Help Me Understand Drafts, Please! I'm Losing It...

[ALB123]

I have an issue understanding the First-Year Player Draft. I have searched on multiple days. I have consulted with our Google Overlords and I have checked Reddit's OOTP sub-Reddit. Everyone always kind of explains it the same way and I just don't get it. I can't seem to understand the logic of the answer behind the question asking, "Why the heck is the Draft held in December each year for Historical play?"

Why should it be any different than how it was in real life? The OOTP 1988 Season, for example, still starts on the same day it did in real life. Why can't the Draft be in June with the same Draft Pool in 1988 OOTP as real-life 1988? For example: In OOTP a SS named Mark Lewis was drafted in December of 1987. In real life, Mark Lewis was drafted in June of 1988. What would have been the big deal if Mark Lewis didn't get signed in OOTP until June 1988, as he did in real life? Let's pretend Mark Lewis is a 4.5 Star stud (think A-Rod). He's got such high ratings and I need the help, so I'm going to start Mark at A+ or AA Class. He'll be playing baseball in April of 1988. But, in real life, he wasn't even on a team until June 1988. Now, let's pretend Mark Lewis has very nice potential, but he's a 1 Star SS. I'm going to draft him and he's not going on a field until Mid-to-Late June because that's when the Rookie League starts in my farm system.

I can't understand why anything needs to be drastically different in a historical simulation. Isn't the entire idea to go back and start at any point in baseball history with as much accuracy of the real world stats/teams/players as possible? I'm not saying I'm right and OOTP is wrong, well kinda, but I can't understand it and this has been eating at me and eating at me for weeks. I'm going to end up in the funny farm over this damn thing and I'm not even joking. Someone. Anyone. Please help me.

[HerbD]

I'll give it a go. In the early days of OOTP historical players came into a league the first year they actually appeared in the majors so they were in theory already developed enough to play. The draft was set in December so those players would not miss a third of the season. As OOTP developed these historical players were able to appear in the game when they first appeared in the minor leagues. I will contend that since you can make the change yourself in the setup the the developers never saw a reason to change the draft date themselves.

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[Tiger Fan]

I believe it is because in a historical league without minors league players and teams enabled players enter the draft in the December before their major league debut, not the season they were actually drafted in.

Edit- did not see the reply above when I posted this.

[perez24]

I just change the date in the league settings. But be sure it lines up with when the Rookie Leagues start playing!

[mjj55409]

Also keep in mind that the Amateur draft was first held in 1965. The date was set as June for those high school players who just graduated and the college players whose seasons just ended. (There was actually two drafts initially, one in June, and then one in January for those players who graduated in December).

Any draft prior to 1965 is already ahistorical. If you wanted to be a stickler, you can have a December draft until 1965 and then change the date.

[ALB123]

Originally Posted by HerbD

I'll give it a go. In the early days of OOTP historical players came into a league the first year they actually appeared in the majors so they were in theory already developed enough to play. The draft was set in December so those players would not miss a third of the season. As OOTP developed these historical players were able to appear in the game when they first appeared in the minor leagues. I will contend that since you can make the change yourself in the setup the the developers never saw a reason to change the draft date themselves.

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Ahhhh... So, did the earliest versions of OOTP not have full farm systems? Wanting them to appear in the game fully developed. Okay, I get it, but I don't like it. Now I'm going to torture myself for the next 6 months wondering if I should move it to June.

Originally Posted by perez24

I just change the date in the league settings. But be sure it lines up with when the Rookie Leagues start playing!

I think I'm going to have to at least try it in June. My saved game started in 1981 and I'm one day away from 1988 opening day. So, even if I mess things up it won't be the end of the world. But as I said to HerbD, above, I'm such a nutjob I'll torture myself for months before I actually do try it. Lots of my light bulbs upstairs have burned out, unfortunately.

Originally Posted by mjj55409

Also keep in mind that the Amateur draft was first held in 1965. The date was set as June for those high school players who just graduated and the college players whose seasons just ended. (There was actually two drafts initially, one in June, and then one in January for those players who graduated in December).

Any draft prior to 1965 is already ahistorical. If you wanted to be a stickler, you can have a December draft until 1965 and then change the date.

I'm sorry, I should have mentioned my Historical sim started as 1981 Yankees, my very first memories of baseball. That's why I was shocked the draft was December instead of June - I mean..why not follow the real historical draft classes, at the real date & time, I figured? Everything else, for the most part, is freakin' right on point, as far as I'm aware.

I think I do get it now...I don't know if I like it but in fairness to the OOTP Devs, they have allowed us the ability to easily change the date of the Rookie Draft. But, yeah, I'm fairly certain I understand the why part now.

A big thank you to all who responded to this thread. I felt awful being such a drama queen about it, but I literally was going nuts over this... I hate getting so worked up about something so trial, but when I don't know the reasons why to something I like or use, it gnaws at me. So, honestly...Thank you!!!

[phantomtollbooth]

Originally Posted by perez24

I just change the date in the league settings. But be sure it lines up with when the Rookie Leagues start playing!

This is what I did. I actually had to change the date after the first year because the date I chose in June was after the date the rookie leagues started playing games - oops!