Free MLB Manager Online Baseball Sim Game

[PurdueBrad]

I'm still down in the rookie league but I did have Volstad throw a no-no two games ago, which was kind of cool. I also screwed up my signup so my team name and player name are the same: BoilerUp

[PilotMan]

Alright, I am up to 16 pro teams and all but 1 dream team beaten. Sack, you're just riding King Felix's arm. I am trying to do with the fearsome Anibal Sanchez.

[cubboyroy1826]

Wow at least I am not the only dork that signed up with the same team name and player name.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Alright, I am up to 16 pro teams and all but 1 dream team beaten. Sack, you're just riding King Felix's arm. I am trying to do with the fearsome Anibal Sanchez.

I can't wait until I have enough team points to ride King Felix's arm and Jose Bautista's bat. Just counting the days.

[cubboyroy1826]

Well my team has advanced to the next level, not that I really know what that means other than the fact that I have a whole lot more points to spend.

[SackAttack]

It means I get to ride King Felix's arm and Jose Bautista's bat. Whee!

Oh, and apparently the friend's list cap is 10 people. I'm full, now.

[Travis]

Oh, now we get into the fun part.

My opening day roster:

Cabrera (SS)
Granderson (CF)
Uggla (DH)
Rivera (LF)
Encarnacion (3B)
Hudson (2B)
Stubbs (RF)
Davis (1B)
Santana (C)

On the mound it's a rotation of Latos, Morrow, Vargas, Niemann and Maholm. Kerry Wood to set up Howell and hopefully not a lot of stressful late inning situations

Going to try and ride defense, team speed and pitching this season. Very curious to see if it works out.

[PilotMan]

I can't login due to a server error this morning.

[PilotMan]

Well, I have had a major roster makeover, but we still lack a dominating front line pitcher, but overall we are very well balanced.

[PurdueBrad]

I'm 3-0 in Single A thus far, hoping to keep that alive. I did beat all the levels of vs. CPU teams, so that was a huge points boost. I too am lacking a front line pitcher but am still solid anyway.

[cubboyroy1826]

Finally got a solid pitcher with Justin Verlander. I also now have a pretty decent 1-4 in pitchers. I am wondering if I really need to go that deep in the rotation or not. I have a very good setup guy and just an average closer. As for hitters I recently got Jimmy Rollins. Not the best but still a decent hitter. Picked up C Brian McCann last night who is a 7 but is not all that much better than Ramon Hernandez who is a 5.

[Mike1409]

User: SP Lumber Comp.
Team: SP Lumber Comp.
__________________

[JonInMiddleGA]

What's the consensus on how to use your points? Burn 'em early? Save some?

[kingfc22]

San Jose Smashers have been formed...kingfc22

[PurdueBrad]

I'm up to 6-0 in Class A and face the other undefeated team in my world next. He is pretty stacked though and it looks like it'll be my first loss as my highest point player is a 7. He has three 9's that I'm facing in Longoria, Fielder, and his starting pitcher Jimenez.

As for when to spend points, I blew a ton early because I didn't know any better. I then had to grind through the MLB, Sega, and Legend teams to get points back, which took some time. It took time but I got a good amount of points for beating them all.

[Travis]

For those sending friend requests, sorry if I don't respond right away. They've got a cap of 10 friends right now so I'm keeping them in the inbox (assuming they don't expire at some point) for when that cap is increased.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

What's the consensus on how to use your points? Burn 'em early? Save some?

I can't speak to a consensus, but I can tell you that what I did was buy a few packs early, defeat the MLB, buy a few more packs, and then use my earnings from ranked matches and league games to build the bankroll back up. I'm sitting around 35k points right now with around 120 players on my total roster.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I'm killing with speed in this game. Have double the number of steals of any other team in my league. The runners in this game aren't held on second on grounders to the left side, so a leadoff hit followed by a steal can put you in great position for a run. Really starts to add up in a hurry. Only one 7 on offense with the rest 6 or lower. I couple all that speed with starters rated 10, 8, 8, 6, and 6. Setup man is 5 and closer is a 7. Trained all pitchers to their strengths rather than working on their weaknesses.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Travis

For those sending friend requests, sorry if I don't respond right away. They've got a cap of 10 friends right now so I'm keeping them in the inbox (assuming they don't expire at some point) for when that cap is increased.

+1. Hope they do so.

[SackAttack]

Dola,

Friends list is full, so while I'd love to have all of you on my friends list, those of you adding me currently are going to sit in my inbox in the hopes that the list cap gets an expansion.

[kingfc22]

Ok. I can't figure out how to get a scouted player onto my roster.

I searched the FAQ's but I'm obviously missing something.

Help!!!

[kingfc22]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

Ok. I can't figure out how to get a scouted player onto my roster.

I searched the FAQ's but I'm obviously missing something.

Help!!!

Just kidding. I guess I should just finish the tutorial

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

Ok. I can't figure out how to get a scouted player onto my roster.

I searched the FAQ's but I'm obviously missing something.

Help!!!

Click the name of the player on the active roster you want to replace with your scouted player, click the 'replace' button at the bottom of that screen, choose the player you want to add to the active roster, and then hit 'update' at the bottom of the screen after the swap.

[Mike1409]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

San Jose Smashers have been formed...kingfc22

Were in the same pool! I just beat you 13-11!

[SackAttack]

Something I've been thinking about over the past couple of hours.

1) The "Sega" team in my A league is 9-0. I suspect that team is going to end up winning at least 120 of the 150 games they'll play, if not more, and I suspect that's true of most A leagues. So even though there are four promotion spots, three humans is probably the most likely promotion scenario.

2) We're in the 3rd season of the cycle right now, which means that next season, everybody's team cost cap is going to drop. It may, therefore, be in your best interest to spend points on putting the strongest team you can out there *now*, with an eye toward promotion. That way, even though you'll be at your lowest cap of the cycle next season, it will be higher by virtue of being the lowest AA cap instead of the lowest A cap. That will result in less of a hit to the quality of your team.

Without that promotion, good players that you've been acquiring will likely not be usable in the next season, and I'm still unsure whether these contracts are for two seasons or two cycles. If seasons, those unusable players would disappear before you ever got the cap space back to use them again.

Just some long-term strategy thought.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

I'm still unsure whether these contracts are for two seasons or two cycles.

The little screen at the beginning of the new season last night seemed pretty clear (I thought) that the contracts rolled over on the change of cycles.

Which still kind of confuses me since basically everyone we have will expire at the same time ... which maybe isn't confusing since it's their way of making sure that you have to keep buying players next cycle (and microtransactions have to be where this is all leading).

[Travis]

From the reading I've done, I believe the contracts are cycles and not seasons, but that is just my opinion at this point and probably me hoping for the best

Anybody looking to trade? I'm in the market for corner infielders (preferably with high defense ratings) and potentially a closer. I think I'm around 110 players or so right now so depending on what you're looking for, we may be able to work something out.

I'm trying out the world trade route, but I'm already 0-2 going that way.

[PilotMan]

Finished off the rest of the exhibition games and dream teams today. We aren't off to a great start, but we are in the upper half of our division.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

The little screen at the beginning of the new season last night seemed pretty clear (I thought) that the contracts rolled over on the change of cycles.

Which still kind of confuses me since basically everyone we have will expire at the same time ... which maybe isn't confusing since it's their way of making sure that you have to keep buying players next cycle (and microtransactions have to be where this is all leading).

Well, by the time they expire and leave the team, you'll have gotten at least one new crop in of players with a full two cycles, so you'll have some guys with 2 cycles and some guys with 1. It keeps you invested in the game.

I don't think it'll go fully microtransactions, but I could see something like the Madden Facebook game where you can spend real money right away for a pack, or save for some period of time to buy it with in-game currency, and possibly have an 'elite' pack only purchaseable with real money.

[samifan24]

The new cycle started this morning and it really opened things up on my roster. I went from 68 points to 110 points overnight. Now I can field an actual lineup of MLB stars rather than a couple of good players and some scrubs to fill out the lineup. I guess everyone's roster increases when you join an "A" league?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by samifan24

The new cycle started this morning and it really opened things up on my roster. I went from 68 points to 110 points overnight. Now I can field an actual lineup of MLB stars rather than a couple of good players and some scrubs to fill out the lineup. I guess everyone's roster increases when you join an "A" league?

Yep, looks like that. But it'll go back down sharply at the end of this season when we play season one of cycle 2 (assuming you don't promote up to AA).

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Yep, looks like that. But it'll go back down sharply at the end of this season when we play season one of cycle 2 (assuming you don't promote up to AA).

Which, knock wood, I'm on track for. 10-4 with one game left in the first day, four games behind SEGA 0045 for first place.

Undefeated assholes.

[SackAttack]

11-4 finish to the first day, and Team Sega actually lost a game, so we're 3 games out of first now.

[kingfc22]

Tried to win with a bunch of hitters but that didn't work.

Downgraded my lineup a bit and improved my starters. Went 3-1 to finish the day after losing a bunch earlier.

[SackAttack]

Anybody interested in comparing notes on what training combinations have resulted in new skills?

[JonInMiddleGA]

11-4 in 3rd place, thanks to a 9 game winning streak ... one of 5 teams with an 11-4 record, all of us trailing a 12-3
Zach Duke is 3-0, 1.50 as my #5 starter
Paul Konerko leads the league with HR, he's also my RBI leader with 20
Morneau has a 1.251 OBP,Nolan Reimold a 1.094

[JonInMiddleGA]

So I'm hanging in there pretty good, won my first game of the day, still in that logjam for 2nd. Bought the random packs for both scouting & training, figure I'm doing okay so far. I'm at the salary cap, figure I'll spend mostly on training as the day goes along, but I can't resist doing the occasional random scouting thing, grab a random fielder ... 1B Joey Votto 10*

To join a team that already has Konerko at 1b, Morneau at DH, and is second in the league in HR.

[PilotMan]

11-6 and in 5th place, 7-3 in our last 10 games. ...first place has 2 teams at 13-4.

Octavio Dotel leads the team in wins and tied for #2 in the league with a 3-0 record out of the pen, but his 6.10 ERA isn't helping.

Ian Kennedy is 0-0 but has a #2 in the league, 1.35 ERA in three games, Ricky Nolasco is 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA. Nolasco has 20 K's in 18 innings. Heath Bell is 7 of 7 in saves with a 1.42 ERA.

Our hitters are struggling but we need them to come around soon. Jason Werth (.263-3-9, 5 SB (tied for 5th)), Hideki Matsui (.281-4-14), Ryan Sweeney (.323-4-8) and Casey Blake (.296-4-5) lead the team.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I'm at the salary cap, figure I'll spend mostly on training as the day goes along, but I can't resist doing the occasional random scouting thing, grab a random fielder ... 1B Joey Votto 10*

To join a team that already has Konerko at 1b, Morneau at DH, and is second in the league in HR.

My scouting today was a complete waste. The best player I was able to grab out of 3 complete stacks was *6 Jose Reyes.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Anybody interested in comparing notes on what training combinations have resulted in new skills?

This is just the training from my main roster, but you get the idea.

HITTERS

Run/Run/Fielding = Leadoff man (+2run/+1Fd)

Clutch/Contact/Contact = Discerning Eye (+2Ct/+1Cl)

Power/Cl/Pw = Blisterd Bat (+2pw/+Cl)

Pw/Pw/Ct = Splash Hit (+2Pw/+1ct)

Ct/Pw/PW = Splash Hit

Cl/Ct/Cl = Scratch Hit (+2cl/+1Ct)

Thr/Ct/Ct = Spray Hit (+2Ct/+Thr)

Pw/Ct/Ct = Igniter (+2Ct/+1Pw)

Ct/Cl/Cl = Discerning Eye

Thr/Thr/Fd = Stonewall (+2Thr/+1 Fd)

Cl/Pw/Ct = Nada

Cl/Thr/Ct/ = Nada

Fd/Thr/Fd = Wizard (+2Fd/+1 Th)

PITCHING

Speed/Speed/Speed = Nada

Cl/Sp/Cl = Out Pitch (+2Cl/+1 Sp)

Control/Break/Break = Jelly Legs (+2Bk/+1Ct)

Sp/Sp/Sp = Nada

Ct/Ct/Ct = Nada

Cl/Br/Br = Yacker (+2Bk/+1Cl)

Stamina/Ct/Ct = Pitchers Pitch (+2Ct/+1St)

Cl/Cl/Co = Cool Head (+2Cl/+1 Ct)

[JonInMiddleGA]

A few more for the training thing
Clutch+Clutch+Fielding = "Boost" (+2 Cl, +1 Fd)
Clutch+Power+Clutch = "El Toro" (+2 Cl, +1 Pw)

Speed+Speed+Stamina = "Thunderbolt" (+2 Sp, +1 St)
Speed+Speed+Clutch = "Whiff" (+2 Sp, +1 Cl)
Control+Speed+Control = "Freeze the Hitter" (+2 Ct, +1 Sp)
Stamina+Speed+Stamina = "Pitching Machine" (+2 St, +1 Sp)

Looks as though the magic is Any 2 + Any 1 = Boost

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I like this game quite a bit for a couple reasons.

1. Although it's not interactive, the game display reminds me a lot of MicroLeague Baseball from when I was a kid.

2. The game allows you to be as active (or inactive) as you like.

3. It feels like fantasy baseball, except you get 15 game results a day which increases the interest IMO.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

except you get 15 game results a day which increases the interest IMO.

+1

[Travis]

Would also add, at least to this point it doesn't seem to be one of those "free" games where you still need to pay real money to have a shot at being one of the best teams.

That said, I'm nowhere close to understanding how their batting order synergy works. That part feels like a complete crapshoot and re-order until you get the best combo rather than taking into account hitter types and handedness. More often than not it says my lineup is at it's best when all my righties and lefties are grouped together, even if it means my worst hitters aren't as close to the bottom as they likely should be.

[PilotMan]

I just racked up 1828 points in my last game. Wow! A 13-0 beatdown of the last place team in my division.

[heybrad]

I'm currently tied with the Sega team for the 4th spot in my division.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

This is just the training from my main roster, but you get the idea.

HITTERS

Run/Run/Fielding = Leadoff man (+2run/+1Fd)

Clutch/Contact/Contact = Discerning Eye (+2Ct/+1Cl)

Power/Cl/Pw = Blisterd Bat (+2pw/+Cl)

Pw/Pw/Ct = Splash Hit (+2Pw/+1ct)

Ct/Pw/PW = Splash Hit

Cl/Ct/Cl = Scratch Hit (+2cl/+1Ct)

Thr/Ct/Ct = Spray Hit (+2Ct/+Thr)

Pw/Ct/Ct = Igniter (+2Ct/+1Pw)

Ct/Cl/Cl = Discerning Eye

Thr/Thr/Fd = Stonewall (+2Thr/+1 Fd)

Cl/Pw/Ct = Nada

Cl/Thr/Ct/ = Nada

Fd/Thr/Fd = Wizard (+2Fd/+1 Th)

PITCHING

Speed/Speed/Speed = Nada

Cl/Sp/Cl = Out Pitch (+2Cl/+1 Sp)

Control/Break/Break = Jelly Legs (+2Bk/+1Ct)

Sp/Sp/Sp = Nada

Ct/Ct/Ct = Nada

Cl/Br/Br = Yacker (+2Bk/+1Cl)

Stamina/Ct/Ct = Pitchers Pitch (+2Ct/+1St)

Cl/Cl/Co = Cool Head (+2Cl/+1 Ct)

Man, you've pulled more of those than I have. Your list encompasses all of the ones I've seen.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by heybrad

I'm currently tied with the Sega team for the 4th spot in my division.

The one in my division is 21-2 and running away with things.

I'm still in 3rd, but I've dropped a bit thanks to a bullpen that lost a couple late leads. Sitting 16-7 at the moment.

[JonInMiddleGA]

A 2-out seeing eye single to right by Howie Kendrick cost Kris Medlin (3-0) a no-hitter for me today. So close, he finishes with a 1-hit shutout to keep us tied for 1st.

FWIW, Team Sega is 16-7, two games back in 4th place.

[Travis]

In addition to those above:

Pitchers
Ct, Ct, Bk = Crafty (Ct+2, Bk+1)

Sega is currently 18-5 in my league, good for a 1 game lead in the division. 4 teams are a game back with 2 teams (including myself) 3 back at 15-8. 8th place is 14-9 then there's a big drop to 9th at 11-12 and 10th is only 9-14.