Great players who cannot hit

tcblcommish · 02-18-2008, 08:55 PM

Does anyone have any ideas for my slumping players? I have not really run into this before.

I have a great CFer, a great RFer and a very solid power hitting catcher, the problem is that all of a sudden, none can hit. Most of my team is playing fairly well, pitchers are doing ok but these 3 guys are the core and they suck this season.

I like the fact that players can do this but my question is, does anyone know how to try and kickstart these guys? I sat my CFer for 4 games and that didn't do much as he struck out 5 times in the next game. I am just not sure what to do right now.

My CFer has 3 mvps and hasn't really had this happen before. Again, this is NOT a complaint, just looking for ideas.

Thanks

Long_Long_Name · 02-18-2008, 08:58 PM

I don't know if there is anything you can do other than ride it out - maybe just like real life

.

tcblcommish · 02-18-2008, 09:30 PM

that's what I was afraid of. Thanks

captaincarl · 02-18-2008, 09:31 PM

The great Earl Weaver gave his vets every chance to work their way out of slumps. I think that you should just wait them out.

However, if the player is a rookie you may want to consider sending them down to AAA, provided that you have the minor leagues.

Babrook · 02-18-2008, 09:41 PM

Travis Hafner, 2007.

It happens.

tysok · 02-18-2008, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcblcommish

that's what I was afraid of. Thanks

Mix them up in your lineups. If you have them sitting at the 3, 4, and 5 spots... try moving the worst hitting one down to the 8 spot and switching the others etc. Whatever in order to shake them up. I've had a player that refused to hit in the 3 spot, he sucked, but crushed everything when he was hitting in the 6 spot.

discodude5 · 02-18-2008, 10:10 PM

Yeah I like moving them around in the lineup also, it seems to help some.

tcblcommish · 02-18-2008, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Babrook

Travis Hafner, 2007.

It happens.

This is an odd comment because of the question posed. I didn't say that it didn't happen. Just looking for some suggestions to trying to get them going.

Thanks though

statfreak · 02-18-2008, 10:36 PM

sometimes putting a player on the trade block increases their performance, other times not. Guess it depends on the player or it could just be coincidence... hmmm, that wasn't very helpful.

satchel · 02-19-2008, 01:51 AM

"Slump buster."

wlight1 · 02-19-2008, 02:30 AM

I'd definitely move one or more of them down in the lineup.

Don't just indiscriminately bench them -- bench them against good pitchers or pitchers against which they've got a tough matchup. If any of the slumpers are lefties, bench them against lefties and tough righties. Give them starts against softies or against pitchers against which they have a platoon advantage. In other words, soften their schedules to give them a chance to get their confidence back.

Fire your hitting coach. This probably won't technically have the effect you're looking for (unless, of course, you can replace him with a coach with better skills, in which case you should absolutely do that immediately), but then again it rarely does IRL and IRL it happens all the time. When no real solution presents itself, find a scapegoat.

koohead · 02-19-2008, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by satchel

"Slump buster."

HAHAHAHAHA!

Okay, on a more serious note...I had a former All-Star suddenly struggle to hit above the Mendoza line the following season. The reason? he was angry. Wanted to be traded to a winning team. I traded him to a playoff contender and he went on to put up MVP numbers the 2nd half of the year. Could be their morale.

tcblcommish · 02-19-2008, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koohead

HAHAHAHAHA!

Okay, on a more serious note...I had a former All-Star suddenly struggle to hit above the Mendoza line the following season. The reason? he was angry. Wanted to be traded to a winning team. I traded him to a playoff contender and he went on to put up MVP numbers the 2nd half of the year. Could be their morale.

I thought of that too but he is happy about everything except the fact that he is playing like crap. All 3 are the same. All happy overall but mad they suck

koohead · 02-19-2008, 02:41 PM

Was there a coaching change at all? You playing with ratings on? I'm assuming you checked their ratings and they just aren't getting old or anything right?

If everything is the same, then maybe they are just having one of those off years. sucks that the 3 of them decide to do it at the same time though. But that's the beauty of OOTP IMHO.

tcblcommish · 02-19-2008, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koohead

Was there a coaching change at all? You playing with ratings on? I'm assuming you checked their ratings and they just aren't getting old or anything right?

If everything is the same, then maybe they are just having one of those off years. sucks that the 3 of them decide to do it at the same time though. But that's the beauty of OOTP IMHO.

Nope, coaches are all the same and yes the ratings are all on. No scouting.

I love this aspect of OOTP as well, but it does really suck that they are all like this at the same time.

eriqjaffe · 02-19-2008, 03:56 PM

There's a term for great players who can't hit.

"Pitchers".

tcblcommish · 02-19-2008, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eriqjaffe

There's a term for great players who can't hit.

"Pitchers".

HAHA that's funny!!

ctorg · 02-20-2008, 08:50 AM

What you need to do is sit down with the guys and have a frank discussion. Maybe buy them a round of beers, invite them over to your place. Let them know that you're fully supportive of them, that you know it has been difficult, but that you know they are professionals and will work their way through this. Boost their self esteem.

magnet · 02-20-2008, 01:02 PM

I disagree. Kidnap the players and stuff them in Hefty bags. Leave them in an abandoned warehouse for 24 hours. If that doesn't give them the kick in the ass they need, then trade 'em!

zuty · 02-22-2008, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by discodude5

Yeah I like moving them around in the lineup also, it seems to help some.

Seriously?

It's a computer game, right? This means that there's no actual player who actually has any psychological reaction to being moved in the lineup...

Let me clarify. It would make sense (and be rather clever on the part of the programmers) if a player performed differently while batting in different parts of the order. But is there actually anything in the programming that supports the idea that a slumping player can be altered by batting in a different spot in the lineup?

Now that I'm thinking about it, and typing "out loud," so to speak, if a slump can be coded into a player's performance, and a change in skills can be a result of a different spot in the lineup, perhaps a coded-slump can be somehow undone by changing spots in the lineup...

Hmm...

If the lineup shift has an effect on a slumping player, does it actually have anything to do with a computerized psychological adjustment? And if that's so, are there other aspects of the game which affect this psyche? Days off, or lack thereof? Batting or pitching against a former teammate? Being on the road for too long?

How much of this game is baseball numbers and how much is therapy?

02-18-2008, 08:55 PM	#1
tcblcommish Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 3,444	Great players who cannot hit Does anyone have any ideas for my slumping players? I have not really run into this before. I have a great CFer, a great RFer and a very solid power hitting catcher, the problem is that all of a sudden, none can hit. Most of my team is playing fairly well, pitchers are doing ok but these 3 guys are the core and they suck this season. I like the fact that players can do this but my question is, does anyone know how to try and kickstart these guys? I sat my CFer for 4 games and that didn't do much as he struck out 5 times in the next game. I am just not sure what to do right now. My CFer has 3 mvps and hasn't really had this happen before. Again, this is NOT a complaint, just looking for ideas. Thanks

02-18-2008, 08:58 PM	#2
Long_Long_Name Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Montréal Posts: 7,065	I don't know if there is anything you can do other than ride it out - maybe just like real life . __________________ Beta Baseball. Join it!

02-19-2008, 01:51 AM	#10
satchel Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Ft Smith Ark. USA Posts: 2,681	"Slump buster." __________________ JL Commish NPBL Rhode Island Reds ’33 ’34 ’35 TCBA San Francisco Railbornes ’74 ’76 ’77 ’78 FL New Orleans Black Sox ’56 ’57 ’58 ’59

02-19-2008, 02:41 PM	#14
koohead Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 3,233	Was there a coaching change at all? You playing with ratings on? I'm assuming you checked their ratings and they just aren't getting old or anything right? If everything is the same, then maybe they are just having one of those off years. sucks that the 3 of them decide to do it at the same time though. But that's the beauty of OOTP IMHO. __________________ GM - New Jersey Bears of the NPBL;

02-19-2008, 03:56 PM	#16
eriqjaffe Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2003 Location: Under The Christmas Fish Posts: 7,733	There's a term for great players who can't hit. "Pitchers". __________________

02-18-2008, 09:30 PM	#3
tcblcommish Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 3,444	that's what I was afraid of. Thanks

02-18-2008, 09:31 PM	#4
captaincarl Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2003 Location: Barrington, RI Posts: 4,363	The great Earl Weaver gave his vets every chance to work their way out of slumps. I think that you should just wait them out. However, if the player is a rookie you may want to consider sending them down to AAA, provided that you have the minor leagues.

02-18-2008, 09:41 PM	#5
Babrook Minors (Single A) Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 59	Travis Hafner, 2007. It happens.

02-18-2008, 10:10 PM	#7
discodude5 Major Leagues Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Saskatchewan Posts: 371	Yeah I like moving them around in the lineup also, it seems to help some.

02-18-2008, 10:36 PM	#9
statfreak Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 2,434	sometimes putting a player on the trade block increases their performance, other times not. Guess it depends on the player or it could just be coincidence... hmmm, that wasn't very helpful.

02-19-2008, 02:30 AM	#11
wlight1 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 186	I'd definitely move one or more of them down in the lineup. Don't just indiscriminately bench them -- bench them against good pitchers or pitchers against which they've got a tough matchup. If any of the slumpers are lefties, bench them against lefties and tough righties. Give them starts against softies or against pitchers against which they have a platoon advantage. In other words, soften their schedules to give them a chance to get their confidence back. Fire your hitting coach. This probably won't technically have the effect you're looking for (unless, of course, you can replace him with a coach with better skills, in which case you should absolutely do that immediately), but then again it rarely does IRL and IRL it happens all the time. When no real solution presents itself, find a scapegoat.

02-20-2008, 08:50 AM	#18
ctorg Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 9,848	What you need to do is sit down with the guys and have a frank discussion. Maybe buy them a round of beers, invite them over to your place. Let them know that you're fully supportive of them, that you know it has been difficult, but that you know they are professionals and will work their way through this. Boost their self esteem. __________________ My music "When the trees blow back and forth, that's what makes the wind." - Steven Wright Fjord emena pancreas thorax fornicate marmalade morpheme proteolysis smaxa cabana offal srue vitriol grope hallelujah lentils

02-20-2008, 01:02 PM	#19
magnet Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 5,029	I disagree. Kidnap the players and stuff them in Hefty bags. Leave them in an abandoned warehouse for 24 hours. If that doesn't give them the kick in the ass they need, then trade 'em!