Fair Play Committee Members

Bulls7210, Jweatherman, Rds_lsu, Ttnorm and Quebec.

Commissioner: Harkov

Monday, January 11, 2010

Owner Interview- Quebec

Our series of owner interviews continues with another of the original members of the Summer of ’49, Quebec. Please jump into the hot seat and let’s get started.


Where do you call home?


I live in the land of lakes, Minnesota.


What type of work do you do?


I work for a financial services company in their treasury department.


Do you have a favorite ML team?


Yes, originally I was a fan of the Montreal Expos however after they moved I started following the Twins and Royals.


Which brand of play do you prefer AL or NL style?


Having grown up around AL baseball you would guess that I prefer to have a DH however you would be wrong. My preference is for the NL style of play. With the pitcher hitting, double switches, etc. there is more strategy involved and therefore more interesting to me.


Who would you say is your favorite ML player dead or alive? Why?


I always thought Andre Dawson was one of the best. During his career he seemed to be a guy who tried his best without all the shameless self-promotion that seems to be so popular with a lot of the current day players.


What got you started playing HBD?


I don't recall exactly how I stumbled on the site back in 2002. However when I was introduced to WIS I started with the SimLeagues and moved on to HD (RUPP) when that world got started. After playing that for a few seasons I moved on to HBD as a new challenge when it was first introduced and have been here since.


How long did it take before you felt confident in you knowledge to build a team?


It took about 2 seasons for me to feel like I knew how to put together a winning franchise that could consistently go to the playoffs.


How did you decide on the location and name for your team?


Montreal would have been my first choice but I didn’t like the ballpark effects. Ottawa seemed to be a better selection since it’s more of a neutral park. The Ottawa logo reminds me of the the “house and stones” used in curling which is a big sport in Canada. The stones used in the sport can also be called Rocks so it was a natural choice for my team name.


How important are the draft & IFA’s to building your team?



In the past when my payroll was much lower, I used IFA’s as a major tool in adding ML talent to the franchise. I think my team currently has 6 IFA’s on the 25 man ML roster. The way other teams have added to their prospect budgets as time has passed I now try to get one fringe ML player each year for a couple million. The draft is really a no brainer. To build and re-build a franchise free agency can be such a drain on the budget for players at the majority of positions so I try get a can't miss with my #1 pick and land a couple of guys with potential in the 2nd & 3rd rounds.


Do you have a favorite HBD player and how did you acquire him?



Larry Brown was the 3rd pick of the 1st round during the Year 1 draft. I was hoping one of the two pitchers that went before him would slip to me but in retrospect I was very fortunate to have gotten him. He started out as a demon on the base paths and has kept it up even since I been moved him to the 3 hole in the order where he has turned into a consistent run producer as well.


What has been your most memorable trade? Why?



I picked up Alan Brownson in a major trade of minor leaguers during Year 1. Jonathan Poppell was a big hitting C (more of a DH) that I gave up for what I envisioned as a top of the rotation P. He has been exceptional during his ML career. In fact I believe the only thing that has kept him from winning multiple Cy Young Awards has been his limited durability that keeps him from throwing more than 170 innings a year. Not exactly what I had anticipated but still a very solid pitcher throughout his career.


I’m sure you saw the notice that WIS has a position they are trying to fill. What If you were that person and could change one thing about HBD, what would it be?


With out question it would be the coach hiring process. In my opinion I think you should be allowed to promote any of your previous coaches yourself. Having to put them back in the available pool and hoping you don't get outbid for their services seems absurd. I’m sure if I ran a big league team I would be able to convince a coach to stay if he was offered a promotion and more money.


Thank you very much Quebec for taking the time to sit down with me. The hot seat is now empty again and awaiting the arrival of the next owner to be interviewed. Stayed tuned.

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