Post by bostonredsoxgm on Jun 22, 2010 6:53:14 GMT -5
If only it mattered. Not that anything matters much in a fantasy baseball game among people I’ve never met, but this is at the level of Dilbert reading his manual to figure out how to drive the computer game golf cart.
I used to live within about an hour of Johnston City, Tennessee – very pretty part of the country. And home of the Privateers, winners of three straight PBA AAA championships.
The Robbers closed out 1909 by stealing a best-of-five playoff series from the Chesapeake Witches – I wonder if there’s a Blair Witch connection with that name.
JC survived their own hit and run assault, losing four players to the majors in August and September. Morrie Rath, Roger Peckinpaugh, Chick Gandil and Herbie Moran all finished with the big boys in Boston, but there was just enough left to caulk the holes.
My favorite Privateer by far is outfielder Goat Anderson:
Contact 9
Gap Power 2
Power 1
Eye 18
He’s never hit a triple or a homer, but his career OBP at all levels is right about .400.
That’s not enough to explain the latest three-year run of success. There are more significant factors at work.
1. Luck
The Red Sox AA affiliate, in comparison, has been a bottom-feeder until recently.
2. Anal Retentiveness
I pay attention to the minors. Not sure it matters, but I find it kind of fun. I set a lineup, replace players who are injured, and try to make sure the pitchers are in a steady rotation. No platoons, and no worry about in-game strategy: bottom line is to get everybody enough regular playing time to get them ready for the majors. But it seems to help at AAA as well.
3. Extra Development Time
I rarely promote even my best draft picks up to the majors immediately. Hoping that time in the minors is the best way for them to reach their potential. This is the strategy I find most questionable. I have no idea how to maximize potential for OOTP players. Those with a significant difference between ability and potential never seem to approach their potential max. The same thing happens in every league I’ve joined – I draft or trade for a player on the basis of his potential, only to watch him fall short over time. And still I’m trying to play the common sense angle to develop a few more points out of all these slugs.
OOTP 10 has a Super 2 rule for arbitration. Better mirror of the real game. A rookie who starts the season on the major league roster will qualify for arbitration earlier than someone who arrives mid-season. There’s a pretty clearly defined date in the real world when the qualification lapses. That’s why the Pirates called up Jose Tabata, Pedro Alvarez, and Brad Lincoln in June this year. And that’s why I’m not going to worry so much about holding back OOTP draft picks in the future.
4. Travis McMahon
Kind of fun to think that, without hacking into the game code, it’s near impossible to know how much difference an OOTP coach or manager can make. McMahon is the manager of the Privateers. 20 as a handler of both rookies and vets. He’s also a 20 to teach fielding – I think that’s cool, but once again I have no idea whether it matters at all.
I have no idea whether anything matters at all. My son and I biked almost 20 miles round-trip to see the Pirates beat the Indians on Sunday. I’ll drive him to his second day of basketball camp in an hour. My youngest daughter and I finished our 10th run of the vacation season yesterday – she’s not much of an athlete, and I’m thrilled to support her in training for Girl Scout adventure camp. My wife and I have a date to see “Art” tonight – a play in downtown Pittsburgh. And we’re all driving to DC Friday, to pick up my eldest daughter from American University. First time to see her since Christmas. Some of that has to matter for something.
I used to live within about an hour of Johnston City, Tennessee – very pretty part of the country. And home of the Privateers, winners of three straight PBA AAA championships.
The Robbers closed out 1909 by stealing a best-of-five playoff series from the Chesapeake Witches – I wonder if there’s a Blair Witch connection with that name.
JC survived their own hit and run assault, losing four players to the majors in August and September. Morrie Rath, Roger Peckinpaugh, Chick Gandil and Herbie Moran all finished with the big boys in Boston, but there was just enough left to caulk the holes.
My favorite Privateer by far is outfielder Goat Anderson:
Contact 9
Gap Power 2
Power 1
Eye 18
He’s never hit a triple or a homer, but his career OBP at all levels is right about .400.
That’s not enough to explain the latest three-year run of success. There are more significant factors at work.
1. Luck
The Red Sox AA affiliate, in comparison, has been a bottom-feeder until recently.
2. Anal Retentiveness
I pay attention to the minors. Not sure it matters, but I find it kind of fun. I set a lineup, replace players who are injured, and try to make sure the pitchers are in a steady rotation. No platoons, and no worry about in-game strategy: bottom line is to get everybody enough regular playing time to get them ready for the majors. But it seems to help at AAA as well.
3. Extra Development Time
I rarely promote even my best draft picks up to the majors immediately. Hoping that time in the minors is the best way for them to reach their potential. This is the strategy I find most questionable. I have no idea how to maximize potential for OOTP players. Those with a significant difference between ability and potential never seem to approach their potential max. The same thing happens in every league I’ve joined – I draft or trade for a player on the basis of his potential, only to watch him fall short over time. And still I’m trying to play the common sense angle to develop a few more points out of all these slugs.
OOTP 10 has a Super 2 rule for arbitration. Better mirror of the real game. A rookie who starts the season on the major league roster will qualify for arbitration earlier than someone who arrives mid-season. There’s a pretty clearly defined date in the real world when the qualification lapses. That’s why the Pirates called up Jose Tabata, Pedro Alvarez, and Brad Lincoln in June this year. And that’s why I’m not going to worry so much about holding back OOTP draft picks in the future.
4. Travis McMahon
Kind of fun to think that, without hacking into the game code, it’s near impossible to know how much difference an OOTP coach or manager can make. McMahon is the manager of the Privateers. 20 as a handler of both rookies and vets. He’s also a 20 to teach fielding – I think that’s cool, but once again I have no idea whether it matters at all.
I have no idea whether anything matters at all. My son and I biked almost 20 miles round-trip to see the Pirates beat the Indians on Sunday. I’ll drive him to his second day of basketball camp in an hour. My youngest daughter and I finished our 10th run of the vacation season yesterday – she’s not much of an athlete, and I’m thrilled to support her in training for Girl Scout adventure camp. My wife and I have a date to see “Art” tonight – a play in downtown Pittsburgh. And we’re all driving to DC Friday, to pick up my eldest daughter from American University. First time to see her since Christmas. Some of that has to matter for something.
