HAL, why PH for Youkilis with Blum?

[UrbanShockers]

Eighth inning, RHP, Youk's my #2 hitter, Blum's my multi-position cheap bench guy. Now, Youk's a 1L and Blum's a 2R, but I still don't get this move. If Blum's better than Youk v. RHP (which I don't believe), I woulda thought HAL would have PH for him a few times by now, but so far as I've noticed this is the first.

Am I overlooking something about this situation that makes sense of HAL's decision?

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2006/league/boxscore.html?group_id=821&g_id=447

[markp65]

Shock - I think you're on to it. What are your individual settings looking like for those two players?

[UrbanShockers]

I have 'em both on don't: (i) steal, (ii) bunt or (iii) H&R, no other settings checked. No relevant, I think, in my manager settings. I think I'll check "Don't PH" for Youk vs. L and R. I hadn't thought to bother, 'cause it didn't seem that there would be a reason I'd need it, with my bench.

Thanks for your input.

[childsmwc]

With Scott Munter pitching Geoff Blum actually has more combined on base chances batting left handed than Youkalis does batting Right handed. Scott Munter's card was factored into the decision process and he gives up approximately 18 more on base chances against left handers.

The difference between Youkalis and Blum on their own cards versus right handers is about 15, so HAL was going for those 3 extra OBP chances using Blum.

Bbrool

[childsmwc]

Now the real question that I have is why would Munter be brought in after Francisco Rodriguez had only thrown to one batter. There is no combination that I can see that would make Munter the better pitcher.

My guess is that this is one of those situations where someone checked don't use before the 8th inning to limit Munter's innings, and HAL interprets that to mean you want him pitching the 8th inning as set up in close games. It appears to me that HAL might be using the boxes checked on the pitchers cards to override the manager settings. My guess is that Rodriguez is probably on the manager settings as the set up man. This is the reason I do not check don't use before the 8th inning, to limit my bad pitchers anymore.

Bbrool

[The Biomechanical Man]

Bbrool - it's your turn to draft in the 1969 COMBO theme league.

[UrbanShockers]

Thanks, Bbrool. That makes sense; though I wouldn't have made the move myself, it's nice to know there's some decent rationale behind it.