SP ... "*" and no-"*"

[BRIANSIELSKI]

Why does SOM use the 3 day rest pitcher in it's game? There is no such thing in baseball ... and when "we" simulate a season, we have SPs actually starting in 41 games.

SOM "prides" itself on making a game that if played out, batters should be close to their average. But having 3 day rest pitchers everywhere, it skews the results.

Just some thoughts.

Doc

[LMBombers]

There is also no off-days. If a real life SP went every 5 days he might actually be pitching every 4th game when you factor in off-days.

[BRIANSIELSKI]

Yeah ... true ... but still ... what MLB pitcher gets 41 starts a season? [b:d3872dfd1a]Everyone[/b:d3872dfd1a] goes on the 5th game.

[LMBombers]

Looking back at the MLB league leaders in starts going back to 2000 the top pitchers all have 34, 35 or 36 starts.

If you pitch every 4th game you will have 40 starts, every 5th game comes to 32. Remember you can't round up. 162/4=40.5. That is 40 starts, not 41. I think it is about right the way it is.

[CHARLESBELL]

The * rating I believe is just a vestige carried over from a time when pitchers could pitch every fourth day, and provides a little backward compatibility with earlier decades. In the SOM computer game there is a setting which overrides the * rating and forces a 5 man rotation if you want that level of realism. You can also set the game schedule to count days vice games. TSN does not offer either setting in the online version.

That said, realism is not what we get with the TSN online game in any way, shape or form.

The most realistic scenario is to replay entire seasons exactly as they occured. SOM players who like to do this have access to stats that will tell them not only the schedules of every game but also the starting pitcher and lineup for every single game. They then set up their computer replays to match that exactly. SOM excels at getting remarkably realistic results in these scenarios.

From that point on every change made to that "realistic" scenario is going to alter the computer generated results to something less than an ideal re-creation.

There is nothing less "real" in SOM baseball than TSN, and it's pure coincidence if any player actually approaches their real life numbers in this game.

But then that's not the point of the online game.

[Jerlins]

This argument has as much validity in this game as having your set up man pitching 175 plus innings, your closer 100 plus innings, your starting catcher catching 155 games, or having Wes Helms DHing for you 160 games in the 07 set. Yet rarely do I see the "realism" proponents bringing up these points. If you want realism, set up a league and enforce the "no more than 5% of actual stats" rule. Otherwise, enjoy the game for what it is. It's not like anyone has an advantage or disadvantage over another.

[MARCPELLETIER]

SPs [i:50cff224a0][b:50cff224a0]who do not get injured[/b:50cff224a0][/i:50cff224a0] usually starts only 34 games, because 95% of the coaches prefer keeping their 5-men rotation intact even when a breakday kicks in.

Consider Santana, for example. Best starter by far of the Twins, if not of the league. In 2006, he started on the first game of the season. Here is his schedule:

Tue 04 Santana
Wed 05 #2
Thur 06 #3
Fri 07 #4
Sat 08 #5
Sun 09 Santana (on his regular shift)
Mon 10 BREAK
Tue 11 #2 (makes sense)
Wed 12 #3
Thur 13 #4
Frid 14 #5 ?????????
Sat 15 Santana (on his 6th day)

In this example, Santana started on his 6th day, instead of starting on his regular 5-day shift (which would have been Friday the 14th).

In my opinion, this makes no sense. If Santana is not hurt, he should be starting every game he can, even if this implies having your #5 skipping a few days.

When you go through the schedule, if you were to give Santana his start every 5-day, without ever skipping a day (except for cancelled games or breaks already planned in the schedule) then Santana would end up with 36 starts, perhaps even 37 starts if you accept to squeeze him in once or twice on a 4-day schedule to avoid having his 5th day fall on a breakday.

It is my humble opinion that 37 starts per season (once every 5 game without ever skipping, with 2 4-day starts in the course of the season) is a very realistic objective [b:50cff224a0]IF the skippers were acting intelligently[/b:50cff224a0]!!!

On this regard, 40 starts is closer to 37 starts than is 32 starts.

Of course, this holds only if the starter doesn't get hurt. Where Som is really NOT realistic, it is in not providing more injuries to pitchers. In leagues such as TSN-SOM, I would mind having the game being more realistic about this. Say, have the *SP rule, but force in some 1-week injuries so that most pitchers get in the 38/39 starts.

[Palmtana]

At the risk of slipping to far into reality baseball, managers often skip their #5 starter the first few weeks of the season because of the extra off days in April. Then they go to the 5-man rotation and stick with it. I agree with Marcus. If the #5 gets skipped on occassion later in the year (pitches every 10 days) he won't be as sharp but it probably won't make much of a difference. He is after all the #5 SP.

[bleacher_creature]

It's a vestige from a bygone era. I kind of like it.

Earl Weaver said it's easier to find four good starters than five.

I do think the online game could stand a few more pitchers' injuries, but that is controlled by the 666 rule (a 666 roll when the DH is up results in a pitcher injury).

The CD ROM used to have a provision where over usage of a player resulted in declining stats. The first time I played here was 2003 (cards) I think, under a different log in. When I drafted, I thought the over usage rule was in effect.

[BRIANSIELSKI]

[quote:4cc7b7b69b]If you want realism, set up a league and enforce the "no more than 5% of actual stats" rule. [/quote:4cc7b7b69b]

Something SOM/TSN should implement. Good idea!!!

Doc