Replays require a systematic approach to compiling information.
Think about how much information you will be recording:
- Box scores for as many games are you are playing in your replay
- Daily standings for your replay
- Batting and pitching records for several hundred individual players
- Team batting and pitching records for each team in your replay
- Identification of anything special happening in your replay
That’s a lot of information. And recording all that information can take an enormous amount of time unless you have some kind of efficient system in place.
So, how do you cut down the time required to play several hundred games? Start by playing each series in a grouped fashion.
For example, suppose Detroit is at New York for a three-game series scheduled May 11-12-13. If you play the games in consecutive order, grouped as a series, you can record each individual stat in your cumulative record-keeping system quickly and efficiently by simply flipping through three consecutive pages of box scores.
For each series of dates in my replay, I play each series in groups of three or four games, depending on the schedule. The daily standings, of course, are recorded after each game. After three or four “days” of grouped series, the daily standings reflect the cumulative standings at the end of the three or four day period.
Why is this practical? It minimizes waste motion and saves time.
If you play games one at a time, by date, there are a lot of moving parts. You must take the cards out of the packet, sort out and lay out the cards, and then put the cards back into the packet three or four separate times. Plus, when it comes time to record the results, you have to flip back and forth in your box scores from each individual “day” to record the cumulative results
That’s a lot of extra work and time. And all the extra motion eventually results in making some kind of error in record-keeping. Consider playing games in series as a time-saving, efficient way to get through the replay.
Next: The importance of maintaining daily standings.
I learned to play series in their entirety because of exactly the wasted motion you describe. While you don’t get that daily view of who pulled ahead of whom, it’s a lot easier to leave everything set up and play the whole series at once.
I have tried several ways to play out the schedule. While I admit that the fastest way is the “series mode” I find I enjoy the day to day drama, especially once you get into August.
When I was younger, my friend and I just threw team names in a box and drew. If we knew the teams had played recently we just repacked. We then did a three game set.
I guess the great thing about “house rules” is that no matter what way you choose to play the season out “you win” because you play the games in the way that makes you happiest.
What you say makes a lot of sense. I used this system for one of my replays, but went back to a daily schedule because i like the day to dayness of it. I use a monthly stat sheet on which I have the different main categories that I don’t keep daily, and i just cross off the old number and write in the new. At the end of each month in the replay, I update the master stat sheet. I keep daily tabs on homers, wins and losses, saves, steals and errors, because they are all easy to do. ABs, hits, innings, all that, I keep on my running total on the working sheet. The stats only take me about 5 minutes this way, for any given game.
As for the moving parts, when I put a team away, if they have a set line-up, I leave that intact on the top, followed by the starters, then the relievers, then the bench, then the injured guys turned backwards on the bottom. So when I pull them out again, the starting nine is right on top.
With this system, I spend 90% of my APBA time rolling. The only hiccup is at the end of each replay month, which requires rather a lot of tedious figuring, I admit. But it’s infrequent. Please keep doing these articles, I love knowing how others approach these things, and I’m especially interested in the next article on standings.
I have a somewhat similar style. I keep my starting 8 on one side and facing the other way is my rotation/bullpen/reserves. I only need to change starters, or if feel like a player needs a day off, so it’s no real effort.
I found during my initial replay that doing the stats at the end of the month was too much work for me and I got bored easily and lost interest.
I now do the team stats right after the game and just do a monthly leaders update which usually only takes about a day