Here is an example that supports your post:  I recently had a DitR catcher whos projected hitting vL/vR ratings AFTER the DitR boost are 17 and 9 (Adv. scouting 14).  Plus, this DitR came after the update where they posted this:

"Diamonds in the Rough have been increased by a few ratings points allowing for more players to contribute at the ML level than were previously allowed"

Maybe they only increased defensive ratings for position players and control/P1 for pitchers?

In real life MLB you occasionally see low round drft picks exceed expectations and contribute significantly at the ML level.  The classic example is Mike Piazza, who was drafted in something like the 63rd round and ended up being one of the best hitting catchers in MLB history.  The Diamond in the Rough (DitR) was originally intended to simulate this in HBD.   From my experience (which is not a small sample size), DitRs have fallen short of the original purpose they were added for.

First off let me be clear that I do not expect every DitR to be of a Piazza caliber.  However, after 25 seasons and somewhere between 60-80 DitRs, I have only had 1 DitR make it to the majors.  That was in a non-significant role as a backup defensive catcher.  If 99% of the DitRs never make it out of the minors, I do not think the DitR part of HBD is doing the job it was added for.

So what can we do to improve it? 
1) The first post that started this thread is a good suggestion. 
2) Another posssibility would be to tie the amount of projected ratings increase to the makeup rating of the player.  The higher the makeup rating, the larger the projected ratings increases.  For examples, a player with a makeup rating of 95 may see increases of 40 points to all 4 skill hitting ratings (contact, vL, vR, batting eye).  A player with a makeup rating of 25 may see increases of only 5 points to all skill pitching ratings (control, vL, vR, and all pitches).
3) Improve the quality but decrease the quantity.  I would rather have 1 player with a chance to make the ML level if I develope him right than 3 or 4 who will now top out at AA instead of High or Low A. 
4) Players in their 4th or 5th pro year who become DitRs at that time rarely if ever come close to their new projected ratings.  This is because developement slows down as the number of pro years increases.  Either give these players higher projected ratings increases or limit DitRs to players with less than 4 years as a pro.

Its not a complaint, it is a SUGGESTION, to make an existing feature better and more fun, thus making the game better, thus getting more people to play and existing people to play longer, which means WIS makes more money, and can thus improve the features of their existing games. 

Posted by MikeT23 on 6/19/2010 7:18:00 AM (view original):
DITR are free players.  Complaining about free is bad form. 

This is a forum for suggestions on how to make the game better and a place to constructively discuss the pros and cons of those suggetions.

When a feature of HBD does not perform the intended purpose for which it was added, pointing that out is not complaining but rather constructive (helpful) criticism. 

Ive never seen MikeT23 spoken to in such a manner.


I have one pitcher , [URL=http://www.whatifsports.com/hbd/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=3043112]Tim Hudek[/URL] who will easily make the bigs.  The rest of the DITR ended up being guys that had been around for 11 years, got the ratings boost then retired at years end.  I didn't even get a DITR last year.

But they are not promised to you when you sign up.  There's no "YOU WILL GET FIVE PLAYERS BOOSTED TO A 100 OVERALL RATING GUARANTEED!!!!' disclaimer.  So you take what you get.  The comment about tying make-up into DITR is the best scenario.

Posted by MikeT23 on 6/19/2010 7:18:00 AM (view original):
DITR are free players.  Complaining about free is bad form. 

My response would be 'luck of the draw'. Some teams get luckier than others. I know there is a lot of randomness in HBD but why should some teams get a DITR that becomes a decent pro every couple seasons why others get bupkis each season.

For FREE.

If everyone has the same chance and opportunity of getting DITR then this concept of free really isn't valid...changing it to improve DITR would be just an alteration of the game since everyone would presumably be on equal ground...

Your suggestions suck.  That's why I felt the need to point out that THE PLAYERS ARE FREE.

If you want players who can become big league players, draft them, sign them and develop them.   Don't whine because your FREE PLAYERS, THE ONES YOU DID NOTHING TO GET, aren't BL-quality.

Hope this clears things up.

Okay, you got your completely worthless 2 cents in, now, like I said, if you don't have anything constructive to add that would actually improve player enjoyment of the game and thus increase player retention, STFU.    No one is whining or complaining, we are merely trying to improve an aspect of the game that in MOST people's opinion could use improvement.  And thank god that just because you talk the most doesn't mean you represent the majority.  And we all realize that you have appointed yourself the leading expert on HBD, but there are many of us that find you to be an arrogant snit.

Hope this clears thing up.

Posted by MikeT23 on 6/19/2010 3:54:00 PM (view original):
Your suggestions suck.  That's why I felt the need to point out that THE PLAYERS ARE FREE.

If you want players who can become big league players, draft them, sign them and develop them.   Don't whine because your FREE PLAYERS, THE ONES YOU DID NOTHING TO GET, aren't BL-quality.

Hope this clears things up.

Yeah, DITR is free.  So there's really no reason to even call them "Diamonds in the Rough" if they're AA-level.

If I read the "suggestions" correctly, it is that if the increases aren't going to even make them marginal ML quality.  So why even bother giving them a little boost? 

Even if there was one player per league per year that gets kicked from HighA to ML caliber, that would be preferable than the three or four pieces of garbage every team gets and is touted as DITR....

I've said it once, I'll say it again; DITRs are only good if there's Peat Moss in the Rough as well. (PMITR)

You want a nobody to become a star for free, fine. Then the same random principle applies to potential Hall of Famers..."sorry, your projected 93 OVR just found the beauty of a crack pipe, and he's going to be a big fat hairy nothing"

Otherwise, it's just a lottery. There's no strategy in a lottery.

I've said this before, but I've gotten about 16 DITRs overall, and maybe 10 of them have become major-league prospects. Five of them have actually made it to the majors. I can't complain because some DITRs only top out at AA.