Age of Historical Players

joeswell · 07-23-2006, 04:40 PM

I am trying to re-create a fantasy league my friends and I used to play with APBA with OOTP. We all drafted our favorite baseball players of all time (1870's to present) and choose our favorite ballpark for home field, etc.

After several unsuccessful attempts to get this type of organization successfully loaded into OOTP, I "think" I am on the right track. However, I have noticed that many of the all time greats are being imported into OOTP with their ages as of 2006. For example, Babe Ruth is listed at 101. Some of the other players like Nap Lajoie or Cy Young are older. Even great players of baseball's Golden Era like Stan Musial or Willie Mays are in their 70's and 80's today. George Brett is in his 50's.

My question is, does the age of a player affect his performance in OOTP? Will a 50+ year old player like Mike Schmidt "play" the same as say, Jim Thome or Ryan Howard?

Or is there a method to import historical players so that they will perform "realistically?

Tycobbler · 07-23-2006, 09:42 PM

Good question. I imagine if you imported each player from their prospective year it should import said player at the age in which they were imported right into your FA pool then draft accordingly. Of course i've been wrong before. Seems to me it should've worked if you imported them correctly otherwise it may be off to the old folks home for these geezers.

Tiger Fan · 07-23-2006, 11:15 PM

Are you using the Lahman DB to import the players and do you have the beta patch build 12260 installed?

I just tried to import two players into a 1951 league (Roger Bresnahan from 1902 and Miguel Cabrera from 2005) and both entered my 1951 league at the proper ages for the season I imported..ie early 20's.

I also just imported 1927 Babe Ruth into a 2006 league and he was 31 years old so for me at least this aspect seems to work fine.

joeswell · 07-23-2006, 11:22 PM

I chose the option "peak seasons of career" to import each player for the year 2006. So... that won't work? How about if I changed their birthdays?

What you're saying is I should import them from I judge to be their best year. Say, if I wanted to draft Babe Ruth, I should choose him from 1927? or the year he hit .393? or whatever.

I'm glad I asked this question because I would be pretty frustrated if I drafted Ted Williams and he plays like an 80+ year old deceased guy instead of as "Teddy Ballgame" as he played in 1941 when he hit .400.

I would interested to know if anyone else has this type of league in OOTP and how they handle this issue.

joeswell · 07-23-2006, 11:36 PM

Tiger Fan,

You're right. I have to determine the player's best year and import him that way.

For example, I had Dick Allen on my team. If I import him in "2006," he's a 64 year old man. If I import him in "1966," he's 23 years old and his stats in the editor are all different. (better!)

Thanks very very much. OOTP is a difficult game, but I have to say that everyone in this forum is very very helpful.

Tiger Fan · 07-23-2006, 11:42 PM

Glad I could help.

Pirates Fan · 09-10-2006, 10:14 PM

joeswell's project sounds like where I'd be headed if I decide to cast my lot with OOTP.

but a couple questions:

1. what does the import option "peak seasons of career" do, exactly?

2. how do you import any player into a 2006 league at the correct age if he was 23 in 1966?

joeswell · 09-11-2006, 08:58 PM

Pirates Fan,

My League has worked out "swell" - OOTP performed pretty much as advertised. It still could use a couple "tweaks," but in terms of the games and the stats, it's very entertaining.

It is a tedious process to import players, but once you get the hang of it, it's not too bad.

When I selected players, I chose what I believed to be their best year at their youngest age. For example, I took Babe Ruth in 1920, not 1927. The game automatically calculated his age in this way - In 1920, Babe Ruth was 25 years old. My fantasy season began in 2006, so he started the game at 25 years old born in 1981.

When I checked "peak seasons of career," I noticed that Babe Ruth had stats for all years prior to 1920 included in his all time stats. The years went, 1917, 1918, 1919, 2006, 2007, etc.

I noticed that in my fantasy league, offensive stats for most players were generally lower than their "real" stats. I attribute this to the fact that all of the pitchers they faced were at their career peaks as well. That said, Babe Ruth still hit 60 homers one year and was MVP for three years in a row.

I've played five seasons so far, and the great players perform as expected.

I hope this helps. Later this month, I want to post my League on the web so I can get comments / advice from anyone who cares to offer an opinion. Anytime I've posted a question on this forum, I have always received many helpful responses.

07-23-2006, 04:40 PM	#1
joeswell Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 153	Age of Historical Players I am trying to re-create a fantasy league my friends and I used to play with APBA with OOTP. We all drafted our favorite baseball players of all time (1870's to present) and choose our favorite ballpark for home field, etc. After several unsuccessful attempts to get this type of organization successfully loaded into OOTP, I "think" I am on the right track. However, I have noticed that many of the all time greats are being imported into OOTP with their ages as of 2006. For example, Babe Ruth is listed at 101. Some of the other players like Nap Lajoie or Cy Young are older. Even great players of baseball's Golden Era like Stan Musial or Willie Mays are in their 70's and 80's today. George Brett is in his 50's. My question is, does the age of a player affect his performance in OOTP? Will a 50+ year old player like Mike Schmidt "play" the same as say, Jim Thome or Ryan Howard? Or is there a method to import historical players so that they will perform "realistically?

07-23-2006, 09:42 PM	#2
Tycobbler All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: 20 minutes from Comerica Park Posts: 1,955	Good question. I imagine if you imported each player from their prospective year it should import said player at the age in which they were imported right into your FA pool then draft accordingly. Of course i've been wrong before. Seems to me it should've worked if you imported them correctly otherwise it may be off to the old folks home for these geezers. Last edited by Tycobbler; 07-23-2006 at 09:45 PM.

07-23-2006, 11:15 PM	#3
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,541	Are you using the Lahman DB to import the players and do you have the beta patch build 12260 installed? I just tried to import two players into a 1951 league (Roger Bresnahan from 1902 and Miguel Cabrera from 2005) and both entered my 1951 league at the proper ages for the season I imported..ie early 20's. I also just imported 1927 Babe Ruth into a 2006 league and he was 31 years old so for me at least this aspect seems to work fine. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles Columnist- The Figment Sporting Journal MY FIGMENT LEAGUE BROOKLYN KINGS DYNASTY PAST DYNASTYS My History of Hockey Replay Tiger Fan's Sporting News : the mid 1940's Tiger Fan's All Sport Replay: The 1920s History of Sports 1901-15 Historical Tutorial and Feedback League My first fictional attempt The HOB4: The last of my series of history of baseball replays that go back to OOTP2 and the old message board.

07-23-2006, 11:22 PM	#4
joeswell Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 153	Hmmmmm? I chose the option "peak seasons of career" to import each player for the year 2006. So... that won't work? How about if I changed their birthdays? What you're saying is I should import them from I judge to be their best year. Say, if I wanted to draft Babe Ruth, I should choose him from 1927? or the year he hit .393? or whatever. I'm glad I asked this question because I would be pretty frustrated if I drafted Ted Williams and he plays like an 80+ year old deceased guy instead of as "Teddy Ballgame" as he played in 1941 when he hit .400. I would interested to know if anyone else has this type of league in OOTP and how they handle this issue.

07-23-2006, 11:36 PM	#5
joeswell Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 153	You're Right! Tiger Fan, You're right. I have to determine the player's best year and import him that way. For example, I had Dick Allen on my team. If I import him in "2006," he's a 64 year old man. If I import him in "1966," he's 23 years old and his stats in the editor are all different. (better!) Thanks very very much. OOTP is a difficult game, but I have to say that everyone in this forum is very very helpful.

07-23-2006, 11:42 PM	#6
Tiger Fan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 9,541	Glad I could help. __________________ Cliff Markle HOB1 greatest pitcher 360-160, 9 Welch Awards, 11 WS titles Columnist- The Figment Sporting Journal MY FIGMENT LEAGUE BROOKLYN KINGS DYNASTY PAST DYNASTYS My History of Hockey Replay Tiger Fan's Sporting News : the mid 1940's Tiger Fan's All Sport Replay: The 1920s History of Sports 1901-15 Historical Tutorial and Feedback League My first fictional attempt The HOB4: The last of my series of history of baseball replays that go back to OOTP2 and the old message board.

09-10-2006, 10:14 PM	#7
Pirates Fan Minors (Single A) Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 63	joeswell's project sounds like where I'd be headed if I decide to cast my lot with OOTP. but a couple questions: 1. what does the import option "peak seasons of career" do, exactly? 2. how do you import any player into a 2006 league at the correct age if he was 23 in 1966?

09-11-2006, 08:58 PM	#8
joeswell Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 153	Age of Historical Players Pirates Fan, My League has worked out "swell" - OOTP performed pretty much as advertised. It still could use a couple "tweaks," but in terms of the games and the stats, it's very entertaining. It is a tedious process to import players, but once you get the hang of it, it's not too bad. When I selected players, I chose what I believed to be their best year at their youngest age. For example, I took Babe Ruth in 1920, not 1927. The game automatically calculated his age in this way - In 1920, Babe Ruth was 25 years old. My fantasy season began in 2006, so he started the game at 25 years old born in 1981. When I checked "peak seasons of career," I noticed that Babe Ruth had stats for all years prior to 1920 included in his all time stats. The years went, 1917, 1918, 1919, 2006, 2007, etc. I noticed that in my fantasy league, offensive stats for most players were generally lower than their "real" stats. I attribute this to the fact that all of the pitchers they faced were at their career peaks as well. That said, Babe Ruth still hit 60 homers one year and was MVP for three years in a row. I've played five seasons so far, and the great players perform as expected. I hope this helps. Later this month, I want to post my League on the web so I can get comments / advice from anyone who cares to offer an opinion. Anytime I've posted a question on this forum, I have always received many helpful responses.