Home Field Advantage via the Running Paths?

[MARKWEAVER]

Actually, here's one good example team:

[url]http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/80s/playoffs/team.html??stats=sim?user_id=76751[/url]

I almost always set my manger preferences to conservative for stealing and extra conservative for hit and runs. Furthermore, I set the personal H&R settings for almost every player to don't H&R, and I set the personal steal settings for many players to don't steal. The team that's linked above is one example where I used these settings, but my team still attempted 19 hit and runs (the fewest in the league, but still probably more than I would have used if I'd been managing "for real").

So, given all of this, why did Steve Kemp, for instance, attempt 9 stolen bases, for 3 of which he was thrown out, when I had him set to do not steal? Kemp actually seems to be one of the worst for this... I like Kemp and almost always draft him, ALWAYS set him to do not steal, yet he gets thrown out a handful of times each season trying to steal. It's not a huge deal (only 3 outs, right?), but still if I say I don't want a player to attempt a stolen base then I don't want him to attempt a stolen base, period (and, yes, I understand that a missed pitch in an H&R attempt will result in a stolen base attempt, but I try to minimize this by taking away the H&R... that doesn't work either).

I understand that HAL must make some decisions during the course of the game. However, why don't our preferences overrule HAL when possible? While I'm at it, why aren't there separate manager preference settings for stealing second vs. stealing third (for some reason, HAL seems to think that stealing third is worthwhile)? If there were separate settings, I might not be so conservative about stealing second.

Finally, one more bitch... why can't we set preferred lineups game by game? It wouldn't be difficult to implement... you'd just need a dropdown box for the other team's pitchers (much like the drop down box for selecting your own starter), then lineup selection pages just like the current selection pages. So, if the other team has Carlton listed for game 1 and Blyleven for game 2, you'd set a preferred lineup for each of these pitchers. Then, even if the other manager switched the order of his pitchers, you'd still have your preferred lineup against the correct pitcher.

[Semper Gumby]

New team full of slugs with all settings besides those on Doran and Polonia to [b:794a72cadc]NOT MOVE OFF THE BASE[/b:794a72cadc] :x

Close to 90 games played and most teams have fairly stable line-ups:

[b:794a72cadc]Home:[/b:794a72cadc]
SBs: 16
CSs: 7

[b:794a72cadc]Road:[/b:794a72cadc]
SBs: 15
CSs: 14 :shock:

Since ballpark effects have ZERO impacts on stolen bases and base running (grass vs. astro turf, HAL?) and we can't alter the "hold settings", you expect to fair reasonable comparative success at home and on the road.

If you stink, you probably stink both at home and on the road.

I've noticed this trend on most of my teams and I rarely change the settings to attack the opposing battery (e.g., Ted Simmons catching along with a +6 hold rating pitcher) -

If ain't bad dice on 13+ teams, then it has to be programmed as some "play for the win on the road" strategy.

Otherwise, I typically notice HAL trying to run a "Gorman Thomas" near the late innings with the score close.

I'd call that - dicked!

[Semper Gumby]

[code:1:0c5d42f19c]*** TOP OF INNING 7 ***
0 C.Lemon 3 HBP b-1
0 1 1 Stolen Base 1-2
0 2 M.Greenwell 1 Single 2-3 b-1
0 1 3 Pickoff 1-o
SUBSTITUTE P - Warren Brusstar
1 3 B.Horner 4 Walk b-1
1 1 3 1 Caught Stealing 1-o
2 3 K.Hrbek 1 Ground Out b-0 [/code:1:0c5d42f19c]

Huh?

With "extra conservative" for my base stealing settings and both players involved set to "NOT STEAL", why did HAL force both slugs to attempt the long walk to second base?

I'll tell you - my team was on the road and up by 3 runs so HAL felt the need to play with the outcome.