[cheo25]

I play mainly historical games in the '70s/80s. I like to start in a given year and watch from afar while doing real-time simulation every day. I set each franchise up so rookies are assigned to their historical teams. I'm fine with players being traded (or even moving on in free agency once that kicks in following the 1976 season) because I do want to see some variance from real life in team performance.

But with rookies going to their original teams, I still get that feel that each team had in a given time period. So the Reds feel like the Reds, the Dodgers feel like the Dodgers, etc., even if a handful of guys move along, even if it's a big name or two that moves along. I look at the way my leagues are set up like it's the best of both worlds. And some of it becomes a "what if" thing, too, like Joe Morgan staying with the Astros instead of being traded to Cincinnati after the '71 season. Both teams' performances are a little different. The Astros have been more of a contender, and the Reds have been more of a .500 team because they don't have Morgan or George Foster, who stays with the Giants instead of being traded. The Giants have been a real force because Foster, Gaylord Perry, Garry Maddox, Dave Kingman, to name a few, stayed with them.