by ths92110 » Tue Jul 20, 2010 9:00 pm
I agree that HAL has a code by which he creates the lineup. I also believe its based at least in part on matching the balance on the pitcher's card up with the balance on the batter's card, to achieve the greatest possible spread. Thus for instance, when creating a lineup against a RH pitcher with a 3R balance, HAL, for any given position, will play the LH who has the largest tilt against RH pitching. The code must go something like this:
1. "If SP = RH with #R balance, then choose LH with >#R balance".
2. "If SP = LH with #L balance, then choose RH with >#L balance".
Unfortunately its difficult to figure out how the code goes after this, and I'm not smart enough to do it. In other words, what does the code instruct HAL to do when the "balance equation" between the batter and the pitcher is not straightforward, such as when your starting a RH with 3L balance???
3. "If SP = RH with [b:550b7e27c6]#L[/b:550b7e27c6] balance, then _______ what????? "Play RH or LH player with >#R"??????
The problem this creates -- and the main reason I think you can't blindly place your trust in HAL when trying to determine what year you have -- is that the code puts to much weight on the balance equation and not enough on other factors like BA, OBP and Slugging. Thus HAL will leave guys in their best years on the bench in favor of the more favorable L/R matchup. I also believe HAL's lineup code takes a player's defensive rating into account and, somehow, tries to pick the best guy at any position irrespective of whether he's in his best hitting year or not. Thus again you can't rely solely on HAL to determine whether a guys in his best year or not.
Tom
PS. If anyone, or a group of you care to pool forces to (1) create, and then (2) test a "HAL Lineup Code Hypothesis", I'd be all for it. The drawback is that we'd eventually figure it out . . . . . .