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Dan Kalvoski · 01-12-2011, 07:07 PM

For several OOTP versions now, I have had good luck adjusting the Sabermetric player creation numbers for the minor leagues, to prevent the league running out of players.
The problem with running leagues without fictional players is that the historical record doesn't recognize that the worst MLB hitter is better than hundreds of thousands of minor-league hitters, amateurs and wannabes at the same position. So when your team gets an injury bug, there should always be somebody available. The trick is to generate players good enough to have a cup of coffee without them showing up as league leaders, or even regulars.
This method generates minor leaguers ranging from useless to barely adequate bench jockeys. The trick is that you have to do it in the right order:
1) Create your historical major league with no minors;
2) Add a minor league and change the player creation numbers before you go live with the minor league, otherwise your initial season player pool will include fictional guys good enough to play in the bigs, although the successive ones will not.
Reduce every modifier by 100 points, at least (they typically start between about .700 to .850). Reduce power and contact by 150 points. If you want to be sure none of them will even make it as a pinch-hitter, drop the modifiers by at least 150 to 200. For each successive layer of the minors, drop the modifiers by another 100 points.
3) Now start the league, and it will fill with usable players, but the best of them will be lucky to have a three-year career as a middle reliever on a bad team. Most are obvious rejects.
4) Before you play a day, sort the minors for speed guys. There will be a few track stars. Force-retire them or nerf their speed stats, or every MLB bench will have a designated sprinter on it, even if they can't hit.
5) Do the same for glove guys, particularly at fielding-first positions, or you will devalue the real good-glove, no-hit guys in the majors.
6) You have to prune out the speed guys and the glove wizards annually. Otherwise, it's one-and-done on the modifiers.

01-12-2011, 07:07 PM	#10
Dan Kalvoski Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: In Red Sox Nation Posts: 131	For several OOTP versions now, I have had good luck adjusting the Sabermetric player creation numbers for the minor leagues, to prevent the league running out of players. The problem with running leagues without fictional players is that the historical record doesn't recognize that the worst MLB hitter is better than hundreds of thousands of minor-league hitters, amateurs and wannabes at the same position. So when your team gets an injury bug, there should always be somebody available. The trick is to generate players good enough to have a cup of coffee without them showing up as league leaders, or even regulars. This method generates minor leaguers ranging from useless to barely adequate bench jockeys. The trick is that you have to do it in the right order: 1) Create your historical major league with no minors; 2) Add a minor league and change the player creation numbers before you go live with the minor league, otherwise your initial season player pool will include fictional guys good enough to play in the bigs, although the successive ones will not. Reduce every modifier by 100 points, at least (they typically start between about .700 to .850). Reduce power and contact by 150 points. If you want to be sure none of them will even make it as a pinch-hitter, drop the modifiers by at least 150 to 200. For each successive layer of the minors, drop the modifiers by another 100 points. 3) Now start the league, and it will fill with usable players, but the best of them will be lucky to have a three-year career as a middle reliever on a bad team. Most are obvious rejects. 4) Before you play a day, sort the minors for speed guys. There will be a few track stars. Force-retire them or nerf their speed stats, or every MLB bench will have a designated sprinter on it, even if they can't hit. 5) Do the same for glove guys, particularly at fielding-first positions, or you will devalue the real good-glove, no-hit guys in the majors. 6) You have to prune out the speed guys and the glove wizards annually. Otherwise, it's one-and-done on the modifiers. __________________ Chief gag writer, Dr. Tongue's 3-D House of Clones dynasty.