I have a very interesting question about play
 

First, before I get flamed, I have been playing OOTP since version 13 so I am not a rookie. My favorite team is the Colorado Rockies so I tend to either play them or sim an entire season, then expand the league and take on the role of GM for an expansion team.

First, let me be clear. In 2017 the Rockies were the only team in major league baseball that spent every day of the season, opening day until season end, in playoff contention.Look it up. Their pitching staff ranked 4th in major league baseball after all statistics were generated at the end of the year though the offense ranked pretty poorly (24th) after the season though they won 2 gold gloves (Arenado, Lemahieu) and a third (Story) that should have won the award.

I have now played this year (2018) the first season of of 5 games, and these are some of my observations.

Season 1, playing as GM, first 20 games 6-14, season end 66-96. Last place in the NL west.

Season 2, playing as both GM and manager. first 20 games 3-17, season end 59-103, last place, got fired :mad:

Season 3, playing as GM again, first 20 games, 8-12 (best start of 5) season end 70-92 tied for last with San Diego.

Season 4, playing as GM and manager again, 2-18 start, began the season 0-9. Last place (I refuse to say what my record was, and I got fired again, since I don't choose the can't be fired option.

So, in season 5 I decided to play as manager, but tried a new tact. I did a little switcheroo with the Yankess and pulled Brian Cashman in as my GM and just played manager mode. Result, drum roll please, 3 and 17 start, 69-93.

So, the question to the group. Is this a game mechanic programmed into the system? Anyone else have this happen to them? Or, am I just being prickly. There are whole slew of other things I have found a bit quirky, but it is not enough to make me not play OOTP. It is still the most fun I have ever had with a sports sim. However, being a sim, there is no way this game can get those results consistently without help :confused: because it statistically driven. Or is it?

Just wondering

Oh, just in case you might be wondering. Last year a did an expansion and my team finished 2nd in the NL West using OOTP18

The MLB player ratings are based on ZIPS projections. I don't know why they'd be that down on the Rockies but apparently that's the case. It could be a combination of lower projections than you'd expect, maybe mixed in with some bad luck. There's definitely no mechanism in the game that will predetermine a team's performance though, it's all based on the ratings with a bit of randomness thrown in.