WTF was I thinking!

[Reds]

So… about my brief exit. While from appearances it seemed like it was all about the trade, it was more cumulative than that. It was more about the direction of things, league apathy, and what the trade market has become. Collectively we have created the trade market that now exists. Partly because the more active members drive it, but also because those that aren’t as active don’t. Years ago we would have rather, shall I say, lively exchanges quite frequently. It tended to clear the air and was good for the league (and entertaining). Now a lot of us (including me) just sit on our hands and/or shrug and figure that’s the way it is. If this league is to flourish we must all chime in and contribute, even if just by offering opinions.

If we are unhappy with the trade market we have created let us figure out a way to change that. While the TRC was often maligned it did serve the purpose of setting values and standards for trades that the current appeals process does not. Perhaps looking at the process would help establish guidelines we as a league would prefer.

Over the last few weeks it has become apparent to me that we need to involve more members in the leadership of the league. The Exco was set-up to do just that, but we have gotten away from that by not electing new members annually as the original plan was. We should look at doing that in the coming weeks.

When I messaged J.P. the other night informing him of my decision to leave it was difficult because I enjoy the league and the people in it. Nevertheless it seemed to have run its course, and I was more frustrated by it than enjoying it. The chat with J.P. the following morning made me feel that perhaps we just need to get more folks involved. So speak up and speak out!

[Marlins]

Great post Ken, and I think I speak for us all when I say I am glad you decided to remain in the league.

I do agree with you regarding getting more people involved. I think it would be good for everyone to have more of a say, but even on the flip side of that give those now doing so much work for the league a break from time to time. Bren started this league over 20 years ago and running it burned him out to where he stepped down to just a bad GM and eventually out of the league. I dont think we want to see that happen to anyone else. Plus, I think your points about getting everyone involved is even more valid a point.

Regarding the trade market, I also think you make some good points about where the market in this league has gone. That being said, we do use the term market for a reason, its not dictated by anyone. I am not sure regulating it with some kind of trade review process is the way to go. But I do think your point of getting people more involved would also help this issue. In real world markets, when something gets out of whack, people take advantage of it. So I would argue, if people don't like how things are valued, take advantage of that fact and go after the assets you think are undervalued.

All in all, I think that the more communication and activity from as many GMs as possible will make this league all the better for it.

[Astros]

I was talking to JP about league activity yesterday and I know I'm not near as active as I used to be for a variety of reasons, but I think one thing we have to keep in mind also when measuring now against the past is the elapse of time. Most of us have grown up together, as weird as it is to think of that way. When the league started and most of us joined, we were all in high school or college. Now tack on 20 years of time and responsibilities. I'll work on being more active

[Yankees]

One thing we can do is have Exco be more representative of the league. 2 old timers, 2 newer, 1 newbie or some shit.

[Cardinals]

Regarding the trade market, I also think you make some good points about where the market in this league has gone. That being said, we do use the term market for a reason, its not dictated by anyone. I am not sure regulating it with some kind of trade review process is the way to go. But I do think your point of getting people more involved would also help this issue. In real world markets, when something gets out of whack, people take advantage of it. So I would argue, if people don't like how things are valued, take advantage of that fact and go after the assets you think are undervalued.

All in all, I think that the more communication and activity from as many GMs as possible will make this league all the better for it.

And the thing here too is it's not all that different from where the MLB has gone. We don't have salaries like MLB teams have to deal with, but when guys get to a certain age they struggle to find deals. And that age seems to get younger and younger.

It's been like this for some time. I've said to others I believe the market inefficiency has been veteran SP. I couldn't get anybody to offer a pair of top 100 prospects for Clayton Kershaw over the winter. I'd need to double check to see if I were even offered one at all. It is what it is. Not a knock on you Ken, but you wouldn't even trade Zac Gallen for Kershaw. It's the market we have and one you partake in.

What do we do to shape the market? I think it's dangerous for us to try to artificially change the market. I can't tell Ian who is within striking distance that it's in his best interest to trade all of his picks and assets to try to get somebody like Lance Lynn. But maybe he'll want to do that on his own, or maybe Nils will decide that he has a first place team and should try to win and not play for 2022.

Part of the issue is the misconception that JB and I always win. True, we've won nearly half the titles in the league between us and 60% in the last decade. But why is that? Is it because our teams are so good they can't lose, or because the road is already paved for us to get to the playoffs, there are fewer buyers and then we can go get veteran stars at lower costs because there's less of a market for them? I mean, Aaron beat me in the NLDS in 2016 with a team that had a negative run differential. Pat Bishop beat me in the NLDS in 2019 and took me to 5 games in 2020.

I'm not co-signing the idea of selling out assets as a rebuilding team to try to get to 86 WC2 spot, but the idea that I can't be beat or JB can't be beat in a short series is silly and is more or less a self-fulfilling prophecy. Personally, I hope you all continue to have that mentality. Makes it easier for me.

[Cardinals]

I was talking to JP about league activity yesterday and I know I'm not near as active as I used to be for a variety of reasons, but I think one thing we have to keep in mind also when measuring now against the past is the elapse of time. Most of us have grown up together, as weird as it is to think of that way. When the league started and most of us joined, we were all in high school or college. Now tack on 20 years of time and responsibilities. I'll work on being more active

Right, everybody gets busy at various times and the IBC takes a backseat. That's 100% ok. All GMs in the league right now are sending in profiles or updating injuries for the most part. Aaron you've actually been the worst offender with that this year and you're typically very active, shit happens.

The activity portion in my opinion is correlated to the issues with the trade market. The same half dozen to dozen teams or so are the ones adding and dropping guys and ones who develop prospects that can be dealt for veterans. I'll pick on Aaron again here because he knows he's been inactive this year, but he hasn't signed a player since 2019 (Shane Robinson!) and has created three players since 2018. Again, Aaron has had the IBC take a backseat for a few reasons which is fine. That's not a knock on him and he's not the only one in this boat. But it makes it a lot easier for me, or Jag, or Tullar or Perryman to sign players that really should be rostered and then flip them for help.

Again, it all comes down to a lack of vision or lack of belief in competition. If you don't have a clear vision for your team, you can sort of half ass it and skate by. If you don't believe you can win, you can check out for a year and try to get a top 5 pick (hi, Hamlin!) and coast by, checking in to try to sign a buzz guy here or there.

But if you're really committed to winning, you're active one way or another. Jag is going to win 30 games this year but is one of the most active guys in the league. People get busy and shit happens, but the lack of vision and/or belief in winning is what fuels a lot of this. Which is what is reflected in my previous post -- if you think you can't win or think you have a bad vision, you've already lost.

Also of immense pain to the league is the fact that we have two teams completely toiling. Angels and Jays have declining assets which make those divisions that much easier. Having no replacement for Sander has made JB and Tullar much better by default. Somebody like Pat Corbin has much less value now than he did in April.

[Brewers]

I was talking to JP about league activity yesterday and I know I'm not near as active as I used to be for a variety of reasons, but I think one thing we have to keep in mind also when measuring now against the past is the elapse of time. Most of us have grown up together, as weird as it is to think of that way. When the league started and most of us joined, we were all in high school or college. Now tack on 20 years of time and responsibilities. I'll work on being more active

This is my problem. When I started first in the BCMBL and later here, I was a single dude in grad school. Now I'm a father, husband, landlord and business owner. I'm definitely not a dude anymore. I don't pay attention or care about baseball like I used to because I can't. I've waffled on dropping out of the leagues off and on for a couple years now but I stick around for the bits and pieces of enjoyment that I get out of them. I like drafting, I like reading the box scores. I have a hard time getting MPs in. I don't have time to figure out whether I like the #14 rated prospect in the DSL or not.

Also, phones make in nice to be able to check in on the website but the downside is that I'm never in front of a laptop anymore to use the software.

[Cardinals]

I was talking to JP about league activity yesterday and I know I'm not near as active as I used to be for a variety of reasons, but I think one thing we have to keep in mind also when measuring now against the past is the elapse of time. Most of us have grown up together, as weird as it is to think of that way. When the league started and most of us joined, we were all in high school or college. Now tack on 20 years of time and responsibilities. I'll work on being more active

This is my problem. When I started first in the BCMBL and later here, I was a single dude in grad school. Now I'm a father, husband, landlord and business owner. I'm definitely not a dude anymore. I don't pay attention or care about baseball like I used to because I can't. I've waffled on dropping out of the leagues off and on for a couple years now but I stick around for the bits and pieces of enjoyment that I get out of them. I like drafting, I like reading the box scores. I have a hard time getting MPs in. I don't have time to figure out whether I like the #14 rated prospect in the DSL or not.

Also, phones make in nice to be able to check in on the website but the downside is that I'm never in front of a laptop anymore to use the software.

Yeah, and I think that's fine too. Nick doesn't have a robust farm system but finds a way to win consistently. There's multiple paths to being good, but all of them involve some base level of activity.

[Marlins]

I wonder if DMB is working on some kind of phone based version? Or at least some portal to just input a lineup from the phone.

[Mets]

Here is an excerpt of what I posted in another league where retention and recruitment are always a tough deal:

As someone who has run a DMB league since 2007, I can speak to the recruiting and activity issues.

Explaining the concept of simulation baseball, even to the most die hard baseball fans, is a complete chore and even after I explain it in detail, many still do not get how a league is run based on projections and algorithms. It seemed to be much easier back in the mid-late aughts when we could go on to advanced scouting boards such as Sickels, etc. and dealing with the hardcore nerds. Now, with everyone having internet on their phones and not in front of computers anymore combined with the ease and lack of effort needed with daily fantasy leagues, the nerd recruiting just isn't there like it used to be.

Another issue is that the members that we do have are aging into demographics that require more commitment outside of the virtual baseball world. Careers, kids, etc. and the younger (young to mid-20's) simply aren't interested. We're missing the injection of energy and excitement that wide-eyed youth with lots of disposable time brings.

With regards to the technology aspects, I actually like the board as a resource in addition to slack. The OOTP software in itself is cumbersome so I only download the file about once a week unless I have urgent transactions needed. It just takes so long to load and close for me and can be a little cumbersome to use, almost by virtue of having too many buttons and screens. I do hear they are in beta with a mobile version, but I simply do not know how that would work in a league setting that requires downloading and unzipping files, etc.

[Phillies]

Here is an excerpt of what I posted in another league where retention and recruitment are always a tough deal:

As someone who has run a DMB league since 2007, I can speak to the recruiting and activity issues.

Explaining the concept of simulation baseball, even to the most die hard baseball fans, is a complete chore and even after I explain it in detail, many still do not get how a league is run based on projections and algorithms. It seemed to be much easier back in the mid-late aughts when we could go on to advanced scouting boards such as Sickels, etc. and dealing with the hardcore nerds. Now, with everyone having internet on their phones and not in front of computers anymore combined with the ease and lack of effort needed with daily fantasy leagues, the nerd recruiting just isn't there like it used to be.

Another issue is that the members that we do have are aging into demographics that require more commitment outside of the virtual baseball world. Careers, kids, etc. and the younger (young to mid-20's) simply aren't interested. We're missing the injection of energy and excitement that wide-eyed youth with lots of disposable time brings.

With regards to the technology aspects, I actually like the board as a resource in addition to slack. The OOTP software in itself is cumbersome so I only download the file about once a week unless I have urgent transactions needed. It just takes so long to load and close for me and can be a little cumbersome to use, almost by virtue of having too many buttons and screens. I do hear they are in beta with a mobile version, but I simply do not know how that would work in a league setting that requires downloading and unzipping files, etc.

^^^THIS RIGHT HERE^^^

My friends think I am a psychopath for doing this kind of league. "No money? I have to know EVERY prospect? Simulation?!" To that I say fuck all of them, this is and always will be my favorite league.

Also, fuck a farm system. Work those waivers and find yourself your own Max Muncy!

[Giants]

I was talking to JP about league activity yesterday and I know I'm not near as active as I used to be for a variety of reasons, but I think one thing we have to keep in mind also when measuring now against the past is the elapse of time. Most of us have grown up together, as weird as it is to think of that way. When the league started and most of us joined, we were all in high school or college. Now tack on 20 years of time and responsibilities. I'll work on being more active

Right, everybody gets busy at various times and the IBC takes a backseat. That's 100% ok. All GMs in the league right now are sending in profiles or updating injuries for the most part. Aaron you've actually been the worst offender with that this year and you're typically very active, shit happens.

The activity portion in my opinion is correlated to the issues with the trade market. The same half dozen to dozen teams or so are the ones adding and dropping guys and ones who develop prospects that can be dealt for veterans. I'll pick on Aaron again here because he knows he's been inactive this year, but he hasn't signed a player since 2019 (Shane Robinson!) and has created three players since 2018. Again, Aaron has had the IBC take a backseat for a few reasons which is fine. That's not a knock on him and he's not the only one in this boat. But it makes it a lot easier for me, or Jag, or Tullar or Perryman to sign players that really should be rostered and then flip them for help.

Again, it all comes down to a lack of vision or lack of belief in competition. If you don't have a clear vision for your team, you can sort of half ass it and skate by. If you don't believe you can win, you can check out for a year and try to get a top 5 pick (hi, Hamlin!) and coast by, checking in to try to sign a buzz guy here or there.

But if you're really committed to winning, you're active one way or another. Jag is going to win 30 games this year but is one of the most active guys in the league. People get busy and shit happens, but the lack of vision and/or belief in winning is what fuels a lot of this. Which is what is reflected in my previous post -- if you think you can't win or think you have a bad vision, you've already lost.

Also of immense pain to the league is the fact that we have two teams completely toiling. Angels and Jays have declining assets which make those divisions that much easier. Having no replacement for Sander has made JB and Tullar much better by default. Somebody like Pat Corbin has much less value now than he did in April.

Since I got name checked here I'd probably better tag in (a month late, how appropriate!). First of all, I apologize for my own inactivity. As some of you know during the pandemic my professional life went really sideways, and things were even more touch and go than they usually are. Ironically, that story ended with me taking a job with Goldman Sachs in March and having exactly the opposite issue cause the same result this season. Now that I'm settling in over there I'm hoping to be more of a Jag style losing GM than what I've been. Something that hasn't been mentioned, though, is that not only have we re-oriented ourselves like crazy towards prospects, but last year with no minor league season there was also effectively a freeze on their value. I can't really tell what the value of someone like Kevin Alcantara is, I just know he's good enough to sit on and all I can do is fill my team with guys like that (#tankfortork!). Hopefully now that we're getting more data on some of these prospects that'll also start to unblock some markets. Long term I'm not sure how we fix the finding new college kids who want to play DMB sim ball, but short term stop blowing up my spot, I'm looking forward to getting Kershaw from someone for a lottery ticket prospect and a late round pick in a year or two when Luciano and Tork are anchoring my lineup!