Name
A player's name is generated randomly; re-naming a player is allowed in some commissioner run leagues. A collection of some funny and head-scratching names over the years -
Crazy Names in BaseHit. If you are interested in learning a bit of the BaseHit history, here's a name-related story from the early days of CSFBL/BaseHit -
The Story Of Winthrop.
Position
Each player has a primary position and defensive ratings specific to that position. If a player plays out of position, his range (RA) and glove (GL) ratings will be worse than at his primary position. Arm (AR) rating is worse if playing catcher out of position. The actual reduction depends on the degree of difficulty of the new position compared to the primary position. For example, a shortstop playing first base will not have a significant drop in performance, but a first baseman playing shortstop will.
*Specific details can be found in
Playing Out Of Position And Position Changes.
Age
The BaseHit player pool has prospects as young as 17 and veterans that play into their 40s. Players age one year at the end of each season, and the effects of aging are reflected in their ratings. As young players age, their ratings increase. As older players age, their ratings decline. Not all ratings peak and decline at the same rate or the same age - speed (SP), for example, peaks early, whereas discipline (DI) peaks late. Similarly, not all players peak at the same age (some blossom early, some are late bloomers), and not all players decline at the same rate (some decline rapidly, some decline slowly). Generally, players reach their peak performance sometime in the 26-29 yo range - not all players reach their potential.
Bats and Throws
The hand by which a player bats (L)eft, (R)ight or (S)witch and the hand he uses to throw (L)eft or (R)ight. Switch-hitters will always bat on the opposite side of the plate from the opposing pitcher. Keep in mind that left-handed throwers are penalized for playing C, 2B, 3B or SS. Also note that right-handed batters typically hit better versus left-handed pitchers and left-handed batters typically hit better versus right-handed pitchers. Along the same lines, right-handed pitchers typically do better when facing right-handed hitters, and left-handed pitchers typically do better when facing left-handed hitters.
Height and Weight
This data is purely informational. Height never changes - players are assumed to be at their adult height when they start playing professional baseball. Weight can change over time, especially as a player ages and his ratings change (young players who bulk up in their 20's, older players who slow down and get a little porkier, etc.). These characteristics have no significant impact on game performance (but some say a tall first-baseman with a good reach is worth something).
Experience
Threshold for gaining experience:
AB = Number of Games x .8 (128 at-bats in standard 160 game league)
IP = Number of Games x .3 (48 innings pitched in standard 160 game league)
A player is credited with their first year of experience after the season in which their career stats meet one of the experience thresholds, and are credited with additional years of experience each season that they meet the threshold.
Salary
The amount of money a team needs to pay a player. Player salary is calculated for next season at the beginning of the postseason, and players automatically re-sign with their team. Although BaseHit does not impose any strict salary cap, all public league teams have $50 million to spend, while private leagues have varying caps ranging from $25 to $75 million. You cannot negotiate a player's salary; they know what they want, and they are going to get it - unless you cut them.
Player salary is determined by ratings, performance, and a player's inherent 'greed' factor, with actual statistical performance on the field becoming more and more important over time.
Acquired By
The player card shows how a player ended up on their current team, via draft, trade, or free agency.
Drafted
Players who were signed during the annual Amateur Draft will show which team drafted them, where they were drafted, and what year they were drafted. If you click on the draft year, you will be taken to a page with a detailed view of the draft where you can compare the player's performance to the rest of the draft class.