Archive of SportingNews.com's old SOM Baseball forum

The "Avoid Using Before 9th" individual player option has been removed due to redundancy.

Just curious why this option is considererd redundant.

In my opinion, TSN should open a slot for the "avoid using before the 8th".

Just like all MLB managers, I like to have a S5/R3 fresh in the bullpen in case the game goes in overtime (which calls for one "avoid using before the 9th or 8th). And like more and more MLB managers, I like to have my closer involved as soon as the 8th inning (which calls for another "avoid using before the 8th").

This setting was not used by most to hold their closer out of game until the 9th inning. It was used to hide a pitcher and try avoiding his use entirely. You set one guy as closer and maximize so that guy will not be used most likely until 9th. Then that closer will pitch the 9th. Your avoid using until the 9th pitcher gets left unused.

I think the changes this year to pitching staff makeup is part of an ongoing attempt to make bullpen usage more realistic.

This is a terrible idea. Since HAL is woefully inept at using hard specialists, the avoid commands made it possible to "hide" up to two specialists to be used mostly on the good side of their cards. (Actually you could hide a total of four, since putting relievers as closers and maximizing closers also limits their use to the ninth inning.)

Now you can hide one/three. I can still function with this, but it won't allow me to hide a pair of opposite specialsts- I have to decide which side is more important to the makeup of the bullpen.