MicroLeague Baseball '91: The Manager's Challenge   by Humble DOX

MicroLeague Baseball '91: The Manager's Challenge Game Documentation Written By Genesis Humble Dox =========================================================================== GETTING STARTED =========================================================================== Load the game by typing MLBB. You can force CGA mode by typing MLBB C or force EGA mode by typing MLBB E - Main Menu Options - The options listed are: Play Game, Play Quick, and Quit. Each of these options (except quit) are described in other sections of this manual, but here is a brief description of each. PLAY GAME - Use this option to fully test your team management skills. You will see every play shown graphically as you call it. This mode of play allows you to access all of the features of the game. You have two options when you are in the middle of the game and need to stop. You can save the game or quick play the rest of it, both of which are explained below. PLAY QUICK - (during game being played) to complete a game with lightning speed all you need to do is press [B] and bring up your box score screen. One of the selections on this screen will be "Play Quick" and it will complete the rest of your game so you can see the stats in seconds. SAVE GAME - Once you begin playing a game you will have the ability to save it at any time during the game so you can come back to it later. You will need to go to your box score by pressing [B] and look for "Save and Quit Game". This will be explained more in the "Scoreboard" sections of this manual. EXPERT/NORMAL PLAY - To switch between these two modes of play, which will be discussed shortly, all you need to do is press [X] when you are in the "Game Options" screen. The game will automatically start in normal mode. If expert mode is selected, game play wull stay that way until you change it or quit the game. PLAY QUICK - This option lets you play games without making decisions. Using artifical intelligence, the game is played in less than a minute. At the end of the game you will see the complete box score. You could play an entire Major League Season in a few hours. QUIT - Press [ESC] to quit the game, or to go back to the previous menu. You can only use this method of back-tracking when the box with a circle in it appears in the upper-left-hand corner of the screen. If you would like to quit while a game is in progress, press [B] to see the boxscore, then select [F3] to quit. STAT COMPILER - The stat compiler on disk 2 will work with both the Play Game and the Play Quick modes. This invaluable component of TMC is hard drive compatible and will allow you to creat your own leagues and track the players' stats as you play games. It also allows you to check and update your full 30-man roster so you can prepare for the next game. For a complete explanation of how to load it and use all of its functions, please refer to the Stat Compiler section of this manual. =========================================================================== PLAY GAME =========================================================================== First you will make selections from the Team Selection screen. Simply press the letter next to the name of the visiting team, then the home team. After your teams have been selected, you will go to the Game Options screen where you can select the various options available. If you do not want to change any of the options, select [F9] and your game will begin. All of the options, including team selection, ar explained below. To select new teams, press [V] for visiting team selection or [H] for home team selection. Once you have selected [V] or [H] a team selection menu will appear. To select a team press the letter or number to the left of the team name. Once you have selected a team you will go back to the Game Options screen and the team name will appear in the box below Visitor or Home. Repeat this process for the other team, if you would like a change to be made. STADIUM SELECTION - To choose a stadium to play in press [S] and a pop-up menu will appear on the screen listing the available stadiums. If you have a stadium disk type the letter of the drive it is in and those choices will appear on the screen. If all of your information is on your hard drive type [C] and your available choices will appear. Select the number of the stadium you want and you will return "Game Options" screen. If no choice is made from this screen, you will automatically play at Yankee Stadium. Remember, the stadium you choose DOES affect the outcome of the game. A ball hit off the wall at Dodger Stadium may be a home run at Yankee Stadium. MANAGER SELECTION - Under the Visiting and Home team names you will see windows for your manager selection. If no choice is made both managers will be "Player Managers" rather than "Computer Managers". For the Visitors to have a "Computer Manager", select [F1]. The message in the window will read "Computer MAN". To change the Home team to a computer manager select [F2] and the appropriate change will be made. These changes will be permanent until you change them or exit the game. DESIGNATED HITTER OPTION - You have the choice of using a DH with any team. The game starts off without the DH. To select the DH option press [D]. The message in the window will now say "Use DH Rule." The DH will be the tenth man on your roster and he will bat in the ninth spot for the pitcher. SWITCHING GRAPHICS ON/OFF - You will be able to play TMC with graphic animation or without it. The advantage of having the graphics off speeds up game play. The disadvantage is that you do not see the play, only the result. To play with the animations, look to the lower left portion of your Game Options screen. Next to the letter [A] you will see "Animate Plays" or "Animation Off". The letter [A] is like a switch. If you hit it once the message will change, if you hit it again it will return to the original message. You can use this option in Expert as well as Normal Play. It cannot be used, however, in the Play Quick Mode. LOAD GAME - To use this option you must have a saved game. To save the game you are currently playing you need to access the boxscore. To do this press [B]. Once you are there, select [F2], Save and Quit Game and the program will ask you to input a name to save your file under (You can use any name you wish). To play the game later, select [L], Load Game from the "Game Options" screen and then select the filename for your game. The game will pick up exactly where you left off. EXPERT/NORMAL PLAY - To switch between these two modes of play, which will be discussed shortly, press [X] when you are in the "Game Options" screen. When you start the game the computer will automatically select normal mode. Once you have chosen expert mode it will stay that way until you change it or quit the game. NORMAL PLAY: This lets you play the game with all of your menus visible on the screen. You will see all of your possible selections in the upper left or right hand corner of the screen during your selection process. This is where you should start, until you become familiar with all the features of the game. EXPERT PLAY: This selection enables you to play the game without cycling through all of the menus that appear on the screen during the game. The available selections are the same in the expert mode as they are in the normal mode of play, however, all you will have to do is enter a series of codes and the play will commence. You will have to refer to a quick reference card to be sure that you are inputting the correct keystrokes for the options you desire. The advantage of this method of play is your selections will not be seen by your opponent. SERIES PLAY - This feature is a must for league members. You will have the ability to play each team in your division or in your league for a total of either 12 or 18 games. After each game is played you will be able to see and printout the complete boxscore. It's a great way to play an entire season in a short amount of time. Next you will move on the Pitcher Management Screen..... PITCHER MANAGEMENT - First, you will make decisions concerning the pitchers for the visiting team. The same methods are used to manage the pitchers on the home team. When deciding how to manage your pitching lineup, pitching rotation, and relief pitchers, you will be able to access several different ratings and statistics. First, you may print out the complete team roster and examine each player's statistics as they performed on that team in that year (or in your league). Refer to the STAT COMPILER section of this manual and look for [F5], PRINT TEAM STATS for a complete explanation of how to print out the team roster. This will help determine which pitcher you would like to play. When you have reviewed the current pitching lineup, you may examine each pitcher's statistics more closely. The Pitcher Management screen is broken into two parts. On the left side is the list of available pitchers. The only information you are given is the pitchers name and which arm he pitches with. The starting pitcher's name and condition are listed on the right hand side. Any pitcher who is warming up is also listed on the right. The condition may be cold, warm, O.K., or tired, ad will affect his pitching accordingly. Be sure to rotate the starting pitchers; you can't expect your best pitcher to pitch a 100+ game season! AVAIALBLE PITCHERS - Pressing the letter that is next to any available pitchers' name will bring up a screen that contains his pitching stats. The following statistics and ratings will be listed for each pitcher. Each one is an important variable when deciding on strategy. PITCHER STATS: ============== W - Number of times pitcher has recorded a win. L - Number of times pitcher has recorded a loss. ERA - Earned Run Average. Formula = (earned runs) x (9) / innings pitched. CG - The number of complete games for the pitcher. SV - For a relief pitcher, the number of times he has "saved" the starting pitcher, winning the game. IP - Total number of innings a pitcher has pitched. TF - Tiring Factor. This rating suggests how long a pitcher can continue to pitch effectively. HITTING RATING - Rating of the pitches hitting ability. 1-4, with 4 being a good hitter. The next set of statistics lists the pitcher's numbers vs. right and left handed batters. This statistic will be the same for both RHB and LHB fot teams prior to 1982. BF - Number of batters the pitcher has faced. H - Number of hits against the pitcher. GBFB - The ratio of ground balls to fly balls. 2B - Doubles hit against the pitcher. 3B - Triples hit against the pitcher. HR - Home runs hit against the pitcher. SO - Number of strike outs. BB - Number of walks. As a manager you must keep in mind that the actual statistics and subjective ratings will affect the outcome of the play and should be taken into consideration. The ratings and statistics will remain constant unless you choose to update them with the MICROLEAGUE GM/O DISK (or if you use the COMPILE STATS option with a league you've created). At the bottom of the statistics screen, you have three choices: 1) Press [F1] to put him in the game. 2) Press [F2] to warm him up. 3) Press [F9] to return to the list of pitchers. If you choose to put the pitcher in the game, his name will appear on the right side of the Pitcher Management screen listed under Pitching. If you have selected him to warm up, he will be listed as "warming up". If you have a pitcher warming up, and you do not place him "on the mound" after your defensive inning he will be benched. You will have to "warm him up" again. Pressing [F1] will show the statistics for the current pitcher. On the statistics screen, two options are listed: 1) Press [F1] to remove the pitcher. 2) Press [F9] to return to the previous menu. When you are happy with your adjustments, press [F9] to move onto the home team's Pitching Management menu. LINEUP MANAGEMENT - After you have selected the pitchers for the visiting and home teams, you will choose the starting lineup for first the visiting team, then the home team. This section will allow you to improve your managerial talent or test the knowledge of the game you have developed over time. It is a good idea to print out your team roster before making any decisions. Refer to the Stat Compiler section of this manual and look for [F5], PRINT TEAM STATS for a complete explanation of how to print out the team roster. The print out will give you some sense of your team's abilities and tendencies, both weak and strong. The Lineup Management screen is divided into two parts. On the left-hand side is a listing of the available substitutes. Their batting hand is listed (S stands for switch hitter) as well as their starting position. On the right-hand side is a listing of the current lineup. Again, each player is listed along with their starting position. To see the stats of any player, press the number/letter corresponding to that player's name. A screen will appear with the statistics of that player. To view your entire rosters stats at once press [F1]. You will be able to make your choice a little faster when you have all of your players' information in front of you. You are able to use this function at any time. PLAYERS STATS: ============== POS - The batters starting position. B - His batting hand. T - Throwing ability: 1-4, where 1 is lowest. RBI - Number of runs the batter has driven in. F% - This relates to the batters fielding percentage. SB - Stolen bases. CS - Caught stealing base. R - Base running ability: 1-6 B - Bunting ability: 1-6 S - Sacrafice ability: 1-6 P - Pull hitter=0, Spray=1, Opposite field=2 W - Power (1-4) 1=weak, 4=HR hitter. F - Fielding rating range (1-9) The following statistics are listed for a batter versus a left-handed and right-handed pitcher. Remember, teams before 1982 didn't track righty/ lefty stats. BAVG - Batting average. AB - Number of times a batter appeared at the plate, excluding walks, hit by pitch(es), and sacrifices. H - Number of hits. 2B - Doubles hit. 3B - Triples hit. HR - Home runs hit. SO - Number of times batter was struck out. BB - Number of walks. PLATOONING - Platooning is used to neutralize the opponents pitcher by placing lefty batters against righty pitchers and vice versa. Also taken into consideration are the players' batting averages. The computer will choose the default lineup based on the platooning technique. CHANGING A PLAYERS POSITION - The current lineup remains on the right-hand side of the screen for reference. The initials in the upper-right-hand corner correspond to the 9 positions on the field, along with Pinch Hitter, Pinch Runner, and Designated Hitter. To change the position of the current player (the one whose stats are on the screen), just press the letter corresponding to the new position. Changing a player's position will affect his fielding range. To keep these effects at a minimum, try to keep players within their normal fielding area (i.e. keep the infielders infield). SUBSTITUTING A PLAYER - To substitute a player into the lineup, select the player on the left side that will be substituted. When the Statistics screen appears, press the letter corresponding to the player he is replacing. If the position needs to be changes, press the appropriate letter as explained above. The player that was replaced will now appear on the list of available players. After you have arranged the lineup, press [F9]. Once both teams' lineups have been decided, the national anthem will play, and the players will take the field. NOTE: It is important that you have a player in every position or you cannong advance to the next screen. =========================================================================== THE PLAYING FIELD =========================================================================== SCOREBOARD - The scoreboard displays the teams playing (visiting team first), current inning, the number of outs in the inning, and the total number of runs, hits and errors in the game. An Asterisk (*) will mark the team at bat. To see a complete boxscore during the game press [B]. You will go to the Game Final screen and have to select [F1] to see the complete boxscore. PITCHER'S WINDOW - This window is located on the pitching teams side of the field. It shows to current pitcher's name. BATTER'S/ON-DECK BATTER'S WINDOW - This window is located on the batting teams side of the field. It shows the current batter's name. When deciding how to pitch to the current batter, it is sometimes helpful to know who the on-deck batter is. A window located below the Batter's Window shows the name of the batter on-deck. PLAY-BY-PLAY WINDOW - TMC has a text announcer who will call plays as they happen. The play by play will appear on the top of the screen, where the scoreboard usually appears. REPLAY WINDOW - Pressing [L] after the play is done will give you a text summary of the last play. SELECTION WINDOWS - These windows appear in the upper corners of the screen. The options on these menus are fully described in the following section. CURRENT LEAGUE STATS WINDOW - When your batter is walking up to the plate, after an out or a hit, a window will appear under the boxscore/play-by-play window giving you up to the minute stats of the batter for the game and in your league play. It will also include the condition of the player. =========================================================================== PLAY BALL! =========================================================================== MAKING SELECTIONS - Each player will build a strategy based on their selections from the following option menus. The only call you must make to set a play in motion is the style and type of the pitch (or swing). Once the pitch and swing are chosen, the play animation will begin. PITCHING SELECTIONS - Before the pitching team selects the pitch it would like to throw, a number of fielding strategies may be used. A series of menus contains all of the defensive options. It is either located in the upper right or left-hand corner, depending on which team is pitching. DEFENSIVE COACH - For some winning teams, a robust offense can overcome the most glaring deficiencies in the field or on the mound. To be successful, major league managers and MicroLeague managers must observe and evaluate ever-changing factors before they set their defense. Is the baserunner a threat to steal? Is the batter a pull-hitter who can go all the way? POSITIONING THE INFIELD - To position the infield players, select [7], Defensive Coach from the Pitching Options menu. The next menu that appears is the Defensive Coach menu. Select [5], POSITION INFIELD from this menu. Infield In - This brings all the infielders in as the pitch is thrown. This strategy increases the chance that the runner will "hold" or could be thrown out at the plate on a ground ball. On the other hand, this increases the chance that a sharp grounder will get through for a single, since the infield is playing in. Nevertheless, this is a useful strategy late in the game if your team needs to keep a run from scoring on a ground ball. In at the Corners - This brings the third and first basemen in, moving as the pitch is thrown. this cuts down on the chance for a successful surprise or sacrifice bunt, and may hold a runner on third base. However, this increases the chance that a ground ball if hit to third or first might get through for a hit. Guard Lines - The first and third basemen will move closer to their respective lines. This option will decrease the chance of an extra base hit if the ball is hit down the line. If the ball is hit in the hole, the chance for a base hit is increased. Play to Pull - The shortstop or second baseman (depending on which side of the plate the batter lines up on) will move to the hole to guard against a pulled ball. The advantage is if the hit is a grounder to the pull side, the chance of an out is increased. If he hits it anywhere near the opposite side, however, it is unguarded. Opposite Field - The second baseman or shortstop will plug the hole opposite of the "pull" hole. For a right-handed batter, the second baseman will plug the gap between where he usually lines up and the second base bag. If the batter is left-handed, the second baseman will close the gap between him and second base. If the ball is a grounder to the pull side it will be unguarded. If it is hit to the opposite side of the pull, however, the chance of an out is increased. Behind Runner at 1B - This option can only be used when there is a runner on first base. It will allow the first baseman to play as if there is no one on base. Using this option increases the chance for a successful steal, while decreasing the chance of a ground ball getting by the first baseman. Press [7], PITCHING to return to the Pitching Options menu, POSITIONING THE OUTFIELD - Once the infield has been adjusted, it's time to instruct the outfielders (OF). Select [7]. DEFENSIVE COACH. The following choices are available. Play OF Shallow - With this selection you can position your outfielders closer to the infield. Once it has been selected, a second menu will give the choice to play one, two, or all the outfielders shallow. The advantage of playing the outfield shallow is seen when the runners are in a scoring position. The outfielders are prepared to field a shallow hit and throw out advancing runners. The downside is if the ball is hit deep, the batter may take extra bases. Play OF Deep - This gives you the ability to guard against the deep shots. A sub-menu appears which will allow you to select which fielders to play deep (see Play of Shallow). This option decreases the chance that a long fly ball will be good for extra bases, however, the chances are increased that short flies will be singles. Play OF Pull - When this option is selected, your centerfielder will play in the hole between him and the other outfielders, depending on which side of the plate the batter lines up on. For a right-handed batter, the center fielder will line up in the left center field alley. Likewise, for a left- handed batter, he will line up in the right center field alley. The advantage is that this option decreases the chances for a double if the batter pulls the ball. However, if the ball is hit to the opposite field, the chance for an extra base hit is increased. Play OF Aggresively - This option will cause all of your outfielders to try for the fly ball, or gun down a runner trying to take an extra base during the play. This option may cause the outfielders to make fielding or throwing errors, giving up extra bases, as they attempt the "play of the game". Once you have given the outfielders their instructions, go back to the Pitching Option menu by pressing [7]. SELECTING A PITCHING STRATEGY - You have six pitching strategies to pick from. These strategies are listed in the top half of the Pitching Options menu. Pick Off - The pitcher will try to throw out the runner at first base. You may get the first baserunner out, however, you could throw it past the first baseman and the runner may take extra bases. This also increases the chance of a walk because the pitcher's concentration is broken. Pitch Out - The pitcher will pitch far outside the plate so the catcher can throw out a stealing baserunner. This option will decrease the chances of a stolen base, however, it the runner is not attempting to steal, the chances for a walk are increased. Intentional Walk - Use this strategy when first base is open and a good batter is up to try for a force play. This option can also be used to allow for the chance to pitch to a weak on-deck batter. Pitch Around - When a good hitter is at the plate you do not want to give him a good pitch. This option decreases the chances for a strike out and an extra base hit, but increases the chances for a walk and a hit. Pitch Aggresively - The pitcher will "go right at the batter" by throwing the ball over the plate. This option will decrease the chances for a walk or a single, and increas the chances for a strike out or an extra base hit. Pitch - This is a normal pitch. FULL COUNT - You have the ability to go to a full count three times per side, per game. This is only an option when you are in your defensive menu. The full count gives you a chance to face the batter on a pitch by pitch basis. Balls and strikes will be called by the umpire and can be seen in a small gray window just below the box score. When you are in the full count mode, your menus will stay the same as before. You will have to select the way you want to throw to a batter and the pitch you want to throw. There will now be one more menu from which you can make a selection. You will be selecting the location where you want to throw the pitch. If you are the batter, you too will have to make your regular throwing selections, and then select the location where you think the pitcher will be throwing the pitch. The possible selections for the pitch location menu (for both batter and pitcher) are as follows: 1) Inside Low 2) Low 3) Outside Low 4) Inside High 5) High 6) Outside High NOTE: The full count option is only available in the normal mode with two "player managers." SELECTING THE PITCH - Once you have selected the pitcher's strategy, you must then determine what type of pitch to throw. The second pitching menu appears automatically when you select the pitching style. It is important to use a mixture of pitches to keep the hitters off guard. Fast Ball - This pitch is thrown straight and hard. As the name implies, it also travels fast. Some pitchers can throw a fast ball at over 100 mph. The advantage is that the ball is very hard to hit; but when a batter does connect, you'd better hope your outfielders are playing deep. Curve Ball - The curve ball is the most deceptive pitch in baseball. The path of the ball over the plate is difficult to determine. The disadvantage to this type of pitch is that the connecting batter may go for extra bases. Slider - The path of a slider depends on the arm the pitcher pitches with. A right-hander's slider curves from the right to the left and downward. The advantage is that the cross-plate flight path either crowds the batter or makes him stretch for the ball. Once again, if the batter connects he may go for extra bases. Change Up - This is an off-speed (slow) pitch which will fool the batter if used properly. The pitch is easy to hit if the batter is expecting it. If he's caught off-guard, he'll be swinging at thin air. Specialty - This pitch encompasses a fork ball, sinker, knuckler, palm ball, and a slur. The batter will definetely be guessing, but so will you. Once an item has been selected from this menu, your entire strategy for the next play is locked in and cannot be changed. BATTING SELECTIONS - On the other side of the plate, there are so many decisions to be made. Since selecting the swing will execute the play, that is the last decision to be made. The first decision that must be made is the way the batter and players on base will run/ To set these options, press [7], RUNNING COACH, from the Batting Options menu. RUNNING STRATEGIES - The following running strategies are available for you to use. Take Extra Base - The menu that appears when this option is chosen allows you to specify when you would like the runners to take an extra base. You can specify left field (LF), center field (CF), right field (RF), or always. More than one option can be chosen from this menu. For example if you want the runner to attempt an extra base when the ball is hit to LF or CF, select both of these options from the menu. The runners will run aggresively any time the ball is hit in any of the selected areas, and they will try to take one more base than is calculated for them to advance safely. The disadvantage of this option is the chances for the baserunner getting thrown out is increased. Steal - You should take the opposing teams fielder's throwing ratings into consideration when selecting this option (See Stat Book for more info). If there are two men on base, you will attempt a double steal -- unless the men are on first and third in which case the man on first will attempt to steal second. Once the batter strategy has been selected, press [7], BATTER to return to the Batting Options menu. BATTING STRATEGIES - Now it's time to select the batting strategy. The batting strategy selection screen is the Batting Options menu. Hit and Run - With men on base, this option will allow your runners on base begin to advance before the ball is hit. If everything works out, the runners will take an extra base or avoid the double-play. On the other hand, a shallow fly-out could cause base runners to get "doubled up". Bunt for Hit - If you have a batter who has good speed and has good bunting ability, you may catch your oponent off guard and get on base. Sacrifice Bunt - If you are trying to advance the runner(s), this selection is useful. the idea is that the batter is thrown out at first whil the runner(s) advance. It may not always work, especially of the defensive coach is expecting it and plays his infielders in. Hit Behind Runner - The is another way to advance a runner on base. The advantage over a sacrifice bunt is the batter has a chance of a base hit. The disadvantage is an increase in the possibility of a double play or a strike out. Squeeze Bunt - This bunt is used to bring the third base runner home. The success of this play depends on the positioning of the infield, the batter's bunting ability, sacrifice ability, and the speed of the runner. Swing Away - When this option is selected the batter will swing normally. After selecting a batting strategy, a menu will appear listing the type of pitch the batter will anticipate. The pitches on this menu are the same as those on the Pitching menu. Depending on the pitch selected bu the defensive coach (i.e. fast ball, curve ball, etc.) ans the pitch you anticipate will be thrown, the probability for a hit will increase or decrease accordingly. Once all selections have been made, pay attention to the play--it will aid you in making choices the next time the batter is at the plate. OTHER MENU OPTIONS - There are three options listed on both the Batting Options and the Pitching Options which are discussed here, LINEUP OPTION - Selecting Lineup will display the Lineup Management screen. This option is used for making substitutions in the lineup. For information on using this option, see the Lineup Management section on page 17. To view everone's stats at once, press [F1]. BULLPEN OPTION - Selection Bullpen, will display the Pitcher Management screen. This option is used to replace and/or warm up pitchers. For infor- mation on using this option, see the Pitcher Management section on page 14. To view all the pitchers' stats at once, press [F1]. USING THE STAT BOOK - Selecting the Stat Book option will display a pop-up menu. The players and their stats are organized in the following way: Batter - Shows the following stats for the batter at the plate: At Bats (AB), Hits (H), Strike Outs (SO), Base on Balls (BB), Home Runs (HR), Batting Average (AVG), Stealing Ability (SA), Pull rating (PUL), and power rating (POW). On Deck - This shows the stats for the batter on-deck. These are the same types of stats for Batter. Runners - This shows the names of all the runners on base, along with their Speed Rating (SR) abd Stealing Ability rating (SA). Pitcher - This shows the name and stats for the current pitcher. The stats for the current pitcher. The stats shown are Innings Pitched (IP), Earned Runs Average (ERA), Batters Faced (BF), Hits given up (H), Doubles (2B), Triples (3B), Home Runs (HR), Strike Outs (SO), and Walks (BB). C-LF-CF-RF - This shows the following ratings for those players: Run rating (R), Throw rating (T), and Fielding percentage (%). 1B-2B-3B-SS - This shows the same ratings as above for listed players. V Lineup - This will display the lineup for the visiting team. The next batter is denoted by (*). H Lineup - This will display the lineup for the home team. The next batter is denoted by (*). Close Book - This will return you to the playing screen. GAME FINAL SCREEN - At the end of the game, the Game Final screen will appear. This screen sumarizes the results of the game. There may be three options you can select. [F1] will enable you to print the stats, [F2] and [F3] will let you compile the stats for the teams in your league. If the teams you are using are not in a league, you cannot compile stats. =========================================================================== STAT COMPILER =========================================================================== The Stat Compiler has many functions that can be very useful in managing your dream team. Do you think the Braves would do better in the American League? The Stat Compiler lets you find out by creating your own leagues with any teams you want. Once you have started a league you can add or delete any of the teams that you have in your league. Once you have compiled stats for your league you have the ability to view and print out your league standings. Instantly see who is number one and who is the basement club. You'll be able to see their win/loss record, their winning percentage, and how many games they are behind the first place team. Select which team you want to see and every stat a manager could need will appear before your eyes. These stats can also be printed out. Last, but not least, is the gem of the Stat Compiler, and the game itself. You have an entire 30 man roster from which to choose your active players. You will be able to see the condition of all your players: who is active, who is on reserve, and who is on the disabled list (DL). This is the big leagues, and you'll have to decide who sits and who plays. Don't push too hard or one of your star players may get tired and play poorly. The best way to get a feel for the Stat Compiler and all of its functions is to follow our example step-by-step. Jumping right in may make for some poor managerial choices later. An educated manager is a winning manager. To load the Stat Compiler type: STATCOMP from the directory on your disk where the game resides. The stat compiler menu will be displayed, and you will have the following options: INITIALIZE LEAGUE - Press [F1], INITIALIZE LEAGUE, this is where we will create our league. The screen that appears next will be titled Number of Divisions. You may choose to have 1, 2 or 4 divisions in your league. For our axample, let's choose [2] for a two-division league. The next screen is titled "Edit League Names". On this screen you have the ability to create your own league and division names or select the names that are given for you. The names given for the division are National and American, and the league name is MicroLeague. You will notice a flashing cursor on the letter "M", if you want to change the league name start typing. For our example, let's keep MicroLeague as the name. Press [ENTER] and the cursor will move down to the first division name. Let's change these names. Type "big city" where "national" used to be. You will notice that you cannot type in any capital letters. Don't worry, your keyboard is not broken. Now press [ENTER] to move the cursor to the "american" division. Type "little country" into the division #2 box. Once you are done typing, you need not press [ENTER], it will only drop you down to the next line. Press [F1] to save the names you've changed. After you press [F1], the Save Game As screen will appear. You will notice at the top of the screen three icons (or illustrations) of the available disk drives. If you have TMC on your hard drive you should save your league there. If you are saving the game to floppy, press the letter that corresponds to the drive your disk is in. Only the drives you have available will be listed. Let's save our league names as "Baseball". Type Baseball and press [ENTER] to save everything you've done so far. When everything is saved you will be placed back at the Stat Compiler menu. Now that you have a league, you need to select items to add. ADD TEAMS TO LEAGUE - Press [F2], ADD TEAMS TO LEAGUE to place teams in your league. A screen will apear titled "Choose Target League". You need to choose the league you want to add teams to. Choose the number that corresponds to our team name. In this example our league should be number 1. Press [1] and a screen will appear titled "Copy Team". On the left side of the screen you will see "F1 - Pick Source". You have the ability to make your new league out of teams on the game disk, teams from other leagues, or teams from Franchise History disks. Select [F1] and you'll see a menu that looks like the previous menu. This menu is titled "Choose Source League." This lists all the available leagues on the current disk that you can choose from. Select [F1], "Alltime.Sea" as the league you want to choose from. Now that we know where the teams are coming from all we need to decide is which division they are going to. In our example, "big city" will be the division we select terams for first. Press [A] and you will notice that '27 New York Al has been copied to your "big city" division. To select teams for the "little country" division, press [2] which appears in front of the division name. You will notice that "little country" is the name underneath "pick target". Now, any team you letter you press will add the team to the "little country" division. For our example, lets scroll down to the bottom of the list of available teams. To do this, press the down arrow key until you see the '88 Oakland team appear next to the letter "K". You will notice that the letters do not change, only the teams listed next to them. Pause a couple of seconds after pressing the down arrow, it may take the computer a second to catch up with your keystrokes. For our example, choose [B] for Cincinatti, [C] for Baltimore, and [I] for St. Louis. Once you have done this, press [ESC] to leave this screen. Your teams have been saved, so don't worry. LEAGUE STANDINGS - Press [F4], LEAGUE STANDINGS to check up on the league standings. A screen will appear that looks like the boxscore screen, except here, you will see the league standings. For the league we just created, they won't be too exciting, we haven't played any games! After you play a few games, you will see that the standings are divided into divisions. This screen will give you win/loss, winning percentage, and the number of games each team is back in their division. Once you have played a full season, you can create a new league out of the playoff teams to see who is number one. This information is important for you to have, so if you'd like a copy, press [F1] to print the standings. PRINT TEAM STATS - To really be a top manager you need to be aware of who is performing and who is not. Select [F5], PRINT TEAM STATS to see any teams stats. These are up-to-the-minute stats you need to give yourself the edge over the other guys. You will need to use the arrow keys to scroll through the exhaustive number of stats that TMC offers. It looks like you are reading the sports page, not playing a simulation. To print the stats, press [F1]. To return to the Stat Compiler menu, press [ESC]. SET TEAM ROSTER - [F6], SET TEAM ROSTER is a managerial must. You have a complete 30-man roster at your disposal and you make all the calls. When this option is selected, you will see a team selection menu. Make sure you are in the correct league and then select a team to view. Just press the letter in front of the team name. The screen then displays all of the players on the roster, along with their condition and status. The condition of the player will be active (ACTV), reserve (FARM), injured (INJRD), or disabled list. Players on the disabled list will be on the list for various lengths of time. You choose the length of of time depending on the severity of the injury. The program will tell you how severe the injury is and recommend the number of games he should sit. You must make the final decision on the number of days he will sit. If you don't give them the rest they need they will just get injured again. If you sit them too long, however, they might miss some important games. Below are the references you will need to make the tough managerial decisions ahead. [F1][D2D] - Your player will be out of commission for 2-3 days. [F2][DL15] - Your player will be on the DL for 15 days. [F3][DL30] - Your player will be on the DL for 30 days. [F4][DL45] - Your player will be on the DL for 45 days. [F5][DL60] - Your player will be on the DL for 60 days. If you have a tired player you will need to put him on reserve so he may rest up. To have a full active roster, you'll need to activate a player everytime you deactivate one. To change the status of a player, select the player by pressing the letter/number in front of his name. Juggle your lineup as much as you want - You're the manager! DELETE TEAMS - Last but not least, let's try pressing [F3], DELETE TEAMS FROM LEAGUE. A screen will appear titled "Delete Team" and will look exactly like the team selection screen you see when you play a game. Make sure you are in the right league before you make any moves. Select the number to the left of our example league, "Baseball.Lea". Select [A] which is '27 Yanks. The team will not be automatically deleted, you will see another screen which has the name of the team you selected and two choices: [F1] - Delete Team and [F2] - Clear Stats. Now you have the choice of deleting the team or just clearing its stats. For our example, let's delete the team, press [F1]. This will bring you back to the delete team menu which now only lists two teams in the Big City division. Now you know all you need to be a successful MicroLeague Manager. Be sure to take advantage of everything we offer to make your managing experience the best. =========================================================================== PLAY QUICK =========================================================================== To play a Quick Game, select [Q] from the main menu. The same list of teams will appear as if you selected Play Game. See the "Play Game" section for information on selecting teams, changing pitchers, changing lineups, and the designated hitter rule. The difference between these options begin when the players normally would take the field. The game is not shown, but instead it is played quickly. Immediately after the game is played, a score summary is shown which contains the final score, the number of hits, and number of errors. * Press [F1] to view the complete Boxscore. * Press [F3] to compile Visiting Team's statistics. * Press [F4] to compile Home Team's statistics. VIEWING THE BOXSCORE - To scan up and down the boxscore screen, use the arrow keys on your keyboard, or click on the arrow icons on the screen with your mouse. PRINTING THE BOXSCORE - Once the boxscore screen appears, you may print the boxscore by pressing [F1]. To return to the main menu, press [ESC] until you reach it.