Baseball Newbies Campus

[Sharkn20]

Am I mistaken the version or OOTP17 does have 3D games? If so why can't we watch them? Do I have to touch anything in the options?

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[Carlos]

Am I mistaken the version or OOTP17 does have 3D games? If so why can't we watch them? Do I have to touch anything in the options?

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I think there's a bug with online leagues. 18 fixes it.

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[Sharkn20]

I think there's a bug with online leagues. 18 fixes it.

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Thanks Carlos :)

[PaulC]

I have a bunch of starters at the BLB level that are either 7 or 8 stamina... Has anyone ever tried going with a four man rotation and a lower pitch limit?? I'm going to test it out in the minors for the next few sims... Hopefully I don;t blow any arms out there...

[Pat]

I have a bunch of starters at the BLB level that are either 7 or 8 stamina... Has anyone ever tried going with a four man rotation and a lower pitch limit?? I'm going to test it out in the minors for the next few sims... Hopefully I don;t blow any arms out there...

I've never tried it myself but I know that when a pitcher throws on less than 100% rest the risk of injury is much higher. If you lower the pitch count of all of them you could probably find a sweet spot where they are pitching 100% rested but I don't know where that would be.

Even if I had four SPs with an 8 stamina, and they were all studs, I'd probably still throw a fifth guy each week, even if he is a scrub and hope for the best. To me, the benefit of the high stamina SP isn't that I can throw him on shorter rest, it's more that I can rely on him to go deep into a game and give my bullpen a rest. I have C.J. McVicker with an "8" stamina and he has pitched into the 8th inning in 13 of his 14 starts. It's a real nice boost for the rest of the week with most of the bullpen getting essentially a day off.

[Carlos]

I have a bunch of starters at the BLB level that are either 7 or 8 stamina... Has anyone ever tried going with a four man rotation and a lower pitch limit?? I'm going to test it out in the minors for the next few sims... Hopefully I don;t blow any arms out there...

I've tried in test leagues. What ends up getting hit the most is your pen. I can't remember the number of arms in my pen when I tried it (it was a couple years ago) so it's possible I didn't have enough.

You probably need a lot of high stamina guys down there in the pen because if your starters are only going 5, 6 innings max, that's 3-4 innings you need covered every start. After three games you could have a gassed pen.

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[Carlos]

Pat also brings up a good point. High stamina doesn't necessarily mean fast recovery. It just means how many pitches in a start before gassing out.

You're probably not going to see a difference in rest. You're probably just holding back your pitcher's actual strength.

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[Pat]

Pat also brings up a good point. High stamina doesn't necessarily mean fast recovery. It just means how many pitches in a start before gassing out.

You're probably not going to see a difference in rest. You're probably just holding back your pitcher's actual strength.

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In the past, during my DC glory days, I would often employ a high stamina SP and go 6-man rotation. Once every six games, I'd throw an 8-stamina SP, on a long leash, and he'd usually go to the 7th or 8th, give up 5+ ER, but my bullpen would be rested and I'd still have a chance to outslug the other team. I found it super useful in keeping the rest of my rotation fresh/healthy (6th man) and my bullpen fresh/healthy (workhorse 8 stamina SP on short leash).

It's a luxury few teams can afford to do....It was only when my team was so stacked I was ok with almost "throwing" a game each week to keep the rest of the rotation/pen good to go.

I know a lot of MLB teams, when I used to follow it more, would employe pitchers to do the same.

[PaulC]

I have almost the opposite problem... My pitchers, not named Brouwer, routinely go 7+ innings and my bullpen sits around for days, perhaps thats why they have been getting shelled so damn hard.

[Carlos]

I have almost the opposite problem... My pitchers, not named Brouwer, routinely go 7+ innings and my bullpen sits around for days, perhaps thats why they have been getting shelled so damn hard.

You have to manage your bullpen differently depending on your starters.

Your middle relievers don't get work because your starters pitch into the 8th with a lead. That's why your set up man and closer are being used 2x more than anyone else.

When they don't reach the 8th, the game is going to call upon the "best" reliever according to either rating or more often usage setting. And since he's usually rested by the time he pitches again, he gets called upon frequently.

If you want your other guys used more, you need to make them set up relievers with the middle relief back up role.

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[PaulC]

You have to manage your bullpen differently depending on your starters.

Your middle relievers don't get work because your starters pitch into the 8th with a lead. That's why your set up man and closer are being used 2x more than anyone else.

When they don't reach the 8th, the game is going to call upon the "best" reliever according to either rating or more often usage setting. And since he's usually rested by the time he pitches again, he gets called upon frequently.

If you want your other guys used more, you need to make them set up relievers with the middle relief back up role.

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Good points... I just wish the game was a little more sensible and didn't always default to best available. Too many times, my closer pitches with a four or five run lead, and my set up guys pitch multiple innings with a 4-8 run lead, or when we're behind, when the middle innings guys should be getting work...

[Pat]

WC is 1-1-1?
DS is 2-2-1?
CS is 2-3-2?
Brew is 2-2-1-1-1?

[Matt]

We have a few new GM's...and for old GM's it's a fun read.
GM's mentioned...Del, Z, Andrew, Pat, Ryan, JB
https://www.blbsim.com/forums/forum/...-legend-series

Other tips and tricks that we put together as a group over time...

-Don't be afraid to have completely different linups vs LHP and RHP. Platooning works.

-Minor league pitching prospects should have pitch counts...probably not higher than 75

-Minor league position players should play out of position...so the 60 LF should play RF and learn it if they haven't already. Same with the 55 SS...go play 2B.

-8 year contracts are bad.

-5 year contracts with Team Options at the end are good

-Stats matter...often more so than ratings for the draft and BLB players. Minor league stats can be skewed.

-Make sure you use individual strategies for pitchers/hitters. Hit and run/Bunt/Bunt for hit should be zero unless they are 70-80 at it...or a pitcher. Having a shorter hook on pitchers is also advisable.

-Same with stealing...don't steal if they aren't fast...turn it down. If they are and you want to run...then turn it up. OVERRIDE TEAM STRATEGY selected as well.

-The Stopper role in the bullpen is meant for historical games...not present day. At least according to the developer. Use at your own risk.

-Spending money on Major scouting seems silly when we have a draft...but it helps the AI have a better idea of what players true ratings are and will help you win games. We don't manage our games...the AI does. The more info they have the better.

-Don't leave guys in the minors until they are 25. They have to develop the last bit in the BLB. Even if they struggle it's better than waiting too long.

-Don't trust your scouts green/red arrows. They mean nothing. Trust your scout/OSA and most important stats.

-Adjust your ticket prices during the year. You can change the price, hit Enter. Click another screen then come back and see if your Projected Budget changed. Make sure it's always as high as you can get it.

-Scout the waiver wire every SIM. Look for guys that are on MLC that are better than your MLC players. Look for guys that are 280k that are better than your 280k players. I can't tell you how many good starters I've gotten for free over 40 seasons.

-Have a FA filter set up for hitters under 25 and pitchers under 25 that meet your Potential criteria. Mine are 50-50-50 for pitchers or 50 contact/50 Avoid K's for batter. Sign those guys. Boot the scrubs from your system. Sometimes they develop and are either undrafted or one mans trash

-The SIM after the draft especially do #15. https://atl-02.statsplus.net/blb/rep...yer_15247.html

-I adjust my lineup via OBP every few weeks. Certain guys hit better in certain spots but for the most part getting your best guys the most at bats wins. Remember it's a game.

-Don't use team strategy unless it's like favor R/L or sub position players/pitchers which should all be low. Remember though Individual strategy is important.

-Have captains. Have leaders. Morale is huge. It's talked about several times by winning GM's.

-Find coaches that complement your team. I got my manager from looking though every single coach and finding someone who complements all my hitters and has a Good relationship. He also has Good in development and a Higher influence on all my hitters. So what does my bench coach have...well he has a Good relationship with the pitchers. He's new and isn't as good but my old guy was, but is the opposite of my Manager and had relationships and development on pitchers. Same with all my minor league manager. If possible I want them all to have Good development influence. Also I find PC and HC who also match up and have influence over guys on my team.

-Check your upcoming FA list and make sure to resign MLC guys. Even if you don't know who they are they are probably better than the cannon fodder you will find in the FA market if you forget and need to sign a bunch of players. Also you can look at other teams and see who is a possible FA big name to be and what their extension demand is. Trade ideas.

-Even though I talked about playing minor league guys out of position I've always tried to have a really good def catcher and CF to help out the pitchers. They don't have to be a prospect and can be garbage but if they can play def I'll take them over some other scrub who can't.

-I love this guy and his advice on the forums...especially for bullpens. https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...63&postcount=2

-Post draft make sure you aren't just throwing rookie pitchers with no regard. Looking at the draft pool now and many of the kids have already thrown 40+ innings and could easily finish in the 60's. Don't make them throw another 40. Put them in the pen if you really want to see them play.

-If you use 7 day lineups...I don't anymore...make sure you still have your depth charts filled out. Nothing screws up a lineup and game like the AI trying to figure out who to sub for an injured/tired player. I often go Utility 2 as well with backups to the backups that are listed as Never but just in case.

-Monitor your minor leagues. Make sure you have 5/6 starters listed and backups for players (especially catcher). If you don't want to under Managers Options you can have select 'Minor League Mangers' for Lineups/Depth Charts/Pitching Staffs. Never let them Sign and Release but you could have them promote as well if you want total hands off.

-Don't live and die week to week. Maybe month to month and even then we've seen some dramatic turnarounds.
Currently I see 2 pranksters, 11 sparkplugs, 14 captain, and like 50 guys with high leadership sitting in FA. Struggling teams or morale issue teams sign them. Even to the minor leagues to help those teams if possible.

-Try to limit pitchers in the minors to an increment of 25-30 innings as a year over year increase. I stole this from Pat, and the number of injuries to pitchers in our minors has decreased, and the potential development gains seems to have increased as a result.

-If you are rebuilding spend your money...or the owner takes it. Use the $5m to buy 1000 seats if you aren't at 45k in the off-season. If you are in the season and the season has no hope spend it on Popular players. Right now I can look in FA and see at least 5 players that are better than several teams players. C Tripp (catchers are hard to find), Parker W, Ivan C, Farris, Rivera, Laurence Y, Eiichi N, or sign a bunch of fast players and just set every steal setting to High. Sign all power players and swing for the fences. Have fun sucking...rebuilding can be a joy. There is almost no frustration with no expectations.

-Defense... We've likely missed on some big bats over the years (Caceres for Santoro and Jacobi), because we focus our drafting in the first two rounds on players that can hit and field... During the regular season, the ability to roll out strong defensive teams takes a lot of pressure off of your pitching and your offense... And, defense rarely goes in a slump.

-This piggy backs on a previous #3... Use the minors and Spring Training to make position gains for you players defensively... There are a lot of guys that are 60 - 70 at one position that have never played anywhere else... Having each player play at least one secondary position at 50/55 is a huge boost to what your manager can do with your line-up when it comes to injuries or just versatile.

-This goes off of #11. If you bring a guy up leave him up. I've seen top prospects get wrecked because they get bounced from BLB to AAA to BLB. Don't bounce. Take the growing pains for at least a few months. If they don't pan out then maybe next year they don't make the squad, but give them a chance. You'll often see their ability/potential improve. There is a reason they were a top prospect.
Draft durable pitchers if possible- don't need pitch counts if they tend not to get hurt
Use pitch counts on guys with a weak change up for pitch 3. Use depth chart guys for players who are not Durable or higher.

-Find that player in the 2nd or 3rd round that can be a stud. Maybe they have one flaw... but you can work around that. Those teams that find the 2nd and 3rd rounders seem to be the big winners. Or do whatever Seattle and Washington do. They never seem to lose or rebuild.

-Use 7 day lineups just to ensure the rest happens in a manner that you like (ie. not 5 guys mistakenly resting on the same day)

-If you can't re-sign a guy to a MLC bring him up to the 40 man instead of losing him. It will start his clock and he'll make 280k but better than letting him walk.

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From Del...
- I always look to build a winning organization (LOL, yes I said it), even if I know you aren't going to win it all that year.
-Don't be afraid to make moves. If that means trading your 1st round picks or best players, you gotta take those risks. However, when you do pick in the first round, don't miss. :)
- Don't check out on the late rounds of the draft. Sure, you are going to miss more than you hit but that's baseball. However, random picks from the utility are not the way to go. You need those serviceable dirtdogs that will give you a stopgap until the next stars are obtained. Use the draft to its full potential.
-I think the biggest contribution to our success is moral maintenance. There are some who call it window dressing, but I think moral is the single biggest factor to success in OOTP.
______
From Z....
How do you compete year after year?
- I try to stay focused on our goal. Usually it's to compete for the Ale title, which is always one of the toughest divisions. So I work to avoid making moves that work against that goal.
During my earlier years, with Philadelphia and Pittsburgh especially, I sometimes retooled—trading a veteran away from an otherwise competitive team to replenish long-term assets.
That approach didn't work well for me. I frequently couldn't replace the departing veteran as well as I expected I could. It hurt the team. A lot of the time, the prospects I received in return didn't pan out either.
- We have a good group of players in Maine. For years I've tried to let them grow and play baseball. I make changes around the margins but not messing with a good thing.
________
From JB...
How do you compete year after year?
-I've always just opted to slowly trade off assets (older-ish superstars, rising prospects, 1st-3rd round draft picks) for proven guys in that 22-30 year old range to sustain a consistent winner.
- I also think finding those late round gems - particularly high end starters in the 2nd round, regulars in the 3rd round, and role players in the 4th and lower keeps your franchise humming.
- Z, Matt, and Prez have always been good at adding in those "glue" type vets at the right price. I've tried to follow that as well. So far it's worked for getting to the playoffs 14-out-of-23 seasons . It hasn't gotten me a title though.
Maybe soon. Maybe not. (IT DID)
________
From Ryan
- And I guess chemistry plays a role too. At the 1988 trade deadline, I went all in and traded for RF Shitty Gremades, 2B Desi Rochs, C/DH Sergio Lumar, OF Joe Coker, SP Akira Abe, and a couple others, and we were hot garbage. We were seriously better before that trade, and on paper, there was no reason for it. I'll never forget that season. #Chemistry
- I suppose I really like to have two or three horses in the rotation and a strong bullpen. On defense, I try to field a good defensive team. I usually defer to a defensive guy over an offensive guy, if all is equal. I try to stay strong up the middle. Some of my best players have been catchers (Pete Miller) or center fielders (Rex Knight, and now Morales and Gray). All of them were good defensively and really good bats.
- I have other quirks, I suppose, but it's mainly boring stuff like positions I refuse to spend money on.
What are you looking for in a trade?
-Depends on the situation. If I'm adding to the BLB team, I need value for the now. So I'm likely trading away a prospect or a pick. Or several. If I feel like it'll help me win now, I'll do whatever it takes. I've sacrificed future seasons for the now. See: 1988 or 2012.
- If I'm in sell mode, I'm restocking the farm or adding picks. Here it's all about value. In the case of prospects, how do they fit with what I've got now? When will they be ready to contribute, and will my in house players be ready as well? Something I've started doing in the last few seasons is paying attention to windows and how the pieces fit together.
- One thing I really try to do is not wait a year too late to make a deal. I try to stay unattached to these bastards, but it's so hard, you know?