Has anyone simmed through the beginning of free agency in 1976?

[sharknut]

I am doing a historical sim which started in 1970 and I am now 1 year from the start of free agency in 1976.

Has anyone played through this time period before? If so, how was it implemented? Anything close to realism?

[Syd Thrift]

I think what's going to happen that first year is it's going to be all wild and crazy with basically everyone with under 6 years experience who isn't signed to a multi-year deal (depending on how your settings are that could be a small number of players). So probably dozens of free agents all at once and, since IME the game uses free agency as its #1 "steam valve" to keep small market teams from constantly being in the red, there will likely be a lot of good players who go unsigned that first year (IME, too, when you play in pre-FA setups the game tends to have nearly everyone operating at a loss until free agency hits because when it gives out contracts it does so according to "market rates" that are set by game settings as opposed to what players can actually get in the open market). It'll all work itself out in a couple years but I think that first one is a bit wonky.

FWIW I'm doing a league currently set in 1971 and am slowly pushing my way up to free agency as well. I've trial-run it in older leagues and IIRC the above is how it usually shakes out.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by sharknut

I am doing a historical sim which started in 1970 and I am now 1 year from the start of free agency in 1976.

Has anyone played through this time period before? If so, how was it implemented? Anything close to realism?

If you are at all concerned about how free agency might - possibly, negatively - affect the game that you've invested time in, I would suggest making a backup and then letting the game run through the first few years of free agency, just to test it out. That way, if you don't like what you see, there are likely some settings that you can go back and tweak that might help get the environment that you want...

Note that if you are playing with historical transaction on, then free agency transactions (players becoming free agents, then signing or re-signing with team) happens as it did in real life, however, without the financial component (I'm not exactly sure of this, as I never play with finances on, but I do know that contract details are not part of historical transactions).

[sharknut]

Thanks, folks. I do not have historical transactions on.

I backup my game 4 times a season:

1)opening day
2)All-Star
3)After World Series, before "end of season"
4)Dec 31st

Sounds like I will play the season and then after the WS, see what happens.