SIM COMPLETE - 1998 - SIM 25

[Clay]

What do you mean by roles? Like your Closer isn't being used as a Closer? Setup being used as LR? Etc. ?

You have to factor in the tired factor as well. Very often, if a pitcher is tired, he'll get skipped right over.

[Carlos]

What do you mean by roles? Like your Closer isn't being used as a Closer? Setup being used as LR? Etc. ?

You have to factor in the tired factor as well. Very often, if a pitcher is tired, he'll get skipped right over.

I mean having a well rested reliever placed as MR#1 and SU#1 and constantly being overlooked for guys not placed in any role on the depth chart.

The guys are not being used at all. At. All. They are well rested and have priority according to the only priority list given to us by OOTP.

Doesn't matter. OOTP ignores them. I sent Eddy Hernandez and Zack Hodges down this last sim because they were wasting their time (and active roster days) doing nothing despite their placement on the chart.


Sent from my mobile device.

[fsquid]

I was being serious as I will be submitting my first export tonight. I'll pay attention to this.

[BradZ]

Dammit. Dave Watkins, who was really starting to look like he had figured things out and was making a late push to get into the New Brew discussion (not that he was going to win, but maybe at least appear on most ballots), goes down with an injury. Diagnosis broken knee cap: 8 months. So now not only does he miss out on a chance at a strong finish to this season, but it'll impact him heading into next season as well. I hate late season injuries that end up spanning into the next.

[Carlos]

I was being serious as I will be submitting my first export tonight. I'll pay attention to this.

My research suggests that the list is cosmetic. And this is something people have always known (myself included since the days of OOTP 4).

Having a pitcher as MR#1 means nothing really in comparison to MR#2 (so long as their handiness is the same and both are equally rested). The AI simply looks at the available talent pool and makes a decision independent of the bullpen depth chart.

This is the worst AI design choice in the game and is reason #1 for the complaints regarding bullpen usage (keep in mind I am hardly the first to complain about this).

Now, of course, as Clay stated, if handiness is different or fatigue could affect performance/availability then the AI will choose based on talent and your settings. That's fair.

And set up men are mostly used in late game situations when the score is close. They are almost always used as closers for the 7th or 8th inning unless fatigue to MR slots is a factor forcing them to be used sooner.

Finally, no matter the score, the AI will almost always use a mop up reliever when a starter is incapable of going into the fifth. This causes many issues.

What if the score is 1-0 and the starter was injured in the 4th and your relievers are well rested? Doesn't matter. Your mop up will almost always be used in this situation. For many that makes sense but also consider the score and the fact that your mop up is usually your worst pitcher.

And one final thought: the larger issue with bullpen usage is that it is limited severely to mirror MLB bullpen usage. This is a travesty. Despite the immense customization of OOTP, there is no way to manage a bullpen during simming in another fashion, especially one that would fit better into the league you're working in.

I would wager that many in our league know that we cannot operate as MLB operates their teams. In fact, what has made most of the successful GMs in this league successful is that they ignore common systems.

They instead do what works in the game. One of my most stubborn decisions in this league is to continue operating as a GM of a real professional baseball team (with exception to a six-man rotation which I had begrudgingly accepted very early in the process is absolutely necessary). I won't get into what that means exactly but trust me, if I shared those decisions, many would consider it foolish because they know success isn't built on that sort of thinking here.

That's why I usually try not to answer questions some New GMs ask when comparing our league to real baseball with a serious answer.

The real answer will force you to fail.


Sent from my mobile device.

[Jim]

The tendencies in this game drive me crazy:

9/25/98 - C Pat Gould was injured while throwing the ball.(out 1-2 weeks)
9/26/98 - SS Zack Richardson was injured while throwing the ball.(out 6-7 weeks)
9/27/98 - RF Samuel Helmrich was injured while throwing the ball. (out 4 days)

Seriously, 3 guys hurt in 3 consecutive days, all with the same injury?

[Dave]

Seven games left, tied for the wildcard, and we prepare to enter the crucible: a 7-game road trip featuring three against division-leading Los Lunas, and four against wild card co-leader Los Angeles to end the season.

Time to put the league's best road record to the test.

[Jistic]

Too little too late. We'd need a 4 game sweep over the Bandits to even have a chance. If we went by PYT record we'd be in the Wild Card, but alas we love blowing games in the 9th inning.

Good news we're guaranteed an over .500 finish now for the first time in years and could end up a 20 win improvement from last year.

Angelo Gonazles came out of the pen to pitch a gem. 8 innings, no runs. He'll have one more chance. He's a two pitch pitcher so I'm guessing that was an aberration.

Can't wait to see this last week in the Lager.

[Carlos]

Because I'm gonna continue to harp on bullpen usage.

A theory I have, but haven't exactly studied to prove just yet, is that bullpen usage will vary according to record.

So a team like Virginia is more likely to see their bullpen used as they want than a team like Denver.

Why? Value.

I'll elaborate.

My theory is that the AI Manager will always try to save his best relievers for winnable games.

So, in Denver's case, the top relievers appear in less games because they have less opportunity to actually hold a lead (take for instance Juan Jose Gonzalez appearing in 17 less games than Curt Stewart who is lower on the SU depth chart. Granted Gonzalez was injured for two weeks, but two weeks does not cover 17 appearances. At most it could only cover 14 and no one is appearing in every game for two weeks). Rather, the AI Manager has opted to place the least talented of the relievers into the game believing that the score is already out of reach and it makes more sense to spend that reliever's arm than the more valuable reliever's.

In Virginia's case, because starters are going deeper into games (they are more talented starters) and the offense is keeping games out of reach (more than a team like Denver's can), quality relievers are used more often to hold onto late leads (look at Gray's usage in comparison to every other reliever). This allows a few things:

1. The top reliever on the chart is used more often because he is the top reliever.
2. The top set-up reliever is used more often in late-game situations because he is the top set-up reliever.
3. Both of those relievers throw fewer innings per appearance because they will only throw 0.1-1.0 innings per appearance, allowing them to remain fresher and to be used in more similar situations (see that Gray has appeared in 84 games and thrown 84 innings; Adrian Martinez 63 games and 60 Innings. Compared to Juan Jose Gonzalez appearing in 51 games and throwing 70 innings. And stamina isn't the reason because Martinez is by far the most capable of throwing 10 innings in a game if needed).

In contrast:

Because the lesser team is holding back quality relievers and losing more games, the lower quality arms begin to fatigue hard (see Julian Rodriguez's innings per appearance. He is routinely placed at the bottom of the depth chart, yet is used hard by the AI Manager). This then forces the quality relievers to appear for more innings per game in games that do not require them holding onto a lead (see again Juan Jose Gonzalez or Ole Mens or Ivan Olivo. For Olivo he was a starter but look at his usage history with Virginia as a closer and his usage history as a closer for Denver. The innings per appearance are much higher with Denver). And this test continues as you start looking at other winning teams compared to losing teams.

This usage creates a domino effect that inadvertently destroys the very basic class system of the bullpen depth chart.

[Delandis]

4-2 and we are ready to roll. Pitching looks pretty solid and Brad Antell looks ready to step in if Geoff isn't ready by the first series.

I really have no preference who I play since I know every team that can make the playoffs, has proven they can beat us in a 7 game series.

[Jimmy]

Too little too late. We'd need a 4 game sweep over the Bandits to even have a chance. If we went by PYT record we'd be in the Wild Card, but alas we love blowing games in the 9th inning.

Good news we're guaranteed an over .500 finish now for the first time in years and could end up a 20 win improvement from last year.

Angelo Gonazles came out of the pen to pitch a gem. 8 innings, no runs. He'll have one more chance. He's a two pitch pitcher so I'm guessing that was an aberration.

Can't wait to see this last week in the Lager.

I can. Morris will be talked about extensively when this season is over. I love a guy who hits .60 under my scouts potential. Just figured I'd let you know.

[Carlos]

Or maybe my team just sucks. That explains everything.


Sent from my mobile device.

[Jistic]

I can. Morris will be talked about extensively when this season is over. I love a guy who hits .60 under my scouts potential. Just figured I'd let you know.

We've been watching him.

[Delandis]

And finally acceptance.

[Delandis]

Or maybe my team just sucks. That explains everything.


Sent from my mobile device.

And finally acceptance.