Mechanics of Stealing During One-Pitch Mode

[Salathor]

Hey all,

How do you manage runner management for steals during one-pitch mode? I've noticed that Steal usually forces the batter to never swing, and if I do run-and-hit the guy always takes off on the 0-0 count.

Is there a way to tell a runner to try and steal *at a reasonable point in an at-bat* when using one-pitch mode?

[md40022]

When I want my guy to run, I always use run & hit and never use steal. Just my personal philosophy. But to your point, I will tell my hitter to take a pitch or pitches to get try and get the count where I want it before actually putting the run & hit into play.

I know there's a belief that taking pitches manipulates the pre-determined outcome of an at-bat in your favor by raising pitch counts, but at the same time there isn't an option to only put the steal (or run & hit) on in a certain count, so yeah. I will just give my hitter the "take" in effort to get into a runner-friendly count (eliminating a pitch out possibility and being in a count where the pitcher will be looking to throw a strike for the sake of my run & hit).

[Salathor]

Okay thanks! So basically I should probably be doing pitch-by-pitch in situations where I might want to steal UNLESS I have the AI managing my baserunning/stealing for me?

[Sweed]

Short answer is there is no way to specify a count.

1. Choices are you attempt a steal, runner gets the jump or doesn't.

2. You can take a pitch to combat a pitchout. If the count goes 1-0 another pitchout attempt is less likely, but could occur.

3. In any case I don't think "working the count" is of much or probably any value in one pitch.

4. A "forced steal" will result in less success as you are telling the runner to go "no matter what".

5. Some players turn on "pitch by pitch" when they have a base stealer on and want a deeper experience. Then turn it off when not contemplating a steal.


I've played for over 20 years and can't tell you if the pitcher throwing over has any affect other than getting picked off or not. IOW if the P throws over and you get back safely, is there an affect if you try to steal again. Either lessening the chance of getting a jump, or being thrown out. If there is an under the hood rule on this I don't really want to know.

As for me and what I do? I pretty much look at hold/arm and compare to my guys St-aggression and St-ability and take my chances.
I do #2 on occasion.

#3 I don't do.

#4 I do very rarely. Usually out of frustration of my 8/8 guy not getting a jump on a poor pitcher/ catcher combo.

#5 Sounds fun and I think about doing it a lot, but I never actually have.

[Salathor]

Thanks for the advice!

[Dutch Alexander]

I always delegate Offense Strategy to my bench coach. I control the running game indirectly by setting individual strategy for each player. For each player I set Hit & Run and Sacrifice Bunt always to never to prevent my bench coach from making boneheaded decisions. If I want to sacrifice or play the hit & run I simply switch control back to me.
This way the only things I do not directly control with the Offense Strategy set to my bench coach is base running and bunt for hit.

For me this leads to more "natural" stealing and bunting for hits. Having to tell each batter on each pitch is offputting to me. If a situation comes up where I really want the runner to steal I simply go to player strategy and move the slider to max. Most of the time this leads to a steal attempt but not always. If a situation comes up where I absolutely do not want the runner to steal I simply take control over the offense.

[Salathor]

Originally Posted by Dutch Alexander

I always delegate Offense Strategy to my bench coach. I control the running game indirectly by setting individual strategy for each player.

This is the other thing I'm considering. I LIKE having control over when to steal, but I don't want to have to have to micromanage pitch-by-pitch. I wish I could just have a "try to steal this at-bat" button when in one-pitch mode, and the AI would then take over to figure the best time for a steal.

I don't like having to change screens to change from my management to AI management.

[Brad K]

Does an AI manager steal or attempt a H&R on other than a 0-0 count?

[md40022]

Originally Posted by Brad K

Does an AI manager steal or attempt a H&R on other than a 0-0 count?

Yes.

You pitch out on 0-0 because he has a base stealer on 1B - runner doesnt go. Count's now 1-0. Runner may then go on the next pitch.

I believe (not 100% certain on this) that when computer H&R / R&H they will show a foul ball being hit, new count would be reflected on the next pitch at that point.

[Brad K]

I didn't word the question well. What I mean is, if I have AI managing my team and the other team will the AI managers steal, H&R etc, on a count other than 0-0.

[Salathor]

Originally Posted by Brad K

I didn't word the question well. What I mean is, if I have AI managing my team and the other team will the AI managers steal, H&R etc, on a count other than 0-0.

Seems like it would be easy enough to check--think about your own games when you have seen the AI steal against you. Has it ever been on a non-0-0 count? It shows it when the play happens (or you can check the game logs). If the ai-managed opponent would do it, I feel confident that your own manager would as well.

I'm working or I would check mine now.

[DaBears]

If you set up player strategy, as an example, to where a fast runner will be very aggressive and also have the bench coach to be slightly aggressive, are they taking the arm/hold ratings into account? Assume so, but wondering.

[Syd Thrift]

I honestly just let the AI handle baserunning and offensive decisions. Occasionally it’s annoying when I bring in a pinch hitter and the new guy sacrifices, but mostly the issue is that OOTP is not a game that actually churns out results on a pitch by pitch basis and instead of completely reworking the entire engine to do this they made the decision several years ago to put this in as a layer.

If I want a guy to do any of the strategies including stealing more or less, I adjust the slider. YMMV. The real alternative if you really and truly want to call all of these is probably to go into one pitch mode.

[Bunktown Ballers]

Originally Posted by Dutch Alexander

I always delegate Offense Strategy to my bench coach. I control the running game indirectly by setting individual strategy for each player. For each player I set Hit & Run and Sacrifice Bunt always to never to prevent my bench coach from making boneheaded decisions. If I want to sacrifice or play the hit & run I simply switch control back to me.
This way the only things I do not directly control with the Offense Strategy set to my bench coach is base running and bunt for hit.

For me this leads to more "natural" stealing and bunting for hits. Having to tell each batter on each pitch is offputting to me. If a situation comes up where I really want the runner to steal I simply go to player strategy and move the slider to max. Most of the time this leads to a steal attempt but not always. If a situation comes up where I absolutely do not want the runner to steal I simply take control over the offense.

The options in OOTP is what makes it the greatest baseball game for PC ever created

[fredbeene]

cuz it is not the stats and reporting capabilities

[Haiku]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Steal, H&R, R&H, Take a Pitch, and Bunt instructions work pitch by pitch even when using one-pitch mode. Essentially, everything except Swing simulates pitch by pitch. The same applies to pitching out and throw to base when defending. For pitchers instructions 1, 2, and 3 simulate in one-pitch mode, while the rest simulate pitch by pitch. In my experience H&R is fairly reasonable, while Steal forces the runner and the batter never swings. I typically H&R with my two best runners, one is typically a lead-off and the other batts 9th. I rarely steal with other guys unless chasing a result in the late innings. I never steal with more than 1 runners on bases. Always H&R with 2 strikes - 2 out.

[Brad K]

I'm surprised. Played some games. AI on for other teams attempt 8 SBs. All attempts were on 0-0 count. None of the attempts were broken H&Rs. Not a single batter swung.

I set my team to AI offensive control and edited my manager for the second highest levet of H&R attempts (He's already set for no steal attempts.).No H&Rs were attempted. This is in 10 games. I have several good H&R players with contact and avoid K ratings a 15 or more on a 20 scale.

It appears that in OOTP history the H&R was not yet invented in 1965. Since nothing made the release notes about starting runners then I assume it's the same in 25 as in 23 (I don't move my saves to never versions, where they start is where they stay.)

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by Haiku

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Steal, H&R, R&H, Take a Pitch, and Bunt instructions work pitch by pitch even when using one-pitch mode. Essentially, everything except Swing simulates pitch by pitch. The same applies to pitching out and throw to base when defending. For pitchers instructions 1, 2, and 3 simulate in one-pitch mode, while the rest simulate pitch by pitch. In my experience H&R is fairly reasonable, while Steal forces the runner and the batter never swings. I typically H&R with my two best runners, one is typically a lead-off and the other batts 9th. I rarely steal with other guys unless chasing a result in the late innings. I never steal with more than 1 runners on bases. Always H&R with 2 strikes - 2 out.

There is *some* pitch-by-pitch strategizing but even at that, a pitchout will not influence a player's chances of walking unless you throw 4 of them, a foul ball on a hit and run that leaves you with 2 strikes won't result in a strikeout any more times than swinging on an 0-0 count will, and so on.

[David Watts]

Steals on counts other than 0-0 happen on a regular basis. So far, I haven't seen a single steal on a swing and miss. If it's a strike, it's a called strike. Seems, steals occur on either a called ball or strike.

[Brad K]

I've now seen a couple of steal attempts on other than 0-0. Stealing in 0-0 remains the most common. And as David observed, no swings. Definitely not a H&R. I still haven't seen AI attempt a H&R.