Implementing a Better Spring Training in MLB: The Show

[spoofrice11]

It takes long enough to get thru seasons on Baseball (& Basketball).
So I'm not interested in them making spring training and preseason games different. I will still simulate to the games that matter.

[My993C2]

Spring Training does matter to me. I use it to evaluate who will be my starters, who will be my subs on the 25-man squad and if a sub what are their strengths and weaknesses. Obviously when a starter gets tired or hurt, then a sub must step in and you can only hope they help and not hurt the team. But in a regular season game, I want to know which of my positional subs can be subbed into the game in a defensive role knowing they likely will not mess up and which ones have a tendency to be a defensive liability. Of course over an entire season I can observe this as well, we don't just rely on Spring Training. But I still like to know when my season begins which subs I have a lot of confidence in and which subs I will use only when my bench is getting thin. A player's Overall Rating does not tell me everything I need to know.

I am all for SCEA improving on Spring Training. But I also understand why people sim through the games and those who sim through the games should not be punished in terms of their player development. They just might not know everything they need to know about their team until about 1-2 months into the regular season.

[jkra0512]

Quote: Originally Posted by CaseIH

I like this idea. Im surprised with so many avid baseball fans we have around here that play this game, that a lot of them find Spring Training boring and just skip it. IMO real die hard baseball fans love Spring Training,lol. I love this time of year watching Spring Training games, and enjoy playing them in MLBTS, but would love to see spring have some type of impact in the game. Out of all the sports exhibition game, Spring Training is actually a great time for fans as well as a lot of players enjoy it. Unlike the NFL and NBA pre seasons, personally I cant stand pre season football, and dont watch it unless there is no baseball on, but with MLB TV and MILB TV I always have baseball, thank God for that,lol.

I hear ya!

I'd love to see the option to also help mold a pitcher's repertoire. For instance, you always hear about pitchers working on a certain type of pitch during Spring Training or the coaching staff even asking younger pitchers to work on a certain type of pitch. I would like to see dynamic fluctuations and development in these pitches.

Being a Yankees fan, one example I can think of is when they traded for Brandon McCarthy last season and he said the D-Backs told him to stop using his cutter, but after he signed with the Yankees they told him to start using it again and it appears to have helped.

That's kind of an extreme example, and it happened during the season, but that'd be kind of cool to see. Maybe it's built into the team's philosophy, where the Yankees covet leftys and pitchers with a good a curveball and/or changeup. Seeing these develop over the course of ST could bring some life to the first month of the season...

[Knight165]

One thing getting lost on those who say they don't need to work on ST ...to concentrate on other things.

ST in real life has some pretty big implications on teams in terms of roster moves....emerging players....in some cases a player not making the team and sometimes landing elsewhere to perhaps play a part in different teams success.

You guys are focusing on how YOU play out ST.

However you seem to be neglecting that the logic that might be instituted in adding position battles...improving the logic on how teams pick players making the big team...etc are going to play a large part on the CPU teams.
Even if you sim spring training in your franchise.

M.K.
Knight165

[CaseIH]

Quote: Originally Posted by jkra0512

I hear ya! I'd love to see the option to also help mold a pitcher's repertoire. For instance, you always hear about pitchers working on a certain type of pitch during Spring Training or the coaching staff even asking younger pitchers to work on a certain type of pitch. I would like to see dynamic fluctuations and development in these pitches. Being a Yankees fan, one example I can think of is when they traded for Brandon McCarthy last season and he said the D-Backs told him to stop using his cutter, but after he signed with the Yankees they told him to start using it again and it appears to have helped. That's kind of an extreme example, and it happened during the season, but that'd be kind of cool to see. Maybe it's built into the team's philosophy, where the Yankees covet leftys and pitchers with a good a curveball and/or changeup. Seeing these develop over the course of ST could bring some life to the first month of the season...

Yeah, stuff like that could really make Spring Training very interesting. Glad Im not the only who enjoys Spring games both IRL and in MLBTS, now I can tell my wife Im not that weird,lol, she thinks why do you get so excited for Spring Training when the games don't count, typical woman.


I do think its is something that for the people who want to skip Spring that they shouldn't be penalized for not wanting to play it. Maybe have it to where they can set what a player needs to work on before they skip and it will simulate it for them.


Spring Training is definitely something that the devs need to work, unlike other sports, Spring Training is very important for teams.

[sydrogerdavid]

I agree with pretty much everything posted.

Non-roster invitees
Split Squads
Minor League Camp
Dynamic ratings for spring
Different commentary

Etc...

[redsox4evur]

Quote: Originally Posted by Knight165

One thing getting lost on those who say they don't need to work on ST ...to concentrate on other things. ST in real life has some pretty big implications on teams in terms of roster moves....emerging players....in some cases a player not making the team and sometimes landing elsewhere to perhaps play a part in different teams success. You guys are focusing on how YOU play out ST. However you seem to be neglecting that the logic that might be instituted in adding position battles...improving the logic on how teams pick players making the big team...etc are going to play a large part on the CPU teams. Even if you sim spring training in your franchise. M.K. Knight165

Knight once again hits the nail on the head. Teams will use ST to make moves for injured players or guys who have regained value after a bad or lost season due to injuries. Two guys that I can think of the top off of my head are Allen Craig and Cliff Lee (if he didn't get injured again). The Giants could target a guy like Craig because of Pence's injury.

[BDKiiing]

It all starts with non-roster invites.