bullpen usage

[Roscodog]

Why would WIlson be left in? he's set up vs lefties, avoid right, quick hook. First game of the season so everyone is available. :x

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/league/boxscore.html?group_id=43660&g_id=4

2nd game of season

when is a mop up situation? Brown's not it.

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/league/boxscore.html?group_id=43660&g_id=10

3rd game

7th inning, 3 lefty relievers used for 3 different batters 2 of which are right handed.

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/league/boxscore.html?group_id=43660&g_id=16

I don't know why I bother using settings, in fact maybe I won't anymore. Am I complaining? Ya a little bit. Still a great game just really, really, frustrated.

[durantjerry]

I read a post from someone once that said something like you should not ask HAL to do too much with the set up guys. I tend to agree with that point of view. I'm sure others have had success doing it, but it doesn't work for me. To have a set up guy vs lefties only set to quick hook and avoid righties is expecting too much of HAL IMO. You want your lefty set up guy to be used as a LH specialist, which is not really what a set up guy is. As I said, I know some have succeeded using those settings, but I think you need to lower your expectations and set your bullpen accordingly(At least that's what I do).

[SteadyEddie33]

Yeah, that's what i used to think...back in other years when I actually WON :)

For some reason, my usual bullpen strategies have gone awry so often in the new game, that I've inverted them.. i.e. placing only specialists in HAL's bp slots and leaving my true setup men sort of 'free'..

HAL and I are really at odds these days...lol

[WGullett]

I agree that HAL can really mess things up with the relief settings. He seems to do what he wants anyway so what I have started doing is NOT setting the individual relievers cards. I leave them blank. This way he cant override me because I allow him to call the shots now. In the past I would get cheap with my bullpen and have miserable years. To offset HALs jones to do it his way not only do I not set the settings BUT I also draft a stellar bullpen where each reliever ios a good reliever and no matter who HAL chooses I still have a good reliever in the game. Draft 4 relievers in the 2-4 million range and whoever is brought in is capable and cant cost you as much as in the past. PLus it seem like not setting the individual relievers settings frees HAL up to make easy decisions, or more to the point, BETTER decisions because he has free reign. My last team I decided to do all of this and I had my best team at 103 wins and the championship. Ive donr this with 3 new teams and they are all in first place all with bullpens who are dominant. I had fought this reliever issue MANY times and hed even posted a few times about how the next "improvement" that was made should be centered on this and not "new" player sets which is a bandaid at best for the real issues on this site. Of course, if you are going to post what others perceive as "negative" messages towards the game there will some patheitic simpering apologist like the self proffessed genius Geekor who will snap at you like a mother protecting her young. I know its hard to not set the setting but give it a shot with 4 good relievers and see what happens. Of course to free up enough cash for the extra bullpen you will need to lower your starters a little but you should be able to find decent starters who can get you to your bullpen. Whatever you do dont compromise or hamstring your offense to do this. Whatever happens good luck to you. :D

[coyote303]

I've had many seasons where HAL did a respectable job with my bullpen. Then, I had one season where HAL didn't use my 10th man once. (I couldn't even cut him since that year required 10 pitchers). At least the unused reliever wasn't good.

And then there is my present 2006 season. I have a good setup man, a passable closer, and a passable third reliever. I rounded out my staff with two $600K relievers. HAL has fallen in love with my worst reliever, and I can't hardly get him to use my third reliever.

One conclusion I've come to is HAL doesn't seem to like to use free relievers with a 1 endurance rating. Other than that, it's still an adventure trying to figure HAL out. And, as I said to start, most seasons HAL has done just fine.

I know Bernie is working on bullpen logic and improvements are in the works. It has to be a tough job getting it just right so all your relievers get used in a reasonable manner and the best ones get used when it counts and how you want.

[elpasopesos]

My question is did you have Wilson as a closer vs left? or as set man vs left? Hal pit him in to get Teahan and he did. I would say he would have pulled him if he weren't designated as set up guy. My philosophy is a set up guy should be someone you dont mind out there in any situation... in the 2007 set I love Broxton for that purpose. I have a closer set the same way... Nathan is the best mid priced reliever I think. Then I use a bunch of low 1 m or under 1 m guys set on quick hook like Jeremy Miller Vinnie Chulk (big stud) Joe Beimel, Ron Mahay, Tim Burdak and my fav Saul Rivera as mop up. I have had relative success with this configuration if I can get good work from my starters.