Customizable Training

[battists]

Hey guys,

We have so much control over our team, including in-game strategy down the smallest detail. But we're still totally at the mercy of the engine when it comes to player development.

I'd love to see the return of some kind of customizable training system, like we used to have (I think??) with spring training way back in the day. It could work something like this:

Setup

Manager has a training tab where they can set up "training templates," including a default training template by position.

Each player has a training settings tab where they can select one of the training templates and/or customize that player's training.

I see training being numeric out of 100. Training would be broken into broad categories:

Hitting
Pitching
Fielding

Then within each category you have all of the individual skills for that category. Contact, Gap, Power, Bunt, etc.

For pitching you would have individual pitching skills, but also pitches, so you could focus on learning a new pitch, for example. Fielding would have things like infield error, arm, etc., but could also include learning a new position.

All of the numbers would need to add up to 100 or something like that.

So a typical hitter's training profile for a 2B might look like this:

Contact 10
Gap 10
Power 10
Eye 10
Avoid K's 10

Running Speed 0
Steal 0
Baserunning 2
Sacrifice Bunt 3
Bunt for Hit 0

Infield Rng 10
Infield Err 10
Infield Arm 10

2B 15

Processing Development
And what does all of this mean? Basically, it would just be a layer over the player development engine. So, if a player puts 50% of his effort into contact, then it should be much more likely his contact goes up than, say, power.

I don't think this should change the frequency of increases. I just think it should be a way the manager can influence a player's development. For example if you want to emphasis OBP, you could have players focus more heavily on Eye and Avoid Ks. If you have a player with one big weakness, you could try to shore that up. If you really want your rookies to focus on position flexibility you could heavily focus on teaching them new positions. And of course training would be more effective during Spring Training.

And possibly, if you leave some areas totally untrained, it would increase the risk of those dropping.

Thoughts?

[battists]

The locker room wasn't luxurious, and it was a little tight for 35 players plus coaches. But at least it didn't smell like death this early in the season. Paul tossed a piece of chalk up in the air and caught it. His right hand was white with the stuff. He underlined a phrase on the board, "Position Flexibility."

"This one might make some of you uncomfortable," he told the assembled players, "A lot of you have played one position for years. You see yourself as a shortstop, or a right-fielder, whatever. Well, throw that out the window. As the manager of this club, I have a few different goals. ONE," he held up a finger. "Make each one of you into better ballplayers. TWO, put YOU GUYS in the best possible position to advance in the organization. And THREE, win some games. But it's critical that you know that winning comes third on that list." Some of the players shifted nervously.

"That means that I'll be playing some of you in positions you're unfamiliar with, or uncomfortable with. I'll work you hard. It means someone might start at second and he's never played there before. If you're a second baseman, this DOES NOT mean that we don't like the way YOU are playing. I just need to get some players exposure to different positions. Some of you might get pulled early from games to get other people looks in certain situations. I've got more people here than I could possibly play on a given day. So you're just going to need to trust that Mark, Alejandro, and I have your best interests in mind." He gestured at his coaches and paused for effect.

"That said, one thing I want to make absolutely clear: I have more players than I need in this locker room. If you aren't going to give me 100% in practice and on the field, if you are going to complain about where you're playing, if you're going to say anything negative about our staff, then I WILL NOT HESITATE to sit your ass on the bench, and see how fast you get called up with 6 at-bats or 2 innings pitched."

"First game is tomorrow. Diablos had a tough season last year, so let's get off to a good start boys. Starting lineup is posted on the wall outside my office, but I expect everyone to be ready to play."

[ILSMW8595]

I had a related suggestion: I wish there was a way to have a player train at a new position rather than playing him at that position during a game. In spring training, but also during the regular season. It happens all the time in real life. Players seem to learn new positions so slowly, even if their work ethic, adaptability and intelligence ratings are high. I do believe it would be a benefit to have an option to have a player train a new position (or practice one he already plays) to quicken this process.

In a league I played a while ago, I acquired Tim Anderson because I needed some more speed. I had a good shortstop, so Anderson was pretty much relegated to pinch running. I wanted him to be something of a super utility player, so I wound up sending him to AAA to learn third base, left field and center field. I forced the AAA manager to start him at each position until I was satisfied with his rating at each position. I brought him back up and he wound up being my everyday center fielder. I would have rather kept him on the big league roster and have him learn the positions daily than send him down to AAA.

[Dark Horse]

wrong post

[jeffw3000]

Originally Posted by ILSMW8595

I had a related suggestion: I wish there was a way to have a player train at a new position rather than playing him at that position during a game. In spring training, but also during the regular season. It happens all the time in real life. Players seem to learn new positions so slowly, even if their work ethic, adaptability and intelligence ratings are high. I do believe it would be a benefit to have an option to have a player train a new position (or practice one he already plays) to quicken this process.

In a league I played a while ago, I acquired Tim Anderson because I needed some more speed. I had a good shortstop, so Anderson was pretty much relegated to pinch running. I wanted him to be something of a super utility player, so I wound up sending him to AAA to learn third base, left field and center field. I forced the AAA manager to start him at each position until I was satisfied with his rating at each position. I brought him back up and he wound up being my everyday center fielder. I would have rather kept him on the big league roster and have him learn the positions daily than send him down to AAA.

I agree. In these days of Super Utility players a lot of players start learning other positions all the time in the minors. Especially as they move up the minor leagues and are blocked by other players. In order to get their bat in the big league lineup teams try to make them more versatile. Also, much more common these days to see players switch from position player to pitcher in the minors. I would not say is common, but does seem like most teams have at least 1 or 2 players that switched from position to pitcher in the minor leagues these days. Seems if you can't hit, but they find out you can throw 95 they try you at pitching.

[jeffw3000]

Originally Posted by jeffw3000

I agree. In these days of Super Utility players a lot of players start learning other positions all the time in the minors. Especially as they move up the minor leagues and are blocked by other players. In order to get their bat in the big league lineup teams try to make them more versatile. Also, much more common these days to see players switch from position player to pitcher in the minors. I would not say is common, but does seem like most teams have at least 1 or 2 players that switched from position to pitcher in the minor leagues these days. Seems if you can't hit, but they find out you can throw 95 they try you at pitching.

And then today you even have guys like Stetson Allie, who switched from a pitcher to a hitter, and then back to pitcher in the minor leagues, or Rick Ankiel who switched from pitcher to hitter, and is now talking about coming back as a pitcher.