10 Seasons of Puresim

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10 Seasons of Puresim - 9/25/2009 4:32:56 PM

buchanan_jm

Posts: 38
Joined: 8/14/2007
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I've enjoyed many of your postings, reading about the seasons you've played in Puresim. So I thought I might try to capture the enjoyment I've had playing 10 seasons now. I'm going to try to overview my association, and I'll try not to be tedious.

I started a 16 team, 2 league association, in 1930. I set a mid-level salary cap and put salaries in today's dollars. I live in Youngstown, OH, and so I took as my team name, The Youngstown Gremlins. I placed teams in geographic proximity. I wanted to use real players, but I didn't want to replay a historical moment. So I had an initial draft. I drew the 16th pick in the draft, but that meant I'd also draft 17th.

My next post will be about the draft, and then I'll try to recapture my first few seasons. I've just started year 1940. I manage almost every game, like many of you. I'm happy to see so much activity on this forum and to see the changes be constantly made to the game. For a baseball fan, Puresim is great fun.

Post #: 1

RE: The initial draft - 9/25/2009 5:01:06 PM

buchanan_jm

Posts: 38
Joined: 8/14/2007
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I did my homework for the initial draft, but my strategy was to draft emerging players, young not old players. I was hoping with the 16th pick to draft either Gehrig or Foxx, but I didn't expect either to be there. Picks one thru three were: Ruth, Gehrig, Grove. But by the time we got to pick 16, Foxx was still there.

Because the draft snaked (yay!), I'd get 2 picks in a row. I knew Foxx would be one, and I figured I should take a pitcher with the other. So I selected Mel Harder 16th and Foxx 17th. Both players remain with my team. Foxx won the MVP in '32, '33, '34, '35, '36, and '37. An amazing 6 year run. Harder has done well, too, winning best pitcher in '32, '33, and '37. But, in retrospect, Harder was probably a reach; I think I took him too early. He was young, and I've realized while playing many seasons that the AI would have probably let him go a few more rounds. I can't be sure, and so I don't really regret the pick, but I'm just saying.

I focused, in the initial draft, too much on position players. I had a great infield: Foxx, Gehringer, Bartell, and Pinky Higgins, but I would find out that I needed better starting pitching. I also decided to use 5 man rotations. I can't really say why. I think I wanted the game to look more like baseball as I knew it, and there were lots of pitchers who I really wanted to see pitch. The version of PS I began with (I paid for my first copy of the game, and I'd do it again!) automatically used a modern day style closer, although that changed for my 2nd season. Anyway, I had a starting staff of: Lloyd Brown (who would win best pitcher that first year), Harder, Fred Frankhouse, Chief Hogsett, and ... That was my problem. I had no 5th starter. I tried everything. I drafted Lon Warneke, but he wasn't ready. I actually tried him first--about 5 starts--but his potential arrow when from up to down, and I thought I might be wrecking him (a PS rookie mistake?). I tried everyone else I had, eventually trading for Joe Shaute, but he was equally awful. I think I started Gordon Rhodes more than anyone else, but I was lucky if he made it 5 innings and gave up fewer than 5 runs.

I would also get quite angry at the game when there was a single to 2B for example. The ball flight animation led me to believe that the hit should have been an out. It took me a while to separate ball flight from result. And I also realized that I wanted to be a cool, even-keel manager. The best way to be that kind of manager was to be the best GM and get the best staff and best position players I could.

In the initial draft, I was crushed when Paul Waner was taken before I could get him, and so I settled for Lloyd Waner. Lloyd Waner and Jimmie Foxx have been the best players in my league to date. Lloyd's career has been better than Paul's. I didn't expect that. At the end of this year (1940), I'll have to decide if I'll keep Waner and Foxx. Waner never feels better than "fair"; Foxx's best is "good." Lloyd's still hitting over .300, but he's lost his speed. He's still good defensively and can play any outfield position, but I play him only about 100 games a year.

The other significant move I made my first year, once I realized I needed pitching, was to trade a couple of backups--Jim Levey, an infielder with huge potential and Tom Oliver, my 4th outfielder--for Dizzy Dean and Ivy Andrews. This trade turned out to be a steal for me. The AI should have never left Dizzy go. Dizzy has won best pitcher for me in '36 and '39 and went 27-1 in '39. Remember that's in a 5-man rotation.

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Post #: 2

RE: The early years - 9/25/2009 5:24:01 PM

buchanan_jm

Posts: 38
Joined: 8/14/2007
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My first season, 1930, I won my league despite having no 5th starter. I won by 4 games, the closest pennant race I have been involved in. I got to the World Series and got swept. Gehrig led the winning team.

In the offseason draft, I was surprised to find Ripper Collins waiting for me at pick #15, but I think my second round pick, Oral Hildebrand, would turn out to be even more important.

I won my league again in 1931 and lost the WS in 7 games, blowing both game 6 & 7.

1932 turned out to be a turning point. I was a little trade-happy in the early years, and I would eventually get myself into salary cap trouble. But in '32 I made an interesting trade. In May, I signed Estel Crabtree to be a left-handed pinch hitter off the bench. He was an unsigned free agent, and I needed another bat. I wasn't looking for an everyday player. But while fooling around, I stumbled onto a possible deal. Turned out I could offer Crabtree for Paul Waner. I made the deal immediately. It seemed so strange. The team who offered Waner, could have just as easily signed Crabtree as a FA. Why would they make this deal? Why did I care?

I won again in '32 but again lost the Series, losing Game 7 by 1 run. I thanked God PS didn't account for psychological damage to players. My guys had lost 3 series in a row, the last two in Game 7's. In real life, I might have had to break up the team.

But I didn't, and my earlier work came to bear fruit. In '33, my pitching staff was Dizzy Dean, Mel Harder, Lon Warneke (who was now ready), Fred Frankhouse, and Oral Hildebrand. We won a record number of games and our first WS! My core of players was still in tact: Foxx, Gehringer, Bartell, Higgins, Waner, and Waner. And I finally had the best pitching in the league. Ivy Andrews was the best of my bullpen. This WS also included an odd AI mistake. My opponent was carrying only Moe Berg as its catcher, and he got hurt a day or two before the end of the year. They played Mickey Haslin, a UI, at catcher, and I stole bases whenever I could. I don't think I was ever thrown out.

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Post #: 3

RE: The initial draft - 9/25/2009 5:27:53 PM

Orcin

Posts: 162
Joined: 7/6/2009
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Aw come on... be tedious!

A draft association... in the 30's... great stuff! I'm going to like this.

I like 5-man rotations and modern closer too, for the same reason. I also got mad at singles to second until I figured it out. I still hate to lose, but now I am simulating my games so it is over in a second or two plus I can blame the manager for my loss.

Jimmie Foxx, now there's a good player to build a team around to be sure. You missed on pitchers early, but trading for Dizzy Dean (27-1!!) made up for it in a hurry. Mel Harder was pretty strong too.

What is your overall record for the 10-year history? Any championships? I'm sure you are getting to this, so I'll be patient. I look forward to more details.

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Post #: 4

RE: The ensuing years - 9/25/2009 5:41:39 PM

buchanan_jm

Posts: 38
Joined: 8/14/2007
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I've won my league every year now for 10 years. I've won 6 WS and lost 4. I've learned to draft better and to take advantage of the AI. The oddest case, as other PSers have noted, is Joe DiMaggio. He was the 5th selection in the draft in '36. He was signed for only 1 year. He won ROY. He switched teams in '37, again had an outstanding year, and again was signed for only 1 year. He went into FA before the '38 season. He was asking for 15-16 million (today's dollars). I wasn't interested; I couldn't afford him, and I had a good OF. But after I clicked on the proceed to end of FA button, I noticed that DiMaggio never signed with any team. He was out there, and no body wanted him. The most curious thing. He was asking for $900,000/yr. I thought it was a typo. Surely, they meant 19 mil. At least 9 mil. Nope. 900k. So I signed him--stupidly to only a 3 year deal. In '38 and '39 he's been MVP.

In the last few years of my association, I've expanded. I thought I might once I got to the War years because I thought there'd be lots of good players out there looking for teams. But I noticed with pitchers especially that there were many unsigned by the AI teams. So I expanded. It's made my team better--record and stats wise. But starting their 3rd year, a couple of the expansion teams look pretty good and will finish above 500.

I've learned that the best trades are made at the deadline--I've picked up Lefty Gomez and Schoolboy Rowe that way. I've learned to draft pitchers late in the draft because the AI wants whoever can help NOW. So I've taken Cy Blanton in the 5th round, for instance, and most recently Early Wynn in the 3rd. I know tweaks to the AI might cause me to change my strategy--that's as it should be. I hope tweaks in the AI make trades a little harder. I picked up Cecil Travis for a song when he was still young and full of potential, too. I've learned that good defensive players probably catch one "hit" a game and really help your overall record. In my outfield now I have Joe D, Vince D, Harry Craft, and Lloyd Waner--they catch everything. I like catchers with a strong arm, and I like having a young pitcher or two in the minors who can step into the rotation. Right now, I have Dean, Harder, Rowe, Spud Chandler, and Russ Bauers as my starting 5 with Kirby Higbe knocking on the door. You can never have too much pitching.

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Post #: 5

RE: Overall Record - 9/25/2009 5:44:04 PM

buchanan_jm

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Joined: 8/14/2007
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The Youngstown Gremlins career record is 1065-475. A .692 winning percentage.

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Post #: 6

RE: Surprises - 9/25/2009 6:10:57 PM

buchanan_jm

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Two suprises. Home Runs. They're not so plentiful in my league, which is ok by me. I'm not a fan of the HR; I'd rather see doubles and triples. Foxx has led the league in HRs with as many as 41 and as few as 17. His HR total is averaging somewhere around 29 or so. Not like his totals in real life. However, the sluggers in real life are the sluggers in my assoc. Medwick, Ott, DiMaggio. You might think ballparks have something to do with this, but I've imported real life parks from Padresfan's website. My homepark is Memorial Stadium, which has short lines but a deep centerfield. And I just sort of assigned parks randomly.

The other surprise is saves. I'm not a big fan of the modern day closer and don't feel that I have to use the same pitcher to save games everyday. Still I do have a closer of a sort on my current team--Johnny Murphy. I figured he'd still get his share of saves, even if I didn't use him to close all the time. The most he's ever had is 17, and he is usually more around 10. Part of the reason might be that my team has been very good--fewer opportunities. But I guess I'm realizing that I'm not a closer-friendly manager. No closer would sign with me nowadays because he wouldn't get the stats to secure the big bucks! Murphy still is close to the league lead in saves because no one uses a modern-day closer, but I didn't realize how retro my reliever strategy really is.

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Post #: 7

RE: One disappointment - 9/25/2009 6:21:02 PM

buchanan_jm

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Joined: 8/14/2007
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Ok, I'll do one more entry and then quit (I hear you all cheering that idea). I've encountered only one disappointment playing PS. And it happened recently. I've been downloading the new versions of the game and somewhere along the line my salary scale got messed up. I started playing with salaries in today's dollars. At some point, contract extensions, free agents, and draftees reverted to 1930's era dollars. So I have some players salary numbers still in today's dollars and some in 1930's era dollars. This will shake itself out in a few seasons when everyone will have reverted to 1930's dollars, but it will also make my salary cap moot. I like the cap; I wish I had made my lower because it makes the game more challenging, keeps you from fleecing the AI too much. In fact, for a year or two, I found myself trading good players for a cheap player signed to a 1yr deal, so I could get salary relief. One year, I screwed myself and could only draft 3 players because I didn't have enough money under the cap to sign anymore. That was an important lesson. One I might have been fired for in real life. Maybe that's why my GM approval rate has never been higher than 96!

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Post #: 8

RE: One disappointment - 9/25/2009 8:34:33 PM

Orcin

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Wow, 10 for 10. I'm humbled.

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Post #: 9

RE: Details - 9/25/2009 9:35:19 PM

buchanan_jm

Posts: 38
Joined: 8/14/2007
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I'll add details to my 10 season narrative as I go. Here's one. I acquired Calvin Chapman, a SS, in a trade I made for Bob Johnson (I sent Gehringer and Augie Galan the other way) in 1935. Chapman played 2 seasons in the big leagues, but hit over .300 his first year, albeit in about 15 games. I was intrigued by him at draft time, but the draft didn't go that way. So I let Dick Bartell go after the '35 season. Why? I don't know. I guess I just felt that I could get better value at SS (and I got tired of all that chattering he did in the infield). That made Chapman my everyday SS in '36, although I had just drafted Eddie Joost. What I liked about Chapman is that he was an excellent defensive SS (the blue numbers on his defense chart told me so!), and he hit lefthanded. Did you know the Washington Senators had the only all lefthanded hitting infield--Buddy Myer, Cecil Travis, Buddy Lewis, and was it Joe Kuhel? (I stole that piece of trivia from Bill James).

Anyway, I wasn't expecting a lot from Chapman except good defense. I had a good offense already. So I stuck Chapman into the 8th spot. For 3 years, he hit .273, .290, and .301! He often got a hit or drew a walk with 2 outs so that the pitcher could come to the plate and make my leadoff hitter the leadoff batter in the top of the next inning. And he was versatile enough that occasionally I'd bat him 2nd or even 1st. I let him go because I felt like I needed to give Joost a real shot at short; that isn't yet working as Joost hasn't hit yet above .200. And I also drafted Bob Elliot last year, moved him to 3rd, and stuck Cecil Travis at short (I had been playing Travis at 3rd because I think his range is a little weak for short). Anyway, Chapman turned out to be a gem, something you wouldn't really be able to tell from his real history in MLB.

I also drafted Bobby Estallela in the 2nd round in '35. This has turned out to be a real reach. But I was intrigued by what Bill James wrote about Estallela in his Abstract. If you look at Estallela's real life stats, you're led to believe that he would have had a better career if he had just been given a shot to play. Estallela, if you don't know, was supposedly Cuban; James thinks he was black, which is why he didn't play. Estallela, in PS, has taken lots of time to develop and is now past peak without ever becoming an everyday player.

I like that PS doesn't make it easy for you to judge how a player like Chapman or Estallela will perform given their real life stats.

The question of Estallela's race, though, gets me thinking about the thing that PS can't simulate--team chemistry. At one time, I had Pinky Higgins and Dixie Walker on my team. I don't think I would ever add Bobby Estallela to that team. Maybe PS could come up with injuries like: Estallela suffered a serious brain injury in a fight with Higgins and Walker; Higgins and Walker have very minor hand injurines. Or maybe if you mix players who historically don't like each other, you lose due to poor team chemistry? Maybe a GM who makes too many trades makes the other players nervous and so they don't play as well?

Anyway, I always thought that I wanted a team that was strong up the middle--both offensively and defensively. Chapman sort of changed my thinking about that, although I guess he turned out to be pretty strong in both areas. But I don't think you need stars at those positions. I've been able to get away with a pretty weak player at one postion. Right now, Bob Elliot is really lagging for me at 3B, but it hasn't mattered. My team has started teh 1940 season 17-3! I'm shooting for the '84 Tigers' 35-5 record.

(in reply to Orcin)

Post #: 10

RE: Details - 9/25/2009 10:13:37 PM

buchanan_jm

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Orcin: I've read (and been inspired) by your '46 Cardinals post. You created that assoc. to see if you could beat the new AI. You did. You finished tops in both leagues and won the WS. Is your impression that the new AI still needs work?

10 out of 10 sounds impressive, but I don't think it can be. I've made mistakes, bad trades, bad draft picks. I can't believe I won the league in my first year. My team shouldn't have. They were young, and I really didn't have the pitching. It was clear when I was swept in the series. My team now is a legitimate power, but I built that by learning from my mistakes. I see some differences in the AI, but it still does some crazy things--like sacrifice bunt with the #4 hitter!

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Post #: 11

RE: Details - 9/26/2009 4:03:59 AM

Orcin

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quote:

ORIGINAL: buchanan_jm

Orcin:� I've read (and been inspired) by your '46 Cardinals post.� You created that assoc. to see if you could beat the new AI.� You did.� You finished tops in both leagues and won the WS.� Is your impression that the new AI still needs work?

Thanks! There are a couple of things that could be fixed, such as the tendency to demote older players regardless of performance and the nagging habit of demoting a player to make room for a free agent that he forgets to sign. Overall, I see tremendous improvement in running the draft and the GM AI in general since 1.84. I can't comment on the in-game management because I haven't managed my own games recently.

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Post #: 12

RE: Details - 9/30/2009 4:21:58 PM

buchanan_jm

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Joined: 8/14/2007
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I'd like to list my current starting lineup (I'm in year 1940) and say a little something about how I acquired each player. You'll see how much I've come to rely on the draft.

1B Jimmie Foxx, who I drafted in the league's initial signings draft. Foxx's condition never gets better than "good" at this point, so I have Johnny Hopp who I acquired through a trade last season. Last season I had some injury trouble. Lloyd Waner, my leadoff hitter, was hurt for about 2 mos., and, at one time, I have 4 starting pitchers on the DL. I acquired Barney McCoskey to fill the leadoff spot. But once the pitchers went down, I had to make another move, so I traded McCoskey and Bill McGee, a pitcher in AAA, for Jack Knott and Hopp. I let Knott walk at the end of the season.

2B Joe Gordon, acquired in the draft.

SS Cecil Travis, acquired through a trade: Moose Solters for Travis.

3B Bob Elliott, drafted.

C Babe Phelps, drafted; Paul Richards, signed in offseason as FA; and Johnny Peacock, who I got for Hugh Mulcahy.

LF Vince DiMaggio, trade: Ivy Andrews for Vince.

CF Joe D: picked up in the offseason as FA as I've chronicled.

RF Lloyd Waner, who I got in the initial league draft. Lloyd plays about 80 games for me. My 4th OF is Harry Craft who I drafted. I also play Johnny Hopp in RF.

SP Mel Harder, initial draft
SP Dizzy Dean, trade I've already talked about in previous post
SP Schoolboy Rowe, deadline trade: sent Bobo Newsom and Rich Ferrell the other way
SP Russ Bauers, draft
SP Spud Chandler, draft

Right now, Rowe is disabled, and Kirby Higbe is filling in; I got him in the draft too.

Bullpen: Johnny Murphy, draft; Hugh Casey, draft; Clyde Shoun, draft; Ken Chase, draft; and Nels Potter, draft.

Even when I make trades, I usually send pitchers I've drafted. That's where I've concentrated my drafting and developing--pitching. I feel like position players can always be acquired in FA. I usually pick up a pinch hitter in FA, usually an old guy. This year I have Roy Johnson.

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Post #: 13

RE: Details - 9/30/2009 5:30:10 PM

Orcin

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Wow, what a bullpen!

I agree... unless a great player is there at a position of need, I draft pitchers. You can always trade pitchers for what you need. Everybody loves young pitchers with potential.

So you are going into the war years... that will be interesting. Please keep us posted.

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Post #: 14

RE: Details - 10/2/2009 7:00:57 PM

buchanan_jm

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1932 Jimmie Foxx .364 41HR 153RBI
1935 Bob Johnson .353 25HR 95RBI
1939 Joe DiMaggio .350 20HR 106RBI

Those are stats for the 3 triple crown seasons achieved in my association so far. I'm surprised there have been 3 triple crown seasons in 10 years. Bob Johnson's triple crown came the year before I traded for him. DiMaggio and Foxx did it while on my team. Still seems like a lot of triple crowns--maybe because they've only become so rare recently.

I still have no one player who qualifies for the Hall of Fame, but I believe Foxx is a certainty if he reaches 6200 ABs. At the end of the 1939 season he had 5000; that's 1200 to go, which is probably 3 more seasons. He got just over 400 ABs last year. 6200 seems a stiff standard. If Foxx got a career-ending injury right now, he wouldn't qualify, even though I believe he should.

This makes me wonder about who have been the best players in my Assoc. over the 10 seasons I've played. Foxx and L. Waner on my team have been great. Waner's won 3 batting titles and 1 MVP. Foxx has won 2 batting titles, a triple crown, 5 HR titles. He's also won 2 of the 3 triple crown categories 4 times: HR & RBI in 31, 33, 37 and AVG & RBI in 35.

In the other league, Mel Ott has won 4 MVPs and 5 HR titles. Joe Medwick has won 2 MVPs. Billy Herman has won 2 batting titles. I'd say Ott has been the 2nd best position player in the Assoc. behind Foxx. If I went by position, this is who I'd identify as the best over 10 seasons.

1b Foxx
2b Gehringer or Herman
ss Arky Vaughn, although Cecil Travis is coming on strong
3b Pinky Higgins
c No real star; Lombardi has probably been best, but his career average is not .300
of L. Waner
of Mel Ott
of Joe Medwick

Of course, DiMaggio will probably knock someone out of the outfield by the time he's done. One surprise has been Billy Werber, who's had a pretty terrific career without ever leading the league in any one category.

Pitchers are another story and another post.

By the way, I've been trying to right my salary structure manually. Against KG's advice, I'm tinkering with salaries within an existing assoc. I've created a number of test associations to figure out salaries and going in and manually reassigning salaries to every player because I have some in modern dollars and some in 1940 dollars. This is tedious. I'll eventually reset the salary cap in the "edit finances" tab of each team. I've only figured out position players salaries to date, and I don't have the new figures all entered yet. But this is slowing my actual game playing down. So in my quest to tie the '84 Tigers 35-5 record, I'm 22-4; I don't think the odds are in my favor.

_____________________________

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Post #: 15