How to Import complete draft class (minors and Negro League players) in a fictional league structure

[Tiger Fan]

I tinkered for a long time trying to find a way to import the entire historical draft class (including Negro League players and career minor leaguers) into a fictional environment annually just as they do in a standard historical league with minors enabled setup. I tried various mass importing player text lists and many other things but purely by accident I stumbled on a way to auto import them a week ago.

This allows a user to create a historical league and then modify the team names, add his own custom minors (as many or as few levels as you might choose) and still get the full collection of rookies each year just as they would debut in a standard historical league with full minors enabled. Following these steps will prevent your fictional teams being overwritten or overwhelmed by all the real minor leagues that would typically arrive.

It is not without flaws. In my tests I decided I would like want to tinker with the league total modifiers to account for the extra influx of talent into my league the Negro League players bring (but that is the same if you turned the color-barrier off in a historical sim). There is also the matter of some of the short-career minor league players being too good so perhaps you might want to tinker with the draft pool each year. But the good news is the players will all import. And if anything this is a great argument why all of those customization options that a few have criticized of late on the boards have such value.

Here are the steps I used.

STEP 1- Choose NEW HISTORICAL LEAGUE in the League creation wizard. Follow step one of the wizard in selecting your season to start (I will use 1901 for this example). Select import complete history up to 1901 if you so desire - does not matter either way. What does matter is make sure you have the checkbox for Import Real Negro Leagues (1920-1950) and Minor Leagues (1915+) UNCHECKED. That is essential. Also do not check the option to Use Random players from all eras instead of real rosters or this will not work. Optimize Player ratings for either Career Play or Single Season replay is fine.

Click next step. The game will then take you to Step 2 out of 6 of the Historical League creation wizard.

STEP 2: At this point click on Advanced Mode to get out of the wizard and to the normal league creation screen.

STEP 3: From the create new game screen you will see your Major League Baseball league. Click on the historical tab and from here enable the checkbox to IMPORT &MAINTAIN REAL MINOR LEAGUES

STEP 4: At this point you can if you desire add fictional minor leagues to your league, change any of the rule settings you like, rename your teams, do pretty much anything you like.

However, do not change the date of your amateur draft to during the season. Leave it at December 15th as the default setting indicates. (Note, perhaps you can make some changes without hurting things but I have it working fine leaving it as is). I also changed my Amateur Draft Pool Reveal date (in the RULES tab for my Major League baseball) from 120 days to 180 days prior to the draft. I don't think it matters when you have it as long as the draft class reveal date occurs before the World Series finishes. That date will be key so remember it. In my case it says June 18. Also, I suggest while you can rename the existing 16 major league teams (in my setup I am using 1901)do not add any or delete any, at least not until your league is finished the creation process.

STEP 5 - So I have renamed my teams, added my minor leagues (make sure enable ghost minor leaguers has not be unchecked as you will be short players the first few years if you added minors). Click on the START GAME option and your league is created.


STEP 6- You now have your major league with the renamed teams you decided upon. You also have your 16 teams with full rosters but they correspond to the real life MLB teams of 1901 so if you like you can go to the LEAGUE SETTINGS/FUNCTIONS tab and choose clear rosters and then schedule a free agent draft to randomize them.

Note at this stage there are only players who played in MLB in 1901, no career minor league or Negro League players yet. They will only appear beginning with the 1902 draft class.

STEP 7- When you are ready to go play out your league. When you get to June 18th (or whatever day is set as your draft class reveal date) the rookies, including all of the career minor leaguers from the MiLB database will import.

STEP 8-The only thing you need to do now to make sure the game does not overwrite your fictional teams and minor leagues with real ones so after the draft pool announcement date go to the HISTORICAL tab in LEAGUE SETTINGS AND uncheck in this order: Automatically import historical rookies followed by Automatically expand league. I typically do that on June 30th, after I make sure my draft class is in place. Note you must be sure to uncheck both of those options mentioned here or the game will overwrite your leagues will real MLB and minor leagues

From there all you need to do is each year after opening day but before your June 18 draft class reveal date make sure you enable both of those checkbox options in the Historical tab - Automatically Expand League and Automatically Import Historical Rookies. I have been doing it on June 1st each season in my current league and then at the end of June (after the new rookie crop appears) I uncheck them again until the following June.



That looks like a lot when I read it back but it is pretty straightforward and easy to do once you have the league created. It really comes down to just those 2 checkboxes being changed twice each June. Depending upon how many minor leagues you have you could turn off the option to use ghost minor leaguers once you get a few years in and start to have a lot of rookies.

Let me know if you have any questions. I did 10 years in my 1921 start and am in 1928 at the moment in my 1901 start using this method and all is working fine - my team names and minor leagues are all intact, no real MLB teams have taken over (or real minor leagues shown up) and all of the players (MLB and minor leaguers) appear to be importing just as they would were it a standard historical league with full minors.

[luckymann]

Thanks for posting this TF, I reckon a lot of people will find it really useful.

[luckymann]

Do you think this would also work with random rookies on? As in, would the game import a selection of both MLB and MiLB rookies from all eras to fill the Draft Pool each year?

[Tiger Fan]

Originally Posted by luckymann

Do you think this would also work with random rookies on? As in, would the game import a selection of both MLB and MiLB rookies from all eras to fill the Draft Pool each year?

I have not tried but I highly doubt it. This only works because we are “tricking” the game into thinking real minors are enabled and I don’t think random debut will ever look at the minor league DB for importing a rookie class.

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by Tiger Fan

I have not tried but I highly doubt it. This only works because we are “tricking” the game into thinking real minors are enabled and I don’t think random debut will ever look at the minor league DB for importing a rookie class.

Yeah, I tend to agree. Might give it a go just to confirm and will report back. But I think manually is the only way to achieve this. Hopefully that changes in the future and MiLB DB is accessible separately if desired.

Thanks bud.

G

[luckymann]

One thing I have always wondered is what would happen if you set this path directly to the minor league DB rather than just the stats directory folder. I fear it would blow the game up so have never risked it. Have you?

[Tiger Fan]

I have not. I just assumed it wouldn’t work but worth a shot. Drawback is if it does work guys like Bob Feller who never played in the minors won’t be in that DB so they likely would have to be manually imported if you wanted them in your league.

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by Tiger Fan

I have not. I just assumed it wouldn’t work but worth a shot. Drawback is if it does work guys like Bob Feller who never played in the minors won’t be in that DB so they likely would have to be manually imported if you wanted them in your league.

Yeah, I was only thinking of using it for MiLB players but, of course, it also contains the MLBers who played in the minors. Manual it is, then.

[sprague]

Tiger this is brilliant.
Why didn't I ever think of that before, bring in the draft picks before the world series, and then turn off the evolution box.
I am going to give this a try starting tonight and tell you if this works out, I think it will.


I have wanted this for a while, all it might take is a few extra clicks during the year to make it work.

AS AN ASIDE
I looked at the 1928 draft choices in your box. That is very very strange to see nobodies drafted early and stars like Lefty Gomez later on.
No matter if the draft box is checked for career or not in examination there is no way a guy named Ballplayer should ever be a top pick, he would be a 1 star type potential player. So something is quite wrong with how the draft is being laid out there.

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by sprague

Tiger this is brilliant.
Why didn't I ever think of that before, bring in the draft picks before the world series, and then turn off the evolution box.
I am going to give this a try starting tonight and tell you if this works out, I think it will.


I have wanted this for a while, all it might take is a few extra clicks during the year to make it work.

AS AN ASIDE
I looked at the 1928 draft choices in your box. That is very very strange to see nobodies drafted early and stars like Lefty Gomez later on.
No matter if the draft box is checked for career or not in examination there is no way a guy named Ballplayer should ever be a top pick, he would be a 1 star type potential player. So something is quite wrong with how the draft is being laid out there.

I recently played out a full 1901-2017 sim manually importing all MLB and MiLB players randomly using the two csv files. And boy were there some hinky things going on there. I put them down to the manual element but it may well be something to do with the MiLB database and v23.

[Tiger Fan]

Originally Posted by sprague

.

AS AN ASIDE
I looked at the 1928 draft choices in your box. That is very very strange to see nobodies drafted early and stars like Lefty Gomez later on.
No matter if the draft box is checked for career or not in examination there is no way a guy named Ballplayer should ever be a top pick, he would be a 1 star type potential player. So something is quite wrong with how the draft is being laid out there.

I agree. My only goal there was to make sure it worked. Running a league like ths normally I would likely delete everyone named Ballplayer and heavily edit a number of others each class.

[Tiger Fan]

I should add based on ratings that draft pick - Ballplayer Schilling - was worthy of his first round selection. I left everything at default and he was a guy with great minor league numbers in a short time period - although looking at his real-life stats in game he was given double credit because he played for two teams with limited info.

Here is his BBRef info plus the real-life stats showing in his OOTP page. I am a few years down the road as I simmed quickly through 1934 but he made the big leagues right away and has had a solid few seasons.

I think anyone wanting to try this would have to accept a lot of players with very unusual numbers compared to real life - or need to do a lot of draft class editing themselves. With reduced minor leagues (I doubt anyone would want the same number of fictional leagues as the late 1930s gave us for example) it would like be very easy to quickly edit a copy of the minor league players database and eliminate everyone without a real first name. That would address a lot, but certainly not all of these guys.

I also think you might want to mess with the modifiers as with the influx of these cup of coffee minor leaguers who get great ratings, combined with the addition of Negro League stars, there are not enough HR and other things to go around. Ruth never hit more than 40 (I looked now and the game was set to 3-year recalc) which I think was at least partly caused because there were always 3-4 other guys hitting 30-40 as well. Hack Wilson was one and a few other 'name guys' but also some Ballplayer type rookies and Turkey Stearns, Willie Wells and a few others.

The single season HR leader at this point was Mel Ott for his amazing triple crown winning 1930 seasons (.404,59,185)

[sprague]

Originally Posted by Tiger Fan

I should add based on ratings that draft pick - Ballplayer Schilling - was worthy of his first round selection. I left everything at default and he was a guy with great minor league numbers in a short time period - although looking at his real-life stats in game he was given double credit because he played for two teams with limited info.

Here is his BBRef info plus the real-life stats showing in his OOTP page. I am a few years down the road as I simmed quickly through 1934 but he made the big leagues right away and has had a solid few seasons.

I think anyone wanting to try this would have to accept a lot of players with very unusual numbers compared to real life - or need to do a lot of draft class editing themselves. With reduced minor leagues (I doubt anyone would want the same number of fictional leagues as the late 1930s gave us for example) it would like be very easy to quickly edit a copy of the minor league players database and eliminate everyone without a real first name. That would address a lot, but certainly not all of these guys.

I also think you might want to mess with the modifiers as with the influx of these cup of coffee minor leaguers who get great ratings, combined with the addition of Negro League stars, there are not enough HR and other things to go around. Ruth never hit more than 40 (I looked now and the game was set to 3-year recalc) which I think was at least partly caused because there were always 3-4 other guys hitting 30-40 as well. Hack Wilson was one and a few other 'name guys' but also some Ballplayer type rookies and Turkey Stearns, Willie Wells and a few others.

The single season HR leader at this point was Mel Ott for his amazing triple crown winning 1930 seasons (.404,59,185)

Right you can¨t play normal due to the negro players coming into the game, there are only so many home runs to go around. You either have to increase the totals drastically, or increase the number of teams (i would use 20 in my normal post 1920 world with all the negro players)
Second in ootp23 the negro players are too over rated (As in 21 they were too under rated)
Recalc might also be a problem due to the fact that you have to keep the minor league box unchecked when the season ends or you will just get the minor leagues all back, thus I dont think the game will actually recalc and has to be played with development on, but there is a catch for that.


I am going to play around a bit with this for a day or 2. I will be back before the weekend with my update on how it went. I think i pretty much know how to make this work out right, but I just have to test it to be sure before making suggestions to others

[luckymann]

In my Bucs save, which has been integrated since 1909 and into which I have manually imported selected - not all, just those for whom Eric Chalek has done MLEs - NeLers for the Draft in their appropriate rookie season.

I have addressed the LTMs dilemma in a most unscientific manner, namely by going through seasons around the same era and choosing those with what I deem the appropriate number of HR to cater for the new guys coming in.

It has worked to my satisfaction, but as I said is fairly unscientific.

The way I would probably do it if I had my time over again is to use the BBRef seasonal figures, which from 1920 to 1947 include the NeL figures. Again, far from perfect, but another option all the same.

The number of teams issue has been raised elsewhere. Garlon, for one, advocates an increase. Because I have only limited myself to a select number of added players, I left it at 16 and have had no issues other than players who wouldn't likely have played as much were the league open to ALL players not playing as much in my save.

[David Watts]

Playing around with this right now. Thanks for posting this. Started in 1919, fast simmed that season and then erased all stats history and held a inaugural draft. Watching 1920 play out. Ruth was on pace for 50+ bombs until June arrived. Dude started the month of June with 13 home runs. On June 30th he sits at 16.

Having tons of free agents doesn't really negatively effect the game does it? Not the case right now, but in the future I imagine the free agent pool will be pretty massive if I don't expand. The game will still find the cream of the crop, right?

[sprague]

I can verify this works 100%.
Thank you thank you thank you!!!!


And is easier than TF even suggested.
Just make the game and have the create minor leagues box checked on the setup. Once you fix your number of teams or minor leagues, have the inagural draft, advance a day.

The next day click the minor league box off. you never have to turn it on again.

voilla the league will run, the minor league players will appear.


Recall that if you turn off the minor league box, if you are using real teams along the way, the ballparks won't change.

But I am doing this to have a semi fictional world with real players.


I started in 1890 (my fav year to begin for various reasons) alter to modern finances, give the ballparks 45,000 attendance.
The trick has been to see just how many teams I need. I am somewhere thinking +4 to normal so 20 teams in 1901 for example, to handle the influx of players esp negro players.
PS I am using 21 because i still think the negro players are too highly rated in 23, and play with development on and a TCR of 1, so I would rather boost a few negro players, rather than have to downgrade most of them in 23.


Thats about my overview.
TF great work with this. Can't thank you enough

[JerryShoe]

Thank you so much for this instruction, I tried doing this in (unsuccessfully) in different ways for projects where the AL and NL add 2 NNL teams each in 1920 and, if there are enough players, just playing the NNL out as a third major league through 1947.

[LansdowneSt]

I'm still baffled how the minor leaguers are assessed. Looking at the screenshots, Ballplayer Schilling goes with the 2nd overall pick:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/r...d=schill001---

Ballplayer Broz with the 24th overall pick:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/r...d=broz--001---

It's impressive that you've broken out a how-to on how to do this as many people have requested how to do this. I once thought I did. too, but the more I see how the game treats ballplayers with virtually no stats and makes them stars in the draft and (eventually) in the game, the more I'm convinced the historical minors as a whole, aren't for me.

[Tiger Fan]

Originally Posted by LansdowneSt

I'm still baffled how the minor leaguers are assessed.

I once thought I did. too, but the more I see how the game treats ballplayers with virtually no stats and makes them stars in the draft and (eventually) in the game, the more I'm convinced the historical minors as a whole, aren't for me.

I have not tested any more with this but will soon. However, I am almost 100% certain the issue with the Ballplayer and other low level guys getting great ratings is because using the structure to setup the game that I did above I bypassed the "Make-Bad" setting screen where you specify a minimum at bats/innings pitched to make minor leaguers bad or with reduced potentials.

The more I think about it I believe I can get to that step before switching to the advanced screen and finishing my league creation. If so that will help with a number of them.

The second thing I do is heavily edit a lot of my draft class to make a lot of those short-career low minor players bad and I have also modified the MiLBMaster.csv file by deleting all players without a first name (the "Ballplayer" guys) or with just a first initial but no full name. This gets rids of a lot of those players who, if you did edit the rookie class, become high draft picks.

My first attempt was just to make sure I could run a fictional structure (including minors) with real minor league players entering each draft. That works, so next step is a fine-tuning plan.

[LansdowneSt]

Originally Posted by Tiger Fan

My first attempt was just to make sure I could run a fictional structure (including minors) with real minor league players entering each draft. That works, so next step is a fine-tuning plan.

Thanks for the additional detail. That provides a lot of context and hope for refinement as you - and now many others - are able to give it a spin