Tips for getting better?

[McJacs2]

Hello all,

I have been playing through every game and am in season 2 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, started with the opening day rosters and everything. Last season I went 61-101 and this season I am currently 45-69. I don't know what the problem is but nothing I do seems to work. I made trades to improve my bullpen and lineup and nothing has panned out. If anybody would like to know specific trades, I can detail them further below, but I am just beyond frustrated every time I play a game. What are some tips to improve my team?

Thanks

[DJP53916]

Sometimes trades don't work out. Sometimes players underperform. The real life Pirates didn't have a terrible season, but they certainly had higher expectations than how they finished the year.

There is a degree of randomness in play.

That said, what I would do is since you are in the middle of your second rough season in a row, maybe it is time to rebuild if you haven't. Trade desirable but expensive talent, and target the best available package of young talent you can acquire. Shop players and see what offers come along. Even if you don't like the one-for-one offers, see if you can expand the packages with other teams. Scour the waiver wires, and the independent leagues often. Never know when you can dig up the next Junior Guerra, for example.

I'd look at your scout, and see if his strengths match up what you are trying to accomplish. If you have different ideas, maybe try a new scout. Do the same with your coaching staff. Were injuries an issue? If so, is your trainer and his strengths a good fit for your situation?

If you are rebuilding, make sure your scouting and development budgets reflect what you are trying to do. Don't ignore the international free agents, or posted players from other leagues.

It's hard to give you a perfect formula for success, because each game play is different. I've had game plays with the 2016 Brewers where the season plays out similar to what it did in real life, and others where the team had a much different season (both better and worse). Sometimes it is random chance.

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[ThePretender]

As far as your current team, why are you failing? Is it lack of defence? Is your offence not strong enough? Is it your pitching? If you can identify why you're losing, that would help. Maybe you're not targeting the right players to help you.

Where do you rank in K, BB, HR or BABIP (among pitchers), or K, BB, BA, slugging for hitters, or what's your defensive efficiency or UZR for fielding?

[TheMaus2]

Originally Posted by ThePretender

As far as your current team, why are you failing? Is it lack of defence? Is your offence not strong enough? Is it your pitching? If you can identify why you're losing, that would help. Maybe you're not targeting the right players to help you.

Where do you rank in K, BB, HR or BABIP (among pitchers), or K, BB, BA, slugging for hitters, or what's your defensive efficiency or UZR for fielding?

^This Find your weaknesses.

[MrBojangles]

Originally Posted by McJacs2

Hello all,

I have been playing through every game and am in season 2 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, started with the opening day rosters and everything. Last season I went 61-101 and this season I am currently 45-69. I don't know what the problem is but nothing I do seems to work. I made trades to improve my bullpen and lineup and nothing has panned out. If anybody would like to know specific trades, I can detail them further below, but I am just beyond frustrated every time I play a game. What are some tips to improve my team?

Thanks

Have you tried auto-play to see how the team performs when your computer coach is running things, instead of you?

When I started OOTP, my team performed better when I let it play without my "interference" than it performed when I made the decisions on every pitch. This made me realize that my own coaching abilities (or lack thereof) were bringing the team down.

I had made trades just like you describe and wondered why things weren't getting better - until I realized the reason was my own coaching!!

I had to become a better coach in order to win.

Sharing my own story just to highlight another possibility.

[McJacs2]

Here is a screenshot of my overall team for which category it lacks in. The answer is all of them besides speed.

[TomVeal]

I've been playing the Pirates in an on-line league, starting with the 2015 season. We just finished 2028. The individual games are necessarily managed by computer, so my experience is some indicator of how the team will perform if a human (albeit not a particularly skillful one) handles the GM tasks and the AI serves as manager.

My 2015 Pirates went 81-81, then steadily improved through 2020, when they finished first in the Central Division (92-70), swept the Mets in the NLDS and were, alas, swept by Los Angeles for the NL championship. (The Dodgers then lost to Texas, 4-1).

The ascent from 2015 through 2020 was followed a steady decline, down to 67-95 in the most recent season. (But that was better than 2027's 63-99, and we went 38-35 after the All Star break. Keep hope alive!)

The deterioration was pretty clearly due to Pittsburgh's perennial real-world problem: small budgets that make it impossible to compete for top free agents. Also, during the good years, our farm system weakened for want of top draft picks. Now we're in the process of rebuilding, which will probably require another couple of years.

While your performance so far may just be bad luck, I suggest taking to heart the suggestion that your managing skills need sharpening and would try to improve there before embarking on clever trades.

[Phantom9in]

I would suggest rebuilding the team with a "moneyball" approach. find players with high OBP, low K% but can actually play a position. Get pitchers with high K/BB ratio and a good ERA+. Play out a season with this team and then try to fix holes that show up here. A team built this way SHOULD perform a little better than .500 and you will be able to better see some of the shortcomings that the team has.

[McJacs2]

In the next offseason I will attempt to rebuild and see if I can't get some "Moneyball" players to try to muster a .500 season. Part of the problem probably is my managing, but when the only two buttons on offense virtually are take pitch and hit, I can't make them do more than that.

[NCBeachBum]

Originally Posted by Phantom9in

I would suggest rebuilding the team with a "moneyball" approach. find players with high OBP, low K% but can actually play a position. Get pitchers with high K/BB ratio and a good ERA+. Play out a season with this team and then try to fix holes that show up here. A team built this way SHOULD perform a little better than .500 and you will be able to better see some of the shortcomings that the team has.

I'd advise using FIP- instead of ERA+, though.

[Phantom9in]

Thanks, couldn't remember what the stat was that I used and the only thing that kept popping in to my head was ERA+.

[TomVeal]

Originally Posted by McJacs2

In the next offseason I will attempt to rebuild and see if I can't get some "Moneyball" players to try to muster a .500 season. Part of the problem probably is my managing, but when the only two buttons on offense virtually are take pitch and hit, I can't make them do more than that.

There's a lot more to managing than that. Do you look for steal opportunities, particularly against pitchers with low Hold ratings? Do you ever try bunting for a hit against mediocre defenders? Do you construct a lineup that maximizes the opportunities for your best hitters? Do you pay attention to left-right match-ups?

And defense is crucial, too. How is your bullpen management? Do you watch your starters' pitch counts? Do you have a plan for which relievers should be called upon in what situation? Do you have a clear idea of when you might want to issue an intentional walk, pitch around a slugger or pitch to contact?

Do you use defensive shifts against pull hitters? Do you move the infield in when preventing a run is essential? Do you bring in the corners in bunting situations? Do you guard the lines when you can tolerate a single but not an extra base hit? Do you make defensive substitutions in late innings? If you're playing without DH's, do you know how to make a double switch?

I'm sure that better managers than I can add many further questions.

[drhay53]

One piece of general advice that took me a couple of seasons to really grasp; sometimes a frustrating bullpen is actually due to your starting pitching, in the following sense: if your starters have a low quality start percentage, that means they are forcing your bullpen to throw a lot of innings. A tired bullpen is a surefire way to a bad record.

Ideally your starter gets you directly to your best setup man or even better, the closer. You really have to pay attention to make sure you have 1-2 quality innings-eaters in your rotation. A supremely talented starter with low-stamina can actually be pretty taxing on your pen; he's going to throw a lot of pitches striking guys out and then come out in the 6th inning, dumping 3 innings on your 'pen.

I will usually try very hard to make sure I have at least one starter with max stamina (for my scouting settings, which are 20-80). Some of the best pitchers I've ever had were ones with slightly above average ratings in Stuff-Movement-Control but max stamina. Put 'em in front of a good defense and watch the innings roll up; and watch your rested 'pen suddenly drop their ERA considerably.

[McJacs2]

Originally Posted by TomVeal

There's a lot more to managing than that. Do you look for steal opportunities, particularly against pitchers with low Hold ratings? Do you ever try bunting for a hit against mediocre defenders? Do you construct a lineup that maximizes the opportunities for your best hitters? Do you pay attention to left-right match-ups?

And defense is crucial, too. How is your bullpen management? Do you watch your starters' pitch counts? Do you have a plan for which relievers should be called upon in what situation? Do you have a clear idea of when you might want to issue an intentional walk, pitch around a slugger or pitch to contact?

Do you use defensive shifts against pull hitters? Do you move the infield in when preventing a run is essential? Do you bring in the corners in bunting situations? Do you guard the lines when you can tolerate a single but not an extra base hit? Do you make defensive substitutions in late innings? If you're playing without DH's, do you know how to make a double switch?

I'm sure that better managers than I can add many further questions.

The things I bolded are things I need to work on. I'm not too sure when I should pitch to contact, and I usually pinch hit so early and often so I don't have the opportunity to make defensive substitutions. Everything else you mentioned I'd like to thing I do often enough.

[McJacs2]

Originally Posted by drhay53

One piece of general advice that took me a couple of seasons to really grasp; sometimes a frustrating bullpen is actually due to your starting pitching, in the following sense: if your starters have a low quality start percentage, that means they are forcing your bullpen to throw a lot of innings. A tired bullpen is a surefire way to a bad record.

Ideally your starter gets you directly to your best setup man or even better, the closer. You really have to pay attention to make sure you have 1-2 quality innings-eaters in your rotation. A supremely talented starter with low-stamina can actually be pretty taxing on your pen; he's going to throw a lot of pitches striking guys out and then come out in the 6th inning, dumping 3 innings on your 'pen.

I will usually try very hard to make sure I have at least one starter with max stamina (for my scouting settings, which are 20-80). Some of the best pitchers I've ever had were ones with slightly above average ratings in Stuff-Movement-Control but max stamina. Put 'em in front of a good defense and watch the innings roll up; and watch your rested 'pen suddenly drop their ERA considerably.

This seems to be a big problem for me, as my starters have trouble giving me quality starts. My bullpen can be good when they are called upon every now and then, but when they have to pitch from the 6th inning on every day it can be taxing and inflate their ERA's to egregious numbers. Higher stamina pitchers are definitely something for me to look for in the future.

[TheMaus2]

Ground ball pitchers > Fly Ballers
Invest more in quality infield.

[McJacs2]

Also, a lot of my players have been coming to me saying the team chemistry is off and that the players are starting to play badly because of it. When I look at people, the main problems they have are individual performance and team record, both of which directly relate to the way the players play. How do I go about fixing that? How do I identify the "clubhouse cancer"?

[ThePretender]

Originally Posted by McJacs2

The things I bolded are things I need to work on. I'm not too sure when I should pitch to contact, and I usually pinch hit so early and often so I don't have the opportunity to make defensive substitutions. Everything else you mentioned I'd like to thing I do often enough.

As an NL team you should have more than enough PH, but if you feel like you don't have enough you can try running a 6 man bullpen. You have to be careful not to overuse guys, but this would give you an extra bench bat.

This might have to wait until you have more reliable SP though.

[Silfir]

Originally Posted by McJacs2

Also, a lot of my players have been coming to me saying the team chemistry is off and that the players are starting to play badly because of it. When I look at people, the main problems they have are individual performance and team record, both of which directly relate to the way the players play. How do I go about fixing that? How do I identify the "clubhouse cancer"?

Look at all the guys' BNN pages. The culprit is likely to have Leadership and/or Work Ethic at Very Low. The scout's description of his character will usually be rather unflattering, too.

Any guy with Very Low Work Ethic is someone I'd look to trade away fairly quickly, even if they're really good, because with that work ethic they're fairly unlikely to stay that way for the full length of a contract. You can usually foist them on the AI for an almost equally good, but less assholey player.

[BrandonS]

Originally Posted by McJacs2

Hello all,

I have been playing through every game and am in season 2 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, started with the opening day rosters and everything. Last season I went 61-101 and this season I am currently 45-69. I don't know what the problem is but nothing I do seems to work. I made trades to improve my bullpen and lineup and nothing has panned out. If anybody would like to know specific trades, I can detail them further below, but I am just beyond frustrated every time I play a game. What are some tips to improve my team?

Thanks

I have a YouTube channel with lots of tips that I've learned over the years of playing OOTP. Perhaps check it out and see if you learn a thing or two!