1975-1976 Reserve Clause to Free Agency in OOTP?

[Herolover12]

I am getting ready to start a save starting in the 1975 season. This season is still part of the Reserve Era.

Free Agency actually started in July 1976 when the new CBA was signed.

I am wondering does anyone know what and how OOTP handles this?

I am thinking that at the start of the 1976 preseason I need to check that the Reserve Era is unchecked. Would that be right?

[uruguru]

Originally Posted by Herolover12

I am getting ready to start a save starting in the 1975 season. This season is still part of the Reserve Era.

Free Agency actually started in July 1976 when the new CBA was signed.

I am wondering does anyone know what and how OOTP handles this?

I am thinking that at the start of the 1976 preseason I need to check that the Reserve Era is unchecked. Would that be right?

I just checked. It becomes unchecked at the start of the offseason after the 1975 season. In other words, make sure you lock up your players to long-term contracts before the season ends if you don't want to lose them.

However, keep in mind that there are a lot of premium players that will become immediately available for the 1976 season because the AI doesn't do this.

Some examples I saw in the test: Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tom Seaver, Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson and lots lots more.

[Herolover12]

Originally Posted by uruguru

I just checked. It becomes unchecked at the start of the offseason after the 1975 season. In other words, make sure you lock up your players to long-term contracts before the season ends if you don't want to lose them.

However, keep in mind that there are a lot of premium players that will become immediately available for the 1976 season because the AI doesn't do this.

Some examples I saw in the test: Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tom Seaver, Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson and lots lots more.

Thank you for this.
I guess I better either start in 1976 or make a good house rule on what I can or cannot sign as a Free Agent.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Herolover12

I am getting ready to start a save starting in the 1975 season. This season is still part of the Reserve Era.

Free Agency actually started in July 1976 when the new CBA was signed.

I am wondering does anyone know what and how OOTP handles this?

Not sure about the transition, but I can tell you that OOTP does not recreate the free agency and draft pick compensation processes as they existed at that time. There's no free agent re-entry draft, for example, nor are the free agent repeater rules in effect.

[cheo25]

The first free-agency period in OOTP used to begin after the 1976 World Series. I've played this period in the past, and that was accurate because IRL the first league-wide re-entry draft was in November 1976. So I'm not sure why that's not being recognized properly now.

Like LeGrand Orange said, there is no free-agent draft nor do the compensation rules apply in OOTP.

[Herolover12]

I have never tried replaying this period and I do not expect OOTP to handle Free Agents as it was back in the day. For the Save I looked up some info and I know it is completely different today.

I am okay with Free Agents being handled differently, what I do not want is the release of great players.

I hope to post this to YouTube and it isn't going to be a problem starting it in 1976.

[fredbeene]

How do have automated settings so that free agency never started like it did in 1976. that is a great sim and they way i want my world to expand

[uruguru]

Originally Posted by fredbeene

How do have automated settings so that free agency never started like it did in 1976. that is a great sim and they way i want my world to expand

I think you can go to league financials and turn the reserve clause back on at the beginning of the off-season (commissioner mode, presumably). Alternatively, you can turn off league expansion right before the 1975-76 offseason and that should hopefully stop it as well. However, ballpark changes won't happen if you turn off league expansion so some years you might have to add new parks manually.

I always prefer playing with the reserve clause on. It's the fan-friendly mode, imo.

[uruguru]

Originally Posted by Herolover12

Thank you for this.
I guess I better either start in 1976 or make a good house rule on what I can or cannot sign as a Free Agent.

4+ star players under 33 are automatically re-signed with their AI team? This presumes that the AI GMs are doing their jobs.

If you are using player personalities, maybe forego this for greedy players or non-loyal players.