Players Getting Happier When Dropped to Minors?

[Trav876]

Something I am noticing in OOTP 25 is, I have noticed more than a few times, sending a "fringe" player back down to AAA after being in the bigs, and he actually becomes happier.

I.e. goes from "unhappy" up to "normal..." Or even "normal" up to "happy," after getting demoted.

Is this supposed to happen? I don't picture this happening much in real life. Not sure if it's a bug I should report, or if it's intentional.

[grmagne]

My general impression is that players are more unhappy about a demotion than they are happy about a promotion. So if you demote a guy from AAA to AA then promote him back to AAA later, he's unhappy about the whole process.

However, there seems to sometimes be an exception at the MLB level where a player is so happy to have been called up to MLB that he retains some positive morale when he later gets sent down.

Another exception is spring training. If a player finished last year at the end of A+, and then you demote him to AA at the end of ST after spending a few weeks on the active roster, he considers it a promotion and gains morale. Which makes sense to me.

[Pelican]

I have seen this in a few guys who were not playing regularly in MLB and would play every day in the minors. I think that tracks IRL reactions, particularly on the part of veterans. They realize it is going to be better (in terms of contract and free agency) to rack up stats at AAA, than to sit the bench in MLB. Smart teams don't bring up rookies to sit the bench in MLB. For one thing, odds are that good young players have never spent a day on the bench in their lives. They have always been the best player on their team. Of course they will be happier playing every day.

Or it could be a bug, LOL. And so much for my phony explanation!

[Pelican]

BTW one story I love, probably apocryphal but certainly possible, is the young stud who is told to get ready to pinch hit in the MLB. He confides to his manager that he has never pinch hit in his life - ever - and is unsure what to do to get ready. The DH has blurred this distinction; but I am sure that there are guys who reach MLB without having ever pinch hit at any level. If they weren't playing, they were hurt. They were always too good to sit - anywhere.

[SirMichaelJordan]

Also, if a player is overmatched at a level, it stunts their development and can lower their morale. So a demotion will make them happy and put them back on track with development

[Trav876]

Gotcha, those takes make sense. But even so, to me it seems exceptionally rare that any players would be "happier" when getting sent down to the minors, if they've been on the big league club for some time...or are borderline guys fighting for a spot (the spring training stuff aside- which isn't when I notice that).

[PSUColonel]

The problem is the inability to converse (thereby getting feedback) from players’. The way it is currently seems more like a puzzle you have to piece together rather than getting feedback from coaches and players.

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by PSUColonel

The problem is the inability to converse (thereby getting feedback) from players’. The way it is currently seems more like a puzzle you have to piece together rather than getting feedback from coaches and players.

I'm a glass is half full type of user and with that in mind I'd like to think communicating with players will come at some time, the way player development finally did for v25. Who knows, maybe it comes out of nowhere for v26?

The downside is some won't like it at all, some won't like how its done, and others will say "it's the end of OOTP" even though they can turn it off. IOW a typical development year and release cycle.