Top 75 FOOL Teams of All-Time (1961-2034)

[Young Drachma]

23. 1968 RIO GRANDE ROADRUNNERS (98-56)

This team is just one for the record books and so, it is therefore fitting that the 1968 Roadrunners rank so high on the list.

The only title the franchise ever won in its history, the '68 club is defined by Mr. Roadrunner himself, the incomparable Hideaki Tanaka.

After winning the '65 title with New York, Tanaka signed a huge contract to join the Roadrunners in the '68 season making the Roadrunners the instant favorites to contend for a title.

With Tanaka's leadership, the Roadrunners sped past the CL competition to claim their first pennant that year. Another star of the franchise was Jose "Chunky" Medina who's lone season away from Rio Grande was in '72 when he was acquired by Quad City for a playoff that didn't materialize.

During the '68 season he went 17-8 with a 3.25 ERA.

This team was defined by guys whose careers were made in Rio Grande and Tyler Reilly (35 HR/126 RBI) was another one of those guys who after spending his early career winning titles in Baltimore came over to Rio Grande and quickly became a fan favorite. 1968 was the best season he'd had in years and he never again replicated those numbers.

In the FOOL Classic that year, the Roadrunners faced an upstart Colorado squad looking for its second title in three years. But in eight games, the Tanaka-led Roadrunners did the improbable and claimed their first (and only) championship in the history of the venerable franchise.

In the early 1990s, the Roadrunners returned the prominence claiming CL pennants in 1992 and 1993, but never again would the team hoist the FOOL Classic Trophy, raising the profile of the 1968 club even more.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Tasan

So is this going to be 25 Peanut squads? ;- )

Only 4 of them left!

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by Tasan

So is this going to be 25 Peanut squads? ;- )

That would be my top 25 teams of all time!

[Young Drachma]

22. 1979 BALTIMORE GOTHAMS (102-52)

The Gothams -- fresh off a title the previous season -- were back for more in '79 as they tried to repeat the glory of the '61-62 teams that went back to back.

This team had the chops to do it. With players with David Lewis (19-6) and 200-strikeout man Ivan Flores, the Gothams were pitching top heavy and even used a converted closer (37-year old Xinpeng Tien) as a starter and he went 13-5, with a 3.56 ERA with 150 K

Offensively, the Gothams boasted a lineup with seven hitters with 100+ hits and a combined team batting average of .271, led primarily by Ignacio Costa's .307 batting average with 20 HRs and 72 RBI - all team leading totals.

The Gothams knocked off their RL nemesis Hartford in seven games, to claim their second straight title for the city of Baltimore.

[Young Drachma]

21. 1977 HARTFORD HARPOONERS (100-54)

All dynasties have to start somewhere. For the previously moribund Hartford Harpooners, 1977 was that year. The Pooners finally made the playoffs for the first time after sixteen years this season.

Their gift? A date with the perennial FOOL Champion Valdosta Peanuts.

Led by a pitching staff for the ages -- the sorts of names that only require last names for the FOOL faithful of the day -- (Jorge Aquino, Dylan Robinson, Artie Wiley, Floyd Yarbrough and Clinton Miner) were part of a team that won 100 games in the regular season. Denny Hennessey, Hartford's closer extraordinaire had 45 saves and a 2.11 ERA.

The POONERS weren't finished though. Down 4 games to 0 to the Peanuts, their battleship seemed sunk. But with water leaking, the team captained itself to five straight wins, pulling off the greatest comeback win in the history of FOOL to claim the first title in franchise history and starting the greatest dynasty in Republic League history that would span well into the next two decades.

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

21. 1977 HARTFORD HARPOONERS (100-54)

All dynasties have to start somewhere. For the previously moribund Hartford Harpooners, 1977 was that year. The Pooners finally made the playoffs for the first time after sixteen years this season.

Their gift? A date with the perennial FOOL Champion Valdosta Peanuts.

Led by a pitching staff for the ages -- the sorts of names that only require last names for the FOOL faithful of the day -- (Jorge Aquino, Dylan Robinson, Artie Wiley, Floyd Yarbrough and Clinton Miner) were part of a team that won 100 games in the regular season. Denny Hennessey, Hartford's closer extraordinaire had 45 saves and a 2.11 ERA.

The POONERS weren't finished though. Down 4 games to 0 to the Peanuts, their battleship seemed sunk. But with water leaking, the team captained itself to five straight wins, pulling off the greatest comeback win in the history of FOOL to claim the first title in franchise history and starting the greatest dynasty in Republic League history that would span well into the next two decades.

Stupid 9th inning ground ball my infielder should be shot for not throwing home!

[Young Drachma]

20. 2004 VALDOSTA PEANUTS (102-60)

This version of the Peanuts bears a striking resemblance to the '06 variety of the squad. Led by two 90+ RBI guys in Junior Kong and Jim Whitman, the Peanuts were the usual plucky offensive team of usual, built to their ballpark better than any other squad.

Logan Walls (17-7) and Julio Julio Gonzalez (15-6) led a pitching staff of higher performers to the post-season where they knocked off Montreal in five games.

In the FOOL Classic that year, the Peanuts faced a tough New York Heroes squad that had 101 games and was hungry for a title. But in a nine-game tilt, the Peanuts emerged victorious for the 7th time in club history.

[Young Drachma]

19. 2001 NAPA VALLEY WINEMAKERS (88-74)

The first FOOL Classic post-restart was an interesting affair. People saw what they had and the chips fell where they were. It was a lot like the early era of the league, but were well past those days.

The Winemakers on paper weren't the most dominant team in the CL that year, but played well together. After finishing a game back of Toronto during the regular season, they claimed the CL pennant in a four game sweep.

Led by Nacho Lozano (16-3) who had an impressive record, but more walks than any ace in recent memory (169 K, 121 BB) but a very balanced staff and bullpen (no negative VORP pitchers on the staff) the Winemakers got past Hartford in six games for the team's third title and third time they'd done so against Hartford.

[Young Drachma]

A breakdown of the Top 20 teams:

12 teams (1961-2010)
8 teams (2011-2034)

Before I crunched the numbers, I don't know that I would've predicted some of the teams that made the Top 10, which includes 3 teams from the current era of FOOL. I think I always "knew" the teams from the past were "better" historically, but I wasn't sure if it was just historical blinders or something else. The data points to the anecdotal evidence being accurate though. (Though, these things are always an inexact science)

I suspect if one were to crunch based solely on stats and not performance, there'd be a different result, but...I felt like we had to count teams that were successful as a criterion or then the whole process would be too subjective.

The #1 team should surprise you, too. But their numbers were simply too gaudy to ignore.

[muns]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

58. 1985 BALTIMORE GOTHAMS (91-63)
This team was simply no joke. They dropped just two games during the '85 playoffs and let's not forget that they faced off against a Hartford team that was in the midst of its dominance and coming off a title the year before.

So just who were these worldbeaters? It's not exactly a team of future Hall of Famers. Gilbert Perreault won 15 games that year and is best known for the work he did with Columbus in the 70s, but he still had it working in the 80s too. David Lewis was probably the ace, his 50.8 VORP led the team.

This is another example (that we're seeing a recurring theme of) that for every dominant team on the FOOL championship map, we have teams that are simply balanced, mixed and get the job done to capture their titles.

No one on this team had more than 68 RBI. But there were six guys who had at least 40+ RBI. So lots of contributors made this won work for them.

Eric and his teams always pissed all over me during that stretch in Hartford. I never could get passed him. He always seemed to have my number. One of the many reasons im happy to have him in the same division now. If he makes the playoffs and I dont, at least he doesnt kill the hopes and dreams of a title run.

[muns]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

57. 1973 COLORADO RANCHEROS
Back to the days when there were no playoffs and you had to win your league to into the playoffs, 1973 had playoffs anyway. Boston and Colorado finished the regular season tied for the league's best record. So the two teams played five games to determine the league champion and it went all the way down to the wire too, but Colorado knocked off the Settlers to face off against Atlanta in the FOOL Classic that year, winning in eight games.

The Rancheros that year featured 19-game winner Rob Goodwin and 16-game winner Ite Beens, a 22-year old ace that was the darling debutante of FOOL in those days and who many of us were predicting huge things for.

The offense was comprised of catcher John King (20 HR/101 RBI) and fan favorite 3B Teruo Miyahara, a Vulture League exile who spent his entire FOOL career as a Ranchero. (.300/26/97 RBI)

3B Teruo Miyahara- another guy that wasnt all that great in terms of hall of fame numbers, but he could bomb em if i remember correctly.

I wish the Feeder league would have worked out. It was fun watching those guys grow and then to plan finance wise if you wanted to have cash to go after them or to do whatever. I really think that added another element of Strategy to FOOL and one I was very fond of.

[muns]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

51. 1982 NAPA VALLEY WINEMAKERS (90-64)
Napa Valley was a franchise that had a long, terrible history in Texas before being acquired by a new ownership group in the mid-1970s. COmmitted to building a successful FOOL franchise though, was no easy task for the baseball neophytes and the first few years were rough ones -- yet familiar to fans of the Texas franchise.

A move to the west coast, gave the franchise a fresh start and with this, came home that better days were ahead for the club that had just two winning seasons in franchise history when it was acquired.

After some stops and starts, 1982 offered new promise to the squad and gave fans belief that the Winemakers could do the unthinkable -- win the Continental League Pennant -- which is exactly what they did in 1982.

The rotation was anchored by Joe Hart (18-11, 205 K, 2.20 ERA) but was aided by Jesse McGorry (16-7, 184 , 2.52) who finished his career with 300 wins, but little do many know that the team also had veteran leadership in the form of Charles Wilson, who had featured on so many Valdosta title teams in the 1970s.

Napa Valley faced off against Hartford in the FOOL Classic that year, in the midst of their sixth straight RL championship, but in an eight game battle, the Winemakers proved victorious and closed the book on their past failures and ushered in a new era of Winemakers baseball that endures to this day.

Team Batting Leaders
Batting Average	Rodrigo Cruz	.274
On-Base Pct	Gareth Simons	.359
Slugging Pct	José Gonzáles	.422
OPS	Gareth Simons	.781
VORP	Thierry Fournier	46.5
Games	Rodrigo Cruz	154
At-Bats	Thierry Fournier	595
Runs	Thierry Fournier	121
Hits	Thierry Fournier	160
Total Bases	Thierry Fournier	242
Singles	Thierry Fournier	113
Doubles	José Gonzáles	29
Triples	Gareth Simons	13
Home Runs	Kenko Nishida	22
RBIs	Gareth Simons	78
Stolen Bases	Thierry Fournier	73
Caught Stealing	Thierry Fournier	17
Walks	Thierry Fournier	79
Strikeouts	Gareth Simons	162
	 	
Team Pitching Leaders
ERA	Joe Hart	2.20
Wins	Joe Hart	18
Losses	Carlos Gonzáles	12
Winning Pct	Jessie McGorry	.696
Saves	Takamasa Ishibashi	42
Games Pitched	Takamasa Ishibashi	60
Games Started	Carlos Gonzáles	31
Complete Games	Joe Hart	15
Shutouts	Joe Hart	4
Innings Pitched	Jessie McGorry	243.1
Hits Allowed	Jessie McGorry	215
Home Runs Allowed	Pedro Ortíz	24
Strikeouts	Carlos Gonzáles	205
Walks Allowed	Pedro Ortíz	62
Walks per 9 IP	Jessie McGorry	1.18
Hits per 9 IP	Joe Hart	6.52
Strikeouts per 9 IP	Carlos Gonzáles	8.88
WHIP	Joe Hart	0.89
OAVG	Joe Hart	0.209
OOBP	Joe Hart	0.250
OSLG	Joe Hart	0.286
OOPS	Joe Hart	0.536

This loss for me hurt. The reason it hurt the worst though was (DC you remember this) because I was in trade talks for Jesse McGorry, and I felt DC wanted too much for him. I didnt pull the trigger, and he turns out to be a future hall of famer.

I biffed that one up, and it came back to haunt me the very next season!!!

[Tasan]

Originally Posted by muns

This loss for me hurt. The reason it hurt the worst though was (DC you remember this) because I was in trade talks for Jesse McGorry, and I felt DC wanted too much for him. I didnt pull the trigger, and he turns out to be a future hall of famer.

I biffed that one up, and it came back to haunt me the very next season!!!

I'm right there with you on McGorry. I was in talks for him as well, and I didn't pull the trigger on what would have turned out to be a good trade for me because I thought the price was too high. Oh the fools we make of ourselves in trade talks sometimes!

[muns]

Originally Posted by Alan T

Yeah... 1976 was one of those seasons that looking back at it, I had no business losing that series to them at all. But I won my share of series that I had no business winning as well, so I guess it eventually evens out.

I'm not even sure if Columbus was the 3rd or 4th best team in the league that season as I felt Hartford, Baltimore and Atlanta were all better than them as well.

That was a tough one. I felt the same way that they had no business being there as well, but I had to watch it from the sidelines

[muns]

Originally Posted by TeachEnEspanol

Those two write-ups are going up on the refrigerator with a gold star next to them (and if you look inside the pantry door you'll find all of the players' heights marked throughout the years) because I love my team and every once in a while it needs to know that I'm proud of it.

And if there's anything I liked more than Hartford's reign it was squashing it like a little bug...and the only thing I regretted was not keeping the winning streak alive until 84' (my birth year) which I believe had been my ultimate goal at the time.

well listen to you talking some shit over here!!!!!!!

[Tasan]

Originally Posted by muns

3B Teruo Miyahara- another guy that wasnt all that great in terms of hall of fame numbers, but he could bomb em if i remember correctly.

I wish the Feeder league would have worked out. It was fun watching those guys grow and then to plan finance wise if you wanted to have cash to go after them or to do whatever. I really think that added another element of Strategy to FOOL and one I was very fond of.

I inherited Miyahara from Chief when I took over the Rancheros, and he was my first taste of heavy splits guys. He could wail on lefties, but didn't do anything special vs righties. I learned a lot of lessons from having him.

+10000000000000000 on liking the Vulture league. I really wish there was a way to bring it back.

[muns]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

44. 2024 BALTIMORE CHARM (88-74)

Douggie Goff (26-8, 202 K) and Jong-kook Chong (18-8) were the pitching leaders that helped the Charm combine with the powers of the talented Marty Harrington to overpower Edmonton and Ann Arbor en route to their first title in six years.

Despite finishing down to Edmonton by seven games during the regular season, they won the CLCS in five games before a hard fought nine-game series that went the distance against Ann Arbor.

In the end though, the Charm and muns proved too strong. History does indeed repeat itself.

Team Batting Leaders
Batting Average	Declan Minns	.328
On-Base Pct	Marty Harrington	.394
Slugging Pct	Declan Minns	.506
OPS	Declan Minns	.896
VORP	Declan Minns	51.7
Games	Marty Harrington	162
At-Bats	Oliver Whittingham	646
Runs	Luis Márquez	104
Hits	Declan Minns	186
Total Bases	Declan Minns	287
Singles	Declan Minns	127
Doubles	Oliver Whittingham	40
Triples	Leonard Parkinson	7
Home Runs	Marty Harrington	34
RBIs	Marty Harrington	105
Stolen Bases	Declan Minns	50
Caught Stealing	Luis Márquez	19
Walks	Marty Harrington	127
Strikeouts	Luis Márquez	162
	 	
Team Pitching Leaders
ERA	Douggie Goff	3.17
Wins	Douggie Goff	26
Losses	Xavier Uridge	19
Winning Pct	Douggie Goff	.765
Saves	Gareth Dempster	37
Games Pitched	Kwang-sub Kim	83
Games Started	Julián Díaz	41
Complete Games	Julián Díaz	10
Shutouts	Julián Díaz	2
Innings Pitched	Douggie Goff	284.0
Hits Allowed	Julián Díaz	288
Home Runs Allowed	Julián Díaz	34
Strikeouts	Douggie Goff	202
Walks Allowed	Jong-kook Chong	83
Walks per 9 IP	Julián Díaz	0.73
Hits per 9 IP	Douggie Goff	8.18
Strikeouts per 9 IP	Douggie Goff	6.40
WHIP	Douggie Goff	1.11
OAVG	Douggie Goff	0.247
OOBP	Julián Díaz	0.302
OSLG	Douggie Goff	0.378
OOPS	Douggie Goff	0.687

I was kinda proud of this team. I dont think they were nearly as strong as my other teams on this list, but because most of this pitching staff were mine that I had drafted in the restart besides Jong-kook Chong who i believe got from the dumpster bin.

[muns]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

42. 1974 VALDOSTA PEANUTS (98-56)
The '74 Peanuts were probably the best offensive version of the Peanuts dynasty. The team featured eight batters who had 100+ hits and a team VORP of over 300. As usual, the pitching was the calling card and the rotation would make your head spin with the names on it: Carlos Gonzales (21-2, 219 K), Charles Wilson and Whit O'Neal were the top three. The closer was 45 save man Albert Barbosa.

After finishing six games ahead of in-state rival Atlanta, they faced off against the upstart Quad City Thunderstorms of the Republic League and promptly dispatched them in six games en route to their fourth title in five years. Little did anyone expect this would be the end of the Valdosta dynasty as we knew it for well over a decade.

Team Batting Leaders
Batting Average	Rick Inman	.321
On-Base Pct	Rick Inman	.377
Slugging Pct	Rick Inman	.506
OPS	Rick Inman	.883
VORP	Rick Inman	75.3
Games	Pablo García	154
At-Bats	Pablo García	648
Runs	Rick Inman	94
Hits	Rick Inman	202
Total Bases	Rick Inman	318
Singles	Pablo García	155
Doubles	Rick Inman	53
Triples	Hsin-ping Lan	11
Home Runs	Bob Arnold	20
RBIs	Rick Inman	94
Stolen Bases	Darrell Parks	2
Caught Stealing	Pablo García	3
Walks	Roberto Pagán	66
Strikeouts	Pablo García	127
	 	
Team Pitching Leaders
ERA	Carlos Gonzáles	1.61
Wins	Carlos Gonzáles	21
Losses	Whit O'Neal	11
Winning Pct	Carlos Gonzáles	.913
Saves	Albert Barbosa	45
Games Pitched	Albert Barbosa	66
Games Started	Joel Garner	31
Complete Games	Carlos Gonzáles	2
Shutouts	Carlos Gonzáles	2
Innings Pitched	Carlos Gonzáles	228.2
Hits Allowed	Whit O'Neal	187
Home Runs Allowed	Joel Garner	17
Strikeouts	Carlos Gonzáles	219
Walks Allowed	Joel Garner	76
Walks per 9 IP	Whit O'Neal	2.40
Hits per 9 IP	Carlos Gonzáles	5.08
Strikeouts per 9 IP	Whit O'Neal	9.03
WHIP	Carlos Gonzáles	0.83
OAVG	Carlos Gonzáles	0.171
OOBP	Carlos Gonzáles	0.239
OSLG	Carlos Gonzáles	0.264
OOPS	Carlos Gonzáles	0.503

Im not sure if its this team or another Valdosta team here that should be coming up later, but they were one of my favorite teams to watch. Alan always had pitchers that didnt look like much rating wise but did a ton of work stat wise that just made your head scratch. I think Eric talks about Alan's voodo doll and how he got more from nothing than anyone else. I liked watching how he built teams

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Tasan

I'm right there with you on McGorry. I was in talks for him as well, and I didn't pull the trigger on what would have turned out to be a good trade for me because I thought the price was too high. Oh the fools we make of ourselves in trade talks sometimes!

McGorry was my favorite player during my second era of FOOL. That team I took over was so terrible and having him was such a ray of light and a surprise, because during those times it seemed only Hartford had any top-flight pitching at all.

That Boston team deserved better than it got those last few years, but honestly, it was fitting that the Settlers managed to win the first title for that city because I'm not sure it'd have been fair for any other team to claim it first.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by muns

Im not sure if its this team or another Valdosta team here that should be coming up later, but they were one of my favorite teams to watch. Alan always had pitchers that didnt look like much rating wise but did a ton of work stat wise that just made your head scratch. I think Eric talks about Alan's voodo doll and how he got more from nothing than anyone else. I liked watching how he built teams

+1

That's really the value of a league like this, I think. It's so random that anyone who tries can probably find some time to compete (though playoff success is far from certain) but for people who are master tacticians, it's a laboratory where their craft can be really demonstrated. I've learned a ton in this league and while every league in OOTP is different, I think there are some lessons you can apply at the highest levels.

But I think fast-sim is a completely different animal than slow-cook and really does require a certain kind of player to thrive.

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by muns

Im not sure if its this team or another Valdosta team here that should be coming up later, but they were one of my favorite teams to watch. Alan always had pitchers that didnt look like much rating wise but did a ton of work stat wise that just made your head scratch. I think Eric talks about Alan's voodo doll and how he got more from nothing than anyone else. I liked watching how he built teams

My guess, and only a guess.. the year being referred to is 1971. That was probably my best team ever from getting the most I could out of nothing. They ended up being better than a 1972 team that was far more talented.

1971 was the year of 20-1 Joel Garner, an 85/55/55 pitcher which seems like good stats for now, but for that time might not even make the majors for most teams.

In 1971, that was the year we got Ben Gibbs from you (I don't remember the exact deal, but it was pretty favorable for me), and he ended up suddenly turning into an all star.

We also got either in the same deal or a different deal, Catcher Dan Long who with 70/20/45 ratings suddenly became an All star catcher.

We had four 19-game winners that year and several players such as Inman, Gonzales, O'Neal, Wilson, Pagan, Reyes and his other brother Reyes who should have been stars and played like it too.

That was a very fun year for me where it seemed like no matter what I did, it ended up working out for me out of sheer dumb luck.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by Alan T

My guess, and only a guess.. the year being referred to is 1971. That was probably my best team ever from getting the most I could out of nothing. They ended up being better than a 1972 team that was far more talented.

1971 was the year of 20-1 Joel Garner, an 85/55/55 pitcher which seems like good stats for now, but for that time might not even make the majors for most teams.

In 1971, that was the year we got Ben Gibbs from you (I don't remember the exact deal, but it was pretty favorable for me), and he ended up suddenly turning into an all star.

We also got either in the same deal or a different deal, Catcher Dan Long who with 70/20/45 ratings suddenly became an All star catcher.

We had four 19-game winners that year and several players such as Inman, Gonzales, O'Neal, Wilson, Pagan, Reyes and his other brother Reyes who should have been stars and played like it too.

That was a very fun year for me where it seemed like no matter what I did, it ended up working out for me out of sheer dumb luck.

Now if that's not an introduction to greatness, I dunno what is.

[hyde4us11]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

+1

That's really the value of a league like this, I think. It's so random that anyone who tries can probably find some time to compete (though playoff success is far from certain) but for people who are master tacticians, it's a laboratory where their craft can be really demonstrated. I've learned a ton in this league and while every league in OOTP is different, I think there are some lessons you can apply at the highest levels.

But I think fast-sim is a completely different animal than slow-cook and really does require a certain kind of player to thrive.

I play in 8 leagues total. 3 Of them are the FOOL family of leagues, and 5 are slow leagues. I am more dangerous in the slow leagues now because of what I've learned in FOOL's. I have a lot of time to waste so I look at everything possible to waste time. I have seen every type of player in FOOL now I believe. This translates into seeing about every ratings combination possible. This I think makes me better in the slower leagues then what I have been in the past. Just sharing a thought I had after reading your message.

[Young Drachma]

T-17. 2009 VALDOSTA PEANUTS (101-61)
The 10th and final Valdosta Peanuts championship season occurred during the 49th season of FOOL baseball.

During that year, the combined talents of Jose Flores (21 HR/104 RBI) and Antonio Arias (17 HR/110 RBI) and Javier Delgado (14 HR/107 RBI) fueled an uncharacteristically heavy hitting Peanuts squad to the Continental Cup that season.

Ricardo Martinez went 19-8 and was one of three Peanuts hurlers to throw at least 200 strikeouts that year (Stan Cox and Julio Gonzalez were the others)

After dropping one game to in-state nemesis Atlanta en route to the FOOL Classic, they knocked off the Detroit Wolverines avenging the loss to that franchise 36 years earlier, giving Valdosta its FOOL record tenth championship.

[Young Drachma]

T-17. 2011 NEW YORK HEROES (94-68)
The first champions of the FOOL 2.0 era were the Heroes of New York. Blending a potent offense with a lethal pitching staff (that did not yet including a man named Juan Sierra), the Heroes claimed the pennant that year after a tight seven game series with Chico.

Leading the offense was Hyeong-Ro Yi who belted 40 HRs and hit .343 that season. Joining him was Jared Quinn (LF, .290/30 HR/124 RBI) and Matt Taylor (2B, 29 HR, 96 RBI, .302 BA)

The pitching staff was led by 22-game winner Shoji Miyamoto and 19-game winner Murdock Kendall. Closer Jesus Hidalgo had 39 saves and a sub 2.00 ERA that season to help the Heroes finish just four games back of regular season champ Chico.

After dispatching the Rebels, they took Apex to the limit in a 9-game set that ushered in a new era in FOOL and gave the Heroes their first title since the move to New York in 2003.

[Young Drachma]

16. 1963 ST. LOUIS TERRIERS (106-48)
The famed Terriers claimed their first FOOL title in 1963 boasting a who's who of pitching stars.

Their rotation included Hall of Famers Joe Morris and Benny Myers at the start of their careers, Gabriel Prado (16-3, 216 K, 2.21 ERA) and a guy that many thought would join them in the pantheon of FOOL greats, but ended his career early -- Rob Roberts (17-5, 3.32 ERA) Pete McKeane was a closer in these days and logged 42 saves towards his hall of fame career.

Offensively, the Terriers weren't flashy, but effective, with eight batters logging 100+ hits including Luis Miguel Lopez (29 HR/90 RBI) who ended his five year stint with the Terriers as the franchise leader in home runs and fan favorite catcher Ralph Nicholson (.315/15 HR/ 75 RBI) who ended up heading to Seattle in the expansion draft of 1965.

The '63 Terriers faced off against their arch rivals at the time -- the Colorado Rancheros -- and beat them in a tight, seven game series. They were expecting a battle against their CL nemesis Charleston, but they were thwarted by an insurgent Worcester Browns club that moved to Ann Arbor in 1964.

In the Classic, the Terriers knocked off the Browns in four straight games -- what Baltimore did to them the previous year -- and with it, claimed their first title for the city of St. Louis.

[Young Drachma]

15. 2018 BALTIMORE CHARM (92-70)
The Charm finished 17 games out of first place in the CL this particular season, but wiped the slate clean during the postseason against Montreal.

Cipriano Valdez was the team's lone 20 games winner (23-10, 301 K, 2.48 ERA) but with three other hurlers logging 16+ wins, the Charm felt like the rabbit's foot was in their hand across this particular season.

Salvador Otero was Baltimore's lone 100+ RBI man that year (.314/27 HR/111 RBI) but was one of four Charmsmen with 20+ home runs.

In the playoffs, they knocked off Montreal in five games, to setup a hot date with the New York Heroes and their perennial RL pennant winning ways. But the boys from the Inner Harbor were not to be denied and dispatched New York in seven games to claim the hardware in '18.

[Young Drachma]

14. 2033 HARTFORD HARPOONERS (99-63)
It is perhaps no surprise that a Harpooners team is among the Top 14 teams of all time. That it's a POONER squad that's in the middle of its prime, is another surprising matter all together.

But maybe it's not a shock, when you look at how dominant this team was. Balanced on both sides of the ball, the '33 Pooners were led by Brennan Ward (.311/29 HR/146 RBI) and
CF Brian Prebble (.298/18 HR/112 RBI).

The different between this Hartford team and all but the two in front of it on this list, is this team got the job done. It executed, it played well and finished the job in the form of winning a title, an area where so many of the great teams throughout the history of the franchise have failed to do, but even this squad was in the midst of its 3rd straight RL pennant winning season and had yet to claim a title to that point.

Lawrence Thompson and Renaud Lemieux led the rotation with a combined 39 wins.

As for their playoff performance, well...it was flawless, only the second time in history ('14 Baltimore) to sweep both playoff series.

With this, the Hartford franchise claimed its 7th championship, putting them 2 behind Valdosta for the most in league history!

[Young Drachma]

13. 1984 HARTFORD HARPOONERS (98-56)
After beating out San Diego by just two games for the RL regular season title, the road towards the 8th straight Republic League pennant (and 3rd FOOL Classic title) was threatened by the San Diego Fathers who offered up their best squad yet to date.

The POONERS boasted many of their usual greats including 300-strikeout man Jorge Aquino, who also pitched in 21 wins and 20-game winner Dylan Robinson (270 K, 3.90 ERA) and 19-game winner Billy Smith (285 K, 3.00 ERA)

Offensively, the team was powered by 3B Steven McGill, another guy who spent his whole career in Pooner Blue. He hit .331 that year with 25 HR and 131 RBI and was part of the team's ascent towards to the top.

San Diego had other ideas though, pushing the series to a decisive seventh game and jeopardizing the Hartford run into history. But the POONERS prevailed and took on an Atlanta Firecrackers ballclub that was still looking for its first FOOL Classic title.

But Hartford dispatched them in seven games to claim their 3rd title in franchise history and kept the Hartford dynasty going a bit longer.

[Young Drachma]

12. 2002 COMPTON BROTHERS (90-72)
While Hartford and Boston had to duke it out in a tiebreaker game to determine who would advance to the RLCS, Compton made it above the fray and had a day to rest before taking on Hartford en route to what they hoped would be the first title in franchise history.

Offensively, this team boasted a potent lineup of guys who knew how to get on base and score runs, as well as hit like no one's business. Their team batting average of .321 was head and shoulders above most teams in history and the balanced lineup was comprised of nine guys who had over 100 hits and just two who struck out more than 100 times.

The leader of the offense was Jacob Norman who almost hit .400 that year (.396 and led the team in OBP, SLG, OPS and VORP. Harry Zuwiski was the offensive juggernaut logging 31 HRs and 140 RBI that year.

This compensated for a pitching staff that didn't have a decisive ace, but guys who performed well despite a team ERA of almost 5.00

The Brothers had a tough battle with Hartford, beat them in a seven game tilt. In the '02 Classic, the Brothers reprised the 1970 FOOL Classic where Valdosta and Compton met. Only this time, Compton won the series in eight games, rather than Valdosta.

It was the lone title in the franchise's history in Compton, but will long be remember by Brothers fans forever more.

[Young Drachma]

11. 1987 COLORADO RANCHEROS (105-49)

When a team puts up over 6 runs a game, they're probably going to win a lot of ballgames. When they hit almost 80 home runs more than the rest of the league, that'll probably help too.

Welcome to the '87 Rancheros story. They outscored the rest of the Republic League by over 200 runs and gave up the second fewest of any team.

The mashers in question were five 30+ home run guys (Cyril Argo, Gonzo Gonzales, Leonard LeBlanc, Martin Rice, Jorge Villarreal) and if you didn't know it, the pitching wasn't too shabby either, as in 7th all-time in PVORP as a team.

25-game winner Masazumi Sanu (25-7, 2.54, 316 K) was the staff ace, 24-year old Jose Gomez (23-6, 3.85 ERA, 260 K) wasn't a slouch either. Their 3rd starter won 19 games (Jason Mitchell) and all four starters in the rotation had 200 + strikeouts.

The Rancheros faced the Hartford Harpooners who were gunning for their 11th straight Republic League pennant, but knocked them off en route ot their first league title since 1973.

In the Classic, the Rancheros faced their former Chief who was now steading the ship in Atlanta. Most of the current Rancheros were in diapers when he was running the club, but his presence loomed large in the Franchise's Hall of Fame and in literature new Rancheros read when joining the club.

But in the end, the pupil beat the teacher in a battle that went all the way to nine games, giving Colorado its first title since that vaunted '73 season.

The core group of the team went on to win five more RL pennants and two more titles from 1989-1995, firmly planting the Rancheros as one of FOOL's standard bearing franchises.

[hyde4us11]

I was watching this whole list to see where the 2033 team fell in. Honestly though I didn't think it was that high up. Not taking anything away from my team, I just figured there was likely more then 13 better then this team. Again DC thanks for the work. Its been a joy reading threw all this capsules.

[Young Drachma]

Originally Posted by hyde4us11

I was watching this whole list to see where the 2033 team fell in. Honestly though I didn't think it was that high up. Not taking anything away from my team, I just figured there was likely more then 13 better then this team. Again DC thanks for the work. Its been a joy reading threw all this capsules.

The numbers don't lie.

But yeah, as I looked at a few of the teams I thought it was interesting the teams that ended up sorting towards the top, as they weren't necessarily teams I'd have picked out. But I was glad of that.

Glad you enjoyed it!

[Young Drachma]

Well okay. We've recalled the 65 of the best teams in FOOL history up to this point. Now we're down to our final 10 teams! Obviously all are past FOOL champions and among them are some of the most venerable names in league history amongst franchises.

Without further ado (really, this has been a gargantuan project) here are the Top 10 teams in FOOL history to date.

[Young Drachma]

10. 2029 NAPA VALLEY WINEMAKERS (94-68)

It's hard to remember back to a time when the Winos weren't stumbling their way to titles. That's because they've been standing tall for a while and their 7th title season was no exception.

They rode 24-year old Renaud Lemieux (21-8, 254 K) and Jorge Martinez (16-9, 176 K) and strong relief pitching to the postseason in search of another title.

Sergio Lujan (2B, 42 HR/131 RBI) was the biggest bat the team boasted, but he wasn't the only guy on the team that produced 833 runs during the regular season.

The real story here wasn't so much what the stats showed, but what the team did on the field. After claiming the CL regular season title, they won 4 games -- exactly the number of games they finished ahead of them during the regular season -- to claim the CLCS in a seven game fistfight.

But when it came down to the FOOL Classic, the Winemakers crushed the Colorado Rancheros in five straight games, solidifying their claim as more than just an upstart franchise, but one of FOOL's greatest of all-time.

[Young Drachma]

9. 2017 ANN ARBOR WINGED LINGERINES (104-58)

Ann Arbor has long been home to some of FOOL's most surprising teams and the '17 version of the Fly Boys were no different than past clubs hailing from the city.

Except, this club had been coming off a string of first place finishes and failed to seal the deal.

The '17 Winged Lingerines boasted the potent bats of four 30+ home run guys in Jorge Blanco, Stanley Jones, Jesus Souza and Louie Gillis.

The pitching staff brought the heat as 22-year old Bartolo Rodriguez had a breakout season going 19-6 (2.56 ERA, 263 K) to lead the team in all three major pitching categories. Coupled with dual 16-game winners in Jong-hoon Ch'oe and Nolan Neal, Ann Arbor put it together better ths year than it had in previous years.

After finishing 21 games ahead of Hammersmith in the regular season, they dropped the hammer on them again in the RLCS winning in six games.

Then, in the FOOL Classic, facing long-time rival Baltimore, they captured the FOOL hardware 5 games to 1, claiming the city's first FOOL championship since the improbable 1967 victory.

[Tasan]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

11. 1987 COLORADO RANCHEROS (105-49)

When a team puts up over 6 runs a game, they're probably going to win a lot of ballgames. When they hit almost 80 home runs more than the rest of the league, that'll probably help too.

Welcome to the '87 Rancheros story. They outscored the rest of the Republic League by over 200 runs and gave up the second fewest of any team.

The mashers in question were five 30+ home run guys (Cyril Argo, Gonzo Gonzales, Leonard LeBlanc, Martin Rice, Jorge Villarreal) and if you didn't know it, the pitching wasn't too shabby either, as in 7th all-time in PVORP as a team.

25-game winner Masazumi Sanu (25-7, 2.54, 316 K) was the staff ace, 24-year old Jose Gomez (23-6, 3.85 ERA, 260 K) wasn't a slouch either. Their 3rd starter won 19 games (Jason Mitchell) and all four starters in the rotation had 200 + strikeouts.

The Rancheros faced the Hartford Harpooners who were gunning for their 11th straight Republic League pennant, but knocked them off en route ot their first league title since 1973.

In the Classic, the Rancheros faced their former Chief who was now steading the ship in Atlanta. Most of the current Rancheros were in diapers when he was running the club, but his presence loomed large in the Franchise's Hall of Fame and in literature new Rancheros read when joining the club.

But in the end, the pupil beat the teacher in a battle that went all the way to nine games, giving Colorado its first title since that vaunted '73 season.

The core group of the team went on to win five more RL pennants and two more titles from 1989-1995, firmly planting the Rancheros as one of FOOL's standard bearing franchises.

This team possibly ruined everything for me after that point, because that team was the one I built from the ground up, every single piece, always pointing to this moment. All that talent came together and peaked at the right second, and completely blew the rest of the RL out of the water. Knocking off Chief was the biggest task, but the team came through and pulled that off as well. By far the best team I've build in any online endeavor ever, Front Page Sports, FOF, OOTP, whatever.

[Young Drachma]

8. 1986 HARTFORD HARPOONERS (101-53)
While much of Republic League became frustrated at their inability to knock off the Harpooners over their decade stretch of league dominance, few could argue with their blueprint of success.

Build from within.
Grow talent.
Make brazen deals.
Get the job done.

While the last part had often been a problem as far as the FOOL Classic was concerned, the POONERS dynasty had now reached its tenth season and fans were clamoring for THE TENTH REPUBLIC all season long -- in t-shirts, on television and radio, too -- as this had gripped the entire New England area.

Billy Smith (28-10, 282 K) and his teammates didn't fail to deliver, either. The Men In Blue boasted a failsafe of four aces delivering over 200 strikeouts during the regular season and all-time saves leader Denny Hennessey was a steady (32 SV, 3.61 ERA) as always.

Offensively, the team hit .290, with strongman Steven McGill leadng the pack with another 200-hit season, belting 30 HRs and 102 RBI and hitting a .306 clip.

While the team got older, fans wondered if there was another playoff letdown in the future.

But after making swift work of Colorado in the RLCS that season (4 games to 0), they had to take on a Baltimore club that had taken away three jewels from their FOOL Classic crowns over the past decade in '78, '79 and again the previous year ('85.)

This time, though, POONER nation was having none of it. After Baltimore forced a decisive Game 9, the game was deadlocked at 1-1 in the 9th inning in Hartford.

With no one on in the bottom of the ninth, Carlos Cervantes took a 1-0 pitch from Ricardo Villegas deep to claim the 1986 FOOL title for the Hartford Harpooners!

[Young Drachma]

7. 2032 BALTIMORE CHARM (97-65)

Any team that boasts two 20+ game winners is going to be a special club, but mix them in with three guys who belt 40+ home runs and well, you get epic.

Cong Che (.309/45 HR/117 RBI), Sergio Lujan (.296/43 HR/127 RBI) and Ben Keyte (.303/40/103 RBI) were part of the engine that steamed the Charm past the rest of the Continental League that season.

Edmonton barely got past Apex that season and ran out of gas, as they lost in five games to the Charm. In the Classic, Baltimore faced off against its rival from a different era in FOOL It'd been 36 years since the two cities had faced off against each other in a FOOL Classic, but fans on both sides knew the stakes and the history and little love was lost.

This time, Baltimore prevailed in a tight nine game series that Baltimore won in a pitchers duel in Game 9 2-0.

[Young Drachma]

6. 2010 BOSTON SETTLERS (99-63)
There are teams you just don't forget. And seasons amongst them that just stand out.

2010 stands out for a lot of reasons, but the best part of that season is the breakout success of Boston's Settlers.

Celebrating its 50th season in FOOL, the team had three years earlier made its maiden voyage to the FOOL Classic after 47 years of trying to get there. The predictions were that Boston should make the postseason, but the real question was whether this history of failure would follow them into October.

A roster comprised of veterans who'd been hanging out in Beantown a while, joined in with some upstarts to make magic that year.

Chris Murray (.313/25 HR/116 RBI), James Moore (.366/18 HR/104 RBI) and Russell Parker (.356/18 HR/103 RBI) were among the offensive notables on the ballclub, but the pitching staff of 22-year old Mo Zhao (16-8, 200 K) who emerged as the staff ace and Al Cleveland (16-12, 3.80) were part of a quarter that notched over 200 strikeouts, with 37-year old Hall of Famer Andres Aguilar (11-12, 175 K, 4.02 ERA) not far behind.

The Settlers made the FOOL Classic, after a six game defeat of Colorado -- who finished just two games out of first that year themselves -- only to face their '07 foil Atlanta.

The team they lost to in their only other Classic appearance was standing in the way of the city's chance to dance in the streets.

Boston led the Series 4 games to 2, heading into Game 7 and that game went into extra innings, before the venerable Tomas Santos, the Hall of Famer who finished his career with the club -- and was in the minors for the entire regular season before being brought up for the post-season as a pinch runner -- scored the game winning run in extra innings to end the 50-year drought and give Boston its first EVER FOOL title.

[TeachEnEspanol]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

10. 2029 NAPA VALLEY WINEMAKERS (94-68)

It's hard to remember back to a time when the Winos weren't stumbling their way to titles. That's because they've been standing tall for a while and their 7th title season was no exception.

They rode 24-year old Renaud Lemieux (21-8, 254 K) and Jorge Martinez (16-9, 176 K) and strong relief pitching to the postseason in search of another title.

Sergio Lujan (2B, 42 HR/131 RBI) was the biggest bat the team boasted, but he wasn't the only guy on the team that produced 833 runs during the regular season.

The real story here wasn't so much what the stats showed, but what the team did on the field. After claiming the CL regular season title, they won 4 games -- exactly the number of games they finished ahead of them during the regular season -- to claim the CLCS in a seven game fistfight.

But when it came down to the FOOL Classic, the Winemakers crushed the Colorado Rancheros in five straight games, solidifying their claim as more than just an upstart franchise, but one of FOOL's greatest of all-time.

I actually love that this team made the top ten because I think it probably took me until 2029 to finally start OWNING my team. I really feel like that year I played the game well, rebuilt the way I wanted to, came back how I wanted to, won the way I wanted to, and had fun with it for the first time in a long time. I disbanded my team right after that and I've had a great time seeing what I could do with my resources, watching other teams win with guys like Lujan and Lemieux, and it's the first time I can say I called the shots and don't have any regrets about how it all played out. Cool!

[Young Drachma]

5. 1972 VALDOSTA PEANUTS (106-48)
It's one thing to be good at what you do. But greatness gets acheived when the memory of your ballclub -- sixty years in the past -- still gets cited as if it were still around yesterday.

The Peanuts are THAT franchise for FOOLs around the world. And if you're still wearing a Valdosta Peanuts hat then the first club you must recall is this one right here.

This team included a glut of Hall of Famers including Carlos Gonzales, Whit O'Neal, Charles Wilson and Rick Inman. This Peanuts squad scored over 800 runs and allowed a miniscule 490 that season, too.

Wilson lead the team in wins 19, with Gonzales and O'Neal tying at 17. Inman led the team in RBI with 113 and tied with Roberto Pagan with a team-leading 18 HRs.

The post-season was swift, as the Peanuts knocked off Colorado in five straight games to claim their second straight title. After winning the CL pennant by 20 games during the regular season, this performance is still one of FOOL history's most dominant of any team in any era. Ever.

[muns]

Damn DC this is amazing!!!!

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

5. 1972 VALDOSTA PEANUTS (106-48)
It's one thing to be good at what you do. But greatness gets acheived when the memory of your ballclub -- sixty years in the past -- still gets cited as if it were still around yesterday.

The Peanuts are THAT franchise for FOOLs around the world. And if you're still wearing a Valdosta Peanuts hat then the first club you must recall is this one right here.

This team included a glut of Hall of Famers including Carlos Gonzales, Whit O'Neal, Charles Wilson and Rick Inman. This Peanuts squad scored over 800 runs and allowed a miniscule 490 that season, too.

Wilson lead the team in wins 19, with Gonzales and O'Neal tying at 17. Inman led the team in RBI with 113 and tied with Roberto Pagan with a team-leading 18 HRs.

The post-season was swift, as the Peanuts knocked off Colorado in five straight games to claim their second straight title. After winning the CL pennant by 20 games during the regular season, this performance is still one of FOOL history's most dominant of any team in any era. Ever.

This was perhaps the most talented ballclub from top to bottom that I have ever had in any online league. It is weird to say for a 106 win club that won the title, but I actually felt this club underachieved some. I remember this entire team very fondly!

[Young Drachma]

4. 1961 BALTIMORE GOTHAMS (97-57)
FOOL's first champions are 4th on the all-time list. Though the team was certainly light on future Hall of Famers -- or even all-stars -- the '61 Gothams were no doubt a dominant team in their own right.

This team boasted five guys with 100+ RBI and hit .280 in the Continental League as a team. Four guys had over 100 walks, as well, providing that plate discipline can be a useful thing for a championship team.

The Gothams also introduced us to a 20-year old second baseman by the name of Christian Larsen (.305/34 HR/120 RBI) who went on to become one of only two players in league history to win titles with three teams and is now enrished in St. Louis after an illustrious career.

The ace of the staff was one of FOOL's early pitching stars -- Tom Williams (22-5, 2.67 ERA, 261 K) anchored by a strong bullpen.

In the first CLCS, the Gothams knocked off Hartford (they were a CL team back then) in a seven-game tilt to claim the first ever Continental League pennant. Then, in a deadlock battle they faced St. Louis, who they beat in seven games to claim the first ever FOOL championship. Baltimore is one of just two cities to host a team for the entire inception of FOOL and the success has been felt from the days of the Gothams to the Charm that now reside there.

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by Alan T

This was perhaps the most talented ballclub from top to bottom that I have ever had in any online league. It is weird to say for a 106 win club that won the title, but I actually felt this club underachieved some. I remember this entire team very fondly!

And when I say they underachieved, I simply mean the 1971 team ended up being a better team than them with less talent.

[Young Drachma]

3. 1988 HARTFORD HARPOONERS (94-60)
Not quite content to roll over just yet, the Harpooners returned to the fray for their 11th RL pennant in 12 years after knocking off Colorado in a sweep -- despite losing the regular season title to the Rancheros -- to advance towards their 5th title.

While the usual suspects were on this squad -- Hennessey, Shaw, Smith, Aquino, Robinson -- the team featured a few other names like Arthur Holcombe, who was just getting his start in the late 80s, before he'd go on to spend the majority of his career with Rio Grande (.301/26 HR/119 RBI) and '86 Classic hero Carlos Cervantes (29 HR) were also on this club to go with the 22-win Billy Smith and 17-win Dylan Robinson. 35-year old Joe Smth swiped 78 bases and hit .308 to help the club, too.

Business as usual for the Harpooners before they faced off against the Brooklyn Brownstones, who hadn't been in a FOOL Classic since they'd won it back in 1969.

This time, though, Hartford had other plans for ther neighbors to the east, taking 5 out of 8 games to claim their fifth title in 12 tries and more importantly, establishing this as the best and most complete of all of the Harpooner squads to ever take the field. A lofty honor that was well deserved in the form of a championship.

[Young Drachma]

2. 1971 VALDOSTA PEANUTS (108-46)
This team simply did more with nothing than any other ballclub in league history.

Their 561.7 BVORP was over 100 points higher than any other team on this list (Not surprisingly, the '72 Valdosta squad) and was full of guys who not only had career years, but were contributors of the first order:

C Dan Long (.333/152 hits in 457 ABs)
1B Ben Gibbs (.311/15 HR/66 RBI in 405 ABs)
2B Juan Reyes (.296/87 RBI/179 hits)
3B Rick Inman (.343/21 HR/121 RBI)
SS Yoshi Abe (.304/65 RBI in 457 ABs)
LF Lawrence Wyatt (.283/22 HR/94 RBI)
CF Edgardo Reyes (.324/20 triples/ 73 RBI/36 SBs)
RF Roberto Pagan (16 HR/89 RBI/189 hits)

SP Joel Garner (20-1, 2.92 ERA, 193 K)
SP Charles Wilson (19-8, 2.66 ERA, 229 K)
SP Carlos Gonzales (19-4, 236 K, 2.58 ERA)
SP Whit O'Neal (19-7, 222 K, 3.17 ERA)
SP Hiro Nakamura (12-9, 161 k, 5.19 ERA)
CL Alberto Barbosa (5-6, 44 SV, 3.19 ERA, 87 K, 14 BB)

The Peanuts outscored the #2 team in the CL by 149 runs and gave up almost 100 fewer runs than that same team.

In the FOOL Classic that year, they met up with Colorado for an eight-game tilt that was won in Game 8 with Whit O'Neal striking out 10 batters in seven innings of work to clinch the team's second straight title.

They played to their ultimate potential and as such, will be remembered fondly as the best human run team in the history of fake baseball. This team here established the legacy from which future Peanuts teams had to live up to.

[Young Drachma]

if nothing else, click on the 1971 Classic thread to get more JimmyOOTP brilliance.

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by Dark Cloud

if nothing else, click on the 1971 Classic thread to get more JimmyOOTP brilliance.

I am a very patient person and it takes alot to get me going. But he really tried sometimes to push my buttons Even after I bent over backwards and basically gave him a player without complaining about it due to an issue with draft pick trading.

At least thanks to that I got to have fun with the "Red Headed Stepchild" for a good decade afterwards