Downloading Stat Projections Problem

[RobR]

The format is reverted. Let me know any further issues.

[RobR]

Ron just emailed me and asked me to revert the name format to match last season. I'll be doing the work before the end of the weekend.

This won't stop all names from changing througout the year, but will remove middle initial and put first and last names in separate columns.

Sorry for going full circle on you.

[nawi88ems]

i was also disappointed that the name format had changed. to fix it back, i used a RIGHT function on the name and SEARCH'd those results for a space " ". the result is either a 1 or a 2. a 1 means a middle initial exists, a 2 means it doesn't. you should be able to then use that to perform a series of LEN functions to parse the single column into a last name (LEFT) and a first name (MID) without the middle initial. i'm back on track now.

[DSchmitz3]

I'm with reddeer

There is a small contingent that use excel to do a number of functions that RotoLab does. To have names of players changing throughout the year and including middle initials for some players but not others is frustrating. I understand the need for the two Chris Young's in the NL, but is there anything we can do to limit those two things?

[reddeer]

Will all players have a middle initial or just some?

[reddeer]

That's too bad. Having to know the middle initial for every player is going to be a pain when using my spreadsheet during the draft...

[RobR]

Player names can change throughout the year as stat feed updates make their way to us. One column of last, first initial naming is here for the year.

[Tom_T]

Tom, you could highlight only those rows of the spreadsheet that contain relevant data and then click on the column, autofit option. That should do the trick too.

Thanks, I do know that. I'm just used to resizing the entire spreadsheet and saving so that I've got a nicer-looking set of projections on file. Every row of the spreadsheet is relevant to me, except for that last one...

[teddyballgame]

Tom, thanks for the hint about "autofit."
Silly me didn't bother to look in the "format" menu to solve my problem.
That step is much quicker than manually adjusting each column.

...if I only had a brain.

[reddeer]

I also have problems with the new format. I use vlookup and the new names are screwing me up. (Before I would always use the "&" function to change each players name from Last First to one column Last,First. That Last,First column is key to my vlookup.

Now the names have a space between the comma and first name and there are all kinds of middle initials and if they don't have a middle initial there is a space at the end after the player's first name. Is this the way it's going to be from now on?

I really don't want to have to go in and change all of my names to include all of the spaces and middle initials, so please let me know if it's going to be fixed or if these are the names that will be used from now on...

[Michael@HQ]

One thing about the large columns, probably unrelated to this discussion... when I select all columns and run AutoFit to adjust the widths, the first column with the name becomes huge. Why? Because the last line of the .CSV file is a long "Baseball HQ is intended for entertainment purposes..." message, and technically its in the first column, so Excel treats it like a very long player name. I always have to delete that line before I resize.

Tom, you could highlight only those rows of the spreadsheet that contain relevant data and then click on the column, autofit option. That should do the trick too.

[Tom_T]

One thing about the large columns, probably unrelated to this discussion... when I select all columns and run AutoFit to adjust the widths, the first column with the name becomes huge. Why? Because the last line of the .CSV file is a long "Baseball HQ is intended for entertainment purposes..." message, and technically its in the first column, so Excel treats it like a very long player name. I always have to delete that line before I resize.

[teddyballgame]

Yes, Mac here as well Ray.

[RAY@HQ]

Teddy, are you a Mac guy too? I've got a Mac at work, I'm not sure I've got Excel on it. I'll give it a try tomorrow if I get a chance.

[teddyballgame]

Ray, I am with Stat Boy in that something is different.
I downloaded last year's final stats as well and they fit perfectly, small columns and all.

When I download the CSV for this year's projections, I get large columns and when I try and save the content after I make changes, it gets all squished with the commas. ( I don't get lower case letter problem when I originally download to excel.)

Statboy, if you "Save as" and choose the "Excel Workbook" (the topmost choice) in the format area, it will save it in "Mac form" and you will not lose your changes.