Another ten days worth of offseason over with, my overeducated chums!  Two signings this week worth the mention and the first is New York extending the contract of first baseman Richard Berkely for another five years!  Well done there!

Also signing this sim is third baseman Edward Redding.  Redding also was signed as an extenstion.  When will the actual free agents begin signing?  Only fate alone can tell us!

The next sim is tomorrow night to January 21.  Don’t be late!

It’s 2006! Hurray!

No injuries this sim, as the players were apparently able to avoid all golf, jet ski, and swimming accidents.

Here are the signings:

Wednesday, December 28th, 2005
New York Knights: Signed free agent MR R. Isaza to a minor league contract.

Monday, December 26th, 2005
New York Knights: Signed SP J. Carmona to a minor league contract extension.
Gainesville Purple Porpoises: Signed C F. Mendonca to a 3-year contract extension worth a total of $14,600,000.
Maryland Poedamnedmonium: Signed free agent C B. Atlas to a 2-year contract worth a total of $4,000,000.
New York Knights: Signed RF F. Donato to a minor league contract extension.
New York Knights: Demoted 3B C. Suazo to Triple A Rome.

Sunday, December 25th, 2005
Gainesville Purple Porpoises: Signed CL R. Medina to a 2-year contract extension worth a total of $2,100,000.

Friday, December 23rd, 2005
Gainesville Purple Porpoises: Signed SS J. Castellanos to a minor league contract extension.

Thursday, December 22nd, 2005
Gainesville Purple Porpoises: Signed SP G. Trask to a 3-year contract extension worth a total of $2,050,000.
Helena Handbaskets: Signed free agent MR J. Lopez to a minor league contract.
Gainesville Purple Porpoises: Signed MR A. Sartori to a minor league contract extension.

Looks like the OSA re-scouted everyone, but no new scouting reports for our own scouts.

Next sim, up to January 11, will be tomorrow by Nate. New league file posted. Web pages will be updated tonight.

- Mack

Not a lot of action this sim.  One signing, one injury.

The signing is Jersey City signing starting pitcher Stephen Hawn.  The deal is for 2 years and a total of $5,350,000.  Simple enough.

Cairo lost reliever Kenneth Gonsales for four weeks after he got hit with a golf ball!  You’re doing it wrong, Kenneth!  What’s the frequency!

The next sim is Wednesday night by Mack.  It’ll take us to January 1.  Happy New Year and I’ll see you on the other side!

The Rule 5 draft has been held. Here were the selections:

Jersey City Skeeters: Drafted RF R. James (PIT) in the 2005 rule 5 draft (Pick 5, Round 1, 5th overall Pick).
Brooklyn Bombers: Drafted RF L. Huerta (HEL) in the 2005 rule 5 draft (Pick 8, Round 1, 8th overall Pick).
Stockholm Sluggers: Drafted CL T. Jones (RAM) in the 2005 rule 5 draft (Pick 10, Round 1, 10th overall Pick).
Jersey City Skeeters: Drafted SP M. Acevedo (GAI) in the 2005 rule 5 draft (Pick 5, Round 2, 17th overall Pick).
Stockholm Sluggers: Drafted MR T. Juhasz (JCY) in the 2005 rule 5 draft (Pick 10, Round 2, 22nd overall Pick).

We have also simmed up to December 11. Some signings rolled in, although none of the biggest names and nobody eligible for free agent compensation. Here the signings are:

Sunday, December 11th, 2005
Marietta Mammoths: Signed free agent RF D. Mansfield to a 1-year contract worth a total of $2,160,000.
Jersey City Skeeters: Signed free agent SS L. Saenz to a minor league contract.

Saturday, December 10th, 2005
Brooklyn Bombers: Signed free agent SS R. Emanuel to a 1-year contract worth a total of $850,000.

Thursday, December 8th, 2005
Maryland Poedamnedmonium: Signed free agent SP M. Kring to a minor league contract.

Tuesday, December 6th, 2005
Pittsburgh Pisces: Signed free agent MR S. Zebic to a minor league contract.

Monday, December 5th, 2005
New York Knights: Signed free agent RF L. Diaz to a minor league contract.

Sunday, December 4th, 2005
Marietta Mammoths: Signed free agent MR A. Hernandez to a 1-year contract worth a total of $540,000.
New York Knights: Signed free agent SP E. Moya to a 1-year contract worth a total of $500,000.
Marietta Mammoths: Signed free agent SP T. Mathis to a minor league contract.

Saturday, December 3rd, 2005
Jersey City Skeeters: Signed free agent CF O. Amos to a 2-year contract worth a total of $2,640,000.

Friday, December 2nd, 2005
Marietta Mammoths: Signed free agent 2B S. Nell to a 1-year contract worth a total of $780,000.
Brooklyn Bombers: Signed free agent LF D. Wotring to a minor league contract.

Next sim is tomorrow by Nate, up to December 21. League file is posted. Web pages probably won’t be updated for a couple more sims. Happy hunting in free agency to everyone.

Word on the streets and in the tunnelbanor of Stockholm is that star shortstop Ben “Sugar” Towell is being discussed in trade rumors.

“Yes,” GM Michael Weintraub stated. “At least two teams have come calling for Ben.”

The team’s recent trade of OF Joseph Watson has led some to suggest that a firesale is in the works, but Weintraub denies that.

“No, of course not. We dealt Joseph to clear salary, and because we had a capable replacement with Horace Lawson. Ben is a star on the team and we’d need to be blown away by an offer to consider dealing him.”

Weintraub continued: “Yes, shortstop George Mullikin has lit it up in Södermalm and could probably step in for Ben. But, we think he needs more AAA time. He might make the team as a backup, to get experience. I just don’t think he’s ready to be a full-time starter on a competing team.”

When asked what parts of the team could be improved in a hypothetical trade, Weintraub was quick to state, “We could use a top starter to join Holte and Pate in the rotation, as well as some prospects. Money is always nice, too. Hey, does anyone want a crappy overpaid starter?”

Teams interested in inquiring about Towell are urged to e-mail Weintraub ASAP.

One owner noticed that the game has changed the free agent status of some players since I put this list together. For example, catcher Brian Atlas went from Type B to no compensation.

I have no idea why the game would change a player’s status between November 13 and December 1. It’s bizarre. To try to keep some sanity in this system, we’re going to just keep the type of compensation for each free agent frozen as of the start of free agency. So, everyone should rely on the list I printed.

Rumor has it the Gainesville Purple Porpoises have been shopping around all-world pitcher Hernando Desalvo, but that appears to be farther from the truth. The GM of the Porpoises had this to say at a recent news conference.

“Trade Desalvo?! A pitcher like him comes around once in a lifetime. This league must be crazy to think we are going to trade our anchor. We want to compete some day and that day includes Desalvo.”

When asked whether there are other players on the block, Katz was clear. “Yes, absolutely. We aquired Millette towards the end of last year and while we like him in our rotation his price tag is a bit too high for our budget. Fortner is another player who can offer up a nice #4/#5 place in your rotation. It is tough, you know. We put a lot of money into these players but it is time we refocused.”

Finally, when approached by the idea of unloading Bob Stoops, Katz did not shy away. “Get him the f-^k off this team. If you have a 2 star AA prospect I might consider it.”

The Porpoises do have some big decisions to make this off season but it looks like moving their top gun is not one of them.

We’re at December first now, hot stove fans, and the offers are building and grinding their way through the negotiation process!

But the big news here is the Rule V draft!  It’s time for teams to look over the exposed rosters of the competition and to make their plays!  While you don’t HAVE to choose anyone if you’re interested you’ll have to make your selections known through the draft list screen in the game!

As always, the list of players is in the system.  Remember, to draft someone you must have a slot open on your major league spring training roster.  So get to scouting and Mack is up next on Monday with a sim that will take us to December eleventh and the Rule V draft!

The home of the Brooklyn Bombers is going through a renovation this offseason. The changes will be mainly cosmetic, but will be sure to confuse visiting players when they visit.

It will be tough for the outfielders to judge where the wall is because it will be painted camouflage for this upcoming season. Umpires and OFs all over the league have already filed complaints with the league, but from what we understand there is nothing that they can do.

The other major change will be a huge target painted on the field with the pitching mound as the bulls-eye. With the poor infield fielding of the Bombers last season anchored by now greedy FA SS Randy McGinn, there is no way that the change in the field can make it any worse.

There is expected to be a flyover by the Blue Angles before every game and the main concession item will be B-52 Burgers served with Royal Air Force Fish and Chips and Luftwaffe Schnitzel and in honor of 2-time MVP 3B Miyatarou Takenao there will be Kamikaze Sushi Rolls to give the team a fully international flair.

In a semi-related note, there is no truth to the rumor that ‘The Stinger’ John Sterling will be joining the radio team in Brooklyn in addition to these on the field gimmicks. The GM Jeremy Goldman said, “Even we would not get that corny, now bring on the inflatable stealth bomber for the 7th inning stretch.”

Will these gimmicks help increase the fan interest which has dipped into the 80s from a high of 100 during last season, probably not, but it should make for another interesting season in NYC.

Under new organizational ownership, the Sylva Black Bears have up and moved to the rural yet incestuous hills of northern New Jersey, setting up shop as the Ramapough Mountain Indians. The new ownership group will stress a “hybrid approach of intelligent scouting and statistical analysis, plus rampant inbreeding” as the keys to success in the OEL now and in the future.

Ramapaugh Mountain’s farm clubs have likewise relocated and can now be found in the following sprawling locales (and will be known as):

(AAA) Manson Craters
(AA) San Angeles Celestial Teapots
(A) Daytona Dark Matter
(A-) Niagara Noodly Appendages
(R) Flagstaff Flagellum