Fictional League Idea

Klew1986 · 02-26-2017, 04:25 PM

I will be starting a United States Baseball League, fictional, when OOTP18 is released. I will start with 10 or 12 teams and slowly expand to 24 teams. My question is, should I go with 3 divisions per league (4 teams per division) or 2 divisions per league (6 teams per division)?

If I go with the 3 division set up, I would have 1 wild-card team, so 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3.

If I go with 2 division, I would have the division winners face off.

bwburke94 · 02-26-2017, 06:29 PM

3 divisions.

BBGiovanni · 02-26-2017, 07:28 PM

I really dislike divisions/leagues with fewer than 6 teams each... you could still use 2 wild cards.

Dark Horse · 02-26-2017, 08:30 PM

i'm gonna go old school with my dynasty 6 team divisions, no wild card.

TheMaus2 · 02-26-2017, 08:43 PM

I say 4 divisions 2 wild cards.

thorpegiovanni · 02-26-2017, 09:27 PM

If it's only 12 teams, definitely 2 divisions. Never a good idea to go w/ too many divisions. At 24 teams, 4 -6 divisions work.

jpeters1734 · 02-27-2017, 08:03 AM

no divisions.

Coltrane · 02-27-2017, 08:20 AM

I'm with jp. No divisions, top 2 play in championship.

Hageneezz · 02-27-2017, 09:05 AM

Two divisions of five teams

spleen1015 · 02-27-2017, 09:10 AM

2 divisions - 6 teams with an unbalanced schedule so that division head to head matters more.

Padreman · 02-27-2017, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spleen1015

2 divisions - 6 teams with an unbalanced schedule so that division head to head matters more.

This

robwondah · 02-27-2017, 02:44 PM

If you want an all-star game mid-season, you should go the 2 division route.

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Padreman · 02-27-2017, 04:24 PM

I have a 5 team minimum per division my self anything less than that feels cheap to me

HRBaker · 02-28-2017, 07:32 AM

If you want to include realism, you can't ignore the fact that large divisions/leagues cause greater turnover of teams. A city in a 12 team league continuously in the second tier will see a large drop-off in attendance and find another city to move to to better their fortunes.

daves · 03-05-2017, 05:24 PM

One Division only, top 3 teams make the playoffs in the division

Lord PichuPal · 03-05-2017, 06:24 PM

I'd go for 2 divisions, but the top 2 teams in each make the playoffs. Helps make things interesting to have an extra round of playoffs. Once it expands to the point of 2 divisions per league, then could keep it as the division champions or let in the top 2 in all 4 divisions still. Something to keep it fair for teams who can't compete with the top team is always good, I feel.

Le Grande Orange · 03-05-2017, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spleen1015

2 divisions - 6 teams with an unbalanced schedule so that division head to head matters more.

A.k.a. the NL's schedule from 1969-92: 90 games total against division opponents (18 against each team), and 72 games total against the other division (12 against each team).

Plus you have a variety of actual real-life NL schedules to choose from (the particular structure/rotation of opponents used in 1969, for example, was rather different from that used in 1989).

lightgrenade07 · 03-05-2017, 07:34 PM

Generally I like to have about 30-50% of the league included in the playoffs, so 4-6 teams in your 12-team setup. I'd do two divisions, division winners + two wild cards like other people have been saying. Maybe even throw in a third wild card like they do in MLB now.

Le Grande Orange · 03-05-2017, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord PichuPal

I'd go for 2 divisions, but the top 2 teams in each make the playoffs. Helps make things interesting to have an extra round of playoffs.

For what it's worth, MLB was actually considering expanded playoffs back at its 1974 summer meetings.

One proposal was for the top two teams in each division to make the playoffs, with the second-place team in one division playing the first-place team in the other division in a best-of-5 series. The advancing clubs would then play a best-of-5 league championship series.

Another proposal called for the two division winners and two wild card clubs to make the playoffs in each league. Both rounds of the playoffs would be best-of-five.

The third proposal was to split the leagues into three divisions of four teams each, with the three division winners and one wild card team qualifying for the playoffs.

All of these proposals were rejected.

One Post Wonder · 03-08-2017, 11:07 PM

No league I ever create will have wild card play. I hate it. Playoff depth only muddles the waters. After 162 games it should be apparent who the best team is. My historical leagues forever remain static once they hit 1985.

If you weren't expanding, I'd say 1 division. Team that comes in first is the champion. Since you are, I'd go with 2 divisions.

Of course, if you want a challenge, make it 1 division that eventually has 24 teams. I've played with a 48 team, 1 division league before. You have to play extremely well to win that. 105 wins just to be in the running.

02-26-2017, 04:25 PM	#1
Klew1986 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 2,727	Fictional League Idea I will be starting a United States Baseball League, fictional, when OOTP18 is released. I will start with 10 or 12 teams and slowly expand to 24 teams. My question is, should I go with 3 divisions per league (4 teams per division) or 2 divisions per league (6 teams per division)? If I go with the 3 division set up, I would have 1 wild-card team, so 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3. If I go with 2 division, I would have the division winners face off.

02-26-2017, 08:30 PM	#4
Dark Horse Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Texas! Posts: 2,633	i'm gonna go old school with my dynasty 6 team divisions, no wild card. __________________ A Justafan Fan LBA Geo Bahn Rock Hounds fan of the ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE

02-26-2017, 08:43 PM	#5
TheMaus2 All Star Starter Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: The OOTP Forums. Always. Posts: 1,951	I say 4 divisions 2 wild cards. __________________ I write a monthly newsletter on the Food Baseball Association. I also listen to music no one's ever heard of in hopes of looking cool and alternative.

02-26-2017, 09:27 PM	#6
thorpegiovanni All Star Reserve Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 550	If it's only 12 teams, definitely 2 divisions. Never a good idea to go w/ too many divisions. At 24 teams, 4 -6 divisions work. __________________

02-27-2017, 08:03 AM	#7
jpeters1734 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Juust a bit outside... Posts: 6,299	no divisions. __________________ "Cannonball Coming!" Go Bucs!! Founder and League Caretaker of the Professional Baseball Circuit, www.probaseballcircuit.com An Un-Official Guide to Minor League Management in OOTP 21 Ratings Scale Conversion Cross-Reference Cheat Sheet

02-26-2017, 06:29 PM	#2
bwburke94 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Belchertown, MA, USA Posts: 4,523	3 divisions.

02-26-2017, 07:28 PM	#3
BBGiovanni All Star Starter Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Republic of California Posts: 1,911	I really dislike divisions/leagues with fewer than 6 teams each... you could still use 2 wild cards.

02-27-2017, 08:20 AM	#8
Coltrane Minors (Triple A) Join Date: May 2015 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 228	I'm with jp. No divisions, top 2 play in championship.

02-27-2017, 09:05 AM	#9
Hageneezz All Star Reserve Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: The Hague,Netherlands Posts: 891	Two divisions of five teams

02-27-2017, 09:10 AM	#10
spleen1015 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 6,008	2 divisions - 6 teams with an unbalanced schedule so that division head to head matters more.

02-27-2017, 02:44 PM	#12
robwondah Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 287	If you want an all-star game mid-season, you should go the 2 division route. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

02-27-2017, 04:24 PM	#13
Padreman Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2013 Location: Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico (formally San Diego, CA.) Posts: 4,131	I have a 5 team minimum per division my self anything less than that feels cheap to me __________________ Chargers= Despicable Traitors

02-28-2017, 07:32 AM	#14
HRBaker Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 2,379	If you want to include realism, you can't ignore the fact that large divisions/leagues cause greater turnover of teams. A city in a 12 team league continuously in the second tier will see a large drop-off in attendance and find another city to move to to better their fortunes. __________________ *HRB*

03-05-2017, 05:24 PM	#15
daves Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 4,059	One Division only, top 3 teams make the playoffs in the division __________________

03-05-2017, 06:24 PM	#16
Lord PichuPal All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Michigan Posts: 586	I'd go for 2 divisions, but the top 2 teams in each make the playoffs. Helps make things interesting to have an extra round of playoffs. Once it expands to the point of 2 divisions per league, then could keep it as the division champions or let in the top 2 in all 4 divisions still. Something to keep it fair for teams who can't compete with the top team is always good, I feel. __________________ FHM Beta Tester and lifelong Red Wings fanatic

03-05-2017, 07:34 PM	#18
lightgrenade07 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: SoCal, for now Posts: 239	Generally I like to have about 30-50% of the league included in the playoffs, so 4-6 teams in your 12-team setup. I'd do two divisions, division winners + two wild cards like other people have been saying. Maybe even throw in a third wild card like they do in MLB now. __________________ SELL THE TEAM! Last edited by lightgrenade07; 03-05-2017 at 07:36 PM.

03-08-2017, 11:07 PM	#20
One Post Wonder All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 538	No league I ever create will have wild card play. I hate it. Playoff depth only muddles the waters. After 162 games it should be apparent who the best team is. My historical leagues forever remain static once they hit 1985. If you weren't expanding, I'd say 1 division. Team that comes in first is the champion. Since you are, I'd go with 2 divisions. Of course, if you want a challenge, make it 1 division that eventually has 24 teams. I've played with a 48 team, 1 division league before. You have to play extremely well to win that. 105 wins just to be in the running.