Pros and Cons on using doubleheaders in OOTPB

Eugene Church · 05-26-2005, 12:22 PM

Someone recently pm'd me on how to use doubleheaders in the game.

Just thought I would share it as it really has made the game more realistic for my Alltime Allstar Association and fictional leagues. It really add another element to managing your pitching staff .

Keep in mind, my leagues are set up to emulate 1950's baseball, when doubleheaders were played quite often.

You also get much more realistic pitching stats as the entire staff is used. The AI seems to neglect at least two MR's on each staff, even if they have good ERA's. You don't have to use the "spot starter" slot, which I have not found to be very realistic.

IMPORTANT: Get a balanced schedule with "off days" so that the staff will get some rest occasionally. I use a real MLB schedule created by Le Grande Orange...probably from the 1950's.

If you use doubleheaders, you cannot sim a day at a time...a week at a time...or longer. If you do many times the first game starting pitcher will also pitch the second game.

If you sim, you must do it one game at a time.

You have to manually select the starters by choosing the "Play" button on the schedule page instead of the "Sim" button. This will put you in the "play the game out" mode. Set your lineups and starting pitchers, then go to the Main Game screen where you can play out the game. If you want to sim the entire game, just select "End" and it will sim the whole game. I sim the first 6 innings inning by inning until I get to the 7th, then I play out the rest of the game. This allows me to control almost all of the substitutions in the game. I sometimes sim a half inning at a time in the first 6 innings, whenever a pitcher is being hit hard and might be pulled for a pinchhitter. If I see the pitcher could come to bat in an inning, I play out that inning, so I can make the sub, and not the AI.

The only negative things about playing doubleheaders is the "fatigue" is not updated until all of the day's games are finished. I don't use "fatigue" so it is no problem for me. The game will let a pitcher pitch in both games and thinks he is only playing in one game. I try to use the pitcher in a realistic fashion...a starter cannot be used in the second game...however, relievers can be used in both games.

Second game scores are not listed on the team schedule page...and I don't think second games are listed on the team schedule.

On the player report page (html) in the player's last ten games stats, it list the score of the first game as the score of the second game, too. But the stats are added correctly. You just don't get the score of the second game listed.

Other than these minor irritants, doubleheaders work great and added a great element to the game, because you have to really pay attention to your pitching rotations. If you don't, they will get overworked. Many times you have to use a pitcher longer in a game because you just don't have rested pitchers. Sometimes you have to use a second line pitcher as a starter to give the starters rest...same thing in the bullpen.

I set all of the pitchers to "MR"...this allows starters to relieve and relievers to start...a pitcher with the "MR" designation can pitch several days in a row. If he is listed as a "SP", he will not be available as much.

For 1950's style baseball, you must also carry at least 9 pitchers. If you carry less than that, it will overwork the staff and cause the AI to put position players in too often as pitchers in extra inning games.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I will be glad to share my experiences with you.

Keep in mind, I do not use financials, fatigue, minors, manager mode, coaches, scouts. Although I don't think doubleheaders will effect all of these areas.

Hope this is useful.

jaxmagicman · 05-26-2005, 04:46 PM

I really don't see any pros to it outside of being more realistic. Maybe you can play more games in less times.

The cons are that your players are tired (but you don't use fatigue so it really makes no difference) it is harder to plan for and you have to do work to make it double hitters.

Le Grande Orange · 05-26-2005, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaxmagicman

I really don't see any pros to it outside of being more realistic. Maybe you can play more games in less times.

The cons are that your players are tired (but you don't use fatigue so it really makes no difference) it is harder to plan for and you have to do work to make it double hitters.

Technically, the players aren't any more tired because the fatigue is only updated at the end of the day, not each game. The result is, from a fatigue standpoint, that only one game's worth of fatigue is calculated whether one game or two was played.

When simming a day with doubleheaders, having the position players playing in both games is not a big issue I don't think. It's the same pitcher pitching both games when simming, that's the main irritant, since, as Eugene mentioned, to avoid this you have to do more work.

In any case, the issue is moot for OOTP7 since doubleheaders will work fine in that game (they also work fine in PureSim).

bjkach · 05-26-2005, 08:46 PM

The only problem I had with previous versions is that the standings didn't update with both games, just one of them. I haven't played any doubleheaders with OOTP6 yet so can you tell me if the standings update OK. Thanks.

Eugene Church · 05-27-2005, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjkach

The only problem I had with previous versions is that the standings didn't update with both games, just one of them. I haven't played any doubleheaders with OOTP6 yet so can you tell me if the standings update OK. Thanks.

Fortunately, I have never had this problem and I think I began using Doubleheaders with OOTP4...maybe OOTP5.

I would not use doubleheaders if something major like this occurred.

I have found that all stats are updated. There are only minor things like the team schedule not showing the results of the second game...and the team schedule not showing the second game...and on the player report (html page) where it shows his performance for the last ten games, it gives the score of the first game twice for a doubleheader and does not show the score of the second game....however all the players stats are there for both games.

The game accurately updates individual, team and league stats when doubleheaders are used. At least with the method I use.

If you play doubleheaders according to the way I do it, you should not have any standings problems.

You are the first person to have this problem that I know of.

05-26-2005, 12:22 PM	#1
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 36,140	Pros and Cons on using doubleheaders in OOTPB Someone recently pm'd me on how to use doubleheaders in the game. Just thought I would share it as it really has made the game more realistic for my Alltime Allstar Association and fictional leagues. It really add another element to managing your pitching staff . Keep in mind, my leagues are set up to emulate 1950's baseball, when doubleheaders were played quite often. You also get much more realistic pitching stats as the entire staff is used. The AI seems to neglect at least two MR's on each staff, even if they have good ERA's. You don't have to use the "spot starter" slot, which I have not found to be very realistic. IMPORTANT: Get a balanced schedule with "off days" so that the staff will get some rest occasionally. I use a real MLB schedule created by Le Grande Orange...probably from the 1950's. If you use doubleheaders, you cannot sim a day at a time...a week at a time...or longer. If you do many times the first game starting pitcher will also pitch the second game. If you sim, you must do it one game at a time. You have to manually select the starters by choosing the "Play" button on the schedule page instead of the "Sim" button. This will put you in the "play the game out" mode. Set your lineups and starting pitchers, then go to the Main Game screen where you can play out the game. If you want to sim the entire game, just select "End" and it will sim the whole game. I sim the first 6 innings inning by inning until I get to the 7th, then I play out the rest of the game. This allows me to control almost all of the substitutions in the game. I sometimes sim a half inning at a time in the first 6 innings, whenever a pitcher is being hit hard and might be pulled for a pinchhitter. If I see the pitcher could come to bat in an inning, I play out that inning, so I can make the sub, and not the AI. The only negative things about playing doubleheaders is the "fatigue" is not updated until all of the day's games are finished. I don't use "fatigue" so it is no problem for me. The game will let a pitcher pitch in both games and thinks he is only playing in one game. I try to use the pitcher in a realistic fashion...a starter cannot be used in the second game...however, relievers can be used in both games. Second game scores are not listed on the team schedule page...and I don't think second games are listed on the team schedule. On the player report page (html) in the player's last ten games stats, it list the score of the first game as the score of the second game, too. But the stats are added correctly. You just don't get the score of the second game listed. Other than these minor irritants, doubleheaders work great and added a great element to the game, because you have to really pay attention to your pitching rotations. If you don't, they will get overworked. Many times you have to use a pitcher longer in a game because you just don't have rested pitchers. Sometimes you have to use a second line pitcher as a starter to give the starters rest...same thing in the bullpen. I set all of the pitchers to "MR"...this allows starters to relieve and relievers to start...a pitcher with the "MR" designation can pitch several days in a row. If he is listed as a "SP", he will not be available as much. For 1950's style baseball, you must also carry at least 9 pitchers. If you carry less than that, it will overwork the staff and cause the AI to put position players in too often as pitchers in extra inning games. Let me know if you have any other questions. I will be glad to share my experiences with you. Keep in mind, I do not use financials, fatigue, minors, manager mode, coaches, scouts. Although I don't think doubleheaders will effect all of these areas. Hope this is useful. Last edited by Eugene Church; 05-26-2005 at 05:37 PM.

05-26-2005, 04:46 PM	#2
jaxmagicman Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Retired defloration-maker living in Myrtle Beach, SC Posts: 7,801	I really don't see any pros to it outside of being more realistic. Maybe you can play more games in less times. The cons are that your players are tired (but you don't use fatigue so it really makes no difference) it is harder to plan for and you have to do work to make it double hitters. __________________ See ID Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Minor League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with the permission of Minor League Baseball. All rights reserved.

05-26-2005, 08:46 PM	#4
bjkach Minors (Single A) Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 85	The only problem I had with previous versions is that the standings didn't update with both games, just one of them. I haven't played any doubleheaders with OOTP6 yet so can you tell me if the standings update OK. Thanks.