deano
01-20-2005, 04:19 AM
MY BREWERS DYNASTY
Having learned recently that the long suffering fans in Milwaukee have not celebrated a winning season in well over a decade, (1992), and not made a post season trip in twenty years, i will start my latest dynasty as the Brewers.
Start Date: 2004
Difficulty: Mogul
League Revenue: +30%
Salary Demands: -30% (helps to reduce players "lost" from the free agency pool, as only 70 batters and 70 pitchers can be stored. Allows more teams to hang on to their own free agents and, i believe makes for a more realistic game)
I plan to set specific season goals so that i can measure progression. However, i have these goals for the dynasty as a whole:
Build a solid team that can realistically expect to contend year on year (within five seasons)
Always turn a profit and maintain financial stability
Always continue to improve (requires five more wins than the previous year OR a trip to the post
season)
A FEW THOUGHTS
During my reign as GM there are a few loose guidelines that i'd like to follow, just to make things a bit more interesting and involved. These probably stem from being an A's fan, and why i like the challenge of small market teams.
Build a team around good batting average and on base percentage, not power.
Strong pitching staff and good bullpen
Looking for pitchers with good movement ratings, "groundball" pitchers.
Solid defensive ball club , esp. down the middle (2B,SS,CF), to assist groundball pitchers. If im looking to sign a player, however he doesn't fit my defensive mindset, then i shall look for an alternative. (Normally i don't pay too much attention to defense, so we'll see how this works)
In essence i am looking to build a team that do the little things well, who play "Small Ball" and "manufacture" runs. Good OBP, stolen bases, bunts etc...
LET'S PLAY BALL!
In addition to the goals i have already stated, i hope to achieve the following in 2004:
Win 70 Games
Start rebuilding process
Cut payroll to between $20-25 million
Have 2,000,000 fans attend this season
Having arrived at Miller Park and taken a good look around, i have to say i am mightily impressed with the facilities. If only it was occasionally more than a third full!! Last seasons total attendance of 995,846 was the league worst, with an average of only 12,000 turning out. Needless to say that revenue generated in Milwaukee was ranked dead last last year.
That would have to change or any spending power would be reduced to whatever small change could be found down the back of the sofa in the owner's office.
Firstly, we'll worry about the players rather than any fans that may or may not wish to turn up.
Having looked at the roster, it is evident that we have some reasonable players all demanding million dollar salaries to remain after the season! With the following being the main cause for concern:
(current salary - requested salary)
2B Junior Spivey $860,000 $3.5MILL
RF Ben Grieve $640,000 $1.7MILL
LF Brooks Kieschnick $450,000 $1.9MILL
C Gary Bennett $690,000 $1.1MILL
SP Ben Sheets $870,000 $6.0MILL
RP Curt Leskanic $2.5MILL $2.5MILL
RP Luis Vizcaino $420,000 $1.4MILL
RP Jayson Durocher $300,000 $1.4MILL
Due to a severe lack of pitching, and a very reasonable price, we resign the solid gold arm of Ben Sheets to a five year extension (next six seasons) at $5.6mill. Bargain! Mark my words: ALL STAR CALIBER.
Grieve and Kieschnick will fight for the last spot in the outfield (RF), with Grieve being named the starter (Better all-round, better defense) while Kieschnick (brilliant raw power) will be the main PH to start the season. Kieschnick likely to be traded by deadline, after his stock increases and we can find a new requirement.
Vizcaino and Durocher form the heart of the bullpen; the setup and short guys respectively. Likelihood of both returning next year? Pretty good.
TRADES
METS SENT: JUNIOR SPIVEY (2B)
BREWERS RECEIVE: JOSE REYES (SS)
Analysis: Spivey, is a very good 2B in every aspect, however his poor performance last season, not excelling in any one area, and his high demands make him pruneable.
Reyes provides us with the franchise shortstop we need (such a speicialised position). He plays great 'D', hits for average and has the speed to swipe 50 bases. Plus he's signed cheap through five years.
BRAVES SENT: GARY BENNETT (C), MARK SMITH (LF) and CURT LESKANIC(P)
BREWERS RECEIVE: HORACIO RAMIREZ (P)
Analysis: Bennett, a solid backup catcher, would want over a million to stay. There is little to no chance of him being named the starter and our third catcher is a very solid backup.
Leskanic, quite old at 35, will make 2.5 mill this year. Unlikely to be resigned due to age and cost; excellent trade bait. We had to let Smith go unfortunately, as he's a good player, however, as the roster stands he was no better than the sixth (maybe seventh) OF.
Ramirex provides us with a future marquee starter who is ready to slide into the No.2 slot in the rotation. Again, signed cheaply and through five years, should be a major part of the rebuilding process.
Other Signings
Signed: Jose Montejo (C) @ $300,000 for 2 years
Kevin Harvey (P) @ $380,000 for 2 years
Henry Kunz (P) @ $480,000 for 2 years
(All of which go straight to AAA)
We also offered extensions to Craig Counsell (3B) (1 year $1.9mill), Enrique Cruz (SS) (1 year $300,000) and Pete Zoccolillo (RF)(1 year $300,000).
This dropped Counsell's salary from $2.9mill and ensures that we have at least a good back up next year.
Tickets have been set to $17.50 and a local blackout placed on the area. We'll see how many bother to show up and adjust prices accordingly.
Farm budget $4mill
Scouting budget $4mill
Medical budget $2mill
Budget allocation will probably alter month by month.
BRING ON OPENING DAY
The two trades give us a good starting point to work from. We'll begin the season with the players we have now, and we'll discover, and hopefully fill, any weaknessess as they appear.
Look for Kieschnick, Wes Helms and John Van Der Wal to be moved by the end of July. Also very interested in Arizona catcher Robby Hammock. Superior defensively, even over our own Moeller, and the potential to become a pretty nice fit in our system (hitting for average). Signed cheaply as well. Watch this space......
Thoughts on Team:
The Outfield:
Scotty Po is the centre of our rebuilding process, posessing all of the traits we require; good eye and contact, speed, solid 'D'.
Jenkins provides us with both a good average and power hitter who can play 'D'. His $5.3mill salary may cause problems down the line though. Grieve may walk this off season. Kind of depends on the year he has.
The Infield:
Reyes is a franchise shortstop. Pure and simple. He fits into our whole philosophy of average over power, and of solid defense. Keith Ginter is a very good team player, very solid 'D' and reasonable hitter. Having him in the lineup means that there's no need to rush our top prospect (2B Ricky Weekes). Lyle Overbay plays great 'D' and hits for average. May require an upgrade here. Only when all other needs filled. Over on the hot corner we have problems. Counsell will start, however he may find the load too much. No good 3B's to trade for either. Wait until draft or free agency to address this major need. Chad Moeller is a great defensive catcher, however he probably lacks the ability to hit for over .270. Looking for upgrade without sacrificing defense. (Robby Hammock??)
The Rotation:
Sheets should provide a very good season, hopefully between 10 - 15 wins. He is the anchor of the rotation. Ramirez will hopefully also pitch to double digit wins, whilst progressing ready for next season. Chris Capuano, a rookie, will be looking to get his feet wet as it were, looking to be a threat next season. Both Davis and Kinney are requesting $millions to resign so will both probably leave. Expectations not overly high for these two....
The Pen:
Vizcaino and Durocher are both solid guys to have in close ball games. Expect sub 3.00 era's and lots of valuable innings to come from this pair. Danny Kolb will once again close. He may even be better than the two prior to him. Todd Ritchie fills middle relief, however he's really a long reliever. Need a new middle reliever? Dave Burba (long) and David Manning (the unlucky "sixth starter) round out the staff.
Starting Lineup
#1 Jose Reyes SS
#2 Craig Counsell 3B
#3 Scott Podsednik CF
#4 Geoff Jenkins LF
#5 Ben Grieve RF
#6 Lyle Overbay 1B
#7 Chad Moeller C
#8 Keith Ginter 2B
Bench
Brooks Kieschnick LF
Keith Osik C
Wes Helms 1B,3B
Brady Clark LF,RF
John Vander Wal RF,LF
Jason Conti OF
Starting Rotation
#1 Ben Sheets
#2 Horacio Ramirez
#3 Chris Capuano
#4 Doug Davis
#5 Matt Kinney
Bullpen
CL Danny Kolb
ST Luis Vizcaino
SH Jayson Durocher
MD Todd Ritchie
LG Dave Burba
ALT David Manning
Eleven (yes 11) of our first 14 games are on the road. They include the Cards, Astros and Giants. Nice easy start then boys...........
Having learned recently that the long suffering fans in Milwaukee have not celebrated a winning season in well over a decade, (1992), and not made a post season trip in twenty years, i will start my latest dynasty as the Brewers.
Start Date: 2004
Difficulty: Mogul
League Revenue: +30%
Salary Demands: -30% (helps to reduce players "lost" from the free agency pool, as only 70 batters and 70 pitchers can be stored. Allows more teams to hang on to their own free agents and, i believe makes for a more realistic game)
I plan to set specific season goals so that i can measure progression. However, i have these goals for the dynasty as a whole:
Build a solid team that can realistically expect to contend year on year (within five seasons)
Always turn a profit and maintain financial stability
Always continue to improve (requires five more wins than the previous year OR a trip to the post
season)
A FEW THOUGHTS
During my reign as GM there are a few loose guidelines that i'd like to follow, just to make things a bit more interesting and involved. These probably stem from being an A's fan, and why i like the challenge of small market teams.
Build a team around good batting average and on base percentage, not power.
Strong pitching staff and good bullpen
Looking for pitchers with good movement ratings, "groundball" pitchers.
Solid defensive ball club , esp. down the middle (2B,SS,CF), to assist groundball pitchers. If im looking to sign a player, however he doesn't fit my defensive mindset, then i shall look for an alternative. (Normally i don't pay too much attention to defense, so we'll see how this works)
In essence i am looking to build a team that do the little things well, who play "Small Ball" and "manufacture" runs. Good OBP, stolen bases, bunts etc...
LET'S PLAY BALL!
In addition to the goals i have already stated, i hope to achieve the following in 2004:
Win 70 Games
Start rebuilding process
Cut payroll to between $20-25 million
Have 2,000,000 fans attend this season
Having arrived at Miller Park and taken a good look around, i have to say i am mightily impressed with the facilities. If only it was occasionally more than a third full!! Last seasons total attendance of 995,846 was the league worst, with an average of only 12,000 turning out. Needless to say that revenue generated in Milwaukee was ranked dead last last year.
That would have to change or any spending power would be reduced to whatever small change could be found down the back of the sofa in the owner's office.
Firstly, we'll worry about the players rather than any fans that may or may not wish to turn up.
Having looked at the roster, it is evident that we have some reasonable players all demanding million dollar salaries to remain after the season! With the following being the main cause for concern:
(current salary - requested salary)
2B Junior Spivey $860,000 $3.5MILL
RF Ben Grieve $640,000 $1.7MILL
LF Brooks Kieschnick $450,000 $1.9MILL
C Gary Bennett $690,000 $1.1MILL
SP Ben Sheets $870,000 $6.0MILL
RP Curt Leskanic $2.5MILL $2.5MILL
RP Luis Vizcaino $420,000 $1.4MILL
RP Jayson Durocher $300,000 $1.4MILL
Due to a severe lack of pitching, and a very reasonable price, we resign the solid gold arm of Ben Sheets to a five year extension (next six seasons) at $5.6mill. Bargain! Mark my words: ALL STAR CALIBER.
Grieve and Kieschnick will fight for the last spot in the outfield (RF), with Grieve being named the starter (Better all-round, better defense) while Kieschnick (brilliant raw power) will be the main PH to start the season. Kieschnick likely to be traded by deadline, after his stock increases and we can find a new requirement.
Vizcaino and Durocher form the heart of the bullpen; the setup and short guys respectively. Likelihood of both returning next year? Pretty good.
TRADES
METS SENT: JUNIOR SPIVEY (2B)
BREWERS RECEIVE: JOSE REYES (SS)
Analysis: Spivey, is a very good 2B in every aspect, however his poor performance last season, not excelling in any one area, and his high demands make him pruneable.
Reyes provides us with the franchise shortstop we need (such a speicialised position). He plays great 'D', hits for average and has the speed to swipe 50 bases. Plus he's signed cheap through five years.
BRAVES SENT: GARY BENNETT (C), MARK SMITH (LF) and CURT LESKANIC(P)
BREWERS RECEIVE: HORACIO RAMIREZ (P)
Analysis: Bennett, a solid backup catcher, would want over a million to stay. There is little to no chance of him being named the starter and our third catcher is a very solid backup.
Leskanic, quite old at 35, will make 2.5 mill this year. Unlikely to be resigned due to age and cost; excellent trade bait. We had to let Smith go unfortunately, as he's a good player, however, as the roster stands he was no better than the sixth (maybe seventh) OF.
Ramirex provides us with a future marquee starter who is ready to slide into the No.2 slot in the rotation. Again, signed cheaply and through five years, should be a major part of the rebuilding process.
Other Signings
Signed: Jose Montejo (C) @ $300,000 for 2 years
Kevin Harvey (P) @ $380,000 for 2 years
Henry Kunz (P) @ $480,000 for 2 years
(All of which go straight to AAA)
We also offered extensions to Craig Counsell (3B) (1 year $1.9mill), Enrique Cruz (SS) (1 year $300,000) and Pete Zoccolillo (RF)(1 year $300,000).
This dropped Counsell's salary from $2.9mill and ensures that we have at least a good back up next year.
Tickets have been set to $17.50 and a local blackout placed on the area. We'll see how many bother to show up and adjust prices accordingly.
Farm budget $4mill
Scouting budget $4mill
Medical budget $2mill
Budget allocation will probably alter month by month.
BRING ON OPENING DAY
The two trades give us a good starting point to work from. We'll begin the season with the players we have now, and we'll discover, and hopefully fill, any weaknessess as they appear.
Look for Kieschnick, Wes Helms and John Van Der Wal to be moved by the end of July. Also very interested in Arizona catcher Robby Hammock. Superior defensively, even over our own Moeller, and the potential to become a pretty nice fit in our system (hitting for average). Signed cheaply as well. Watch this space......
Thoughts on Team:
The Outfield:
Scotty Po is the centre of our rebuilding process, posessing all of the traits we require; good eye and contact, speed, solid 'D'.
Jenkins provides us with both a good average and power hitter who can play 'D'. His $5.3mill salary may cause problems down the line though. Grieve may walk this off season. Kind of depends on the year he has.
The Infield:
Reyes is a franchise shortstop. Pure and simple. He fits into our whole philosophy of average over power, and of solid defense. Keith Ginter is a very good team player, very solid 'D' and reasonable hitter. Having him in the lineup means that there's no need to rush our top prospect (2B Ricky Weekes). Lyle Overbay plays great 'D' and hits for average. May require an upgrade here. Only when all other needs filled. Over on the hot corner we have problems. Counsell will start, however he may find the load too much. No good 3B's to trade for either. Wait until draft or free agency to address this major need. Chad Moeller is a great defensive catcher, however he probably lacks the ability to hit for over .270. Looking for upgrade without sacrificing defense. (Robby Hammock??)
The Rotation:
Sheets should provide a very good season, hopefully between 10 - 15 wins. He is the anchor of the rotation. Ramirez will hopefully also pitch to double digit wins, whilst progressing ready for next season. Chris Capuano, a rookie, will be looking to get his feet wet as it were, looking to be a threat next season. Both Davis and Kinney are requesting $millions to resign so will both probably leave. Expectations not overly high for these two....
The Pen:
Vizcaino and Durocher are both solid guys to have in close ball games. Expect sub 3.00 era's and lots of valuable innings to come from this pair. Danny Kolb will once again close. He may even be better than the two prior to him. Todd Ritchie fills middle relief, however he's really a long reliever. Need a new middle reliever? Dave Burba (long) and David Manning (the unlucky "sixth starter) round out the staff.
Starting Lineup
#1 Jose Reyes SS
#2 Craig Counsell 3B
#3 Scott Podsednik CF
#4 Geoff Jenkins LF
#5 Ben Grieve RF
#6 Lyle Overbay 1B
#7 Chad Moeller C
#8 Keith Ginter 2B
Bench
Brooks Kieschnick LF
Keith Osik C
Wes Helms 1B,3B
Brady Clark LF,RF
John Vander Wal RF,LF
Jason Conti OF
Starting Rotation
#1 Ben Sheets
#2 Horacio Ramirez
#3 Chris Capuano
#4 Doug Davis
#5 Matt Kinney
Bullpen
CL Danny Kolb
ST Luis Vizcaino
SH Jayson Durocher
MD Todd Ritchie
LG Dave Burba
ALT David Manning
Eleven (yes 11) of our first 14 games are on the road. They include the Cards, Astros and Giants. Nice easy start then boys...........