Sorry if I seem whiny, but I needed to get all of this out. Good luck to everyone in the playoffs.