Asking for help on managing a pitching staff.

[BRIANCHIVIS]

OK, I have some questions on "working" a pitching staff. I understand that you can drop and get better pitchers. Lets say, however, you have decent pitching years 1.27-1.37 Whip. How can you maximize your production.

I know the stud pitchers will be gone most of the time in the draft, so how do you make due with second line guys?

1. How can you use the "qucik hook" for maximum effectiveness?

2. Is it advisable to use a avoid lefties/righties with your starters?

3. What can you do use a starter that is heavily slanted toward getting lefties out.

4. How do you use the IBB setting in the computer manager? Is it smart to set this to aggressive when you have heavily slanted guys?

Any tips and tricks would be appreciated. I would like scenarios not so much with certain guys, but types of guys. High K/BB guys who give up lots of hits, Guys who give up hits but don't walk anybody, guys who are heavily slanted toward one side ie. 4R or 3L, guys who give up lots of dongs but otherwise are effective, oh and CROSSOVER guys who pitch well generally against the opposite hand batter.

Thank you in advance,

Chief

[genevajack]

Seems to me, the '80s best starting pitchers are all handicapped with BP HRs that kill them in a power park like Jack Murphy stadium. I'm starting to have some success with cheaper pitchers ($2-4 M) with low BP HRs who I can drop after three starts if they totally get shelled. As far as specifics-I dont know if avoiding a certain side (L-R) will help a starter-as he's basically stuck if scheduled to start. Quick hook might get him out quickly after 5-6 innings. Im curious as to responses from other managers.

[honestiago1]

The park is a biggy, isn't it? I have four very good starters in the Astrodome. The team has an ERA under 3.00 (this may change when they get "tired" at the season midpoint). If you take a decent pitcher, give 'em good defense and a favorable ball park, you should get good results (common sense in the real world works here, as well). While an effective staff does not begin and end with the ball park, I think you have to weigh your home field HEAVILY when drafting pitchers.

That said, here's what I think 'bout pitchin' in general:

BP HR: Don't take guys that give up dingers unless you're perfectly willing to live with 'em. Soto is going to give up HR's just about anywhere. He is also going to have a good WHIP, and win 12-18 games (assuming he gets any support). Unless the league is loaded with hitter's parks, I'd live with the HR totals, since a good WHIP means fewer 2-3 run bombs (hopefully).

REVERSE PITCHERS: I like these guys, as managers (HAL included) like to stack against RH/LH'ers. Guys like Morris (and Stieb, I believe; and some of the lefties), should be effective in just about any league because they get their opposite number out. The reversal shouldn't hurt, as they'll face fewer of their own number (i.e., hitters who bat the way the pitcher pitches [RH vs. RH, etc.]).

"DOMINATORS": These are the Candeleria type pitchers (when he gets 5L, the 6L years), pitchers who simply shut down one side of the plate. These pitchers will win their share of games, but I'm not sure you can get a monster season out of them, as there will be games where they simply get shelled. I prefer reverse pitchers to shut down guys (except in the pen, of course).

WHIP/BASERUNNERS/HIGH WALK GUYS, etc.: On the whole, a pitcher whose WHIP is a bit walk heavy is more desirable than one who gives up hits, if only because: (a) Opposing teams only advance one base on a WALK, and (b) most STRAT teams have good IF defense, especially in the middle. Baserunners who've walked can be erased by the GB-X after a WALK, whereas there is no defense against a SI**. WHIP is still the best indicator of pitcher effectiveness. That said, if you can find a pitcher who has multiple GB-X's that feed into your IF, they can be extremely effective (a couple of GB-SS-X's [say, on 5-7 and 4-9] when you have a '1' at short).

[BRIANCHIVIS]

Any ideas on what the IBB setting actually does? I see settings for Conservative through Aggressive, and there is no explanation as to what the difference is.

[Outta Leftfield]

I hate to put people on base for any reason, including via intentional walks, so I set IBB to "Extra Conservative" and also click "IBB less with this pitcher" at the bottom of each pitcher card. Typically, this means I'll regularly give up about 6 to 8 IBB a season, whereas the league average is usually about 40-45.

Whether this approach is a good strategy or not is another question, but it does show that the settings can have a significant impact on IBB usage. When I look at the stats of other teams, I usually see a variation of from 30 to 60 IBB a year, so where you place the settings on the range of "extra conservative" to "aggressive" would appear to have some impact.

[bjs73]

Chief check your private message box.

bjs

[YountFan]

I am of the let HAL run the bullpen camp. If you have excellent starters then put the bullpen on conservative and max. their innings. I do set quick hook on most of the RP and sometimes the avoid settings. I never set the setup/closer in the manager settings.

HAL is going to do what he wants, not what you want so give him the freedom. I will never lead the league in saves because I think saves are a bogus stat. I believe in using your best RP as much as HAL will pitch him and if that's the 6th or 7th inning to hold a lead..great. They used to be called "firemen" for a reason. They entered the game with trouble on the bases and go the big outs. I hate these 9th inning only guys..I think it's a waste of man power and money.