Hello everyone. I’m Steve Mutzu (LeMayRipper). I’ve been playing this game since way back in the mid-’90s. We played it by snail mail back then, we got our results once a week in a big white envelope. The game was run by Bill James back then. I still have the trophies and t-shirts that say “I beat Bill James at his own game”.

Most of you probably know me from the article I wrote called “The Ultimate Guide”, but I have written a lot of things for this site, and all of the other variations of this game in the past. I’ve always tried to help out the new players with advice, most of the stuff I have written in the past is of the advice variety.

Early Life

I grew up in Lemay MO, which is literally right on the border line of St. Louis city and St.Louis County. If you walked out of my front door and made a left, you would run smack into Jefferson Barracks National Park and the mighty Mississippi. It was all woods and river, I had a Mark Twain type of childhood, if I went left that is.

If I went right, I was in the city of St. Louis, a short bus ride from Busch Stadium. I spent a lot of time in downtown St. Louis as a child, going to games, hanging out at Soulard Market, and generally being a pain in the ass to my fellow St. Louisans.

In 1980 I started wrestling, I am 48 years old now and I haven’t stopped yet.  I’ve been practicing Jiu-Jitsu and  Muay Thai for many years. I’ve also been a cage fighter for many years, recently I tried to set the record for the oldest guy in Missouri to win an MMA fight, and you all saw how that turned out, I got KTFO spectacularly for the entertainment of millions!

I have been with my wife Heide since 2000, together we have five kids and five Grandkids, recently we became foster parents to a four and a five-year-old. If everything goes right we will adopt them this summer.

Since I started writing this, we have had another grandkid, number 6, a boy named Jude, he’s been in the NICU for the last 12 days, he was injured during birth, didn’t breath for 15 minutes. The nerves in his right side where pulled or torn and he hasn’t moved his right arm yet. It’s been a pretty rough time.

Baseball Beginnings

My love of Baseball came from my father, he bought me my first snail mail team in fact. It was 99 dollars in around 1995, and he bought it to show me I should stop arguing baseball with him. He was going to teach me a lesson on who the better baseball mind in the family was. Long story short, he lost :).

I’ve always been a huge Baseball fan, but the 80’s Cardinals are far away from my favorite teams. Willie, Ozzie, Vince, Whitey, I loved those guys, but it was Jack Clark who was my favorite of all time. Every single team I have ever had has been named after Jack “The Ripper” Clark. Most of the time it’s the LeMay Rippers, but I do change the first part of my team name from time to time.

The 2011 Cardinals get a special nod as well, that season was amazing. The sixth game of the 2011 World Series is the single greatest game I’ve ever seen, if you have never seen it, I would highly recommend checking it out.

Best SIM Game

Speaking of great games, the greatest game I’ve ever seen playing this Sim (Excluding a live game I played against Sam Toma, which was unbelievable!) was a game #162 about 15 years ago, Eddie Plank pitched a perfect game to clinch a playoff spot and win his 3Oth game of the season.

My overall winning percentage is .549. I’m ranked 4th in Standard leagues, and 10th in the SSG. As far as strategy goes, I like to play in big hitters parks like Coors. More things happen in big hitters parks, the more things that happen, the more likely the better team is to win. That’s my theory anyway.

As far as strategy goes, I tend to play it safe, I don’t push my luck on the bases, I don’t try to steal, I never bunt, and I never walk anyone on purpose. I like to spend around 70% on hitting and defense, and 30% on pitching. I don’t spend big on a closer, and if I do, I pitch him, most of the time I won’t use my best reliever in a pure closer role. My number two hitter is generally my best hitter, and if I could use an opener I would.

If you haven’t tried the SSG, I would recommend it. It’s the superior version of this game.

Thanks for reading,

Steve Mutzu

LeMay Rippers