Quote:
Originally Posted by joefromchicago
Yeah, that's a big problem with independent minor league teams. In real life, those teams would be selling players to ML clubs, but OOTP's AI just doesn't buy players - at all.
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I'd have to double check, but I'm pretty sure players on an independent club in an affiliated league in real life are subject to the Rule 5 draft.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OmahaReynolds
IAs far as league balance goes, I believe it was LGO who said that after awhile the independent minor league teams start to dominate in leagues where they play against farm clubs, since the best players on farm clubs tend to get promoted toward the end of the season.
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No, that wasn't me. But I seem to recall hearing the same sort of thing.
In real life, independent clubs in an affiliated league (in the modern era) tend to do poorly when in full season leagues but perform better when in short season leagues. I actually compiled the results of such independent clubs. Here is what I found.
From 1973-1995 there were a total of 75 clubs which operated independently in otherwise affiliated minor leagues. (There were no independents from 1996-2006.) Of those 75 clubs, 27 (36%) were in full season leagues and 48 (64%) in short season leagues. Of the ones in the full season leagues, 26 were in the High-A leagues (California, Carolina, Florida State) and 1 in Low-A (South Atlantic League). Of the ones in short season leagues, 34 were in Short-A leagues (New York-Penn, Northwest) and 14 in Rookie (Pioneer, Appalachian).
In aggregate, the clubs in full season leagues compiled a 1437-2287 .386 record, while the independents in the short season leagues compiled a 1752-1741 .502 record. Below is a table showing the results for each independent club in the two types of affiliated minor leagues, ordered by winning percentage.
Code:
FULL SEASON LEAGUES
Year Lg Class Team W L Pct
--------------------------------------------
1986 FSL A-H Miami 74 66 .529
1990 CAL A-H Reno 71 68 .511
1987 CAL A-H San Bernardino 70 72 .493
1989 CAL A-H Reno 68 74 .479
1986 CAL A-H San Jose 65 77 .458
1979 CAL A-H Bakersfield 63 77 .450
1986 CAR A-H Kinston 60 76 .441
1978 CAR A-H Alexandria 58 75 .436
1991 CAL A-H Reno 59 77 .434
1978 CAR A-H Kinston 57 77 .425
1985 FSL A-H Miami 58 83 .411
1988 FSL A-H Miami 55 79 .410
1991 CAL A-H Salinas 55 81 .404
1984 CAL A-H San Jose 55 85 .393
1982 FSL A-H Miami 53 84 .387
1980 CAR A-H Alexandria 54 86 .386
1985 CAL A-H San Jose 55 88 .385
1978 CAL A-H Bakersfield 48 92 .343
1990 CAL A-H Salinas 47 93 .336
1987 FSL A-H Miami 44 89 .331
1989 CAR A-H Peninsula 44 89 .331
1990 FSL A-H Miami 44 93 .321
1985 SAL A-L Gastonia 44 93 .321
1989 FSL A-H Miami 43 91 .321
1992 CAL A-H Salinas 36 99 .267
1987 CAL A-H San Jose 33 109 .232
1980 CAR A-H Rocky Mount 24 114 .174
SHORT SEASON LEAGUES
Year Lg Class Team W L Pct
--------------------------------------------
1987 PIO R-A Salt Lake City 49 21 .700
1991 PIO R-A Salt Lake City 49 21 .700
1992 PIO R-A Salt Lake City 53 23 .697
1978 NWL A-S Grays Harbor 47 23 .671
1977 NWL A-S Portland 44 22 .667
1985 PIO R-A Salt Lake City 46 24 .657
1983 NYP A-S Utica 48 26 .649
1984 PIO R-A Helena 44 24 .647
1986 PIO R-A Salt Lake City 45 25 .643
1990 PIO R-A Salt Lake City 42 26 .618
1980 NWL A-S Victoria 42 28 .600
1974 NWL A-S Portland 50 34 .595
1988 PIO R-A Salt Lake City 41 29 .586
1990 NYP A-S Erie 44 33 .571
1979 NWL A-S Victoria 41 31 .569
1994 PIO R-A Ogden 41 31 .569
1973 NWL A-S Portland 45 35 .563
1981 NYP A-S Utica 39 31 .557
1976 NWL A-S Portland 40 32 .556
1982 NYP A-S Utica 41 34 .547
1975 NWL A-S Portland 42 35 .545
1976 NWL A-S Seattle 39 33 .542
1993 PIO R-A Pocatello 37 38 .493
1980 NWL A-S Salem 34 36 .486
1980 NWL A-S Grays Harbor 33 36 .478
1978 APP R-A Paintsville 33 36 .478
1989 PIO R-A Salt Lake City 33 36 .478
1989 NWL A-S Boise 35 40 .467
1985 NYP A-S Utica 35 41 .461
1979 NWL A-S Salem 33 39 .458
1995 PIO R-A Ogden 32 38 .457
1979 NYP A-S Newark 32 39 .451
1985 NWL A-S Tri-City 33 41 .446
1975 NWL A-S Seattle 35 44 .443
1978 NYP A-S Niagara Falls 30 40 .429
1979 NYP A-S Niagara Falls 30 41 .423
1978 NWL A-S Victoria 29 40 .420
1984 NYP A-S Utica 31 44 .413
1974 NWL A-S New Westminster 34 50 .405
1988 NWL A-S Boise 30 46 .395
1978 NWL A-S Salem 25 44 .362
1976 NWL A-S Grays Harbor 26 46 .361
1987 NWL A-S Boise 26 50 .342
1977 NWL A-S Salem 22 46 .324
1974 NWL A-S Tri-City 27 57 .321
1978 NWL A-S Boise 23 49 .319
1987 NYP A-S Batavia 23 54 .299
1985 PIO R-A Idaho Falls 19 49 .279
Just two of the independents in the full season leagues managed to post a record above.500; the rest were under, and a few of the clubs were dreadful. In short season leagues, 22 of the 48 teams posted records above .500, and 11 were above .600 — some short season independent clubs were able to be very competitive.
Here's the same data again, this time ordered by club and year, allowing one to see the year-by-year progression for those clubs which operated as independents in consecutive years.
Code:
FULL SEASON LEAGUES
Year Lg Class Team W L Pct
--------------------------------------------
1978 CAR A-H Alexandria 58 75 .436
1980 CAR A-H Alexandria 54 86 .386
1978 CAL A-H Bakersfield 48 92 .343
1979 CAL A-H Bakersfield 63 77 .450
1985 SAL A-L Gastonia 44 93 .321
1978 CAR A-H Kinston 57 77 .425
1986 CAR A-H Kinston 60 76 .441
1982 FSL A-H Miami 53 84 .387
1985 FSL A-H Miami 58 83 .411
1986 FSL A-H Miami 74 66 .529
1987 FSL A-H Miami 44 89 .331
1988 FSL A-H Miami 55 79 .410
1989 FSL A-H Miami 43 91 .321
1990 FSL A-H Miami 44 93 .321
1989 CAR A-H Peninsula 44 89 .331
1989 CAL A-H Reno 68 74 .479
1990 CAL A-H Reno 71 68 .511
1991 CAL A-H Reno 59 77 .434
1980 CAR A-H Rocky Mount 24 114 .174
1990 CAL A-H Salinas 47 93 .336
1991 CAL A-H Salinas 55 81 .404
1992 CAL A-H Salinas 36 99 .267
1987 CAL A-H San Bernardino 70 72 .493
1984 CAL A-H San Jose 55 85 .393
1985 CAL A-H San Jose 55 88 .385
1986 CAL A-H San Jose 65 77 .458
1987 CAL A-H San Jose 33 109 .232
SHORT SEASON LEAGUES
Year Lg Class Team W L Pct
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1987 NYP A-S Batavia 23 54 .299
1978 NWL A-S Boise 23 49 .319
1987 NWL A-S Boise 26 50 .342
1988 NWL A-S Boise 30 46 .395
1989 NWL A-S Boise 35 40 .467
1990 NYP A-S Erie 44 33 .571
1976 NWL A-S Grays Harbor 26 46 .361
1978 NWL A-S Grays Harbor 47 23 .671
1980 NWL A-S Grays Harbor 33 36 .478
1984 PIO R-A Helena 44 24 .647
1985 PIO R-A Idaho Falls 19 49 .279
1974 NWL A-S New Westminster 34 50 .405
1979 NYP A-S Newark 32 39 .451
1978 NYP A-S Niagara Falls 30 40 .429
1979 NYP A-S Niagara Falls 30 41 .423
1994 PIO R-A Ogden 41 31 .569
1995 PIO R-A Ogden 32 38 .457
1978 APP R-A Paintsville 33 36 .478
1993 PIO R-A Pocatello 37 38 .493
1973 NWL A-S Portland 45 35 .563
1974 NWL A-S Portland 50 34 .595
1975 NWL A-S Portland 42 35 .545
1976 NWL A-S Portland 40 32 .556
1977 NWL A-S Portland 44 22 .667
1977 NWL A-S Salem 22 46 .324
1978 NWL A-S Salem 25 44 .362
1979 NWL A-S Salem 33 39 .458
1980 NWL A-S Salem 34 36 .486
1985 PIO R-A Salt Lake City 46 24 .657
1986 PIO R-A Salt Lake City 45 25 .643
1987 PIO R-A Salt Lake City 49 21 .700
1988 PIO R-A Salt Lake City 41 29 .586
1989 PIO R-A Salt Lake City 33 36 .478
1990 PIO R-A Salt Lake City 42 26 .618
1991 PIO R-A Salt Lake City 49 21 .700
1992 PIO R-A Salt Lake City 53 23 .697
1975 NWL A-S Seattle 35 44 .443
1976 NWL A-S Seattle 39 33 .542
1974 NWL A-S Tri-City 27 57 .321
1985 NWL A-S Tri-City 33 41 .446
1981 NYP A-S Utica 39 31 .557
1982 NYP A-S Utica 41 34 .547
1983 NYP A-S Utica 48 26 .649
1984 NYP A-S Utica 31 44 .413
1985 NYP A-S Utica 35 41 .461
1978 NWL A-S Victoria 29 40 .420
1979 NWL A-S Victoria 41 31 .569
1980 NWL A-S Victoria 42 28 .600
Hope this helps.
