Greetings fellow owners. My name is Vicky Jewell, known in the sim as TombRaider. I have been asked to say a little something about myself. Normally that would result in a day’s long yammering session but, Larry told me to be brief. So, in deference to the publisher, I will.
I am a Special Educator at an elementary school here in the Baltimore suburbs. As you can imagine, I grew up as a fan of the local sports teams. Football is the religion here in Baltimore, but I was always drawn to baseball. There is something about the game that is timeless and mystically natural. Yes, the Ken Burns documentary about the history of the game got to me. The history of baseball is so rich and storied.
I have always sought out baseball simulation games. The rotisserie leagues were fun but when I saw the sim game at the old places I jumped at the chance to play.
Then Dayne created Simnasium. This has become my own personal favorite. It has so much more going for it than any of the others, before or currently. I got in on the ground floor here and enjoy this game far more than the fantasy baseball leagues based on current players. It’s the history that gets me.
I always tell other owners that the fun in this for me isn’t necessarily the winning, though I love that as well. I could reduce this game to a math problem and do the spreadsheet/computer program thing, but why? That’s too much like a job and besides, it doesn’t prove my worth and value as a human being. It’s pretty silly to me.
What I enjoy is imagining it’s real. Picturing the players I read about or watched in real life, seeing them in my mind playing here. Chatting on the message boards with other owners as if we really are running these teams and our players are out there getting it done or tanking. That’s where it is for me. The joy of imagination, same as if I was reading a book or watching a movie. That’s why I don’t mind taking chances on different theme teams that I know will probably crash and burn. I don’t care about rankings or max score. That’s more of a “guy thing” anyway. lol The day I obsess over that is the day I pull the plug and walk away.
My very first team went 74-88 – The Phillie Cheesesteaks. Wow, were they awful! I wondered if I would be able to field a .500 team after them. Since then I have managed a record of 74339 – 73953, at least until tomorrow when it changes. I currently have 57 league championships and hope to have another by next Saturday.
So, that’s about it. I love this game. The ability to control the players as much as we can do here, the fact that we have so many players to choose from and the fellow owners who also love the game. All this makes it fun for me. I can leave the present reality outside the game and enjoy the greats and the not so greats who played this wonderful sport. I look forward to more enjoyment in the future. Thank you to Dayne, the Staff and everyone who plays here for making it so much fun.
Go Vicky Go!
Thanks for sharing this TombRaider. It’s so interesting to get a peek at some of the names I’ve seen here so much over the past 7 or 8 years that I’ve been happily addicted to DM Online. I’m like you in that I don’t want to use a spreadsheet and make this all a math problem, where is the fun in that. When I finally got to the Hall of Fame a few years back, thanks to this game, I actually knew all the names and felt like i had “seen” them play.
Your all Fragile championship team is still my favorite! Thanks for sharing,Vicki.
Very nice article, thanks Vicky.
Winning 57 championships is quite impressive, especially in a game you and all of us enjoy.
Awesome
I hope your next 57 championships come easier than the first 57
59 Championships for the Sultry Assassin.
Every league played with TombRaider is fun. She has a terrific wit on the community board, doesn’t whine about her bad starts or player injuries and truly is one of the great people in this game. So nice that she gave us a little more about her life. Thanks.
Fun article Vicky. God Bless you for your work as a Special Education Teacher. I’m only trailing you in Championships by 54.
DMB great idea featuring our managers. Do more.
Hello, I just started playing Diamond Mine (again). I had played earlier when it was a part of ESPN but stopped for several years. Don’t know why I stopped because Baseball is and always will be my first love. Anyhow, I’ve started again and have come across Vicky Jewell twice now out of 6 teams so far. Impressive credentials indeed. I enjoyed your article and take on the sport. I must admit, my love for baseball has always been with the stats involved. Now other sports have stats, but there’s something about Baseball stats. I also have a large baseball card collection I’ve had since I began collecting them at 10 years old. Ultimately I stopped buying them as I progressed into adulthood, but I have quite a few cards to go through one day. Thanks for posting. And thanks for the simulation game and your contribution.
Gerald McKoy.