[dunningrb]

It's always seemed to me that the AI is too reluctant to execute a double-switch as opposed to a direct substitution into the 9 hole. I've also seen the AI change pitchers apparently in anticipation of my on-deck hitter, which I don't think would ever happen in real life if that hitter is a likely to be lifted for a PH. I think the AI is pretty solid, but any improvement in its ability to look ahead and act (or not act) in anticipation of what I'm likely to do will just make the game even better.

I don't know how the AI is coded, but some thoughts:

(1) One approach would be to silently simulate the remainder of the game with varying decisions for both teams to determine the best choice for the current situation--like what a very basic chess engine would do.

(2) Another option is for the developers could code a Markov chain subroutine to calculate outcome probabilities and determine which of several possible choices is most likely to result in a winning game.

Anyway, I'd love to see a super-advanced AI with the emphasis on the "artificial." It's one thing to try to out-manage Tommy Lasorda. It's another to try to out-manage an HAL-9000.

Not directly related to the AI logic, some other welcome changes regarding in-game situations:

* defensive substitutions or position changes are not noted in the play-by-play;
* when a pinch-hitter is announced there's no mention of the name of the player he's hitting for; I have to go to the box score to see this;
* injury substitutions are made too early-- e.g., when a player is injured during a plate appearance his substitute is immediately determined and placed into the lineup. In real life, a manager will wait for the half inning to end to determine what substitution he wants to make. In terms of the official rules, the substituted player isn't officially in the game until the half inning ends and his team takes the field, but in OOTP he *is* in the game officially, so it seems there's an inconsistency between OOTP and the official rules.