Especially astute observations on Game Design from baldric -
Quote:Originally Posted By baldric on 4/24/2009I think it was me who pointed out the game strategy vs baseball startegy issue. The basic idea isn't mine though, is stems from the fundamental game design rule "mechanics drive gameplay".
In this case the mechanics for fatigue and AB/IP limits and other related systems don't achieve the goal of promoting baseball-like game play. That is not the fault of the players.
Many players are going to do what works best, and expecting otherwise is not realistic. Playing a game within the rules as set up by the designer is most certainly not cheating. It may, however suck the fun out of the game for those players who don't want to use optimum but non-baseball tactics, which is a flaw with the game and could well result in a loss of players to games that provide a better baseball "feel". But, again, that is the game designer's fault, not the fault of any player.
The only real solution is to rework the game mechanics to that they appropriately reward baseball-like strategies. Hopefully that will happen.
posted in
looking for Roberto Clemente / Curt Blefary comparison initiated by grizzly_one
Zeke Bonura had very good fielding ratings when I drafted him for my Progressuve League team.
First baseman
Zeke bonura hit for average and power during his seven year big league career but was known to lack effort as a fielder.
Bonura excelled at several sports during his younger years. As a teen, he was the 1925 National AAU Champion in the javelin throw, defeating 1924 Olympic gold medalist Johnny Myra, and set an American record (213 feet, 10 1/2 inches), which stayed on the books until 1930. He went on to attend
Loyola University New Orleans, where he was on the baseball, football, basketball, and track teams. In the minors, he was the
1933Texas League MVP while playing for the
Dallas Steers.
The
Chicago White Sox purchased Bonura's contract following the 1933 season, and he responded by hitting .302 with 110
RBIs and a then team-record 27 homers (which also stood as the Sox rookie record until
Ron Kittle broke it in
1983). In
1936, he drove in 138 runs, also a White Sox record until
Albert Belle broke it in
1998.
Over four seasons in Chicago, Bonura hit .315 and smashed 79 home runs. However, he was a liability in the field. Despite leading AL first basemen in fielding two times, he had little range and a reputation for a lack of effort: he often would simply wave his glove at ground balls as they came past, what became known as "the Bonura salute". He also angered Sox management with annual salary holdouts during
Spring Training. Prior to the
1938 season, he was traded to the
Washington Senators for
Joe Kuhel, one of the best fielding first basemen of the era.
With the Senators in
1938, Bonura hit 22 homers and had 114 RBIs before being traded to the
New York Giants after the season. After being sent to New York, Bonura was quoted as saying "Now I won't be able to sign my letters Senator Henry J. Bonura, Democrat, Louisiana."