The Bobby Murcer problem

[italyprof]

So, I finally lucked out and drafted as near to my ideal first random debut team as I could want. See my other post on the Harvey Kuenn problem.

The team is:

Don Mattingly 1B - back up Chris Chambliss - Mattingly is in his next to last RL season, Chambliss will take over as his real life rookie year is coming up and - I know it is sort of cheating, but when Chambliss retires I will put Mattingly at age 23 in the draft pool and get his whole career, so 20 years of Yankee 1B on my New Jersey Owls.

Marty Barrett 2B, Harvey Kuenn 3B, Bobby Wine SS, Charles Johnson and Jim Leyritz C.

The outfield: Ken Singleton, LF, Bill Virdon CF, Al Kaline 24, RF.

The rotation is Jim Kaat, a 32-year old Vida Blue, a 21-year old Catfish Hunter, Carl Morton and Jim Colburn. I like this rotation. I am hoping that a 20 year old Blue Moon Odom will move into the rotation in the coming seasons. For now I have him moving in and out of AAA (I use A, AA and AAA only), as a long reliever and spot starter. The bullpen needs a lot of work. Mainly retreads and I have lost a few games due to the lack of a real stopper.

Now, to the Bobby Murcer problem. I am using 5-year recalc and development on, but with talent variation at 50.

Murcer is 20. He is currently listed as a Shortstop and he was terrible at shortstop, hence his move to the outfield. He doesn't play at all between age 20 when he is very part-time, and 23 due to time in the military (the draft back then).

So he has NO real life stats between age 20 (now) and age 23. But I am using 5-year recalc and development. His ratings are 44 OVR and 62 Potential. I brought him up from AAA for one game, as I was short in the OF and he hit a home run his second AB, and went 1 for 5. But I sent him back down, because I have the impression that you can do damage to a player's development bringing them up too soon.

So the AI is indicating he is ready for the big leagues, but I am highly doubtful. Plus he ONLY has ratings at SS, not in Centerfield, which is where I would want him to play, replacing Virdon who would then be a good bench player/defensive sub/pinch-hitter or a good player to trade for a needed piece.

But I get the sense that it is much wiser to get Murcer time at CF in AAA, and I have him set at forced start/forced position in CF. I don't think I should bring him up to the major league team now, but with 5-year recalc I am not sure if I should bring him up even in the next season or two. Again, he does't really have stats again until age 23, and what he has at age 19 and 20 is a little over 100 PA and a BA of .243 and .174 respectively. But he turns age 21 in May and we are playing in April now. So this is actually listed as his age 21 season.

What do you all think? Should I leave him this year in AAA to get seasoned at CF? Or even an additional season and bring him up at age 23? Am I being too cautious? The immediate whole on the OF bench I have filled by trading for Frank Baumholtz, so I have the left-hand bat on the bench and the sixth OF I needed. So Murcer in AAA is not leaving my team without a crucial piece for the moment.

Advice? Insight into how development works?

Thanks in advance.

[Brad K]

Bring him up when his ratings are good enough he can be in the lineup.

Concerning damaging players by bringing them up too soon, my estimation is if it applies to anything it applies only to fictional players. However it could be the "ready for the next level" etc the Scout puts next to players names is nothing but flavor that people have convinced themselves means something.

[italyprof]

I am pretty sure I should bring him up. Here are his stats after a year in AAA. Though one thing I don't understand is why after my having him forced play Centerfield for a whole season, he doesn't have ANY rating at that position, only at Shortstop.

[Brad K]

He doesn't have any rating at center field because he doesn't have any skill ratings there, or perhaps very low ones like 1 or 2. What I'm talking about is ratings for OF range, arm, and error.

The game isn't going to allow him to have a rating in CF until it has some data on him playing CF.

[italyprof]

Originally Posted by Brad K

He doesn't have any rating at center field because he doesn't have any skill ratings there, or perhaps very low ones like 1 or 2. What I'm talking about is ratings for OF range, arm, and error.

The game isn't going to allow him to have a rating in CF until it has some data on him playing CF.

But he played 123 games at CF in AAA this past season. Why would he not have ratings or the AI not have any data out of 123 games played at a position?

[Brad K]

Here is the page from the manual describing training players to play other positions.

http://manuals.ootpdevelopments.com/...ions_and_roles

The game does not work as described above. At least not for historical players.

I haven't played a game in 22 but have a vague memory of testing position training in 22 and confirming it works as in 21. In any case, your experience leads me to believe it works as in 21.

Assume you have a player with a rating for CF but no ratings at other positions. You will be able to train him to play other OF positions but not IF or C.

Assume you have a player with a rating for SS but no ratings at other positions. You will be able to train him to play other IF positions but not OF or C.

There is some minimum rating for range, arm, and error required for an IF to develop into an OF. Those ratings will not be attained until the game has data on the player playing OF real life. The same is true of OFers trying to switch to IF.

[Brad K]

Yes, the game has data from Murcer playing CF in AAA in your game but what it wants is data on him playing CF real life. Besides, that AAA data is the result of him having OF range, arm, and error ratings of 1 or 2.

[italyprof]

Originally Posted by Brad K

Here is the page from the manual describing training players to play other positions.

http://manuals.ootpdevelopments.com/...ions_and_roles

The game does not work as described above. At least not for historical players.

I haven't played a game in 22 but have a vague memory of testing position training in 22 and confirming it works as in 21. In any case, your experience leads me to believe it works as in 21.

Assume you have a player with a rating for CF but no ratings at other positions. You will be able to train him to play other OF positions but not IF or C.

Assume you have a player with a rating for SS but no ratings at other positions. You will be able to train him to play other IF positions but not OF or C.

There is some minimum rating for range, arm, and error required for an IF to develop into an OF. Those ratings will not be attained until the game has data on the player playing OF real life. The same is true of OFers trying to switch to IF.

Thank you !