Mantle World Owner Interview - shanklsa

Welcome to the first of what I hope will be an ongoing series of "Meet Your Fellow Owner" interviews of Mantle World owners.  I'm starting with the original Mantle owners, the guys who have been here since day one of season one.

Today, we get to meet owner shanklsa, the longtime owner of the Louisville Beaners / Little Rock Cigars franchise.

Tec: Tell us a little about yourself.

Shanklsa: I'm 32 and a software engineer for ADP. Grew up in NE Ohio so I'm a fan of Cleveland teams and Ohio State. Subsequently graduated from the University of Cincinnati and live in the area. Have Reds season tickets and root for them but still hate the Bengals.

Tec: Outside of Hardball Dynasty, what are some of your other interests and hobbies?

Shanklsa: Golf, softball, poker.

Tec: Did you play any sports growing up?

Shanklsa: Basketball, baseball, and golf.

Tec: Who are your favorite all-time players?

Shanklsa: Mark Price, Jim Thome, Nolan Ryan, Larry Bird, Joe Montana.

Tec: What has been your favorite real-life sports experience or memory?

Shanklsa: Wow, tough one. I guess being at the 2006 football game between #1 Ohio State and #2 Michigan.

Tec: What's been your most memorable non-sports experience in your life?

Shanklsa: Outside from the normal getting married/kid being born answer I would say winning a 200+ player poker tourney in Vegas.

Tec: If you were an HBD player, what position would you play and what would your ratings be?

Shanklsa: I would be a 2B with great defensive skills, decent contact, and no power.

Thank you shanklsa for participating in our first Mantle World Owner interview, and good luck to you this season and onward.

Hopefully, more owner interviews to come.

Cash in Trades Rule Adopted

After some discussion in the World Chat concerning the inclusion of cash in trades, a common theme emerged in which many owners felt that the inclusion of cash that exceeded the amount of salary being received in a trade should not be allowed.  This was put up for a vote to formalize this as an official world rule, and has passed.

Starting in season 27, there should be no trades that include cash being sent to one team that exceeds the total amount of salary being received by that team.  Any such trade that is offered and accepted should be vetoed by the other 30 owners in Mantle.

Final voting results are as follows:

Yes - 21 votes (75.0%)
No - 7 votes (25.0%)
No preference - 1 votes (not included)
Did not vote - 3

Results: PASSED - rule to be adopted starting in season 27

Season 26 Hall of Fame Voting Results

Here are the complete results for Hall of Fame voting for season 26 (last season's votes in parenthesis):

Carlos Aguilera - 17 (Elected)
Vance Collier - 14
Mark Parker - 12 (16)
Ahmed Sanford - 9 (12)
Gary Blake - 8
Cesar Urbina - 8 (10)
Rob Becker - 7 (10)
Don Yoshii - 4
Bey Meacham - 4 (6)
Alfredo Valentin - 4
Cam Lincoln - 3 (4)
Pat Masao - 3
Harry Martinez - 2 (4)
Jason Benes - 2 (2)
Esteban Moreno - 2 (1)
Philip Ray - 2 (1)
Howie Curtis - 1 (2)
Bronson Gibson - 1 (1)
Al Ramirez - 1
Derek Taylor - 1 (1)
Pablo Ordonez - 1 (7)
Harry Holzemer - 1 (1)
Charlie Lombardi - 1 (1)
Joseph Yoshii - 1 (8)
Dan King - 1 (1)
Paul Ishii - 1 (1)

Commissioner's Challenge Award (S25)

The "Commissioner's Challenge Award" is given to the team that had the most wins during the season without making the playoffs.

I'm happy to announce the season 25 winner of a $5 WIS Gift Certificate is tecwrg of the Scranton Apollos, whose 87 wins was just two games short of earning a post-season appearance.

1) 87 wins - Scranton Apollos (tecwrg)
2t) 81 wins - Chicago Black Sox (tomq)
2t) 81 wins - St. Louis Owls (gjello10)
2t) 81 wins - Washington D.C. Metros (jmaese)
5t) 79 wins - Buffalo Blizzard (sir_slamalot)
5t) 79 wins - Atlanta Blue (bkpeters)
5t) 79 wins - Burlington Catamounts (dwoolery)
5t) 79 wins - San Jose Poppies (hbdgirl)
9t) 78 wins - Durham Bulls (bertrand93)
9t) 78 wins - Colorado Springs Mile High Marines (brendanjod)
11) 75 wins - Oklahoma City Power Failure (coneheads)
12t) 74 wins - Milwaukee Suds (battmann)
12t) 74 wins - Louisville Pit Bulls (frankum)
14t) 73 wins - New York Pick Pockets (EBzer)
14t) 73 wins - Toronto Eh's (mikeg740)
16) 71 wins - Boston Minutemen (hawger)
17) 70 wins - Jackson Bootleggers (rugrat)
18) 69 wins - Vancouver Fighting Skeletons (diryn)
19) 67 wins - Little Rock Cigars (shanklsa)
20) 63 wins - Arizona Arachnophobia (ericsomsel)

Season 25 Hall of Fame Voting Results

Here are the complete results for Hall of Fame voting for season 25 (last season's votes in parenthesis):

Bruce Payne - 21 (Elected)
Sammy Shumpert - 18 (Elected)
Mark Parker - 16
Ahmed Sanford - 12
Cesar Urbina - 10
Rob Becker - 10 (12)
Joseph Yoshii - 8 (12)
Pablo Ordonez - 7 (9)
Bey Meacham - 6 (9)
Harry Martinez - 4 (3)
Cam Lincoln - 4 (7)
Clay Runyan - 2 (2)
Howie Curtis - 2 (1)
Jason Benes - 2
Paul Ishii - 1 (7)
Dan King - 1
Derek Taylor - 1 (2)
Esteban Tejada - 1
Philip Ray - 1
Harry Holzemer - 1
Esteban Moreno - 1
Humberto Lima - 1 (1)
Bronson Gibson - 1 (1)
Odalis Lopez - 1 (1)

Commissioner's Challenge Award (S24)

The "Commissioner's Challenge Award" is given to the team that had the most wins during the season without making the playoffs.

I'm happy to announce the season 24 winner of a $5 WIS Gift Certificate is raidersfan of the Cincinnati Mini Men, whose 86 wins was a mere one game short of earning a post-season appearance.

1) 86 wins - Cincinnati Mini Men (raidersfan)
2) 84 wins - Detroit Tigers (repsher)
3t) 83 wins - New York Pick Pockets (EBzer)
3t) 83 wins - St. Louis Owls (gjello10)
5) 82 wins - San Francisco Oles (evegoe)
6t) 81 wins - Boston Minutemen (neilg)
6t) 81 wins - Oakland Polish Hammers (goodtymes31)
8) 80 wins - Washington D.C. Metros (jmaese)
9) 79 wins - San Jose Poppies (hbdgirl)
10) 77 wins - Milwaukee Suds (battmann)
11) 75 wins - Atlanta Blue (bkpeters)
12) 74 wins - Arizona Arachnophobia (ericsomsel)
13t) 73 wins - Jackson Bootleggers (rugrat)
13t) 73 wins - Colorado Springs Mile High Marines (brendanjod)
13t) 73 wins - Oklahoma City Power Failure (coneheads)
16) 71 wins - Louisville Pit Bulls (frankum)
17) 67 wins - Vancouver Fighting Skeletons (diryn)
18) 65 wins - Scranton Apollos (tecwrg)
19) 61 wins - Durham Bulls (bertrand93)
20) 60 wins - Little Rock Cigars (shanklsa)

Season 24 Hall of Fame Voting Results

Here are the complete results for Hall of Fame voting for season 24 (last season's votes in parenthesis):

1. Vitas Henley - 23 (Elected)
2. Joseph Yoshii - 12 (3)
3. Rob Becker - 12 (6)
4. Pablo Ordonez - 9
5. Bey Meacham - 9
6. Domingo Pizzaro - 8 (9)
7. Cam Lincoln - 7 (1)
8. Paul Ishii - 7 (7)
9. Harry Martinez - 3
10. Lawrence Rhodes - 2
11. Derek Taylor - 2 (3)
12. Clay Runyan - 2
13. Steve Burks - 2
14. John Blake - 2 (1)
15. Albert Lecuona - 1 (3)
16. Victor Vargas - 1 (1)
17. Humberto Lima - 1
18. Bronson Gibson - 1
19. Howie Curtis - 1 (1)
20. Odalis Lopez - 1
21. Miguel Vasquez - 1
22. Sal Stark - 1
23. Al Buford - 1