Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Owner Interview: erffdogg

1. How did you get into whatifsports?

found it thru mlb.com and started playing SLB. as soon as HBD came out though i was hooked and i rarely play SLB anymore. i still have a team or 2 going every now and then but nothing like HBD.

2. What is your favorite thing about HBD?

all of it. being able to build a team the way you want and then watching it (hopefully) dominate. i get as much pleasure from watching my prospects develop as i do in winning in the bigs and if it takes 3 or 4 seasons to build a winner that's all part of the fun. a close 2nd would be the comraderie you develop with certain owners and competing against them season in and season out.

3. Least favorite thing about HBD?

coach hiring. nuff said.

4. How did you find out about Major Leagues?

i was the Reds owner for a couple seasons earlier but left for reasons i can't remember now. i've always liked the mlb themed worlds and when letch dropped his teams i figured it would be a good opportunity to get back in. first and foremost i am a Reds fan but i've been know to root for the mariners from time to time as they are the closest AL tam to where i live. so i thought it would be a good fit.

5. Who is erffdogg?

hmmmm.... erff is a 30 something year old scotch irish auto mechanic who is hopelessly addicted to baseball, beer and babes. i live in montana so in the summer i play amateur baseball, i fish, i camp, i golf and i drink. in the winter i just drink. if you met me you'd think i was a redneck. i have a kick ass mullet and i sometimes wear a kilt.

6. What are your favorite sports and/or sports teams?

baseball. the Reds. i'm originally from Cincy and grew up watching the reds of the 80's and 90's. i watch football but don't really have a team. the Bengals suck ass. my girlfriend is a Bears fan so i do have a team to root against at least. i like hockey but not professional hockey. i catch an amateur hockey game every now and then up here.

7. All-time favorite sports moment?

although it was just before i was born i'd have to say the 75 and 76 world series's. who doesn't like beating the red sox and yankees? in my lifetime, and i know this isn't baseball related, but i think when Dale Earnhardt won the Daytona 500. i was and still am a huge Earnhart fan. i've kinda strayed away from Nascar since he died. it's just not the same anymore.

8. What other baseball games have you previously played? (tabletop, fantasy, video, computer, i.e. anything from Strat-O-Matic to Baseball Mogul to RBI Baseball and everything in between)

not much really. i played RBI. i still play games on Playstation. i currently have the newest Show game. I still play actual baseball in a wood bat league so all fantasy and video game baseball is of secondary importance to me there. yes even HBD. i spend way less time on my teams in the summer when i'm playing ball.

9. What player, in your minor league system, has the most potential to be a star and why?

if i had to pick one i'd say Erik Thompson in AA. he's no all-star but he'll be a decent defender and an average bat. i have a few guys that have some good tools in the minors but no real stars. i do have some good young guys just starting out in the bigs though.

10. Who is your Franchise Player and/or team MVP?

don't know yet. Mike Dejean will be an excellent #1 and hopefully this year. i fear he may have been rushed but hopefully it won't hurt him too much. just traded for Harry Alonso, Taylor Mullin and Cesar Castillo on the offensive side and i could see any of them being an mvp type as far as the team goes. Alonso especially. we'll see.

11. What are your team's prospects in the short, medium and long-term?

i'm looking to win now which is why i made the trades i did. letch did a good job of building the pitching staff on this team but the offense was lacking. i'm a big offense guy so i went and got some big bats and we'll see if they can overcome Safeco. most my guys are younger so if it works i should be good for awhile. if not it'll be a rebuild as the minors are thin.

12. Who is your biggest Major Leagues rival?

looking at the names in here i don't really have a rival. i've played against several of the owners here and against some like chase39 in the same division for seasons in other worlds. i'd like to meet my old Reds team in the WS if were ever possible. i'd like to beat my old team.

13. What do you look for in a Hitter?

good splits mostly but i love guys with big power and good eye. i'm not too attached to contact and wtf is bunt? of course there are guys you look for different thing is like a leadoff hitter but i've many succesful teams without a leadoff type. big bats from top to bottom.

14. What do you look for in a Pitcher?

splits #1. then gb/fb though i've never been in a pitchers park this extreme so i don't know if i'll put as much importance on it here. control and pitches would be next. i don't mind a guy with average control if his pitches and splits are good. i rarely pay attention to velocity.

15. What is the best move you’ve ever made in Major Leagues?

hopefully the Alonso, Mullin trade but it is yet to be determined.

16. What is the worst move you’ve ever made in Major Leagues?

i'd say trading one too many pitchers away this early. i'm ok now but an injury will hurt.

17. What is your most memorable HBD moment, any world?

finally winning a WS in MLB world. i had already won 4 but that one was the sweetest. i'd had a dominant team for several years and always made the playoffs but then i turned into Bobby Cox (or MikeT) and couldn't win. finally did after 9 seasons though.

18. What is your team’s #1 strength?

before i made the trades i did it was the pitching staff. i still have 2 very good frontline guys and a decent backend of the rotation but a kinda shaky bullpen. i have yet to see how a potent offense does in a pitchers park like this but in any other stadium i'd put my offense up against anybody's i'm hoping it works. we'll see.

19. What is your team’s #1 weakness?

probably Safeco. it's a new experience for me. that and not much depth.

20. In what ways, if any, do you think Major Leagues could improve?

ask me again later. i haven't noticed anything i dislike yet and as of now i wouldn't change anything.

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