Keeping up with a league

JML · 03-20-2004, 09:22 PM

I recently received some good-natured ribbing (I'm fairly certain it was good-natured

) for my league participation in one of my online leagues. It made me think about the fact that I tend to pay a lot of attention to my own team, but my knowledge of league-wide activities is usually lacking. This goes for solo leagues as well as online. Anyway, I posted in the league forum about this, and I figured I would open it up to discussion amongst the community...

What do you do to keep in touch with what is going on in your leagues, aside from the intimate knowledge you have concerning your own team? Can you contribute any tips or suggestions regarding good ways to sift through the mountain of info provided in a league file and synthesize it into a coherent understanding of what the league is all about? Are there some good pages to view, some pages that don't offer much info, despite being large and unwieldy?

My commish made a great comment: each team's financial history report will give you a year-by-year account of the teams record, without having to scroll through the league history or team history page. Very handy.

What is your MO when it comes to surveying a league file and formulating a general knowledge of what is happening in your league?

Steve Kuffrey · 03-20-2004, 10:24 PM

One league that I am in has at times has live sims where the scores are posted via AIM, which usually leads to some nice discussion and interaction between GM's. Usually learn lots there.

jened · 03-21-2004, 12:00 PM

i usually just try to scout out my divisional rivals and look at league leaders but for the most part nothing.

gmo · 03-21-2004, 04:13 PM

For a recent solo league I've started I'm trying to keep up with all the teams (only 12 though) better than just the one I control, but it's hard to balance between that and wanting to sim quickly. I took lots of notes on the teams and players after the startup draft. After a couple of seasons I'm going with quick scans of the rosters (ratings and previous stats) to see how good I think they should be, then checking the stats/records periodically to compare team results to my suppositions. I track more closely the best players in the league.

That's still a lot of sifting. Scanning the league rankings of the team stats in the lower right corner of the team roster pages is probably the quickest thing I'm doing.

woody5254 · 03-21-2004, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JML
I recently received some good-natured ribbing (I'm fairly certain it was good-natured )

Good natured? Where did you get that idea? I was dead serious. Curse the Twins!!

Djin · 03-22-2004, 01:11 AM

I usually have a decent idea what's going on in my leagues. I've only played solo leagues so far though. Versions 4 and 5... and soon 6.

I sim a week at a time and keep a close eye on the league leaders so I can check up on exceptional players and their teams. Also I try to remember to play a few games here and there, (scouting the opposition for these games from the screens that come up before a game begins).

The thing that helps me most though is that I make restrictions on my trading. I won't make a trade (usually) if it doesn't make sense for the opposition. I won't take a contenders best players during the season; I won't give a losing team an older player for prospects; I avoid players who've just been traded and so on. Basically whatever makes me feel like it wouldn't usually be done that way I shy away from. Unless it's Kansas City in the trade, then I know that anything goes (this from a

Brewer fan). You can see how this would make me quite familiar with a lot of teams while I scout out good trade options.

And how I tend to slack off after the deadline- I can't wait for post deadline trading ...yay 6!

Ragin Cajun · 03-22-2004, 09:52 AM

I like to glance at the "Last 10" option every two weeks. This gives me a good idea of teams that have hit a hot streak or a cold spell. I can then look at those teams main roster page for the "Hot/Cold" list for a quick recap of good or bad performances.

On the flip side, a quick view of the same "Last 10" can show teams that are struggling at .500 or maybe losing a few games in the standings. These teams may be up for trades to acquire players; while teams losing a bit more ground may be likely to trade away talent.

danwaechter · 03-22-2004, 11:29 AM

Getting a good sense of your league as a whole isnt that hard. If you check the standings after every sim, check the league leaders every now and then, that already gives you a good sense of how each team is doing, and who are the great players. If you want to go further, keep an eye on the financial report page, recent transactions page, and the general news page, thatll take you a bit further. But, if you really want to know ALOT about other teams and the league in general, take a look at box scores of other teams games, not just your own. It helps you to get to know all the players. All in all, i do most of this stuff after every sim, and it only takes 10-15 mins, and I feel i have an excellent grasp of the league as a whole.

Chappy · 03-22-2004, 02:18 PM

I tend to focus on my division; both of the leagues I'm in have 4-team divisions, so it's really not that difficult.

I also check the power rankings frequently, and that is pretty much where I form my conceptions about teams from other divisions.

JDOldSchool · 03-22-2004, 11:47 PM

The first pages I usually look at (often before downloading the league file) after the latest standings are the transactions page, the injury page, and the power rankings. Transactions can keep you up to date on player movement. Injuries are always an important thing. The power rankings show you which teams are moving up or down.

Kelric · 03-23-2004, 12:50 AM

Well in my GGNL I am one of the commishes, so I have a pretty good sense of what is going on. With the amount of owner turnover we've unfortunately had (we're back to full now however) I haven't been keeping as close an eye on team rosters as I should. I know who is playing well and who is playing poorly, but I don't know every player in the league yet. I'm getting there though.

In the GGOOTP we're currently in our 8th season and I'm an original owner. I'm a very active trader and talk with half a dozen different owners constantly on MSN or AIM and another half dozen a couple of times a week. This keeps me up with what most of the teams are doing and lets me check out a lot of different players. We've had this league for two years and I've got a lot of time invested in it. I've completely torn down and rebuilt my team several times and the amount of trading and researching of players I've done keeps me well informed of pretty much everyone in the league.

Kemp · 03-23-2004, 04:14 AM

I purposely keep my solo league very small (10 teams, only 100 games each) so that I can really stay in touch with each team.

Before every season I do a write up for EVERY TEAM. Strengths, weaknesses, their draft, depth charts, expectations, etc. You'd be surprised at how quickly you'll pick up on each team.

Then at the end of the season, I do a recap and measure it against my preseason "prediction".

03-20-2004, 09:22 PM	#1
JML Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: The act or process of locating. Posts: 2,154	Keeping up with a league I recently received some good-natured ribbing (I'm fairly certain it was good-natured ) for my league participation in one of my online leagues. It made me think about the fact that I tend to pay a lot of attention to my own team, but my knowledge of league-wide activities is usually lacking. This goes for solo leagues as well as online. Anyway, I posted in the league forum about this, and I figured I would open it up to discussion amongst the community... What do you do to keep in touch with what is going on in your leagues, aside from the intimate knowledge you have concerning your own team? Can you contribute any tips or suggestions regarding good ways to sift through the mountain of info provided in a league file and synthesize it into a coherent understanding of what the league is all about? Are there some good pages to view, some pages that don't offer much info, despite being large and unwieldy? My commish made a great comment: each team's financial history report will give you a year-by-year account of the teams record, without having to scroll through the league history or team history page. Very handy. What is your MO when it comes to surveying a league file and formulating a general knowledge of what is happening in your league?

03-20-2004, 10:24 PM	#2
Steve Kuffrey Administrator Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: S.E. TN - Georgia born and raised Posts: 17,023	One league that I am in has at times has live sims where the scores are posted via AIM, which usually leads to some nice discussion and interaction between GM's. Usually learn lots there. __________________ Steve Kuffrey DABS Atlanta Braves - 2008 Eastern Division Champ *DBLC Atlanta Braves - 2011, 2014 East Division Champ, 2012, 2013 NL Wildcard Baseball Maelstrom-Montreal Expos-2013 Tourney winner, 2014 WC Team Sparky's League - Tampa Bay D'Rays Epicenter Baseball League - Astros 2014 The CBL Rewind - Phillies '95

03-21-2004, 12:00 PM	#3
jened Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: upstate NY (saratoga county) Posts: 255	i usually just try to scout out my divisional rivals and look at league leaders but for the most part nothing. __________________ cooper_gd's OTWE Results OTWE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: KING JENED III

03-21-2004, 04:13 PM	#4
gmo Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Longmont, CO Posts: 3,361	For a recent solo league I've started I'm trying to keep up with all the teams (only 12 though) better than just the one I control, but it's hard to balance between that and wanting to sim quickly. I took lots of notes on the teams and players after the startup draft. After a couple of seasons I'm going with quick scans of the rosters (ratings and previous stats) to see how good I think they should be, then checking the stats/records periodically to compare team results to my suppositions. I track more closely the best players in the league. That's still a lot of sifting. Scanning the league rankings of the team stats in the lower right corner of the team roster pages is probably the quickest thing I'm doing. __________________ Making Baseball Schedules

03-22-2004, 01:11 AM	#6
Djin Bat Boy Join Date: May 2003 Location: Vancouver BC, Canada Posts: 7	Keeping up I usually have a decent idea what's going on in my leagues. I've only played solo leagues so far though. Versions 4 and 5... and soon 6. I sim a week at a time and keep a close eye on the league leaders so I can check up on exceptional players and their teams. Also I try to remember to play a few games here and there, (scouting the opposition for these games from the screens that come up before a game begins). The thing that helps me most though is that I make restrictions on my trading. I won't make a trade (usually) if it doesn't make sense for the opposition. I won't take a contenders best players during the season; I won't give a losing team an older player for prospects; I avoid players who've just been traded and so on. Basically whatever makes me feel like it wouldn't usually be done that way I shy away from. Unless it's Kansas City in the trade, then I know that anything goes (this from a Brewer fan). You can see how this would make me quite familiar with a lot of teams while I scout out good trade options. And how I tend to slack off after the deadline- I can't wait for post deadline trading ...yay 6! __________________ Two homeruns on the last day against Baltimore to take the pennant.

03-22-2004, 09:52 AM	#7
Ragin Cajun All Star Starter Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Atascosita, TX Posts: 1,173	I like to glance at the "Last 10" option every two weeks. This gives me a good idea of teams that have hit a hot streak or a cold spell. I can then look at those teams main roster page for the "Hot/Cold" list for a quick recap of good or bad performances. On the flip side, a quick view of the same "Last 10" can show teams that are struggling at .500 or maybe losing a few games in the standings. These teams may be up for trades to acquire players; while teams losing a bit more ground may be likely to trade away talent. __________________ Former NBSL Commissioner: 16 years Former Online League Owner; six time champion

03-22-2004, 11:29 AM	#8
danwaechter Minors (Single A) Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 67	Getting a good sense of your league as a whole isnt that hard. If you check the standings after every sim, check the league leaders every now and then, that already gives you a good sense of how each team is doing, and who are the great players. If you want to go further, keep an eye on the financial report page, recent transactions page, and the general news page, thatll take you a bit further. But, if you really want to know ALOT about other teams and the league in general, take a look at box scores of other teams games, not just your own. It helps you to get to know all the players. All in all, i do most of this stuff after every sim, and it only takes 10-15 mins, and I feel i have an excellent grasp of the league as a whole.

03-22-2004, 02:18 PM	#9
Chappy Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 2,721	I tend to focus on my division; both of the leagues I'm in have 4-team divisions, so it's really not that difficult. I also check the power rankings frequently, and that is pretty much where I form my conceptions about teams from other divisions. __________________ NPBL - Pennsylvania Freedom AFBL - North Carolina Aviators MLB-Pro - Kansas City Royals

03-22-2004, 11:47 PM	#10
JDOldSchool Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 4,023	The first pages I usually look at (often before downloading the league file) after the latest standings are the transactions page, the injury page, and the power rankings. Transactions can keep you up to date on player movement. Injuries are always an important thing. The power rankings show you which teams are moving up or down.

03-23-2004, 12:50 AM	#11
Kelric Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Greater Boston Area Posts: 3,992	Well in my GGNL I am one of the commishes, so I have a pretty good sense of what is going on. With the amount of owner turnover we've unfortunately had (we're back to full now however) I haven't been keeping as close an eye on team rosters as I should. I know who is playing well and who is playing poorly, but I don't know every player in the league yet. I'm getting there though. In the GGOOTP we're currently in our 8th season and I'm an original owner. I'm a very active trader and talk with half a dozen different owners constantly on MSN or AIM and another half dozen a couple of times a week. This keeps me up with what most of the teams are doing and lets me check out a lot of different players. We've had this league for two years and I've got a lot of time invested in it. I've completely torn down and rebuilt my team several times and the amount of trading and researching of players I've done keeps me well informed of pretty much everyone in the league.

03-23-2004, 04:14 AM	#12
Kemp All Star Starter Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 1,181	I purposely keep my solo league very small (10 teams, only 100 games each) so that I can really stay in touch with each team. Before every season I do a write up for EVERY TEAM. Strengths, weaknesses, their draft, depth charts, expectations, etc. You'd be surprised at how quickly you'll pick up on each team. Then at the end of the season, I do a recap and measure it against my preseason "prediction".