SEASON EIGHT – MLB _______: Twist w/ a Hero League (Super Skippers)

We soon will be launching Twist with a Hero (Season Eight) – Super Skippers. This will be the eighth of what I hope to be many seasons for Twist with a Hero. With Season Seven's postseason wrapping up very soon, we are ready to begin filling the open spots for our eighth season.


THE PREMISE:

I love twist leagues, but some of the teams I’d like to use aren’t ideal because they are extremely weak at one position or because they come from an era in which the WHIPs and OAVs are a little too high. Being able to select a “franchise hero” could help even things up a little. (Who wouldn’t like to see if they could improve the 1982 Cardinals by adding either Stan Musial or Bob Gibson to the roster?)

Another thing that bugs me is that the same few choices get used in virtually every single twist league. It seems like it’s hard to be competitive if you don’t select one of those oft-used, cookie-filled teams. To curb that effect, each iteration of the Twist w/ a Hero League will feature a sub-theme to significantly narrow the list of available teams to choose from. Season Eight’s sub-theme will be Super Skippers. All franchises must have been managed by a Hall of Famer (regardless if they were inducted as a manager, a player or an executive) in the selected season.


Other future possible sub-themes are listed below.

THE RULES:

1. Basic rules--

• $110 MM cap.
• Clones – No
• DH – No
• WW- No
• Trades - No
• AAA – No.
• Injuries – On.

2. Your team. Subject to restriction by the "sub-theme," you may pick any single season team from MLB history, and twist any player on their roster. (Rosters are determined by baseball-reference.com). For Season Eight, you may select two teams, but must do so in a manner that ensures that your teams will be in opposite leagues. (Ex. If you choose the 1910 Cubs as your first team, you’re going to want to select a team from much later in time for your second team to ensure that your teams will be in opposite leagues.)

NOTE: No <$300K exceptions will be allowed for Season Eight.

3. Your hero. You are allowed to select one “hero” to improve your roster. A “hero” must come from the same franchise as the team you have selected, and cannot have a salary over $9,999,999.

4. Team blacklist. Teams are exclusive each season. Teams that make the playoffs will be blacklisted for all future seasons. See below for the listed of blacklisted teams.

5. Heroes blacklist. Heroes used in one season will be blacklisted for use as heroes the following season. They will be removed from the blacklist before the season after that. (Example: If a team used 1999 Roberto Alomar as their hero in Season Seven, no team can use any version of Alomar as its Hero in Season Eight. All versions of Alomar would be available to use as a Hero again in Season Nine.) See below for the list of blacklisted players for Season Eight.

6. Stadium. Use the stadium your team actually played in during your selected season. If that stadium is not available in WIS, then use WIS Park.

7. Division alignment. Divisions will be realigned and teams will be placed in chronological order of the selected seasons.

8. Team Names. Please include your selected season and franchise in your team name.

9. Sub-Theme. Season Eight’s sub-theme will be Super Skippers. All franchises must have been managed by a Hall of Famer (regardless if they were inducted as a manager, a player or an executive) in the selected season.

I will have two teams in Season Eight. I will select my teams no earlier than 12^th and 24^th.

Blacklisted Teams

1904 New York Giants
1907 Boston Americans -- SEASON 1 CHAMPS ("Lovable Losers")
1909 Pittsburgh Pirates
1911 Chicago Cubs
1916 New York Giants
1918 Chicago Cubs
1920 Detroit Tigers
1928 Philadelphia Athletics -- SEASON 3 CHAMPS (“A.L. Juggernauts”)
1933 New York Giants
1939 New York Yankees
1942 New York Yankees
1947 Pittsburgh Pirates
1961 St. Louis Cardinals
1965 San Francisco Giants -- SEASON 4 CHAMPS ("N.L. Rivals")
1966 Los Angeles Dodgers
1967 Boston Red Sox
1969 Baltimore Orioles
1970 Chicago Cubs -- SEASON 5 CHAMPS ("That Seventies League")
1971 Baltimore Orioles
1972 Los Angeles Dodgers
1973 San Francisco Giants
1974 Boston Red Sox
1974 Los Angeles Dodgers
1975 Los Angeles Dodgers
1976 Philadelphia Phillies
1979 New York Yankees
1982 Milwaukee Brewers -- SEASON 2 CHAMPS ("World Series Losers")
1985 St. Louis Cardinals
1986 Chicago Cubs
1988 Los Angeles Dodgers – SEASON 6 CHAMPS (“October Baseball”)
1988 St. Louis Cardinals
1990 Pittsburgh Pirates
1991 Houston Astros
1992 Los Angeles Dodgers
1995 Cleveland Indians
1996 Atlanta Braves
1996 Cleveland Indians
1996 New York Yankees
1997 Baltimore Orioles
2000 Houston Astros
2000 New York Yankees - SEASON 7 CHAMPS ("Hall of Fame Ballot")
2001 Atlanta Braves
2003 New York Yankees
2004 Boston Red Sox
2004 Houston Astros
2005 New York Yankees
2006 Los Angeles Dodgers
2007 New York Yankees
2008 Los Angeles Dodgers
2008 San Diego Padres
2009 Philadelphia Phillies
2009 St. Louis Cardinals
2010 Los Angeles Dodgers
2011 Texas Rangers
2012 Los Angeles Angels
2013 Detroit Tigers

Heroes Blacklist for Season Eight:
Aaron, Hank
Adams, Babe
Alomar, Roberto
Berenguer, Juan
Brown, Mordecai
Caldwell, Ray
Clemens, Roger
Gehrig, Lou
Guerrero, Vladimir
Hahn, Noodles
Hernandez, Felix
Hershiser, Orel*
Kluber, Cory*
McGee, Willie
Ortiz, David
Sale, Chris
Scherzer, Max*
Seaver, Tom
Simmons, Al
White, Devon
Wilson, Don

*used as Hero for multiple teams in Season Seven

SEASON EIGHT – MLB _______: Twist w/ a Hero League (Super Skippers)

1. sawbuxx - 1893 Cincinnati Reds
2. zephyr1949 - 1909 Chicago Cubs
3. Jesters - 1909 Cleveland Naps
4. finn2030 - 1913 Chicago Cubs
5. tdoak - 1925 Washington Senators
6. richabbs - 1955 Cleveland Indians
7. midknight - 1958 Los Angeles Dodgers
8. mars2010 - 1961 Chicago White Sox
9. steve9955 - 1966 Boston Red Sox
10. fatboydad54 - 1967 St. Louis Cardinals
11. NebHusker 1970 Baltimore Orioles
12. blockdan1 - 1971 Oakland Athletics
13. dlchow - 1972 Oakland Athletics
14. gees51 - 1973 Oakland Athletics
15. steve9955 - 1973 New York Mets
16. ETSTim - 1975 New York Mets
17. zephyr1949 - 1977 Cincinnati Reds
18. Boddicker - 1981 New York Yankees
19. frank_drebin - 1990 Oakland Athletics
20. burningcouch - 1990 St. Louis Cardinals
21. finn2030 - 1998 Atlanta Braves
22. Chisock - 2005 St. Louis Cardinals
23. mars2010 - 2009 Los Angeles Dodgers
24. sawbuxx - 2014 Arizona Diamondbacks

sitemail list:
mars2010; sawbuxx; finn2030; ETSTim; burningcouch; Chisock; zephyr1949; frank_drebin; Jesters; blockdan1; dlchow; steve9955; Nebhusker; richabbs; gees51; midknight; fatboydad54; tdoak; Boddicker

Future Sub-Themes Include (not necessarily in the order listed):

1. World Series Winners- Eligible teams must have won World Series in the selected season.
2. World Series Losers- Eligible teams must have lost the World Series in the selected season.
3. Pennant Winners- Eligible teams must have played in the World Series in the selected season.
4. October Baseball- Eligible teams must have made it to the postseason in the selected season.
5. Early Exits- Eligible teams must have made it to the playoffs, but not the World Series, in the selected season.
6. Wildcard Teams- Eligible teams must have been a wildcard team in the selected season.
7. Wait 'Til Next Year- Eligible teams must not have qualified for postseason play.
8. 100 Game Winners- Eligible teams must have won 100 games in the selected season.
9. .500 Club- Eligible teams must have finished the season with a record of no more than two games below or above .500.
10. Lovable Losers - Owners will be limited to selecting from among the teams that lost at least 90 games in the selected season.
11. The Biggest Losers – Owners will be limited to selecting from among the teams that lost at least 100 games in the selected season.
12. National League Rivalries- 6 Cardinals and 6 Cubs teams in the NL; 6 Dodgers and 6 Giants teams in the AL.
13. AL Juggernauts vs. The World- 6 Yankees and 6 Red Sox teams in one league; 12 different American League franchises represented in the other league.
14. Original Sixteen- Choose a team/selected season from 1901-1960, a 60-year stretch in which the MLB was comprised of sixteen teams.
15. New Kids on the Block- Choose a selected season from a franchise that came into existence in 1961 or later.
16. 1960s Expansion Alums- Choose a team/selected season whose roster includes at least one person who played either for the ’61 Angels, ’61 Senators, ’62 Colt 45s or ’62 Mets.
17. 1969 Expansion Alums- Choose a team/selected season whose roster includes at least one person who played for either the ’69 Expos, ’69 Padres, ’69 Pilots or ’69 Royals.
18. 1990s Expansion Alums- Choose a team/selected season whose roster includes at least one person who played for either the ’93 Marlins, ’93 Rockies, ’98 Diamondbacks or ’98 Devil Rays.
19. Saving Nolan Ryan- Your team/selected season must feature at least one player who played with Nolan Ryan. (Example: Nolan Ryan and Ken Boyer played together on the 1966 Mets. You may select any team that features Boyer on its roster in the selected season.)
20. Iron Horse, Iron Man – 12 teams/selected seasons feature at least one player who played with Lou Gehrig (Example: Lou Gehrig and Stan Coveleski played together on the 1928 Yankees. You may select any team that features Coveleski on its roster in the selected season); 12 teams in the other league must feature at least one player who played with Cal Ripken Jr.
21. Movers & Shakers- 12 teams in one league will be made up of franchises in their final 10 years before moving to a new city (examples include 1944-’53 St. Louis Browns, 1948-’57 Brooklyn Dodgers, etc.); 12 teams in the other league will be made up of franchises in their first 10 years after a move to a new city (examples include 1954-’63 Baltimore Orioles, 1958-’67 LA Dodgers, etc.).
22. Cactus League- Choose from teams that currently play Spring Training ball in Arizona.
23. Grapefruit League- Choose from teams that currently play Spring Training ball in Florida.
24. California Dreamin’- Choose from Padres, Angels, LA Dodgers, SF Giants and Oakland A’s.
25. Big Apple- Eligible teams include Yankees, Mets, Brooklyn Dodgers and NY Giants.
26. Show Me State- Eligible teams include Cardinals, Royals, Browns & KC Athletics.
27. Founding Fathers- Eligible teams must feature a player whose last name is either Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock or Jay during the selected season.
28. Rust Belt- Eligible teams must come from “Rust Belt States” of Pennsylvania, Ohio or Michigan or feature a player named “Rusty” (ex. Rusty Staub, Rusty Kuntz, etc.) during the selected season.
29. Stanley Cup- Eligible teams must have played in an “NHL Original Six” city (Montreal, Toronto, Boston, Chicago, Detroit or New York) or feature a player with the last name of “Stanley” (ex. Bob Stanley, Mickey Stanley, etc.) or first name of “Stan” (ex. Stan Musial, Stan Javier, etc.) during the selected season.
30. Shortstops & Backstops- 12 teams must feature a Hall of Famer whose primary position was shortstop (as determined by http://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/hall-of-famers-by-position#shortstops-(24) ) in the selected season; 12 teams must feature a Hall of Famer whose primary position was catcher (as determined by http://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/hall-of-famers-by-position#catchers-(18) ).
31. Super Skippers- Eligible teams must have been managed by a Hall of Famer (whether they were inducted as a manager or player) during the selected season.
32. HOF Ballot- Roster must include at least one player who appears on the 2018 Hall of Fame Ballot (as determined by http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/hof_2018.shtml)
33. This Means WAR- 12 teams must feature rosters which include one of the Top 24 all-time career leaders among position players in Wins Above Replacement (as determined by https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/WAR_bat_career.shtml ); 12 teams must feature rosters which include one of the Top 24 all-time career leaders among pitchers in WAR (as determined by https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/WAR_pitch_career.shtml ).
34. Longball Legends vs. Leaders- 12 teams must feature rosters which include one of the Top 24 all-time career home run leaders; 12 teams must feature rosters which include one of the Top 24 active home run leaders (as determined by baseball-reference.com).
35. Hit Kings- Select from teams whose rosters include one of the Top 24 all-time career hits leaders (as determined by baseball-reference.com).
36. Stolen Base Kings- Select from teams whose rosters include one of the Top 24 all-time career stolen base leaders (as determined by baseball-reference.com).
37. Strikeout Kings- Select from teams whose rosters include one of the Top 24 all-time career strikeout leaders (as determined by baseball-reference.com).
38. Deadball Era- Choose a team from 1919 or before.
39. The 1920s- Choose a team from the 1920s.
40. The 1930s- Choose a team from the 1930s.
41. The 1940s- Choose a team from the 1940s.
42. The 1950s- Choose a team from the 1950s.
43. The 1960s- Choose a team from the 1960s.
44. The 1970s (aka “That Seventies League”) - Choose a team from the 1970s.
45. The 1980s- Choose a team from the 1980s.
46. The 1990s- Choose a team from the 1990s
47. 21^st Century- Choose a team from 2000-2017.
48. Something Old, Something New- 12 teams from the Deadball Era; 12 teams from the 2010-2017.
49. Lucky Sevens vs. Crazy Eights- 12 teams must come from selected seasons ending in 7 (1887, 1897, 1907, 1917, 1927, 1937, 1947, 1957, 1967, 1977, 1987, 1997, 2007 or 2017); 12 teams must come from selected seasons ending in 8 (1888, 1898, 1908, 1918, 1928, 1938, 1948, 1958, 1968, 1978, 1988, 1998, 2008, 2018).
50. Senior Circuit- Choose from franchises that played in the National League during the selected season.
51. Junior Circuit- Choose from franchises that played in the American League during the selected season.
52. Beasts from the East- 12 teams must feature rosters from franchises that currently play in the NL East; 12 must feature rosters from franchises that currently play in the AL East.
53. Fly Over Country- 12 teams must feature rosters from franchises that currently play in the NL Central; 12 must feature rosters from franchises that currently play in the AL Central.
54. Wild, Wild West- 12 teams must feature rosters from franchises that currently play in the NL West; 12 must feature rosters from franchises that currently play in the AL West.
55. We are open for other suggestions…

One team that may be worth a look in this format is the 1970 Baltimore Orioles (managed by Hall of Fame skipper Earl Weaver). Both the 1969 and '71 O's are already blackballed because they made the postseason in previous Twist w/ a Hero seasons... With Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar and Dave McNally anchoring the rotation, you can afford to add a franchise Hero to an offense that already boasts the big sticks of Frank Robinson, Bobby Grich and Brooks Robinson. Inserting George Sisler, Ken Williams or Cal Ripken Jr. into that lineup would almost certainly make the 1970 Orioles a playoff contender.

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I'm back with 2 teams:

Billy Herman's 1966 Red Sox w/Babe Ruth
Yogi Berra's 1973 Mets w/David Wright

Posted by steve9955 on 2/21/2018 12:30:00 PM (view original):
I'm back with 2 teams:

Billy Herman's 1966 Red Sox w/Babe Ruth
Yogi Berra's 1973 Mets w/David Wright

Welcome back! Hopefully those teams will land in different leagues with our chronological alignment.

...Also, with 12 teams now off the board, I am free to make my first selection at any time. I'm still thinking, though. Lots of good choices. Tough decision.

I spoke too soon. I know who I want. My first team is going to be the 1908 Philadelphia Athletics. My second team will be selected 24th.

Okay, that didn't last long. I reconsidered and decided to go with the other team that I was considering... the 1961 Chicago White Sox (managed by Al Lopez). Connie Mack's 1908 Athletics are back on the board. They really do look like a potential powerhouse, though. I may be featuring them among my suggested teams write-ups that I feature if/when signups slow down.

Posted by mars2010 on 2/20/2018 10:11:00 PM (view original):
One team that may be worth a look in this format is the 1970 Baltimore Orioles (managed by Hall of Fame skipper Earl Weaver). Both the 1969 and '71 O's are already blackballed because they made the postseason in previous Twist w/ a Hero seasons... With Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar and Dave McNally anchoring the rotation, you can afford to add a franchise Hero to an offense that already boasts the big sticks of Frank Robinson, Bobby Grich and Brooks Robinson. Inserting George Sisler, Ken Williams or Cal Ripken Jr. into that lineup would almost certainly make the 1970 Orioles a playoff contender.

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Okay twist my arm. :)

Give me the 70 Orioles and the HOF dirt kicker.

2nd team:

2014 Arizona Diamondbacks
Manager - Alan Trammell - he managed 3 games that season at the end of the year
Hero - Randy Johnson

Posted by NebHusker on 2/21/2018 3:51:00 PM (view original):

Posted by mars2010 on 2/20/2018 10:11:00 PM (view original):
One team that may be worth a look in this format is the 1970 Baltimore Orioles (managed by Hall of Fame skipper Earl Weaver). Both the 1969 and '71 O's are already blackballed because they made the postseason in previous Twist w/ a Hero seasons... With Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar and Dave McNally anchoring the rotation, you can afford to add a franchise Hero to an offense that already boasts the big sticks of Frank Robinson, Bobby Grich and Brooks Robinson. Inserting George Sisler, Ken Williams or Cal Ripken Jr. into that lineup would almost certainly make the 1970 Orioles a playoff contender.

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Okay twist my arm. :)

Give me the 70 Orioles and the HOF dirt kicker.

And rightfully so, my hero will be Cal Ripken Jr.

I will take 2014 dodgers managed by don mallingly my hero is Pedro Martinez pedro played for the dodgers 92-93

Posted by gees51 on 2/22/2018 12:43:00 PM (view original):
I will take 2014 dodgers managed by don mallingly my hero is Pedro Martinez pedro played for the dodgers 92-93

Actually, gees51, the 2014 Dodgers aren't eligible under this theme because Don Mattingly isn't in the Hall of Fame. The 2009 Dodgers (managed by Joe Torre) are fair game though. Maybe you might want to consider them. Of course there are plenty of Dodgers managers who have been enshrined in Cooperstown: Tommy Lasorda, Walter Alston, Wilbert Robinson, Leo Durocher, etc. Here's the whole list. Anyone with "HOF" next to their name is fair game as long as the particular season isn't on our blacklist.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, another team that I believe could contend in Twist w/ a Hero: Super Skippers is Connie Mack's 1908 Philadelphia Athletics. You'd be able to build your offense around Shoeless Joe Jackson, Home Run Baker and Eddie Collins. Adding a slugger like Jimmie Foxx a speedster like Rickey Henderson or a stud shortstop like Eddie Joost could elevate your lineup to another level! The pitching staff has several low WHIP/low ERA guys like Chief Bender, Eddie Plank and Harry Krause. If you were to add a top notch closer like Dennis Eckersley or another ace like Catfish Hunter, you could end up with the best pitching staff in the league. Either way, you'd have a formidable team in this league.

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I’ll take the 1955 Cleveland Indians managed by Al Lopez. My hero is Victor Martinez.