Converting a fielder to a pitcher?

GCrusher23 · 07-19-2003, 07:24 PM

I have way too many right fielders on my single A team, so I decided to have one of them start as a pitcher. Even though his talent ratings are all poor for pitching, is there a chance that having him start will improve his pitching talent? Everytime he pitches he only gets about 1 inning per start because relivers always come in early, but after 8 starts he's pitched 9.2 innings with a 2.57 era. I ask because I don't want to leave the guy in the rotation if he'll never learn the pitching position.

sebastian0622 · 07-19-2003, 07:30 PM

interesting, I want to follow this one.

I'm guessing that he has the same chance of getting talent changes as anyone else at any other position. Has he gained a fielding ability at the P position yet?

thebigUNIT · 07-19-2003, 08:35 PM

Obviously it has something to do with his endurance as a starter.. is it possible that can go up with time?

GCrusher23 · 07-19-2003, 09:51 PM

No, he doesn't have a fielding ability at the pitcher position yet. I certainly hope his starter endurance eventually goes up.

JAttractive · 07-19-2003, 10:04 PM

I think you will need to put his position to P manually (possibly with the editor?) for talent changes to occur there. It's an interesting experiment! I can almost guarantee you need to change him to a P though and even then I wonder if that will work.

GCrusher23 · 07-19-2003, 10:20 PM

Ok, I hope I don't have to manually make him a pitcher through the editor because that would take away from the experience.

ChipperStillRules10 · 07-20-2003, 12:08 AM

With his ratings all poor..i doubt he ever starts in majors btu will be fun to watch

GCrusher23 · 07-20-2003, 01:56 AM

I guess it won't work. As soon as I got to the off season, his career minor league pitching stats disappeared, and he never learned the pitching position. I cheated by giving him an E at pitching, so now he can play right field and pitch. Oh well, maybe Markus can add this in as an actual feature.

crackpott · 07-20-2003, 02:05 AM

I'd like to see draftees with talent in both pitching and hitting and let you develop them as either one. There have been many players over the years that have come up as one and been converted to another. The one coming to mind right now is Luke Prokopec since he was a Jay for a short time, but i know there have been many others...

sebastian0622 · 07-20-2003, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by crackpott
I'd like to see draftees with talent in both pitching and hitting and let you develop them as either one. There have been many players over the years that have come up as one and been converted to another. The one coming to mind right now is Luke Prokopec since he was a Jay for a short time, but i know there have been many others...

Brooks Kieschnick (sp) is one right now, he came up as a power hitter, now he is in the majors as a relief pitchers. Last time I checked he had an ERA in the 4's and had several AB's also, leading me to believe he's pulled a few starts at 1B/LF. I remember he still has pretty good power numbers, like 5 HR in 90 AB's or something.

Which reminds me...why does OOTP not let you bring in pitcher to pinch hit? Any time I try, the pitcher gets substituted, but he doesn't hit, instead taking the mound at the next half inning.

There have been a few times when the best PH I had available was Mike Hampton.

JAttractive · 07-20-2003, 12:47 PM

Crackpott:
Just to name two prominent Jays (and there have been many others):

When John Olerud came up there was some minor talk about using him as a pitcher since he had won 20 games that year I believe in college.

Dave Steib started in the organization as a right fielder with a strong throwing arm. I think he played one year at A ball and they sat him down and told him he would never make it as a hitter but his arm was so good they wanted to try working on him as a pitcher.

HammerinHamelin · 08-03-2003, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sebastian0622
Brooks Kieschnick (sp) is one right now, he came up as a power hitter, now he is in the majors as a relief pitchers. Last time I checked he had an ERA in the 4's and had several AB's also, leading me to believe he's pulled a few starts at 1B/LF. I remember he still has pretty good power numbers, like 5 HR in 90 AB's or something.

Which reminds me...why does OOTP not let you bring in pitcher to pinch hit? Any time I try, the pitcher gets substituted, but he doesn't hit, instead taking the mound at the next half inning.

There have been a few times when the best PH I had available was Mike Hampton.

Kieschnick has been hitting well over .300 all season, has shown some pretty good power, and has also been one of the Brewers' better relievers. I've been trying to find a way to make him get used in OOTP in the same way that he is used in real life, but nothing has worked all that well.

I've tried playing him as an OF, but putting him in one of the middle relief slots on the pitching staff screen, but he rarely - if ever - gets used as a pitcher that way (one year, his only inning pitched came during the All-Star game, which he made as a LF). If I play him as a pitcher, he doesn't get very many at bats, even if I place him on the PH list on the depth charts.

BigDuVall · 08-03-2003, 11:26 AM

Mike Hampton and Nick Markakis can also play both.

thebigUNIT · 08-03-2003, 02:01 PM

Tim Wakefield was a 1B in the minors at one point.

sebastian0622 · 08-03-2003, 02:08 PM

I'd like to see Wakefield as a catcher. I want to see a secondbaseman try to catch a knuckleball to throw out a base stealer :-D

ctorg · 08-04-2003, 08:33 AM

One thing you should know is that if a guy doesn't have his primary position listed as pitcher when you proceed to the next season, his pitching stats will disappear.

Kelric · 08-04-2003, 11:26 AM

Frankie Rodriguez started out in the Red Sox organization as a shortstop but was made into a starting pitcher. He was later made into a relief pitcher when the Twins discovered he wasn't very good, but ah well. He still managed to get 184 games, 82 starts, and 654 IP with an ERA of 5.53.

BleedDodgerBlue · 08-18-2003, 01:41 PM

Darren Dreifort was drafted as a 1B, converted to a pitcher.

Probably would have been better to leave him a 1B. ¬¬

GCrusher23 · 08-18-2003, 06:44 PM

I just released the guy 7 years after I converted him. He made it to AAA, but in his last year he was 5-8 with a 4.93 era hitting .239, 17 home runs, 71 rbis.

07-19-2003, 07:24 PM	#1
GCrusher23 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 126	Converting a fielder to a pitcher? I have way too many right fielders on my single A team, so I decided to have one of them start as a pitcher. Even though his talent ratings are all poor for pitching, is there a chance that having him start will improve his pitching talent? Everytime he pitches he only gets about 1 inning per start because relivers always come in early, but after 8 starts he's pitched 9.2 innings with a 2.57 era. I ask because I don't want to leave the guy in the rotation if he'll never learn the pitching position.

07-20-2003, 02:05 AM	#9
crackpott Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto Posts: 2,961	I'd like to see draftees with talent in both pitching and hitting and let you develop them as either one. There have been many players over the years that have come up as one and been converted to another. The one coming to mind right now is Luke Prokopec since he was a Jay for a short time, but i know there have been many others... __________________ Abandoned Planet - Check it out. The photos don't suck anymore.

08-03-2003, 11:26 AM	#13
BigDuVall Minors (Single A) Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: North Augusta, SC Posts: 84	Mike Hampton and Nick Markakis can also play both. __________________ HFTC - Florida Marlins

08-04-2003, 08:33 AM	#16
ctorg Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 9,848	One thing you should know is that if a guy doesn't have his primary position listed as pitcher when you proceed to the next season, his pitching stats will disappear. __________________ 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

07-19-2003, 07:30 PM	#2
sebastian0622 Banned Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,465	interesting, I want to follow this one. I'm guessing that he has the same chance of getting talent changes as anyone else at any other position. Has he gained a fielding ability at the P position yet?

07-19-2003, 08:35 PM	#3
thebigUNIT Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Minnesota Posts: 84	Obviously it has something to do with his endurance as a starter.. is it possible that can go up with time?

07-19-2003, 09:51 PM	#4
GCrusher23 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 126	No, he doesn't have a fielding ability at the pitcher position yet. I certainly hope his starter endurance eventually goes up.

07-19-2003, 10:04 PM	#5
JAttractive All Star Starter Join Date: May 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 1,135	I think you will need to put his position to P manually (possibly with the editor?) for talent changes to occur there. It's an interesting experiment! I can almost guarantee you need to change him to a P though and even then I wonder if that will work.

07-19-2003, 10:20 PM	#6
GCrusher23 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 126	Ok, I hope I don't have to manually make him a pitcher through the editor because that would take away from the experience.

07-20-2003, 12:08 AM	#7
ChipperStillRules10 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 244	With his ratings all poor..i doubt he ever starts in majors btu will be fun to watch

07-20-2003, 01:56 AM	#8
GCrusher23 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 126	I guess it won't work. As soon as I got to the off season, his career minor league pitching stats disappeared, and he never learned the pitching position. I cheated by giving him an E at pitching, so now he can play right field and pitch. Oh well, maybe Markus can add this in as an actual feature.

07-20-2003, 12:47 PM	#11
JAttractive All Star Starter Join Date: May 2002 Location: St. Catharines, Ontario Posts: 1,135	Crackpott: Just to name two prominent Jays (and there have been many others): When John Olerud came up there was some minor talk about using him as a pitcher since he had won 20 games that year I believe in college. Dave Steib started in the organization as a right fielder with a strong throwing arm. I think he played one year at A ball and they sat him down and told him he would never make it as a hitter but his arm was so good they wanted to try working on him as a pitcher.

08-03-2003, 02:01 PM	#14
thebigUNIT Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Minnesota Posts: 84	Tim Wakefield was a 1B in the minors at one point.

08-03-2003, 02:08 PM	#15
sebastian0622 Banned Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,465	I'd like to see Wakefield as a catcher. I want to see a secondbaseman try to catch a knuckleball to throw out a base stealer :-D

08-04-2003, 11:26 AM	#17
Kelric Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Greater Boston Area Posts: 3,992	Frankie Rodriguez started out in the Red Sox organization as a shortstop but was made into a starting pitcher. He was later made into a relief pitcher when the Twins discovered he wasn't very good, but ah well. He still managed to get 184 games, 82 starts, and 654 IP with an ERA of 5.53.

08-18-2003, 01:41 PM	#18
BleedDodgerBlue Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 42	Darren Dreifort was drafted as a 1B, converted to a pitcher. Probably would have been better to leave him a 1B. ¬¬

08-18-2003, 06:44 PM	#19
GCrusher23 Minors (Double A) Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 126	I just released the guy 7 years after I converted him. He made it to AAA, but in his last year he was 5-8 with a 4.93 era hitting .239, 17 home runs, 71 rbis.