I'm curious to know who the natural rivalries are in our league.
For me, this question also comes with an idea I may propose, but for now, just have fun with me.
And you don't have to limit it to one team if you don't want to.
For me, during the first 5 or so years, I didn't really have a team I'd consider a rival. We've realigned enough that I feel like I've had several, including Jason, Matt, Brandon, and more recently David, and now Brendt again. But my #1 answer is probably obvious to everyone: The Squirrely Puppies, AKA Scurvy Dogs. Rod has a great sense of smack talk, and he's fun to banter with, and even more fun to beat.
So how about you? Who's your MSB rival?
Booze, err make that the Boos
And yes, I agree
@Kyle, it’s always fun :)
My guess would be Matt simply because we're born on the same day. A natural rivalry.
Dan / Kraken, I'd have to go back to see if he is the one that takes me out in the playoffs or not but I do know he is year-in and year-out holding everyone down in our division. Now that divisions are gone, maybe the rivalry will be gone, since it likely goes 1 way (he barely knows I exist). However, Dan is another Michigan player so I suppose a geographical rivalry may always exist to some extent.
Otherwise I always need to beat Brian (Madmen) because he got me into the league and I know him IRL.
After the past two seasons, I wonder if everyone thinks they are rivals of the ACLs. The Brewers and Brandon are doing a good job of it with the last two finals. :)
I will say that Chris and the Cache Hogs were always a tough team for me. I respected the hell out of Chris, and I think part of it was that we thought a lot alike about baseball, so we were always going after the same players and having similar results. I remember when they got moved into the same division as me and thinking, well, that's going to be a challenge. And now that John has taken over the Cache Hogs and made them the Maniax, they are equally tough.
The other team I think about is the Little Town Blues. I think David S. managed them for a year or two and he was always a tough competitor. And the GM before him (I forget his name) was just an asshole. He was good at putting together a good team, but he was just annoying. I would have been happy to lose to every team in the league, as long as I could win every game against the Little Town Blues.
I would have to say Ann Arbor (Craig) is one of better rivals due to fact I know him IRL.
Mike Weggoner. Might be spelling that wrong.
On some level, I could name Jason (ACL's), Matt, and Kyle as rivals. The four of us have battled across two leagues for nearly 20 years, beating each other up on our way to multiple championships each (totaling 16, I believe). We also run into each other more often than I think any of us would like to in both free agency and the MiL draft. We're constantly stealing each others targets.
But obviously my natural rival would be my younger brother, Brandon. We've also battled for those near 20 years in DMB leagues and even in years when he is not as strong (last year...) his $%*&# team STILL manages to give my Bums fits! I currently hold family bragging rights with 6 championships to his 2 titles and even after his two straight MSB championship appearances he's got a LONG way to go to catch big brother!
All of my division mates have been my rivals with Ann Arbor and Chicago being the most recent.
Considering the Argonauts have sucked the last couple years I find this one a bit more difficult to answer than maybe two years ago.
There's some guys I've been competing with since I got into Sim and that has been in multiple leagues. I'd call them rivals but mostly just as competitors and not specifically as I don't believe we've been in the same divisions most of those years and leagues. They've already identified themselves, but Kyle and Brendt go back even further that Sim where we debated about all things Dodgers.
Historically, I remember battling it out the Rattlers back when the Argonauts went by the Folsom Felons and maybe after we moved and named changed again to the North Natomas Nomads. They used to be in my division and it just seemed like we were always fighting it out for a playoff spot and I'll admit as we battled it used to stick in my craw.
David mentioned me and I would concur. While we haven't directly battled in division, he's always been a tough guy to play or bid against. I also think since I wrongly called him out on a trade way back in the day (which I was lucky enough to have to chance to apologize for in person a few years ago at Spring Training), I think he's taken extra pleasure in besting my Argonauts the last few years.
But if I was going to have to call out a true rival I would say Brandon. His first iteration in this League, which I believe was the North Slope Drillers (brothers Crews had a Alaska theme going for a while - Homer Spits), was a division rival for years and as I remember we competed for Division or Wild Card a lot. And then with expansion moved back in and built up quickly and while my team hasn't been what I'd have liked it's been fun competing and I'm sure with the new league structure we'll be battling it out again.
I'll close with a comment on the new conference structure. Ask again in a few years and I think we'll all have a few more rivals.
Great questions Kyle (Arthritics/Asterisks/Blues).
I pretty much agree with those that have posted already...which I guess means they truly are rivalries. As Brendt mentioned, I could, to some extent, name the group of us that have been in Mutiny (and MSL before) and SCRUBS together over the years. The last two years have definitely resulted in Jason moving up that list and hopefully, if/when we meet in the WS again, I can start evening that record out.
Brendt and I obviously have an easy built in rivalry as brothers and competing against him is definitely one of my favorite parts of DMB over the years. Outside of the brotherly rivalry I would return the feeling and name Matt as my biggest rival. I remember years of competing for division titles as well and I was happy to renew that division rivalry when I returned to Mutiny.
I would say the algorithm for me. As much as I love WHIP & OBP (both hitting & pitching), I can never assemble a consistently SIM-ing roster. There was one season a few years ago when I had a crazy good staff WHIP but of course I never produce enough runs bc I fixate on contact vs power.