Wild Pitch Frequency

[IStillDream]

Hi everybody! I've only been playing OOTP 13 for a few months, but I've gotten seriously hooked and I thought I'd check out the forums.

I'm just curious whether you've all had this particular issue, because it affects my game bigtime, and whether it's being addressed in OOTP 14.

Essentially, wild pitches and passed balls are really bizzarely frequent. I generally sim the first 4 innings of every game and just play 5-9, and I'd estimate that, of the innings I actually watch, every other half inning in which a runner reaches base features a wild pitch or passed ball. Multiple wild pitches in an inning are common, and I see multiple wild pitches in an *at bat* at least a half dozen times a season.

Why is this happening, and is it being addressed?

[Bluenoser]

Under league setup, "Strategy" tab, you can adjust the frequency of these.

http://manuals.ootpdevelopments.com/...tals_modifiers

[RchW]

Originally Posted by IStillDream

Hi everybody! I've only been playing OOTP 13 for a few months, but I've gotten seriously hooked and I thought I'd check out the forums.

I'm just curious whether you've all had this particular issue, because it affects my game bigtime, and whether it's being addressed in OOTP 14.

Essentially, wild pitches and passed balls are really bizzarely frequent. I generally sim the first 4 innings of every game and just play 5-9, and I'd estimate that, of the innings I actually watch, every other half inning in which a runner reaches base features a wild pitch or passed ball. Multiple wild pitches in an inning are common, and I see multiple wild pitches in an *at bat* at least a half dozen times a season.

Why is this happening, and is it being addressed?

Wild pitches and passed balls are a function of league totals and the associated modifiers. This is specific to league type and era so no global solution exists.

First check team/league stat output to see if the numbers are off. Then check your league totals/mods to see if anything is out of whack. Compare what you should get to what you do get and make the needed adjustments.

One other possibility exists where individual pitchers may have incorrect rates of WP. This is exceedingly rare.

[IStillDream]

Originally Posted by RchW

Wild pitches and passed balls are a function of league totals and the associated modifiers. This is specific to league type and era so no global solution exists.

First check team/league stat output to see if the numbers are off. Then check your league totals/mods to see if anything is out of whack. Compare what you should get to what you do get and make the needed adjustments.

One other possibility exists where individual pitchers may have incorrect rates of WP. This is exceedingly rare.

Thanks very much! I'll go do that.

[Déjà Bru]

Balks are also a bit too frequent for my tastes.

[diesel230]

It also seems like it happens way to often when you bring in a reliever. He will throw a wild pitch or their will be a passed ball before he is introduced into the game.

[Fyrestorm3]

For some reason, when you sim through a game, the Wild Pitch, Passed Ball, and Balk totals are fine. But if you play the game out, they all occur with ridiculous frequency. I saw a balk every single series until I turned the modifiers down. I'm hoping this is addressed in OOTP14; I've seen a few people bring this up before.

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm3

For some reason, when you sim through a game, the Wild Pitch, Passed Ball, and Balk totals are fine. But if you play the game out, they all occur with ridiculous frequency. I saw a balk every single series until I turned the modifiers down. I'm hoping this is addressed in OOTP14; I've seen a few people bring this up before.

Not what I see in my game and I've played every inning of every game in my dynasty in every version starting with version 4 (2002).

Any instance of wild pitches or balks (since Deja Bru brought them up) have easily been handled by simply adjusting the proper league total modifier.

The biggest problem I have seen with wp, balks, hit batters, etc. is that a lot (not saying you or the original poster) go by their "gut feeling" instead of checking their OOTP stats vs. real life stats. Or only go by a small sample size.

In the original poster's case, from what he says, I'm guessing he has a LTM issue if he is being accurate in seeing a wp "every other half inning".

In any case as RchW says there is no global fix, just too many eras, rosters, and adjustable player creation modifiers at work for a "one size fits all" setting. LTM are included in the game that allow us to tune the game to work with our baseball world. The trouble comes with new users and even some vets not knowing they are there and sometimes not knowing how they work. Markus has created a complex beast in OOTP

[D-BacksJosh]

Originally Posted by Déjà Bru

Balks are also a bit too frequent for my tastes.

I wonder if the MLB actually made the rule change to not allow the 1st-and-3rd trick move this season, and if so, will it produce more balks?

[RchW]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm3

For some reason, when you sim through a game, the Wild Pitch, Passed Ball, and Balk totals are fine. But if you play the game out, they all occur with ridiculous frequency. I saw a balk every single series until I turned the modifiers down. I'm hoping this is addressed in OOTP14; I've seen a few people bring this up before.

These issues have been discussed forever. Human ability to estimate rates of occurrence are poor. The only way to confirm is to see a large enough sample in the league stat output. Note that Sweed played every game, so he has a large enough sample size.

All these totals are quite variable. Not random but not predictable either. Since 2005 balk totals and % change in MLB are:

161
145 -10
139 -4
153 +10
138 -10
182 +32
169 -7
165 -2

To me if you are within + - 20% in any of the above totals you should have zero concern.

[Cryomaniac]

Originally Posted by D-BacksJosh

I wonder if the MLB actually made the rule change to not allow the 1st-and-3rd trick move this season, and if so, will it produce more balks?

IIRC they did change the rule, but I guess we'll have to see if there are any more balks.

[RchW]

Originally Posted by Cryomaniac

IIRC they did change the rule, but I guess we'll have to see if there are any more balks.

It's likely that a spike in balks may occur early but the total number may not be distinguishable from the variation seen in my previous post.

[Fyrestorm3]

It's something that has stood out to me, anyway. Wild Pitches/Passed Balls could be chalked up to observer bias, but the balks were a HUGE issue in the last fictional league I played, happening (as I said) at least once per series, which is far from a normal ratio.

I turned down the modifier, and it was fine; I'm not complaining, really, just mentioning.

[Jamie]

yes when playing out games you get a abnormal wp/bk/wlks especially when on 3rd. I turned down the modifiers and it is working out.

[The Wolf]

Originally Posted by Fyrestorm3

For some reason, when you sim through a game, the Wild Pitch, Passed Ball, and Balk totals are fine. But if you play the game out, they all occur with ridiculous frequency. I saw a balk every single series until I turned the modifiers down. I'm hoping this is addressed in OOTP14; I've seen a few people bring this up before.

Amen.

[The Wolf]

What did you all set your modifiers to?

[Fyrestorm3]

Originally Posted by The Wolf

What did you all set your modifiers to?

Sorry, Wolf, just saw this.

Balks down to .400, WP and PB down to .500, though you may find going up or down by .100 is better for you. I know that this drastically affects the league totals, but I'd much rather have a realistic (to me) in-game experience than worry about whether the proper number of Wild Pitches were thrown in a season (because since when does that stat ever come up?).

[The Wolf]

Thanks, and you make a good point. I'll try them myself.

Modifying bunting sure helped the in-game experience, hope this does the same.