Re-writing MLB History: An Introduction
An introduction to my revised MLB history using Out of the Park Baseball 19.
In the 1960s, baseball as many people knew it was changing. Jewel box stadiums were vanishing across the country, teams from the East were moving West, and the established Major Leagues began expanding for the first time in the 20th century.
Changes in baseball were especially apparent late in the decade. The baseball world would be completely changed in many ways in 1969. After a year where pitchers dominated in 1968, the mound was lowered and the strike zone changed to encourage offense. A total of four teams, two each in the American and National leagues, were added. With the new teams came divisions, something that had been a part of the other major sports in North America but not baseball. No longer would the best record in each league be guaranteed a spot in the World Series.
The years following 1969 would see even more changes. A strengthening player’s union and legal action would cause the advent of free agency not long after 1969. The designated hitter rule would also come to the American League within the next decade. New teams, such as the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds and Oakland Athletics, would become some of the best teams in baseball.
The 1969 season is the perfect starting point for the MLB franchise, even though its starting a year later than the NBA and NHL replays. To what should be no one’s surprise, I will be using Out of the Park Baseball 19 for this simulation. OOTP is the crown jewel of sports historical simulation games and I’m excited to see how this replay will turn out.
As with my other dynasties, I will be taking over an expansion team to start. All four choices were intriguing. I was tempted to start with the doomed Seattle Pilots, but being a National League guy, I decided to pass on an AL expansion team. I then decided to choose to manage the San Diego Padres over the Montreal Expos. It would have been neat to try and bring a World Series to Montreal that real-life fans never got. However, the Padres haven’t had the greatest history either. I thought it would be neat to manage San Diego since I’m also the GM of their NBA franchise, the Rockets, and would like to see if I can make the Padres more successful than the mere two World Series appearances they have in real life.
As with the other simulations, I will be starting with a no players and will conduct the 1968 Expansion Draft myself for the Padres. In order to participate in the expansion draft, I will have to speed through the 1968 season in game. This historical replay will begin with a simulation of the 1968 season and I will take over the expansion Padres in the 1968–69 offseason.
