PITCHING ADVICE

[djskcsams]

I am a terrible manager when it comes to pitching. Can any one give me some tips to improve my oerformance?[/b]

[hechojazz]

Advice is difficult in a vacuum - give us a team link, or more specific indications of what your problems are...so much depends on your home ballpark, those of your divisional opponents, and what sort of hitting strengths you'll be seeing (particularly in your division).

[kaviksdad]

Some general rules:

1) Try not to mix * and non * starting pitching. If you do have to mix them, go expensive on one and cheap on the other. Never mix expensive * and expensive non * starters because you lose the value with the non * starters (who will miss starts).

2) Your most valuable reliever is your setup guy. He should get most of your relief innings. Make sure your primary setup guy is R2 rated.

3) Try to avoid having a closer with less than a C3 rating. If your closer is only a C3, restrict him to the 9th inning only.

4) Always have a mop up reliever designated. If possible, try and have a spot stater (a pitcher with both a starter and reliever rating, like a S5/R3) as your mop up reliever.

5) If you don't want your cheap spot starters thrown into games as relievers, place them in your rotation and start using the "per-game" starter settings to designate which pitchers actually start games.

6) Choose your starters a) first for your home park then b) for your divisional foes. For example, if you play in a RH park like Wrigley, generally avoid LH pitchers at home. Conversly, if you play in Shea, try and avoid RH pitchers at home. Some exceptions can be made for especially good pitchers (Santana, Randy) and for exceptionally effective "reverse" (like Dubose in the 2003 set) pitchers.

7) In a one-sided park like Wrigley or Shea, it is often advantageous to use a 6 or 7 man starting pitching rotation. This allows you to tailor your staff to both your home field and your divisional foes. For example, if you play in Wrigley and have a Shea in your division, you might want to carry a * stud like C. Zambrano, a mid-range * like Webb, then a mixture of hard RH pitchers like Prior/Wood, a reverse RH pitcher like W. Williams, a cheap hard LH pitcher or 2 like Capuano, and a reverse LH pitcher like Alvarez. This seven (or even 8 ) man rotation gives you maximum flexability. You may have to carry a 12 man pitching staff to go this route, and spend a little more on your relievers.