Proposal for Lahman Mod

[ctorg]

I have an idea for a modification of the Lahman database and I wanted to run it by people for any additional ideas before I do it. I did this once before, with version 3, and I'm thinking about doing it for version 5.

Basically, it's a version of the database that has all players entering the rookie draft at the age of 18, with minor league quality stats. Here's the deal...

I alter the rookie year of everyone in the database to make it the year each of them turned 18 (interesting to note, this would make Satchel Page beat Jackie Robinson to the majors by a long shot).

I average the players' stats across all their years and get a 162-game average or thereabouts and make this their rookie year, though that will not be what it is in the end. Next, I copy those stats into a second year for each player. I take all the rookie years and bring the stats down by a certain amount (i.e. 70% of their hits, 50% of their home runs) and alter the second year so that it balances out with the first to produce correct talent levels.

The main drawback is that I would have to pick a start year and that would be the only usable start year. In other words, let's say I want to start it in 1901. I would give all the players who were 18+ in 1901 their career stats for that year, then start the rookies of all subsequent years as described above. You wouldn't be able to import any other years because some guys would import with just the second year listed and that would make them far superior to their real life counterparts, unrealistically so.

Does anyone have any suggestions or ways of improving the methodology here?

[NYJuggalo45]

if you feel like putting in CRAZY hours of work I think it would be great. That's always been on of the biggest complaints I had doing historical leagues...75% of the guys from the draft are ready for the big leagues already. I would like this as it would give guys a few years to develop allowing you to use the current guys you have without there being a logjam all of a sudden

[asamford]

a good start year would be 1977. I would love to see something like this.

[ATypicalGiantsFan]

That would be cool. Would make historical leagues much more interesting.

You should start in 1901 if you were to do it. That is when baseball began recording stats as a league, and if you want to start another year, you can always sim up to it.

[ctorg]

This really wouldn't take all that long. Like I said, I've done it before. There are some issues involved. For instance, there were guys who were successful in the majors at 18 or 19 years old, and these guys probably wouldn't be in my version, but at least everyone would be on even playing ground. A guy like Jim Morris would show up in like 1982 or so and be able to have a complete career.

I could probably, without much hassle, have more than one version with different start years, maybe one in 1901, one in the fifties, one in the eighties or so.

[NYJuggalo45]

i agree start it in 1901, and if guys wanna start at different years let them sim to that point. it's better to cover every year, and have guys sim to where they want to begin, than to start say in 1950, and guys who want to start from the beginning (1901) can't. just my opinion

[greendiver]

Why not just import players three years before their actual debut, rather than at age 18. This would give them 1 year to develop at each of the minor league levels and come closer to approximating their actual arrival time in the majors. Guys like Mike Easler, or Jim Morris won't show up at age 20 this way, since they won't be created until they are much older.

[ctorg]

Originally posted by greendiver
Why not just import players three years before their actual debut, rather than at age 18. This would give them 1 year to develop at each of the minor league levels and come closer to approximating their actual arrival time in the majors. Guys like Mike Easler, or Jim Morris won't show up at age 20 this way, since they won't be created until they are much older.

That's true, and would be an interesting database to do, and perhaps I will at some point do it, but I was more interested in the idea of starting everyone off on even playing ground. I wanted to have a database where all the players get to start out at the same age.

The idea you mention could actually be done pretty easily and even be made to be importable in any year by simply adding three "minor league" years to the beginning of each player's career. I may just do both. It'll take a while though. I've got a screaming baby at home that takes most of my time (not complaining - he's worth it ).

[slackmeisterPA]

I really think this could be a cool idea. I'd say you should start with 1901.

Hope the project works out,