Any strategies for those who manage games?

[choward2984]

I have been wracking my brain trying to set my team up to prepare for the devastating 4th inning where the opposing team always seem to figure it out and score 4 plus runs. Anyone have any tips for the 4th inning implosions?

PS: Been doing this with both good teams and bad teams. 4th inning is almost an automatic big inning for the opposing team. Never failing.

[renojedi]

I haven't had this happen in one inning in particular but here are some general guidelines that I find helpful:

- Have the best defense you can (there are great threads on what to look for at each position) while balancing it with your need for offense

- Have groundball or neutral pitchers. Just a preference; you can also have flyball pitchers with the right ratings. I just think GB or NEU makes the other team work harder for the runs so they (usually) don't score on one swing.

- Use shifts on extreme pull hitters (not sure if it makes a difference but they still do it in MLB even with the limitations)

- In high leverage situations, pitch around good hitters if 1B is open and there are 1-2 outs. If you walk him, at least you set up the double play or are in no worse shape than with a guy on second only.

- Don't wait for 100 pitches or red stamina ratings for your starter. This is more of a gut feel thing. If you feel like in the fourth a guy starts to give up a lot of hits, take him out. The more games you play out, the more of a feel you will get for this. Even your best pitchers have a bad day.

- Use L/L and R/R matchup when possible with your relievers especially if you can get it for two or more of upcoming batters.

[RchW]

Originally Posted by choward2984

I have been wracking my brain trying to set my team up to prepare for the devastating 4th inning where the opposing team always seem to figure it out and score 4 plus runs. Anyone have any tips for the 4th inning implosions?

PS: Been doing this with both good teams and bad teams. 4th inning is almost an automatic big inning for the opposing team. Never failing.

It's difficult to help you in any meaningful way if you are convinced that the above is true. I checked the last played month in a long time league and nothing showed any indication that 4th inning in game has more runs from the opposing team. If anything it suggests less, but that is meaningless as there is no such thing happening at all.


Checked a second month and no 4th inning pattern exists in that.


Your serve.

[mschinner]

Have a strong defense up the middle. I will always take superior defenders at SS, CF and C. If they hit great, but they are starting because of their defense.

A pitcher's hold rating does have an impact and I think gets overlooked. The opposition isn't always so keen to run on a pitcher with a good hold rating and a catcher with a good arm.

I will shift whenever there is a pull hitter. I will look to do a weak shift.

If you have a man on first, check his speed and baserunning. Is it an opportunity for a double play with a slow runner at the plate? If so, position your SS and 2B for a double play.

If the bases are loaded, do you have your infield in? Consider it, if you feel like you cannot get a double play. Sometimes, you can get the man at home and then the man at first on a double play.

[progen]

Originally Posted by choward2984

I have been wracking my brain trying to set my team up to prepare for the devastating 4th inning where the opposing team always seem to figure it out and score 4 plus runs. Anyone have any tips for the 4th inning implosions?

PS: Been doing this with both good teams and bad teams. 4th inning is almost an automatic big inning for the opposing team. Never failing.

Scroll to the bottom of this thread. I've found it helpful.
https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...mpionship+team

A Developers Guide to Strategy - This one comes from the man who helped create the game!
https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...layer+strategy

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by RchW

It's difficult to help you in any meaningful way if you are convinced that the above is true. I checked the last played month in a long time league and nothing showed any indication that 4th inning in game has more runs from the opposing team. If anything it suggests less, but that is meaningless as there is no such thing happening at all.


Checked a second month and no 4th inning pattern exists in that.


Your serve.

Yet interestingly advice on how to fix a non problem continues.

[jpeters1734]

Originally Posted by RchW

It's difficult to help you in any meaningful way if you are convinced that the above is true. I checked the last played month in a long time league and nothing showed any indication that 4th inning in game has more runs from the opposing team. If anything it suggests less, but that is meaningless as there is no such thing happening at all.


Checked a second month and no 4th inning pattern exists in that.


Your serve.

In general, I agree with this completely.

The only thing I could think of is that his starter pitchers may not actually be starter pitchers.

I would suggest re-evaluating if your SP have a good 3rd and 4th pitch. It's around the 4th inning where the opposing batters are seeing the pitcher for the second or third time. If the pitcher only has two good pitches, he will struggle to get them out

[choward2984]

Originally Posted by jpeters1734

In general, I agree with this completely.

The only thing I could think of is that his starter pitchers may not actually be starter pitchers.

I would suggest re-evaluating if your SP have a good 3rd and 4th pitch. It's around the 4th inning where the opposing batters are seeing the pitcher for the second or third time. If the pitcher only has two good pitches, he will struggle to get them out

I play as the O's. So i have Gibson, Kremer, Irvin, Bradish, and Wells. Wells i handle with kid gloves. I'm not saying theyre a good group of starters. But should be able to make it through the 4th without giving up 4 runs consistenly.

Though, some of the strategies suggested have worked pretty well.

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by jpeters1734

In general, I agree with this completely.

The only thing I could think of is that his starter pitchers may not actually be starter pitchers.

I would suggest re-evaluating if your SP have a good 3rd and 4th pitch. It's around the 4th inning where the opposing batters are seeing the pitcher for the second or third time. If the pitcher only has two good pitches, he will struggle to get them out

Yeah, that was my thought. Having your starters consistently blow up around the 4th inning strikes me as a times through the order penalty issue, which you’ll see when you try to use relief pitchers, specifically guys who throw one or two pitches (except, I guess, knuckleballers now) past more than 9 guys. With those pitcher types, the first time a batter sees those pitches for a second time, they get a bonus.

[FlyTheW1104]

Originally Posted by choward2984

I have been wracking my brain trying to set my team up to prepare for the devastating 4th inning where the opposing team always seem to figure it out and score 4 plus runs. Anyone have any tips for the 4th inning implosions?

PS: Been doing this with both good teams and bad teams. 4th inning is almost an automatic big inning for the opposing team. Never failing.

Are you going through the batting order for the third time early (the 4th inning). There is a penalty that pitchers get when they go through the order for the third and fourth time (or so I've heard).

[Pelican]

I like to think that the game gives you hints that a pitcher is failing, if you know where to look. If you use the widget for pitch location and speed and type, look for loss of speed on fastballs, breaking pitches out over the plate, or inability to get breaking pitches over. That, plus the aforementioned second time through the order penalty, could be a sign your SP is toast. Hope you have study middle relievers ready. ACtually, with the ORioles, you may.

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by FlyTheW1104

Are you going through the batting order for the third time early (the 4th inning). There is a penalty that pitchers get when they go through the order for the third and fourth time (or so I've heard).

Depending on the pitcher there can be a times through the order penalty just the second time through. These are going to be guys who shouldn't be starting and which the game lists as relievers - generally, guys with only 1 or 2 serviceable pitches - but this is a thing that could definitely happen.

[md40022]

I agree with everything that's been said so far, but one other thing to add..... what's your catcher's defensive rating look like?

I've noticed, and I think a lot will agree, that a bad defensive catcher can really have a bad impact on a pitching staff.

If you check your starting catcher and your backup catcher's fielding stats, you should see a CERA or catcher ERA listed. Is there a big difference between the starter and backup? Especially if the backup has much stronger defensive ratings.

As someone who plays with the Cubs, I've learned in the last few years that dumping Willson Contreras ASAP for a strong defensive catcher was always well worth it with getting better productivity out of the pitching staff.

[Jasper70]

Rethink your bullpen options and have someone start warming up at the beginning of the 4th

[Brad K]

I'm stunned by the amount of misinformation in this thread. There are two and only two possible causes of this problem.

The most likely is that this is a built in anomaly. There are currently 65 different ones with hopes to get the total to over 100 in a few years. One is the fourth inning collapse of human controlled teams.

Which anomaly is present cannot be determined from the build number because the build number remains the same. The anomaly is coded in the activation number.

Anyway, when this is the cause then a way of fixing it is to unlicense, uninstall, download anew, and install the new version. There is only a 1/65 chance of downloading the same version.

Some of the other anomalies people can enjoy is Closers consistently getting shelled in the 9th, rallies often falling short by a single run, and big home run hitters only hitting home runs when their team is ahead. It's all a lot of fun.

The other possibility is a team having too many 3.0 WAR players in the lineup. These players are out of WAR in the 4th inning. Replace them to start the other team's 4th.

[jpeters1734]

Originally Posted by Brad K

The most likely is that this is a built in anomaly. There are currently 65 different ones with hopes to get the total to over 100 in a few years. One is the fourth inning collapse of human controlled teams.

Which anomaly is present cannot be determined from the build number because the build number remains the same. The anomaly is coded in the activation number.

Anyway, when this is the cause then a way of fixing it is to unlicense, uninstall, download anew, and install the new version. There is only a 1/65 chance of downloading the same version.

Some of the other anomalies people can enjoy is Closers consistently getting shelled in the 9th, rallies often falling short by a single run, and big home run hitters only hitting home runs when their team is ahead. It's all a lot of fun.

What in the world are you talking about? built-in anomalies based on activation numbers?? Can you please elaborate? Please assume I no clue what any of that means.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by jpeters1734

What in the world are you talking about? built-in anomalies based on activation numbers?? Can you please elaborate? Please assume I no clue what any of that means.

What it means is post #3 is correct.

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by jpeters1734

What in the world are you talking about? built-in anomalies based on activation numbers?? Can you please elaborate? Please assume I no clue what any of that means.

This looks like literal glossolalia to me, I’ve got to be honest. Someone should see a doctor and not in 2 weeks, next week.

[uruguru]

Originally Posted by Brad K

I'm stunned by the amount of misinformation in this thread. There are two and only two possible causes of this problem.

The most likely is that this is a built in anomaly. There are currently 65 different ones with hopes to get the total to over 100 in a few years. One is the fourth inning collapse of human controlled teams.

Which anomaly is present cannot be determined from the build number because the build number remains the same. The anomaly is coded in the activation number.

Anyway, when this is the cause then a way of fixing it is to unlicense, uninstall, download anew, and install the new version. There is only a 1/65 chance of downloading the same version.

Some of the other anomalies people can enjoy is Closers consistently getting shelled in the 9th, rallies often falling short by a single run, and big home run hitters only hitting home runs when their team is ahead. It's all a lot of fun.

The other possibility is a team having too many 3.0 WAR players in the lineup. These players are out of WAR in the 4th inning. Replace them to start the other team's 4th.

ok, that was all pretty funny. The anomaly I get, however, is my closer always throwing 4 innings in the All-Star Game while all of the starters throw 1 inning. That's at least one I can live with because it only costs me a couple of close games right after the break.

[jpeters1734]

Originally Posted by Brad K

What it means is post #3 is correct.

I ask my wife to speak in clear terms because I don't read between the lines all too well. I will take your previous post as complete BS, because I still don't know what you're talking about.