Assigning Human Attributes to Virtual Players

[KG Erwin]

We subconciously do this, don't we? It's especially prevalent when using real players, and your boyhood idols are at bat or pitching. You can even see their faces, if you have the facepacks installed.

When they fail, it actually affects you emotionally. You feel their disappointment, in an odd fashion. When they succeed, you get a sense of elation, and you identify with their accomplishment.

Is this unhealthy? No. You know it's unreal, but I somehow think that we get a mental boost from putting yourself in that maybe long-dead player's shoes.

Your wife might not understand, and maybe your children don't either, but , by god, when you see your boyhood idol drive in a game-winning run, you are right there, patting him on the back as he enters the dugout.

There is nothing silly about it, and nothing to feel embarrassed about. If your family doesn't get it, then take them to a game. Major, minor, college, high school, little league, it doesn't matter. Just take them to a ballgame, and they will understand.

[GNDN]

I completely understand what you are saying and my wife thinks I am nuts.

However, I put my 6 year old boy on my lap while I play.  Since I am playing the 2007 Mets, he loves it when David Wright (his favorite player) comes up big.  Now, he asks me if I am going to play so he can watch baseball.

I believe the next generation is hooked.....

[Frozen Stiffer]

KG,

I agree with you completely and I'm sure you already knew I'd say that. However, one thing I find is that this happens to me more with fictional players than real ones. The reason being, in my opinion, that with real players you already have an innate expectation. You have an idea of who they are already, what they've done, what they haven't done and what sort of things they were simply unable to do. When you're dealing with fictional players, you effectively start from scratch, from the ground up, with a blank canvas. You really benefit from the opportunity of creating these people, their personalities, their strengths and weaknesses, etc.

Just the other day my star closer blew a save; a 3-run lead vanished with one walk, one hit and a monstrous home run. I flailed my arms and publically announced my opinoin on the closer's outing in a way that was clearly heard by everyone in the room. My wife looked at me and in the midst of rolling her eyes, asked why it's such a big deal. I couldn't begin to explain it to her so I didn't. I apologized for the outburst, dealt with the eventual loss and prepared for the next game.

I'm sure that the reason I feel this way is because I've invested more time in my fictional association than in all my other associations combined, times three. However, with those formalities aside, I agree with your thoughts on this. In a way, you feel as if these are real people, living in your computer and playing their hearts out for you.

[Bustoff]

Honestly, I do not see anything odd about making an emotional investment in this game. We get emotionally involved in TV shows, movies, and music, and the reason is the same--because it enhances our experience. That doesn't make it any easier for our significant others, friends, etc. to "get it" however. After a particularly thrilling victory (or ignominious defeat), I will tell my wife about the game and how exciting it was, and I'll see her face go to that "test pattern" look--probably the same one she sees on my face when she tells me her "Adventures of a Labor & Delivery Nurse" stories--while her head nods and she says "wow" or something equally inane. I know she doesn't care, but that never stops me from being the "color man" for a couple of minutes.

[dneely]

KG is just such a romantic...

[Bustoff]

ORIGINAL: dneely

KG is just such a romantic...

People will come, KG...people will most definitely come. [;)]

[DonBraswell]

KG is just such a romantic... a hopeless romantic... in the best way.

Don

[Frozen Stiffer]

(in a faint whisper)

KG. If you build it, they will come.

.... go the distance....

[Wrathchild]

I hear what Frozen Stiffer is saying about the fictional players, but for me, in my real player association that started in 1900, the players are as good as fictional to me, as I really don't know many of them. They are all very mysterious to me, and these old black and white photo of these long dead players just adds to the mystique. I'm now in 1901 as the Cardinals, using real teams and schedules, and have become completely dedicated to my players. They may all be dead but they are very much alive to me. Cy Young is my #1 starter and currently has an 18-4 record with a little over 50 games left in the season. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets 30 wins this season, as I'm using him about every 3 days now. The one thing that I didn't like at first is that the Boston Beaneaters get so many home runs from their home games, but it appears that their field really did have an extremely short right field fence. How I hate going to that park to play them!

[puresimmer]

ORIGINAL: GNDN

I completely understand what you are saying and my wife thinks I am nuts.

However, I put my 6 year old boy on my lap while I play.  Since I am playing the 2007 Mets, he loves it when David Wright (his favorite player) comes up big.  Now, he asks me if I am going to play so he can watch baseball.

I believe the next generation is hooked.....

That is a great story -- made my day!

Shaun

[Frozen Stiffer]

(Post 1 of 2. Both are wordy, so be warned)

It's the end of an era.

My 2017 season, the 14th I've GBG's in this association, ended this morning. As I was processing the offseason, dealing with contracts, cuts and renewals, I was faced with a hard decision; keep two "founding fathers" of the team or let them go?

Solomon Yerger was acquired through trade by my Havanna team halfway during the 2005 season (the association began in 2004). At the time he was a catcher, but I had a great catcher already and this guy was too good for a backup. What I did lack was a second baseman. Yerger was dropped into that middle position with a pat on the back and a few words of "good luck". He did not disappoint. He was never a spectacular fielder, but he fought hard and never let us down. It was his bat however, not his glove, that did the talking. Solomon provided great, consistent offensive support hitting usually in the #5 slot. He was with us for 12 1/2 years and we were thankful every minute of it. Though he had made it clear he was pleased playing second base and preferred not to return to catcher, Solomon did not gripe the handful of occasions we would ask him to sub the role. He did it without a single complaint. When his hands started to fail him, Solomon was moved to DH and he continued to shine there as much as he had always.

Solomon turned 39 this year, and having been replaced in the DH role by another young hitter for the last two years, the majority of Yerger's role was the scarce fill-in at 2nd, sub at catcher and DH relief. His time had come, and as difficult as it was to admit, it was time to part ways. I knew it would hurt to see him in another team's uniform, but it would have hurt me even more to have left him withering away in the minors or sitting on the bench in the majors, taking an insignificant number of at-bats. This was no way for a legend like him to live so as much as it pained us, we let him go. When I saw his name appear on the Retirements, I had to pause. It was hard to believe that he was gone. Our 2018 would be the first season in a long, long time without Solomon "The Magnificent". He's just a number in a game. A statistic in a database. A player pic that I chose which somehow fit the image of the person in my head. It's just a game running on a laptop but I can still feel it. I can feel the collective moan in the clubhouse. I can see how the players move a little slower, sigh a little more and smile a little less. It's the end of an era.

[Frozen Stiffer]

(Post 2 of 2. Just as wordy as the last one)

The 2017 season is over.

It's time to renew contracts. I've had to deal with the Solomon Yerger issue, but that's not the end of it. I see another name on the list. A name that is almost synonymous with "dependability". He is the face of the team. The captain. The leader.

Wichi Castillo, starting pitcher for the Havanna Galleons is 37 years old. His stats have suffered as of late, though somehow he has managed to come through when it counted, making the critical outs in the most pivotal of clutch situations. Sure, 37 is not the death age of a pitcher. You don't take him out to the woodshed with a .22 and a prayer book. But not everyone is a Curt Shilling, a Roger Clemens, a Greg Maddux. Castillo had been 'demoted' to the roll of reliever and spot starter, and to be fair he did very well. However, turning 37 and with a Potential of 1 there is little hope of retaining that skill for the coming year, even less for those to come.

Wichi Castillo has been a starting pitcher since his arrival in the beginning of the 2005 season, 13 years ago, with last year the first time he was out of the rotation. I was there managing the game when he threw not only a No-Hitter, but a perfect game, the only one in team history. I was there when he missed the second half of the year with a major elbow ligament injury, only to come back and pitch himself to a 3-0, 1.50 ERA record that post season and help us secure the pennant. Wichi accepted whatever role was asked of him; starter, spot/starter, reliever and closer on a couple of desperate occasions.

Between the 2016 and 2017 seasons, Castillo's contract had expired and I wasn't sure what to do. I spoke to my wife who genuinely helped, asking me questions that really made me think about what Wichi meant to me and to the team. How would I feel if his name wasn't on the roster? How would I feel if he were pitching for another team? How would I feel if we went up against that team and he was their starter? How would I feel if someone else signed him, but then sent him to the minors? I couldn't bear to experience any of these scenarios. I knew he was no longer starter material but there was still gas in his tank and his engine was revved up. I signed him for another year and he made me thankful I did. When his contract came up this second time, I had to look beyond my feelings and think about the ball club. Wichi was asking a little more than I was comfortable paying, so I decided not to offer an extension and see if his asking price "leveled" out to a more reasonable figure during the Free Agent signing period. He meant a lot to us and he meant a lot to me and though I have always been one to reward good work, this time I needed to be a little more logical and a little more open-minded. When the dust settled, Wichi was not offered an extension.

When the Retirements list came up and I saw him name on it, I felt a turning in my stomach. There was odd, bitter-sweet feeling tingling inside from head to toes. I was hard to realize that Wichi was no longer going to wear our uniform. I was saddened by the thought that the announcer would never call out his name. He wouldn't jog up to the mound in the middle of a close game. He wouldn't mentor the young hurlers and motivate the clubhouse with his natural charisma and leadership. "El Capitan" was the kind of guy that would not only go down with the ship, but he'd scramble to make sure everyone else was off, before returning to the helm and riding his fate to wherever it would lead him. Wichi will be missed and the bullpen will forever feel a little colder without his warmth.

[KG Erwin]

Right now, here's the guy I admire the most. He passed away a few years ago, but, in his time, he could've been one of the best to ever play the game. Power, speed, great defense, all wrapped up in one package. He's a prime example of what could have been, and in my Dodgers association, he will hopefully live out his potential.

What manager wouldn't want to take this youngster under his wing and watch him blossom?

[DonBraswell]

I completely agree. When I started my new 1942 Association, Pete was first person I drafted. Followed by Spahn and Sain. Second year (1943) and we are leading our league.
Don

[LetsPlay2]

I also find myself cheering and talking amongst myself when things happen, even from simmimg all the games !!

Playing the 1901 start I have gathered a lot of "brain matter" concerning those players.

I am almost living in that era !!

[LetsPlay2]

After reading FS's posts on using "fictional" players and KG's posts on using "real players" I am thinking of creating my own with either fictional or real players.

Setup the fictional league, divisions and teams
Using either real players or fictionals.

I am going to experiment further on this !

Thanks FS and KG !!