Outfield Deep

[BKL]

In general, when would you use Outfield Deep? The manual says to protect a lead, but you could also risk more hits getting in front of your outfielders, so is it a wash?

[dunningrb]

Originally Posted by BKL

In general, when would you use Outfield Deep? The manual says to protect a lead, but you could also risk more hits getting in front of your outfielders, so is it a wash?

This may not be definitive, but it's worth a read: Royals Outfield To Play Deep - Royals Review

[Mennogreg]

Originally Posted by BKL

In general, when would you use Outfield Deep? The manual says to protect a lead, but you could also risk more hits getting in front of your outfielders, so is it a wash?

There is a saying, to compare it to the NFL's Prevent defense (most of the players hanging back to prevent a big play), the only thing it prevents is you from winning (because the offense is free to pile up short yardage). Outfield Deep isn't as bad, but I wouldn't use it to necessarily protect a lead. To give an example, let's say it's the 9th inning and you have a 1-run lead, and the first batter up is a power hitter. Outfield Deep may deny him from hitting a ball over the outfielder's heads and preventing a double, so instead of starting the inning with a runner on 2nd with three chances to get a hit to score him, he's instead on 1st and the opposing team will have to string together more hits to bring him in. So it's really a situational strategy, and not something you would leave on just to protect a lead.

[slugga27]

Originally Posted by Mennogreg

There is a saying, to compare it to the NFL's Prevent defense (most of the players hanging back to prevent a big play), the only thing it prevents is you from winning (because the offense is free to pile up short yardage). Outfield Deep isn't as bad, but I wouldn't use it to necessarily protect a lead. To give an example, let's say it's the 9th inning and you have a 1-run lead, and the first batter up is a power hitter. Outfield Deep may deny him from hitting a ball over the outfielder's heads and preventing a double, so instead of starting the inning with a runner on 2nd with three chances to get a hit to score him, he's instead on 1st and the opposing team will have to string together more hits to bring him in. So it's really a situational strategy, and not something you would leave on just to protect a lead.

This. It's known as the "no-doubles" defense. It's best used when you can afford to allow a shallow fly ball drop in, as opposed to letting a long fly ball drop in over the outfielder's head.

[The Wolf]

Exactly. Use it when you want to avoid having a ball get past an outfielder for extra bases but are willing to give up a single instead.

[Tram2Whitaker]

Not to hijack the thread, on a related note; there's no double play depth on infield options. There's corners in, third baseman in, first baseman in, shift left (is that the fielder's left, or batter's left?), and shift right.

I understand if you got a guy on third with less than 2 out, you want to bring your infield in; likewise when you have a guy on first with less than 2 outs, you want to erase him on the next play. That's why you have your middle infielders bunched toward the middle, and deep.

[The Wolf]

Infield options:

Infield Normal - Standard positioning.

Infield In - The infielders play in (closer to home plate). This option is usually used in a close game, with a runner on third, when you want to prevent the runner from scoring at all costs.

Corners In - The first and third basemen play in. This option is frequently used when a bunt is expected.

Third Baseman In - Only the third baseman plays in. This option is frequently used when a bunt from a right-handed batter is expected.

First Baseman In - Only the first baseman plays in. This option is frequently used when a bunt from a left-handed batter is expected.

Guard Lines - The first and third basemen play closer to their respective bases than usual, preventing balls from going down the lines. This option is often used to prevent teams from getting extra-base hits, at the risk of a greater chance of allowing a single.

Shift Left - The second baseman, shortstop, and third basemen all play between second and third base. This option is often used when a very strong pull hitting right-handed hitter is at bat, to increase the chance of successfully fielding a ball that is pulled to the left side of the infield.

Shift Right - The second baseman, shortstop, and first basemen all play between second and first base. This option is often used when a very strong pull hitting left-handed hitter is at bat, to increase the chance of successfully fielding a ball that is pulled to the right side of the infield.

[The Wolf]

Outfield Options

Outfield Normal - Standard positioning.

Outfield In - Outfielders play in (closer to home plate). This option is typically used late in a game when a runner is on base who represents the tying or winning run, and you want to prevent the run from scoring-at the risk of having a ball hit over an outfielder's head that he would normally have been able to catch.

Outfield Deep - Outfielders play deep. This option is typically used when you want to protect a lead and don't want to let balls get behind your outfielders for extra-base hits.

[Tram2Whitaker]

Originally Posted by The Wolf

Infield options:

Infield Normal - Standard positioning.

Infield In - The infielders play in (closer to home plate). This option is usually used in a close game, with a runner on third, when you want to prevent the runner from scoring at all costs.

Corners In - The first and third basemen play in. This option is frequently used when a bunt is expected.

Third Baseman In - Only the third baseman plays in. This option is frequently used when a bunt from a right-handed batter is expected.

First Baseman In - Only the first baseman plays in. This option is frequently used when a bunt from a left-handed batter is expected.

Guard Lines - The first and third basemen play closer to their respective bases than usual, preventing balls from going down the lines. This option is often used to prevent teams from getting extra-base hits, at the risk of a greater chance of allowing a single.

Shift Left - The second baseman, shortstop, and third basemen all play between second and third base. This option is often used when a very strong pull hitting right-handed hitter is at bat, to increase the chance of successfully fielding a ball that is pulled to the left side of the infield.

Shift Right - The second baseman, shortstop, and first basemen all play between second and first base. This option is often used when a very strong pull hitting left-handed hitter is at bat, to increase the chance of successfully fielding a ball that is pulled to the right side of the infield.

So, yeah! Like I was saying, there's no option to improve odds of turning a double play. I've never liked the overshift IRL, but never used it in the game because I was confused as to who's right they were referring.

[The Wolf]

Originally Posted by Tram2Whitaker

So, yeah! Like I was saying, there's no option to improve odds of turning a double play. I've never liked the overshift IRL, but never used it in the game because I was confused as to who's right they were referring.

Now you know.

[harrumph]

In my experience, which at this point constitutes a pretty big sample size, neither batters' pull tendencies nor the shift options actually have any effect on the game. Pull hitters are just as likely as not to go to the opposite field, and when they do, even if the shift is supposed to be on, the play is just as likely to be made as if there were no shift.

That experience has made me pretty leery of the other defensive options, and at this point I only really use them to guard against bunts (and, because bunts pretty much all turn out the same way regardless, it's actually hard to tell whether bringing the corners in makes a difference either).

Have people actually had success playing the outfield deep or shallow?

[joefromchicago]

Originally Posted by Tram2Whitaker

So, yeah! Like I was saying, there's no option to improve odds of turning a double play.

Normal depth is double-play depth. All other variations decrease the chances of turning a double play. I can't imagine how you can shift the infielders to "improve" your odds of getting a double play, apart from playing them in their normal positions.

[Dyzalot]

Originally Posted by joefromchicago

Normal depth is double-play depth. All other variations decrease the chances of turning a double play. I can't imagine how you can shift the infielders to "improve" your odds of getting a double play, apart from playing them in their normal positions.

Traditionally the 2nd baseman and shortstop would play a little closer to second base than they otherwise would when playing at "double play depth".

[Cinnamon J. Scudworth]

Originally Posted by Tram2Whitaker

So, yeah! Like I was saying, there's no option to improve odds of turning a double play. I've never liked the overshift IRL, but never used it in the game because I was confused as to who's right they were referring.

You're to assume that, by default, your infielders will play double-play depth when the situation calls for it, unless you pick one of the shifts or infield in. Because there's no reason why they wouldn't play for the double-play unless it was a specific situation, like needing to cut down a runner at the plate, when you would play infield in.

[Dubie1947]

Originally Posted by Dyzalot

Traditionally the 2nd baseman and shortstop would play a little closer to second base than they otherwise would when playing at "double play depth".

Close, but double play depth is actually slightly different. In normal depth, the 2B and SS are setup deep, near to the outfield grass. At double play depth, both players setup closer (in between the outfield grass and the base line) so that they can get to second base quicker. The risk is that there is a greater chance that a hard hit ball will get past the fielder for a base hit.