Success/Horror stories with changing players positions:

[Pat]

I'm still relatively new to OOTP, this is only my second season, and I was curious how you guys have dealt with changing players positions?

I haven't done it personally, besides SP to MR, or reverse, but I know some of us around the league have tried it. I know Z tried to play Harcourt at SS and it didn't work out. And I know my previous owned tried playing a minor league OF at 2B and it didn't work. Also, I know last year Pitt had Joe Saltines a LF, at SS and that didn't work out either.

So I am just asking, who else has had success or struggled with it? Tips? Strategy? Is it easy to move a guy who can play 3B to 1B? or a guy who plays LF and CF to RF? Or a C to 1B?

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience.

[Andrew]

Re: Success/Horror stories with changing players positions:

I

So I am just asking, who else has had success or struggled with it? Tips? Strategy? Is it easy to move a guy who can play 3B to 1B? or a guy who plays LF and CF to RF? Or a C to 1B?

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience.

Basic rule of thumb is that anyone who has good Infield Ratings will make a decent infielder at any position, and the same for OF's. It's just a matter of getting them the experience.

I tried to move Felipe Miladelroca to 3B this year. He's rated a 3 at 3B and has 6 errors already in 36 games. I'm sending him back to the bench with this sim as his hitting hasn't earned him the spot.

The biggest suggestion I have is to have guys learn their positions before they hit the majors. Spring Training just isn't enough time to learn a new position, but a full minors season could be.

For example, if you draft a player that's rated 7 or 8 at a position, there's no real reason to keep him there during his minor league career. You're better off having him learn other positions before he hits the majors, when the errors count.

[Pat]

Thanks for the response. Never thought about some of that stuff.

So my next question is, with OF'ers, is it easier for them to learn a new OF position as compared to an infielder learning a new infield position?

[liquidcrash]

I moved Vincent Nino from 3B to 1B and he's now an 8 at first, better than his original position. Did it to originally make room for Martiez possibly coming up and it's worked out pretty well.

[Riverman]

Thanks for the response. Never thought about some of that stuff.

So my next question is, with OF'ers, is it easier for them to learn a new OF position as compared to an infielder learning a new infield position?

I've had a little experience with both and as I recollect it was not easier for the OF. It took a season or so for the player to get up to a 3 or 4 in both cases. Also, I've only tried moving a player from a harder position to an easier - SS to 2B or CF to LF - but not the reverse.

One of the weaknesses in the game IMO is the way players are almost always either IFs or OFs and usually their basic skill ratings do not facilitate teaching IFs to play the OF or the reverse. IRL almost every team has at least one player who can play both the OF and 1B but the way OOTP works very few players have the basic skills to be reasonably good defenders at both positions. It strikes me as inconcievable that most of the top major league defensive shortstops couldn't also be great CFs as well but not in OOTP. The system prevents us from creating the super utility players that occassionly occur IRL and thereby add to their value to their team.

[Pat]

Thanks for the response. Never thought about some of that stuff.

So my next question is, with OF'ers, is it easier for them to learn a new OF position as compared to an infielder learning a new infield position?

I've had a little experience with both and as I recollect it was not easier for the OF. It took a season or so for the player to get up to a 3 or 4 in both cases. Also, I've only tried moving a player from a harder position to an easier - SS to 2B or CF to LF - but not the reverse.

One of the weaknesses in the game IMO is the way players are almost always either IFs or OFs and usually their basic skill ratings do not facilitate teaching IFs to play the OF or the reverse. IRL almost every team has at least one player who can play both the OF and 1B but the way OOTP works very few players have the basic skills to be reasonably good defenders at both positions. It strikes me as inconcievable that most of the top major league defensive shortstops couldn't also be great CFs as well but not in OOTP. The system prevents us from creating the super utility players that occassionly occur IRL and thereby add to their value to their team.

I do have a guy on my team that has a rating for every single position, besides catcher.

I don't have the game open now, but I think it is like:
8 at 1B
5 at 2B
3 at SS
5 at 3B
4 at LF
2 at CF
6 at RF

He will probably never play on my big league club, but it is still pretty crazy.