Hey all! Some of you might have come across
this thread a while ago. I stopped it because, to be honest, I didn't like much of what I was putting out. I didn’t like how there were many foreign players or how the in-game date started in 2019. So, I started a new one (and a better one, I hope).
Again, the first league in the game will be England’s The Baseball League, starting with 12 teams:
Bolton Wanderers
Everton Toffees
Aston Villa Lions
West Bromwich Baggies
Preston North End
Derby Rams
Burnley Clarets
Wolverhampton Wolves
Blackburn Rovers
Accrington Club
Notts County Magpies
Stoke Potters
The league will start September 8th, 1888 (for real this time). The teams will play 22 games each (twice against each other) and only one game per week. The top two teams will make it to the Community Shield and will only play one game to determine the League Champions. (I need to do this as I have found the game will not move on from the first season if playoffs are disabled). DH will be enabled.
I set service years for FA to 4, with arbitration after 1 year, minimum salary is $1,250 with the super star salary set to 50,000. International Amateur FA, Established FA and FA from Independent Leagues are disables. International discoveries are set at Default, with 25% each from Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Player origin is set to 92% from England, 3% from N. Ireland and Scotland, and 1% from Ireland and Wales.
Roster limit is set to 21. I got to this number as soccer squads are usually 25, 11 starters, 11 to make a back-up team and 3 extras. This is OOTP
Baseball so each team should have 9 starters, 9 back-ups and 3 extras. The starting rotation size is set to 3 (as there are 3 goalkeepers in a soccer squad) and rotation type to start higher rested. Starters are allowed in relief, as there are no relievers. The number of position players is set to 18.
As I adjusted the roster settings, I also adjusted strategic tendencies. Hook for SP is set to +5, use of relievers and closers to very rarely, use of openers to 0, pitcher stamina to Very High. I also changed stealing bases to often and hit & run, bunting and infield shifts to normal in an attempt to make athleticism somewhat more important (just as it is in modern soccer).
Trading is enabled and the deadline is set to August 31st to match (modern) real life, although trading frequency is set to low. There will be a 5-round draft with the first one set to be held March 1st, 1889. Players will come from an “Academy" level (HS in-game), with the Academy League made up of 9 teams from the 9 regions of England:
East Emeralds
North East Nobles
North West Navigators
South West Scarlets
West Midlands Wolfhounds
Yorkshire & Humber Wizards
London Royals
South East Squires
East Midlands Emperors
Players will be from the UK (England, N. Ireland and Wales) with 93% from England. Age limits are set from 15 to 22 with all players eligible. This is because IRL, age is not an impediment to be signed by a professional club from your country. Age limits are set as I am planning on adding U23 and U18 leagues in the future.
Alongside The Baseball League there will be an international tournament, the British Home Championship. It will be played every year around February-March between Scotland, N. Ireland, England and Wales.