The first team available is the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates finished 3rd in the NLE in 1970 with a record of 84-78 and currently are 3rd in the NLE with a record of 52-57 with 53 games remaining in the 1971 season.

The $80 million salary cap has resulted in a well balanced league with only 1 team in the 11 year history having won more than 100 games and only 2 teams having won fewer than 60 game. So far in 1971 only one team is better the 57-41 and only 1 team is worse than 42-56 so 14 of the 16 teams are within 15 games of each other, with one very good team and one very bad team. 

The Pirates had only one player (C Ron Brand)  retire after the 1971 season so the amount of salary available for draft picks is only $1,377,165 plus the salaries of any players cut. It is probable that the Pirates will draft somewhere between 2nd and 7th in the 16 team league. Some players will need to be cut in order to have money available for one or 2 of the very good players available in the draft.

Following are the career average batting statistics for the Pirates 13 returning hitters for the 1972 season:

FIRST	LAST			Last		Annual										Total	Other
NAME	NAME			Year	Years	Salary	Bats	PA	HR	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	SPD	FLDG	Salary	Positions
Manny	Sanguillen	C		1979	8	$4,144,533	R	547	7	0.297	0.327	0.402	0.729	47	B/A-/A+	$33,156,264	1B, OF
Ron	Fairly	1B		1978	7	$3,315,073	L	560	14	0.266	0.361	0.407	0.768	58	B-/D-	$23,205,511	OF
George	Scott	1B		1979	8	$3,882,552	R	660	22	0.268	0.333	0.437	0.770	57	C+/C	$31,060,416	3B
Ron	Hunt	2B		1974	3	$4,182,398	R	675	4	0.274	0.309	0.348	0.657	66	B/C	$12,547,194	3B
Jim Ray	Hart	3B		1973	2	$3,107,815	R	431	18	0.280	0.346	0.474	0.820	60	C/D+	$6,215,630	OF
Syd	O'Brien	3B		1972	1	$491,560	R	93	3	0.230	0.272	0.356	0.628	64	C/C_	$491,560	2B,SS
Ron	Santo	3B		1974	3	$5,416,449	R	679	25	0.277	0.363	0.466	0.829	57	B/B+	$16,249,347	2B
Leo	Cardenas	SS		1975	4	$3,428,255	R	618	10	0.257	0.311	0.368	0.679	64	A+/C	$13,713,020	3B
Matty	Alou	OF		1974	3	$3,924,552	L	608	3	0.307	0.345	0.382	0.727	80	B/C-	$11,773,656	1B
Steve	Braun	OF		1985	14	$2,004,944	l	350	4	0.272	0.371	0.362	0.733	64	C/D+	$28,069,216	2B,3B
Willie	Davis	OF		1976	5	$4,298,539	L	655	12	0.279	0.311	0.410	0.721	91	B-A-	$21,492,695
Mickey	Stanley	OF		1978	7	$3,045,691	R	534	11	0.247	0.299	0.376	0.675	74	A/B	$21,319,837	SS
Ron	Blomberg	DH		1978	7	$1,073,204	L	130	5	0.293	0.357	0.491	0.848	52	D/D-	$7,512,428	1B,OF

And following are the pitching statistics for the Pirates 11 returning pitchers for the 1972 season:

FIRST	LAST			Last		Annual											Total
NAME	NAME			Year	Years	Salary	Throws	IP	G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	WHIP	OAV	Salary
Stan	Bahnsen	P		1981	10	$3,528,612	R	169	37	22	10	10	1	3.57	1.33	0.255	$35,286,120
Jack	Billingham	P		1980	9	$3,759,865	R	185	38	25	12	9	1	3.72	1.34	0.265	$33,838,785
Bert	Blyleven	P		1992	21	$5,586,903	R	164	30	30	13	11	0	3.32	1.16	0.232	$117,324,963
Nelson	Briles	P		1978	7	$3,233,352	R	152	32	20	9	8	2	3.45	1.27	0.263	$22,633,464
Rollie	Fingers	P		1985	14	$3,066,153	R	109	60	2	7	8	22	1.89	1.15	0.234	$42,926,142
Dave	Giusti	P		1977	6	$2,425,790	R	108	41	8	6	6	9	3.59	1.30	0.254	$14,554,740
Wayne	Granger	P		1976	5	$1,590,425	R	78	55	0	4	4	14	3.14	1.29	0.257	$7,952,125
Lindy	McDaniel	P		1975	4	$2,463,984	R	107	49	4	7	6	9	3.37	1.26	0.256	$9,855,936
Phil	Niekro	P		1987	16	$5,684,116	R	239	32	32	14	12	1	3.33	1.26	0.247	$90,945,856
Ken	Tatum	P		1972	1	$679,233	R	29	18	0	2	1	6	2.81	1.18	0.212	$679,233
Bob	Veale	P		1973	2	$4,288,837	L	173	33	23	11	9	2	3.08	1.32	0.236	$8,577,674

Among the 1972 Rookies who will be available are:

C Carlton Fisk, Bob Boone
3B Buddy Bell
OF Don Baylor, Dwight Evans, Garry Maddox, Gary Matthews, Ben Ogilvie
P   Rick Reuschel, Burt Hooton, Rich Gossage, Jim Bibby, Mike Caldwell

The Pirates will be able to get one of the above players (possibly as high as the 2nd selection) as well as one or two more good players.

Please note that in career leagues the base for yearly performance is a player's career statistics. So for a Bob Gibson, for example, his 1968 season will not be equal to his real life peak performance, but conversely he will not have any poor seasons. Ted Williams, as another example, would not have his great 1941 season but you would be able to use him in 1943-45 when he was in the service.

This does not mean a players stats will be uniform every season-he will face different pitchers, have different batters in front of and behind him etc. as well as a certain amount of randomness, but the base for his performance every season is his career stats (as calculated by WIS).

Chance to join a very well balanced stable league with excellent group of owners.

The second team available is the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox finished tied for 2nd in the ALE in 1970 with a record of 82-80 and currently are 3rd in the ALE with a record of 60-49 with 53 games remaining in the 1971 season.

The Red Sox had three players (3B Clete Boyer, P Claude Raymond and P Carl Taylor)  retire after the 1971 season so the amount of salary available for draft picks is $8,929,328 plus the salaries of any players cut. It is probable that the Pirates will draft somewhere between 10th and 15th in the 16 team league.

Following are the career average batting statistics for the Red Sox 14 returning hitters for the 1972 season:

FIRST	LAST			Last		Annual										Total	Other
NAME	NAME			Year	Years	Salary	Bats	PA	HR	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	SPD	FLDG	Salary	Positions
Bill	Freehan	C		1976	5	$4,456,856	R	630	18	0.261	0.339	0.409	0.748	43	A/A/A+	$22,284,280	1B
Jack	Hiatt	C		1972	1	$933,174	R	96	2	0.241	0.362	0.367	0.729	42	B/B+/A	$933,174	1B
John	Mayberry	1B		1982	11	$3,958,954	L	649	26	0.253	0.360	0.441	0.801	51	A-/C	$43,548,494
Joe	Pepitone	1B		1973	2	$3,216,869	L	573	23	0.258	0.302	0.433	0.735	63	B+/C	$6,433,738	OF
Mike	Andrews	2B		1973	2	$2,539,705	R	412	7	0.259	0.354	0.365	0.719	62	C+/C	$5,079,410	1B
Richie	Hebner	3B		1985	14	$3,898,499	L	596	17	0.276	0.351	0.437	0.788	58	B-/D-	$54,578,986	1B,OF
Hal	Lanier	SS		1973	2	$1,475,452	R	350	1	0.228	0.254	0.280	0.534	63	A-/B	$2,950,904	2B, 3B
Freddie	Patek	SS		1980	9	$3,059,333	R	619	4	0.243	0.310	0.322	0.632	87	B/C+	$27,533,997
Rico	Petrocelli	SS		1976	5	$4,261,276	R	644	22	0.251	0.333	0.420	0.753	59	A-/C	$21,306,380	3B
Tommie	Agee	OF		1973	2	$3,015,362	R	448	14	0.257	0.322	0.42	0.742	89	C+/A-	$6,030,724
Dusty	Baker	OF		1986	15	$4,273,141	R	641	19	0.278	0.246	0.431	0.677	74	B+/C	$64,097,115	1B
Bernie	Carbo	OF		1979	8	$2,145,709	L	294	9	0.264	0.388	0.438	0.826	63	B/D+	$17,165,672
Al	Kaline	OF		1974	3	$5,906,150	R	668	23	0.297	0.375	0.479	0.854	66	A-/B-	$17,718,450	1B
Merv	Rettenmund	OF		1979	8	$1,792,710	R	249	5	0.271	0.378	0.396	0.774	73	A_/C-	$14,341,680

And following are the career statistics for the Red Sox 8 returning pitchers:

FIRST	LAST			Last		Annual											Total
NAME	NAME			Year	Years	Salary	Throws	IP	G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	WHIP	OAV	Salary
Chuck	Dobson	P		1975	4	$3,313,458	R	158	25	24	9	9	0	3.77	1.31	0.247	$13,253,832
Woodie	Fryman	P		1982	11	$2,669,313	L	130	33	17	8	8	3	3.75	1.35	0.259	$29,362,443
Jim	Lonborg	P		1978	7	$3,674,739	R	176	30	26	11	10	0	3.84	1.31	0.254	$25,723,173
Mike	Marshall	P		1981	10	$2,252,330	R	95	49	2	7	8	13	3.05	1.28	0.247	$22,523,300
Milt	Pappas	P		1973	2	$4,141,302	R	179	29	26	12	9	0	3.43	1.23	0.252	$8,282,604
Ron	Reed	P		1984	13	$3,394,560	R	140	42	13	8	8	6	3.50	1.22	0.252	$44,129,280
Dick	Selma	P		1974	3	$2,201,054	R	98	33	9	5	6	4	3.52	1.32	0.236	$6,603,162
Don	Wilson	P		1974	3	$5,891,496	R	220	33	31	13	12	0	3.16	1.21	0.228	$17,674,488

I'll take the Pirates and get back into WIS after two years absence.

Posted by tkcronin on 10/25/2015 1:52:00 PM (view original):
I'll take the Pirates and get back into WIS after two years absence.

I will send a site mail

The Red Sox are a good team-great opportunity for someone to join the league.

I will take the Red Sox....