The 16 team, long-running (over 90 seasons) Real Life Progressive League is looking for a replacement owner for the 1954 St. Louis Cardinals, and will be starting off the clock later this week, with the Cards picking around 11th. This team has most of the actual Cardinals on its team, with superb hitting (Musial, Schoendienst, Hank Bauer, Billy Goodman, in 1954 and for many years beyond. There is also a long-term, strong 3-man core of SPs, including Harvey Haddix, Murry Dickson and Don Larsen. There are 1,120 IPs set for 1954, with three starters below 4.00 ERA in a season when the real league average was 4.34.

We restarted the 3rd iteration of the Real Life League in the 1946 season, with owners getting the exact team that year, so, eight seasons later, there are a few changes to the Cardinals.

This progressive league, which has all 16 teams divided into four divisions, is like most, except that any player who started his career in a season is available to be drafted that season in the first round. In other words, for this upcoming 1954 draft, 3B Harmon Killebrew (60.3 WAR), P Frank Lary (30.3 WAR), P Billy O'Dell (22.6 WAR) and others started their careers in 1954 -- but are not WIS eligible to play until 1955 or later. These prospects (we keep a separate draft list to make it easy) join any players you have on the DL/IR until they are WIS eligible. If you select a prospect in the first round, you can pick up your 25th player in the supplemental draft round, which occurs after the normal draft is finished. The rest is pretty standard, with 8 AAA that you select from a list of pre-1946 players or whoever remains unclaimed from 1954. However, we have been around for over 90 seasons, and the rules are very detailed to prevent tanking, and to keep things close to real life, such as that no players may drop below 75% fatigue, pure relievers can't start games, players can only play their position or less capable positions (so only a SS can play SS, or he can play any other position besides C, while a 2B can't play SS or C, etc.). Plus, we have a great group of owners in this 16 team league, with lots of friendly banter and plenty of trades.

Please sitemail if interested, and for further details.

St. Louis Cardinals (Need 9 -- your call)

C: Del Rice, Joe Garagiola
1B:
2B: Billy Goodman (.303/.370/.376, and can play multiple positions), Red Schoendienst (.315/.366/.428)
3B: Vern Stephens
OF: Hank Bauer (.294/.360/.459), Jim Busby (.298 AVG), Stan Musial (.330/.428/.607, 37 HRs), Enos Slaughter (.386 OBP in a down year)

P: P Jackie Collum, Murry Dickson, Harvey Haddix (274 IP, 1.25/.249/3.57), P Don Larsen, Howie Pollett
P: Al Brazle, Frank Smith

Cut: P Joe Presko, P Al Sima, 3B Eddie Pellagrini, 2B Owen Friend (DL)
Retired: P Harry Brecheen, P Cliff Chambers, P Sheldon Jones, 3B Pete Castiglione
IR: P DIck Brodowski (1955), P Bud Byerly (1956)