Negro League teams

[sdw1000]

IF you're gonna do the Negro Leagues, please then add them all. When will the Eastern Colored League get added!? I would love to use the Hillsdale Club! So many teams out there we can't use.

[Pelican]

I share your interest. But my impression is that the farther back one goes, and farther down the league hierarchy, the records and data are fewer and less. I would very much like to include what were, in context, "minor" leagues at the time, in terms of quality of play. After all, we have several layers of minors for MLB going back to the deadball era. But, based on sites like Seamheads, records are sparse.

[textilemonster]

There are still the negro leagues that were recently 'promoted' to major leagues, which includes the Eastern Colored League. Most of those players are already in the game, so they could at least just add them.

[Royals]

The more Negro League teams the better.

[Pelican]

Copy that.

[sdw1000]

I don't mind having a date cutoff...say 1920. But at least include any major teams or league of the Negro Leagues from that era. But I disgress...

[fredbeene]

um when are we going to add all the mexican leagues. tons of MLB players go to and from mexico. Should be major level not AAA

[textilemonster]

Originally Posted by fredbeene

um when are we going to add all the mexican leagues. tons of MLB players go to and from mexico. Should be major level not AAA

Licensing issues, same as Japan.

[stltduggan]

Pardon my ignorance on the matter but is there any way to include Negro League Players in the Major League amateur draft?

[LansdowneSt]

Originally Posted by stltduggan

Pardon my ignorance on the matter but is there any way to include Negro League Players in the Major League amateur draft?

there are 647 NeL players with Major League Equivalencies that are available for the MLB draft. Just elect to use the MLEs and have the color barrier off (electing to use the MLEs should trigger the color barrier to turn off). Even if not using the MLEs you can turn the color barrier off and have historical minors on and draft them like any other player in the draft. The color barrier is under league options, rules.

[uruguru]

Originally Posted by fredbeene

Should be major level not AAA

c'mon man.

[Cod]

Originally Posted by Pelican

But, based on sites like Seamheads, records are sparse.

The records and documentation from all the NeL "major leagues" is very good. I would consider the data covering the NNL (1920-1931), ECL (1923-1928), ANL (1929), E-WL (1932; only half a season), NSL (only the 1932 season), NNL (1933-1948), and NAL (1937-1950ish) to be good enough for inclusion into OOTP if time allows.

The questionable stuff really revolves around the NeL "minor leagues", which included leagues from pre-1920 and a lot of regional leagues after 1920 (Texas Colored League, Tri State League, etc.).

Overall, I understand what you're trying to get at though and I'm also not sure what the demand signal is for some of the lesser known NeL "major leagues".

[Cod]

Originally Posted by fredbeene

um when are we going to add all the mexican leagues. tons of MLB players go to and from mexico. Should be major level not AAA

All the Negro Leagues are not considered major leagues. Even the MLB recognized this when they bestowed the Major League status specifically upon seven professional Negro Leagues that operated between 1920 and 1948. There were many more Negro Leagues before, after, and even during this era that are still recognized as minor leagues by MLB and baseball historians.

[Pelican]

Well, if we are including the MLB minor league affiliates (and independent teams), and records exist, we should add other Negro League teams, even if they played in leagues not considered "major leagues".

[textilemonster]

Originally Posted by Pelican

Well, if we are including the MLB minor league affiliates (and independent teams), and records exist, we should add other Negro League teams, even if they played in leagues not considered "major leagues".

There are a lot of affiliated leagues from the 20s through 50s that aren't included, to be fair. Like, 1928: 19 affiliated minor leagues aren't in the game, never mind the independent leagues from then that aren't in the game. (There used to be a lot of minor leagues. A LOT.)

[joefromchicago]

Originally Posted by Cod

The records and documentation from all the NeL "major leagues" is very good.

Well, if by "very good" you mean "exist," then yes, Negro League stats are very good. Anyone can go to BBRef and Seamheads and look at NeL players and stats.* That doesn't mean that they're accurate. They're as accurate as researchers can currently get them, but they're not accurate in the way that MLB stats are accurate. We have box scores for every single MLB game ever played. In contrast, there were some seasons of the NeL where they couldn't even agree on which team won the pennant. For OOTP purposes, however, I'd say the individual stats are good enough.


*BTW the stats on BBRef and Seamheads don't even match because the sites use different criteria.

[tem316]

Earlier OOTP versions had much more Historic Negro Leagues. Starting around five years ago the development team started removing them. Did licensing all of a sudden become an issue with the Negro Leagues?