Dumb question about closers

[textilemonster]

When you assign a closer, the usage options are 9th or later, 8th or later, and 8th+ or later.
What's the difference between 8th inning and 8th+ inning?

Also, what's the difference between a closer and a stopper?

Thank you.

[pgjocki]

8+ is basically just looking at the games score, number of outs remaining, and guys on base.

So if you are winning by 4 runs the CL will never come in to start the 8th as it's not a save opportunity.

If you are winnign by 4 runs with 1 out in the 8th and 2 guys on he "might" come in; I haven't seen it act 100% in every scenario as it also depends on the current pitchers stamina, splits with the batter depending on right or left, etc.

[kq76]

A closer typically only pitches the 9th. A stopper comes in before the 9th and tries to finish the game.

Why a closer would have 8th as a usage option, I don't know. It might be a relic from before we had stoppers in the game or if you're pitching in an era that doesn't use stoppers you can make the closer like a stopper? It may be interesting to note that there is no 9th for stoppers.

I agree with pgjocki about 8+. Sometimes you'll see a closer come in during the 8th, but after it's started, if the previous reliever wasn't able to finish for whatever reason, when you might not otherwise see the closer start the 8th. Calling it 8+ may be a poor choice though as I think most people probably think of 8+ as >=8 whereas here it probably means >8, but then >8 might mean 9, 10, etc to many people instead of simply meaning greater than 8.0.

[Pelican]

The modern closer is a guy who does not come in with runners on base, in the middle of an inning. Just pitches the ninth or the final half-inning. So I use ninth or later for current-day sims.

Stopper is kind of an OOTP creation. It means different things to different people. I set the Stopper - in contemporary sims - for use as early as the seventh inning. To me, this is a guy can be brought into a pressure situation, men on base, middle of the order, and hold the line. Ideally, strikeouts, since even a groundout or flyout may score a run. Always a guy with really good stuff, decent movement, and I don't care as much about control, trading it for juice.

But, as with so many things in OOTP, you get to play it your way. You don't have to designate a closer or stopper. Or you can have more than one of each. Or "bullpen by committee". In historical sims, before the "closer" era, the relievers are more likely to be failed starters. They typically have much higher stamina than the relievers of today. They can pitch multiple innings. Sometimes I try to impose modern bullpen usage with defined roles, but the players don't really lend themselves to that. It would take years of alternate development to change the bullpen culture.

[textilemonster]

Thanks for the info, everybody.