The Caribbean League is about 2/3 of the way through its 32-game 1916 season. At least, I think it's 32 games? That doesn't really make sense in terms of a 6-team league, but what do I know? The Yankees are associated with the Pensacola Pilots, in a division with Tampa and Jacksonville. The Southern Division has Santo Domingo and two Havana teams (Habana and Almendares, naturally). Each team has maybe 1-2 MLB stars on them--I limited MLB service to 3 years, but there are plenty of candidates. A few players were invited and passed (notably Babe Ruth), but it's been fun.
Pensacola has a heavy Yankees presence in its starting lineup--I decided to be hands-off (save in one case to be mentioned below) and let the AI do whatever. The 2-3-4 hitters all played for the Yankees last year: Watt-Heilmann-Charleston. Demoe is also usually a starter for the Pilots. Vance is on the team, as is Terry and Dick Redding. The meddling I did was to make them start Terry at 2B every other day (it is a development league after all), but it became clear that Terry will never be a 2B (at least not without some other things changing first) and I backed off on that. If I were trying to be in character as Yankees GM, I'd be concerned about Dazzy Vance, who has been awful. I'd be pretty happy with Dick Redding. The Pilots are in last place, largely due to their pitching. Oscar Charleston is hitting well over .400, Heilmann is doing fine.
I was musing the other day about the version of Ken Burns' Baseball documentary that would come out in this universe, and imagining an oral history of "The Caribbean League Opening Season" where Oscar Charleston and Harry Heilmann are reminiscing. Or Allie Watt's interview in their Glory of Their Times, where he recounts being 16 years old and roommates with Vance and going to Cuba for the first time. Maybe I'll even write it myself. :)
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