Vol. IV, Issue #3 - March 2016

Strat-o-matic Baseball League

Commissioner Interviews  PART VI

** "World Baseball League" – Jeff Chaput **
      (It is time to meet more commissioners from the various SOM baseball leagues that are
out there, as these leagues are a key foundation of the SOM world. We
thank Jeff for joining us and offering to share about a league that has
existed for almost 40 years—another league with history and traditions.)

(Notes from the Wolfman:  The World Baseball League, or WBL, has been around since 1977.  Currently they have two divisions, one known as the American and the other as the National. They keep their players from year to year and have an annual draft of the eligible players not owned by any team. With just 14 teams in the league, there are usually good pickings. Eligibility is based on a minimum amount of plate appearances for the positional players and innings pitched for the starters and relievers. Over half of the current owners have been involved with the WBL since the 1980s. Most of the remaining managers arrived in the 1990s, with the exception of two who came into the league in the last five years. Okay, Commissioner Chaput, all our members are now excited to hear about your WBL, tell us more.)
 

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Wolfman:  Jeff, I want to thank you for accepting my invitation to speak to us. Welcome to the Ultimate Strat Baseball Newsletter.

Jeff:  Thank you, the guys in the league think it is cool that the league is being recognized like this.

Wolfman:  Jeff, I normally ask questions first to give our members a chance to meet you and know a little bit about your background before we talk about Strat. So first, which part of the world do you live in right now and is this where you grew up?  So then, this is the area where your league meets in then, yes?

Jeff:  I live in a small town in Western Massachusetts. We are located in the Berkshires, which most people have heard of. This is where we all grew up and still live. One member went off to join the Navy in the 80s and then lived in San Diego for about 25 years, but he recently returned to the area.

Wolfman:  When you were younger, did you actually play baseball and, if so, what was your best position?

Jeff:  Yes, I played baseball when I was younger, as did every member of our league. We all played at least through Little League, with a couple through Babe Ruth, and a couple more played through high school. One member also played in college. My best position was third base, though I also pitched.

Wolfman:  Which MLB team did you root for when you were younger and are you still a fan of this team?  Are there any ball players you really followed or were your favorites?

Jeff:  I followed the Red Sox growing up, still do, as do most members of our league. Since we are located in Western Massachusetts, we are by the New York border and also list four Yankee fans among our owners. My favorite player growing up was Carl Yastrzemski, but was pretty much a fan of all the Sox players of that era, such as Rico Petrocelli, Fred Lynn, Jim Rice, and George Scott, just to name a few.

Wolfman:  How did you hear about SOM Baseball? When did you first begin to play the game?

Jeff:  I saw an ad for Strato in a magazine, don't remember which one, though I can narrow it down to Sport, Sports Illustrated, or The Sporting News. I started playing the game in 1973 with a starter set; I believe it had only six or eight teams.

Wolfman:  What is your history participating in leagues (face-to-face or computer-based)?  Have you ever played in any tournaments?

Jeff:  We started the WBL in the winter of 1977; that was face-to-face. A few of us joined a play-by-mail league in the 1980s (in addition to the WBL) but really did not enjoy it. We all lasted one season in the play-by-mail league. A few of us attended tournaments when they first started in the 80s. We went to the ones located around Boston.

(The smiling faces of the members of the WBL during their draft day on March 18th, to
see where Jeff is, he is in the 1st row to your farest right in the dark blue shirt and
his brother Matt is in the first row to your left in the green shirt with their friend Bernie
to the far left in the first throw, these three are what is left of their original members.)

Wolfman:  How did the WBL come into existence? Where did the name come from for your league and what is the name of the team you manage?  Can you describe the structure of your league and how the playoffs work?

Jeff:  We started the league in the winter of 1977. The impetus came from an article in Sport magazine about four guys who played a draft league using another game's cards. It sounded like fun; so my brother, cousin, another friend, and myself got together and decided to start our own league. Of the original four, three of us still play. My brother and cousin are still in the league with me. The other guy who replaced the original owner who dropped in 1982 is still in the league. We came up with the name based on the World Football League and World Hockey Association. We felt we were challenging MLB; so, we created the World Baseball League. My team is called the Dayton Grits and actually came from the article.

We have two divisions of seven teams (American and National), top four in each make the playoffs. It seemed like the lower seeds would knock off the higher seeds more often than not, so we devised a playoff system where 4 plays 3, the winner then plays the 2nd seed and the winner of that series plays the 1st seed in the division for the right to go to the World Series. This makes the regular season more important, plus if a lower seed does move on, they really have to earn it. 

Wolfman:  How do you create your teams? Discuss the rules of your league and how you build your team (players you keep from year to year and your draft  and trades).

Jeff:  We keep players year to year. We have limits on at bats and innings pitched for both starters and relievers. If one of your players does not qualify for the league due to not making the minimum at bats or innings, you may still keep him on your roster. Players who do no meet the minimums are not allowed to be drafted or picked up during the season. We have a trading deadline of August 1; after that point, no more trades or pickups. We hold a 12-round draft prior to the start of each season, all players who qualify for the league are eligible for the draft, if they are not already on a team.

Wolfman:  What is your life as the commissioner of WBL like?  How much time does it take? What are your duties? Do you have other officers in your league?

Jeff:  It takes about 20 minutes a day to run the league, a little more set up time prior to the start of the season. The way we do it now is similar to the Strato online game the company has (Editor’s Note: Baseball 365). After the draft, the owners fill out a manager tendency sheet; this has all the computer manager tendencies, plus lineups. I enter those into the game. Each night I play a day’s worth of games and post the box scores, stories, and recaps to our website. The guys review them the next day; they may make changes due to injuries, who they are playing, etc.

Basically in the late 1980s and early 1990s most members got married and started to have kids. All of our kids were/are involved in sports with most of us coaching. We were unable to meet face-to-face to play anymore, so the computer version saved our league. We still meet at my house for the playoffs. The games are played out on the computer, with each guy coaching his own team. The playoffs normally take us a couple of nights. My brother assists with some of the setup, as does my son, but we don't have any other official officers.

Wolfman:  Jeff, you told me you have been the champion of the WBL before.  What type of team do you like to create?  What type of team did you have in your last season?

Jeff:  My normal team is based on power—I like home runs. I try to get players at all positions that can hit homers. I had Cal Ripken his entire career, Alex Rodriguez for most of his. I also had Barry Bonds during the steroid years, when he set our league record for homers in a season—86. Bonds also has the lifetime record of 919 home runs. My team last year was kind of on its last legs: Chase Utley is getting old, as is Josh Hamilton, Matt Holliday, and Mike Napoli. Right now I am trying to rebuild with Chris Davis and Kyle Seager. I also always have a deep bullpen with a solid closer. Over the years I have had Dennis Eckersley, Troy Percival, and Joe Nathan. Currently, I have Mark Melancon and Ken Giles in my bullpen.

Wolfman:  When you have had a successful (champion/playoff-bound team) what were the keys to your success with this team (or teams)? Are there special strategies you use to build your team?  And special strategies you use when playing your games?

Jeff:  My main strategies as I stated above is that I like to create a team that can produce power from any spot in the lineup. I try to put together a good defense, stay away from 4-rated players if possible. I never seem to have quality starters so I rely heavily on my bullpen. In playing games, I tend to go to my bullpen quicker than most, also since my players usually can hit homers, they are not good at bunting or hit and run, so I tend to just swing away.

Wolfman:  We always ask those we interview if they have any tips or advice for our members that could help them with success with their game playing.

Jeff:  My main advice is not to get blinded by names or draft with your heart. We have some managers who draft on name recognition. This doesn't always work, as their cards do not always match your perception. We have an owner that is a huge Yankee fan. He likes to draft Yankees, a lot of times, higher than they should go. Amazingly, even with this strategy, he is usually in the playoff hunt each year.

Wolfman:  Have you ever tried to play in the online baseball leagues that Strat-o-Matic offers, other leagues (face-to-face or via the internet)?

Jeff:  Last year, my son and I joined the online league Strato offers and will probably do so again this year. This is the only league I currently participate in. In the 80s and 90s, we had a very successful Strato football league, but that kind of ended around the time we switched to computer baseball.

(Another Photo from the WBL Draft Day as this day is both used to help their managers
build their teams for the new season and to enjoy each other's company in a festive mood.)

Wolfman:  What do you like about the WBL? What are the members like in this league from your perspective? What is the key for the longevity of your league?  How do you organize league play—do you have a day during the week when all the members meet perhaps?

Jeff:  Most of the members in the league grew up together. We all still hang around together with our wives and families. When we are at a picnic or out on the weekend, we always end up talking Strato. Our wives have learned to live with it. The newer members were coworkers that heard us talk about the league. So in most cases we have had a connection prior to their joining the league. We also have the next generation, as both my son and my cousin's son are in the league. We did not have an owner change for almost 20 years, other than through expansion 5 years ago.

One of the owners, who had been in the league since 1984, dropped out last year after the passing of his wife. The guy who took over the team ended up winning the championship last year. We currently get together every year on draft night, then again for the playoffs. A lot of the owners show up for the playoffs even if they are not participating. During the year, we end up getting together in little groups to go to a Red Sox game, watch the Super Bowl, etc.

Wolfman:  Have you had any special experiences (certain games that stand out in your mind that you played or series you played) being a manager in the WBL that were amazing, or very unusual games, or something you are proud of. Maybe some key trade you made?

Jeff:  When we were younger and played face-to-face, we had many wild times—arguments, someone rolling a 12 to win a game, etc. Back in 1985, we had a team that was trying to clinch a playoff spot on the last day of the season. His team ended up losing as they made seven errors, with Ivan Dejesus leading the way with five.

Another famous story was in 1995, a team that had never gone to the World Series was leading in the top of the ninth. Someone in the crowd recommended to the owner at bat that he should pinch hit. So he did, ended up hitting a 3-run home run that turned out to be the game-winner. It took the losing owner months to get over that defeat (and years before he got to the World Series) and he still brings it up every time we get together.

More recently, my son's team was ahead last year by one run in the bottom of the 9th of game 7, with a chance to go to the Series on the line. My brother's team was at bat with Nelson Cruz up. As he pushed the button, he said “this is it, one of us wins or loses on this.” The crowd then roared as Cruz took the ball deep to win. As for key trades, I am most proud of getting A-Rod, using a package of draft picks and Marquis Grissom. My worst deal is when I sent Nolan Ryan to my brother when he was 34, thinking it was the end of his career.

Wolfman:  Why do you personally like playing SOM—do you try other baseball games like SOM?

Jeff:  No we have only played SOM, never tried anything else. It seems to be realistic; the players perform as they should. The neat thing is when we try to analyze how a certain player will fit in your ballpark or with your team. My ballpark favors lefties, so I try to be on the lookout for good lefty hitters. Other guys in the league have set up their parks for righties or as a pitchers park, which may change your perception of certain players.

Wolfman:  Is there anything else you would like to share with our members that I didn't ask you before that you think is important to let them know about?

Jeff:  I think the most important thing is to have fun. The way Strato is set up now, you can play so many ways, face-to-face, computer, etc. Find the way that works best for your league and stick with it. In our case, we do miss the day-to-day dice rolling, but the computer allows us to stay in the game, have fun, and the playoffs seem like old times when we all get together.

Wolfman:  So thanks Jeff for spending time with us. Good Luck in the next season of the WBL and to another exciting season of play.

Jeff:  Thank you.

Wolfman:  Finally, if a member of the newsletter wanted to contact you or had some questions for you, is this possible and, if so, what is the best way to do it? And also what is your league’s website?

Jeff:  Sure, through this email is the best way to contact me at: jeffman1313@yahoo.com 

And our league website can be found at:   http://www.wblcheshire.net

Wolfman:  All the best and thank you.

Note: -- To Read the Interview with the Champion of the WBL from this month's issue, just click on the link here:  [ WBL Champion Interview ]

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(Final Comments from the Wolfman: Again, we heard another case through Jeff, how a league has brought the members and their families together in some special ways. I believe it is always a beautiful experience when people co-create an activity that connects them more intimately.  So, if you would like to have your league featured in this section of our newsletter, please email me— whether you are the commissioner, a league officer, or just a member—and let’s talk. You can find my email address at the bottom of this page. I know there are thousands of leagues out there, and each league has its own special and unique story to tell.  What you might think is ordinary for your league might inspire a change of how another league could be played; it’s all good.  So, let’s keep ‘em coming in. Thanks, Wolfman Shapiro :-) )