What year do you play and why?

[David Watts]

Well, I finally came to realize something the hard way this weekend. I simply don't enjoy playing deadball baseball. I don't really care for the 20's and 30's either, due to entire teams batting .300+ for an entire season. Like a fool, I keep setting up leagues during these periods and if I make it till August without growing bored, I'm lucky. I've finally decided to quit wasting my time.

I love baseball from 1947 to 1986. Not a huge fan of the steroid years and I have a hard time with todays game due to starters only pitching 5 innings and relief pitchers pitching in .3's If I do play today's game, I often have to fiddle with pitcher stamina and bullpen usage.

[Leo_The_Lip]

Yes, I like to start a random debut league in 1946, sim to 1958, take over the worst team to get used to the players, then take over the Senators for 1961 expansion draft.

By the time I get to 1969, the next round of expansion, I might pick the Expos, but I usually quit and do something else.

[USF]

Originally Posted by AirmenSmith

So i'm just curious to why some people choose to play certain historical years. I usually play modern day but have found myself trying historical instead. My reasoning is because baseball now isn't as thrilling as it use to be. The state of Homeruns, the amount of teams, and the lack of quality pitching makes me go back in time.

So for me I usually start in 1994. I like the amount of teams in the league. Low injuries, pitchers pitched more, less on relievers, steals.

Modern day and "FICTIONAL". The fictional aspect of OOTP is what draws me in and keeps me a happy customer.

[scott1964]

Originally Posted by David Watts

Well, I finally came to realize something the hard way this weekend. I simply don't enjoy playing deadball baseball. I don't really care for the 20's and 30's either, due to entire teams batting .300+ for an entire season. Like a fool, I keep setting up leagues during these periods and if I make it till August without growing bored, I'm lucky. I've finally decided to quit wasting my time.

I love baseball from 1947 to 1986. Not a huge fan of the steroid years and I have a hard time with todays game due to starters only pitching 5 innings and relief pitchers pitching in .3's If I do play today's game, I often have to fiddle with pitcher stamina and bullpen usage.

I am having a blast, up to the end of 1928. Funny not seeing Bath Ruth not hit as many home runs are he pitches and wins more and more. He still leads the league though and the closest player is over 150 behind.

[David Watts]

Originally Posted by scott1964

I am having a blast, up to the end of 1928. Funny not seeing Bath Ruth not hit as many home runs are he pitches and wins more and more. He still leads the league though and the closest player is over 150 behind.

I actually thought about you and your birth of statistics thread when I pulled the plug on my latest effort. I think in the future, I may try to do a deal where I fast sim through all the early years and start watching a game per day from 1947 on. Maybe just play out the post season games.

[jerryb1961]

1927 as the Yankees

I don't like to lose

[BMW]

Originally Posted by Argonaut

I'm just about to start my first historical game. Going with 1972 at the dawn of the Texas Rangers, see if I can win the World Series with them.

What do you guys do with your lineup construction in earlier eras? I can't see myself needing more than 4 on the bench (1 C, 2 IF, 1 OF), but are the extra relievers any benefit in the 70s? Or should I go with more on the bench like a 5th OF or extra pinch hitters/runners?

When I would play in the 80s with the Mets, I would usually play with 10 pitchers and 15 bench players. My recollection is that this was the typical roster.

Even in the 80s, starters were expected to go 7-8 innings, and anything beyond two relievers would usually signal a terrible night in some way for that team. The concept of using a reliever for less than an inning really didn't happen until the LaRussa A's teams of the early 1990s.

The concept of a closer can only go 3 outs didn't really fully come into vogue until the 1990s as well.

So 11+ man bullpens just weren't regularly needed until the 1990s. Your 6th reliever on most teams often wouldn't top two dozen innings (because they were really only up for injuries, or were the reliever that was sent to the minors/released).