Historical Minors/Fictional Players

[David Watts]

Has anyone ever came up with a method that would allow one to create a historical league with historical minors, delete all real players, replace them with all fictional players and have game maintain the MLB/historical minors structure from that point forward?

Was thinking if you were to create the league and turn off historical minors before the start of the season and leave it off until the draft class is announced, the game would create a fictional draft class. This I'm pretty sure about. What I'm not so sure about is, can I turn historical minors back on the day the season ends and in doing so, will the game then update the historical minors structure to keep it in line with history?

[Bluenoser]

I'm not understanding why would you turn off historical minors?

If you're using fictional players, then just disable real players from entering your league. The game will create fictional players for your annual draft, regardless of league structure.

How many rounds your draft is, how many players are created is all under your control.

[David Watts]

Originally Posted by Bluenoser

I'm not understanding why would you turn off historical minors?

If you're using fictional players, then just disable real players from entering your league. The game will create fictional players for your annual draft, regardless of league structure.

I'm pretty sure the minor league db doesn't work that way. I think if it's on, it will import the players no matter what. Would love to be wrong though.

[Bluenoser]

Originally Posted by David Watts

I'm pretty sure the minor league db doesn't work that way. I think if it's on, it will import the players no matter what. Would love to be wrong though.

Ok, wasn't sure as I don't use the historical minors for my league. I just took MLB as it was in 2001, expanded to 36 teams and used all fictional players.

Minors stayed as they were at creation.

[Rain King]

I think the only way to do this would be to somehow edit your minor league database to have no players (or at least no players for the years you will be utilizing).

[OutS|der]

Couldn't this be accomplished by deleting all the players in the MILB Master file?
Can't import players that aren't there.

No need to turn off historical minors then.

[Caridnals-BK]

Originally Posted by David Watts

Has anyone ever came up with a method that would allow one to create a historical league with historical minors, delete all real players, replace them with all fictional players and have game maintain the MLB/historical minors structure from that point forward?

Was thinking if you were to create the league and turn off historical minors before the start of the season and leave it off until the draft class is announced, the game would create a fictional draft class. This I'm pretty sure about. What I'm not so sure about is, can I turn historical minors back on the day the season ends and in doing so, will the game then update the historical minors structure to keep it in line with history?

If I'm understanding you right, here's how I set it up on a test this morning. I started at 1962 and went to 1991. I didn't see any real players.

1. Create historical league; select year to import; select "import real Negro Leagues (1920-1950) and minor leagues (1915+)
2. Adjust any different import settings; import players
3. Click on Advanced mode to get all the differnet settings, etc.
4. On the "Historical" tab, deselect "Automatically import historical rookies"
5. On the "Rules" tab, deselect "Disable automatic creation of free agents and fictional draft class"
6. Make any other changes to settings you want.
7. Click "Start Game"
8. Create your GM. I selected "Commissioner Mode" as I wasn't sure if you can create fictional players without it.
9. After game starts, go to "Player Search"; make sure no filters are selected; select all; *Delete Players*
10. Then go to "League Settings" - "Functions" - "Fill teams with Fictional Players" - You'll have to do this for every Major and Minor League, The game will give each team 25 players.


I didn't check after each season but looking at the Cardinals minor leagues at '62; '72 and '91, they had changed correctly.

Hope this is what you were looking for.

[Rain King]

Ah, well done!

I had forgotten about the optional setting for importing the historical rookies.

[Bluenoser]

Originally Posted by Rain King

Ah, well done!

I had forgotten about the optional setting for importing the historical rookies.

Sort of what I suggested above when I mentioned disabling real players from entering the league.

He replied that the minor league db doesn't work that way. I don't play historical really, but I'm assuming he wants to use the minor league db to keep realistic minors as far as teams, affiliation, and location goes.

[Tiger Fan]

Originally Posted by Bluenoser

Sort of what I suggested above when I mentioned disabling real players from entering the league.

He replied that the minor league db doesn't work that way. I don't play historical really, but I'm assuming he wants to use the minor league db to keep realistic minors as far as teams, affiliation, and location goes.

This does work. I just tested it by creating a 1930 historical league with full minors enabled. I deleted all existing real players and filled all teams in each league with fictional players upon league creation. I then unchecked the box to import real rookies and also unchecked the box to prevent the creation of fictional draft pool and free agent players.. The result worked just fine as the game added the new minor leagues and shifted minor league teams and affiliations just as it would in a historical league. It will also create fictional rookies but it appears you have to watch it closely each year to ensure you have sufficient players.

However, if a user wants to play with real historical teams (including all minor leagues) but with a cast of entirely fictional players it can be done and fairly easily as well.


The one thing you need to carefully monitor and adjust frequently is the size of your draft pool as it appears the game does not follow along and increase the number of fictional rookies created each season to match the changing number of minor leagues and teams. But that is an easy work around as you can simply add free agents or increase your draft pool as necessary each season.

I just did a quick test, but it appears that if you are playing historical with the color barrier on it looks like you may need to manually create young prospects regularly to keep the Negro League rosters fully stocked with players as well.

[David Watts]

Originally Posted by Tiger Fan

This does work. I just tested it by creating a 1930 historical league with full minors enabled. I deleted all existing real players and filled all teams in each league with fictional players upon league creation. I then unchecked the box to import real rookies and also unchecked the box to prevent the creation of fictional draft pool and free agent players.. The result worked just fine as the game added the new minor leagues and shifted minor league teams and affiliations just as it would in a historical league. It will also create fictional rookies but it appears you have to watch it closely each year to ensure you have sufficient players.

However, if a user wants to play with real historical teams (including all minor leagues) but with a cast of entirely fictional players it can be done and fairly easily as well.


The one thing you need to carefully monitor and adjust frequently is the size of your draft pool as it appears the game does not follow along and increase the number of fictional rookies created each season to match the changing number of minor leagues and teams. But that is an easy work around as you can simply add free agents or increase your draft pool as necessary each season.

I just did a quick test, but it appears that if you are playing historical with the color barrier on it looks like you may need to manually create young prospects regularly to keep the Negro League rosters fully stocked with players as well.

I actually played around with this some last night and it does appear to be doable. I too quickly realized that one would have to monitor the draft to make sure enough players were being produced. Crazy thing is, I play historical all the time and never hardly ever use minor leagues, but when playing fictional I find myself wanting players to have someplace to accumulate stats prior to making ti the big leagues.