Well, Baseball America updated...

[Clay]

I don't see how converting to OOTP9 will hurt the kids... infact, I think it will help them as less and less take massive and random development hits.

There will be changes on the conversion... I think it will help those who don't take an initial hit... and definately new prospects going forward.... but I don't anticipate a good transition.

That being said.... the conversion to OOTP may just accelerate what was going to happen to them in 08 anyway.... it just might be more sudden.

[Pat]

Well, I currently have the #7 best system...but I feel really good about the rest of it. Sure, I have three of the top 20 prospects, and another to round out the top 100 list...

LF Padilla (13th) - AAA
RF Nago (17th) - BLB
C Murdock (18th) - AAA
SS Summers (61st) - AAA

...but the rest of my ORG top 10 isn't too shabby either:

#5 - SP Ruiz (Single-A)
#6 - RF Paulet (BLB)
#7 - C Hernandez (A)
#8 - 1B Stirling (AAA)
#9 - CF Fitzsymons (AAA)
#10 - SP Jimenez (A)

So, of my top 10, I have two in the BLB, five in AAA, and three in A. Also, all five that are in AAA are playing really well. Some, if not all, will be in the BLB before the end of the 1985 season.

[Jake]

Dear God,

Please, please, please don't have Justin Chewning take a ratings hit before the switch to 9. Please, please, please don't have Justin Chewning take a ratings hit before the switch to 9. Please, please, please don't have Justin Chewning take a ratings hit before the switch to 9. Please, please, please don't have Justin Chewning take a ratings hit before the switch to 9. Please, please, please don't have Justin Chewning take a ratings hit before the switch to 9. Thanks.

Sincerely,
Jake Wolf

P.S. No hit after the switch would be sweet, too.

[Riverman]

There will be changes on the conversion... I think it will help those who don't take an initial hit... and definately new prospects going forward.... but I don't anticipate a good transition.

That being said.... the conversion to OOTP may just accelerate what was going to happen to them in 08 anyway.... it just might be more sudden.

So do you have a reason to believe that there will be problems with the transition or are you just trying to worry the teams with a lot of good prospects?

[Clay]

So do you have a reason to believe that there will be problems with the transition or are you just trying to worry the teams with a lot of good prospects?

I believe, based on the experience of the last conversion and the significant recoding of how prospects and development are handled, there will be drastic changes in prospects when we convert. Now, as I said earlier, I'm sure most of it was inevitable anyway, I just think 09 is going to unmask it right away because 08 tends to like to rollercoaster more.

So... to answer your question... yes... I have reason to believe.... no I don't have proof.... and why would I want to worry teams loaded with prospects when I'm one of them?

[Jake]

Syracuse is impressive, but my concern is that it's all fluff and no meat. It's loaded with OFers and 1B/C's which are a dime a dozen. I'd rather have less prospects in areas like SP and middle IF...

Don't get me wrong, I'm going to have a log jam at 3B on my team... in fact.... I expect to move a Top 40 talent this off-season when I put Maeda and Branch on the block to move one of them for a Top tier SP prospect (or established star).

HOWEVA!!!!

Most importantly... I'm counting no chickens (prospects) before they're hatched (conversion to OOTP9).

You're dead on. But, my prospects are pretty spread out... like I mentioned before, I could fill an entire lineup with a DH since I have two C's. I love C Teagan Cannell - but he's a couple years away, so for now, Jerome is the C of the future. If either of those guys develop, and Chewning and Carbajal turn into any kind of positive offensive player, I'll be set. But... some of those guys just shouldn't be top 100 guys. And after Nicholson dropped way out of the top 100, all of a sudden SP Jerry Sizemore is in the 80's somewhere. Which is nice... but doesn't make any sense. I don't put much stock into some of the guys from 60-100... especially most of mine.

[Jake]

I don't see how converting to OOTP9 will hurt the kids... infact, I think it will help them as less and less take massive and random development hits.

I too am looking at OOTP 9 like a race to the finish line... if I can get my young guys there without a hit, then it sounds like from there they'll all develop correctly. I almost left Chewning in the minors to try and avoid a hit before then... might be a big mistake to call him up if he does.

[BradleyB]

I don't put much stock into some of the guys from 60-100... especially most of mine.

I don't put much stock into any of the BA reports period (see Ray Royal and Sadakuno Sakai). They are a nice addition to the regular game though.

[Riverman]

I believe, based on the experience of the last conversion and the significant recoding of how prospects and development are handled, there will be drastic changes in prospects when we convert. Now, as I said earlier, I'm sure most of it was inevitable anyway, I just think 09 is going to unmask it right away because 08 tends to like to rollercoaster more.

So... to answer your question... yes... I have reason to believe.... no I don't have proof.... and why would I want to worry teams loaded with prospects when I'm one of them?

My recollection is that people complained more about what happened to established players than prospects after the last conversion. Wasn't that when Stafford took his hit? And it seems like Baltimore had another BLB guy who didn't emerge from 2007 as well as one might hope.

I thought maybe your concerns about prospects had something to do with leagues that have converted to 9 already but I guess not.

[Ryan]

I've gone from first to second and now to third that last few times this has updated. Really I dont put any stock into this type of stuff unless I'm in the top five, then its definetly noteworthy. Other than that, I think the system is flawed.

[Andrew]

It is definitely flawed. It has Maine ranked 13th when we have a terrible system. Our #1 prospect is in his 2nd full season in the BLB so probably shouldn't be on the list.

[Clay]

I think someone should take it upon themself to keep a real statistically based Farm Report. I vote Linty.

[Pat]

I think someone should take it upon themself to keep a real statistically based Farm Report. I vote Linty.

I second this vote.

[Whale]

As long as Linty isn't some secret code for me, then I agree.

[Clay]

As long as Linty isn't some secret code for me, then I agree.

Busted