Reliever strategy

Lenon Honor · 08-28-2008, 09:08 PM

Hello guys,

I have been doing OOTP for years now and I find that the most difficult aspect of the game is figuring out reliever placement and usage. Well, I am tired of trying to figure it out on my own. I need your help. In terms of your relievers, what is your strategy.

To me, it seems like carrying more than 6 relievers is unnecessary. Year after year there is always 1 or 2 relievers who don't play much at all. I figure that extra slot on the roster could have been filled with a bench guy or defensive replacement. I don't know. I have tried many different approaches with varying degrees of success and failure. Still though I would appreciate your perspective. Thanks.

By the way, I am always managing the Padres, so my approach is often similar to that of irl NL teams.

Simon_Nesbit · 08-29-2008, 08:00 AM

Let me preface this to say that I don't follow baseball much at all - especially for someone who plays this game a LOT. I don't play online anymore, and run all sorts of 'unusual' league ideas (though they almost all end up in either failure or dilution into "win it all" dynasties).

In many of my leagues (those where I play out every game), I tend to run only 9 pitchers. 5 Starters (2 good aces, best young guy I've got, then whatever I can get on league minimum), a closer (best pitcher in game if possible), setup man (youngster) and 2 'long' relief (MR in name - usually rookie SP's who aren't quite good enough for my rotation, but capable of pitching 4-5 innings minimum).

I use the extra numbers to round out my hitters. I like to carry two pinch runners, and must be able to put defence in pretty much every spot. (I lost a WS one year from a 1B error).

That's 11 defensive players (20 total so far), and then I put up the 5 best hitters I can find - money (virtually) no object. I almost always end up with the best defensive catcher in the game, so often my other catcher is a hitter first, and is catcher because he can't run real fast.

Getting great fielders who are average (at best) hitters sees me in lots of close games, where my (amazing) closer gets to work it.

Back to the OP, I tend to let my aces run as long as they can (7/8 innings the norm), my young guy gets pulled pretty quick (5/6th), and the #4 and #5 slots depend on how lucky I've been that year - but usually on a 4/5 inning hook.

Because I've got two long relief specialists in the pen, I can comfortably get to the 8th 99% of the time - these guys will pitch out if we're not in a save situation.

Then it's a case of bringing in my rookie setup guy (struggling to get through, or behind), or closer (ahead, save opp).

Sometimes I find the 5-game stretches a pain, possibly counter-intuitive, but I play a 4-man rotation, and move the extra arm to the pen.

I've found some starting pitchers seem to recover from a 4-5 inning game in 3 days, allowing them the extra start before the rest.

lahoward · 09-20-2008, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lenon Honor

Hello guys,

I have been doing OOTP for years now and I find that the most difficult aspect of the game is figuring out reliever placement and usage. Well, I am tired of trying to figure it out on my own. I need your help. In terms of your relievers, what is your strategy.

To me, it seems like carrying more than 6 relievers is unnecessary. Year after year there is always 1 or 2 relievers who don't play much at all. I figure that extra slot on the roster could have been filled with a bench guy or defensive replacement. I don't know. I have tried many different approaches with varying degrees of success and failure. Still though I would appreciate your perspective. Thanks.

By the way, I am always managing the Padres, so my approach is often similar to that of irl NL teams.

i posted this originally in 2002 so some of the players may have retired since.

I believe using a closer in the 9th is logical. I use a 12 man pitching staff (5 Starters) (3 MR's) (2 Left/Right specialist) (1 Setup man) and then the Closer. The 7th inning situation at hand ( man on 1st & 3rd 1 out) this is where my L/R specialist would make his appearance.

Experts say the OPS is the best way to rate a hitter so that leaves the same for a pitcher. Opponents OPS. Ideally a closer would have an Opp OPS stat of .675 or less. Take for instance Danny Graves (Reds closer). He has a total OPP OPS of .623. But lets disect this a bit and we find that He is killing righty's with a .566 but suffering to lefty's with a .730. The next time you see Graves come in the ninth watch the opposing manager unload his lefty's on him. That's why a closer is a closer. He can dominate both lefty's & righty's. So the situation in the 7th with 2 men on isn't the closer's job it's the L/R specialist.

There is a boatload of cheap players that have great situational stats. You bring in Graves to face a lefty in this situation and while you should have a player on the bench that has a .650 or less VSL OPS rating ready for this. That's why there is always 2 pitchers throwing in the bullpen in the 7th inning on (not neccesarily inning but SP's pitchcount) one left handed one right handed. Anyway that's my theory you can usually find situationals in the .600-.625 range that is an excellent player for this part. Beware though his other side is probably .800+ so get him in and out and if the opp manager has a switch hitter AB check the hitter's worst side and bring that P in.

You wanna hear some evidence of a sit specialist. Gabe White VSR .718 VSL .390 ( get it now) As odd as it may sound he would be better in a VSL situation than any closer in the league. Check his game log a lot of 1/3 inn pitched (guess what side & outcome)

08-28-2008, 09:08 PM	#1
Lenon Honor Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 40	Reliever strategy Hello guys, I have been doing OOTP for years now and I find that the most difficult aspect of the game is figuring out reliever placement and usage. Well, I am tired of trying to figure it out on my own. I need your help. In terms of your relievers, what is your strategy. To me, it seems like carrying more than 6 relievers is unnecessary. Year after year there is always 1 or 2 relievers who don't play much at all. I figure that extra slot on the roster could have been filled with a bench guy or defensive replacement. I don't know. I have tried many different approaches with varying degrees of success and failure. Still though I would appreciate your perspective. Thanks. By the way, I am always managing the Padres, so my approach is often similar to that of irl NL teams.

08-29-2008, 08:00 AM	#2
Simon_Nesbit Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 260	Let me preface this to say that I don't follow baseball much at all - especially for someone who plays this game a LOT. I don't play online anymore, and run all sorts of 'unusual' league ideas (though they almost all end up in either failure or dilution into "win it all" dynasties). In many of my leagues (those where I play out every game), I tend to run only 9 pitchers. 5 Starters (2 good aces, best young guy I've got, then whatever I can get on league minimum), a closer (best pitcher in game if possible), setup man (youngster) and 2 'long' relief (MR in name - usually rookie SP's who aren't quite good enough for my rotation, but capable of pitching 4-5 innings minimum). I use the extra numbers to round out my hitters. I like to carry two pinch runners, and must be able to put defence in pretty much every spot. (I lost a WS one year from a 1B error). That's 11 defensive players (20 total so far), and then I put up the 5 best hitters I can find - money (virtually) no object. I almost always end up with the best defensive catcher in the game, so often my other catcher is a hitter first, and is catcher because he can't run real fast. Getting great fielders who are average (at best) hitters sees me in lots of close games, where my (amazing) closer gets to work it. Back to the OP, I tend to let my aces run as long as they can (7/8 innings the norm), my young guy gets pulled pretty quick (5/6th), and the #4 and #5 slots depend on how lucky I've been that year - but usually on a 4/5 inning hook. Because I've got two long relief specialists in the pen, I can comfortably get to the 8th 99% of the time - these guys will pitch out if we're not in a save situation. Then it's a case of bringing in my rookie setup guy (struggling to get through, or behind), or closer (ahead, save opp). Sometimes I find the 5-game stretches a pain, possibly counter-intuitive, but I play a 4-man rotation, and move the extra arm to the pen. I've found some starting pitchers seem to recover from a 4-5 inning game in 3 days, allowing them the extra start before the rest.