Schmidt has filled for season 27. We would be happy to hear from you if you would like to
join us for season 28.
We invite you to join the
Schmidt Family for Season 27. After all, a man who doesn't join
Schmidt isn't really a man at all...
Schmidt is a world of tradition. A world of quality.
We believe in
America. We believe in opportunity. We believe in simulated baseball.
Schmidt has opportunities for entry and advancement in our storied organization: open franchises that needs your quality
leadership,
R-E-S-P-E-C-T,
vision,
ambition,
good humor,
sobriety (optional),
wisdom,
fealty,
love, and
stick-to-it-iveness.
We're not so heavy-handed as to say this is "an offer you can't refuse," but a smart consiglieri would counsel you it's in your best interests to accept.
AVAILABLE FRANCHISES
1. AL East: former Pittsburg Pirates franchise
"Thank you for inviting me on the occasion of your [simulated baseball league rollover]."
Ah, lovable, loyal, brutal Luca. No doubt, he was an imposing presence. But it's a thin line between being the deadliest guy in the Family and... well,
see above photo.
So what happened? You might not believe the run of success this franchise enjoyed until recently:
7 consecutive AL titles, a 3-peat of World Series championships. But this is a
tough division, and two neighboring franchises built winning squads too. All 3 teams finished this past season with win% over .600.
It wasn't exactly an ambush, and Luca hardly sleeps with the fishes... but Luca is no longer the most feared man in the organization.
This is a very strong team. Look no further than the
starting pitching rotation, which features 3 Cy Young winners/contenders:
Clarence Boyle
Alan Valentine
Dwight Walker
By the way, has anyone noticed the distubing similarity between the fictional Luca Brasi and a present day
prominent New Jersey figure? New Jersey politics... some things will never change.
2. NL East: former Rochester Purple Aces franchise
"I'm smaaaart! I can handle things."
And how's that working out right now, Fredo? (Very nice butterfly collar, sir.
Classic look.) Actually, this franchise hasn't taken missteps or anything. It was a long-term rebuild when taken over by prior GM glmarcum, and to be clear,
Schmidt is a competitive family. It can take several seasons to advance in the organizational ranks.
So this franchise is mid-rebuild, and there is a core of good young talent to start with:
Julio Martinez
Virgil Tovar
Wilt Brocail
Fausto Quentin
Stefen Brito
Payroll is well-controlled and offers lots of roster flexibility as you take over. Plus you can expect the 6
th draft pick in the next amateur draft.
Also worth considering, the
NL East is a
transitional division. Minnesota is the perennial division winner, but many of those division titles were won with records hovering around the .500 mark, or dipping below. Good GMs, good competition, but the NL East is all teams reloading and rebranding, so this is a
fun and opportune place to be with a rebuild franchise.
3. AL South: former Memphis Rebels franchise
"I believe in America. America has made my fortune."
Bonasera is a good guy, right? Successful legitimate businessman (in the literal sense) who plays it within the lines. Doesn't want to get into trouble. Well, that's not always how to succeed in this game. Maybe it's time to embrace a new alter ego: Bonasera,
The Undertaker. Yeah, that sounds badass enough.
This franchise has had a lot of success: 10 playoff appearances in the last 11 seasons. And has it ever won an AL title? Not yet. That's hard to stomach. That's a lot of playoff series coming up just short. That's a lot of pent up frustration. Just look at that face. Take a good look.
So... what are you going to do about it?
Like we said, Bonasera is a successful (legitimate) businessman, and this team has a strong roster assembled with attractive contracts:
Morgan Sadowski
Octavio Wilfredo
Al Johnson
Dean Coleridge
Prospects are ready to mobilize too:
Ismael Olmedo
Mayckol Pacheco
Also, you can count on either the
4th or
5th pick in the upcoming amateur draft, re-loading right away.
Immediate divisional opportunity here: last season's divisional champ won just
73 games. That is not a typo! Really. And this squad has quality talent, just needs some inspiration and courage to help push it to the next level. So, are you ready to
kiss the ring? C'mon, what's there to be afraid of? This is America, right?
A little bit about Schmidt...
Of all HBD worlds,
Schmidt might have the
deepest roster of skilled owners who have won 1 or several world series titles. This is a very good world for swapping strategies, polishing skills and testing your stuff against quality competition.
With skilled owners nurturing franchises for long periods, it's not surprising that
Schmidt has several excellent dynasties. Still, there is good competitive parity in the world overall. For example,
eight different franchises have won a World Series title in the last 15 seasons.
Inexperienced owners are welcome. Our veteran owners have historically been very generous with advice and coaching, but we also recommend new owners refrain from trades for the first season as they learn the ropes.
We have a
minimum win requirement (MWR) to
discourage tanking. Fall below the threshold (120 wins over 2 seasons) and a 5-member committee reviews the case and recommends either dismissal or probation. That 120 win threshold for 2 seasons is generally pretty easy to meet, even if you're trying to exit a few veteran contracts and pursue prospects.
Highest priorities are
good humor and
minimal drama.
Select a franchise,
kiss the ring, and get ready to enjoy simulated baseball in (arguably) the most
collegial, fun, and talented community of owners in Hardball.
We look forward to hearing from you! You may
post below or
sitemail the commish (me).