The following are general tips not necessarily found in the Players Guide or FAQ. They are tips only! However they can save you many headaches and maybe prevent less scrupulous owners from taking advantage of you until you learn the ropes. It is a work in progress, but hopefully it helps!
1.) MENTORS!!! If this is your first season of Hardball Dynasty, it is strongly recommended that you go to the forums and find the list of volunteer mentors. These are owners who have a lot of experience playing HBD, and are happy to help with any questions you may have. This is also good for getting second opinions on trades, since you wouldn’t want to show your hand to your own league, but can be one of the hardest things to get a grasp on in HBD. Simply send them a site mail asking if they can assist with future questions.
2.) Overall Rating is not always an accurate indication of how good or bad a player is. Overall ratings take into account all ratings for a particular player, some of which you may not need for a certain type of player. An example of this could be a player who has a very high baserunning and bunting rating, but very low contact, batters eye and splits. This could lead to the overall rating being skewed higher than the player is actually worth to you. Remember, check the individual rating and don’t base your judgment solely on his overall rating!
3.) Always keep an eye on your minor league teams. The sim is available to run your lower minor league teams day to day, but it is crucial for your long term development to check in frequently. This helps insure that your players are not being overworked (see fatigue ratings), or underused. Remember, young studs need to get plenty of playing time in order to develop, and occasionally the sim will bench them too often.
4.) Remember that projected ratings are only potential outcomes that are based solely on your advanced scouting budget. In most cases, a player will not reach all of their projections, so bear that in mind.
5.) Also, as a player approaches 27 years old, his progress will drop off dramatically. Bear this in mind when considering trades, as players up to 27 will still show projected ratings much higher than current ratings. So for instance, a player who is 26 may show good projections, but from 26-27 will progress very little.
6.) Ratings projections for the Draft are not based on your advanced scouting budget, rather they will be based on your current HS and College scouting budgets. These budgets also affect how many players you see in the draft, the lower budget you have, the less players you will see. These rules also apply to international scouting.
7.) Coaching can have a great effect on your younger players, but at times it can be difficult to find top of the line coaches. There will most likely be a number of owners going after the same few coaches, so it can be easy to get into a bidding war quickly. Also, a potential coach will always go for the contract if they are being offered a higher level job (ie ML vs AAA, or Pitching Coach vs. Bullpen Coach). Money does not matter to them in that case. However, evaluate your coaches and make a decision on whether or not you have good coaches, and/or could do better on the open market. Finally, remember that your fielding coach is for ALL levels of your franchise, so they are a smart investment.
8.) It’s generally not a bad idea to leave yourself a little bit of room in your budget for mid-year signings and/or trades. Injuries can happen often, and it’s good to have some wiggle room if you need a mid-season replacement. Not a hard and fast rule, but good to keep in mind.
9.) Most of all have fun and don’t be afraid to ask questions, whether it’s your mentor, on the world chat or in the forums, better to ask and make your own informed decision. But in the end, it’s your team, so have fun!
