Knowing your First Class Mogul - JPS

JPS, Thank you for doing the next part of Knowing your First Class Mogul. Tell us a little about yourself.

 Well I'm 26 years old. I live in Washington, DC where I teach physics and Environmental Science at a local high school here.. I love sports and incorporate them into as many of my lessons as possible. I'm a huge fan of the Jets, Yankees, and Knicks, although they've all kind of sucked lately.


You have been in this league for awhile now, do you remember what/who brought you into this league?

Yeah. jhc and I were roommates in college and he was asked by (I think DJ) to join this league back when it was in it's 2014 season I think. jhc joined and when he told me about it I jumped in as well. I haven't looked back since.

Obviously me and you have spent a lot of time talking players and what we look for in players. Can you talk a little bit about your style and what you look for when you scout?

I'm always looking for a guy with an eye. Any player with a good eye gets me. I'm way more into OBA than any other stat, which has come back to bite me at times, but it's something I think is really important. In pitchers, I like a guy who has a low HR/9 and a high K/BB. I look at ERA but probably not as much as I can and should.

Through all your years of doing drafts, is there a particular player that you can remember as being your gem of a find?

Steve "One-Man Band" Miller. He is my claim to fame. I remember I was criticized a little when I drafted him and I almost traded him for an aging Joe Mauer, but I held my ground and am very happy I did.

In an earlier interview with Matty, he referenced your 2026 team. That had a 3-4-5 of Miller, Eason and Gartner, said it was the best 3-4-5 of all time. Do you consider that your best team and do you remember how all of that came together?

Yeah. I appreciate that from Matty. He really has a good knowledge of the game and so that means a lot.

I had already drafted Miller and my teams weren't great. I had a migh pick so I went with Eason because of his eye. A little while later Gartner was available and not only did he have good offensive vitals, but he had a cannon of an arm. I knew Eason and Miller would be good, but I didn't think Gartner was going to contribute the way he did.

To this day I wish I had gotten those three a little more help, but they were so much fun to track!

JPS, you were an established owner here in FCM. Not a lot of people would bring someone in as a co-gm and allow them the freedom that you provided. Obviously we both know our processes involved and our consistent level of communication, do you want to share some of your experience and thought process about bringing a washed out bum into your ranks?

So one of the things that haunts me is the fact that I've been around for so long and I haven't won anything yet. You were available and I figured the worst case scenario is you stick around for a few weeks and I pick up some of your tricks. I knew that I needed to get better as a GM and you were the perfect person to come in and help me out.

I know I will still make my fair share of mistakes, but I definitely feel like I have a lot to take away from our experience working together. I knew I wouldn't have any complaints afterwards.

One of the things I've learned is what to look for in a player (from prospect to veteran). I know how to better construct a lineup and what makes a a lineup well rounded. I know what to look for in a pitching staff. I know that my park is very hitter-friendly so the type of pitcher that will work in my park is very specific.

This is the question I am asking everyone. I am giving you the keys to the file right now. You can make a team with anyone in the history of the file. Who are you putting on your team?

Here's the team:

C: Josh Jarmel
1B: Steve Miller
2B: Sean Vogel
3B: Marv Eason
SS: Jay Sullivan
LF: James Aitkenhead
CF: Rafael Romero
RF: Mike Gartner
SP: Donovan Pace

You have been in this league for a very long time, gone up against some of the best teams. Does a team from a single season sit in your memory as the best FCM team of all time?

Well I always have trouble with questions like this. I can't remember a specific team that I would call the best of all time, but I will say that the NL Central from the late 2010s to the late 2020s was the best division of all time. There was a year in there that four of the 6 teams had almost 100 wins if I remember correctly. Made it tough to be a new GM, but really good times to watch talent progress.

Seeing as we paired up for I think was about 4 or 5 seasons. I want you to pair up 2 owners like we did. They could be current or past GM's the pairing could be for pure comedic value like Matty and Peter for a pure thunderdome watching. Or it could be the old dream of a Chicago Marlins connection of Sean and Hokey or maybe two people that are good friends in a bosom buddies type situation like Mike and Corey. Give me some good pairings and why.

I'd love to pair up Peter and PR. I think they both have such enthusiasm that it would be fun to watch their team either take off or explode.

Another combination I'd like to see is Corey and gd. Both are so quiet but dangerous that they could run the league and no one would know it.

Lastly, jhc and Andy. They both have their strong opinions, and its not like either of them need help with anything, but it's an oddcouple combination and I'd like to see if either of them could make it work.

Any last words?

Yeah. I'd like to thank everyone in this league for making things fun for me for the last several years. I know over the past few months my activity has decreased a bi, but I am finally fully transitioned into my new job and new apartment. this league has been so much fun for me and even though I consistently lose, I hope that I am at least bringing a level of competition to some teams.

Thanks for having me, Sean. This was really cool. I hope to do something like this again soon!