Squeeze Bunts

Stupendoes · 07-14-2015, 02:43 AM

I'm new to OOTP. I'm currently the GM and Manager for my team, Cubs. I just managed to trade Mike Baxter, Wellington Castillo, and Arismendy Alcantura (who I really just don't see taking off) for Chris Archer, Desmond Jennings, and a 4-star potential prospect. After that, I signed some free agent bull pen arms and claimed a lefty 2 1/2 star reliever off waivers to bolster the bullpen. So far I feel like I'm off to a good start in terms of what I feel is important in building a team to be a contender yearly.

I really like the small-ball side of baseball so I incorporate it in my games quite frequently. Right now my team is 33-21 and first in the division by 1.5 games. Despite the fact that I have players with pretty good power I don't hit many home runs (Rizzo has 4, Soler has 5, Bryant has 0 and surprisingly Jennings has 10?) so I've had to manufacture runs in order to support my pitching. I steal a lot of bases, especially when I see the opposing catcher has an arm rating of 12 or lower (Fowler, Soler, and Jennings each have 20+ steals. Castro has 13) and once the runner is at second I sac bunt to get them to 3rd with 1 out. I wish I could hit and run instead of doing this all the time, but every time I try to my batter decides to forget the purpose of a hit and run is to hit a grounder and pops out to the infield (Which infuriates me as much as giving my hitters the green light on a 3-1 or 2-0 count only to watch them hit a weak rolled-over grounder - which happens on 60-65% of their ab's in those counts.)

One major problem I have run into is that it's very difficult to get the runner home from 3rd. If I let the batter swing away he strikes out around 50% of the time. If I try hit and run or run and hit the batter whiffs or pops it up. This brings me to the squeeze or safety squeeze. I'm sorry, but the most unrealistic thing in this game is when I have a runner with 15+ speed standing on third and the defense is at normal depth and my batter bunts the ball down either line (when my runner is taking off for home at the first movement by the pitcher) and somehow the 1st or 3rd baseman is able to come up field the ball, throw it to the catcher who is then able to spin down and tag my runner before he's able to run 90 feet more than 60% of the time. I'm sorry but the runner is 1/3-1/2 of the way home when the ball is bunted he's 2-3 steps away when the ball is picked up. At this point the other team must field the ball and put a perfect throw then have the catcher make the perfect tag (because most runners will be going for a hook slide or at least going for the right/back side of the plate) in about .3 seconds.

I just lost a 15 inning game and in the game I failed at 4 squeeze bunts. Any of which would have won me the game. Yet, I also had 3 strike outs and a pop out with a runner on 3rd and less than 2 outs. I guess what I want to know is what is the most consistent way to score a runner from 3rd with less than 2 outs? I looked it up at Elias Sports Bureau and right now that runner scores over 71% of the time in today's game, but right now (and I've only been keeping stats for the past 18 games) I'm scoring that runner around 40% of the time which is putrid. I was wondering if you guys had any advice for me?

Also, I was wondering if you guys could help me by giving me advice on how to best develop players. Right now Kyle Schwarber and Addison Russell are in the minors as 5-star potential prospects. In real life they tore up AAA and Russell is now the starting 2B while Schwarber just USA to a Future's game win. Yet, in my game neither one is hitting above .220 and I feel like they're just wasting their potential. Do you guys have any advice for that?

Stupendoes · 07-14-2015, 02:46 AM

Also, on the home run front: none of my players with good power (power above 12) has more than 4 sacs so the rest of their ab's are ended with them swinging the bat. If you guys had some advice for how to get more power in game I would appreciate it.

07-14-2015, 02:43 AM	#1
Stupendoes Bat Boy Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 2	Squeeze Bunts I'm new to OOTP. I'm currently the GM and Manager for my team, Cubs. I just managed to trade Mike Baxter, Wellington Castillo, and Arismendy Alcantura (who I really just don't see taking off) for Chris Archer, Desmond Jennings, and a 4-star potential prospect. After that, I signed some free agent bull pen arms and claimed a lefty 2 1/2 star reliever off waivers to bolster the bullpen. So far I feel like I'm off to a good start in terms of what I feel is important in building a team to be a contender yearly. I really like the small-ball side of baseball so I incorporate it in my games quite frequently. Right now my team is 33-21 and first in the division by 1.5 games. Despite the fact that I have players with pretty good power I don't hit many home runs (Rizzo has 4, Soler has 5, Bryant has 0 and surprisingly Jennings has 10?) so I've had to manufacture runs in order to support my pitching. I steal a lot of bases, especially when I see the opposing catcher has an arm rating of 12 or lower (Fowler, Soler, and Jennings each have 20+ steals. Castro has 13) and once the runner is at second I sac bunt to get them to 3rd with 1 out. I wish I could hit and run instead of doing this all the time, but every time I try to my batter decides to forget the purpose of a hit and run is to hit a grounder and pops out to the infield (Which infuriates me as much as giving my hitters the green light on a 3-1 or 2-0 count only to watch them hit a weak rolled-over grounder - which happens on 60-65% of their ab's in those counts.) One major problem I have run into is that it's very difficult to get the runner home from 3rd. If I let the batter swing away he strikes out around 50% of the time. If I try hit and run or run and hit the batter whiffs or pops it up. This brings me to the squeeze or safety squeeze. I'm sorry, but the most unrealistic thing in this game is when I have a runner with 15+ speed standing on third and the defense is at normal depth and my batter bunts the ball down either line (when my runner is taking off for home at the first movement by the pitcher) and somehow the 1st or 3rd baseman is able to come up field the ball, throw it to the catcher who is then able to spin down and tag my runner before he's able to run 90 feet more than 60% of the time. I'm sorry but the runner is 1/3-1/2 of the way home when the ball is bunted he's 2-3 steps away when the ball is picked up. At this point the other team must field the ball and put a perfect throw then have the catcher make the perfect tag (because most runners will be going for a hook slide or at least going for the right/back side of the plate) in about .3 seconds. I just lost a 15 inning game and in the game I failed at 4 squeeze bunts. Any of which would have won me the game. Yet, I also had 3 strike outs and a pop out with a runner on 3rd and less than 2 outs. I guess what I want to know is what is the most consistent way to score a runner from 3rd with less than 2 outs? I looked it up at Elias Sports Bureau and right now that runner scores over 71% of the time in today's game, but right now (and I've only been keeping stats for the past 18 games) I'm scoring that runner around 40% of the time which is putrid. I was wondering if you guys had any advice for me? Also, I was wondering if you guys could help me by giving me advice on how to best develop players. Right now Kyle Schwarber and Addison Russell are in the minors as 5-star potential prospects. In real life they tore up AAA and Russell is now the starting 2B while Schwarber just USA to a Future's game win. Yet, in my game neither one is hitting above .220 and I feel like they're just wasting their potential. Do you guys have any advice for that?

07-14-2015, 02:46 AM	#2
Stupendoes Bat Boy Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 2	Also, on the home run front: none of my players with good power (power above 12) has more than 4 sacs so the rest of their ab's are ended with them swinging the bat. If you guys had some advice for how to get more power in game I would appreciate it.