The pre-ordering period is not over, so use the opportunity and save $15 by pre-ordering OOTP 9 right now for a price of $24.99, which is a substantial saving compared to the release price of $39.99! The game will be released in June 2008.

More info about OOTP 9 and links to the web stores

In this newsletter we are focusing on the historical modes in OOTP 9.

Hello, OOTP historical simmers. We have made several new improvements this year that have dramatically improved the realism of historical simulations.

1. Real Ballpark Factors - We have included real park factors from 1901-2007 for every ballpark every season. Each season OOTP will automatically update the team's ballpark and park factors. Also included are the park's real dimensions and capacity and all change to these, as best as we could tell, through the park's history. The park factors were created using the park data from the focus season and the two years before an after the focus season, with the stats from the focus season being given half the weight in the calculation. This is the same method that Bill James prescribed in Win Shares. From 1957-2007 we had complete data for Hits/2B/3B/HR for all parks all seasons, so for these seasons we have discrete component factors calculated for all four categories. From 1901-1956, however, we only had the park's Run data to work with, so from there we had to use the quadratic equation and the league's stats to create a factor for Hits and HRs, then left the doubles and triples factors at 1.000. This method for 1901-1956 still recreates the same run scoring environment of the park, and even though the doubles and triples factors are set to 1.000, the rate of doubles and triples are still affected by the park's Hits factor. So we now have legitimate park factors from 1901-2007 based on real data.
2. Park Neutralized Stats - If you have real ballparks, then you need players with park-neutralized stats (and therefore park-neutral ratings) to play in these parks. So we again employed the quadratic equation using Bill James 750-run methodology as described in his Historical Abstract in the Willie Davis section. Baseball-reference.com also has links on every player page that allows you to see their stats in a 750-run park-neutral environment. Each player page in OOTP will now allow you to see both their real-life stats from Lahman, and their neutralized stats. You can choose to base player ratings on their real-life stats or the neutralized stats when you create your league. We also went the extra mile of neutralizing the player fielding statistics based on the team's pitching staff and defensive record, again this was done based on some articles found in Bill James' book Win Shares. We also made some other minor adjustments and fixes with the neutralized stats that will improve game play results.
3. Pitching Improvements
• Improved calculation of pitcher Endurance Rating for both SP's ad RP's.
• Realistic pitcher Groundball% added to the neutralized player stats.
• New Automatic League Totals Modifier for Starting Pitcher Endurance. We compiled the data for 1871-2007 for IP per Game Started for each season in history. This automatic modifier now gives us the correct distribution of innings pitched between the rotation and the bullpen each season in history.
• New Automatic League Totals Modifier for Groundball Percentage. Using a formula and historical defensive stats, we were able to find the Groundball Percentage for each season 1871-2007. This modifier now keeps the league's GB% on track with history each season.
• New Automatic League Totals Modifiers for Wild Pitches, Passed Balls, and Balks. Again we compiled the data for all seasons in history and OOTP now automatically keeps these statistical rates on track each season you simulate.
4. Hitting Improvements
• Improved Automatic League Totals Modifier formula for Hits.
• Improved Automatic League Totals Modifier formula or Doubles and Triples.
• New Automatic League Totals Modifier for SAC Bunts and Sacrifice Flies. These two statistics now track to the historical rates each season in history.
5. Stolen Base Improvements
• Improved Speed and Stealing Ability ratings for players.
• New Automatic League Totals Modifier for Stolen Base Attempt Frequency. We compiled the historical data and OOTP now keeps your stolen base attempts on track each season in history.
• New Automatic League Totals Modifier for Stolen Base Success Rate, or SB%. Again we compiled the data for each season and now OOTP keeps your league's SB% on track with the historical rate each season.
6. Fielding Improvements
- New Automatic League Totals Modifier for Doubles Plays. We now have historically accurate double play rates in each season.
7. Players Retire According To History - You now have the option to have OOTP automatically retire a player at the same time that he did in real life. This greatly improves the statistical realism for all the players in the league.
8. Pre-1901 support for leagues. Yes, that's right! You can now start a league as far back as 1871. We had to modify a few things with the league structure of this period to make it work, but you can now simulate all of baseball history 1871-2007.
9. OOTP now automatically keeps league stats on track with history in all of the following categories:
• Batting Average
• BABIP
• Doubles per non-HR hit
• Triples per non-HR hit
• HR per AB
• BB per AB
• HBP per AB
• K per AB
• Sac Bunts per AB
• Sac Fly rate
• FLD%
• Double Play rate
• Innings Pitched per Game Started
• Groundball Out Percentage
• Wild Pitch rate
• Balks rate
• Passed Ball rate
• Stolen Base Attempt rate
• Stolen Base Success rate

Of course, all of these improvement are optional, so you can still, for example, import 1901 and let the game simulate the entire history using its own player development algorithm, resulting in some surprises and less predictable league stats.

The complete package results in the best historical career baseball simulation on the market, nobody comes even close. So, if you like historical baseball, you owe it to yourself to pre-order OOTP 9! You will not be disappointed.

Here are some new screenshots from various parts of the game:

The game now has a section in the stats screen that lists all active and past streaks.

We have revised the signing system for personnel, it is now similar to the player signing system which is very useful for online leagues and more realistic.

The team financials screen now offers even more useful info!

Here is the new draft list feature for online leagues.

We hope you enjoyed this newsletter. Stay tuned for more in the very near future!

Best Regards,

The OOTP Developments Team