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Who is Captain10a?
Cap is a 28 year old, youth minister at St. Joseph Church. I live in New Jersey, near the car theft capital of Newark. I graduated from Montclair State University with a degree in History and Political Science. I love the Yankees, they are my first sports passion. I am also a fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Rutgers Football, and the New York Rangers.
How did you learn about whatifsports.com?
From a weekly email that I receive from a youth ministry Web site. Each week they send out a newsletter and in one of them, it had links to other interesting Web sites. I love sports, so I went to it and was hooked.
Which games of ours have you played?
Used to play Gridiron Dynasty, but didn't like that the season was so short, it flew by. I then gave HBD a try, I currently have 4 teams, which is maybe just 1 too many, but I manage well.
Besides sports, what are some of your other interests and hobbies?
I actually started reading a lot. I love books on baseball, history, and religion. I love taking a book down to the Jersey shore. Sunday BBQ's are a favorite, I enjoy cooking outside.
Which five people, past or present, sit at your dream roundtable discussion?
Saint Paul, George Washington, John Adams, Phil Rizzuto, Joe Namath
Who are your favorite players of all-time?
I loved watching Ryne Sandberg and Jeff Bagwell. Paul O'Neill was the heart and soul of the Yankee Dynasty in the late 90's, he helped make you passionate. Dan Marino it was fun to watch him throw to Clayton and Duper. Brian Leetch was always the epitome of class for the New York Rangers.
Which are your favorite teams of all-time?
The 1994 Stanley Cup championship New York Rangers. I remember every playoff game. Messier guaranteeing victory and then scoring a hat trick, Leetch, Ricther stoning Pavel Bure on a penalty shot, Graves scoring 50 goals, Matteau's wrap around to beat the Devils in 2OT. That was a great season. The 1998 Yankees were the most dominant team that I ever saw, but the 1996 team was a lot of fun and it was the first of the Yanks championships since '78, so the town was going nuts.
Did you play baseball or basketball (or other sports) growing up?
I played baseball, hockey, and football. Hockey and baseball were my favorites. I started playing Roller Hockey in high school and played in some big tounraments all over the country which was very cool. My baseball playing has turned into softball, which I actually enjoy a lot.
What is the top sports-related thing you want to do in life that you have not yet done?
I am currently in the midst of seeing every MLB stadium. I have 8 down , so I still have a ways to go. I enjoy seeing the different parks, the local beers and local foods at each stadium. I have also never rushed the field at a college game. Rutgers gave me some oppotunities, but I watched them on tv.
What would you consider your greatest WIS moment?
I am still without a championship, so my greatest moment had to be the 20 game turn around that my Cincinnati team made in Public Works from season 5 to season 6. I took over a team and built it up with homegrown players.
In Hardball Dynasty, how do allocate your budget?
I like to get as close to max on advanced scouting, medical and health. I then usually put more cash into college scouting. I try to keep players' salary around 70 to 60 Million.
How do you approach off-season events with players such as arbitration and free agency?
I don't really sign any big free agents. Their prices get out of hand quickly. I usualy use free agency for the bullpen and maybe a platoon player. I usually try to lock up a good player by the 2nd time he is in arbitrtation.
What is your general strategy for hiring/re-hiring coaches?
I try to rehire as many coaches as possible, unless they are really bad ratings wise, but most of the time I get good to pretty good coaches. I may overpay for minor league coaches if I have good prospects at that level.
How do you finalize rosters at each level? What role does spring training play in your decision making?
I hate spring training, I shuffle line-ups a lot to keep AB's and innings pitched down. I usually have my team set, but I may try out a couple Rule 5 players that I picked up.
What is your basic strategy for setting your starting lineups and pitching rotation?
I run a 5 man rotation, but have been considering going to a 4 if I can get 3 high quality pitchers. My bullpen usually has 3 LR and 4 SU. For my lineup, I usally look for guys with a good Batting Eye at the top and good splits throughout the lineup. I do platoon players, so I may have a someone with hgih vRH and another who has a high vLH.
What do you believe are the most important individual player ratings for performance?
I love guys with high batting-eye ratings. I also like high R/L ratings. And both have to be about the same. For pitchers I look for guys with a good R/L rating with both being similar and at least 2 top pitches and a 3rd good one.
How do you approach in-season player events like the draft, international prospects, waivers and promotions/demotions?
I spend a good amount of time preparing for the draft and I have done well recently especially in the rounds 2-8, I have found ML players even in the 10th round, there are a lot of good relievers if you look for them. I usuall sign one IFA but don't spend more than 5 million on them. I check the waiver wire all the time for a good replacement. I rarely demote players, but promote minor leaguers in season to keep them progressing.
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?
Once my strategy is in place, I think it will build a solid team for years to come. Even when I draft later in the first round, I still am able to come up with good players. I am just getting to a point where my young talent is hitting arbitration and free agency, so we will see how much I can retain with a resonable budget.
Do you have any favorite players from any of your HBD teams?
Theodore Green is an upcoming pitcher on my Cincinnati team in Public Works, one of my first draft picks, so I have seen him develop. He is going to be a stud. Howie Thomas has been on the team since I took over, he is the proto type player for me and my teams.
How much time do you spend on your Hardball Dynasty teams? How much do you think is necessary to be competitive?
I check in each cycle and usually late night is when I do a lot of catching up and looking in on the minor leagues. I micro manage a lot so, usually each day I check on a different team's minor league system. All in all, I spend about an hour a day. I like the way it helps me to unwind at night.
Who are the users you respect the most?
JJconcy helped me when I first came into the game. Pancho11 and the other long-time owners in Public Works. Jaymd is my AL East rival in there and he keeps me on my toes. Mfoster is a very involved owner and puts alot into the game, I like to see that kind of passion.
What is your favorite aspect of HBD?
I really like the complexity of the game. I like hobbies that make me think and this one keeps my brain going, but still distracts me from work when I need it to. I also like getting to play against others who have a passion for baseball.
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?
Coach hiring of course is annoying. A GM should be able to sign a coach for 2-3 years. It doesn't make sense when good coaches want to leave when I am going to give them good money to stay on the team they are on. I think there are too many worlds right now and that it gets frustrating waiting to fill 4 spots in a world. Not sure what to do about that though. I also would change the GM page, so that you can do a few moves at a time. It would speed things up if I could add some one to the DL and activate a player in the same move. Maybe give each player a drop down with the options in them.
If you were in one of our games, which sport would you play? At which position? And, what would you be rated?
I would be in HBD. I would be a SS or 2B with good contact, no power and decent splits. I would be good defensively, but my range would decline each year. After each game, I would need to ice my arm and have a few beers to recover for the next game.
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