Memphis Showboats - Baseball in the Bluff City

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Bud Selig had accomplished a lot in his tenure as commissioner. The wild card, realignment, inter-league play- he had been a busy man. The new collective bargaining agreement would probably be his last, and he wanted to leave the sport in much better shape than the product he inherited. The MLBPA had just conceded key points on rookie contract slotting and drug testing, and the final issue was ready to be finished- expansion to 32 teams. His director of finance had whittled the possible expansion sites down to five cities. Groups in each city had made pitches, and Selig was ready to announce the two new franchises and locations. The press conference was in an hour.

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I'm a bit of a veteran of mogul leagues, and enjoy reading these dynasties. I did one a while back, but lost my computer and the file. I'm ready to get going again, with a new idea. Here is how I plan on carrying this out.

-I will go through all 30 teams, and make a list of players that can be drafted in an expansion draft. Players under 23 years of age will not be eligible for the draft. Players 23 and over will be eligible. Each team will have a list of 15 players that can be protected. These are the standard expansion draft rules.

-The two franchises will take turns picking players. There will be a total of 20 picks in round one, and the same in round 2. No more than 2 players may be taken from any one team in either round.

-I will use the negotiator app for all resignings.

-I will use the trading block for all trades. I must accept offers as given by the cpu.

Any other suggestions, please let me know.

[mbanghar]

What is the other franchise?

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John Anthony
Pratt and Sterling, Downtown Memphis, TN

John Anthony was a young prodigy in the world of business. Working out of his home city of Memphis, he had a keen eye for the rise and fall of markets. Whether he was analyzing cotton futures or the latest earnings reports, he was rarely wrong when it came to buying and selling stocks, bonds, and other securities. His firm, Pratt and Sterling, occupied the top 4 stories of the prestigious 101 N. Main Building in downtown Memphis. Entering Anthony's office was nothing like entering a standard broker's office, however. Sports memorabilia adorned the walls where diplomas and awards would usually reside. Anthony was the firm's number one sports fan, organizing the office pool for nearly every sporting event. His boss, Carl Sterling, knew of his obsession, and a file detailing Mr. Anthony was on his desk as he called him in for a meeting.

CS- "Mr. Anthony, thanks for coming up, have a seat!"

JA- "Thanks for inviting me up here, Mr. Sterling. What can I do for you?"

CS- "Who is the best second baseman in baseball today, Mr. Anthony?"

JA- "Excuse me, sir?"

CS- "Second basemen. The best. Currently."

JA- "Well, it depends on what you mean by best. Best fielding, probably Polanco. Best hitter is probably Utley. Best all around, Dustin Pedroia maybe?"

CS- "You enjoy baseball, son?"

JA- "Have you not seen my office sir? You can say that."

CS- "You must be familiar with the new CBA, and the upcoming expansion then. We just received a call from the Commissioner's office. There are five cities left in the running for the two spots, we're one of them. Pratt and Sterling is the majority holder of the top group bidding for a Memphis franchise. If we get them, I want you as President and GM. Sound OK?"

JA- "Do you have to ask?"

CS- "That's what I like to hear, son. Let's talk about your salary..."

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Bud Selig
Marriott Marquis, Times Square, New York, NY

As Mr. Selig strode to the podium, Steve Pratt, majority shareholder and CEO at Pratt and Sterling, in Memphis, TN, got a feeling. It was the same feeling he got when he landed the Olivetti account in 2005. He knew he was going to hear good news.

Selig-

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is a historic day for Major League Baseball. I am proud to announce the new terms of the collective bargaining agreement, which has been ratified by all current owners, and the MLBPA" (Thunderous applause fills the room.) "As the handouts my assistants are currently distributing will illustrate, we have agreed to a draft pick slotting system that will eliminate large payouts to unproven players. Also, drug testing will be ramped up, with a new, harsher suspension scale. Finally, we have selected the two new locations for the 31st and 32nd MLB franchises. The first franchise will be owned by a group headed by Pete Fillmore, and will be centered in Portland, Oregon. The second franchise will be in Memphis, Tennessee, and owned by a group led by investment firm Pratt and Sterling. We will be holding an expansion draft in two weeks time. Any questions?"