Mel Roach and potential ratings

[Leo_The_Lip]

A recent article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch Sports section reminded me of a facet of Historical sims that I don't think OOTP has ever gotten right. This article about the career of Mel Roach highlights this problem:

http://www.richmond.com/sports/colle...365e9c0a1.html

If you have ever played OOTP with historical players and found Mel Roach in your sim, most likely is that he was consigned to the reserve roster and never played a game. This is due to the horrific leg injury he got only a few games into his career (see the picture). While it was not a true CEI, Mel did play poorly for a few more years, he was no longer a prospect.

The problem I've always seen is that OOTP can randomly assign this broken leg career-ending injury to another second baseman--say Mazeroski, a Roach contemporary. This puts Mazeroski out of your sim and leaves a talent hole which Roach never replaces. That is, Roach (or anyone else) never pops up in potential to possibly replace the lost Mazeroski talent.

As this article points out, Roach was doing a very good job when injured. He actually was viewed as having good potential. And yet OOTP has no mechanism to allow Roach to retain the potential value he lost when injured, if his injury is randomly assigned to someone else.

This anecdote is typical of many players over the years. Guys come up with potential, then don't make it for a variety of reasons, often injury related. The game allows great players to have their careers CEI'd however it never lets the Mel Roaches of the past achieve the careers they might have had if not for the broken leg, beaning or arm injury they had.

I'd like to see something that makes this possible, or at least allows any player to become a regular even if his actual stats were below par.

[Spritze]

This is an example of why you are given the ability to turn off recalc in historical leagues.

[David Watts]

Just saw this thread for the first time.

I'm currently watching 1960. Using real transactions/1 year recalc/development turned off.

Just started June this morning before coming to work. Sitting on the top of the NL Batting Average leaderboard is none other than Mel Roach. If I remember correctly he is hitting .351. This thread will have me pulling for Mel for the rest of the season.

[Rain King]

If you allow players to develop using the OOTP engine, this should happen occasionally.

[T-Bone]

Herb Score is another great "What if" guy

[Leo_The_Lip]

Originally Posted by Spritze

This is an example of why you are given the ability to turn off recalc in historical leagues.

No, it is not. Random can go up or down, it does not correct for the loss of talent that occurs when an injury that occurred to a Mel Roach type player is applied to an historic star player.

Perhaps another anecdote will get the point across.

The first time I tried Historic (many OOTPs ago) I started in 1940 with the idea I would see what Bob Feller and Ted Williams did without being called up. First start, Feller gets a CEI.

Now that spoiled my plans. However, I also realized OOTP has no mechanism to replace the loss of a HOFer in my game. In other words, no one player would be automatically promoted to HOF level to make up for the loss of Feller. In essence I would be playing with less talent than historically occurred.

It is that loss of talent I'm complaining about.

[Leo_The_Lip]

Originally Posted by T-Bone

Herb Score is another great "What if" guy

I'm not talking about 'What If' guys today.

[Spritze]

Originally Posted by Leo_The_Lip

Now that spoiled my plans. However, I also realized OOTP has no mechanism to replace the loss of a HOFer in my game. In other words, no one player would be automatically promoted to HOF level to make up for the loss of Feller. In essence I would be playing with less talent than historically occurred.

It is that loss of talent I'm complaining about.

Actually your example is not true. Other players will step in.

You can test this yourself by deleting every h-o-f player or even every teams starting players. You will notice that other players become the stars, probably players you never heard of because they never got a chance IRL. I often do this in leagues I make for myselves.

[Leo_The_Lip]

Originally Posted by Spritze

Actually your example is not true. Other players will step in.

You can test this yourself by deleting every h-o-f player or even every teams starting players. You will notice that other players become the stars, probably players you never heard of because they never got a chance IRL. I often do this in leagues I make for myselves.

Deleting the best guys is a very good idea. I think I'll give that a go.