MLB 11 The Show "Franchise/Season" Progress Thread

[N51_rob]

Re: MLB 11 The Show "Franchise/Season" Progress Thread

Just lost to the Yankees 3-2 to finish out the series. Worst possible loss. Jake Arrieta goes 7 innings, 3 hits 1 run. Had a 2-1, I had both Johnson and Uehara in the pen warming up. I didn't have a good feeling about going to Uehara, but I said he is my set-up man go with him. I also failed to make defensive subs. Those two moves cost me the game. Uehara gets the 1st out. Gives up a ball to 3rd that a good fielding 3B with range would get to, next batter hits the ball to the same spot in the hole between 3rd and Short. I have him walk Cano. Johnson comes in strikes out Tex, then gives up a 2 run single to left and I lose 3-2. Ugh, I should've made the defensive changes, I can almost guarantee that Itzturis gets to both of those balls if he was at 3rd.
Love this game!

[ckarlic]

Re: MLB 11 The Show "Franchise/Season" Progress Thread

Well I guess 162-0 is out of the question now . Just lost the first game of the 2011 season. In my Yankees franchise I am 6-1. Pavano pitched great for the Twins and so did Burnett but he had one big mistake pitch (3 Run HR to Tolbert) in the top of the 7th is what did him and the Yankees in as I lost 5-1. I hit the the ball hard the entire game but mostly right at someone. Next series is against the Red Sox who are 5-1 at the moment. Should be a good one. 1st Game of the series is Hughes vs Beckett. Gonna be tough.

[Kauffman King]

Re: MLB 11 The Show "Franchise/Season" Progress Thread

Can one of you franchise guys steer me towards some help with franchise mode? Specifically how best to handle scouting the incoming guys for the amateur draft? I feel like I must be missing something, because I always end up having to make picks blindly, not knowing what guys' potential is supposed to be. I know my guys are scouting SOME players, but I feel like they're not scouting the entire pool of players. I've tried leaving the scouts to do their own thing. I've tried instructing them each to focus on the positions they specialize in. I've tried instructing them to focus on my positions of need. I feel like I've tried plenty of things, and all the drafts I've had (in this year or any other year's Show) end the same way... with me blindly picking a bunch of awful, useless players with low potential ratings. Because the scouting reports aren't filled in thoroughly enough to let me know what guy's potential is.

Is this normal, or am I neglecting to do something to instruct my scouts? Do I have to manually go through and tell them 1-by-1 to scout every single player?

By the way, I apologize if this isn't the correct place to ask this. Or if it's been answered somewhere else. On a board full of sports games, it's impossible to find the answer I'm looking for using the search tools when I'm asking about something as generic as "scouting." I got back a million search results, and nothing seemed relevant to my actual question. I figured I could ask here since this is where a bunch of franchise players are.

What I do is hire all the top scouts and set the scouting focus to every position. This way even if your picking late first round, you'll still have a chance to draft a scouted player where you can see his potential

[Kauffman King]

Re: MLB 11 The Show "Franchise/Season" Progress Thread

JJust made a fantasy draft franchise with the Pirates. Im usually not too big on fantasy drafts and I usually just quit them after a few games but I like this team and might do a sim franchise for a few years with them. Here's my team

C Nick Hundley, Jason Varitek
1B Joey Votto
2B Chine Figgins, Ruben Tejada
3B Pedro Alvarez
SS Asdrubal Cabrera, Brandon Hicks
OF Juan Pierre, Reed Johnson
OF Cameron Maybin
OF Adam Jones, Jack Dust
SP Josh Johnson, Trevor Cahill, Madison Bumgarner, Tommy Hanson, Gio Gonzalez
RP Notables Mike Adams, Rafael Soriano, Aroldis Chapman, Craig Timbrel

Trying to build a team around pitching, defense and speed. Should be fun.

[haiuguyz]

Re: MLB 11 The Show "Franchise/Season" Progress Thread

I'm gonna do a sim franchise soon, and possibly after a few years, start playing it. I've drafted some pretty stud rookie SPs before, but has anyone seen any stud non-P rookies that actually have like good contact, power, and speed? I found a lot that are balanced, but they suck and really have no chance.

[N51_rob]

Re: MLB 11 The Show "Franchise/Season" Progress Thread

Can one of you franchise guys steer me towards some help with franchise mode? Specifically how best to handle scouting the incoming guys for the amateur draft? I feel like I must be missing something, because I always end up having to make picks blindly, not knowing what guys' potential is supposed to be. I know my guys are scouting SOME players, but I feel like they're not scouting the entire pool of players. I've tried leaving the scouts to do their own thing. I've tried instructing them each to focus on the positions they specialize in. I've tried instructing them to focus on my positions of need. I feel like I've tried plenty of things, and all the drafts I've had (in this year or any other year's Show) end the same way... with me blindly picking a bunch of awful, useless players with low potential ratings. Because the scouting reports aren't filled in thoroughly enough to let me know what guy's potential is.

Is this normal, or am I neglecting to do something to instruct my scouts? Do I have to manually go through and tell them 1-by-1 to scout every single player?

By the way, I apologize if this isn't the correct place to ask this. Or if it's been answered somewhere else. On a board full of sports games, it's impossible to find the answer I'm looking for using the search tools when I'm asking about something as generic as "scouting." I got back a million search results, and nothing seemed relevant to my actual question. I figured I could ask here since this is where a bunch of franchise players are.

In my experience potential is one of the last things the scout unlocks. That takes 5 or 6 weeks. What I do is identify where I will be picking in the 1st round. Using the Orioles the past few years means I am usually in the Top 5. Then I ID needs. (SP, 2B, SS, 3B) Since I know that right off the bat I will be able to address one of these I focus on the highest rated guys at those positions though the entire country. When I get the full reports on those guys 6 weeks or so later. I ID late round guys for my scouts to focus on. I wont get full reports on those later guys but I look for things that I like in a player. The blurbs about average, power, or fielding and go off that for example. I still pick a little blind in the later rounds but I have a pretty good Idea for the 1st and possible 2nd round.

[haiuguyz]

Re: MLB 11 The Show "Franchise/Season" Progress Thread

While we're on the topic of scouting, do players progress if they don't enter the draft? Like if I have a 16-year-old SP who is supposed to be a stud, if he enters the draft 2 years later (when The Show will let him), will he be better than from two years before that?

[cardsleadtheway]

Re: MLB 11 The Show "Franchise/Season" Progress Thread

Can one of you franchise guys steer me towards some help with franchise mode? Specifically how best to handle scouting the incoming guys for the amateur draft? I feel like I must be missing something, because I always end up having to make picks blindly, not knowing what guys' potential is supposed to be. I know my guys are scouting SOME players, but I feel like they're not scouting the entire pool of players. I've tried leaving the scouts to do their own thing. I've tried instructing them each to focus on the positions they specialize in. I've tried instructing them to focus on my positions of need. I feel like I've tried plenty of things, and all the drafts I've had (in this year or any other year's Show) end the same way... with me blindly picking a bunch of awful, useless players with low potential ratings. Because the scouting reports aren't filled in thoroughly enough to let me know what guy's potential is.

Is this normal, or am I neglecting to do something to instruct my scouts? Do I have to manually go through and tell them 1-by-1 to scout every single player?

By the way, I apologize if this isn't the correct place to ask this. Or if it's been answered somewhere else. On a board full of sports games, it's impossible to find the answer I'm looking for using the search tools when I'm asking about something as generic as "scouting." I got back a million search results, and nothing seemed relevant to my actual question. I figured I could ask here since this is where a bunch of franchise players are.

There are some really detailed threads here on scouting, but they can be hard to find. Search function helps, but not always. Anyway, what I have found is that you want to hire the most expensive scouts so that you can scout the most amount of people. You scout the player until you reveal the potential only. All other attributes are readily available on the player's card come draft day. The potential scouting report may be the first revealed, the last, or anywhere between. It is all random.

How you know what the potential is comes from looking at any player card from any player in baseball that has less than 4 years of service time. It will resemble the last line on the current players' scouting cards and will be something like "a stud", "sure thing", "loaded with potential", etc. You don't need to know what each means, you just need to reveal it. Come draft day, you will be able to see the letter grade on the card.

Once you have revealed a player's potential, move on to another player. When the draft comes, try to grab up an A or B potential player that you have scouted. If you see a player that does not have a scouting report, but is rated highly, he will always be a D or an F. So don't draft him unless he is 22+, rated highly, and a positional need. Otherwise, skip over him and go for someone you have scouted with at least a C potential.

[haiuguyz]

Re: MLB 11 The Show "Franchise/Season" Progress Thread

How do you get to the scouting card on draft day? Square?

[h2oPr00f]

Re: MLB 11 The Show "Franchise/Season" Progress Thread

I was able to get some revenge on the Phillies in the 2nd game in the series, I teed off on Joe Blanton. There was a 14mph wind blowing out to left field. unsurprisingly, the game was a slugfest.

Reyes and Brown both hit 2 HRs and im pretty sure the batboy went deep as well.

9-5 was the final score as my bullpen continues to get killed. Izzy on verge of waiver wire.

I am now 4-1, Halladay vs Johan next

[gman2774]

Re: MLB 11 The Show "Franchise/Season" Progress Thread

Sorry if this has been discussed but how do most of you play out your Franchise? Do you try and play all 162 games? I hate the thought of simming my team's games but don't have the time to play 162. I've considered season mode and playing 82 games or less. Just curious.....

[cardsleadtheway]

Re: MLB 11 The Show "Franchise/Season" Progress Thread

Sorry if this has been discussed but how do most of you play out your Franchise? Do you try and play all 162 games? I hate the thought of simming my team's games but don't have the time to play 162. I've considered season mode and playing 82 games or less. Just curious.....

I have always been a 162 guy plus spring training and playoffs (if lucky). I just started a one game a series approach and love it. I will end up playing about a third of the games, but still enough to have some influence as well as having a lot of fun. I can then get through multiple seasons to see how my draft picks turn out, which is the most enjoyable part of playing a dynasty for me.

[franch1se]

Re: MLB 11 The Show "Franchise/Season" Progress Thread

I'm up 4 games at the All Star Break. I'm the Padres, Giants are in 2nd. Beginning a 4 game series now. Last game before the break though Ludwick broke his ankle and is out 2-3 months. Crap. Game 1 after the break is Latos (12-1) vs BUMgarner (10-0). Also, proud to say, Heath Bell at the break has 26 saves with a 0.00 ERA. I went a whole half without giving up a run with him as did the CPU. I play 1 game a series so its pretty amazing he still has a perfect ERA.

[jeremym480]

Re: MLB 11 The Show "Franchise/Season" Progress Thread

Sorry if this has been discussed but how do most of you play out your Franchise? Do you try and play all 162 games? I hate the thought of simming my team's games but don't have the time to play 162. I've considered season mode and playing 82 games or less. Just curious.....

I play the first ten games of the season (really 11, keep reading). Then playing one and "sim" five. That way I can play with each of the starting pitchers about once a month. One thing I must note is I don't actually "sim" the games. I start them up normally then Fast Forward to the 7th inning. If it's a close game then I intervene from there. If not, then I FF a half inning at a time and join in as I see fit. This way I get a hand in the outcome of most all of the games.

[franch1se]

Re: MLB 11 The Show "Franchise/Season" Progress Thread

I play the first ten games of the season (really 11, keep reading). Then playing one and "sim" five. That way I can play with each of the starting pitchers about once a month. One thing I must note is I don't actually "sim" the games. I start them up normally then Fast Forward to the 7th inning. If it's a close game then I intervene from there. If not, then I FF a half inning at a time and join in as I see fit. This way I get a hand in the outcome of most all of the games.

When I play, I play everything as long as the game is tied. When I take the lead I pitch only, when I fall behind I bat only.