Are These Features Being Implemented?

[spleen1015]

With the game being completely rewritten, I'm glad promo days have been removed. Time will be better spent on some other features.

[Aordolin]

I didnt care much for promo days either, but I would like to see more robust finiancial options for teams. Some ideas would be scouting and development, marketing (which would take place of promos but in a more general way, instead of scheudeling actual days each year), etc.

[flubug31]

Originally Posted by Muzamba

Also, there's one other existing MLB rule that should be included in this area. A team can't trade a player they signed as a free agent in the offseason until, I believe, either May 1st or June 1st. This may not seem like a big deal, but it prevents teams from doing a kind of "sign and trade" with players. (Then again, this should be optional, like all other rules, as some might want to use this as a workaround on occasion.)

It's June 15, and a trade can happen with the player's consent.


On a related note, will players traded in the middle of a multi-year contract be able to request a trade following the season, with the ability to opt out and become a free agent if the request isn't met?

[flubug31]

And speaking of "more robust financial options," considering that there's a database including every town with a population over 1000, does that mean market size designations will now go beyond vague descriptors like "big" and "huge"?

[x747aw]

And what about arbitration deadlines - will teams actually have the option of offering arbitration to their free agents? And if they do, but that player is signed by another team, are there such things like compensatory draft picks, as in real MLB?

I think this would be a very nice addition to the financial aspects of the game, but I would certainly understand if it weren't in this addition.

As far as promo days - I also found them to be a useful tool for struggling franschises - but this loss can certainly be helped through the aforementioned "marketing" financials.

[jerrycapo]

[QUOTE=x747aw]And what about arbitration deadlines - will teams actually have the option of offering arbitration to their free agents? And if they do, but that player is signed by another team, are there such things like compensatory draft picks, as in real MLB?

I think this would be a very nice addition to the financial aspects of the game, but I would certainly understand if it weren't in this addition.

QUOTE]

Markus has said compensation has been added, therefore the assumption has been that offering arbitration is also part of the game. I don't recall Markus ever saying so himself though. About arbitration that is.

All the best,
Jerry

[Davey Eckstein]

Originally Posted by Markus Heinsohn

That was a joke, right? I always hated them, and the only reason why promotion days were part of the game is that Infogrames asked me to add it for Season Ticket Baseball

I can agree that promo days didn't work all that well in 6, but if you or someone else can think of a better way to handle them, I'm all for it.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by ssmarsh

Seriously though, promo days are a great tool for losing teams to try and maintain some of their fan interest while they rebuild. They should stay.

I'd ask the question as to how realistic they were in bumping up a team's attendance. Do real-world promotion days offer an equal amount of boost as did the virtual ones in OOTP6?

I'd say the chances of having a higher attendance at a game more likely rests on the following criteria:

The opponent (a traditional rival or a front-running team will likely draw much better than a last-place or struggling club).

The weather (a great day will draw more people than a lousy weather day).

When the game is being held (the best days, on average, are weekend contests; day games during the week are usually the lowest drawing).

[thomamon]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

I'd ask the question as to how realistic they were in bumping up a team's attendance. Do real-world promotion days offer an equal amount of boost as did the virtual ones in OOTP6?

Have you ever been to a baseball game on a promotional day? Do you ever watch baseball on a promotional day? Very often, depending on what the promo day is, stadiums will sell out. Bat Day, Beanie Baby Day, Old Timers Day usually sold out, even when attendance was down. Of course, some don't draw as good as others, but there are always a few that do sell out. I'm surprised you even asked that question.

On another not, out of all the features being axed, I don't think Promo days is that big of a deal compared to what can be cut, it is something that we can definitely live with. And who knows, maybe they'll be brought back in the future where we can pick them or Markus can have them automatically assigned.

[onthepunt]

at Oakland a Promotion Day means almost a full stadium, especially with Fireworks, but sadly without them attendance is around 10,000-20,000 people less

[Malleus Dei]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

I'd ask the question as to how realistic they were in bumping up a team's attendance. Do real-world promotion days offer an equal amount of boost as did the virtual ones in OOTP6?

I'd say the chances of having a higher attendance at a game more likely rests on the following criteria:

The opponent (a traditional rival or a front-running team will likely draw much better than a last-place or struggling club).

The weather (a great day will draw more people than a lousy weather day).

When the game is being held (the best days, on average, are weekend contests; day games during the week are usually the lowest drawing).

I agree with LGO. He also left out the possible impact of popular pitchers; I can remember hearing back when I was in Los Angeles that Fernando Valenzuela used to increase ticket sales whenever he was scheduled to be on the mound.

[bp_]

If promo days are out will there be other ways of boosting fan attendance besides a winning product on the field (this should obviously be weighted as the most important).

Have you ever been to a baseball game on a promotional day? Do you ever watch baseball on a promotional day? Very often, depending on what the promo day is, stadiums will sell out.

My experience isn't that they sell out (only in NYC have I seen that) but promo days certainly impact attendance. During the bobblehead craze the Twins would see their highest attendance totals of the season with fans waiting in line to make sure they were one of the first 30,000 or whatever to get a stupid bobblehead.

[CMH]

I gave up on promo days immediately after OOTP4 (and OOTP4 was the first full version I bought after only playing the demo for OOTP3).

IMO they were a waste of time and didn't really interest me. I can understand why someone would want them (If it's in the game, it should be in the game, right?), but perhaps it could be handled a different way.

Maybe we can just have a Promotional team budget or something.

[mgsports]

Somebody posted a quote from another thread in this board that doesn't go with this game!

[ChristophS]

I quit using promotional days a long time ago. The only times I use them are in Cash-cap leagues where I am looking to go over the Max-Cash amount and have a million or two to blow. Personally, I think the 3 - 4 million spent on utilizing all of the promotional days would be better spent on talent. After all, if you're a losing team that relies on the promo days to raise attendance and fan support, its probably going to fall eventually with a losing record.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by Malleus Dei

He also left out the possible impact of popular pitchers; I can remember hearing back when I was in Los Angeles that Fernando Valenzuela used to increase ticket sales whenever he was scheduled to be on the mound.

You're right about that. The same kind of thing happened for Cleveland when Bob Feller was slated to start for the Indians, particularly in the early 1940s.

[DiMaggio5CF]

Originally Posted by DiMaggio5CF

How will a player choose which contract he likes better?

Let's say the computer offers him $15 million for 3 years; I offer him a 3-year contract worth $12 million in base salary with incentives that could push it to $18 million. Which one would he take?

Anyone come up with an answer to this question?

[eswan9]

Originally Posted by DiMaggio5CF

How will a player choose which contract he likes better?

Let's say the computer offers him $15 million for 3 years; I offer him a 3-year contract worth $12 million in base salary with incentives that could push it to $18 million. Which one would he take?

I don't know, it may depend on whether the agents last name starts with a B and ends in 'as'

Seriously, is there going to be agents that play hardball with the GM? I know Boras gives GMs heartburn every year

[Malleus Dei]

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

You're right about that. The same kind of thing happened for Cleveland when Bob Feller was slated to start for the Indians, particularly in the early 1940s.

I looked it up.

"In 1982, when the average major league baseball game was attended by 20,766 fans, the games in which Fernando pitched drew an average of 43,312. That is as big an impact as any player has ever had on attendance, with the possible exception of Babe Ruth." - Eric Enders, 12/22/2002

And now for Jeopardzuela:

"I'll take Dodger pitchers for $100, Alex!"

"A. Fernando Valenzuela."

"Q. Which baseball player had the highest number of career at-bats against Nolan Ryan without ever once striking out?"

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by Malleus Dei

He also left out the possible impact of popular pitchers; I can remember hearing back when I was in Los Angeles that Fernando Valenzuela used to increase ticket sales whenever he was scheduled to be on the mound.

Same thing happened with Roger Clemens for the last two seasons. Mark McGwire had a similiar effect.