Richie Hebner Homers for Both Teams
 

I'm playing a series between the two best NL runner-ups of the 70's IMO, the 1972 Pirates and the 1977 Phillies. I remembered both teams from my childhood but I had forgotten that Richie Hebner started for both. He was the 3rd baseman for the 72 Pirates and started at 1b for the 77 Phils. I overlooked this when setting my lineups. I played the first game of the series by simulator and wouldn't you know it, Hebner homers for both teams. Not wanting to have a player play for both sides, I set Phillies Hebner down and replaced him with Tommy Hutton, a better fielder but not as good of a hitter as Hebner. This could have cost the Phils because Hutton didn't hit very well in the series (though higher than Mike Schmidt).

Whenever I play a historical series between two teams who have the same player, my rule is *neither* team can use him.

For example, if I was playing your sim, neither team gets Richie Hebner. Both must rely on their depth at whatever position he played for them. This goes for position players and pitchers.

If the 1973 Oakland Athletics play the 1977 New York Yankees, neither team gets Reggie Jackson or Catfish Hunter.

If the 2002 Giants play the 1992 Pirates, neither team gets Barry Bonds.

If the 2001 Diamondbacks play the 2004 Red Sox, neither team gets Curt Schilling.

So on and so forth.

I only make exceptions if the player was way more integral to one team than the other. Like, if a position player had 300+ more ABs for one team than for the other, then he can play for the team he had way more ABs for. This way, if the 1973 Mets play the 1954 Giants, Willie Mays wouldn't get benched for the 1954 Giants just because he played a reserve role with the Mets in his twilight years.

It might seem a harsh rule, but it has worked out well. Of course, a lot of OOTP SIM-ers don't mind seeing a star slugger or star pitcher play or pitch against another version of himself. That's fine. That's probably the easiest way to go. But it bothers my sense of verisimilitude, so I don't allow it.

That's a good rule but I played Hebner for the 72 Pirates because he was more integral to that team than he was to the 77 Phils and, as I mentioned above, the Phils had a capable back-up at 1b in Tom Hutton whereas the Pirates really had no one else at 3rd back in 1972.