Manager mode....how long did you last?

[Hoover36]

I figured that same strategy out pretty early, but refused to use it. It just isn't realistic. I limited myself developing only drafted players, and signing free agents to build my team. It is just to easy to trade one or two 2 star regulars for 5 star minor leaguers who eventually develop into big time players. I wanted this to be realistic, not fabricated. How fun can that be?

[anpham]

Actually you can't trade a two star player for a 5 blue star player. The computer never accepts them. It usually takes at least a 3 or more and in my case I'm always trading 4 to 5 star players away for minor leaguers. Also a 3 star player generally is a top 8 player at his position who already more than enough to get you a ring. The only reason I trade them is because I can't afford them. If you trade two starters for a minor leaguer (who will only be useable 4 years later) then you've just opened two holes in your starting lineup and gained nothing presently. The only way to fill these gaps is through free agency but I don't sign free agents. I usually don't need the free agents and they usually cost way more than they're worth.

It is technically realistic in real life though. What I have on my roster is a 5 star player. An Alex Rodriguez or a Pedro Martinez. I don't want to pay these guys the 10 million that they're asking so what do you do? Most general managers will trade them. In real life you'll easily get the best two or three players on any minor league farm system or a whole bunch of number one picks in the future. Oakland traded their coach John Gruden for two number 1 picks, and two number 2 picks, plus 8 million dollars just to talk to him. Number 1 draft picks end up as starters almost guaranteed. Number 2's are pretty good too. Tampa then went on to win the Super Bowl in their first year under Gruden. New Orleans traded their entire draft just to get the number one pick to get Ricky Williams. He's now the best running back in the NFL. When you have a sure thing you go for it.

The salary numbers and wins of course aren't realistic (that's only because rookies only cost 300,000 when some rookies cost millions). But if you're sitting there and seeing that your star player is a going to be a free agent and wants 17 million and it'll push you over the cap what do you do? You can let him go for nothing or you can trade him. 99% of the people will trade. If you play in an online league then you have to trade. Sometimes I let them loose and sometimes I trade them. In most cases I trade my superstar for one or two rookies when the other team is offering as many players as there are slots available (I don’t always trade for rookies but in this scenario it’s the easiest way to explain my record). In real baseball I'm technically doing something stupid because you don't trade stars for high school rookies. But in this game most of the 5 star blue rookies turn out to be at least 3 star or greater. This game wouldn't be fun without trades and the computer never offers any trades anymore. They offered trades the first year I played almost every week but I've gone the last 20 years of simulation with maybe 2 or 3 total trade offers from the computer. I have no idea why this happened. But you're supposed to find the most optimal lineup at the most optimal price and the computer's trade AI says that this trade is helping both teams in some way. It was getting kind of ridiculous so that's why I went from the Angels to the Royals, put salary caps, no free agents signings ever, and I even give my starters to last place teams for almost nothing when I have extra players. I still have the same result. Think of if this way. At the worst I’m trading them a 4 star player (my whole lineup is this way). He hit’s .310, 30-40hr, 100+ RBI’s, only 30 years old. He still has 6 or 7 good years in him but it’s going to cost you a ton to keep him. All I ask is for two of their top prospects. In real baseball I’m taking the biggest chance and in real baseball I’m not asking for much. The other team wants a player right now who is guaranteed to put up big numbers. I’m willing to take the chance and wait 4 years or more just to see how these players are going to turn out. If only half of them turn out good then I lose. But if two out of three turn out good then I come out ahead in the long run.

The main problem with the game itself is the scouting is too accurate. The number one prospect really will be a superstar and in real life its the same thing. Troy Glaus hit a million homers in college and the Angels drafted him. It's pretty obvious that he's going to be a superstar and so to sign him it costs you several millions of dollars. If you have a budget you know you cant afford many Troy's sitting in your minors. This game has it so anyone you draft is free until you call them up from the minors and they'll only cost you 300,000 the first three years. If this game was designed so that you had to pay your draft picks immediately then obviously I wouldn't be able to stay under the salary cap and field a bunch of all stars on my triple-A team. But since they make it free then I really don't think anyone whether they are simulating or playing online will give up their superstar for nothing. The only reason a team would keep their star and risk losing him or trade for one temporarily is for a pennant run. But I simulate my game and I'm way ahead and I can afford to lose him so why not trade him? That's what most people would do. Obviously if you were forced to sign your draft pick for 4 years at 5 million each then at that price he's pretty much ready to play for you in the majors. This game has it so you have to wait a couple years while they develop before they have any effectiveness. What's realistic is trading people away. What isn't realistic is letting all your players go for free just because you want to lose games. I'm playing under the OOTP salary rules so my lineup and pitching staff ends up the way that it does. This salary rule isn't the same as it is in real life so it requires a different approach. Even if you approach it the same way in real life you would basically do the same thing. You make trades.

That's where the coaching and scouting helps. It's a star multiplier. This is my first run through OOTP so I have no idea whether or not coaches or scouting actually helps. I haven't tried playing through using this scenario with bad coaches. But assuming that it does then what you have is you trade your 5 star, 30 year old, 10 million plus a year salary, 50 homer man for two blue chip prospects because most teams usually only have at most two. Most of the time they have only one. Those two prospects under good coaches end up with at least three stars. So technically you have two good starters on your team. Some might end up with 4 or even 5 stars. With bad coaches you might end up with junk and have no starters because a lot of those 5 blue star pitchers end up being a 1 star career minor leaguers. Most people wouldn’t trade a 5 star player for the 3rd and 24th best prospect on the list. I wouldn’t but I have to because of the salary cap. 29 teams to trade with is a lot and if you develop a huge minor league system with decent players then making trades with these teams to fill in their holes and taking away their prospects at positions where they're stacked in is the way to go. You might end up with way too many outfielders sometimes but you treat the players like stocks. You hold them and develop them with good coaches until they reach a certain point and then you find them a home on a another team and take someone on that team who might fill a hole on another team who actually has someone you want. Multiple team trades. It makes each year 10 times longer to play. Because if you just sign free agents that's the game for you in 5 minutes. If you have to search each team out and locate the right player for each team and find the right path to get a player on Detroit onto the team in New York so you can have the player on New York who isn't interested in any of your players then it makes the game more interesting.

I haven't played a game where you just sit there and go...Okay if I do this then I win, if I do this then I lose. Should I lose on purpose so that my record is 95-67? Or should I just play in a way that feels right and see how good I can be. What's the point in losing when the point is to win. Playing to lose isn't realistic or right in any way. The other teams field a whole team of players and their payroll is twice mine and I look at their lineup and half their players are 1 star and I wonder why their payroll is so large. I look at my list and all my 11 pitchers are 5 yellow stars and all my 9 hitters are at least 4 stars too. At half the price. Plus my triple-A team could whip them as well. These other teams also make the playoffs and their profit is the same as mine (due to the TV revenue, merchandising, etc) but they have no chance against me in the playoffs. I left the Angels for the Royals and obliterated their team to make it fair and the Angels still went on to win their division 6 years straight. 11 years later their fan interest is still 100 and they still make 30 to 40 million dollar profits each year. If you’re in a market that automatically gives you at least a 80 million dollar payroll then winning the World Series is pretty damn easy. Just sign a couple free agents, hit the simulation button and you have a good chance of winning it. That’s the reason why the Yankees and Braves are so good. They’re so rich they can just buy their rings. I’m not trying to buy my ring, I’m trying to earn it slowly and to be able to keep it always and use the least possible money.

Technically speaking signing free agents is the easiest way to win. There are easily four 40 plus homer men available each year that if you signed them all you would win the championship each year in a flash just so long as you pick a team with a decent sized market. So if you sign two or three free agents, your team at the end of the year just gained three guys and gave up nothing. If you trade for your lineup then you generally have to give up the equal value or more. Obviously if you signed them and traded them instantly for someone else you’re not doing much and that’s why I banned myself from signing free agents. Also the draft only puts out good players up to the 10th pick so if you pick 30th then you're basically getting a useless reliever or a good defensive backup. If you win then the draft is basically useless. You can't predict when there's going to be a superstar number 1 pick so you can release all your stars just to draft him. It's not worth it. So in the end the only real challenge to this game is to win as many games possible and making the most profit at the same time under extreme circumstances. This is when you’re playing on your own. Obviously if you’re playing against other people then it’s a whole new story but this is the way it is. It’s the most efficient.

So you can either just sign free agents every year and just outbid other teams which is pretty easy, or you can develop your farm system and use them instead at 300,000 a pop. If you look at my salary report my team cost me 90 million plus for the first 10 years. Only after my farm system developed was I able to finally start using the rookies in full and that’s why my payroll was slashed in half. It took 15 years of simulation to reach that point. It didn’t happen instantly. Winning the World Series with what the game offers you can happen with the first year or two with doing fairly little by taking other teams stars for free through the free agency pool. With minor leaguers you have to give up something to get what you want and not just fork out the excess cash. Winning the World Series at .860 using only a 52 million payroll takes 15 years of planning and transactions. Winning the World Series at .600 with a 90 million dollar payroll just takes 3 or 4 free agents and a little luck.

[O-Man]

I made it to 2022, but I accidentally messed the file up when i was testing the manager off/on utility "oops"

I still have backup I did a week before that
I have 1500 career wins already with only 900-some losses.
I'll check my backup and post the shot.

[Springtime_for_Hunter]

To put it more concisely, he's the 1995-2001 Seattle Mariners.

I don't think it's too unrealistic, but I also think it's something different causing the problem. All 29 teams should not be even listening to those kind of trades - if anything, only four or five at any given time. But the AI doesn't differentiate between contending teams and rebuilding ones, and that causes exploits like this one. Hopefully for all-y'all, that'll get fixed sooner or later.

I'm pretty content with OOTP4, where the AI won't trade me its top prospects for anything short of superstars. It does annoy me, though, when they turn around and trade the prospect I want to other AI teams for a 37-year-old Craig Paquette.

[Hoover36]

Originally posted by anpham
Actually you can't trade a two star player for a 5 blue star player. The computer never accepts them. It usually takes at least a 3 or more and in my case I'm always trading 4 to 5 star players away for minor leaguers.

If the 2 star players fill a "weakness" the computer will accept a 2 for 1 almost all the time. There are occasions where it takes 3, 4 or 5 guys, but inevitably, they accept a trade if it fills their need.

[anpham]

I'd like to take back the statement I made earlier about lower round draft picks being useless. I so far have never seen any of my own draft picks become stars but I have this player on my team who's won the triple crown the last two seasons in a row and MVP 5 out of the last 6 seasons. I went to look back at his player history button and saw that he was drafted in the 3rd round, 72nd overall pick by Chicago. When I select in the 3rd round and even the second round I'll be lucky to even find any 3 blue star position players left. He played three full seasons in the majors and 6 seasons in the minors before I traded for him because he was the best at his position at the time. I just assumed that he was a first rounder when in fact he was a 3rd rounder. I'm not sure if the computer randomly selects computer managed teams and boosts up random players to give each team some stars but if this also happens on human managed teams as well then stars are available in the lower rounds. 3rd is a lower round for me because I use only 5 rounds especially since most position players at that point carry only 2 stars. I have seen some players who I put on my team with just one star who had A defensive ratings and 0 hitting and saw them develop 2 stars or more several times with pretty decent hitting (6+). That 3rd rounder is 32 years old now and is getting better, he hit .383 (249 hits), 65 homers, 161 runs, 198 RBIs, 1.176 OPS, .742 SLG, and stuck out only 14 times in 650 ABs. The season before he put up similiar numbers as well. He's the best player on my team and the only starter that isnt a high number one.

[suurimonster]

Due respect for coming up with a winning strategy, although I think in 5.1 the variety in prospect developments will make it harder. Personally, I cannot give up my all-stars when they are 30, as seeing them go all the way to the hall of fame etc. is one of the major highlights (I am paying 15.5 M for one guy, who is not the best, but really has a shot to make 500 HR).

As a side-note, I find that it is more difficult to win when playing the games out, as I tend to take stupid risks and make decisions based on my player preferences rather than the percentage play while simming. This is especially true in the post-season, where I easily give-up after go 3-4 runs behind to an ace pitcher, when I am sure the computer will still push for the win.

[Musashi]

I got fired after 2 years in my manager mode. Took a terrible team to the play offs the first year, won .490pct of my games the next year and got canned. This was after I made good trades to make this team soo much better SO I quit the manager mode and just played the team and after 20 seasons I win the WC every other year just about.

[RayofHope]

I think I musta gotten a little lucky.

I decided to start off a Dynasty with the Rays, and noticed my owner was a "Very Nice Guy (Very Patient)." Since this is the first time I've ever played OOTP I decided to play Big Leaguer difficulty (the average setting).

His expectations have NEVER risen above "Don't finish last in ****".

Can't work out how to get a screen shot in, although I have a good one in my paint program at the moment, but here's my numbers, about to start the 2011 season.

2003 TBA 60-102 .370 38 GB DEAD LAST
2004 TBA 64-98 .395 43 GB DEAD LAST
2005 TBA 79-83 .488 13 GB FOURTH!
2006 TBA 76-86 .469 17 GB DEAD LAST
2007 TBA 75-87 .463 20 GB DEAD LAST
2008 TBA 69-93 .426 23 GB DEAD LAST
2009 TBA 97-65 .599 0 GB PLAYOFFS!
2010 TBA 96-66 .593 0 GB WORLD SERIES!

That 2010 season was crazy. At one stage I was on pace for 120 wins, then I collapsed and the Blue Jays and Yanks came charging after me. I almost missed the freaking playoffs if you can believe it. I blew a 2-0 division series lead over Texas, but pulled it out 3-2. I then steam rolled the Yanks 4-1 in the ALCS, and waited and watched as Atlanta came back from 3-1 down to top the Reds (my fav NL team) 4-3. After going up 1-0 in the series, my boys capitulated and lost 4 in a row. Crap.

The big improvement came after I released how important the coaches/scouts are. I spent a forune to nail down a LEGENDARY/OUTSTANDING scout and a LEGENDARY/LEGENDARY AAA Manager. I also almost bankrupt the team (well, I did bankrupt them) by signing myself a real ace (my team now has 3 legitimate aces, two of which came up through my system) and another 4 legitimate starters waiting their chance at AAA ball. One or two of these guys I got in trades.

It also took 6 years, but that stud short stop that started off at A ball (must be BJ Upton) finally made it to the bigs in a platoon role two seasons ago. Last year, he became my lead off hitter, and was killing everything before getting hurt.

I started as myself, youngest manager in the bigs at the tender age of 27. I married some tight bod little hoochie 5 years my junior, first woman that said yes, made her spit me out a little baby boy, Zachary, then the very next day asked her if she wanted another kid - HEY! I'm horny, back off! After weeks and weeks of constant pestering, she left me. Wonder why?

Asking your wife for kids every two weeks doesn't get you anywhere. Ah well, I didn't like her name anyway - Harriette? My current girl, I'm not going to rush her. See what happens.

One thing getting to me is the fact that I seem to be stuck at "Bad Manager." Have been since 2007.

Oh, and all my scouts/managers are now at least legendary in one repsect or another, although I've thrown millions at each of them, it's worth it.

I also raped the Yanks of their stud 3b prospect, who's now going into his first full year as a starter with me (he was a mid season call up last year). Kid's gonna be a first ballot hall of famer!

[H I Mcdonough]

I just finally won my first World Championship with my Las Vegas team in 2015. I started my fictional league in 2003, and I was a manager with Providence. I spent three disappointing seasons there, then got canned.

Took a job with the horrible Las Vegas team. Turned them around my first season from losing 90+ to going 86 - 76. However, I was not able to keep the roster together due to very poor fan support and money. Spent the next few years bouncing around the .500 mark, but I had a good owner, so I lept my job. Then I started making trades for prospects and built my minor league system up. In 2011 I finally won my division, but got bounced in the LCS in 6 games. The next season I finished second, but my fan support was increasing nicely and so was my cashflow.

In 2013 I made some free-agent signings and won the division again, but got bounced in the LCS again, this time by Los Angeles. 2014, same thing, again losing in the LCS to the hated Los Angeles team. And then finally, 2015.....Champions.

I actually feel like I accomplished something. It was pretty cool, seeing this team I put together and suffered with. My roster was almost exactly the same for the last 4 seasons or so, give or take 4 or 5 guys. There was even a backup catcher I kept around probably one season too long, but he'd been with me for my whole run in LV. So even though it's just a game, it was nice to see a guy like that win a ring.

[Stieb]

Here's my career. It is set on average level difficulty. Just signed a new contract with Detroit. I started in 1981 with Toronto (and didn't make the playoffs in my first two years) so 17 years with them.

[acclaim99]

I've been broke 99% of the time, but I managed to stay with the Phillies for 11 years before deciding to leave.

[Stewman]

I'm not at my home computer right now so I can't post a screen shot, but I started managing the Cleveland Indians in a historical league in 1905 and am still with them having just completed 1929. I've been to the World Series 7 times but have only won 3.

My awesome wife Anna has kicked out 5 sons, only two of whom have "rather good baseball skills" while the other three have none at all. My oldest son Joe is a 21 year old left-handed starting pitcher (6-5 200 lbs.) and just entered the ammy draft in 1930. I drafted him and he'll start off in A ball. His talent ratings are just kind of average to slightly above so its borderline on whether he'll ever make the show or not.

[Stewman]

I've completed 3 more seasons, so I'm up to 27 years - all with the Cleveland Indians.

[wwbl_commish]

ive played 21 so far, won 10 titles and my division every year, but i make a lotta trades and its not too hard to get great spects, well at least until the patch came out.....

[bulldog55]

Originally posted by sixfour210
ok...something's wrong here. Either you're doing some cheating or the game needs to be changed. No one should ever dominate like that in real life.

Originally posted by anpham
(Attendence is kind of wacky since I played with the capacity to see how many fans I could draw)

Must be hard to win when you're drawing 5 million fans per season.

[ctorg]

The longest I've ever stayed as manager of one team was 15 years. I only left because I wanted to have the challenge of facing the monster team I'd put together, which had just won 5 straight titles.

[cibl commish]

I won the world series the first season and lost the world series the second season. Amazingly, I still can't get more then a 1 year contract from my team

[css]

I just recently started my managerial career. I started out in St Louis (they offerred me the most money - $540K). I took them straight to the World Series where I was victorious in 4. I expected a nice raise after that. I got bumped up to just under a million with a one year extension. I figured the owner thought it might have been beginner's luck and therefore didn't want to give me a multi-year contract. I figure, alright then, I'll prove him wrong.

So I signed Vlad Guerrero in the offseason for a disgusting $18 mil over 6 seasons (yeah, i got in a bidding war). With a lineup of Guerrero, Pujols, Edmonds, and Karim Garcia (who for some reason turned into a .300-35-120 stud) I figure I was set. I didn't win it all in 2004, but I won the division and made it into the NLCS, where I lost to the Phils, who went on to win the WS.

I figure, hey, I at least proved I can contend for the title again, so I should get a multi-year extension and another nice-sized raise.

the offer: 1 year, $1.1 mil. i said goodbye.

One of 3 openings for the 2005 season was in san diego. a horrible owner, but he offerred me one year at $1.5 million, with the demand of playing .500 ball. By June I was in last place 6 games under .500. I just ticked off Mark Kotsay (who was being quite unreasonable with his contract demands), so i put him up on the trading block.

The next day, I got this trade offer email from the Mets:

Piazza and Cliff Floyd for Kotsay.

At 36, Piazza was overpriced but in the last year of his contract, and Floyd was very reasonable, so I took it. Next thing you know, powered by Piazza, Floyd, and a Cy Young year from Jake Peavy (18-6, 2.34), and thanks to a horrible second half by the Giants, I finish the year 89-73 and won the NL West by 4 games.

I start the playoffs soon. Up first, the Phillies. Then, a potential showdown with the Cardinals....this time, it's personal.

[ctorg]

Originally posted by css
I just recently started my managerial career. I started out in St Louis (they offerred me the most money - $540K). I took them straight to the World Series where I was victorious in 4. I expected a nice raise after that. I got bumped up to just under a million with a one year extension. I figured the owner thought it might have been beginner's luck and therefore didn't want to give me a multi-year contract. I figure, alright then, I'll prove him wrong.

So I signed Vlad Guerrero in the offseason for a disgusting $18 mil over 6 seasons (yeah, i got in a bidding war). With a lineup of Guerrero, Pujols, Edmonds, and Karim Garcia (who for some reason turned into a .300-35-120 stud) I figure I was set. I didn't win it all in 2004, but I won the division and made it into the NLCS, where I lost to the Phils, who went on to win the WS.

I figure, hey, I at least proved I can contend for the title again, so I should get a multi-year extension and another nice-sized raise.

the offer: 1 year, $1.1 mil. i said goodbye.

One of 3 openings for the 2005 season was in san diego. a horrible owner, but he offerred me one year at $1.5 million, with the demand of playing .500 ball. By June I was in last place 6 games under .500. I just ticked off Mark Kotsay (who was being quite unreasonable with his contract demands), so i put him up on the trading block.

The next day, I got this trade offer email from the Mets:

Piazza and Cliff Floyd for Kotsay.

At 36, Piazza was overpriced but in the last year of his contract, and Floyd was very reasonable, so I took it. Next thing you know, powered by Piazza, Floyd, and a Cy Young year from Jake Peavy (18-6, 2.34), and thanks to a horrible second half by the Giants, I finish the year 89-73 and won the NL West by 4 games.

I start the playoffs soon. Up first, the Phillies. Then, a potential showdown with the Cardinals....this time, it's personal.

Love stuff like that.