[Eugene Church]

I just checked all of the full time catchers...112 to 130 games played...and found that the "PB Rating" in the game does not give the expected pass ball totals.

The average rating of the players was 7 passed balls per 162 games.

The actual passed ball average was 11.

In general, you will get 60% more passed balls than the ratings indicate...This is a definite improvement over OOTP4 where you would get 4-5 times the rating...which was much too high.

Rating per 162 games.......Actual total (based on 162 games)
..................4..........................9
..................0..........................0
.................12........................18
...................2..........................1
...................6..........................7
.................15.........................17
...................9.........................17
...................1...........................4
...................5...........................5
...................7.........................12
...................2...........................5
..................14.........................23
...................9..........................17
...................8..........................22
...................5..........................14

Only 33% of the players' actual passed balls was close to their rating.

I think the actual number should range from plus two to minus 2 of the assigned rating...if the rating is a 5...the actual passed balls should be between 3 and 7.

I'm not a statistician...but this seems to indicate that the PB Rating in OOTPB needs to be looked at.

I am going to adjust the ratings in the my next league...lowering the rating by about 50%....if a player is rated at 8 PB's per 162 games...I will lower it to a 4 PB Rating and see how this works out.

If you want to know the results, let me know and I will post the results here in about a week.

[CareyScurry]

thanks ... please do.
it may be that i'm waaaay too particular about accuracy, but I've owned variants of OOTP for two years now and have yet to play all the way through a season because various bugs/stat things irk me [note - this is not to be taken as an affornt to anyone, least of all designers of the game and users who build roster sets]. this happens to be one of the ones on my short list.

[Eugene Church]

CareyScurry:

I will adjust the PB Ratings 60 % and see if I get more accurate figures.

I will post the results in this thread for you.

I'm a realistic perfectionist and I really enjoy the game.

I just adjust things to try to get them as realistic as possible...and when I can't...I just live with it.

I play 1950's baseball.
Modern Day double switches used to drive me crazy...one time the AI even pinched hit for Ty Cobb. I have now learned how to use team strategies and depth charts to almost stop the double switches. But it took me a while to learn how to do it.

The modern day closer use also bothered me...in the 50's a starter with a safe lead finished the game. A reliever was only used if the starter was getting hit hard. It was unheard of for a starter with a shutout being pulled in the ninth for a reliever.
Starters with a 5-10 run lead would pitch the entire game even if he was being hit hard. He was pulled only when the game was in question. The AI will pull a pitcher in the ninth who has a low pitch count and a 15-3 lead. They didn't do this in the 50's...or the 20's, 30's and 40's.

But I have learned to live with it.

But one day when I reach the 1920 season, I will play out the games and make all substitutions...no more double switches...no more closers coming in in the ninth to rob a pitcher of a shutout or complete game.

You should finish a season...or at least try it.

I'm beginning the 1903 season...started in 1901...and am really enjoying it. I am going to sim the regular season...adjusting lineups and pitching rotations monthly...play out the playoffs...will do it this way for about 20 years...then I intend to play out each game. I first want to establish a league history.

My first two years have been very accurate with stat results.
I try to play 1950's style baseball...even in 1901...don't care for the "Deadball Era".

I play a very simple game...no free agency...no trades...no manager mode...no finances, managers, scouts, minors, injury, fatique.

So I don't have a lot to make me unhappy.

Just the normal everyday plays that are missing from the game...no dropped throws...no dropped foul flies...some players never catch foul flies...just to name a few.

And things like the AI using 2 middle relievers very little.

And things like a starter never relieves...except spot starter...and relievers never start...this is when you sim.
(I have even found a way around this).

And things like the PB Rating not being consistent.

And ratings imported from the Lahman Database too many times are just random and not based on fact. That's why I spent endless hours researching player stats and adjusting the ratings after importing players.

I used to have an Alltime Allstar League with 4 leagues and 80 teams and 2000 players...and it wore me out and took all of the fun out the game. I didn't get to play the game much as I was always entering data.

I now have a fictional/historical league and include each season as rookies the alltime great Major Leaguers, Negro Stars, Japanese Stars and Career Minor League Greats.

I add about 2 players per team each year...the worst teams get the best picks. If I don't have enough real major leaguers to add, I add fictional players. In 1902 I only added three real historical players...Addie Joss, Johnny Evers and Carl Lundgren.

[CareyScurry]

I'm actually *okay* with some of the things you listed (in-game usage, play frequency, etc...) - it's the finances, scouts, trades, and player characteristics (GF ratios, platoon splits, etc...) that I have issues with. So, I'm spending all my time updating stats, researching demographics, etc... Oh, and I'm ridiculous - I'm doing stupid stuff like minor leaguer's G/F ratios and whatnot.

Frankly, the type of game I want is what DMB is designed for... except that I want multiple seasons and trade AI and a minor league system and blahblahblah. So, I'm trying to turn OOTP into something it's currently not - not the game's fault.

For me, the answer will lie in tweaking the roster sets and adopting house rules. Luckily, as I move as I move past my initial conditions (2003, Rocco roster), they become less important. I hope to kick things off around Dec/Jan.

Thanks for the advice and good luck with your study!

[Eugene Church]

Sorry for the delay...I have played several more seasons...will soon begin 1907.

OOTPB players seem to develop in an inconsistent manner...and maybe this is the way it should be...if Ty Cobb hit .367 every year and Babe hit 54 homers each year, I would probably get bored with it. I have discovered that I prefer the career over the replay. It has more surprises and is less predictable.

The Passed Ball ratings seem to be close to the actual totals...nothing outrageous like OOTP4 where catchers would have 4-5 times the passed balls as their rating.

Following is a list of the first string catchers in my leagues averaged over 3 seasons:

GAMES....PB RATING...ACTUAL
102..............2............3
140..............7............7
126..............1............1
136..............8............11
101..............3............4
134..............4............7
125..............6............7
132..............9............7
115..............0............0 (only 1 passed ball in 3 seasons)
124..............1............0 (only 1 passed ball in 3 seasons)
102..............3............6
140..............10..........12

Over one season a player would sometimes have a higher total than his rating...but over 3 years they seemed to balance out.

I am very satisfied with the OOTP5 PB ratings.

Hope this helps.