Archive of SportingNews.com's old SOM Baseball forum

How does this happen? A SP with a hold rating of +6 and a Catcher +2 throwing, throw out 4 base stealers with A or AA 19/13 and 18/13... What's up with that am i missing something?

Also what setting would you put you base stealing on with this team?

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2005/team/team.html

:?

There are many reasons why that makes perfect sense. First off, assuming the runner is held, there is never a 100% chance to steal; there's always at least a 5% chance of a CS. Secondly, the total of the pitcher's hold and catcher's arm can't be any less than -5 or any more than +5, so in this case it would be +5 (and then -2 for being held.) And of course, you can attempt to steal second even without a lead; if that were the case here, then your chance would be 1-14 (2nd number of 13, +5 for arm/hold, -4 for being held and not having a lead.) The rules, BTW, are [url=http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/btf/pages/basesim/somrules.htm]here[/url] (search for "stealing.")

Your link to your team doesn't work (you need to go to "standings", right-click your team name, "copy as shortcut", and paste that.) But I can answer without even knowing your roster ;) I set stealing tendency to "conservative", and set individual players to either "steal more" (if they have a high number 13 or greater and a very low chance of being automatically caught), or "don't steal if held" (if their chance of being automatically caught is anything more likely than a 12). Basically, I'm telling HAL, if there's a very good chance you can steal and you know you can make it, go for it; otherwise, please don't bother. That has worked to give me very high SB%.

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2006/league/standings.html

How does that happen? Luck of the roll. :wink:

Good base stealers like you describe will often attempt to steal a base even without a good lead, depending upon the settings for that team and player, and so the chance of success could very well be only average even against a total of +5 (which is the max.).

Normal is good setting for such speed and steal more for your AA stealers on their player settings. Sometimes high SB% also means lower SB totals, if using the conservative rating.

In face to face I even steal second with two outs with 45% chance and a clutch guy up next, or low anti clutch. Theory is easy, single scores the guy with aggressive running, otherwise two singles score the guy. That is why double hitters are good too, saves the steal. With HAL I am normal and lineup sensitive, for instance...on a brave day against poor hitting, could have Ozuna play DH and leadoff with A/B guy second and hit and run. Ozuna always gets a good lead.

Anyway, I digress, your steal should be normal and running aggressive. That is my opinion. Single, steal or next single makes first and third with steal, second and third...overall three singles can equal two runs. Scoring runs is the name of the game. Aggressive stealing and conservative running is a waste. Conservative stealing and aggressive running I would agree with.

So what I am saying is, stealing rating is not independent of running rating and therefore OF arms as well as catcher and pitcher holds helps make the overall decisions. If you are conservative running, then you got to steal second just to get to third on the next single, three singles to score one run...yuck. Poor pitching holds/catcher arms and -3 OF arms makes me set aggressive steals and conservative running to maximize speed game against that team, for instance.

I meant to say in second paragraph that aggressive stealing and conservative running is a waste unless you face a team with poor holds and catcher arms and great outfield arms.

Visualize the game play, considering your runners and the opponents pitchers and catcher and outfield and what you visualize to be maximum scores for singles and set your running and stealing accordingly. The doubles and homers will take care of themselves and if you are heavy there, that too comes into effect. Most teams are not heavy.

Good luck visualizing.