Possible game engine problem?

[tplatypi]

I have on several different 2007 teams Tim Byrdak (L/6L) and Boone Logan (L/9L). They are set to "Avoid right handed pitchers", and in some cases set to "quick hook". Here is their simulated L/R split history on these teams.
Byrdak, on one team has faced 4 leftys and 35 rightys.
Byrdak on another team has faced 22 L and 33 R
Logan on one team has faced 1 L and and 13 R
Logan on another team has faced 14 L and 29 R

Does this seem like "avoid right handed batters" to you? 4 L and 35 R??? 1 L and 13 R??? It seems to me that the "avoid right" settings are reversed in the game engine, and it is actually being implemented as "avoid left". This needs to be checked.

[geekor]

avoid does NOT mean avoid at all costs. I mean try to avoid if the game can. what is the rest of your pitching staff look like? If there is not enough innings available from other pitchers, those cheap specialists will be used longer than you would like.

also the game engine will look as to who is coming up, i.e. come in to face a L then sees 2 R followed by 2 L, it may keep him in thru the 2 R to save others in the bullpen.

Overall cheapies shouldn't be used like that unless you have lots of other options as well in the pen.

FWIW, on my ATG team where I have great starters set to slow hook and conservative, thru 48 games my cheapie LH specialist has 1.2 IP and my cheapies RH specialist has 3 IP. It can work, if your pitching staff is set up properly.

[tplatypi]

Thanks, and your comments make sense, but they don't explain 4L vs. 35R and 1L vs. 13R on guys who is set to "Avoid" righty's"!

On these teams I have 2 each righty and lefty pitchers who are similarly strongly balanced to one side (for example R/9R), plus a good balanced reliever and a good balanced closer (Herges and Isringhausen for example). It shouldn't be necessary to have Tim Byrdak (L/6L), who is set to avoid rightys face almost exclusively rightys (35 of 39 batters faced) on a team that has two R/9R's. On this same team I have Justin Miller (R/9R) set to avoid lefty's but he has faced more leftys (18) than rightys (16)? Are you SURE the game engine isn't reversed on this? This seems almost inexplicable to me.

[Stoney18]

SOM has acknowledged that bullpen management is no fully optimized so yes, there is some tweaking that is needed and Bernie has said it's high on his list of things to do.

Geekor is correct, you have too many specialist and they are staying in too long because there aren't many options.

I haven't used 4 specialist types but here's a way I would try to set up your bp.

Set Izzy for not before 8th, don't use in blowout, setup and closer both ways

Herges - do not check anything

Specialist - avoid bad side, quick hook, 1-2 inning max, not before 7th.

Unfortunately I think you need another RP to make this work since Herges can't pitch every day.

Hal likes to give innings to R2's. I think that is part of the issue with Bryak. Innings are needed and Hal is using him.

I would probably drop a specialist and add a cheap R2. Proctor is one of my favorites.

Hope this made some sense.

[geekor]

I understand your frustration, but Stoney is right. There isn't enough bullpen innings to around around to support 4 specialists. Typically, when I use them, I have at least 3 other RP's to east up innings. HAL will use those specialists in ways you don't want if he HAS to give innings to someone. My MINIMUM settings with a pair (1 vs L, 1 vs R) of specialists is either a strong closer (strong as in able to set to close and setup avoid before 8th) and an ok setup man, or a strong setup guy (like Bell) and a decent closer (Corpas, etc), plus the specialist pair, plus another RP. My fav's have been the Chulk, rodney guys, but others, like Proctor, can work too.

Then I have closer and setup, well setup, have the other RP unchecked, and the specialists set to avoid bad side, quick hook, avoid before 7th.

They will STILL face their bad side. Like I tried to allude to, the way HAL figures bullpen usage is a bit weird, but he looks at the batters coming up, and the overall taxation of RP's available to pitch that game, trying to make sure he can get thru the game. It is definitely NOT perfect, in fact far from it.Bernie has stated many times he is working on improving it, but it takes time. I would stay away from using more than one pair of specialists, and even if you do use them, you need to have at least 3 other RP's on hand to eat innings (that is unless of course you could force you SP's to pitch 7 innings a game :P)

[tplatypi]

Thanks for the feedback guys, and I'll take your advice. But nothing is going to explain to me why my R/9R is facing mostly leftys and my L/6L is facing almost exclusively righty's. It just blows my mind, but I give up and will organize my bullpens differently.

[tplatypi]

Thanks for the feedback guys, and I'll take your advice. But nothing is going to explain to me why my R/9R is facing mostly leftys and my L/6L is facing almost exclusively righty's on the same team. It just blows my mind, but I give up and will organize my bullpens differently.

[fd45678]

I had similar experience. I have Wolfe-R (9R) and Mahay-L (7L), both are set to avoid thier weak side. Hal brought in Wolfe with four righties coming up and pulled Wolfe after one batter (a sacrifice bunt). Mahay then came in to face the next three righties and proceeded to blow the game. I had Wolfe set to quick hook and Mahay was the only reliever left, other than a righty "mop-up". I cant understand why Wolfe was pulled with no lefties on the bench. I have since gotten rid of the "quick hook" on Wolfe, so maybe he will face more than one batter.

[Play By The Rules]

No restrictions of any kind on Izzy, maybe slow hook. Setup and closer both ways. You want him pitching as many innings as possible and that's not easy for a R1.

OK, maybe set him to avoid using in a blowout...

You can use four specialists cheaply if you use two of them as cheap closers. Set one pair to "don't use before 8th" and the other as closers and max closer rule. HAL will hardly ever use them.

I think it's wisest to only try to use two cheapies and spend some money on a solid closer, but the most important man in your bullpen is your setup guy- he get most of the innings.