historic free agency?

[Mr. Capo]

It looks like the game is pretty smart now regarding history: it knows stuff like when leagues expanded, when teams moved, when the DH came in, etc. But does it extend the modern rules regarding free agency all the way back to 1901?

[chimanbj]

you can turn free agency on whenver you'd like...or off, for that matter. I like to keep free agency off until it actually came into play IRL...

[Mr. Capo]

Originally Posted by chimanbj

you can turn free agency on whenver you'd like...or off, for that matter. I like to keep free agency off until it actually came into play IRL...

My curiousity has more to do with how savvy the game itself is; when you're playing in an historical context, does it kick in automatically?

I haven't yet played through many years historically, so I'm only going by what I've read here. I know that the league totals refresh each year, to keep the style of play appropriate, and that recalc keeps players looking like their real life namesakes. I guess the game knows when to move teams to a different city, and when to expand a league. Inflation seems to be built in. So I was just wondering if free agency is one of those historic things that the game knows about, and does on its own. Also, does the AL automatically implement the DH in 73?

[Ksyrup]

Yes, the DH rules are automatically implemented. The game also automatically changes the playoff structure when appropriate and adds the all-star game. However, none of the substantive player movement rules are automatically implemented - free agency, waivers, Rule 5 draft, amateur draft, revenue sharing (also defaulted to 'on' for some reason when you start an historical league). There are a laundry list of them that people have been trying to compile. I think the ones listed above are most of them. You have to manually changes those, and in the case of free agency and revenue sharing, if you don't want those when you start your league, you have to turn them off at the outset.

[Cras]

When free agency is turned off, it does not behave like the "Reserve Clause". Rather, players who have expiring contracts will get a new one automatically around market value.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

However, none of the substantive player movement rules are automatically implemented - free agency, waivers, Rule 5 draft, amateur draft, revenue sharing (also defaulted to 'on' for some reason when you start an historical league). There are a laundry list of them that people have been trying to compile.

It gets more complicated since the essence of many of those rules were quite different in previous years.

Waiver-free trading before the trade deadline between leagues, for example, only started in 1986. Prior to that, interleague trading was much more restricted. Trades between the leagues required the players to clear waivers regardless of when the proposed interleague trade was taking place. This restriction was countered by a waiver-free interleague trading period which occurred in the off-season.

Eventually, I'm going to compile a handy, all-in-one reference file which will document the majority of such rule changes...

Originally Posted by Cras

When free agency is turned off, it does not behave like the "Reserve Clause". Rather, players who have expiring contracts will get a new one automatically around market value.

Definitely something I want to see improved for next year.

[Cras]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

It gets more complicated since the essence of many of those rules were quite different in previous years.

Waiver-free trading before the trade deadline between leagues, for example, only started in 1986. Prior to that, interleague trading was much more restricted. Trades between the leagues required the players to clear waivers regardless of when the proposed interleague trade was taking place. This restriction was countered by a waiver-free interleague trading period which occurred in the off-season.

Eventually, I'm going to compile a handy, all-in-one reference file which will document the majority of such rule changes...

Definitely something I want to see improved for next year.

I too would love to play with the "Reserve Clause".

I also look forward to your guide. I am sure many players here will find it useful

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Cras

I also look forward to your guide. I am sure many players here will find it useful

Well, I'm aiming to have it serve as a guide to the kind of older rules which OOTP can (hopefully) eventually model in some degree. The rules were often different enough that it would make for some new and interesting ways to set up one's leagues and offer some additional challenges in being a GM in the game.

In the meantime, check out this page of this web site. It provides an excellent starting point.

[Cras]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

Well, I'm aiming to have it serve as a guide to the kind of older rules which OOTP can (hopefully) eventually model in some degree. The rules were often different enough that it would make for some new and interesting ways to set up one's leagues and offer some additional challenges in being a GM in the game.

In the meantime, check out this page of this web site. It provides an excellent starting point.

That is a great resource. You gave me that link once before and I have used it quite a lot to map out roster limits, trade deadlines, and the like. It maybe a tad rough around the edges, but it is best place to get this sort of information. I have not had an easy time finding old baseball transaction and roster rules. I always come across vague references to when a rule was changed, but it takes some real effort to go and find tables and articles that clearly mark out the progression of the rules.