Fictional League Setup

[jets12]

I am wanting to setup a fictional league but I would like to have my minor leagues play a season before my MLB team begins play. Is this possible and if so can someone explain the process to me or point me to a thread or article that I can refer to? I have searched but found nothing. Thanks in advance.

[monkeyman576]

I think minor league affiliations have to be set up on initial setup but I'm not 100% sure.

[luckymann]

I would think the only way to do this would be to set each minor league level up as a separate independent league.

Then play that first season.

Then create the major league level by the "add a league" function.

Then affiliate each of the independent minor league levels to this major league.

Then affiliate to the respective parent clubs on a team-by-team and league-by-league basis.

Someone else might have a smarter answer.

G

[Curve Ball Dave]

Originally Posted by luckymann

I would think the only way to do this would be to set each minor league level up as a separate independent league.

Then play that first season.

Then create the major league level by the "add a league" function.

Then affiliate each of the independent minor league levels to this major league.

Then affiliate to the respective parent clubs on a team-by-team and league-by-league basis.

Someone else might have a smarter answer.

G

This seems like the answer.

[Pelican]

Yeah those suggestions should work. In my quest to improve the MLB expansion experience, I have experimented with minor league teams for the [future] expansion teams, a year (or two) in advance of the expansion draft and the first year for the MLB expansion teams. What works best is adding an independent minor league team for each expansion organization. The trick - as noted above in the other postings - is to "affiliate" the formerly "independent" minor leagues teams with their MLB parents, at the time you create the expansion franchises and set up the draft.

One potential problem is that MLB teams will try to purchase players from the independent minor league teams, if you have that option activated. [And if you turn the option off, it covers your entire sim, so MLB teams won't be able to purchase players from independent leagues like the Atlantic League.].

I suppose in a fictional universe the OP would have no established MLB teams, so the totally independent setup might work more smoothly. You would have to bird-dog transactions between independent teams (or maybe trades by the AI would be okay?).

One other issue I have encountered (in the expansion context) is the amateur draft. I've not found a way to include the expansion teams, in the year before they exist. I don't think the amateur draft can be set up to allow one or two independent minor league teams to participate. Whether the OP could hold a draft with only the minor league teams participating, I don't know. That would be a cool way to "staff" the minor league teams.

[jets12]

Thanks everybody. I will give it a shot and see how it goes.

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by Pelican

One potential problem is that MLB teams will try to purchase players from the independent minor league teams, if you have that option activated. [And if you turn the option off, it covers your entire sim, so MLB teams won't be able to purchase players from independent leagues like the Atlantic League.].

This isn't necessarily true. As I learned in another thread, you can toggle this on and off for each indy league at each league's level.

[Pelican]

Wow, luckymann you have solved that problem for me! Many thanks. Important to me in historical saves before 1947 where I erase the color bar and allow MLB teams to purchase Negro League players for a set price. Now I can regulate that transaction, and set a different rate for minor league players. This should promote the movement and signing of players from different levels.