Can't manage single games :(

[Swan]

When I go onto the league schedule and find my team, there is nowhere to click on "manage". Why is this? Thanks in advance for any help.

[1998 Yankees]

Originally Posted by Swan

When I go onto the league schedule and find my team, there is nowhere to click on "manage". Why is this? Thanks in advance for any help.

Are you actually in charge of the team? If you did not select a team when you created your manager identity, then you are a spectator only. (Unless, of course, you chose to be a commissioner, which is another story. In that case, you could manage any game that you want.)

My guess is that you started the game unemployed, as below. If so, then you should either create a new manager identity and select the team that you want for him from the beginning, or you can see if your current unemployed manager can get lucky by selecting Available Jobs from the Manager menu. Perhaps the desired team will offer him the top job at that point or a position in their minor league system from which he can work his way up.

[Swan]

Thank you. I have now gone unemployed like you sais, but no one is interested in hiring me, and three seasons have gone by. How do I get hired? What I am looking to do is take over a struggling, Tampa Bay Devil Ray type team, and bild them up. But I have no idea how to do this and still be able to manage the games themselves.

[1998 Yankees]

Originally Posted by Swan

Thank you. I have now gone unemployed like you sais, but no one is interested in hiring me, and three seasons have gone by. How do I get hired? What I am looking to do is take over a struggling, Tampa Bay Devil Ray type team, and bild them up. But I have no idea how to do this and still be able to manage the games themselves.

Like I said, you can try selecting Available Jobs from the Manager menu with your currently unemployed identity and see what is offered to you. Usually at the end of the season, managers get fired from such struggling teams and just as the offseason begins one might offer you their top manager job.

However, you need to realize that your identity's experience and reputation, as established by how many season you have been managing and how well you do, will determine whether you get an offer or not. Chances are with no experience and a "greenhorn" reputation (you can check this by selecting Human Manager Status from the Game menu), you will not be offered a major league manager's job anyway, not even for the worst teams. The game requires you to manage in the minor leagues for a while if you take this approach.

Instead, I would take the other option that I mentioned; create a new manager identity and just assign him to the "Tampa Bay Devil Ray type team" that you mention. Do this before you finish creating the manager identity, though, because you cannot just go back and assign him to a team after that.

[Swan]

Thanks so much for your help. I am looking everywhere in the game, and in the manual, but I cannot find a way to manage the minor leagues. I am trying both, in the middle of a league aready in progress, as well in another league at the beginning. I want to try this and see the hiring process for a GM inherent within.

Any insights is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[1998 Yankees]

Originally Posted by Swan

Thanks so much for your help. I am looking everywhere in the game, and in the manual, but I cannot find a way to manage the minor leagues. I am trying both, in the middle of a league aready in progress, as well in another league at the beginning. I want to try this and see the hiring process for a GM inherent within.

Any insights is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

When you create a new manager identity, that person can be assigned to any job, major or minor league, anywhere in your universe.

If, however, you want to go through the more realistic route of learning your trade in the minor leagues first with your current identity, then early in the offseason you should be offered some jobs in the minors even with little or no managing experience. See the picture below for what a "greenhorn" might be offered. As you do well (if you do well) and gain experience in the minor leagues, then you will eventually see major league jobs being offered to you in future years.

A note of caution, however. Managing in the minor leagues can be frustrating, as I found out myself. Read through these threads and see how my attitude about this changed from the first thread to the second.

Managing in the minors

Changes of Heart

The basic problem is that you have no control over your rosters and therefore little control over how well you do as a manager; you must work with the players that the AI GM of your organization gives you and put up with frequent roster changes. Unfortunately, a human player does not tend to do well in this situation, his minor league career record suffers, and that affects the job offers that he receives (or does not receive).

[Swan]

I was just starting (yet another) brand new league as you responded. I started the league as unemplyed, went to the job offers, and saw that there were about 8 teams offering jobs as GM at the major league level. This has been the case every new league I start. I have yet to see a minor lreage manager offer.

Where do I go to find the minor league jobs available?

[Swan]

At any rate, how can I be informed of what team I want to go with for a GM spot? There are only names of teams, with no indication as to the teams talent, financials or market size. Is there any way to find these out before choosing a team at the start of a league?

I soo appreciate your responses 1998. You're keeping me sane.

[1998 Yankees]

Originally Posted by Swan

I was just starting (yet another) brand new league as you responded. I started the league as unemplyed, went to the job offers, and saw that there were about 8 teams offering jobs as GM at the major league level. This has been the case every new league I start. I have yet to see a minor lreage manager offer.

Where do I go to find the minor league jobs available?

That's a head-scratcher. Brand new league, brand new manager, right? You went to job offers and you are being offered only ML level jobs as a greenhorn, and are not seeing minor league offers as shown above?

Perhaps you are not working with only fictional teams and players as I do and you are using roster sets which may have an effect that I don't know about.

Uh, you do have affiliated minor leagues in your universe, right? Just a thought . . .

Try creating a new identity and see if that person has access to minor league jobs. If not, there may be something wrong with your league setup or you may have an issue for TechSupport.

[1998 Yankees]

Originally Posted by Swan

At any rate, how can I be informed of what team I want to go with for a GM spot? There are only names of teams, with no indication as to the teams talent, financials or market size. Is there any way to find these out before choosing a team at the start of a league?

I soo appreciate your responses 1998. You're keeping me sane.

No problem. Just a bit puzzling, that's all.

Regarding your questions, read the section of the Game Guide that deals with Commissioner Functions. If you create an identity that has commissioner functions, then you can see more of what you are talking about, particularly financials and market size (team home page, Options & Ballpark - you cannot see them without being the commissioner).

Remember that you cannot see talent, financials or market size until after your inaugural draft. Obviously the game has not created new players yet until then, and it does the financials and market size based on the team payrolls right after the draft.

[1998 Yankees]

BTW, you only mention the game manual that comes with the game itself, I believe.

Know that there are two other excellent publications, the Game Guide and Customization Guide, that are provided in the sticky thread at the top of the General Discussions board. Here is the link:

The OOTPB Manual and Game Guide Thread

Good luck!

[Swan]

Originally Posted by 1998 Yankees

Uh, you do have affiliated minor leagues in your universe, right? Just a thought . . .

That was it!! Thank you so much!!!

[1998 Yankees]

Originally Posted by Swan

That was it!! Thank you so much!!!

That's cool!

Now, my advice is to read those minor league managing threads to know what you will be dealing with and, if you have not done so already, download at least the Game Guide. I learned so much about the game from reading that cover to cover, not just about stuff that I was aware of but things that I would never have known existed if I had not run across them in there.

Enjoy the game!