steals, what is your experience

[chriskelly]

Hi: Using current rosters and settings. I'm fascinated in developing a team around speed, and managing aggressively. But, I'm not having the results that I expect. My observations:

-I play out every game, but in single pitch mode. AI seems to get my tendency quickly and it impacts my results. Is this in part because i'm not playing pitch by pitch, which would allow me to run more situationally? I hope not, pitch by pitch is a lot.

-Pitcher hold ratings don't seem to impact me, but catchers with excellent arms seem to shut me down. I wonder if i'm just trying to steal too often on them?

-I can successfully double steal almost every time I try.

what do you guys exerience / recommend?

[Hrycaj]

I don’t have any data to back this up but I feel the number of players getting picked off fell dramatically when I went to pitch by pitch mode. You may be aware but you could use pitch by pitch for when you have a base runner(s) only and then the space bar (one pitch mode) when you don’t. That is what I do and while it does add time to the overall game it works for me. I like the trade off of not getting picked or thrown out constantly.

[Brad K]

I've had better results adjusting the strategy settings to favor what I want rather than calling the plays myself. I'm in a manage game mood presently but for me manage means set the lineups and handle the substitutions.

[Sweed]

First qualifications are my game is a long running game imported from version to version, so not using the current rosters. I've never messed with stolen base settings other than what auto-calc does to them. My LT's are early 2000's totals.

I play one pitch mode and have four base stealers that are great (combinations of 7's and 8's for steal/aggressive). I used to be only somewhat aggressive on the bases, but after two bad months where I left too many runs on the bases I put them all in motion. I'm in early Sept and currently lead the league in steals by a fairly wide margin. 208 steals with a 84.6% success rate. Next best team is 173 with 84.0% success.

If a team puts out a substandard arm (4 rating) at catcher I'm going to run wild. 5 & 6 arm C's don't really scar me either. 7 arms have me cut way back and 8's I just don't run on. All of these "rules" can be affected by the pitcher's hold rating.

Pitchers with an 8 hold I almost never run on. Probably the only time is if they get a lot of ground balls, and then it's hit and run and not straight steals. 7 hold is also almost never unless the C has a 4 arm, and even then it becomes a case by case basis.

5 or 6 hold, with 5 or 6 arm C, I run a lot. 5 or 6 hold but 7 C arm? I get real conservative.

Basic rule is if there is a 7 or 8 involved in the battery I'm not running unless its hit and run. 5 and 6's mean I run a lot. Any 4 combined with a 5 or 6 and it's full speed ahead. FWIW I do get a lot of runners that don't get a jump.

[Brad K]

Originally Posted by Sweed

Pitchers with an 8 hold I almost never run on. Probably the only time is if they get a lot of ground balls, and then it's hit and run and not straight steals. 7 hold is also almost never unless the C has a 4 arm, and even then it becomes a case by case basis.

With a H&R do you prefer a high contact or high avoid K hitter? I had poor results with high contact. The computer manager seems to prefer high avoid K although that's on a small number of observations.

[Sweed]

Originally Posted by Brad K

With a H&R do you prefer a high contact or high avoid K hitter? I had poor results with high contact. The computer manager seems to prefer high avoid K although that's on a small number of observations.

I have "usually" gone with high contact, but if feeling desperate to generate runs will still take my chances with anyone 4 or above on the 2/8 scale. Especially if they have the opposite side of the plate advantage. Take "usually" with a grain of salt because, with all of the variables, every situation requires it's own decision in the moment.

I've never really considered using high avoid K guys with low contact for non-base stealers. My thought was I'm not trying to avoid a K, rather I'm trying to contact the ball. If the batter swings through a pitch with less than 2 strikes and the runner is slow, he's probably getting thrown out. At least that was my thinking. Your post has me thinking I may have undervalued low K batters. In future games I'll give a bit more weight to the "low K" players when making a decision and see how it works out. Never to old to learn or try new things. I should be finishing up my current season in time for the v26 release. Spring training seems like a good time to give this strategy a try.

[Brad K]

I forgot this when I posted earlier. Several years ago (game time) I set the strategy slider so the computer manager would H&R and lot with Roberto Clemente. It didn't produce H&R plays.

I can see the computer manager favoring the high Avoid K guys for H&R because they'll often move a runner up on a ground ball rather than leaving him hanging with a K.

[r0nster]

i used to always use the run and hit button all the time as i would have runners always hesitate and not go. if catcher has poor arm success rate be good but the better the arm the less success. i usually run with players having 80 (out of 100) or better rating

[s1c1l1anm0bst3r]

I use Single Pitch mode and generally use the Run-And-Hit function, or I purposely take 1-3 pitches until I feel it's a good time to run (which they don't always do on command). I never directly force the steal and leave it up to the skill of my baserunner to decide not to go. I feel like I get correct results but have never sat down to analyze it aggressively.

The ratings I generally pay attention to are Catcher Arm, Baserunning Ability, and Speed. I find the hold rating doesn't do much once my runner actually decides to go. Am I correct? Probably not, but it works for me