Tempe's farm system

[klewis]

It's a shame you two are not in the same division. It would make for a good rivalry and conversation.

[Nigel]

I'm more interested in how you set him on fire myself.

[Alan Ehlers]

well setting on Marty was an accident , not putting him out right away was not LOL

[Matt]

Not putting me out? Dude, you were holding a freaking gas can.

Even though it was a hot day, I am still not buying the "your jeans must have spontaneously combusted while you were napping" story.

[Matt]

Well, certainly nothing I wrote was meant to be taken personally by ANYONE. What I offered were my opinions. You simply have to keep in mind, that whatever criticisms I offered were from MY perspective and as I see things, and they were meant as constructive criticism. Even the grading criteria I used for the minor league systems is based on what I think a minor league system should look like and how it should be run. This is the most natural explanation for my own system's high ranking.

In certain areas, I think owners would be advised to do things a little different. Again, we go back to "MY OPINION". Certainly everyone is welcome to their own opinions and should be left to their own way of doing things if they so choose. If they find that their ways don't work, they can later consider my opinions or suggestions. Or not. And certainly I am open to criticism as well, and not afraid to hear it. I can count several dozen of my own bad moves right off the top of my head since the league was founded.

In certain respects, I wish some things had been worded differently. As it was, I really got into this project, and I was under a tight time line to get it done around everything else I had going on in my life, especially work. I ran a 4000 miles round trip in 6 days from Laredo to Newark and back, and along the way got the flu, which made things even more fun, what with the total exhaustion and what not. I expected to only have two days at home, and that is when I had to crank out the majority of the project. Had I had the luxury have more time in which to work on it, I think I would have taken the time to proof-read it a little better and adjust some of the harsher comments.

Certainly at times I am going to be critical, but it's not meant to be personal. It's simply an opinion and I think offering up opinion sometimes makes the league a little more realistic and encourages some fun debate. I have no reason to personally dislike anyone here. In fact, everyone in the league I consider a friend. If my criticism offended, I offer apologies. My opinions were certainly not meant to reflect on any of you personally or how I might think of anyone in any context.

[John]

Very well said, Matt. I too view this group as part of my circle of friends. I also take a lot of pride in my team - as I imagine you all do, too - and it's natural that we feel the sting a little when someone criticizes what we care about. Context is so important, though, and I believe you when you say the intent was benign. I also agree that it can be fun to liven things up with opinions. For my part, I have no problems with anything written about my team in the article... and that includes being branded half of the "Evil Empire".

[Matt]

Just as a followup - again - it's meant to be helpful, even if it is criticism.

Tempe managed the feat of having all 4 farm teams finish with losing records. Not only that, at two of the four levels, Tempe's farm teams had the WORST RECORD AT THE LEVEL. Their BEST record at any level of the minors was 14 games under .500. That was the worst BEST record of any team.

Only 4 teams managed to pull off the feat of having all four teams in the minor leagues finish with losing records.

TEMPE
New Jersey
Yuma
Arlington

While I did not include record in the process while doing the rankings, I think in the end in some small way at least the minor league records posted by these teams at least reflect some accuracy on the rankings. I had Tempe ranked 21st, New Jersey 17th, Yuma 18th, Arlington 6th.


For whatever it's worth, I meant the articles to be a little critical, a little provocative, and was hopeful they would encourage some debate on some different things, and also be a little helpful. In some ways I succeeded, in other ways I failed. But in another couple of seasons I will take another stab at it and see where things stand then.

[Maulers]

Just as a followup - again - it's meant to be helpful, even if it is criticism.

Tempe managed the feat of having all 4 farm teams finish with losing records. Not only that, at two of the four levels, Tempe's farm teams had the WORST RECORD AT THE LEVEL. Their BEST record at any level of the minors was 14 games under .500. That was the worst BEST record of any team.

Only 4 teams managed to pull off the feat of having all four teams in the minor leagues finish with losing records.

TEMPE
New Jersey
Yuma
Arlington

While I did not include record in the process while doing the rankings, I think in the end in some small way at least the minor league records posted by these teams at least reflect some accuracy on the rankings. I had Tempe ranked 21st, New Jersey 17th, Yuma 18th, Arlington 6th.


For whatever it's worth, I meant the articles to be a little critical, a little provocative, and was hopeful they would encourage some debate on some different things, and also be a little helpful. In some ways I succeeded, in other ways I failed. But in another couple of seasons I will take another stab at it and see where things stand then.

From my point of view, Matt, your analysis was a wild success. I know that I immediately implemented one of your suggestions, and I'm sure that others did as well.