Poor AI decisions

[Dutch Alexander]

I've simulated a few historical seasons and noticed that the AI still makes very poor decisions regarding pitchers at the end of the season. Often you see a team start their ace pitcher in the final game of the season, even though that game is completely meaningless, thereby making the ace pitcher unavailable for the first two playoff games.

The most extreme example of this occured in a simulation of the 1995 season. On the final day of the season the Seattle Mariners had long clinched their division, sitting on 99 wins. They had the 2nd best record in the AL, a handfull of games behind no.1 and a handfull of games ahead of no. 3. In other words, the final game was utterly meaningless. Randy Johnson had a ridiculous season for the Mariners, having a 26-2 record with a 1.57 ERA and 397 K's.

So who starts that final game? Johnson off course, throwing 142 pitches. So Johnson is now unavailable for the first two games of the Division Series and can start only once. So what does the AI do? They start Johnson anyway in game 2 on 2 day's rest. (his opponent by the way is Mike Mussina, also pitching on 2 day's rest after starting the final day of the season in a meaningless game). Johnson doesn't get out of the 4th inning, done after 65 pitches. (maybe he was tired?). Later Johnson starts game 4, again on 2 days rest and again hits the showers early.

I know this was an issue in previous versions, but had hoped this had been improved by now. I must say it's very dissapointing to see it has not.
When the AI performs this poorly the game is unplayable.

I'm supprised I do not see more threads about this issue. I can't be the only one noticing this? The seasons I simulated were standard "New Historical Game's" with standard settings.

[Leo_The_Lip]

There are threads about this. Look further back in time to find them.

[BIG17EASY]

Wasn't there a patch, possibly even back to 16, when this was supposedly addressed?

[thehef]

Originally Posted by BIG17EASY

Wasn't there a patch, possibly even back to 16, when this was supposedly addressed?

We've been told it's been addressed, yet I still see ace pitchers wasted on the last day of the season when his team is up by 11 games.

OOTP needs to have something hard-coded that essentially says "if a playoff berth is already clinched, under no circumstances should the #1 or #2 starter pitch on the last day of the season." Or something like that.

I, personally, would rather see Joe Unknown start a season finale if the game is meaningless.

[Matt Arnold]

Originally Posted by thehef

We've been told it's been addressed, yet I still see an ace pitchers wasted on the last day of the season when his team is up by 11 games.

OOTP needs to have something hard-coded that essentially says "if a playoff berth is already clinched, under no circumstances should the #1 or #2 starter pitch on the last day of the season." Or something like that.

I, personally, would rather see Joe Unknown start a season finale if the game is meaningless.

The thing is, we do have that hard-coded in. So there must be some other check that failed in those cases, as I have definitely had them skip my top couple starters during the last weekend of the season.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

The thing is, we do have that hard-coded in. So there must be some other check that failed in those cases, as I have definitely had them skip my top couple starters during the last weekend of the season.

I recall Marcus replying in a similar thread (probably version 15 or 16) that AI will skip the top starters IF another starter is available. That's probably the issue... If, say, starters 3, 4, and 5 are fatigued, and despite expanded Sept rosters there are no call-ups who are SP's, then AI sends in Koufax, and then Joe Moeller gets to start game one of the World Series...

In reality, a manager would find some minor-leaguer, or a procession of relievers, to eat those innings.

[thehef]

Originally Posted by Matt Arnold

The thing is, we do have that hard-coded in. So there must be some other check that failed in those cases, as I have definitely had them skip my top couple starters during the last weekend of the season.

The hard-code should treat the top two starters as if they are simply unavailable, and then let the AI do whatever it has to do to get through the game. Ideal? Perhaps not. But closer to reality.