Am I the only one who plays this way? (adds TONS of replayability to Mogul)

[NYDodgers]

I have the game MLB07-8, and there's a feature called Road to the Show, where you create a player and play parts of games that only pertain to your player, and I play a similar style in BM09.

I edit a minor league pitcher to have my name, birthday, school, give him pitches, edit his predicted/peak, and put him on a team. Then, I sim all the days that he doesn't pitch and PBP the games he does. I use player mode for pitching and either manager or gm for batting(I don't want the manager taking me out for a PH in GM later on)

My stats are obviously ridiculous, but by the time i realized I made him a little too good, I was in too deep to start a new pitcher all over, and I didn't want him to randomly regress after he's 21-22. He's not D-train.

I also gave myself a contract of 10 years(player option 3 years) worth 500 million. Market value-wise, I think he's worth it. It's almost instant-WS for any decent team. I was pretty heartbroken when I lost a game in the playoffs in the 2014 NLDS. Can you imagine the public outcry when a 50-million dollar pitcher loses a game in the playoffs? Would that be justified for losing with 8 innings and 3 ers?

Just as a bit of more story-telling, I envisioned a new GM for the Giants signing me, as well as trading for A-rod. After winning 3 straight WS in St.Louis, I couldn't win with the Giants for the first couple years, despite having a pitching staff of me, lincecum, and matt cain. It really felt like the A-rod curse, where his team just can't win, until he exploded at the age of 39-40, and we finally won(although he didn't have a GREAT playoff run but whatever). His stats are here: http://www.sportsmogul.com/vbulletin2/showthread.php?t=193310

Also, note that I've thrown tens of thousands of pitches, and that I started last year many, many months ago. This is a product of hours and hours of mindless web surfing and studying and chatting and watching movies while playing.(One of the best features of Mogul. You can do other things on computer while playing).

Playing this way really adds to the replayability of the game. When I get tired of throwing cutters and sinkers, I move onto a different saved game where I play classic GM. Then switch back again, and etc.

I would recommend it for anyone, although many people would probably like it better with worse ratings to make it more of a challenge. But it's not like I have no challenge either, since anything short of a 1-2 ers and a CG is a failure. And it can be fun to just flat-out dominate, too :p

Thoughts, comments, questions?

[twinswin]

Its a good idea but that pitcher u created is super human which might take some of the fun out of it for me.

[200tang]

what is the Giants payroll? Like $90-100 million in 2015? Jeez, that's like what? 2-3 million per player ?

[etothep]

you give the guy perfect pitch ratings, 100 hitting, near perfect endurance, health & defense, maxed out power & above average movement & control and you didn't think he would be this good?

[NYDodgers]

I guess I shouldn't have uploaded the pic.

I'm not bragging about his accomplishments..this thread is more about the way of playing the game, than my actual player. I was more wondering if anyone else plays like this, or is interested.

[haveacigar]

that BB/9 rate seems a bit low for a 79 control guy...

[Jellio]

I have played the exact same way, but i always choose an NL team, exactly for the reason that the manager might pull me out and have someone to pinch hit for me. I've never done this for too long, but its kind of fun....

[BINGLEBOP]

There have been a few dynasties like this where somebody simulates a player's career. One of the highlights was the Nick Markakis dynasty by RedsoxRockies.

[RedsoxRockies]

There have been a few dynasties like this where somebody simulates a player's career. One of the highlights was the Nick Markakis dynasty by RedsoxRockies.

It was spectacular! It was so dramatic how he got left hanging in the minor leagues and in the year 2008!

[BINGLEBOP]

It was spectacular! It was so dramatic how he got left hanging in the minor leagues and in the year 2008!

Kind of like the dynasty version of Heath Ledger, going out on top.

[5dodgers5]

Ouch he really got hammered in 2010... a 2.13 ERA? C'mon now...

[NYDodgers]

One interesting thing is that in 2015, I decided to challenge hitters more. I basically stopped nibbling on the corners and threw more strikes looking for contact. I figured on giving up more hits and homeruns while issuing less walks and less strikeouts.

Well, I ended up striking out less but not walking any less hitters, but I was surprised I actually posted a career low in BAA. I thought that having lower strikeout totals while having the same walk totals would increase BAA, but the opposite was true.

The culprit of this is BABIP, which I think is indirectly negatively correlated with power.

For example, let's say my predicted stats has me averaging to give up 8 hits per game. Whether I make 27Ks or 27 groundouts, the game is configured to make me give up around 8 hits. Therefore, throwing strikeouts makes me simply reduced the denominator of the BABIP part, and does not actually help me reduce hits/hrs.

It might sound a bit confusing, but I'll give another example that came up many, many, many times in this PBP career. I'll look and see that I pitched for 5 innings, and threw 13 Ks, meaning I struck out all but 2 batters so far. The next batter that puts the bat on the ball, there is a very high chance that it's a hit, simply because my stats, at the end, need to be close to my predicted stats.

[reflections]

One interesting thing is that in 2015, I decided to challenge hitters more. I basically stopped nibbling on the corners and threw more strikes looking for contact. I figured on giving up more hits and homeruns while issuing less walks and less strikeouts.

Well, I ended up striking out less but not walking any less hitters, but I was surprised I actually posted a career low in BAA. I thought that having lower strikeout totals while having the same walk totals would increase BAA, but the opposite was true.

The culprit of this is BABIP, which I think is indirectly negatively correlated with power.

For example, let's say my predicted stats has me averaging to give up 8 hits per game. Whether I make 27Ks or 27 groundouts, the game is configured to make me give up around 8 hits. Therefore, throwing strikeouts makes me simply reduced the denominator of the BABIP part, and does not actually help me reduce hits/hrs.

It might sound a bit confusing, but I'll give another example that came up many, many, many times in this PBP career. I'll look and see that I pitched for 5 innings, and threw 13 Ks, meaning I struck out all but 2 batters so far. The next batter that puts the bat on the ball, there is a very high chance that it's a hit, simply because my stats, at the end, need to be close to my predicted stats.

Wow. That's great.
Chuck Norris was better. Chuck Norris just had to think about hitting the ball and the ball would fly over the fence.

[Jeffy25]

I have done this before with my cousin Tom. I am replaying his career as a closer, and having the game sim all the gams that I don't play. So I only play with him and have it stop the sim after the score is within three and after the 7th so I can get him the save.

[Borker]

This is actually a pretty interesting idea. I might try it out. Thanks!

[NYDodgers]

I have done this before with my cousin Tom. I am replaying his career as a closer, and having the game sim all the gams that I don't play. So I only play with him and have it stop the sim after the score is within three and after the 7th so I can get him the save.

I'd like a feature where I can skip forward to any inning I'd like for a PBP game, or specify the situations that I want to be prompted to intervene.

[Fish Troll]

I have played the exact same way, but i always choose an NL team, exactly for the reason that the manager might pull me out and have someone to pinch hit for me. I've never done this for too long, but its kind of fun....
If you guys are doing first person or player view, then shouldn't the PH decision goes to the manager then? :/

[NYDodgers]

I personally just meant I put it in Manager mode instead of GM for hitting, even though I don't really want call the shots, because of 2 things:
1. I don't want to get taken out
2. most importantly, since #1 could add realism, it might skip to pitching mode and make me pitch before I can change back to player mode