Help Setting Up New Fictional League

[sreem]

I'm looking for help setting up a new fictional league and I value the opinions of those who have far more experience in this game than I.

This is what I'm looking for, and I'm hoping to solicit some ideas/advice on how to do it:

1. Fictional League with 2 Sub-Leagues, No Divisions, 6 teams per div, 12 total teams

2. Average Player makes $50,000
3. Stats/Team management that mimics a less offense intense era : Maybe high 20's/low 30's in HRs would lead the league
4. 5 Man rotations, 25 to 30 Starts per but I don't want the schedule to be too long (150 games to much for such a small league?)

5. Stats heavy league, so need to have feeder leagues; how many teams per feeder league, and how do I set it up so the accumulate some stats before inaugrial draft?

That's the basics, plan to hide injury rating, and have trading set to hard. Will be evolving the league, so things change over time of course (expansion, offense, etc.)

Any and all suggestions are welcome, and I truly appreciate the help. Been struggling to pull this all together and realized I just wasn't experienced enough to do it on my own. Thanks!

[Nunyer]

I would say that modelling the league after somewhere in the mid 1970s would probably get you close for stats and financials. In 1975 the avg salary was right around $50k... and the top 10 HR leaders hit between 28 to 38 long balls. The five man rotation should also be the norm by 1975 as well.

I've never really done much with feeder leagues, so can't offer anything helpful on that front.

[Questdog]

It is a myth that feeder leagues are needed or are even helpful in stats only play.......the stats that high schoolers (especially) and college players generate have close to a random correlation to future success......it is better to turn the stars on for a normal draft, I think (and turn them off after the draft is over - and don't peek at your other players).....this way, in the future, you'll know that the 1st round picks at least really had talent when they were drafted.....of course, with feeder leagues and using stats only, you will know the same thing, but only for the draft picks of the AI teams, who will not be stupid enough to consider the feeder league stats in their assessment of players.....

And it looks stupid to me when the first player picked in the draft is a guy who hit .230 in high school......but that same player in a normal draft would have excellent HS stats generated and then hit .200 in rookie ball (which is more believable).....

[sreem]

Originally Posted by Questdog

It is a myth that feeder leagues are needed or are even helpful in stats only play.......the stats that high schoolers (especially) and college players generate have close to a random correlation to future success.....

Thanks. I actually wasn't planning on doing Stats Only, just Stats heavy. Maybe set scouting to 25 or 30 for weighing stats.

I though having feeder leagues would provide more seasons of stats for the draft, instead of the standard where you can only see one season of stats. Give a clearer picture of what the player is doing/direction theyre moving.

Maybe I'm wrong on that though.

[The Game]

Originally Posted by Nunyer

I would say that modelling the league after somewhere in the mid 1970s would probably get you close for stats and financials. In 1975 the avg salary was right around $50k... and the top 10 HR leaders hit between 28 to 38 long balls. The five man rotation should also be the norm by 1975 as well.

I've never really done much with feeder leagues, so can't offer anything helpful on that front.

I just came out of the 70's for strategy in my league and 4 man rotations was the norm until 1980. Doing a 5 man with Stamina set to low should work though. Otherwise in a 150 game schedule your #1 will see 35 starts+. My #1's averaged 35 starts in 144 game schedule and then 39 in 162 game schedule for 3 seasons Stamina set to normal, start highest rested. Most teams still used a 4 man for my league because of all the off days but my league was unique.
The league minimum was 59K in 1979. LGO has a post on it somewhere in GD. My league as i said was unique so most of my top HR leaders hit over 45HR but the non custom guys hit 30-40. I just finished 1981 strategy and the AL league leader had 30 HR, and his Editor stat line had him to hit 65 HR.
I would aim for the late 60's. Maybe set up the modifiers yourself, which I have never done. Trial & error sometimes works best.

[YanksFan]

Originally Posted by Questdog

And it looks stupid to me when the first player picked in the draft is a guy who hit .230 in high school......but that same player in a normal draft would have excellent HS stats generated and then hit .200 in rookie ball (which is more believable).....

I wholeheartedly agree and this was my short-lived experience with feeders which is why i decided to scrap them.

[Questdog]

Originally Posted by sreem

Thanks. I actually wasn't planning on doing Stats Only, just Stats heavy. Maybe set scouting to 25 or 30 for weighing stats.

I though having feeder leagues would provide more seasons of stats for the draft, instead of the standard where you can only see one season of stats. Give a clearer picture of what the player is doing/direction theyre moving.

Maybe I'm wrong on that though.

It's not a question of sample size......the youngsters have very, very low actual ratings. The list of the players with the best actual ratings in high school and the list of the high school players with the highest potential ratings have nothing much in common with one another......so picking the best hitter from high school and hoping he turns out to be the best hitter at age 25 (or even any good) is just a crap shoot......literally....you'd do just as well making random picks....

[legofarley]

If you're going to do feeder leagues look up Biggio's feeder league primer that is floating around the forums. I have found that a 44 game feeder league schedule where the season starts at the beginning of March means the feeder league playoffs are done before the draft.