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Old 12-16-2008, 08:55 PM   #3
PhillieFever
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sweed View Post
I agree with most of this post but never is a very strong word.



I think Vince Coleman or Ricky Henderson would tend to disagree with never steal third with no outs. I use the 20 scale for player ratings and if the AI had a 20\20 speed\stealing rated player I wouldn't have a problem with it trying to swipe a base in almost any situation as long as it wasn't an automatic 100% he's going thing.

In my current career I have a perennial steal leader that isn't even rated 20/20 and I have no problem anytime the AI sends him. Off the top of my head he's probably a 20/18 or at least in that neighborhood. I would like the AI to recognize it has a once in a generation player (the 20/20 type) and use him.

So instead of never maybe have the AI go with never for anyone below a certain speed\steal rating and the guys with 20-speed/20-steal no special restrictions and maybe prorate down to guys with a 17 steal rating going very rarely. Perhaps only against low rated throwing catchers and pitchers that don't hold runners well.

This is a case though where hard data could probably be found to support your "never" option or reveal what real MLB tendencies have been in these steal situations. I'm sure it's a very limited chance of players attempting steals in your example and Coleman and Henderson are extreme outliers in the history of MLB, the OOTP 20/20 type player that FWIW, in my dynasty, I don't think I've had.

Not trying to knock your ideas just that word never tends to bother me.

Now, maybe the AI cannot be made to take into account the 20/20 Coleman-Henderson, once in a million type player. Or maybe it's too hard to code or not worth the effort? I don't know I'm not a programmer.
If the AI cannot do this and the choice is to stay with the current system or go to "never", than I would go with never. It's the more realistic of the two choices.
Obviously,there are exceptions to the rule,I mean the players you mentioned are two of the best base stealers in the history of baseball so maybe they get a pass but 99% of the time its a terrible idea to try to steal third with no outs when a base hit will score them from second anyway.Hell,two groundballs and they'll score.In general there's a 50% chance that you'll be thrown out on a steal attempt,making it a sketchy proposition at best.
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