Not all my seasons have been bad ones. I pre-ordered OOTP-X and played OOTP-9, the demo. But then I liked version 9 so much, I went ahead and bought it because I didn't want to wait the 3 weeks or so until the game came out. OOTP must love players like me.
Anyway, I actually won the entire shooting match once and have been to the playoffs several times...all that in version 9. For some reason, version X is kicking my butt.
Right now, I'm in my 4th season in OOTP-X (I got it on the first day for preorders).
My Fictional League has 40 teams with 4 divisions in each of two sub divisions that all go to the playoffs along with 4 wild card teams.
I finished 87-75 (1st) in the first season with fictional and random players.
I finished 81-81 (3rd) in season two, out of the playoffs. I began getting into financial trouble.
I finished 78-84 (2nd) in season three, out of the playoffs. Bad money woes.
In my 4th year, I was doing absolutely horrible (12 games below .500 very early in the season...I couldn't pitch, hit, field, nothing) and finally, out of disgust, I let the AI take over for awhile while I watched. The AI promptly canned many of my favorite players, brought up a bunch of my young minors guys, and I've actually turned around the season in spectacular fashion...I'm at 72-56 right now and in first place in my division...I'm winning everything right now.
The moral of the story...I'm not sure...but I damn sure seem to have a lot of trouble seeing the young talent in my organization. Apparently it's there, and lots of it, I just can't see it...or at least I'm really struggling there...the AI can see it.
Just FYI.