Archive of SportingNews.com's old SOM Baseball forum

I am trying to get a handle on how HAL interprets Mop Up, Avoid Righthanders and Avoid Lefthanders, because we clearly have a difference of opinion on the definitions. Does anyone have any insight?

Semi-final Game 2, down 5-4 going to the bottom of the 7th and HAL decides to bring on Odell Jones (he of the Mop Up, Avoid settings above) and leave Dave Smith and Willie Hernandez chilling in the pen.

Odell narrowly averts disaster in the bottom of the 7th, I tie it in the top of the 8th, and Odell keeps right on chucking. I'm not saying that Hernandez or Smith would have kept the score tied, but throw me a bone by avoiding the guy I don't want pitching unless I am getting routed. There were other options available.

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/80s/playoffs/boxscore.html?group_id=13843&g_id=975

For a mop up guy I don't want to see I do:

Avoid L
Avoid R
Mop Up
quick hook
max 1-2 innings
Avoid using before the 9th

That should keep him riding the pine.

What are Hernandez and Smith set as? Closers, Set Up Guys?
Could be that HAL burned Reardon and Davis and since the game was tied, went with the lone guy in your pen who was not set up to close a game out. When Jones came in, you were down a run.
I'd like to know what criteria HAL uses for your set-up man and closer? Will it use them if you are losing by a run, or tied, or only if you are ahead?
I do suspect that once a pitcher is in the game, he is not removed until he reaches his fatigue rating. I don't recall seeing any cases where HAL goes to the situation and brings in a lefty to face one LHB. It seems once the pitcher is in, he's there until he is driven out of the game.

Hernandez is tagged as the setup man and closer vs lefties; Reardon setup vs Righties, and Smith closer vs Righties.

HJS, I'll give it a shot with the additional settings but it's an uphill battle from here in the series. I'm struggling vs lefties and if I win Game 3, draw Deshaies in Game 4 and if necessary, Clemens in Game 5.

You might want to remove the set-up and closer settings for everyone in you pen and set Jones as suggested.
That oracle of wisdom Yountfan has often stated in these boards that he wants his best pitcher when needed, not just in the late innings.
Since you were losing when Jones came, looks like HAL decided to save your set-up men and closer in case you took the lead.
Besides, given your play-off plight, it may be time to go for broke.

I agree with what Yak says, don't limit the guys you want pitching.

Your worst guy in the pen (if you have one that you don't want to see) set for mop up, avoid left, and avoid right.

Your middle guys, I would set for your arm preference. i.e. avoid right or avoid left.

your best guys, I would leave blank.

that usually works for me.

Thanks for the thoughts. I'll give it a shot and see what happens.

This team was a juggernaut through the first 100 games with a .650+ winning percentage, but hit a horrific spell and ended up with the wild card vs the one guy that I didn't want to see given Clemens, Gooden, Sutton etc. Tough to lose the first two when Clemens gets hurt in 3rd inning of Game 1 and Gooden doesn't make it out of the top of the first in game 2, but time to go for broke.