Archive of SportingNews.com's old SOM Baseball forum

Ok, I have a team in 2006 that has a couple of consistent problems - first, I'm losing a lot of games in the 9th inning. Second, I'm leaving more guys on base than my opponent consistently. Is this a chance thing, does it have more to do with the players I have, or is this a managerial setting problem?

Hey, 34 views and zero responses. Thanks for all the help guys.

Palace, there is no way to respond to this type of question without a link to your team, to see your bullpen, your lineups, your ballpark, etc.

Agree with Norm!! Just a couple of thoughts though. Obviously, losing games in the ninth is usually the result of a closer who is bad, or is a bad fit for your park and opponents. In the 2006 game, Wickman would be a perfect example of a guy who was popular in pitchers parks, but shouldn't be closing in a hitters park.

As for leaving guys on base, without any more information, I'd certainly suggest you examine your clutch ratings, especially those of your 5 and 6 hitters. Bad clutch, especially in those spots is going to lead to lots of stranded RISP. Just a thought.

Without knowing more, it's pretty tough to do anything other than taking shots in the dark though.

My immediate reactions were exactly what leehak said. If you don't ahve too high of a drop penalty I'd drop some of your lower and/or middle order guys for hitters with high clutch ratings.

[quote:afe5aa167c]If you don't ahve too high of a drop penalty I'd drop some of your lower and/or middle order guys for hitters with high clutch ratings.[/quote:afe5aa167c]I would [i:afe5aa167c]definitely not[/i:afe5aa167c] do this. The only way to leave runners on base, is to get them on to begin with. So if you're leaving a lot on, you're probably putting a lot on, and that means you're scoring (or if you're not, you're unlucky.) Don't worry about the ones you [i:afe5aa167c]don't[/i:afe5aa167c] score. That's just a byproduct. Your offense is still very likely working well, and the long-term percentages are in your favor. There are literally a handful of at-bats per player per year where clutch rating is called into play.

Show me a team that led the league in runners left on base and had a [i:afe5aa167c]bad[/i:afe5aa167c] offense. I bet there's never been one.

PK:

I think everyone is assuming you know how to post a link to your team, but in case you don't (like I didn't for a long time), here's one easy way:

go to the stats page, click on your team, copy the address in the URL bar at the top of that version of your team page, then paste it into a posting here. I think you'll find that, once folks here are given a context to look at, you'll have no reason to complain about lack of input.

I'd post a link to the team but I've already had some very good players examine my team. It was just more of a general strategy question.

[quote:7a1f269c4d]The only way to leave runners on base, is to get them on to begin with. [/quote:7a1f269c4d]
One of the wisest baseball statements I have heard in a long time. To hear some people talk it would be better to have never got anyone on base than to have them stranded.