Vol. IV, Issue #4 - May 2016

Strat-o-matic Baseball League

Commissioner Interviews  PART VII

** "Eric Gregg Memorial League" – Vinny Mancini **
      (It is time to meet another commissioner from the various SOM baseball leagues
that are out there, as these leagues are a key foundation of the SOM world. We
thank Vinny for joining us and offering to share about a league that has been
around for 15 years or so — this is the first report of what is called a Retro League)

(Notes from the Wolfman:  The Eric Gregg Memorial League (EGML) is a retro league of which this means is that they have started playing with Major Leage Baseball Seasons in the past, and then keep the players from year to year in this way. The advantage of course of being in a retro league is that you know how your players will perform in future seasons. I found Vinny via the special service offered by Strat Draft, where leagues can announce the openings they have and this goes out to a mailing list. I actually found Vinny looking for help for another league that there was opening for, but then when he told me about the EGML and I asked if I could speak to him about this retro league.  So, let's listen in ....)
 

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Wolfman:  I would like to welcome to our newsletter Vinny Mancini, the commissioner of the Eric Gregg Memorial League (EGML) a retro strat-o-matic baseball league which started with the 1951 season and is now in their 1959 season. Their league is all computer based as they use CMs to manage their games.

Vinny, thanks for spending time with us here at the Ultimate Strat Baseball Newsletter.

Vinny, I normally ask some personal 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? Is this the area where your league meets in then?

Vinny:  Hi Wolfman, thanks for having our league featured in USBN.  I actually was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY.  I lived there until I was 37 and then we moved out to New Jersey.  I've been here now for 17 years (I can't believe how fast time has flown by).  The EGML doesn't meet in person for our yearly draft as the other league I am in does where I actually host it every other year.  The EGML actually drafts through a website run by Nick Flory.

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

Vinny:  Ahh, memories.  Yes, I did play a lot of baseball and softball as well.  In baseball I was a catcher despite my small size.  When I got a break from catching, my manager would put me at shortstop but I loved catching.

Wolfman:  What about 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?

Vinny:  Growing up I was a Yankees fan but that didn't take precedent over rooting for my all time favorite player...Johnny Bench.  Bench had such an impact on my playing both SOM and real life ball.

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

Vinny:  LOL!!  I have to laugh when people ask me this question because it seems like ages ago.  My oldest brother taught me to play in 1968.  I'll never forget playing with him and my other brother.  He had three original sets which were 1965, 1966 and 1967.  I can still see Yaz's card and for some reason Joe Foy's card sticks out in my head too (crazy, right?).  A SOM monster was created back then and we enjoyed many days and nights playing.  Obviously I'm still at it but my brothers aren't.

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

Vinny:  Well, when I was about 14 years old, my brother drove us out to a face to face football tournament.  I'll never forget it because we had to travel to NJ and when we got there we met one of the nicest guys I can ever remember in all my years playing.  Tom Swank (Editor's Note: another story of how Mr. Swank changed a person life with Strat...) was his name and he left a lasting impression on me that I will never ever forget. Get this Wolfman.  Tom and my brother had the opening game of the tournament at Tom's house. After they both were set up, Tom said "ready" but my brother noticed he had no play calling card in front of him.  Not wanting to ask, my brother just guessed "run".  Tom replied that my brother guessed right and proceeded to roll the dice.  They played the whole game like that.  Talk about trust and honesty!!  That stuck with me till this very day.

We had gone to another tournament soon after. Funny thing, I was only 14 and lost in the finals (I had the 68 Jets) at Tom Swank's house and won the tournament afterwards (with the 58 Colts.  I remember Larry King was the coordinator for the second tournament but I can't recall who's home it was at.

As far as face to face leagues go, I've played in several but the last one ended in 1988.  It just became harder and harder for everyone to meet up on a regular basis.  That's where the PC (computer) game came in very handy.  I've been playing in or running leagues since probably the first or second Windows version was released.  

Wolfman:  How did the EGML come into existence? Where did the name come from for your league?

Vinny:  The EGML actually started back in 2000 or so.  We started with the 1975 season and called the league "That 70's League".  During one of those seasons, Eric Gregg had passed away and I knew one of our members was good friends with him.  So I asked the guys if it would be ok to change the league name and it ended up being approved. I just thought it would be a nice way to honor a really good guy and umpires don't normally get much respect LOL!  Anyway, when we reached the 1981 season, some guys were just flat out missing deadlines and stuff that can just kill a league and it died out as far as moving further into the 80's.  A dear friend of mine (Stu Blake) who actually started me in retro baseball, said we should go back in time with the guys who were solid owners.  So we asked them and took a poll on what season to start with and 1951 was the winner.  So we took the EGML and went back into the 50's.  We are currently playing the 1959 season and have an outstanding bunch of guys.  I just miss Stu every day.

Wolfman:  What is the name of the team you manage?

Vinny:  My team is the Brooklyn 59ers.  Brooklyn for where I was born and raised as I mentioned previously, and 59ers was the street I hung out on (59th) as I ended up marrying a girl who lived there and who is my whole world to this day.

Wolfman:  Can you describe the structure of your league and how the playoffs work? Why did you decide to start with the 1951 season?

Vinny:  Our league has 14 teams drafting from 16 actual MLB teams, so the rosters aren't loaded with superstars (that's something I just don't enjoy in league play).  We have two seven team division and the division winners get a first round bye with the four best records comprising our "wild cards".   

I think the guys wanted to go with 1951 for a couple of reasons.  I don't know for sure but I'm assuming we avoided the temptation to tank for a chance to get Mantle or Mays LOL. The other reason may have been that most of our guys didn't want to go back to the 40's. I'm a big baseball history guy, so it didn't matter to me if they wanted to go back to 1900. Matter of fact I started a league with the 1901 season just recently!! 

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

Vinny:  Like the majority of leagues, we hold an annual draft.  We cut down to 16 players and hold a 14 round draft.  We limit the player pool to batters with 40 at bats or more and pitchers with 20 innings or more.  The draft is always a lot of fun and despite retro leagues knowing the future of the players we are drafting, we have a good amount of trading that goes on.  Building a team is different for each individual owner.  Some will target a specific year and try and draft players that all had good seasons for that particular year, while others hate to not be in contention and will trade away good future players to keep on trying to contend. I've tried both and still haven't won an EGML Championship.

We also have usage rules that you see in other leagues.  One of the main ones is the Use Him or Lose Him rule which forces an owner to use a player a certain percentage of his real life numbers or lose him at the end of the season.  Its a pretty common rule but some guys hate it.  Most of us feel it makes managing a roster more of a challenge and in a league where you already know the players career, its nice to have an added challenge.

We also hold a lottery among the teams that didn't make the playoffs.  It definitely makes for some nervous times when I announce its going to be run LOL!

Wolfman:  In your opinion, is there any difference between a continuation league using the latest card set and keeping a team's players from year to year and to do the same in a retro league? Do you still have to be aware of the age of the MLB players as you go from season to season? Does it help to know ahead how each player will perform?

Vinny:  Oh for sure!  The biggest thing as i mentioned before is we already know how the players careers have turned out.  That in itself changes everything.  You know if you have no worries about a specific player being injured, this can lay out your draft plan much, much easier.  That said though, everyone else in the league has the same advantage, so there are no surprise picks so to speak.  When an owner gets in the top three or four of the draft, he knows he'll be getting a stud player who's career has been laid out already.  I think the most important thing an owner needs to know is what the players cards look like (especially in regards to defensive ratings go).  We know that SOM isn't always consistent with defensive ratings, so you want to know what's going to be coming.  

Wolfman:  What are the differences when you are in a retro league?

Vinny:  Aside from what I just mentioned, I think its the fun of playing with players from our youth and even those we never saw but have read or heard so much about.

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

Vinny:  UGH!  You had to ask huh?  LOL...seriously just kidding here.  Running a league, any league, can be tough, but the EGML has a great, great group of guys.  Every league will have one or two owners send in their game files at the last minute but I've come to understand that its the deadline and as long as they get them in on time, they're not hurting anyone.  As far as time, I would say it takes me a few hours a week during the season but a lot more when preparing the league for the draft.  Still it's a labor of love and something I can't picture me not doing despite at times having personal things to deal with. Most commissioners will say its a thankless job but in all honesty, I receive a lot of emails saying how much fun the owners are having.  That makes it worth the time all on its own. As far as other league officers go, I have one who backs me up on all files in case of any problems and another who we refer to as the Czar of Discipline who hands out the draft penalties for any over usage.

Wolfman:  Vinny you told me you have never been the champion of the EGML before but that you did make it to the world series one time and blew it - what happened that year? What type of team do you like to create? What type of team did you have in your last season?

Vinny:  I was afraid you were going to bring this up (too)!!  Like I mentioned earlier, we are in the 1959 season now and my team is doing ok (2nd place at the midway point) but 1957 was a real heart break.  I've now lost two championships in a row. 1957 and 1958 despite having the leagues best record both times.  1957 was a disaster though. My team was leading three games to none when everything just fell apart.  Not only did I have a commanding lead but I had Lew Burdette, Jim Bunning, and Jack Harshman to win at least one game and get my first title.  In the end we seemed to leave guys on base, give up too many low split hits and commit too many untimely errors.  It was crazy sitting there and watching this happen but it did and I put it behind me...I think LOL.  The loss in 1958 wasn't as dramatic but I did expect to win.  Ted Williams took any chance I had of winning when he belted a game winning HR in the eleventh inning.  Oh the pains of SOM and baseball in general huh?

One thing I do like to think of when losing in big games is that the guy who runs the league doesn't always win, or in my case, NEVER wins.  

Wolfman:  How is the relationship of your members amongst each other? Is there one member who dominates the league and consistently wins championships -- or is it happening over various members?

Vinny:  The relationships in the league are pretty solid.  I mean there are a couple of guys who I've known for many years now. We are like family pretty much.  There's two guys who have actually hooked up and gone to a college football game together and seem to be very good friends.  Two others know each other for over 30 years.  So all in all we have a very close group.

As far as titles go?  Ahh, Glen Macnow is the only multiple winner.  He's won a total of three titles.  We have had a team win twice but under different managers.  

Our winner last season is Brian Beasley and if you have to lose to a guy, there aren't many better to lose to.  He's one of the nicer guys you can come to know.  I really think my league is filled with these type of guys.

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

Vinny:  Hmm, I think its the same as any other league.  Good hitting and solid pitching. I'm one who tries to target a certain season or seasons but as you've heard so far, nothing has worked LOL!  Startegy in my opinion depends a lot of the era you're playing.  Its hard to run, run, run when you play in the 50's but in the 80's you can have jack rabbits and steal all you can.  So I'm not big on worrying about strategy.  I'm an On Base/Power type of manager who loves great pitching.

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?

Well, again, I think it depends on a few things.  First and foremost is what type of team do you own and does it fit well in the era you're playing in.  From there, I think an owner has so many choices its hard to list.

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

Vinny:  I do play in other leagues (both current and retro) but I've never played in any of the online stuff that SOM offers.  I've been tempted lately though but it seems the older I'm getting, the less time I have.

Wolfman:  What do you like about the EGML? What is the key for the longevity of your league.?

Vinny:  Wow, what do I like?  I'd have to say that the best thing is the guys in the league. After that, the best thing I can say is that I've seen more big games lost at home (vs the CM) than in any other league I've played in.  The same can be said about my retro hockey league.  I think this says a lot about the integrity of the owners and that is huge for me.  As for longevity.  I think its the love of retro baseball and the camaraderie that keeps guys around but also the fact that we keep things moving along so nobody can lose interest.  We don't wait long before we head to the next draft.  That gives the lesser teams hope to contend soon enough.  That's kind of helpful in my opinion.  We play for fun but nobody wants to lose all the time.  We're all sports fans, so we're naturally competitive I think.

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 EGML that were amazing or very unusual games, or something you are proud of. Maybe some key trade you made ...

Vinny:  Uh, did you forget already my sharing before how I choked away the 1957 Championship? LOL!!  Hard to forget something like that.  If I had to pick out a real cool moment?  I'd have to say it was winning the 1956 lottery and getting the chance to draft Frank Robinson.  He's been fantastic for me and whether I win a title or not, its fun to have your favorite players on your team and Robby is one of them.

Wolfman:  Finally 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?

Vinny:  Well in regards to league play, I'd have to say this.  Meet your leagues deadlines, answer emails in a timely manner, and get to know the other owners because you never know what type of friendship can come from it.

Wolfman:  So thanks Vinny for spending time with us. Good Luck in the next season of the EGML along with another exciting season of play

Vinny:  Thank you so much for having me Wolfman.  Its been a pleasure and I appreciate the exposure for our league.

Wolfman:  And 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?

Vinny:  I'd be happy to help out and can be reached at vinny_mancini@hotmail.com

Wolfman:  Can we share your league website?

Vinny:  Sure you can.  We'd love for others to follow along:
http://flory.net/egml/index.phpc

Wolfman:  All the best and thank you - Wolfman

Vinny:  Thank you again my friend and keep up the great work
 

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(Final Comments from the Wolfman: Once again, we hear about how important it is to have a solid group of members who like each and share in the enjoyment of the play for a league.  Plus, that there is different champions and people have a chance to work on building good teams for the future, must keep the league interesting for all the members.  So, we plan to continue to interview more leagues, who knows you might be next? :--)  Thanks, Wolfman Shapiro :-) )