I got a moment to sit down with Texas GM sergei1991 to ask him a few questions from Ohio St., the tight AL South race and what one thing he would change about this game we sink tons of loot into.
1.) How did you discover HBD?
Believe it or not my younger sister (Tiskingmoon) introduced me to it. She has been pretty successful in the game winning a World Series and quite a few division titles. She suggested that I give WIS a try because it is a more involved game than anything Yahoo can offer. I was really into the Yahoo fantasy sports scene before being introduced to WIS but I was getting bored with it. I was hooked after my first season.
2.) Tight division race, who scares you most (if any), Jacksonville or N.O.?
This is a loaded question :)
I certainly do not want to give anyone bulletin board material. The division race certainly is close. Much closer than I would like it to be. Both managers are good in their own right. Jacksonville’s manager MBooker, has definitely had his share of success. He has won 3 World Series titles and 34 division titles over 94 seasons. His .552 winning percentage is terrific when you take into consideration the fact that he has managed over 15,000 games.
New Orleans’ manager Carpediem33, has won 1 World Series title and 12 division titles in 42 seasons. This includes winning the division title in our league 3 out of 5 seasons. The two seasons that his squad didn’t win the division they finished second. He has also made the playoffs 4 out of 5 seasons which is pretty remarkable. So to answer the question both managers are very formidable opponents.
3.) What's the most important part of a team to you? The power bats? Starting pitching? Bullpen? Defense?
My Texas squad is sort of an anomaly for me. Normally, I am a big believer in strong starting pitching and defense. I would rather win a game 2-1 than 12-11 that is for sure. In this league though, my park breeds offense. My players put up inflated numbers due to the offensive friendly conditions. As a result of my offensive oriented park my pitching numbers take a bit of a hit, especially the bullpen. Sometimes this is frustrating for me :)
4.) Fan of the Michigan Wolverines? Who do you despite more Ohio St. or those pesky Chupacabras?
Without hesitation Ohio State. The Chupacabras and the Buckeyes are both excellent programs; however, there are two differences between the two programs. The Chupacabras can win the big one and they conduct themselves with class.
5.) Who do you think is your most indispensable player?
Max Melendez.
6.) What do you do in your spare time when you're not running your HBD teams?
I work as an Assistant Controller for a division of my company and I recently went back to school to pursue my MBA. Both of those keep me busy. In my spare time, I spend time with my wife and kids. I have been married since 2003. I have a 5 year old daughter, a 7 and a half month old son, and one on the way in July.
7.) Seems like you have had some good success in your early HBD years, what advice do you have for a newcomer getting his feet wet?
My advice to newcomers would be to read as much as you can about the different aspects of the game. It is important to understand all of the intricacies that the game offers. I would advise them on the importance of scouting each match-up and to understand how park settings can influence the outcome of a game.
8.) If you can add/change one thing about HBD, what would it be and why?
It goes without saying that I would change more than one thing, but if I could change just one thing about the game it would be the budgeting process. I think that the ability to allocate money anyway you see fit should be present for any owner. I don’t like the current system where a new manager cannot set a particular category to $20 million because they have not been with the team long enough. Limitations are not imposed on teams in sports with caps in real life that change ownership. The budget change would also take the transfer fee away meaning that you would not forfeit 50% of the money in the event that you initiated a transfer. This would include the ability to transfer any amount of money desired ($1 if need be) and would include being able to transfer residual amounts that are left over after hiring coaches. Organizations in sports where there is a cap do not incur transfer fees in real life for moving money between divisions or departments. In my opinion, this should be no different. I would not allow the ability to transfer money from Training, Medical, or any of the Scouting budgets though. Once those are set they should be locked in , for obvious reasons.
