First Try at Online Dynasty Posting

[rshackelford]

I decided arbitrarily to pick the L.A. Angels and see what I can do with them, personally I dont like the LA area so I'm going to try to build up enough cash to pickup my bags and take this team somewhere else.

I don't know how well I'll be at accomplishing my overall goal, I suck at the new negotiating system right now, theres not to much fan support (C rating), and the pitching staff looks like it needs some help. The biggest challange i'll have though is that im only a so-so baseball fan but a big BBM2k6 fan which can only hurt my chances. So if anyone wants to chip in about how much I suck at managing or that Im only taking up message board space let me know.

First Im going to try to cut some payroll and make this team more profitable. According to the Finances screen our team payroll is $75.8 million and our payroll budget is $88.2 million.

Well looking at the team roster we seem to have a decent lineup but I defenitly need to do something about my pitching.

Heres the current lineup:
1. Jeff Davonon CF
2.Adam Kennedy 2B
3.Garret Anderson LF
4.Vladimir Guerrero RF
5.Dallas McPherson 3B
6.Steve Finley DH
7.Orlando Cabrera SS
8.Lou Merloni 1B
9.Ben Molina C

Bench:
Nick Gorneault
Chone Figgins
Darin Erstad
Zach Sorenson
Jose Molina

I do have some promosing guys in the minors:
1.Sean Rodriguez SS
2.Howie Kendrick 2b
3.Micheal Napoli C
4.Brandon Webb SS
5. Erick Aybar SS
Looks like I need to trade away some SS

And the Pitching Staff:
1.Bartolo Colon
2.Kelvin Escobar
3.Paul Byrd
4.Jarrod Washburn
5.John Lackey

The Bullpen:
Fransico Rodriguez
Brendan Donnelly
Rich Rodriguez
Scot Shields
Kevin Gregg
Eric Cyr

[rshackelford]

I walk in as the new Angels GM/Owner (I guess since I have unlimited powers over the team) to give my pep talk to rally the troops. I try to inspire them with a interpetive dance to the song "Fight The Power" by Public Enemy 4 people laugh the result:

APRIL 1, 2005
Marlins receive Chone Figgins (2B), John Lackey (SP), Nick Gorneault (LF) and Dallas McPherson (3B)
Angels receive Miguel Cabrera (RF)
Angels receive $3 million

This gives me some great young talent and some cash towards my ultimate goal. After taking a quick tour of the Angels Facilites and Staff I decide some money needs to be pumped into the team. I call my secretary and wire some money into my scouting and Farm System.

Farm System-$15 million
Scouting-$10 million
Medical Staff-lowered to 4$

Some of the players complain about the change in funding for the medical system. I explain the changes using the analogy that MY TEAM is a grand chariot and that the players are little more than livestock to carry me forward. Again this comment angers some players who I decide dont have spirit and I make the following changes:

APRIL 1, 2005
Royals receive Erick Aybar (SS), Sean Rodriguez (SS), Bartolo Colon (SP) and Kelvim Escobar (SP)
Angels receive Zack Greinke (SP)
Angels receive $7 million.

Now I've trimmed the fat a little and gotten rid of some troublesome young whippersnapper SS.

Wanting some new heads in the mix I sign:
Robby Hammock C for 3 yrs $1,350,000 and Shane Reynolds P 2 yrs $1,750,000 both with a no-trade clause.

Now I have a decent catcher for a good price and decide to make another trade.

APRIL 1, 2005
Dodgers receive Orlando Cabrera (SS), Ben Molina (C) and Gary Johnson (RF)
Angels receive Cesar Izturis (SS)
Dodgers receive $1 million

This gets rid off the expensive Orlando Cabrera who didnt like me calling him Tony and my old catcher for a good SS.

Heres the New Lineup:
1.Jeff Davanon
2.Adam Kennedy
3.Miguel Cabrera DH
4.Vladimir Guerrero
5.Garret Anderson
6.Robb Quinlan
7.Robby Hammock
8.Lou Merloni
9.Cesar Izturis

Bench:
Steve Finley
Josh Paul
Darin Erstad
Zach Sorensen
Jose Molina

Rotation:
Shane Reynolds
Zack Greinke
Paul Byrd
Jarrod Washburn
Kevin Jepsin

Bullpen:
Francisco Rodriguez
Brendan Donnelly
Rich Rodriguez
Scot Shields
Kevin Gregg
Eric Cyr

[rshackelford]

My team payroll no stands at $59.9 million and I head towards Opening Day. Ticket prices are $18, $6 lower than league average so I do some concession price changes:
Hot Dogs $3.60 11%
Beer $.25 -95%
Ice Cream $2.75 10%

After long debate with the Anaheim Police Force as well as the local M.A.D.D. chapter I lower beer prices in my

Quarter Beer Season Extravaganza!

this should teach those uppity Police & Moms how to run MY TEAM!

Back to the field heres how my first series goes down against the Rangers:

April 5th
Rangers-0 Angels-6
Shane Reynolds pitches what must be his best game ever he goes 9 innings allowing 6 hits 0 walks and 12 k's and 0 runs for the complete game shutout.

April 6th
Rangers-11
Angels-8

April 7th
Rangers-4
Angels-7

The next series we go to K.C. to face the Royals

April 8th
Rangers-3
Angels-12

April 9th
Royals-9
Angels-5

April 10th
Royals-3
Angels-16

We stick it to that punk Colon "The Sweaty Colon" and hammer him for 5 runs in 2 IP making me look like an early managerial genius.

In another series with the Rangers April 11th-13th we win the first than drop the last two.

We head into Oakland confident we can get some wins and leave going 1-2 against them.

I give up on my theory of using wieghted practice uniforms to build strength and endurance and we sweep the Mariners in 3 games.

The Indians come into town for one game and we edge them 6-5.

Feeling confident that are earlier losses to the A's were due to fatique I feel confident we can beat them easily we lose all 3 games against them. Weight training resumes.

We play the last of the month on the road and play poorly resulting in one win in our series against the Yankees and 3 loses to the Twins.

April Summary
11 wins and 13 losses
We're batting .313 Vladimir is hitting .435 with 8 HR, Miguel Cabrera is hitting .364 with 6 HR, and Garret Anderson is hitting .343 with 5 HR.
So were doing great in the middle with that Trio lighting up the scoreboards.

Unfortunatly our Team ERA is 4.96 only Shane Reynolds is doing decently going 3-1 with a 4.18 ERA. The Prospect Zack Greinke is 2-2 with a 7.62 ERA and are bullpen is TERRIBLE! Accounting for 6 losses and an average ERA of 5.79.

[Lobsteve]

I can't believe you traded McPherson!

[rshackelford]

The Team Heads into May needing some wins to get above .500 and take the division lead. The Team is completly healthy, no injuries anywhere right now. So far we've sold out every home game thanks to our low ticket prices and the:

QUARTER BEER SEASON EXTRAVAGANZA!

We're hitting well but the bullpen needs to pick it up though they've been blowing games in the end.

May 1st
Twins-8
Angles-6

Francisco and Donelly Blow it for me, giving up 3 runs in the last two innings if things dont shape up Im going to have to shakeup the bullpen a little.

May 2nd
Angles-7
Mariners-6

May 3rd
Angles-2
Mariners-0

Greinke eliminates the need for my **** bullpen by pitching a gem going all 9 innings giving up 6 hits, 1 walk and 10 strikeouts.

May 4th
Mariners-2
Angels-1

May 6th
Tigers-3
Angels-1

May 7th
Angels-6
Tigers-5

This one goes 11 innings until Davonan gets a double and Miguel Cabrera singled to center to get us the win.

May 8th
Angels-3
Tigers-2

May 9th
Indians-4
Angels-3

This one goes into extra innings as well but ends in 10 when Rodriguez my closer gives up a run for the loss.

May 10th
Angels-2
Indians-1

This game ends up a lame pitcher dual between Paul Byrd for me and Jeff D'Amico on the indians they both go 9 innings while Byrd allows 3 hits 1 walk and 3 K's. D'Amico gives up 4 hits, 1 BB, and 4 K's. Eventually in the FIFTEENTH Inning we go on a run, Darrin Erstad gets a single then Ceazer Isturiz lays down the sacrifice bunt and Adam Kennedy singles to the right to bring Erstad home.

May 11th
Angels-12
Indians-7

May 13th
Tigers-11
Angels-2

May 14th
Angels-10
Tigers-7

May 15th
Angels-2
Tigers-1

May 16th-18th
We sweep the Indians and on May 18th we take sole possesion of the Division lead

May 20th
We take the bus trip to the Dodgers stadium but have to stop several times because in an effort to cut corners and save a little dough I traded the team bus in for a fleet of vintage VW Vanagons, that and I dont allow players to drive their own cars wanting to build some team unity.

Dodgers-3
Angels-2
Result-Players not taken out for ice cream.

May 21st
Angels-3
Dodgers-2

May 22nd
Angels-3
Dodgers-2

We head home for 7 straight games.

May 23rd
White Sox-12
Angels-2
Jepsen manages to give up 8 runs in 3 innings sealing our fate.

May 24th
Angels-7
White Sox-6

May 25th
Angels-2
White Sox-0

May 26th
Angels-4
White Sox-1

May 27th-29th
We sweep the Royals and stretch our lead to 4 1/2 games

May 30th
White Sox-3
Angels-2

May 31st
White Sox-6
Angels-4

Not a bad month all in all. We sell out every home game and go 19-9. The bullpen also starts performing better and Vladimir Guerrero and Miguel Cabrera are tearing it up. Vladimir is 1st in league average and 2nd in hits overall heres what hes done:
.369 ave, 11 HR, 31 RBI
and Cabrera:
.332 ave, 6 HR, 33 RBI

Our Bullpen is doing better except for our alternate Eric Cyr who is 0-1 and has 12.08 ERA. I call up rookie Abel Moore to take Eric's place and hope that he can do a little better.

The team is doing great now and Im making good money so far $6.7 million but im going to need alot more to move the team.

[rshackelford]

Let me know how im doing so far our if anyone has any suggesetions/comments.

[CarlosaMarlin]

Shouldnt of traded McPherson because he's a very good offensive player and i don't think you should of gotten rid of colon he's a potential 20 game winner and you had him signed through 2010. Good job getting rid of escobar he's ****. Also try to get a rotation who can go the distance or at least 7 innings with a closer like rodriguez he isnt going to blow that many savy opportunity's and that will cut down on ur bullpen ruining your games.

[mteed25]

Are you having fun? Then that's all that matters! I have to admitt though that I shook my head at a couple of deals (Mcpherson) but it seems to be working out.

[rshackelford]

I should have an update soon, right now im busy with finals and moving.