Starting Pitching Strategy

[The Godfather]

Are there any general rules of thumb that a Strat-O-Matic rookie should know about using their starting pitchers? For example, I know that S6 means that the SP could get tired after 6 IP, but how do the veterans play that? Do you automatically set 6 IP as the max? Or 7 IP as the max? Do you leave it alone and hope that HAL uses your bullpen at the appropriate time before your starter gets rocked?

I know that it probably depends on the starter too, a $8m SP will be easier to leave in the game longer than a $3m SP.

I'm asking on a very basic level, before you even get into things like your ballpark rating (or the team you are playing), what type of line-up you are facing, etc.

[LMBombers]

I don't set a max number of innings on a SP unless he is a real cheapie and I would rather my bullpen pitch than him.

[exwallman]

Check out "Newbies section" in the Strat Forum called Strategy. It is really helpful.

[url]http://forums.sportingnews.com/viewtopic.php?t=9842[/url]

[durantjerry]

I don't set a max either. I think there is a tendency to pull guys early that have the S5 or even rating, sometimes when they are doing OK. You won't see many CG's from them unless they are really having a great outing. Unless your bullpen is really super I think you should try to get as much as you can out of the SP, because they will usually be leaving soon enough.

[The Godfather]

What about "Per-Game Starters" vs. just leaving a basic rotation set up? I would assume HAL would try to get the best pitchers as many starts as possible if you don't assign per-game starters. What do the Strat veterans prefer?

[joethejet]

If I know a team crushes one side or the other and I have a cheapie pitcher going, I will put a max IP on them.

But, you don't want to set the pull equal to the stamina for the pitcher in general. It just means that if they give up three hits/walks in that inning or later (or 4 in two innings) they will be "tired" and almost always removed from the game.

The most important thing to note about the SR is that pitchers with SR 5 will likely pitch fewer innings that a SR6 and a SR6 will have fewer IP than a SR7, etc...

As for your follow up question, unless I have drafted specific pitchers for specific teams, I will leave the rotation set and not worry about the per game starters. It just depends on who you draft and how they match up with your opponent. One thing I will always do is leave my best one or two pitchers in their normal rotation so that I get the max number of starts from them.

Hope this helps,

Jet
www.angelfire.com/games5/joethejet