Do you use "personal catchers"?

Willie McCubby · 04-05-2017, 09:45 AM

Just curious if any OOTP game players set-up their 7-day lineups to pair a "personal catcher" with a starter, like Rene Rivera catching Noah Syndergaard? Ever sim the difference with/without?

drowssap · 04-06-2017, 06:02 PM

No, but I've thought about it. I should try it. I just usually use the backup C on day games after night and when I use Bethancourt to pitch

Padreman · 04-06-2017, 07:22 PM

No

BeanballComin · 04-06-2017, 08:35 PM

When I played historical I always had J.C. Martin catching for Gary Peters.
Oddly, I've never tried that strategy in any fictional league.
With OOTP now using 'team chemistry' as a relationship tip, perhaps I should be using them.

NoOne · 04-06-2017, 09:10 PM

I don't bother, and while i think it's possible, i don't think this type of effect is in the game.

(maybe based on a pitch, like the knuckleball gets more pb at a higher C-ability ? in general, you may want to use your better defensive guy with a knuckleballer (if that's the case), but even that is just a guess and requires more than casual observation while playing.)

if there is an effect related in the game to catcher ability or ?? and handling certain pitches or some other aspect of a pitcher (movement?)... seems rational, but should be based on RL regardless of a common sense hypothesis.

i guess you'd have to compare multiple years of passed balls or some other combo of stats etc? it won't be a random player that's better with this or that pitcher.

i religiously stick to 50+/100 defense catcher abilities and i really don't even notice much of a difference with the pitching staff ERAs -- i'm sure there is some effect, it's just quite small to see with casual observance.

because i avoid the really bad ones, i may be blind to the major effect(s) of catching ability rating

i remember varitek had his job in boston so late into his career almost exclusively to catch the knuckleballer SP, eh? (even lost him, and got him back when the pitcher had an off-year or two? i do not follow boston - forgive any errors)

TuckerDuckson · 04-06-2017, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoOne

I don't bother, and while i think it's possible, i don't think this type of effect is in the game.

(maybe based on a pitch, like the knuckleball gets more pb at a higher C-ability ? in general, you may want to use your better defensive guy with a knuckleballer (if that's the case), but even that is just a guess and requires more than casual observation while playing.)

if there is an effect related in the game to catcher ability or ?? and handling certain pitches or some other aspect of a pitcher (movement?)... seems rational, but should be based on RL regardless of a common sense hypothesis.

i guess you'd have to compare multiple years of passed balls or some other combo of stats etc? it won't be a random player that's better with this or that pitcher.

i religiously stick to 50+/100 defense catcher abilities and i really don't even notice much of a difference with the pitching staff ERAs -- i'm sure there is some effect, it's just quite small to see with casual observance.

because i avoid the really bad ones, i may be blind to the major effect(s) of catching ability rating

i remember varitek had his job in boston so late into his career almost exclusively to catch the knuckleballer SP, eh? (even lost him, and got him back when the pitcher had an off-year or two? i do not follow boston - forgive any errors)

I've actually used a personal catcher once. I had drafted like a 5 star knuckleballer in the first round who developed way quicker than expected. So he was in my rotation the year after he was drafted and my starting catcher was an extreme offense first guy (like 40 catcher rating overall) So I specifically went out and got a catcher with an 80 rating and had him backup and specifically start on the days the knuckleballer pitched.

The catcher was like a career indy ball backup who had never gotten drafted and when he was 27 he just got a ML contract from me purely because he was a very elite defensive catcher.

Just for reference in like 4 games that my main catcher caught my knuckleballer he had like 4-5 PB a game that I manual simmed. Let's just say it is effective to have a good defensive catcher when you have a legit knuckleball starter.

NoOne · 04-06-2017, 10:50 PM

that's a function of defensive ability. if you traded for any other equivalent guy, it would be interchangeable.

a bit different than how i read a "personal catcher" to be, but .. definitely not written in stone anywhere, lol.

i jump at knuckleballers, too... a decent catcher rating is good enough in my experience to avoid the 4-5pb a game, but i bet the pb-rate increases faster as the defensive rating goes down, as compared to other pitches for sure. so, the borderline (any type, really) guys are worse than normal with that type of pitcher.

TuckerDuckson · 04-06-2017, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoOne

that's a function of defensive ability. if you traded for any other equivalent guy, it would be interchangeable.

a bit different than how i read a "personal catcher" to be, but .. definitely not written in stone anywhere, lol.

i jump at knuckleballers, too... a decent catcher rating is good enough in my experience to avoid the 4-5pb a game, but i bet the pb-rate increases faster as the defensive rating goes down, as compared to other pitches for sure. so, the borderline (any type, really) guys are worse than normal with that type of pitcher.

Technically, he caught exclusively for the Knuckleballer. He was like Josh Thole, he caught specifically and only for Dickey because Russell Martin didn't like/could catch Dickey. This allowed for Martin to stay rested because he was getting a day off every 5 days. See, I never had the catcher start other than for the Knuckleballer. So he falls under the "personal catcher" rule even if he was my backup since I never had him truly backup like Drew Butera or any other backup equivalent.

BBGiovanni · 04-06-2017, 11:50 PM

No, but it would probably be a good practice. There wouldn't be a particular game effect, but the regular rest for the primary C would make sure he isn't gassed going into an important series (like if you forget to rest him)..

clamel · 04-07-2017, 08:07 AM

Really mates ?
Do this personal catcher have any role at all. I recall older versions didn't care who was catching who.

I once asked for the importance of not only knuckleball pitcher getting a top rated catcher, but also a rookie pitcher gets guided better with a veteran good catcher.

Then the issue was the catcher have no baring on how the pitcher makes his pitches and so on.

Could I hope that the AI in this game really have started to tend to the battery.

MrBojangles · 04-07-2017, 10:05 AM

I don't remember the details but I remember older posts with debates on the general affect of good catchers on pitchers and if the good catchers actually help the pitchers.
I don't remember debate on personal catchers helping specific pitchers. While I think there is a fun game immersion aspect to this, I doubt it is actually a detail that is coded into the game.

04-05-2017, 09:45 AM	#1
Willie McCubby Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Missouri, USA Posts: 39	Do you use "personal catchers"? Just curious if any OOTP game players set-up their 7-day lineups to pair a "personal catcher" with a starter, like Rene Rivera catching Noah Syndergaard? Ever sim the difference with/without?

04-06-2017, 07:22 PM	#3
Padreman Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2013 Location: Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico (formally San Diego, CA.) Posts: 4,138	No __________________ Chargers= Despicable Traitors

04-06-2017, 10:50 PM	#7
NoOne Banned Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 7,273 Infractions: 0/1 (3)	that's a function of defensive ability. if you traded for any other equivalent guy, it would be interchangeable. a bit different than how i read a "personal catcher" to be, but .. definitely not written in stone anywhere, lol. i jump at knuckleballers, too... a decent catcher rating is good enough in my experience to avoid the 4-5pb a game, but i bet the pb-rate increases faster as the defensive rating goes down, as compared to other pitches for sure. so, the borderline (any type, really) guys are worse than normal with that type of pitcher. Last edited by NoOne; 04-06-2017 at 10:51 PM.

04-06-2017, 06:02 PM	#2
drowssap Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 128	No, but I've thought about it. I should try it. I just usually use the backup C on day games after night and when I use Bethancourt to pitch

04-06-2017, 08:35 PM	#4
BeanballComin Minors (Double A) Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 162	When I played historical I always had J.C. Martin catching for Gary Peters. Oddly, I've never tried that strategy in any fictional league. With OOTP now using 'team chemistry' as a relationship tip, perhaps I should be using them.

04-06-2017, 09:10 PM	#5
NoOne Banned Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 7,273 Infractions: 0/1 (3)	I don't bother, and while i think it's possible, i don't think this type of effect is in the game. (maybe based on a pitch, like the knuckleball gets more pb at a higher C-ability ? in general, you may want to use your better defensive guy with a knuckleballer (if that's the case), but even that is just a guess and requires more than casual observation while playing.) if there is an effect related in the game to catcher ability or ?? and handling certain pitches or some other aspect of a pitcher (movement?)... seems rational, but should be based on RL regardless of a common sense hypothesis. i guess you'd have to compare multiple years of passed balls or some other combo of stats etc? it won't be a random player that's better with this or that pitcher. i religiously stick to 50+/100 defense catcher abilities and i really don't even notice much of a difference with the pitching staff ERAs -- i'm sure there is some effect, it's just quite small to see with casual observance. because i avoid the really bad ones, i may be blind to the major effect(s) of catching ability rating i remember varitek had his job in boston so late into his career almost exclusively to catch the knuckleballer SP, eh? (even lost him, and got him back when the pitcher had an off-year or two? i do not follow boston - forgive any errors)

04-06-2017, 11:50 PM	#9
BBGiovanni All Star Starter Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Republic of California Posts: 1,910	No, but it would probably be a good practice. There wouldn't be a particular game effect, but the regular rest for the primary C would make sure he isn't gassed going into an important series (like if you forget to rest him)..

04-07-2017, 08:07 AM	#10
clamel All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Across the Pond Posts: 1,037	Really mates ? Do this personal catcher have any role at all. I recall older versions didn't care who was catching who. I once asked for the importance of not only knuckleball pitcher getting a top rated catcher, but also a rookie pitcher gets guided better with a veteran good catcher. Then the issue was the catcher have no baring on how the pitcher makes his pitches and so on. Could I hope that the AI in this game really have started to tend to the battery.

04-07-2017, 10:05 AM	#11
MrBojangles All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: low and inside Posts: 568	I don't remember the details but I remember older posts with debates on the general affect of good catchers on pitchers and if the good catchers actually help the pitchers. I don't remember debate on personal catchers helping specific pitchers. While I think there is a fun game immersion aspect to this, I doubt it is actually a detail that is coded into the game.