1986, Redux

Back in August, I (along with one of my blogging partners at Ladies…, J-Money) accepted an invitation from The Sporting News to participate in a special project the magazine was putting together: a Strat-O-Matic recreation of the 1986 baseball season, with various sports bloggers managing each of the MLB teams. Basically, the two of us would be given a team to manage throughout the 1986 season- day-by-day, game-by-game, with the players from the 1986 roster, to trade or bench as we chose — and we’d be going head-to-head against other sports blogger folks.

At the time, we didn’t know what team we would be assigned to manage, or who would be managing the other teams — but with the prospect of a long and empty offseason stretching out over the winter, we jumped at the chance to participate. Hey- it’s The Sporting News! You don’t say no to The Sporting News. My co-manager J-Money is also a huge Sox fan, and we tend to have similar baseball philosophies, so we were quite thrilled to step back in time and take the reins of a major league ballclub.

It would also give me great joy to rewrite the history books for that particular year, because 1986 was the year of my first sports heartbreak… twice over. I was just a kid, but I can recall clear as day sitting cross-legged on the floor inches away from the TV in my parents’ house in Houston watching the Mets dismantle the hometown Astros for the NL pennant (I cried!), and then watching the same hated Mets roll on to devour the Red Sox. 1986 is regarded as one of the best years in baseball, but it’s always been the year that broke my heart. So I’m happy to wipe the slate clean and get a do-over.

We found out about a month ago that we’d be managing the Blue Jays. Which is great because (1) the Jays had a very solid team in 1986, one that could definitely compete for the division (remember, this was back when there were only four divisions, and the Tigers, Indians and Brewers (!) were all in the AL East), and (2) the Jays are also a current divisional opponent of the Sox, which adds a nice little twist- we’re switching roles, and gunning to take down the Red Sox. Barfield, Bell, Whitt, Fernandez, Henke, Clancy, Key, Steib, Eichhorn- yep, this is going to be fun.

If nothing else, our team knows how to rock a mustache. FEAR THE STACHE.

his name is RANCE MULLINIKS… we win

Imagine my (pleasant) surprise when we were introduced to the other managers involved in the project– and discovered that not only were we the only females involved, but that there were some real heavy-hitters participating. Including… Will Leitch, Doug Glanville, Dan Shanoff and Curt Schilling. So we’re managing the ‘86 Blue Jays, and we’re competing against Curt Schilling’s ‘86 Red Sox. I’m thinking he might know just a tad about the game and how to manage a roster. Just a tad.

My current plan is going to be to bombard Mr. Schilling and the other opponents in our division with a deluge of silly and/or ludicrous trade requests. You know, the old “bury them in a mountain of paperwork” trick. Except instead of paper, they’ll be buried in emails. For example: “Hey, Curt- I will trade you Rance Mulliniks for Roger Clemens.” With a plan this genius, it is only a matter of time before my fellow AL East managers crumble under the pressure- and then it will be JAYS TIME, BABY.

Opening Day was yesterday- but our Jays had a day off, so our first game is today, against the Rangers. I’ve got my retro ‘86 Jays ballcap, the Roger Clemens poster I had on my wall in 1986 (for luck!), and enough stats and research on the ‘86 season to fill a few binders. We’ll see how much good that does me. If nothing else, it’s gonna be one hell of a fun time.

I’m accepting any and all roster moves, trade possibilities or other suggestions- because we’re going to try our damnedest to beat Schilling and the Red Sox. And please, baseball gods, whatever happens… just don’t let the Mets win. Please?