Is it really a problem?
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At the end of the day, they have internal metrics that probably back up that guys like Mike Schmidt weren't used all that much and Yankees cards get used more than Royals cards so lets make Damon a Yankee in what will probably be his last card of the year.
This is the sad truth of the matter. In the end SDS and Sony are a business. Legends likeness rights cost money. They have around 232 legends in the game currently. While I may not like it, I can understand that they don't want to spend money on players that would not be used.
Here are the pre-WWII players in the game that are not Negro Leagues players
Honus Wagner (1900)
Babe Ruth (1922)
Lou Gehrig (1927)
Rick Ferrell (1936)
Hank Greenburg (1935)That's it. I'm sorry if Harry Craft, Edd Rousch or Heinie Groh don't make that cut.
If you want that type of Historical Depth, then Out of the Park Baseball is about the only option. Unfortunately, most people are not interested in a strictly sim-based game. But if you want to see Harry Craft in a game then that is the game to play, but even then, he is probably not in their DD equivalent mode.
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At the end of the day, they have internal metrics that probably back up that guys like Mike Schmidt weren't used all that much and Yankees cards get used more than Royals cards so lets make Damon a Yankee in what will probably be his last card of the year.
This is the sad truth of the matter. In the end SDS and Sony are a business. Legends likeness rights cost money. They have around 232 legends in the game currently. While I may not like it, I can understand that they don't want to spend money on players that would not be used.
Here are the pre-WWII players in the game that are not Negro Leagues players
Honus Wagner (1900)
Babe Ruth (1922)
Lou Gehrig (1927)
Rick Ferrell (1936)
Hank Greenburg (1935)That's it. I'm sorry if Harry Craft, Edd Rousch or Heinie Groh don't make that cut.
If you want that type of Historical Depth, then Out of the Park Baseball is about the only option. Unfortunately, most people are not interested in a strictly sim-based game. But if you want to see Harry Craft in a game then that is the game to play, but even then, he is probably not in their DD equivalent mode.
You forgot to add Harry Cheek. Truly a dropped ball from SDS.
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The blatant disregard for the Cincinnati Reds is just one glaring symptom of a much larger problem at San Diego Studio: a complete detachment from baseball’s foundational history. It has become abundantly clear that the developers only care about the last 15 years of the sport, treating the previous century of baseball as an afterthought.
A game that claims to be the definitive baseball simulation is an absolute joke when it omits the titans who built the game. How can SDS justify the absence of Ty Cobb, Nap Lajoie, Dizzy Dean, or the Waner Brothers? SDS has abandoned a massive roster of legends. The lack of a beloved modern icon like Kirby Puckett, alongside brilliant defensive masters like Ray Schalk, Buck Weaver, and Mickey Cochrane, proves they are completely phoning in their historical content.
There are clear, actionable ways to fix this and actually educate the player base:
Yearly Franchise Deep Dives: SDS has already proven they can build incredible, educational content with the Negro Leagues Storylines. They need to apply that exact same framework to MLB franchises. Every year, the game should feature a deep-dive Storyline into the rich history of one National League team and one American League team, complete with historical stadiums, uniforms, and the eras' defining players.
NPB Legends Series: Baseball is a global game with a rich international history that SDS ignores. Introducing a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) series featuring the legendary Sadaharu Oh and other Japanese baseball icons would be a massive addition that respects the game's worldwide legacy.
SDS needs to stop operating with such a narrow, modern-day, coastal-market bias. They have a platform that could celebrate the full 150-year history of professional baseball, but right now, their historical omissions mean they are operating with zero credibility.
I have no problem with honoring the 82 Cardinals, If I remember I was rooting for the Brewers in that series, Series like 75, 82, 2001, 2004... Should be celebrated. I want all of baseball to be celebrated not just my familial connections. But I will advocate for Harry Craft or any member of the Reds first, I'm a partisan.
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I mean, I think its absurd that the 86 Mets only have one representative in game (funny enough the 62 Mets somehow got two cards last year) but sadly the average Diamond Dynasty player isn't interested in a history lesson. Legends cost money.
I do think they drop the ball with guys like Doerr...add him to the game but then lock his HoF card behind a Headliner pack that no one will buy or ever see in any of their rewards since headliner packs are random.
As far as Puckett, I think its fair that either SDS or MLB doesn't want him in the game.
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@victoryphoenix_MLBTS the problem is I did Google and "great" is not the word I would use to describe Harry Craft. Great defender, sure. Great ballplayer, not by any measurable standard.
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@TH3L1GHT_PSN He was my Great Uncle and is in the Reds Hall of Fame, as I said I'm biased, A reds player and family. Also I think he was the first manager of the Colt 45s/Astros
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@victoryphoenix_MLBTS so we can be honest and stop this nonsense about him being some great player everyone should know. Seems like he had a solid rookie year, was a demon in the field, but couldn't hit major league pitching and was gone after a few seasons. So 125 contact per side with 90+ power if SDS ever get the rights.
Edit to add, the reds hall of fame seems about as exclusive as a sam's club
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I would love a new card series... "Dead Ball Era" (I understand getting the rights to these players could be difficult). Make it part of a program - "Anti-Moonshot"? Have an event where every player has to have less than 80 power and lock it at Forbes.
Yes, I would seriously love that.
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I would love a new card series... "Dead Ball Era" (I understand getting the rights to these players could be difficult). Make it part of a program - "Anti-Moonshot"? Have an event where every player has to have less than 80 power and lock it at Forbes.
Yes, I would seriously love that.
They did this one year. There was an event that was any pitcher and silver or lower hitters.
Back when events used to have real and fun restrictions. Like loading up your bench and stating staff with common players to get under the overall threshold.
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@TH3L1GHT_PSN Everyone should know Baseball History. The Game didn't start in the year 2000.
