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I remember reading an article from Jim Caple (I think) several years ago where he suggested that teams might consider the role of an OPENER, starting the game with the guy who might be your closer, since the first inning is the only inning where the opposition is GUARANTEED to bring their own ideal lineup.
I've tried this a few times just to play with it, and still seem to prefer bringing the guy in when we're really in trouble. However, if you have 2-3 really solid relievers, it's more palatable to use one guy up front if you can be assured you have more for later.
I like the idea of creating a stat called a STOP, where the relief pitcher comes in with runners in scoring position, but no one scores.
Now, this is a little underhanded, but I don't know why it couldn't work in real baseball-
If you play around with the idea of the OPENER, you don't have to announce the pitcher that's going to pitch the bulk of your innings. You can wait until you see the other team's lineup to choose a pitcher and then either exploit the other team's weaknesses or force them to start making substitutions in the second and third innings. Sounds kind of like a Joe Maddon move to me.
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