Archive of SportingNews.com's old SOM Baseball forum

I already posted a few days ago in the comments/suggestions forum about HAL yanking my iron armed deadball era starters too soon. I built my pitching staff around the foursome of M Brown, A Joss, U Shocker, and W Hoyt. Three of these guys are 9* and one is an 8*.

Following suggestions offered me from other members I've set all of my bullpen either to avoid use before the 7th or 8th innings (can only use two for eighth). All four of my starters are set to slow hook. All bench players have been marked to avoid all left and right handed batters whic would, you might hope, reduce the likelihood of their use as a pinch hitter.

So what happens the first game after I initiate these settings?

HAL yanks Mordecai Brown for a pinch-hitter in the top of the sixth. I did not spend 11.48 million on a pitcher to have him yanked after five innings in a 1-1 game to be replaced with a guy with a 580K salary and a WHIP of 1.54 (Brown is 0.93). Of course I lost the game.

I know this is just a game, but this is beyond reason and I can't possibly see myself ever paying to play another team here until this problem is solved.

Is it really that difficult to put in a setting along the lines of DON'T PULL STARTER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES OTHER THAN REACHING POW!!!!!" or "NEVER REMOVE FOR PINCH-HITTER" or any setting that would allow a guy that completed 30 games actually to complete 30 games?

A few approaches I take to control the HAL effect. DO NOT choose anyone for set-up or closer. Slow hook for the starters of course. Play in DH leagues, reduces PH, starters last longer that way. Thats the best you can do until managers get more control. I've had Pete A yanked in the 6th or 7th leading 2-1, or left in giving up 7-8 runs in a close game. No logic what so ever. Just make it less likely for PH'ers to come in by playing DH leagues. Good luck.

Also make sure your Bullpen use is set on conservative.

If your pitcher is batting expect that he will be pinch hit for it tight games where HAL sees an opportunity to get you a run and the lead. That's baseball.

As I implied in the other section, just make sure you don't join any leagues that don't use a DH.

Yup, seems I need to form a DH league next time....

[quote:6a0ebe914d]If your pitcher is batting expect that he will be pinch hit for it tight games where HAL sees an opportunity to get you a run and the lead. That's baseball.[/quote:6a0ebe914d]

Not if it means pulling a HOF pitcher for a guy with a 1.50 WHIP. The PH might increase the chances of getting a run, but the pitching change is going to increase significantly the chances of giving up more runs - as has been happening to me since this particular season started.

Now you know what HAL might do in pitching situations. You have now gained experience and might be better prepared next time with better RP that won't kill you when they come into the game. It's all in how you want to spread your salary cap around. Where can you afford something a little cheaper and where do you really need a little more cap allocation. How much you spread around to different positions can also change based on the type of team/stadium you have. As with most things, with more experience generally you get more knowledgeable.

[quote:b8f5cd3e1f]Following suggestions offered me from other members I've set all of my bullpen either to avoid use before the 7th or 8th innings (can only use two for eighth). All four of my starters are set to slow hook. All bench players have been marked to avoid all left and right handed batters whic would, you might hope, reduce the likelihood of their use as a pinch hitter. [/quote:b8f5cd3e1f]These are terrible suggestions IMHO. Putting tons of constraints on HAL's options generally makes him make worse decisions, not better ones. With these settings, how is he supposed to have any idea what to do when, for instance, your starters are beat up in back-to-back games? When your 5R lefty hitter is facing a 9L lefty reliever with the game on the line? When you're, God forbid, behind in a game? You can't remove HAL's ability to make decisions; it is an inevitable part of baseball that he will have to make them. What you can do, and what you've done here, is eliminate his ability to base those decisions on anything sensible.