Rules and regulations - does it all come natural to you?

[FuzzyDarkness]

This thread is not about understanding things but more about me being curios how other people playing this game handle all the rules and regulations.

In particular, I am "learning by doing" the 40-man-roster and when I'm allowed to remove someone, when I have do DFA him, irrevocable waivers... it seems very complicated and since I am trying to do more and more by myself in this game, I learned the hard lesson to not put just everybody on the 40-man-roster as you can't get them off that easily.

So I am just curios if people, especially in the US, know about these things more easily than for example me, who grew up in Europe and I'm just a life-long baseball fan, played a bit myself in Germany and watched a ton of baseball.

Do all these rules make sense to you because you grew up with them or are these things still things you had to learn while playing this game?

Hope for a nice little discussion.

[Brad K]

I knew roster rules existed and had a general sense of how they worked but playing OOTP game me an education on the detail. Part of the awareness of roster rules is probably because Pirate fans of my era were constantly reminded of their existence since roster rules resulted in Roberto Clemente becoming a Pirate.

[FuzzyDarkness]

I just googled Roberto Clemente and couldn't find anything about how he became a Pirate but read about his tragic death. Dying while helping others is really tragic.

[BBGiovanni]

Originally Posted by Brad K

I knew roster rules existed and had a general sense of how they worked but playing OOTP game me an education on the detail. Part of the awareness of roster rules is probably because Pirate fans of my era were constantly reminded of their existence since roster rules resulted in Roberto Clemente becoming a Pirate.

This is a good post... there are little bits of baseball history tied up in a lot of these checkboxes like the Pete Incaviglia Rule (no trading recent draftees) and the Curt Flood Rule (no trading 10/5 vets without their approval).

I didn't understand the nuances of a lot of these things before I got into OOTP. And many, many, many baseball fans and even writers don't either. Almost no one you (well, I) talk to understands that minor league options are really "option years", and at pretty much every minor league game I go to I overhear someone butchering a description of minor league levels, not knowing their team's affiliates, etc. So, don't worry too much about it.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by FuzzyDarkness

I just googled Roberto Clemente and couldn't find anything about how he became a Pirate but read about his tragic death. Dying while helping others is really tragic.

Clemente was in the Brooklyn minor league organization. Under the rules of the time he was eligible to be drafted by another team unless put on... I think it was called something else then... but today's version of the 40 man roster. Brooklyn decided not to protect him apparently hoping he hadn't been noticed by other teams. The Pirates finished last so had the first pick and had noticed Clemente and drafted him.

Those inclined to criticize Brooklyn saying the team made a mistake, was stupid, etc should look at his stats. He wasn't a star the first five years. His first "Clemente style" season didn't happen until 1960.

Yes, his death was a tragic event. He jumped in to help the people of Nicaragua. At the time of the earthquake one of the richest men in the world was living in Nicaragua. He left the country without doing a thing. His name was Howard Hughes.

[Brad K]

Another interesting minor league draft story.

Bobby Bonilla was in the Pirate organization and Rule 5 draft eligible. The Pirates didn't protect him and he was drafted by Chicago White Sox..

He made the major league team, did OK, and part way through the season contacted the Pirates and asked them to trade for him. By then he'd shown he could probably hit in the majors and so the Pirates had to give up a good young pitcher to get him.

Bonilla played for the Pirates very effective for several years, part of the "Killer Bees" (he and Barry Bonds) before becoming a free agent and for at least one year being the highest paid MLB player.

Then there's Bobby Bonilla Day, which is a whole other story and I think famous mostly because of Bernie Madoff.

[micropterus58]

One excellent aspect of OOTP is that you can play it however you like. Keep it simple or as complex as you like. Trying to play this game with all of the rules and options can be daunting. I have been a baseball fan for many years but I play a simplified fictional league even though I understand most of the rules. My advice is to play however you like to, add rules and options when you are ready. Make a backup of your league when you star it. Copy the league folder. If you make mistakes you can easily start over. Enjoy the game. Learn the rules and history of the game. Even real baseball executives make mistakes and sometimes don't know the rules as well as they should. At least you won't get fired if you mess up. LOL

[RchW]

Originally Posted by Brad K

Clemente was in the Brooklyn minor league organization. Under the rules of the time he was eligible to be drafted by another team unless put on... I think it was called something else then... but today's version of the 40 man roster. Brooklyn decided not to protect him apparently hoping he hadn't been noticed by other teams. The Pirates finished last so had the first pick and had noticed Clemente and drafted him.

Those inclined to criticize Brooklyn saying the team made a mistake, was stupid, etc should look at his stats. He wasn't a star the first five years. His first "Clemente style" season didn't happen until 1960.

Yes, his death was a tragic event. He jumped in to help the people of Nicaragua. At the time of the earthquake one of the richest men in the world was living in Nicaragua. He left the country without doing a thing. His name was Howard Hughes.

BR says rule 5.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/p...lemero01.shtml

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by RchW

BR says rule 5.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/p...lemero01.shtml

Yea, that's what they say, but if it was Rule 5 its not the Rule 5 we have today. Clemente had one Minor League season, at age 19. Played his first season for the Pirates his age 20 season.

[Colorado]

Wow... this thread is exactly what puts me off getting too involved in the game.

I'm Welsh so obviously I've had to teach myself and learn to become familiar with baseball and I get most aspects of the sport. I'm also a big NHL fan too, so that helps and I got into OOTP through FHM (very good but not as polished at OOTP)

What puts me off from delving into the game however (and I've watched loads of YouTube videos) is the roster stuff, contracts and waivers, just as the OP suggests really.

What specific settings are best for managing that aspect of the game only? I quite enjoy playing and watching the actual games unfold.

[FuzzyDarkness]

Originally Posted by Colorado

... What specific settings are best for managing that aspect of the game only? ...

Like micropterus58 mentioned in this thread, you can adjust this game exactly to your liking. I decided at one point to dive head in to the game and don't care about what happens to my ballclub (you might want to do this with a save you don't care too much about) and then just played. I did mistakes. Mistakes that cost me my best player. Mistakes that made me release a top player just to get to the next day. But this way I learned a lot about contracts and waivers and the 40-man-roster.

So my tip is to just play and you'll learn. The best is making mistakes (and don't care about winning, losing or establishing a roster for the future).

And coming back to the point I made at the beginning, that you can adjust the game... I started a new save with the Detroit Tigers (I looked at real life stats of last year and who was the worst team) and I want to build them up.

At the end of the first season I ran into the problem of the Rule-5 and I knew about it but didn't want to lose all my progress that I made through the season. So I disabled the Rule-5-draft, went into Commisioner Mode and released the 4 players that were claimed by other teams so they come back to me.

From now on I'll just play this save without the Rule-5-draft and I'm happy with it.

So you can always disable certain things you personally don't like.

Some people might think this is cheating but I want to have fun playing this game and I have A LOT OF FUN!! I just adjust it to my liking.

(On a side note: I also play Football Manager 2020 and I don't have nearly as much fun like with OOTP as you can't adjust almost nothing.)

[Brad K]

Absolutely disable the stuff you don't like. But when you start consistently beating the game, its time to put some of it back!!!

[BBGiovanni]

Originally Posted by Colorado

What puts me off from delving into the game however (and I've watched loads of YouTube videos) is the roster stuff, contracts and waivers, just as the OP suggests really.

What specific settings are best for managing that aspect of the game only? I quite enjoy playing and watching the actual games unfold.

You could try turning on "reserve era rules", which would remove most of that. Most of the other things (roster limits, waivers, etc) have checkboxes you could turn off.



It's funny, I don't understand European football rosters either (loans, multiple tournaments going on at the same time, etc.) except for the crudest outlines. I figure if and when I get to move there permanently I can figure it out watching through a whole season

[FuzzyDarkness]

Originally Posted by BBGiovanni

... It's funny, I don't understand European football rosters either (loans, multiple tournaments going on at the same time, etc.) except for the crudest outlines. ...

That is a great example! To me these things are totally normal and I don't think twice about it.

I guess to understand the finer details it is neccessary to grow up with it or at least it is much easier to understand if you grow up with it.

[Colorado]

Thanks for the replies to my comment, you've inspired me to give things a go again.

As for European football, roster management and rules are A LOT easier, honestly! PM me if you have any questions on that.

[FuzzyDarkness]

Originally Posted by Colorado

... As for European football, roster management and rules are A LOT easier, honestly! ...

You would think so but me playing Football Manager 2020 I learned a lot about specific rules that are never mentioned on TV like the percentage of home grown and national players that have to be in the club. Also specific rules that apply in the national Cups and Europe & Champions League. But that's for another forum.

[FuzzyDarkness]

Just watching the Mets and Yankees game and the commentator was explaining the 40-man-roster because of the Yankees prospect pitcher and in my mind I was like, yeah I know the struggles ...

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by Colorado

What specific settings are best for managing that aspect of the game only? I quite enjoy playing and watching the actual games unfold.

I believe its possible to set it where everything except lineups and game day management is delegated. That might work for you.

Perhaps at some point you'll be irritated at the players the General Manager got for you and want to take that over that function. Maybe not. In any case, play it the way you like it.

[CBeisbol]

Originally Posted by Colorado

What specific settings are best for managing that aspect of the game only? I quite enjoy playing and watching the actual games unfold.

Not exactly clear which aspect specifically you're talking about

You can make yourself the manager only, where the AI gives you the players and deals with all other roster stuff. You just play the games

[Leo_The_Lip]

Originally Posted by FuzzyDarkness

You would think so but me playing Football Manager 2020 I learned a lot about specific rules that are never mentioned on TV like the percentage of home grown and national players that have to be in the club. Also specific rules that apply in the national Cups and Europe & Champions League. But that's for another forum.

No, they are much harder--you are simply used to soccer rules. And we have grown up with baseball rules.

Italian 'co-ownership' rules with all the associated club options make the Rule 5 draft seem like shopping for detergent in Target. There are other equally bizarre roster requirements as has been mentioned.