It's high time for something to be done about uniform numbers

jpeters1734 · 11-25-2016, 07:27 AM

Baseball is a game of numbers. The number on the back of a player's uniform is no different. When a superstar player goes to AAA on injury rehab and has his number bumped because some scrub already has the #34, there's a big issue.

We need some kind of number history. This has been an issue for as long as I've been playing the game. It's going to looking mighty weird one day when Bryce Harper's "#38" gets retired.

BigRed75 · 11-25-2016, 08:04 AM

IIRC, Football Manager has a "preferred number" field in their player database.

Now, how easy or difficult the programming would be to correctly use the preferred number field, I have no idea.

Re: the Harper thing, it might have been even worse. It's entirely possible that Harper got bumped to #38 because 34, 35, 36 and 37 were already taken at Syracuse when he went to rehab there, and the game gave him the next available Syracuse number, which became "his" number, and we given to him when he went back to Washington after rehab ended.

Also, I've noticed that when a player can't get the number he used to have, the game always looks for the next biggest available number, never the next smallest. It's especially glaring in the offseason. Say Harper signs a FA contract in spring training, after NRIs have been assigned. He might end up with a number in the 60s or 70s, and the game never checks to see if 33 or 32 is available.

NoOne · 11-25-2016, 01:10 PM

it wouldn't be difficult to do... the decision to do it isn't as clear-cut though... you have to compare the return vs time invested and also opportunity costs.

they'd use a check on, say, potential to decide which player gets/keeps the #... it has to be more robust than that though... maybe a check for differential of at least X, to avoid slightly better players stealing #'s from another player who is essentially the same quality. use metrics in the game to define what you are trying to do. potential, age, draft status, whatever is there you can use in different ways.

could randomize the selection for the second part - easy enough.

#'s are important to human mlb'ers, but they really don't mean much beyond them. they didn't even have numbers if you go back far enough. nonetheless it's definitely a dot the I and cross the T type fix... i mean it's worth doing, but the order in which it's attended to is up for debate.

personalyl as they add more and more layers to the game... i'd wish they'd spend one year re-organizing and ensuring synergy of all the new layers... re-assess all the factors and make sure something isn't duplicated in two areas... (e.g. like accidentally using gravity twice would be a mistake when predicting how far a ball is hit, but with regard to the factors of development or anything else)

BigRed75 · 11-25-2016, 10:26 PM

I wouldn't use potential ratings. I'd use actual ratings, service time, or a combination of both. Or maybe contract size?

jpeters1734 · 11-25-2016, 11:15 PM

it would be easy to determine who the number should go to, but that's really unnecessary. All I'm saying is that Bryce should have gotten #34 when he went back to the Nats.

udbacker58 · 11-26-2016, 01:04 AM

If you have the ability to retire numbers in game, the players should have some sort of preferred number field.

Sent from my SM-G930V

jpeters1734 · 11-26-2016, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by udbacker58

If you have the ability to retire numbers in game, the players should have some sort of preferred number field.

Sent from my SM-G930V

exactly why it bothers me so much, or else I'd just ask for the option to hide numbers like nicknames

Spritze · 11-27-2016, 06:26 AM

If you are talking preferred historical uniform numbers there is file for those that has not been updated in a few years. If you are talking about current numbers then I do not know,

SirMichaelJordan · 11-29-2016, 11:43 AM

Preferred numbers and even preferred positions would do wonders for this game.

11-25-2016, 07:27 AM	#1
jpeters1734 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Juust a bit outside... Posts: 6,289	It's high time for something to be done about uniform numbers Baseball is a game of numbers. The number on the back of a player's uniform is no different. When a superstar player goes to AAA on injury rehab and has his number bumped because some scrub already has the #34, there's a big issue. We need some kind of number history. This has been an issue for as long as I've been playing the game. It's going to looking mighty weird one day when Bryce Harper's "#38" gets retired. Attached Images __________________ "Cannonball Coming!" Go Bucs!! Founder and League Caretaker of the Professional Baseball Circuit, www.probaseballcircuit.com An Un-Official Guide to Minor League Management in OOTP 21 Ratings Scale Conversion Cross-Reference Cheat Sheet

11-25-2016, 08:04 AM	#2
BigRed75 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 2,423	IIRC, Football Manager has a "preferred number" field in their player database. Now, how easy or difficult the programming would be to correctly use the preferred number field, I have no idea. Re: the Harper thing, it might have been even worse. It's entirely possible that Harper got bumped to #38 because 34, 35, 36 and 37 were already taken at Syracuse when he went to rehab there, and the game gave him the next available Syracuse number, which became "his" number, and we given to him when he went back to Washington after rehab ended. Also, I've noticed that when a player can't get the number he used to have, the game always looks for the next biggest available number, never the next smallest. It's especially glaring in the offseason. Say Harper signs a FA contract in spring training, after NRIs have been assigned. He might end up with a number in the 60s or 70s, and the game never checks to see if 33 or 32 is available. __________________ Mainline team SPTT team Was not a Snag fan...until I saw the fallout once he was gone and realized what a good job he was actually doing. - Ty Cobb

11-25-2016, 10:26 PM	#4
BigRed75 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 2,423	I wouldn't use potential ratings. I'd use actual ratings, service time, or a combination of both. Or maybe contract size? __________________ Mainline team SPTT team Was not a Snag fan...until I saw the fallout once he was gone and realized what a good job he was actually doing. - Ty Cobb

11-25-2016, 11:15 PM	#5
jpeters1734 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Juust a bit outside... Posts: 6,289	it would be easy to determine who the number should go to, but that's really unnecessary. All I'm saying is that Bryce should have gotten #34 when he went back to the Nats. __________________ "Cannonball Coming!" Go Bucs!! Founder and League Caretaker of the Professional Baseball Circuit, www.probaseballcircuit.com An Un-Official Guide to Minor League Management in OOTP 21 Ratings Scale Conversion Cross-Reference Cheat Sheet

11-26-2016, 01:04 AM	#6
udbacker58 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,140	If you have the ability to retire numbers in game, the players should have some sort of preferred number field. Sent from my SM-G930V __________________ Heartland Baseball League Commissioner Fictional - Stats Only - 30 years of History! HBL HOME PAGE \| HBL REPORTS HOME \| HBL UTILITIES HOME

11-25-2016, 01:10 PM	#3
NoOne Banned Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 7,273 Infractions: 0/1 (3)	it wouldn't be difficult to do... the decision to do it isn't as clear-cut though... you have to compare the return vs time invested and also opportunity costs. they'd use a check on, say, potential to decide which player gets/keeps the #... it has to be more robust than that though... maybe a check for differential of at least X, to avoid slightly better players stealing #'s from another player who is essentially the same quality. use metrics in the game to define what you are trying to do. potential, age, draft status, whatever is there you can use in different ways. could randomize the selection for the second part - easy enough. #'s are important to human mlb'ers, but they really don't mean much beyond them. they didn't even have numbers if you go back far enough. nonetheless it's definitely a dot the I and cross the T type fix... i mean it's worth doing, but the order in which it's attended to is up for debate. personalyl as they add more and more layers to the game... i'd wish they'd spend one year re-organizing and ensuring synergy of all the new layers... re-assess all the factors and make sure something isn't duplicated in two areas... (e.g. like accidentally using gravity twice would be a mistake when predicting how far a ball is hit, but with regard to the factors of development or anything else) Last edited by NoOne; 11-25-2016 at 01:12 PM.

11-27-2016, 06:26 AM	#8
Spritze OOTP Historical Czar Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Bothell Wa Posts: 7,253	If you are talking preferred historical uniform numbers there is file for those that has not been updated in a few years. If you are talking about current numbers then I do not know, __________________ It's madness, madness, I tell you! For the love of God, don't do it!

11-29-2016, 11:43 AM	#9
SirMichaelJordan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 2,716	Preferred numbers and even preferred positions would do wonders for this game.