Creating a Reserve clause era universe

[Stealcompany]

I'm looking for some advice/suggestions for running a reserve clause era universe.

I've started a new game in 1880 with two eight team major leagues with financials from that time period. There is no 'farm system' in the universe but I have created a number of independent leagues of varying levels. Each has their own financials with budgets at a per cent of the majors based on their level of play.

I don't have an amateur draft in any of the leagues but each league is seeing independant players each season (with the major leagues seeing the most).

All leagues can trade between each other and I believe each can see the available new players as free agents and bid on them. Each league does have a reserve roster to help deal with injuries.

The leagues and their settings are as follows

Major Leagues
2, 8 team leagues (American & National Leagues), 26 person roster, 40 person reserve roster, financials 100%

Triple AAA
International League - 8 teams
Pacific Coast League - 8 teams
26 person roster, 40 person reserve, financials 90% of majors

Double AA
Southern League - 8 teams
Texas League - 8 teams
Western League - 8 teams
26 person roster, 40 person reserve, financials 75% of majors

Single A
Great Plains League - 8 teams
Gulf Coast League - 8 teams
New England League - 8 teams
South Atlantic League - 8 teams
26 person roster, 36 person reserve, financials 50% of majors

Are the reserve roster sizes too large? I was looking to replicate today's 40 man roster which includes the major league roster and highly valued minor leaguers. I'm also not sure if I'm using the appropriate modifiers for the financials. Ideally I'd like the AAA leagues to be near competitors to the majors for players but I'm wondering if I'm giving the AA and A leagues too much money. I'm currently in the 1882 season so I'd like to refine the adjustments before I get too far along.

I have also allowed automatic evolution of the leagues except for expansion, relocation and the DH rule. I have the game automatically adjusting league strategies when moving to the next year as well as importing adjusted financial settings after each year, adjusting league totals modifiers and importing historical player creation modifiers. I have rookies entering the game as free agents.

Rather than giving each league a level (other than the major leagues) I have listed each as an independent league. Any advice on whether or not it matters if they have a level (i.e. International League is AAA etc) would be helpful.

I suspect I'm missing some obvious things. Any useful advice is welcome.

[hfield007]

with very niche setups like this (i do a lot of the same kinda stuff) it is best to save the game as a quickstart once you have everything you think you need.

Then start a new quickstart game based on your league as it is, i usually randomize all the names (so i dont know who is gonna be the top players) and sim 20-30 years and see if the game works out properly without breaking financials, run environment, etc.

It is really tough to say just by looking at league setups if they will work when they are customized to this degree. test, test, test and then play lol.

[Stealcompany]

Thanks for the Quickstart suggestion I hadn't thought of that.