Closer role

[Rosco Peabody]

I usually play all of my games out, but I wanted to try the Real Time Simulation screen.

My team (the away team so we bat first) was tied heading into the bottom of the ninth and the computer decided to do something I notice is done a lot (and I hate). The computer seems to always bring the closer in for the 9th no matter what the score is. He did that to me, my closer held them, then we scored in the top of the tenth. This made it so that a reliever who was not my closer was brought in for the bottom of the tenth (which should have been my closer) and blew the save.

I would like my closer only brought in in save situations other than a rare time that I feel like overriding that. I've locked player strategy to "Closer" for that player. Is there anything else I could do to guarantee it?

[Matt Arnold]

Well, it's not no matter what the score is, but if you're tied going to the bottom of the 9th, I don't know why you wouldn't want your closer on the mound there. Would you rather your other pitcher have blown it for you in the bottom of the 9th instead?

As for a strategy setting, no, there isn't. Modern games will bring in the closer if it's tied in the 9th and he's well rested. It's very hard to get in the cases you want, especially the "other than a rare time" trying to quantify that

[Rosco Peabody]

Well in my case, yes, but I've noticed that the computer oftentimes brings in his closer in the 9th even if he's losing and that never made sense to me

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by Rosco Peabody

Well in my case, yes, but I've noticed that the computer oftentimes brings in his closer in the 9th even if he's losing and that never made sense to me

Depends on a couple things:

1. How badly are you losing? If you're down by 1 or 2 runs, you still have a decent chance at winning the game in the bottom of the inning. Why would you "save" your guy for a 10th inning that will probably never come, one way or the other?

2. When was the last time your closer played? Save opportunities don't come regularly and I know that when I manage games I will often bring in my closer/stopper/setup guys in situations when my team is losing either because the rest of the pen is exhausted or simply because it's been 3-4 days since he's pitched last and I don't want him to get rusty (which IIRC *is* a thing that happens in the game if a reliever sits for a week or more, and it's a factor in why you see an uptick in injuries at the beginning of spring training and when a player first returns from a long stay on the disabled list).

[Caporegime]

Originally Posted by Rosco Peabody

Well in my case, yes, but I've noticed that the computer oftentimes brings in his closer in the 9th even if he's losing and that never made sense to me

Sounds like the AI is channeling Dusty Baker.

[Rosco Peabody]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

Depends on a couple things:

1. How badly are you losing? If you're down by 1 or 2 runs, you still have a decent chance at winning the game in the bottom of the inning. Why would you "save" your guy for a 10th inning that will probably never come, one way or the other.

Well it's not necessarily saving him for the tenth but making sure he's fresh for the next day in case there is a save situation then. If I'm down in the top of the ninth, I'd rather give it to a guy who's probably not going to give up a run and have my closer be fresh the next day than bring in a guy who definitely will not give up a run and have my closer not be fresh

[Syd Thrift]

You can use your closer in 2 straight days though. Like, teams use their closers in like 65-75 games a year. Unless you're *literally* using your guy every other day, in which case you're probably skipping him from high leverage situations, you're going to use him on consecutive days a *lot*.

[Rosco Peabody]

Originally Posted by Syd Thrift

You can use your closer in 2 straight days though. Like, teams use their closers in like 65-75 games a year. Unless you're *literally* using your guy every other day, in which case you're probably skipping him from high leverage situations, you're going to use him on consecutive days a *lot*.

I would use him in consecutive days if it was two save situations, but I try to avoid using him in non-save situations unless it's been a few days since he pitched