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Originally Posted by swampdragon
Financial Coefficient should probably be something like .003-.005. Leave off the All-Star game. We can always add it later. If you have free agency, it should be extended to something like 10 years of service with no arbitration.
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If you want accuracy, 1871 - 1879 was wide open free agency with a lot of one-year contracts and escalating (for the time) contracts.
The reserve clause came into being in 1880 whereby each team 'reserved' five players. These players could not be signed by other National League owners essentially making them life-time employees of a given team unless they decided to retire or jump to another league. The number of players allowed to be reserved grew to 14 or so by the end of the decade and then the reserve clause began being written into player contracts (where as previously it was an agreement between owners rather than a contractual matter between owner and player).
So, free agency was complete until the 1880 season and remained for second tier players until nearly 1890. Afterward, players were property of whoever held their contract until Curt Flood in the 70s.
That may not be completely accurate (jump in any of you historians) but up to 1880, I would have free agency with a low average contract length.
As for salaries, while I am sure that there are some resources somewhere, The Hartford Dark Blues who began play in 1874 contracted their first batch of "experienced, if unspectacular players for salaries ranging from $800 to $2,000" *
The Hartford team was started with $5,000 in capital and drew crowds ranging from 3,000 to 12,000 depending on the opponent.
I don't know if that helps you folks that are familiar with building financial models in OOTP but if it does and you have come up with good financial modifiers, I would love to see them!
* 'Grace, Grit and Growling' by David Arcidiacono page 13