Tis time...

Well people, it's been a slice. When I started BPF all them years ago (both real and simulated), my life was vastly different. I had my café, I had a girlfriend, but I also had time. More specifically, time to waste. I was able to spend hours on HBD, and this world, daily. Seven years on, my life is not at all what I thought would be in 2008. My plan of a kid free life, led to two beautiful girls I adore. Never thought I'd settle down and always rent. I now have a lovely wife and three bedroom bungalow, almost in the suburbs. Holy shit, what the fuck happened!

Anyhoodle, the upshot is, I just don't have the time to do this anymore. I'm keeping one team in another world until my purchased credits are gone. It breaks my heart to leave this deranged child of mine, especially having always fucking sucked come playoff time. I just don't have the time needed to guide this team. So thanks for the memories. Tried to do the best job I could as commish, and I apologize for the lack of blog content, but see above.

I finish with one last google image search for

"rear view girls"

NL WEST






And, finally, last AND least, we have those rapscallions and ne'er-do-wells of the NL West. Once upon a time nj's team, wherever it was for that season, was pretty much guaranteed the division, but hard times, baby, hard times. In the past several seasons, rocketcy has carried the banner. In fact since joining BPF rocketman's team has never finished under .500. Last season was close but Albuquerque still won the division and made it's way to the NLCS. And he's done it despite never really blowing me away on paper. Defense is this team's strong point, especially at shortstop. Oklahoma City is also well covered at short, but lacking elsewhere. Catching is especially a concern, but with a bat like Chico Borbon, who gives a muffin? While not incredibly deep in the field, Seattle does have things a little more shored up, overall. The Slew are also relying on hitting to carry the catching position. Man, what is with the West and poor defensive catchers? Arizona ditto, and it doesn't look like the backstops bats can make up for their defensive short comings. Otherwise Arizona looks fairly solid, glove-wise. Boy-o-boy does Seattle have some power, in one of the biggest home run suppressing parks we got. Plus the four biggest smash bats, are, ahem, weak against righties. They will destroy left handed pitching, though. OKC has the same issue, not as big in power and a little stronger against righties. Albuquerque? Same thing. Some good splits against southpaws, but won't have the same success against right handed pitching. There is some speed, though, to help gain an extra base here and there. Offensively weak against everyone is Arizona, maybe the pitching will keep them in games. Ummm...ahhhh...no, no it won't. Things aren't looking good for AZ this season. It's a toss-up between Seattle and OKC for the best pitching in the division. There's little to distinguish between the two, really. Like really little. Alby-Q has decent pitching. Not dominanting but will steal a game once in a while.



Prediction:

OKC: 85-77

Seattle: 82-80

Alby-Q: 80-82

Arizona: 69-93   No girls this time my work comp sucks. So does my home comp.

NL Continued

NL SOUTH




The South has long been the NL's, hell, BPF's division of distinction, winning the last three World Series'. One team does appear to have fallen on harder times, that being the AI led Jimmies of Jacksonville. Beyond Louie Graham in the bullpen, pitching ranges from tslightly above mediocre (Ryan Crawford) to abysmal (Esmerling Rosales, ugh). Atlanta continues to put together a tight staff of hurlers with some dominance. Jackson isn't far behind, with some very good starters and an excellent bullpen. Defending BPF champ, New Orleans looks a kinda weak against left handed batters, but is otherwise extremly solid. Wheres Atlanta's pitching remains strong, the hitting has taken several steps back. Especially losing multi-MVP fella Joel Harvey. There's really not much to get excited about. If Atlanta can win a whole bunch of 1-0, 2-1 games it should work out. Jackson looks pretty potent, though the best hitter is a pure DH, plying his trade in the NL. The Jimmies still boast an intimidating line-up that if Jacksonville can win a lot of games 8-7, 10-8 should be alright. The Chin Music don't seem as threatening at the plate as the Jackson, or the like named ville. But I thought that way the past two seasons and I have had my prediction's ass handed to me. The one thing that will help the Bullochs is the defense. It's very good, and will definitely boost the pitching's fortunes. At the other end of the spectrum, we find Jacksonville. Not very good at all in the field. If those games were televised they would be fun to watch, if you like offense, wild pitches, and errors. New Orleans is capable at getting to balls and making the play. Jackson is unremarkable, but solid.



Prediction:

Jackson: 96-66

New Orleans 88-74

Atlanta: 82-80

Jacksonville: 75-87

And now girls in short shorts:

half of the Season 29 NL preview and attractive women with a loose association to baseball

Season 29 NL Preview!




Hi, my name is Mark aka Beloved Former Commish, Previously Most Gracious and Wise. I still have authority as World Founder, and Overall Great Guy, so watch it, assholes!



It's time to bang out another tragically flawed prognostication based on what I see as your team's strengths and weaknesses. Going to borrow from nj's format and look at each division as a whole and determine who has the best fielding, offense, and pitching, as well as quirky things and best players in the division. Expect both tears of laughter and rage.



So without further ado...



NL NORTH:



In a surprising turn of events, Philadelphia scratched out the division title last season, to the apparent incredulity of indy_angels and his seemingly much more talented ABCs of Pittsburgh. We have a full on intra-state rivalry. The two best players in the division play for Pittsburgh and they are both really fine top end talent, Paco Amezaga and Vic Hoiles. In addition to those two there's a couple other fearsome bats. There's a couple prospects on the near horizon, as well, to upgrade, and in a few seasons there will be an absolute masher to compliment Hoiles and Amazega in Season 27 stud IFA Gorkys Duran. As it is the ABCs have the best line-up in the North, in a couple seasons, they may have the best in BPF. New Britain has three Dave Kingman/Mark Reynolds types, the aging and fading Wascar Rosado, the somewhat robust Vitas Fields but not much else. The Philth boast an order of deeply flawed hitters that will scare no one. And in his first season in BPF, thundercat's Dirty Pussies hope to queeff out a few hits from a manky twat of a line-up. Pittsburgh can also claim the best pitching staff in the NL North. Deep with top end talent, and more in the system, the ABCs look pretty intimidating. Livan Nunez is the absolute ace, and there several arms not far behind, quality-wise. New Britain has Stephen Watson and Jacoby Guerrero, as well as some other fine pitchers, but they can't match Pitts. Philadelphia won't dominate hitters. Douglas Reynolds is good, though. Montreal lacks a dominating 200 inning guy, but the staff is a little above the bats. Pittsburgh also has the best set of gloves of the group, how did they not win the division last year?



Prediction:

Pittsburgh 94-68

New Britain 82-80

Montreal 72-90

Philadelphia 72-90



NL EAST:



Nice to see the gentlemen (or so I assume) who make up the national league's redheaded stepchild all returned. Why not, you don't even need to win half your games to make the playoffs. Take that! Norfolk was busy in the off-season and appears to have made improvements overall, though may regret trading away Pat Penny. Made several deals and signed a bunch of FAs, this team should finish above

.500. Except behind the plate, where the bat carries the load, the Tides have astounding defense, provided the SS, Johnson doesn't get hurt. Florida has some huge holes in the field and I don't mean the turf. The Boston Brewers have better glove men than Florida, but nobody really dominant. Colombus will also kick the ball around just a little less than the Sunshine State franchise. What the Crusaders of Columbus do boast is the division's best player in Gordon Maranville, who just hit the 15 day DL.

Maranville anchors a fairly dangerous looking batting line-up with some biggish bats that will use the long ball to do mass damage. Ben Grey should score a ton of runs at the top of the order. Norfolk's order would have been a lot more threatening with the aforementioned Penny. After defying my expectations for a couple of seasons, what I thought was reality finally caught up with the Brewers last season. Not sure this team has the group of hitters to carry it to the NLCS as it had in the two previous seasons to last. The 66ers line-up is complimentary to it's fielding. As does it's pitching.

While not blessed with great command overall, the Crusaders do have a staff of effective hurlers including former Cy guy Pascual Castilla. Not sure Norfolk currently has enough innings amongst it's pitchers, in fact, it doesn't. But what it does have is pretty freakin' good. Even it's most suspect pitcher, mr. Cooper Lincoln has a Nolan Ryanish walk rate with a Nolan Ryanish OAV. They just need more innings, maybe there's help on the way. Boston, on the other hand, is in trouble with it's pitching staff. This division will come down to Norfolk's pitching and fielding against Columbus' hitting and pitching. See below for who I think will win out.



Prediction:

Columbus 86-76

Norfolk: 84-78

Boston 70-92

Florida: 56-106  

And now the girls...

  

Charlotte

*Breaking News*

April 16th, 2015
Halifax, Nova Scotia

Today, Ballpark Franks Beloved Commish, Most Gracious and Wise, held a press conference to announce the institution of a Minimum Win Rule. To a room packed full of reporters, the devilishly handsome, camden68 announced that beginning next season the one season minimum win threshhold is 55 wins, with a multi season, progressive MWR of 55/120/195/270. The aim, he stated, was to create a more competitive world, where long spells of team suckageness, over many seasons will no longer be tolerated. another goal is to use the rule as an attractant to potential future owners at rollover. The Beloved Commish, Most Gracious and Wise, made it clear that, while no fan of rules, the situations where a team just loses and loses and loses and actually gets from horrid to fucking atrocious over an extended period is detrimental to the stability of the world. When asked if there will be a maximum win total, camden68 clearly asserted, in a commanding tone that there will not be, even though many HBDers seemingly disavow the D part of HBD and claim that hugely successful teams are a sophistacted society's greatest evil, and that just like crappy teams, they must be eliminated. Teams are protected this season from the one season MWR, but will be subject to the progressive total for next season. So if your team is on pace for 45-55 wins, better start planning for next season because you will need to improve on that record significantly. Asked if this will impact the 60/40 rule the Greatness that is He, said no, the 60/40 rule stands as is, because it works extremely well. When pressed, His Fantasticality acknowledged that in the current recruiting climate of HBD, banishing owners will create longer wait times for BPF at rollover, due to potentially increased openings, and that this is a serious concern. He iterated that banishment will be automatic for any new owner, or owner with less than three seasons. More established owners will receive a warning if they are with 5 wins from the minimum, or have extenuating circumstances like a devastating in jury, or collective, inexplicable underperformances. Bit his Graciousness does have limts of what's tolerable and there are some pointed cases (or just case) currently in BPF that need to be avoided going forward.
The Commish then launched into a medley of Norwegian death Metal songs, bit the head of a dik-dik, urinated on the podium and recieved enthusiastic fellatio from a bevy of nubile college girls, dropping the mic afterwards, and abruptly departing, shouting "you have been served, fuckers!"

by Buck Cub, sports reporter 

Introducing Charlotte McKinney

So...Minimum win requirement. 14 of you voted and 13 of you said yes, which  leads us to another question. What sort of MWR, a hard single season basement, or a multi-season progressive, or, hey, a combo of both? In this current recruiting atmosphere of HBD, it seems somewhat self-defeating to be booting owners, and then having to wait to fill the spots. On the other hand, extensive, season after season, ardent 100+ loss seasons starts looking bad. Especially to HBD veterans looking for worlds to join.Now, I'm not one who is dead set against rebuilding, and I don't think taking a couple seasons to retool is an afront to my humanity. But there is tanking, it does exist, and even in my worst seasons I always looked to field the best team I can, and if it meant sacrificing some propspect budget, or later draft picks, I would do it. I also don't understand why many veteran HBD, and frequent forum posters, look down on 100 win teams or multiple title winnings franchises, it is call Hardball Dynasty after all. Is a perfect HBD world one where all 32 teams finsih 81-81? Boring. But I digress. So on to the next question....over there<----->
And now girls in grey bikinis and stuff: