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Historical Play Through of the Minnesota Twins on OOTP Baseball 24 - MAJOR Changes for MLB Heading into 1962!

Vanimal46

Entry posted by Vanimal46 in Twins Historical Sim OOTP ·

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Introduction of the series here

The 1961 season was a bit of a rollercoaster for the team, finishing with a record of 79-83 and landing in 8th place in the AL. The World Series saw the Los Angeles Dodgers triumph over the Chicago White Sox in a thrilling 4-3 series victory.

In terms of transactions over the course of the 1961 season, there were none worth noting. Despite the temptation to sign young free agents like 17-year-old Sandy Alomar, the decision was made to stick with the existing roster, following a mandate from owner Clark Griffith to give the group another shot before making major changes.

The All-Star lineup featured 1B/3B Harmon Killebrew and C Earl Battey, but SP Camilo Pascual had a somewhat disappointing season compared to his previous All-Star performances. The bullpen struggled, and down in the minors, LF/RF Tony Oliva showcased impressive stats, potentially earning a spot in Minnesota next season.

Moving into the 1961-1962 offseason, notable changes were on the horizon with NL expansion and both leagues adopting the 162-game schedule. The Houston Colt .45s and New York Mets joined the league, and an expansion draft in November resulted in the loss of RP Bob Porterfield to the Mets and LF Joe Altoberry to Houston.

The managerial reins were handed over to Sam Mele, who brought in an entirely new coaching staff to mesh with the team. The offseason also saw the team acquiring RP Bill Fischer from Detroit and C Hobie Landrith from San Francisco in the free agency market.

In the Rule 5 draft, the team selected 22-year-old knuckleballer Phil Niekro and 23-year-old CF Mack Jones, while losing pitchers Gerry Arrigo and Joe Bonikowski to other teams. The Hall of Fame welcomed starting pitchers Hal Newhouser and Bob Feller in 1962.

The offseason proved to be a mix of changes and additions, setting the stage for what will hopefully be a more promising season ahead. Will this be the year that Tony Oliva makes himself a household name in MLB? I will check in next time in 1965, when MLB implements the amateur draft! In the meantime, here is a quick glance at the team heading into the 1962 season. 

1962MeettheTeam.PNG.7d2c9a97ebafa987d227519449345777.PNG

We have tough competition to win the AL, Hopefully with a revamped bullpen, a bounce back season from Pascual, and 3 solid prospects ready to contribute at Metropolitan Stadium, we surprise some people. 

1962Predictions.PNG.096146ca10a3c5ce7486ea30e54b8369.PNG

 

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USAFChief
49 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

I also found a good way to hide some Easter eggs in this series. Meet the newest owner of the Houston Colt .45's! @ashbury @USAFChief I think I did a decent job matching his personality to the real deal :D Though the Chief I know won't be demanding a top 4 farm system! 

1962Chief.PNG.d56748003751130f4483392828850fff.PNG

I like them Reese's Easter eggs. 

 

Just FYI.

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ashbury

A reasonable approximation of his age.  Hoping for the best.  You do realize that one other aspect of reality they've folded into this game is that the older the owner, the more likely they are to croak*.  Don't know if they'll let Chief get close to seeing a World Series.  BTW, what's up with a home town of Boston?

I trust that Fictional Chief will use that top-4 farm system as nature intended - to trade for major league talent!

* One thing I like to do when my meddling owner pisses me off is to go into the editor and change his age to 99, and let nature take its course.

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Vanimal46
5 minutes ago, ashbury said:

A reasonable approximation of his age.  Hoping for the best.  You do realize that one other aspect of reality they've folded into this game is that the older the owner, the more likely they are to croak*.  Don't know if they'll let Chief get close to seeing a World Series.  BTW, what's up with a home town of Boston?

I trust that Fictional Chief will use that top-4 farm system as nature intended - to trade for major league talent!

* One thing I like to do when my meddling owner pisses me off is to go into the editor and change his age to 99, and let nature take its course.

I'm going to make sure Fictional Chief remains 99 years old throughout the years. And if I do receive the breaking news that Fictional Chief has gone to the great beyond, he will be replaced with Cyborg Fictional Chief. 

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ashbury

What happened to those '61 Yankees?  No M&M Boys taking a run at Ruth's record?

"Your" Braves really blundered leaving Mack Jones available for Rule 5.  Real World Jones played for the Real World Braves in '61. 

Niekro may be a reach at his age, but a good get if he can stick, obviously. (Really sticking my neck out about a future HoFer, there.)

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Vanimal46
15 hours ago, ashbury said:

What happened to those '61 Yankees?  No M&M Boys taking a run at Ruth's record?

While I was simulating each month I was anticipating a white hot winning streak from the Yankees. It never happened, however. They finished in 6th place with an 83-79 record. Maris and Mantle were both All-Stars with less than 30 HR. Mantle won the 1961 MVP with a .303/.443/.600 slash line - 47 HR 104 RBI and 9.1 WAR. Roger Maris led MLB with 53 HR. Harmon Killebrew was duking it out for the league lead but fell behind at the end with 50 HR. 

The biggest culprit for the Yankees struggles is pitching. Whitey Ford finished with a 4.65 ERA and a 13-15 record. 

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ashbury
8 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

The biggest culprit for the Yankees struggles is pitching. Whitey Ford finished with a 4.65 ERA and a 13-15 record. 

Yeah, that tracks pretty well with reality. :)

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Vanimal46

Here's a teaser for the next blog post up to 1965... We have witnessed the first player to win the triple crown in 1962! Any guesses who it is? A hint, they play in the NL. 

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ashbury
15 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Here's a teaser for the next blog post up to 1965... We have witnessed the first player to win the triple crown in 1962! Any guesses who it is? A hint, they play in the NL. 

Frank Robinson?

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USAFChief
34 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Here's a teaser for the next blog post up to 1965... We have witnessed the first player to win the triple crown in 1962! Any guesses who it is? A hint, they play in the NL. 

Willie Mays?

 

Wait...Willie Mays Hayes?

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Vanimal46
36 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Frank Robinson?

 

18 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Willie Mays?

Chief is on the right track, but both of your guesses are incorrect. 

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ashbury
9 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

 

Chief is on the right track, but both of your guesses are incorrect. 

Then Hank Aaron would be the third logical guess - he and Willie and Frank are nearly interchangeable in terms of their odds.  After that, there are many excellent players who could have gotten hot; I'll double up my guesses and suggest Tommy Davis, after Hank.

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