Meet the Game Designers & Original Playtest Group

Matt Mulholland (Principal Game Designer): Matt, along with his brother Paul Mulholland, are the original game designers of Baseball Franchise. Together, they came up with the idea way back in 2002 on a weeklong family baseball trip to Cooperstown to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame. Since the rediscovery of the game in 2023, Matt has been the driving force behind the continued development of game components and game design while creating all of the digital files and baseball cards that serve as the foundation of the game. Matt lives in Zionsville, IN with his wife and two daughters. Matt is a die-hard St. Louis Cardinals fan.

Zach Mulholland (Assistant Game Designer): Zach’s analytical mind has proven invaluable in evaluating and assessing the many tweaks and rule modifications that have been experimented with over the last two years of game development. A former college baseball player and fantasy baseball legend, Zach’s input has been instrumental in making sure that the game mechanics are grounded thematically to real baseball. Zach is a fan of the New York Yankees and, specifically, Derek Jeter.

Jim Mulholland (Assistant Game Designer): Jim contributed one of the most important rule changes to the game when he lobbied for playtesting the “Range of Seasons” approach for determining how players’ season scores are determined. His persistence paid off as this game mechanic, more than any other, brings the career arc of players into the game while adding a strategic dimension to team management that reflects what real MLB team owners have to consider. Jim is a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan and the commissioner of the family Fantasy Baseball League for the last 18 years.

Bob Brow (Playtester and Game Historian): Bob’s encyclopedic knowledge of baseball history and statistics has been invaluable in helping maintain the historical accuracy of Baseball Franchise. Bob’s repeated attempts to “break the game” led to some of the more important rule developments including the BANKRUPTCY rule and the modified Expansion Draft guidelines. Bob is a life-long Boston Red Sox fan.

Kent Nims (Assistant Game Designer): Kent’s love of Baseball Franchise is evident in the passion with which he plays the game. In addition to having the distinction of having won the most playtest ‘Dynasty Decades’, Kent’s many contributions include the addition of the Player Development Fund and the introduction of Coaching and Scouting Modifiers. An avid board game enthusiast, Kent has been instrumental in making sure that the game has multiple game-play strategies that can result in success. Kent is a Boston Red Sox fan.

Wesley Faust (Playtester & Former MiLB Pitcher): Wesley joined the playtest team only recently but his feedback and input has been instrumental in helping the game mirror the difficult decisions that real GM’s have to make. Ever the tactician, Wesley employs a ““Moneyball” gameplay approach of maximum optimization when playing Baseball Franchise. Drafted by the Giants in 2000, Wesley is one of the few pitchers who has both struck out Barry Bonds and given up a homerun to Barry Bonds. After leaving the Giants organization Wesley continued to pitch in the independent league for four years before hanging up his cleats and becoming a high school mathematics teacher.

Anthony Klahn (Playtester): Anthony’s suggestion that the paper & pencil statistical record keeping of the game be transferred to a digital spreadsheet is perhaps the most important change the game has experienced during the last two years of game development. Long gone are the computational errors and mental anguish that made Baseball Franchise feel like 1980’s tax preparation. Now, the streamlined and digital Season Record Sheet frees each owner up to focus on how best to improve their team. Anthony is an avid Milwaukee Brewers fan.

John Marron (Playtester): Like Wesley, John joined the playtest group somewhat recently but his contributions and feedback - at a time when the rest of us suffered from a bad case of ‘Game Design Myopia’ - helped us refocus the game back to those aspects that are the most enjoyable. John is a student of baseball history and life-long Chicago Cubs fan.

Matt Laucks (Playtester): Matt is one of the primary reasons the game was resurrected after 20 years of sitting on a shelf. An all around sports fan, Matt’s enjoyment of the game was evidence that the game might have appeal beyond the baseball fanatics that are most of the other game designers and playtesters. Matt’s approach to playing Baseball Franchise is more feel and less analytics, and his “go big, or go home” approach to free agent bidding is the kind of team ownership we all wish our favorite MLB team employed. Matt bleeds the black and gold of his beloved Purdue Boilermakers.

Paul Mulholland (Original Game Designer): One of the original game designers way back in 2002. Paul helped design and create the original player cards that used the sabermetric scoring system still present in the game today. Way back in 2003 Paul playtested the game with his men’s group at church, completing one season each week for the better part of a year. Paul is a St. Louis Cardinals fan and avid Disk Golf Enthusiast.