Using OOTP 14 for the Science Fair

yougo1000 · 09-26-2013, 04:43 PM

So I decided for my schools science fair(which is required and I am not saying where I go) I decided to do an experiment about baseball stats and what predicts run usage the most. I decided I would use OOTP to test my format (pending teacher approval).

What I plan to do is change one rating for a player on a team to be 50 and disable player development and keep other ratings the same and what I will do is simulate a season and record the results and I will simulate another season in a new game with a different rating of 50.

What do you guys think? Is this a good idea or should I make some changes?

VanillaGorilla · 09-26-2013, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yougo1000

So I decided for my schools science fair(which is required and I am not saying where I go) I decided to do an experiment about baseball stats and what predicts run usage the most. I decided I would use OOTP to test my format (pending teacher approval).

What I plan to do is change one rating for a player on a team to be 50 and disable player development and keep other ratings the same and what I will do is simulate a season and record the results and I will simulate another season in a new game with a different rating of 50.

What do you guys think? Is this a good idea or should I make some changes?

I think it is great that you are looking to incorporate OOTP for a school project ("Mom, I'm doing homework....really!").

I am not going to ask what year of school you are in. That is information best kept to yourself.

On that note, I think you should do more than one year for your control and experimental group.

A middle school science fair, do 10 of each.

A high school science fair, 100 of each.

A college science fair, 1000 of each.

These are minimums.

Are you doing this project because you really want to do it, or because you simply have to do something for the fair?

If you are looking on the project as an assignment, go with the minimum number of trials. There is no need to make baseball drudgery.

If you are looking to knock the socks off of people with your work, then multiply my suggested number of trials by 10.

Talk to your teacher/science fair sponsor about how to structure your test and document the controlled vs uncontrolled variables you choose to have in your exercise.

Whatever you have learned about statistical analysis in your classes, come out of this project knowing a little bit more than you did when you started.

Numbers should be fun.
Baseball IS fun.

Whatever you choose to do with this project, have fun!

BradC · 09-27-2013, 01:55 PM

Sounds like a great science fair project. Good luck with it!

BTW, a middle school teacher in New York state contacted us not too long ago about doing an OOTP after-school club. We've been helping him set it up, and he has 25 enthusiastic kids ready to draft and manage their baseball teams.

If anyone out there is interested in doing something similar at their school, whether you're a student or a friend or a teacher or a parent or whatever, please send me a PM and we can chat about it. I would love to help get more clubs like this running. When I was in 6th grade, I had a history teacher who created a strategy game set in a fictional world where you ran a country and made various decisions that taught us so much. I think OOTP could be used in similar ways.

Thanks, all!

TNCubsFan · 09-27-2013, 02:07 PM

If your teacher balks a bit at you using a "game". Ask them what state standards would be highlighted by your project.

Better yet, go to your state government Dept. of Educations web page and look up the math and state standards for your grade level as well as the next grade level up.

Giving them the standards you will be using/ exceeding will help over come most objections they could have.

pgjocki · 09-27-2013, 02:41 PM

What is your stated hypothesis for determining run usage? I am not 100% sure I understand what your goal is, when you say run do you mean total runs scored per game or per season? Or is it how often will players steal bases or "run" on the pitcher/catcher?

Another member here posted results of testing Ichiro against Maggy and that would be an excellent starting point for you.

yougo1000 · 09-27-2013, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VanillaGorilla

I think it is great that you are looking to incorporate OOTP for a school project ("Mom, I'm doing homework....really!").

I am not going to ask what year of school you are in. That is information best kept to yourself.

On that note, I think you should do more than one year for your control and experimental group.

A middle school science fair, do 10 of each.

A high school science fair, 100 of each.

A college science fair, 1000 of each.

These are minimums.

Are you doing this project because you really want to do it, or because you simply have to do something for the fair?

If you are looking on the project as an assignment, go with the minimum number of trials. There is no need to make baseball drudgery.

If you are looking to knock the socks off of people with your work, then multiply my suggested number of trials by 10.

Talk to your teacher/science fair sponsor about how to structure your test and document the controlled vs uncontrolled variables you choose to have in your exercise.

Whatever you have learned about statistical analysis in your classes, come out of this project knowing a little bit more than you did when you started.

Numbers should be fun.
Baseball IS fun.

Whatever you choose to do with this project, have fun!

Thanks a lot for the advice. I will definitely talk to my teacher about it

Quote:

Originally Posted by pgjocki

What is your stated hypothesis for determining run usage? I am not 100% sure I understand what your goal is, when you say run do you mean total runs scored per game or per season? Or is it how often will players steal bases or "run" on the pitcher/catcher?

Another member here posted results of testing Ichiro against Maggy and that would be an excellent starting point for you.

My hypothesis as of right now is: "If a team has a higher gap rating then they will score more runs."

Brummer's_Stealing_Home! · 09-30-2013, 11:48 AM

Hmmmmm. I don't think that this should work as a science fair project. My advice would be to do a real project that involves observation of physical or chemical phenomena. Granted, your project would teach you about independent and dependent variables, which may or may not be the most important thing that you learn from a science project (depending on age, of course), but there's a whole lot more to learn from conducting a scientific experiment than that.

Plus, since OOTP is a "closed" system, you won't be able to explain why your hypothesis proved to be true or false.

Bad idea. Measure the effect of ice on soda carbonation or the effect of the length of the lever on a trebuchet's ability to throw a projectile, or anything but a computer simulation.

09-26-2013, 04:43 PM	#1
yougo1000 All Star Reserve Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Illinois Posts: 652	Using OOTP 14 for the Science Fair So I decided for my schools science fair(which is required and I am not saying where I go) I decided to do an experiment about baseball stats and what predicts run usage the most. I decided I would use OOTP to test my format (pending teacher approval). What I plan to do is change one rating for a player on a team to be 50 and disable player development and keep other ratings the same and what I will do is simulate a season and record the results and I will simulate another season in a new game with a different rating of 50. What do you guys think? Is this a good idea or should I make some changes? __________________ Teams I like: Cubs Bears Bulls Hawks and Kansas JayHawks

09-27-2013, 02:07 PM	#4
TNCubsFan Major Leagues Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 300	If your teacher balks a bit at you using a "game". Ask them what state standards would be highlighted by your project. Better yet, go to your state government Dept. of Educations web page and look up the math and state standards for your grade level as well as the next grade level up. Giving them the standards you will be using/ exceeding will help over come most objections they could have. __________________ "If a tie is like kissing your sister, losing is like kissing your grandmother with her teeth out" George Brett HOF Last edited by TNCubsFan; 09-27-2013 at 02:08 PM.

09-27-2013, 02:41 PM	#5
pgjocki All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Maryland - just outside DC Posts: 1,671	What is your stated hypothesis for determining run usage? I am not 100% sure I understand what your goal is, when you say run do you mean total runs scored per game or per season? Or is it how often will players steal bases or "run" on the pitcher/catcher? Another member here posted results of testing Ichiro against Maggy and that would be an excellent starting point for you. __________________ - - - World Series championships: 1926, 1931, 1934, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1964, 1967, 1982, 2006, 2011

09-27-2013, 01:55 PM	#3
BradC All Star Starter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: northern CA Posts: 1,878	Sounds like a great science fair project. Good luck with it! BTW, a middle school teacher in New York state contacted us not too long ago about doing an OOTP after-school club. We've been helping him set it up, and he has 25 enthusiastic kids ready to draft and manage their baseball teams. If anyone out there is interested in doing something similar at their school, whether you're a student or a friend or a teacher or a parent or whatever, please send me a PM and we can chat about it. I would love to help get more clubs like this running. When I was in 6th grade, I had a history teacher who created a strategy game set in a fictional world where you ran a country and made various decisions that taught us so much. I think OOTP could be used in similar ways. Thanks, all!

09-30-2013, 11:48 AM	#7
Brummer's_Stealing_Home! Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: St. Louis Posts: 31	Hmmmmm. I don't think that this should work as a science fair project. My advice would be to do a real project that involves observation of physical or chemical phenomena. Granted, your project would teach you about independent and dependent variables, which may or may not be the most important thing that you learn from a science project (depending on age, of course), but there's a whole lot more to learn from conducting a scientific experiment than that. Plus, since OOTP is a "closed" system, you won't be able to explain why your hypothesis proved to be true or false. Bad idea. Measure the effect of ice on soda carbonation or the effect of the length of the lever on a trebuchet's ability to throw a projectile, or anything but a computer simulation.