Usually when we have teams available, it's for a "reason" you know? Like the guy who spends a bazillion dollars in free agency on 37-yo players, hoping to catch lightning in a bottle for 1 or 2 seasons, and then takes off leaving 3 seasons of cleanup for the next owner. We don't have that this year. Looks like we've just had several long-time HBD veterans retire completely from HBD. Their teams are in good shape, no crappy contracts or other "gotchas". Take a look below.
But first, check out what Hobbs is all about - "your team will eventually be what you want it to be - the world provides your HBD experience". Hobbs is not for everybody. If you're looking for the most loaded minor-league system or the #1 draft pick or a killer roster than someone else got too busy to manage, think twice. If you're looking for a great experience in the World that goes on season after season, read on.
Ever wonder why some worlds fill instantly (*when they have openings), some never do, and most take a long time?
Why Spend Your Valuable HBD Time In Hobbs?
Reason #1: In the old days when there were enough players to fill all HBD's worlds, there were differences among worlds, sure. But the differences were small (compared to today). It made sense to hunt around for the optimal team.
Today, when there are more available teams than HBD'ers looking for teams, the differences among worlds are bigger. Obviously, some worlds don't fill and have to merge. Some worlds take a really long time to fill. And a select few fill immediately season after season. In this environment it makes more sense to look for the optimal world than the right team (after all, your team will be what you want it to be in a few seasons...the world is the thing that provides your HBD experience).
Reason #2: You're sick of waiting 10 weeks for worlds to fill, sick of public worlds, and sick of mergers where you lose all your historical records. You want a world that's going to fill fast and start soon after rollover..year after year.
Roy Hobbs Starts Within Hours Of Rollover...how do we do that?
Reason #3: We work very hard on recruiting, we start on it very early (obviously), and we involve a lot of people in it...not just the commissioner (for example, I am not the commish of Hobbs).
Reason #4: Because
we work recruiting hard and always have HBD'ers wanting to get in, we enforce our private world rules tightly, which of course helps retain good owners (we always enforce our minimum win requirement - lost 1 this year).
Reason #5: Active blog with lots of contributors at http://www.hobbsnews.blogspot.com/.
Here's what our owners have to say about the blog:
- "Man do I think all the blog content is awesome. Thanks to all who contribute!"
- "I agree , the blog adds an element to this world that none of the other worlds I've been in have."
- "Big props on the blog. I know how time consuming it is and you're doing a really great job."
- "Agreed. A good blog makes a world and right now, this blog is by far the best."
- "Wow! Nice write-up. It's as if my thoughts were put down on paper by osmosis! .....really though...nice job analyzing the roster...you have a keen eye for talent and a great way of conveying the message on the blog. Kudos to you!"
Reason #5: Exceptional ownership group with over 100 World Series titles among us.
Reason #6: Most owners are pretty active in the world, so there's lower turnover than in many worlds.
The Available Teams
Atlanta, AL East: 95+ wins each of the last 4 seasons, but still looking for a playoff breakthrough. Excellent lineup top-to-bottom, bolstered this year by the acquisition of switch-hitting COF
Harvey Tracy. RF
Darren Walton has had his worst ML season this year, so a big bounce-back for you is a distinct possibility.
The pitching staff has been no worse than 3rd in ERA in each of the last 4 seasons. Young superstar (2.97 ERA in first 4 years)
Julio Cano is a starting pitcher who will anchor your staff for another decade. Innings-eater
George Camilli has a Cy Young in recent history and contends every year. Their # 3,4 and 5 SP's (
Hannity,
Osorio,
Izquierdo) are probably the best in either league. The pen is capable but not up to the level of the SP's.
Payroll: They have $72MM committed to 10 players next season. SP Hannity is a free agent next year, but he's the only core player who is. SP Cano is going into his 2nd arb year; there are 4-5 more arb cases coming, but none with core players.
Prospects/Draft: Even though they've traded some prospects recently, they still have a strong farm system - mostly through the IFA market as they've de-emphasized the draft. Superstar SS prospect
Octavio Javier heads the farm system, but they have 2-3 more star or everyday-player types working toward the majors as well. Their #1 will be in the 25-26 range next season.
***Atlanta has just advanced to the ALCS. They'll have to get by 4-time defending AL Champ Mexico City, but they're usually very competitive with the champs, so this could be their chance to break through.
Washington D.C. AL East: This team won 99 games 2 years ago and 87 last year, but fell on hard times this season with the long injury to superstar
Kelvim Hasegawa. While Hasegawa will be back will just a couple of points off the speed rating, he is intent on testing the free-agent market. There are some other star-caliber players on this squad: RF
Jenry Zumaya and SP
Wladimir Mercado for sure...
Santos Eovaldi as well but he's a free agent next year and is likely to hit the market (even at age 38 next season he'd likely be a solid performer if he'd re-sign).
The roster also has a handful of players who are capable of being really good, but also capable of stinking. 1B
Scott Barnes OPS'd .871 last year but is raking a putrid .690 this year. LF
Tim Young OPS'd .832 last year and is scraping bottom at .720 this year. I guess SP
J.T. Webster has been much steadier than that - his disappointing career stats are greatly affected (badly) by his having pitched in Durham for so long).
Payroll: They only have 6 players
under contract next year, for $37MM. Not a total blank slate, but about as close as you get.
Prospects/Draft: They've signed their last 2 #1 picks and also had a couple of supplemental #1's last year. They'll likely be picking in the 6-8 range next season.
The appeal of this team the low payroll number, and you get to build it how you want. You'll definitely have to score some late-free agency bargains, but that's always the source of HBD's best values.
Trenton, NL East: The future's bright for this young, star-packed team, which just finished a 93-win regular season and seems poised to advance deep into the playoffs. 2nd-year 3B
Bud Robbins really came into his own this year, hitting .325 and blasting 40 bombs. He could end up being the NL MVP, but he's got stiff competition from a slugger who notched 167 RBI. Throw in his excellent 3B defense and moderate base-stealing ability (33 this year) and you have the most electrifying young position player in Hobbs. 1B
Kory Atkins, despite his troubles with lefties, is a reliable power threat (31, 40, 48, 41 bombs his first 4 seasons).
Willie Matos came over in a mid-season deal and thrived in the #1 starter role: 9-3, 2.52 with Trenton. Overall the team's pitching was very good (3.91 ERA, 6th in the NL), but I just get the feeling they need one more A+ arm to be a real playoff threat.
Payroll: For Season 38, they have $41.5MM committed to 8 ML players. No significant free agents. Atkins and RP Will O'Brien will be in their first years of arb, but there are no other bigtime arb cases coming.
Prospects/Draft: Even though they parted with a top prospect for Matos, their farm system is still stocked thanks to good drafting and steady IFA activity. They picked up IF Fergie Schmidt at #23 this season (plus another pair of supplemental #1's) and have signed all their other recent 1's. IFA activity has brought in IF Omar Elcano, rubber-armed RP Addison Jaime, and now ML-ready OF Geronimo Posada, so there's plenty of ammo to build for the future or make trades for today. 93-win Trenton will be picking #25 (before any Type D's) in next year's draft.
About World Roy Hobbs
Roy Hobbs is a high quality-of-play HBD world without restrictions on team movement, names or stadiums (no Major-League or similar themes). We have a minimum win requirement of 55 in one season and 125 over 2 seasons. We also require competitive minor-league teams.
We do have one other Private World Rule which is unique. We have an "Individual Player Salary Cap" of $20mm bonus on the first year of a contract (any combination of salary + bonus), and a $15MM cap on subsequent years of the contract (does not apply to IFA bonuses).
What To Do
If you have an interest in talking with us about joining Roy Hobbs, sitemail blanch13 (I don't read the posts below this often).