Table of Contents

Normalize Options

The Normalize Options dialog box is accessible from the Options->Normalize Options menu item and allows you to change parameters that determine how the game engine employs normalization.  There are two types of normalization: historical normalization and minimum playing time normalization.  Historical normalization makes it possible to play games with players from different historical eras.  Minimum playing time normalization adjust statistics for players that have not met the minimum playing time limitations.  For more information about normalization, please see Explaining Normalization.  

General Normalize Options

  • League averages folder: Normalization relies heavily on real-life league averages (see Explaining Normalization).  This option specifies the folder that contains all of the league average files that will be used by the game engine for normalization (see League Averages).  Digital Diamond Baseball comes with default league average files for all major league seasons from 1871 to present day.  These files are stored in the Averages folder located in the Digital Diamond Baseball installation folder. 
  • Historical normalization year:  This options specifies the year in which all player stats will be normalized to.  For example, if there are players in a library from the 1899 season and the 2010 season, and this option is set to 2010, then all players in the library will be normalized to 2010.  As a result, event probabilities for the players from the 1899 season will be adjusted accordingly, ensuring a fair playing field for all players in the library.  The historical normalization year can be any year that has a corresponding league average file stored in the league averages folder.  This value is stored inside each player library.  As a result, setting this to a different year will only have an effect on the currently active library.
  • Normalization penalty for batters/runners/fielders: Minimum playing time normalization attempts to adjust event probabilities for batters, runners, and fielders that don't meet a minimum number of plate appearances, stolen base attempts, or fielding chances in real life (see Explaining Normalization).  This adjustment moves the probabilities towards a reduced league average.  This option specifies how much the target probabilities should be reduced from the league average for batters, runners and fielders.  This option must be between 0-999, where a value of 1 is equivalent to 0.1%.
  • Normalization penalty for pitchers: Minimum playing time normalization attempts to adjust event probabilities for pitchers that don't meet a minimum number of plate appearances in real life (see Explaining Normalization).  This adjustment moves the probabilities towards a reduced league average.  This option specifies how much the target probabilities should be reduced from the league average for pitchers.  This option must be between 0-999, where a value of 1 is equivalent to 0.1%.

Batting Normalization Options

  • Minimum PA before normalization: This options specifies the minimum number of real-life plate appearances required for a batter to avoid minimum playing time normalization.
  • Minimum probability for a batting stat: Minimum playing time normalization often results in a reduction in a player's event probabilities (see Explaining Normalization).  This option specifies the smallest value allowed for a batting event probability.  This option must be between 0-999, where a value of 1 is equivalent to 0.1%.  For example, a value of 1 prevents any batting probability from dropping below 0.1%.

Pitching Normalization Options

  • Minimum BF allowed before normalization: This options specifies the minimum number of batters faced (in real-life) required for a pitcher to avoid minimum playing time normalization.
  • Minimum probability for a pitching stat: Minimum playing time normalization often results in a reduction in a player's event probabilities (see Explaining Normalization).  This option specifies the smallest value allowed for a pitching event probability.  This option must be between 0-999, where a value of 1 is equivalent to 0.1%.  For example, a value of 1 prevents any pitching probability from dropping below 0.1%.

Running Normalization Options

  • Minimum SB before normalization: This options specifies the minimum number of stolen bases (in real-life) required for a runner to avoid minimum playing time normalization.
  • Minimum stolen base rate: Minimum playing time normalization can result in a reduction in a player's stolen base rate (see Explaining Normalization).  This option specifies the smallest value allowed for a player's stolen base rate.  This option must be between 0-999, where a value of 1 is equivalent to 0.1%.  For example, a value of 350 prevents any stolen base rate from dropping below 35%.
  • Maximum stolen base rate: While minimum playing time normalization often results in a reduction in a player's stolen base rate (see Explaining Normalization), there is still the possibility that the stolen base rate ends up being unrealistically high.  This option specifies the largest value allowed for a stolen base rate.  This option must be between 0-999, where a value of 1 is equivalent to 0.1%.  For example, a value of 950 prevents any stolen base rate from exceeding 95%.

Fielding Normalization Options

  • Minimum fielding chances allowed before normalization: This options specifies the minimum number of chances at a position (in real-life) required for a fielder to avoid minimum playing time normalization at that position.
  • Penalty when playing completely out of position: This option specifies the penalty to apply to a fielder when they play completely out of position (see How Ratings are Calculated for information about when a player is considered to be playing completely out of position).  The error rate for the position is equal the league fielding average at the position plus the value of this option.  This option must be between 0-999, where a value of 1 is equivalent to 0.1%.  For example, a value of 100 causes the error rate of a player playing completely out of position to be 10% higher than the league average at that position.
  • Penalty when playing a similar position: This option specifies the penalty to apply to a fielder when they play a position similar to a position that they are qualified to play (see How Ratings are Calculated for information about when a player is considered to be playing a similar position).  The error rate for the position is equal the league fielding average at the position plus the value of this option.  This option must be between 0-999, where a value of 1 is equivalent to 0.1%.  For example, a value of 50 causes the error rate of a player playing a similar position to be 5% higher than the league average at that position.
  • Minimum error rate: Minimum playing time normalization can result in a reduction in a player's error rate (see Explaining Normalization).  This option specifies the smallest value allowed for a player's error rate.  This option must be between 0-999, where a value of 1 is equivalent to 0.1%.  For example, a value of 10 prevents an error rate from dropping below 1%.
  • Maximum error rate: While minimum playing time normalization often results in a reduction in a player's error rate (see Explaining Normalization), there is still the possibility that the error rate ends up being unrealistically high.  This option specifies the largest value allowed for an error base rate.  This option must be between 0-999, where a value of 1 is equivalent to 0.1%.  For example, a value of 250 prevents any stolen base rate from exceeding 25%.