Just watched the AI GM dismantle the A's prior to the Dynasty

[David Watts]

Just wrapped up the 1969 season using historical minors. Fun season with the Baltimore Orioles winning the World Series in 6 games over the New York Mets.

What's been wild is seeing the A's dynasty dismantled before it could even happen. During the 68 season the A's traded away Joe Rudi to the Seattle Pilots for Don Mincher and Skip Lockwood. Mincher turned out to be a rental signing a 2 year deal with the Yankees during the off season.

The A's would trade Skip Lockwood along with Chuck Dobson to the St. Louis Cardinals on 11/14/69 in exchange for Doug Bird, Al Hrabosky, Ken Reitz and Larry Volkering. Then on 11/15/1969 the Cardinals would tire Lockwoods presence on their team and trade him back to the A's who missed him dearly for Catfish Hunter.

Also on 11/15/1969 Reggie Jackson would be traded to the San Francisco Giants for relief pitcher Ken Sanders and catcher Jack Hiatt. The Giants have Willie Stargell in LF, Willie Mays in CF and Bobby Bonds in RF. Over the first 5 games of the 1970 season Jackson has started only 1 game, pinch hitting in the others.

On 10/31/1969 the A's traded Blue Moon Odom along with Dave Duncan to the Atlanta Braves for Gary Neibauer(RP) and Mike Lum.

11/14/1969 the A's trade Gene Tenace to the Cleveland Indians for Tony Horton.

11/18/1969 the A's trade Dick Green to the Phillies for Larry Bowa. This one might be a steal on their part as Bowa right now is rated to play 2B. But, I'm using 1 year recalc with positions according to 1 year, so soon they will have Campy and Bowa.

Just so I don't get a lecture on how historical works and such, this isn't me complaining or dogging the game. Just something I found interesting.

[luckymann]

Absolutely no doubt in my mind, DW, that the AI is the thing that is holding this game back. I understand and have been told many times over by the devs and higher-ups how difficult this is to get right and how much time has been, and continues to be, spent on trying to do so. There have been some advances, I'll grant that, but the AI as it is in many cases can't even properly assemble a competitive team or even one that is fully-stocked with the right combination of pitchers and position players, starters and backups. Not only does this result in situations like you are seeing here but also makes it really tough to get the sort of challenge one seeks without having to impose a whole raft of house rules and the like.

I would love to see more granularity with regard to historical games and how closely they follow the IRL path other than just the current binary option of all historical transactions or none. I think something like being able to nominate players across the league (whilst in commissioner mode) as "Marquee" or "Franchise" players - meaning they rarely if ever are traded away - would be an excellent start in this regard. You can mark a player with a non-trade clause as things currently stand but the players too readily in most cases waive it. Maybe if they just tighten that up it would be an excellent first step to achieving this, but it needs a complete overhaul IMHO. I would also think that a redo of the historical market sizes and financial circumstances of each franchise over the years wouldn't go astray, as well.

Problem is, the historical side of things is slowly but surely falling out of favour with the people buying the game. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts, because all of the shortcomings with the historical side of things are deterring more and more from spending time in that realm. Which in turn pushes it down the priorities list.

It's still a magnificent simulation, but I have watched this side of it gradually worsen overall and despair it will never turn back around.

In other words, I'm feeling you.

Rant over.

G