The first question was about what player cards I'm using. When I first started toying with the idea of playing a whole season, I thought about doing 1985, which was the season that came with my game. I soon discovered, though, that the teams weren't complete. Most of the players missing were September call-up types, but that became a problem for the starting pitchers. I'm following the Statis Pro rule that a pitcher can't start/appear in more games than they did in the season (I'm not being quite so strict with innings pitched). I needed a complete roster to make this work.
As it so happened, my dad bought a CD full of about 50 seasons worth of Statis Pro on Ebay a few years back. He and I play a "King of the Hill" version where we will randomly select a year and a team from the disc. Whoever wins keeps their team and the loser draws a new one. It's pretty fun. Anyway, the CD teams were complete. They're also a bit easier to use, especially with BD rating already listed. I have to scale the fielding ratings because the non-Avalon cards scale from 4 to 2 instead of 2 to 0. You can see a comparison above. The purchased set wasn't completely accurate on how many games per position, I've had to use Baseball Reference to clean some of that up. I also write total games played on the cards so I can get a sense for DHing and pinch hitting.
Besides that, I'm using my original board, FAC's, etc. for the game. The disc came with a scorecard that fit two per page, so I use that too. I still have my original pad of scorecards and use it when my dad and I get to play. I decided on 1984 for a couple of reasons. First, my first complete set of Topps baseball cards was 1985, which featured the 1984 season on the back of the card. I spent so many hours pouring over the stats and players. It's still my favorite set from Topps. I spent some years growing up in Michigan, too, so the chance to see the 84 Tigers team in action sounded fun. My favorite team is the Baltimore Orioles, and my favorite player Eddie Murray, so I knew I was getting an MVP-caliber effort there too. Plus you have Doc Gooden's rookie year, the Cubs in the playoffs - it's a fun year of ball to relive.
The second question you asked were about rule variations. Instead of Pitching Reduction I use Points of Effectives and the Good vs. Bad stuff options. I switched to that pretty early in the season but like the dynamic it creates. I've yet to try infield positioning, guarding the lines, pitching around batters, and other variations. I might experiment one of these days with that - stay tuned!
I hope you all found this helpful - thanks to everyone who reads the site and keeps visiting! I find these games very relaxing and a fun hobby. Keep the questions and comments coming!
I'm going to try Bad vs. Good stuff and Points of effectiveness. I was reading up on the rules. Do you award a point for any runs given up?.....Also...my favorite baseball card set was the 1985 Fleer. I do remember collecting 1985 cards back when I was a teenager...it was a blast. My first Statis Pro baseball game came with the 1985 season as well. The game was given to me while I was serving in the Army in West Germany from a soldier that was moving to another base. Good times. I enjoy the memories that your replay brings back. 1984 holds a very special place in my heart as well.
ReplyDeleteI follow the rules on the points of effectiveness, which aren't concerned about the runs but the consecutive hits, etc. It takes a while to get used to, but it's second nature for me now.
ReplyDeleteThe good vs. bad is a lot of fun as it adds a good bit of randomness.
I started using it and it is really not that big of deal to keep track of. Amazing how quickly those points can add up on consecutive or extra base hits.
ReplyDelete