Daniel, to each his/her own. With DMB, one can choose season replays or a variety of other options. My own personal preference is replays of seasons with either close pennant races or that were remarkable in some other way. In the first category were the American League seasons of 1920, 1922, 1926, 1934, 1940, 1949, and 1967. In the latter category were the 1908 AL season (the most pitcher-dominant season in the deadball era, which also had a tight three-team pennant race) and the 1930 AL season (the most batter-dominant season in MLB history).
For the most part, each season replicated individual batting performances quite accurately. The league standings were almost invariably tight, but not identical to real life. In the 1920 reply, for example, the White Sox won the pennant by 3 games over the Indians and 6 over the Yankees. In real life, Cleveland won by 2 games over Chicago and 3 over New York, largely because the White Sox suspended the 8 players implicated in the 1919 Black Sox scandal.
In the 1922 replay, my favorite DMB experience, the Browns took the pennant by a game over the Yankees by winning a 15-inning playoff game. In real life New York won by a game over St. Louis.
In the 1967 replay, the Red Sox won the pennant by 2 games over the Tigers and 6 over the Twins. In real life the Red Sox won by a game over both the Tigers and Twins and 3 over the White Sox.
In the 1949 replay, the Red Sox won by 7 games over the Yankees. In real life, the Yankees won by a game over the Red Sox when NY swept a weekend series in Yankee Stadium over the Red Sox. But, the replay was tight going into September, with the Yankees a game up over the Red Sox. However, in September, Boston went 21-5 and New York 15-15.
The 1926 replay seemed to have been the greatest deviation from real life. In real life, there were no dominant teams. No team finished with a W-L percentage .600 or above. Instead, 6 of the 8 teams in the AL finished above .500. The Yankees won the pennant by 3 games over the Indians, 6 over the A's, 8 above the Senators, 9.5 ahead of the White Sox and 12 over the Tigers. In the replay, the White Sox, the 5th place team in real life, won the flag by one game over the A's, 7 over the Yankees, 8 above the Indians, and 12 over the Senators. Given how tight the race was in real life, this outcome wasn't beyond the realm of possibility. One explain for the replay outcome is the difference between real life and the simulation in one-run games. In real life, the Yankees were 30-23 and the White Sox 20-32 in one-run games. In the replay, it was almost the exact opposite. The White Sox went 37-14 and the Yankees 17-33.
So, all in all, my experience with season replays has been excellent. The results are hardly identical to real life, but close enough to be realistic. It has allowed me to relive some of baseball's most interesting pennant races. I think that's a testiment to the accuracy and baseball realism of DMB.
Daniel, to each his/her own. With DMB, one can choose season replays or a variety of other options. My own personal preference is replays of seasons with either close pennant races or that were remarkable in some other way. In the first category were the American League seasons of 1920, 1922, 1926, 1934, 1940, 1949, and 1967. In the latter category were the 1908 AL season (the most pitcher-dominant season in the deadball era, which also had a tight three-team pennant race) and the 1930 AL season (the most batter-dominant season in MLB history).
For the most part, each season replicated individual batting performances quite accurately. The league standings were almost invariably tight, but not identical to real life. In the 1920 reply, for example, the White Sox won the pennant by 3 games over the Indians and 6 over the Yankees. In real life, Cleveland won by 2 games over Chicago and 3 over New York, largely because the White Sox suspended the 8 players implicated in the 1919 Black Sox scandal.
In the 1922 replay, my favorite DMB experience, the Browns took the pennant by a game over the Yankees by winning a 15-inning playoff game. In real life New York won by a game over St. Louis.
In the 1967 replay, the Red Sox won the pennant by 2 games over the Tigers and 6 over the Twins. In real life the Red Sox won by a game over both the Tigers and Twins and 3 over the White Sox.
In the 1949 replay, the Red Sox won by 7 games over the Yankees. In real life, the Yankees won by a game over the Red Sox when NY swept a weekend series in Yankee Stadium over the Red Sox. But, the replay was tight going into September, with the Yankees a game up over the Red Sox. However, in September, Boston went 21-5 and New York 15-15.
The 1926 replay seemed to have been the greatest deviation from real life. In real life, there were no dominant teams. No team finished with a W-L percentage .600 or above. Instead, 6 of the 8 teams in the AL finished above .500. The Yankees won the pennant by 3 games over the Indians, 6 over the A's, 8 above the Senators, 9.5 ahead of the White Sox and 12 over the Tigers. In the replay, the White Sox, the 5th place team in real life, won the flag by one game over the A's, 7 over the Yankees, 8 above the Indians, and 12 over the Senators. Given how tight the race was in real life, this outcome wasn't beyond the realm of possibility. One explain for the replay outcome is the difference between real life and the simulation in one-run games. In real life, the Yankees were 30-23 and the White Sox 20-32 in one-run games. In the replay, it was almost the exact opposite. The White Sox went 37-14 and the Yankees 17-33.
So, all in all, my experience with season replays has been excellent. The results are hardly identical to real life, but close enough to be realistic. It has allowed me to relive some of baseball's most interesting pennant races. I think that's a testiment to the accuracy and baseball realism of DMB.
Thanks for the post, Mike! Man, that 1922 replay sounds like a thriller!