Frustrated...

[miles44]

I'm playing the 2010 SD Padres, who had one of the top pitching staffs in league. Especially, their bullpen. I've played ten games so far. I have yet to hold an opponent under 3 runs, including 7 of those games with 5+ runs given up. I know, I know, it'll all work out in the end. I'm just tired of the other team catching up and winning when I've got a 3+ run lead in the 7th inning, including my last game in which the Pads were ahead 10-4 going into the 8th. Realistically, game over, especially with Heath Bell closing. The Dbacks scored 3 off him...that ain't happening in real life. Team ERA so far is almost 7.00, with bullpen's being 5.25...get real!
Another thing that ticks me off is I can't tell you how many games in a row I've had wild pitches (plural) or passed balls.

oh well, just venting Hopefully, things will improve.

[legofarley]

Good pitching stats require a good defense behind them. If the pitcher is awesome but the second baseman has a fielding or throwing error in the 9th it could cost you the game.

[Jagger]

You don't know what bad pitching is like till you try the 2007 Giants. Atrocious.

With weak pitchers, I use pitch around for every pitch because they will give up hits wholesale otherwise. With good pitchers, I use pitch around for batters hitting over 270 or so and anyone with real power or gap capability. Sometimes I will risk using pitch on a batter that strikes out easily if my pitcher has a high stuff rating. The only time I use straight pitch for almost every batter is when I have a superb closer with strong strikeout and movement capability who happens to dominate the next three batters. The primary disadvantage of pitch around is that can produce high pitch counts. Although with my weak pitching staff, I would rather have high pitch counts than a ton of runs on the scoreboard.

I also watch closely my opponents lineups for several left handed batters in a row. I will try to time my relief to bring in a good left handed, low endurance pitcher to knock them out. If I am facing a hot streak batter, I will intentionally hit the batter. I don't know if it does any good but it sure makes me feel better after they have hit 3 for 3 including a double, triple and a homerun. Maybe that intentionally hit batter pitch will knock him out of his hot streak.

After a month or so, I stop looking at the batters ratings and look at their current batting stats. It really pays to look at their batting vs right or left pitchers. This difference can be very substantial and can help determine whether it is best to use pitch or pitch around.

I also always shift my infield defense when the batter is a pull hitter. If I can't afford a double, I guard the lines with my infield and go deep with my outfield. If I can't afford a single, my infield is in as is the outfield.

And I am still getting clobbered as the 2007 Giants. I think I need to switch teams.

[miles44]

Just finished another game with the Pads...another PB by Hundley. Gives him 4 in 9 games...he had 6 total last year. Plus, there were 2 more WP's, including one that brought in the winning run....man!

[megamanmatt]

Originally Posted by miles44

Just finished another game with the Pads...another PB by Hundley. Gives him 4 in 9 games...he had 6 total last year. Plus, there were 2 more WP's, including one that brought in the winning run....man!

Reminds me of a game I just played in my league. Winning 5-2 in the bottom of the ninth. I bring in my closer, who has only surrendered 1 run on 12 hits in 21.1 innings, no walks 15 Ks.

1st batter: Fly out
2nd Batter: solo home run
3rd: Single
4th:single with runner on 1st moving to 3rd
5th: Single, runner scores, other runner to 2nd
6th: walk
7th batter: wp bringing the runner home from 3rd; tied 5-5; next pitch single; game over

I was stunned. Still it's not any worse than the Royals.....

[Marberi]

Not surprised. I noticed this with the Padres when I simmed the 2010 season. Except for Bell, Mujica and Gregerson (plus Latos's potential) none of their pitchers' ratings seemed true to real life, IMO. Garland, Stauffer and Clayton Richard's ratings were not even worthy of AAA!.

I attribute this to the fact that, on paper, the Padres were one of the weakest teams in the N.L. coming into last year, but still, their pitching (and their bullpen, especially) wasn't the problem. That was supposed to be their offense, minus Adrian, of course.

Honestly, I can't think of any way of correcting this, other than improving pitchers' ratings manually, based on stats.

Just my .02

[miles44]

Where do I go to edit the ratings manually?

[Marberi]

Go to the player's "profile" screen and click on "edit player". The editor screen will appear. On the right side, scroll down to the pitcher's ratings and stats section.

There, you will find the fields where you can enter the pitcher's stats (IP, HR allowed, HBP, BB, SO) and more, including velocity, pitch types, endurance, etc. You must add the stats on the proper field and then click on "create ratings based on stats".

You can also use the stats to create "potential ratings", but I usually leave those alone, as they will readjust based on the stats themselves.

I suggest using stats from the last 3 yrs. when editing player's ratings. In my experience, none become superhuman but the ratings I usually obtain are much more in line with real life than the original ratings. I.E: Stauffer went from a .5 star MR to a 1.5 star SP; not a stud by any means, but a serviceable starter just like he is IRL, IMO.

Hope this helps.

[damientheomen3]

Originally Posted by Marberi

Not surprised. I noticed this with the Padres when I simmed the 2010 season. Except for Bell, Mujica and Gregerson (plus Latos's potential) none of their pitchers' ratings seemed true to real life, IMO. Garland, Stauffer and Clayton Richard's ratings were not even worthy of AAA!.

I attribute this to the fact that, on paper, the Padres were one of the weakest teams in the N.L. coming into last year, but still, their pitching (and their bullpen, especially) wasn't the problem. That was supposed to be their offense, minus Adrian, of course.

Honestly, I can't think of any way of correcting this, other than improving pitchers' ratings manually, based on stats.

Just my .02

To be honest, I feel the Padres were still underrated in the game. Sure, many figured they would be one of the worst teams in the NL last season, but those who looked closer and saw that they had I believe the second best record post ASB in the NL in '08 saw a chance for them (at least I did).

[damientheomen3]

Originally Posted by Marberi

Go to the player's "profile" screen and click on "edit player". The editor screen will appear. On the right side, scroll down to the pitcher's ratings and stats section.

There, you will find the fields where you can enter the pitcher's stats (IP, HR allowed, HBP, BB, SO) and more, including velocity, pitch types, endurance, etc. You must add the stats on the proper field and then click on "create ratings based on stats".

You can also use the stats to create "potential ratings", but I usually leave those alone, as they will readjust based on the stats themselves.

I suggest using stats from the last 3 yrs. when editing player's ratings. In my experience, none become superhuman but the ratings I usually obtain are much more in line with real life than the original ratings. I.E: Stauffer went from a .5 star MR to a 1.5 star SP; not a stud by any means, but a serviceable starter just like he is IRL, IMO.

Hope this helps.

Couple of things.

1) Make sure commissioner mode is enabled. It is what allows you to edit the player.

2) If you're going to bump up a player's current ratings, you HAVE to bump up their potentials too. On the player page (if scouting is off), it will show that the talents went up, too, but in reality, the player's actuals will plummet to their potentials pretty quickly (I tested this like 8 months ago; it took a season and a half to move a .330 batting average, 30 homer guy down to his potentials, as a decent A level hitter).

[big freddy]

Originally Posted by miles44

Just finished another game with the Pads...another PB by Hundley. Gives him 4 in 9 games...he had 6 total last year. Plus, there were 2 more WP's, including one that brought in the winning run....man!

In game setup, check your passed ball and wild pitch ratings. Sometimes the numbers get skewed, making the results skewed.

Also, check the ballpark info for Petco. Petco plays like a pitcher's park, but the game might have it act like a hitter's park. I know with OOTP10, I had to change the ballparks for the 2009 season to match the actual park factors.

[Marberi]

Originally Posted by damientheomen3

1) Make sure commissioner mode is enabled. It is what allows you to edit the player.

This is very important, yes. I failed to mention it and I stand corrected, thanks. As for the rest...

Originally Posted by damientheomen3

2) If you're going to bump up a player's current ratings, you HAVE to bump up their potentials too. On the player page (if scouting is off), it will show that the talents went up, too, but in reality, the player's actuals will plummet to their potentials pretty quickly (I tested this like 8 months ago; it took a season and a half to move a .330 batting average, 30 homer guy down to his potentials, as a decent A level hitter).

First off, I didn't suggest bumping or beefing up player's ratings. I said that they could be edited based on their real life stats, which is a completely different thing altogether. In fact, in some cases, player ratings go way down from they were before. Not all go up.

Secondly, I said I usually leave potential ratings alone, not that they must be left alone. That said, I've never had any player revert after recalc only because I left his potential ratings untouched and I've been playing this game for a few years now.

[damientheomen3]

Originally Posted by Marberi

This is very important, yes. I failed to mention it and I stand corrected, thanks. As for the rest...



First off, I didn't suggest bumping or beefing up player's ratings. I said that they could be edited based on their real life stats, which is a completely different thing altogether. In fact, in some cases, player ratings go way down from they were before. Not all go up.

Secondly, I said I usually leave potential ratings alone, not that they must be left alone. That said, I've never had any player revert after recalc only because I left his potential ratings untouched and I've been playing this game for a few years now.

If you edit their stats, it creates new ratings based on the stats though. In that case, the potentials need to be changed too (if the actuals went up,as you pointed out), or else the player will go back down to their talents.

[megamanmatt]

Also be aware that the engine has a tendency to occasionally craft series of plays that are questionable in regards to how(or if) they would happen in real life. It happens.

[Marberi]

Originally Posted by damientheomen3

If you edit their stats, it creates new ratings based on the stats though. In that case, the potentials need to be changed too (if the actuals went up,as you pointed out), or else the player will go back down to their talents.

Well, I admit I may be wrong about this, but in my experience, if the player's potential ratings are in line with his current ratings, the moment you recalc his current ratings based on stats, his potential ratings go up (or down) accordingly.

Now, since this usually happens with veteran players on the wrong side of 30 (those who have maxed out their potential) the risk of their ratings going down could be due to the natural aging process calculated by the game's A.I. and not necessarily because of previous ratings. It's a normal part of the game.

But if you were to update the potentials of a younger player with a high ceiling, based on stats that may be weak to that point because he hasn't fulfilled his potential IRL yet, you will in fact, curtail that player's development curve and he'll never develop the way he should.

This is why I suggested leaving potential ratings alone, as IMO, the downside to updating them in accordance to stats is far bigger than what you stand to lose if you leave vets' potentials untouched, after recalc'ing their current ratings based on stats.

[thevaliantx]

I'm experiencing a lot of frustration with my Lincoln Tapirs (AAA, fictional). It's got to be THE weakest AAA team in the league. A couple of guys that can knock'em out, but other than the guys who manage to hit .250-.270 have NO speed, and those with any real speed are hitting .125 or so. One of the catchers is hurt, the one playing is out of his natural position of 1B. Both the SS and 2B don't have enough experience to even be listed as SS and 2B. Only one of the starting pitchers has a MOV/CON/STU average of 3 or higher (1-5 rating scale). The average SP ERA is about 6-7. The last game I played my starter gave up two ... TWO .... grand slams in the first three innings. One of my relief pitchers has a rating of 2 for stamina but was able to throw 107 pitches without being shown as 'tired', but I pulled him anyway because I was out of the game. That's BAD. So far, in my 90 game season I'm 2-9, last place in the wildcard race and 5 games out of first. I tell myself that "they're just minor leaguers, they suck, they'll be gone before I am". What I have done to brighten my spirits a little is to create baseball cards for each of my players in a folder called 'OOTPcards' on my desktop. In that folder are subfolders called 'currentplayers' and 'releasedplayers'. So far the releasedplayers folder has two cards in it. I'd like to see where my kids end up.

[Chicagofan76]

also check the league modifiers perhaps...marberi is good with those...4 pb in 9 games seems a tad high to me. but I have run into similair problems with the 2010 White Sox.. started out 9-21, before going on a 11 game winning streak but i still finished 8 games under .500.