Strategies
Rotation Pitching Roster Batting Roster
Bunt for a Hit
Use this general rating to control how frequently you will try to bunt for hit. The actual success and frequency of particular batters depends on their speed, place in the lineup, bunt rating, and the game situation.
Hit and Run
Use this general rating to control the overall likelihood of the hit and run. In order for your team actually to hit and run, you must flip the switches to "Y" on a per player basis from the Batting Roster edit screen.
Intentional Walk
Use this general rating to control how likely your pitchers are to intentionally walk the batter in tough situations. The actual likelihood of the intentional pass in a particular situation depends on the following constellation of factors: whether it creates a double play situation, the ground/fly ratio of the pitcher and batter, the inning, the score, relative average and power differential between the batter and the next man up, actual intentional walks yielded by the pitcher or drawn by the batter, lefty - righty match ups, and the general competitiveness of the opponent as judged by winning percentage.
Sacrifice Bunt
Use this rating to implement one of several strategies for sacrifice bunts.
Concede Tie
Use this control to set the inning at which you'd be contented with a tie. The larger number (between you and your opponent) will determine when a game can end. That is, if you have specified inning 14 and your opponent has specified inning 19, the game will not end in a tie until the close of the 19th inning. By default, a tie is declared at the end of the 21st inning, but you can adjust this upward or downward. It can be useful if you are trying to conserve RPL for your pitchers or trying to get by with a minimum staff.
Consider RPL in Lineup Generator
When this switch is set to 'On" (the deafult setting), the computer prejudices in favor of underplayed players and against overplayed players when lineups are generated. When set to 'On', this setting will never override the primary roles you have assigned (Bench or Starter) to your players. It simply helps maintain a more even usage of those players eligible to start. When this switch is set to 'Off', the lineup generator will not worry about RPL when building your lineup. If you are not getting the lineup results you hoped for (especially if one or more of your eligible starters are "in the red"), try setting this switch to 'Off'.
Defensive Positioning
Use this set of strategies to control when you wish to employ standard defensive maneuvers such as drawing the infielders or outfielders in and guarding the lines. The "Inning" switch indicates the inning you want to begin the maneuver. You may also adjust the "Stop" switches, which direct the computer to abandon such maneuvers when your lead or deficit reaches a certain point.
Starters in Extra Innings
Use Yes or No to indicate whether a starting pitcher on your team can, in the case of a very strong outing, continue on into the 10th inning. No starters can pitch past the 10th inning.
Earliest My SetUp can Appear
When a setup man is designated (see Pitching Roster), you can let the computer decide when to bring him into the game, or you can specify a setting of either 1 or 2 innings before your closer. Setup men appear in save situations an inning or two before the closer appears. In order for a setup man to appear, you must also have designated a closer.
Setup Can Interrupt Starter
When a setup man is designated, this setting tells the computer when it is possible for a setup pitcher to interrupt the outing of the starting pitcher. For example, if you set this strategy to "2 earned runs or more," that tells the computer that a starting pitcher having yielded 2+ earned runs may be lifted so that your setup pitcher can appear. If a starter is having a very good outing, you probably don't want to lift him. Use this setting carefully. Depending how you set this strategy, you'll see lots more holds and lots fewer complete games!
Setup can Receive Extra Work
When a setup man is designated, this tells the computer whether he is permitted to pitch in non-setup situations when rested.
The Earliest my Closer Can Appear
By default, the computer handles this decision. However, you can override the computer by specifying the earliest point in the game your closer could appear under viable conditions. Relievers who played before the modern era are sometimes capable of long outings, so if you're using one as a closer, you might direct the computer to bring him in earlier. Be cautious, however. If you make a pitcher appear too early and he cannot finish either because he can't pitch that long or gets into trouble, you will be forced to field another reliever (if one is available) or let the closer get pounded by the opposition.
The Most Batters my Closer Can Face
By default, the computer handles this decision. However, you can override the computer by specifying the maximum number of batters your closer is permitted to face before being forced out of the game. This number functions as a guaranteed hook.
I want my closer to appear even in a non-save situation when leading
Some managers will not want to take any chances, even with a larger lead, and may choose to use this option to force the closer to appear even in situations where he is not eligible for a save.
I want my closer to appear even when tied or trailing
If you have a strong closer, you might want your closer to appear when the game is tied to keep it close, or even when you're behind in a close game to give you a chance of coming back. On a weak team the closer may not get very many innings if he waits for actual save opportunities, so here's a way to get him some more work in situations that could help you win. On a strong team it's possible that a closer still doesn't get enough innings, especially if he was used heavily in real life.
Closer Available for extra work when rested
When a closer is designated (see Pitching Roster), then you may specify whether your closer can pitch in situations other than save situations. If you use 'Yes', then it is possible for your closer to be unavailable the following game should his fatigue level lie beneath the minimum rested-ness to pitch.
Earliest Inning Mop-Up Pitcher can Appear
When a mop-up man is designated (see Pitching Roster), then this number represents the earliest inning he can appear provided all other relevant conditions have been met.
Don't Use Mop-Up Unless Trailing By
When a mop-up man is designated (see Pitching Roster), the this number represents the runs by which your team must be trailing before he can enter the game, provided that all other relevant conditions have been met.
Don't Use Mop-Up Pitcher Against Certain Opponents
Bringing a mop-up pitcher into the game indicates your desire to save the remainder of your bullpen for another day when you have a better chance of winning. It is hard to employ this strategy uniformly since opponents vary in strength. For example, against a strong opponent you may be willing to concede the game once you trail by 6 runs in the 6th inning whereas against a weak opponent you may not. Therefore, you may find it helpful to adjust this number (it represents the winning percentage of the opposing team) up or down to gain some more control over your mop-up strategy. The higher the number, the fewer the number of opponents against whom you will use your mop-up man. The lower the number, the greater the number of opponents against whom you will use your mop-up strategy.
Note: If your team comes from behind to tie the game or take a lead, the mop-up man will be removed so that a fresh reliever can appear.
Confine Mop-Up Pitcher Only to Mop-Up Situations
Use Yes or No to indicate whether your mop-up pitcher can have other assignments from the bullpen. If you use No, then this pitcher will be able to enter from the bullpen in other situations provided that his fatigue level is above the minimum level needed to pitch.
Close Game
This definition is designed for use in conjunction with defensive substitutions. You may define a close game to better achieve your managerial goals for substitutions.
Blowout
This definition is designed for use in conjunction with defensive substitutions. You may define a close game to better achieve your managerial goals for substitutions.