Boredom and a desire to be active in making the league more interesting (though I think my blog idea gives me a free pass for awhile anyway) have led me to picking up my old habit of interviewing IBC GM's. Who better to reboot the series with than my good friend, NLC rival, and defending IBC Champion - Aaron Dorman. Enjoy the read.
So, a lot has changed since the last time I interviewed you: Five years have passed, I've left the NLC and come back, and we both have more facial hair. But more important than all of those things is the fact that we've both won IBC Championships. How did it feel to win it all?
I really can't describe it. Having been in the league since the original draft, it was really special. I'm not a guy that makes a lot of trades, so a lot of the guys had been on my team for a while. Everything just clicked for me last year. I had 3 starters that were in the top 10 in the league in ERA, I had Guillen hit over .370, I won 110 games. But I won in the playoffs with Julio Franco, Rich Aurillia and Brian Horwitz in the starting lineup and guys like Matt Kata and John Rodriguez playing major roles on the team. If we didn't play head to head, I think I'd have been a team that won between 80 and 90 games. With head to head, I was able to win 110 and the title. I was really glad I had Mike Koplove on the mound to close out the Series, cause he'd been with the team since 2002, except for the 2 months he spent with you in 06 to help you win the title.
Do you think you can repeat?
It just depends. Depends on projections, if Sowers can get a projection around 4 I think I have a shot at the division or wild card. It also depends on playing head to head. I have a couple of holes right now I've been trying to fix and haven't been able to, and if I have to go into the season with the guys I have on the roster right now, I got no problem doing that. If I'm going to repeat, it'll have to be my pitching carrying the load, because Guillen won't sim crazy again and carry the offense like he did last year, plus I don't have a true closer this year for the first time in a long time.
Since the last time we did this in 2003, we've gone from having a Commish and a Co-Commish to having the ExCo. What do you think of the change?
I love it. Decisions are fair and balanced now. We've got good guys on the ExCo and its not one person weilding unreasonable power anymore. Its the best thing to happen for the league.
Thanks to the new blogs and an unusual amount of things to talk about, this has been the most active off-season the IBC has ever had. Unfortunately, it's also featured a ton of agruments. Some say this is bad for the league because of the negativity it spreads, others say its good because activity has never been higher. What do you think?
You take the good with the bad. Blogs and all that stuff have been great for the league. All of the arguing got old. It made me not care about the league for a while, because I knew pretty much whatever was said by me, no matter what was meant by it, would lead to Bren shooting off his mouth and some more arguing. Then we got gems like it didn't matter that the Pats lost the Super Bowl because that would've just been iceing on the cake and with the arrogance of the Pats fans in this league throughout the season, that pissed everyone off even further. I know there were a couple times this winter I got so fed up with it that I mulled over leaving.
What's currently the IBC's biggest problem?
Besides that fact that JB's team is super loaded and he's an asshole that won't trade any of his players, I don't see any. Dan's blog incident last week shed light on a problem that was promptly dealt with. I can't really think of anything to be totally honest.
Okay, let's say that just for one day you are the Supreme Leader of the IBC. You get to fire one GM, and bring back a GM from the IBC's past. Who do you fire and who do you re-hire?
I guess I'd have to let go of Degan. I like him, but he's not very active, he doesn't do much with his team and he rarely responds to ims or private messages. I realize he's an original member but that shouldn't be an excuse for apathy. I'd bring back Pat Gillespie. He was a very good GM and I miss talking to him. Plus, he'd be another person to throw into the arguing over the winter.
Besides yourself, who would you like to see win it all in 2008?
Well, with me and you winning the last 2 years, all the pressure is on JP. We both talk to him a lot and we're putting all kinds of pressure on him. Fact of the matter is, if he don't win this year, he's never going to hear the end of it from either one of us. He's came close before, the sim was awful weird to him in the 03 Series when he lost Game 7 in extras. Since you already have a title, you having another one wouldn't do me no good cause I'd never hear the end of it. I guess Jake Levine or Dave, if not them then Z, since he's been on the cusp for a while now and hasn't gotten over the hump.
If JP doesn't win it this year he might as well quit. It won't be worth it for him to stick around and listen to us make fun of him. Anyway, way back in 2003 when we last did this, the IBC only had champions from the AL. Now, the last three champs have all come from the NL. Is the National League the better league?
If you look at it on paper, I think the AL might be a little bit better but it wouldn't be by much. I think if you look at it as far as head to head in game managers, the NL blows the AL away. NL managers play head to head more often and I think, playing the NL style, better understand the nuancies of the game better than guys that don't have to pull double switches and things of that nature. Everyone on your bench matters in the NL and has to have multiple purposes for being on your team. In the AL, your bench guys may never play. I just think we've got much more experienced managers in the NL and its shown the past 2 years in the playoffs. I mean, your team had no business winning the World Series and you pulled it off. My team, with all the injuries, probably shouldn't have either, but I won too, all because of my in game managing.
It seems like year in and year out the debate of "toughest division" comes down to the ALE or the NLC. Which one is it?
NL Central. Sure, the AL East may have 3 teams that might win close to 100 games. But you look at the NLC. Nate, JP, myself can all win the division or wild card. Its not out of the question for you either. Jake's a really good GM. New Shawn, though I haven't talked to him much, seems like he knows what he's doing. Plus, we do have the last 2 champion managers. And last time I checked, the AL East didn't get a team out of the first round of the playoffs last year.
What do you think of all the features Shawn has added to the site?
I think Shawn saved the league. It has become so easy to find out anything now, whereas in the past you had to dig around for most of your information. Things run so smoothly now thanks to Shawn and he deserves a lot more credit than he gets.
The trade review process has come under scrutiny yet again. What do you think of our review system? What about the "Below AA" rule?
I'm the alternate on the TRC, but I haven't got to vote in the last 6 months or so. I still think Nate raped Kelly and there's no way I wouldn't have vetoed that if I were voting on it.I think the Below AA rule is a good one. I mean you can use common sense if a guy is below AA but is putting up awesome numbers. But as much of a boner as some guys in this league get for prospects, its a good rule to have.
What is your teams biggest strength? Biggest weakness?
My biggest strength is my pitching. Lackey/Oswalt/Garland is as good as any top 3 in the league. I've got some good pitching prospects that'll be here soon and the rest of my rotation should be solid, 2 out of Petit/Sowers/Anthony Reyes/Carlos Carrasco/Suppan. My weakness is going to be my offense, and mainly whichever position Carlos Guillen isn't playing for me this year if I don't make a deal.
All right, that will wrap it up. Any final comments for the league?
I need a first basemen or a shortstop, I'm not going to be raped just because its a need.
And that's all folks. I hope you enjoyed it. I'll be looking for someone to interview next. It doesn't take long, so hopefully we'll get a few more in before Opening Day. Peace!
IBC Interview: St. Louis
Moderator: DBacks
