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Who is mpate10?
A 46 year old software engineering manager living in Jacksonville, Fla. Married with 2 'kids' (23,20) . . . I've lived most of my life in this area, although I have moved away a few times (job related) and have migrated back both times. Played three sports in high school (although I'm not sure my basketball teammates would agree) and played 4 years of college baseball. Grew up following the Braves, the Georgia Bulldogs (I was actually born in Georgia), the Dolphins (both Miami of the NFL and Jacksonville University where I went to college) and most recently have become a rabid Jaguars fan and have held season tickets since season 1.
How did you learn about whatifsports.com?
I think I saw an advertisement for it on a Web site somewhere. I've been playing it for so long now I've forgotten.
Which games of ours have you played?
Started with the baseball sim theme leagues and moved over to the dynasty leagues. HBD was actually the last game I have tried. I seem to be most addicted to the College Basketball Dynasty game. I have several teams there but this is my only HBD team.
Besides sports, what are some of your other interests and hobbies?
I spend a lot of time with my family. I'm one of those lucky guys whose whole family is addicted to sports. My wife played sports in high school, both kids played multiple sports in high school and my daughter is a college volleyball player. So I get to combine my two favorite things a lot.... being with my family and my love of sports. I also run/work out 3-4 times a week and we really enjoy watching movies (NETFLIX loves us!). I also love to read, mostly history stuff, and we try and travel as much as we can.
Which five people, past or present, sit at your dream roundtable discussion?
Jesus, George Washington, Robert E. Lee, Leonardo Da Vinci and Babe Ruth.
Who are your favorite players of all-time?
Dale Murphy and Dan Marino . . . when the Braves used to come on TBS all the time my wife used to tell me that my world would stop every time he came to bat.
Which are your favorite teams of all-time?
1972 Undefeated Dolphins team and the Herschel Walker years at Georgia . . . I also loved the 1983 Braves team that started 13-0 and won a division title. They also blew a 9-10 game lead over two weeks during the season but recovered to beat out the Dodgers. Man, I almost punched holes in the walls a few times over that summer! The JU Dolphins team of 1970 that lost to UCLA in the NCAA final is up there as well (Artis Gilmore was awesome!).
Did you play baseball or basketball (or other sports) growing up?
As mentioned above I played a lot of sports in high school and played baseball in college. It was a dream to play professionally but I wasn't drafted. I did have a few free agent opportunities but was realistic enough to know that I was fortunate to have it pay for my education and I moved on to the corporate world (in other words I needed to start making some money).
What is the top sports-related thing you want to do in life that you have not yet done?
I'd love to get to every current major league baseball park for a game. I've been to roughly half of them and I'm working on the rest. I'd like to get to a Super Bowl as well.
What would you consider your greatest WIS moment?
OK, I really don't have a lot of great WIS moments in HBD. I did win one National Championship and one Postseason Invitational Chamionship in College Basketball Dynasty.
In Hardball Dynasty, how do allocate your budget?
I really struggled with a strategy for this early on. My first season I inherited a pretty good team but an old one, so I was spending a lot of money on payroll. I've since started to spend more than my fair share on prospects and scouting. I do agree with some of the other owners that have mentioned that your straegy for this does seem to change year to year based on the current situation with your team.
How do you approach off-season events with players such as arbitration and free agency?
I try to identify good young players and lock them up for as long as possible. I don't really go after free agnets too much, although I do like to look and see what falls through the cracks at the end of the free agent period. I got Trent Jefferson that way this season.
What is your general strategy for hiring/re-hiring coaches?
I've tried several different strategies here, hiring good minor league coaches when I have good prospects, hiring better major league coaches when I have lots of young ML talent, etc. I can't say that I have ever really noticed much of a difference no matter what I do. This is my least favorite part of the game.
How do you finalize rosters at each level? What role does spring training play in your decision making?
For spring training, I usually concentrate on giving the bulk of the playing time to the guys I know I will be using during the season and the guys closest to making it to the majors. As far as the minor league rosters, I try to balance the need to migrate guys up through the minors and the need (my competitive nature) to be competitive at all levels as much as possible. However, individual development is always the top priority.
What is your basic strategy for setting your starting lineups and pitching rotation?
I like to do the same sort of things that most baseball teams do. I like to try and balance speed with power, have guys that get on base a lot, have decent defense at the most important spots, SS/CF/C. I have never been a big fan of platooning guys but that has probably hurt me in the past. I use a 5-man rotation and lately have to mix in a 6th guy occasionally since I have been sadled with a few guys with low stamina ratings.
What do you believe are the most important individual player ratings for performance?
I have been slower than most (I think) to get a handle on this but I guess I'm starting to look mostly at the R/L and power ratings for hitters. I like the R/L ratings to indicate that a guy doesn't need to be platooned (so, roughly the same). I usually look at the R/L ratings for the pitchers as well, and obviously the stamina ratings depending on what type of player I need (starter vs. reliever).
How do you approach in-season player events like the draft, international prospects, waivers and promotions/demotions?
To me, the draft is a crapshoot unless you are picking near the top. Unfortuantely I have lately, so I did get a few decent players in the last couple of seasons. I pick and choose who to bid on in the international arena and will go hard after a guy that fills a need but the spending usually gets so high that you really can't count on getting players there each year. I usually promote guys through the minors based on performance and try to be patient, although I think I've been too patient sometimes.
Do you think your strategy will be conducive to building a multi-season dynasty? Or, do you feel that your team may be great for a couple seasons, but then must rebuild?
I'm trying to build a team where I can be competitive and just have to replace a part here and there from year to year. I like this game, so I plan on being around for a while.
Do you have any favorite players from any of your HBD teams?
R.A. Johns from my current team is probably my favorite since I've had him all along and he has worked out pretty well. And I am partial to CFers.
How much time do you spend on your Hardball Dynasty teams? How much do you think is necessary to be competitive?
I usually only get to check things in the early morning and in the evenings. I spend more time on the Major League team but check the minors each day as well. I figure maybe 30 minutes a day, although I would spend more time if I had it. Based on how I have done in the last few seasons you need to spend more time than I do!
Who are the users you respect the most?
I think this is a great league with many awesome owners, and very knowledgable. I have to say I think the job that kbrick does organizing this thing makes it more enjoyable for everyone, but I do wish he would over to another division.
What is your favorite aspect of HBD?
I like the idea of being in control and making ALL the decisions involving your franchise.
What is your least favorite aspect of Hardball Dynasty? As it is still a relatively new game, if you could change three things about HBD, what would they be?
I really don't like the coach-hiring process. I think the draft settings could use some work, and I think that established players' performance can flucuate too much from year to year. Obviously, players can have bad/career years, but it seems to happen quite often.
If you were in one of our games, which sport would you play? At which position? And, what would you be rated?
If I go back to my old college days I'd be a LHP/CF (I pulled double duty). My pitching ratings would include decent control and good ratings on 3 pitches. I would be an above average defensive outfielder with good speed, mediocre R/L ratings and absolutely NO power. If I rated myself now I'd probably be a coach.
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