Quick, Quick, Quick, Hook!

[kimkrichbaum2]

I'm going to try an experiment. A Coors team with all starters under a dollar, great relief and huge offense. How do I set my starters to leave the game, as soon as possible? Quick Hook is an obvious. Does Avoid lefty, or Righty work with Starters? What about 1 or 2 innings max? I suppose I shouldn't set them for mop-up :P What have you all learned about this?

[LMBombers]

I would check all the boxes that relate to a quick exit on the SP cards like: quick hook, avoid RHB, avoid LHB, max 1-2 innings for relief. These can't hurt and hopefully HAL will get the idea.

I would be careful on the managerial setting for Relief Usage. I think if you set this to aggressive it will also agressively remove your RP from the game for other RP. A few games of this and your pen will be worn out and one lucky RP will be left in the game to take all kinds of punishment.

I would also just get 4 SP slugs for your SP and have at least 7 RP. Don't waste your 5th SP spot. Instead get a S/R for one of your RPs. I also reccomend getting generally balanced RP instead of hard RH or LH specialists because you want them to eat up innings instead of pitching to just one or two batters.

Good Luck

[kimkrichbaum2]

Thanks for the tips, especially the one about not going on Agressive Relief, very helpful :D . Unfortunately I can't go for 4 starters, at the level I'm spending there aren't 4 3-day pitchers available! But I may go for a 12-man staff, or else 11 with 6 significant relievers. I still wonder how this experiment will work!

[spicki17]

out of curiousity...what are you going for for rp's?

[geekor]

I would still spend a little on sp's. Get some guys who are good fits, not just anyone. Like Moyer, L Hernandez, B Lawrence are a decent 3/4 for * sp's.

Make sure none of your RP's have any Bp Hr's!

btw, I have never gotten this to work, and have tried it quite a few times. The problem is your RP's tend to get fatigued and overworked still, and their numbers inflate. what I HAVE had work is alomst that, just with a good frontline SP to give the pen a rest every 4 days. For instance, if you have say AJ Burnett, then the 3 mentioned above sp's, at least you can count on Burnett to go 3-7 innings every 4 days and give then Pen a break. But that's just my experience. Though I did it with Hudosn in 03, lost finals, and RJ in 05 and lost finals (meaning that great SP and 4 cheapies with a good pen)

[bleacher_creature]

Good thread. The original question also apllies to when you have a game where you just don't have a starter who is a good match for a particular team/series/ballpark.

Is it me, or does Hal seem a little reluctant on '06 to pull a starter after he has given up only 3 runs? It seems to me that quick hook used to accomplish this.

[kimkrichbaum2]

You have effectively talked me out of my crazy idea. If it is hard to get a starter out of the game after 3 runs, this idea is doomed, or at the very least, left for experts beyond myself. I will try a more normal challenge.