HAL, what were you thinking?

[Palanion]

I am not one to usually complain about bullpen usage. However, this one baffles me.

I have LHP Clements (6R), Walter (7L), and Sambito (9L), and RHP Howell (9R) and Aase (my closer).

Walter comes in to face Webster, pushing Webster to bat righty. Gets the out, though certainly Clements would have been the better pitcher to use.

Clements then come in to face righty Samuel (correct) and switch Murray (also correct).

In the next inning, Clements gives up a single to switch Davis (correct), THEN with four consecutive righties due up, HAL brings in Sambito?!?! Clements is not fatigued on one hit, particularly since his endurance is R2, and my bullpen setting is "conservative."

And why not Howell, who is rested? Aase, by the way, had pitched the two previous games.

There have been other gaffes lately, but this is the worst. This team has lost eight consecutive one-run games (not all bullpen's fault, but...), for a season total of 18-28 in that category!!!!

[code:1:33d6c18845]*** BOTTOM OF INNING 7 ***
SUBSTITUTE P - Gene Walter
0 M.Webster 7 Fly Out (RF) b-0
SUBSTITUTE P - Pat Clements
1 J.Samuel 3 Line Out (1B) b-0
2 E.Murray 4 Ground Out (SS) b-0
*** TOP OF INNING 8 ***
0 D.Winfield 3 Strike Out b-0
1 M.Scioscia 6 Single (CF) b-1
1 1 R.Thompson 5 Line Out (2B) b-0
2 1 D.Thon 6 Strike Out b-0
*** BOTTOM OF INNING 8 ***
0 C.Davis 3 Single (LF) b-1
SUBSTITUTE P - Joe Sambito
SUBSTITUTE 2B- Tom Herr
SUBSTITUTE PH- Dave Anderson
0 1 D.Anderson 6 Single (CF) 1-3 b-1
0 1 3 1 Stolen Base 1-2
0 23 D.Decinces 4 Sac Fly (RF) 3-H 2-3 b-0 fly(RF)x
1 3 C.Maldonado 1 Wild Pitch 3-H
1 C.Maldonado 6 Fly Out (LF) b-0 bpHR 1-2
2 R.Santana 7 Single (LF) b-1
SUBSTITUTE PH- Spike Owen
2 1 S.Owen 3 Fly Out (LF) b-0 bpHR 1-2 [/code:1:33d6c18845]

[chico salmon]

Hal sent Lefty Neal Heaton to face 4 killer righties. staff was well rested at time.

[Sykes25]

Can you post a link?

Curious to see who Anderson came in to PH for.

[Palanion]

Wow... blast (or not) from the past. Thsi game was two months ago... all of a sudden it has life?!

Anderson PH for lefty Ron Hassey. Not that Hassey is a bad hitter, but c'mon. I think Clements could have handled Hassey - particularly with "conservative" setting, three righties due up after Hassey, and Clements not hitting his POW.

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/league/boxscore.html?group_id=22621&g_id=768

[Sykes25]

I happen to enjoy disecting bullpen logic as I think like a program when looking at people's HAL troubles.

As indicated, 7th inning went fine.

Bottom of 8th. Technically a save situation with you leading 2-1. Chili Davis is up who is a switch hitter. He is titled 4R which means HAL wants him to face a lefty and HAL elects to leave Clements in as he has not given up a hit or walk and is tilted 6R. Davis singles. No major issue with HAL leaving in Clements except that I would bet if Clements HAD given up a hit in the previous inning, HAL would have put in Aase.

Due up, Hassey. HAL pulls Clements for Sambito, which is the right move (except that this is the 8th inning, more on that in a second). Anderson PH for Hassey. Makes sense. HAL does not remove the pitcher because SOM CD ROM logic for auto-run games will replace the pitcher before the hitter and the pitcher MUST throw a pitch before getting pulled again. (SOM flaw, not TSN's issue). Anderson singles. 1st and 3rd, nobody out. Decinces due up.

Here is where HAL does not do his job (or does he). With RP settings set to MAXIMIZE CLOSER YES, I suspect HAL would bring in Aase. Based on your RP corps, I suspect you had all 4 RP not named Aase as quick hook, avoid L or R, max 1-2 IP. Asse set for slow hook, do not bring in before 8th, IBB less AND as your setup man AND closer. If you had closer set to no, HAL will NOT bring in Aase because he now REALLY wants to use a closer, but won't because of your settings.

Howell will NOT come in because of the CONSERVATIVE setting for RP usage. If AGGRESSIVE, I suspect he would use your guys each time out until they are all dead from pitching back to back games. With Aase unavailable to close, Howell was slated to close that game.

BOOM. Sac fly ties the game. No longer a set-up situation. No longer a closing situation. Mr. Aase is now stuck to the chair in the bullpen. WP scores the go-ahead run.

I know you don't like the outcome, but this is a situation where I have fought with ATG folks who "over-manage" the bullpen settings that actually prevent HAL from doing things that you or I would in a face to face game.

[Palanion]

Sykes, As I recall, I had Clements as setup vs. R and Walter setup vs. L, with Aase as the closer both sides.
I don't recall whether I had Clements or Walter quick hook, but I did have Howell and Sambito as quick hook.

Plus, ultimately, I would rather have seen HAL bring in Clements to face Webster in the 7th so as not to use up an RP for one batter, particularly with the pen down a man (Aase needing rest). And I'm not convinced that Clements is not the better matchup than Walter anyway...

That would have left Walter, not Sambito, to pitch in the 8th inning.

Also, there has been argument that HAL may "look ahead" at who is on deck or maybe even in the hole, in which case, the unfatigued Clements should have remained in to face Hassey and the next three righties.