Home Field Advantage via the Running Paths?

[Semper Gumby]

I know this game factor (home park advantage) has been raised about HAL's preference for the home park via better hitting outcomes.

Since we don't know the code, I've always suspected that TSN merely implemented SOM's CD-ROM coding that allows for that tilt (better hitting for the home team or worse hitting for the visitors).

However, it seems (as of late) the home park advantage applies to the base paths too.



My Pitcher: Higuera (-1 hold)
My Catcher: LaValliere (-2 arm)

[b:8b57370189]Total Battery Effect (-3)[/b:8b57370189]


Opposing Pitcher: Gooden (+4 hold)
Opposing Catcher: Valle (-2 arm)

[b:8b57370189]Total Battery Effect (+2)[/b:8b57370189]

ADVANTAGE: My runners would have a better chance to swipe a base even if they fail to get a solid lead


MY STOLEN BASES: K.Daniels (A: 18/13)
MY CAUGHT STEALING: T.Raines (AA: Steal: 19 / 15); H.Johnson (A: 18 / 13)


OPPONENT's STOLEN BASES: G.Young (A: 18/13) V.Hayes (A; 18 /13); J.Gantner (C; 15-8); U.Washington (AA; 18/13)

OPPONENT's CAUGHT STEALING: None


If I read this correctly, worse case Raines and Johnson fail to get leads but Raines would be safe on 1-17 and Johnson 1-15.

On the other hand, worse case all my opponent's runners get good leads - Young safe (1-15); Hayes (1-15); Gartner (1-12), and Washington (1-15).

Unbelievable. :shock:

[honestiago1]

Guess Spanky fell asleep at the switch.

[Mean Dean]

No one except the programmers can say for sure, of course... but don't you think we can safely assume that things don't get secretly programmed into the game that, y'know, make no actual sense? "Home field running advantage"?? And you're basing this off seven attempts?

Anyway. It's -4 off the second number if held without a lead, so Raines' chance without a lead would be 1-13 and HoJo's would be 1-11. If held with leads (which is -2 off the first number), all his guys would be 1-13 except Gantner, who would be 1-10. If Gantner wasn't held, which is possible, then he'd be 1-12.

[Semper Gumby]

Without knowing whether or when HAL holds or doesn't hold runners (Raines / Johnson are * players), you have to give the benefit of the doubt to Raines and Johnson swiping bases (with the +2 arm/hold factor) over Young, Hayes, Gantner, and Washington (with the -3 arm/hold factor and being held).

Ironically, my success rate stealing away from home is worse than when at home and my away from home attempts is higher. :shock:

What bothers me is TSN neglects to tell us what controls are on and what are off.

I recall awhile back when I poked Bernie in the eye over it ... TSN owed up to degrading hitters' slugging as they approached MLB actual records.

So, I wouldn't be surprised if the home park advantage (besides the dimension of the park) is in play here.

[Semper Gumby]

Something must be strange in TSN's version of the CD-ROM settings or logic regarding homepark advantage.

When this team faces batteries with lesser arms / holds at home ... it doesn't run as much.

[b:a05f26fd3a]Steal attempts[/b:a05f26fd3a]

Home - 54
Away - 73 :shock:

Few teams have changed catchers but the typical 80s churn on pitchers.


My manager settings for base stealing is "[b:a05f26fd3a]conservative[/b:a05f26fd3a]"

[b:a05f26fd3a]Fred Lynn [/b:a05f26fd3a]- [u:a05f26fd3a]Do Not Steal[/u:a05f26fd3a]
[b:a05f26fd3a]Jerry Browne[/b:a05f26fd3a] - [u:a05f26fd3a]Nothing Checked[/u:a05f26fd3a]
[b:a05f26fd3a]Tim Raines[/b:a05f26fd3a] - [u:a05f26fd3a]Steal More[/u:a05f26fd3a]


[b:a05f26fd3a]Fraser[/b:a05f26fd3a] (-1 hold)
[b:a05f26fd3a]Whitt[/b:a05f26fd3a] (0 arm)


[code:1:a05f26fd3a]*** TOP OF INNING 1 ***
0 T.Raines 6 2 Base Error - CF b-2
0 2 H.Johnson 1 Fly Out b-0
1 2 A.Thornton 3 Single 2-3 b-1
1 1 3 J.Rice 3 Triple 3-H 1-H b-3
1 3 D.Berryhill 1 Ground Out 3-H b-0
2 F.Lynn 4 Single b-1
SUBSTITUTE P - Willie Fraser
2 1 Pickoff 1-o

*** TOP OF INNING 2 ***
0 J.Browne 6 Walk b-1
0 1 O.Guillen 2 Ground Out 1-2 b-0
1 2 1 Caught Stealing 2-o
2 R.Bush 5 Strike Out b-0


*** TOP OF INNING 3 ***
0 T.Raines 1 Single b-1
0 1 1 Caught Stealing 1-o
1 H.Johnson 4 Walk b-1
1 1 A.Thornton 3 Fly Out b-0
2 1 J.Rice 1 Fly Out b-0 [/code:1:a05f26fd3a]


I can understand [b:a05f26fd3a]Tim Raines[/b:a05f26fd3a] taking the lead and heading for second but [b:a05f26fd3a]Fred Lynn[/b:a05f26fd3a]?

[bjs73]

I know that in the stat book, a pickoff is recorded as a cs. However, isn't a pickoff a separate part of the game engine logic?

I thought pickoffs occurred as part of a (semi) randomized event?

"Semi" meaning:

1. The game engine makes a check for pickoffs every time a player attempts to get a lead - whether he gets the lead or not.

2. The game engine will check for a pickoffs as part of randomized event.

I know that #1 happens. #2 I'm not so sure.

Even so, I'm inclined to think that with your conservative setting it ought to have curbed Lynn from attempting to get a lead. You as a manager may have never hit the stolen base button. His superadvanced settings aren't that favorable against most batteries. It looks like HAL had to see if he could get the lead. If no pick off and had Lynn gotten the lead, would he have attempted the stolen base?

Best case scenario is "safe" 1-13 on a 20 sided die with Lynn running assuming he gets the lead? Wouldn't that be like green lighting a "B" stealer in the "advanced" rule set? If conservative means taking a risk with a 65% success rate, then maybe the game engine logic is flawed?

[Semper Gumby]

Interesting

Well, I played the CD-ROM a few hundred seasons this morning. :roll:

I see some of the coding results on HAL's engine using the maximum level rules.

More to the point, in the March Madness bracket playoffs .... I took 3 games from a KINGDOME team at my park (KINGDOME) and just lost 3 games to the same team (KINGDOME) at his park (KINGDOME) despite my pitchers having pitched him well over our intra-divisional series.

[MARKWEAVER]

What I would like to know is why do my players for whom I mark "do not steal" get thrown out so often? And, I generally make my manager's settings "conservative" for stealing and "extra conservative" for H and R, and I set almost everyone to "do not H and R". So, why should I have so many caught stealings? Shouldn't "do not steal" mean don't steal, lead or no lead, just don't do it... ever?

[MARKWEAVER]

What I would like to know is why do my players for whom I mark "do not steal" get thrown out so often? And, I generally make my manager's settings "conservative" for stealing and "extra conservative" for H and R, and I set almost everyone to "do not H and R". So, why should I have so many caught stealings? Shouldn't "do not steal" mean don't steal, lead or no lead, just don't do it... ever?

[Semper Gumby]

What are your settings for "hit and run" both the general manager strategy and the individual cards?

You may find that your "caught steal" might be due to HAL using the hit and run

Check your manager strategy stats (off the main stats page) to see whether HAL has been running your H&R often.