Pickoff's

[mjf309]

What causes pickoffs and how can you determine from the cards who is susceptible to them?

[durantjerry]

I just started a team with the fastest guys at just about every position and have the steal settings much higher than usual. I don't know if it's because I'm paying attention to the running game, but I notice many more pickoffs. Mauer twice in the first 12 games(0 SB attempts) and Abreu once. Not sure why it happens though.

[mjf309]

I asked because Mauer was picked off. That series, I had the steal settings at aggressive.

[fred_1_15301]

In the boardgame at least, the more times you attempt to steal, the more likely you are to get picked off. If you have a guy that won't steal, he cannot get picked off. The only way I can get picked off is during an actual steal attempt.

[Palmtana]

In the [url=http://forums-beta.sportingnews.com/viewtopic.php?t=91997]"Help with stealing strategy"[/url] thread in the Strategy Forum, Cummings2 wrote a primer on the SB process.

Here is part of his post:

[quote:bfe2e1bbf8]Now, before we go on to the steal, let's take a look at the Balk/Pickoff:

With the initial roll of the 20 sided die, if the roll is 2 then the there is the chance of a Balk. You roll the 20 sided die again and if the roll is less than or equal to the pitcher's balk rating then a Balk has been called and all runners advance one base.

If the roll is 1 then the runner could be picked off, you roll the 20 sided die again and if the roll is less than or equal to the second steal rating in the parenthesis, that is the steal w/o lead, then the runner is safe diving back to base and the steal is cancelled, the runner can not attempt to get a lead again on this base. If the roll is higher then the runner is picked off.[/quote:bfe2e1bbf8]

Like everything else, pickoffs are a roll of the dice.

[fred_1_15301]

palmtana my understanding is that a 1 on the 20 sided die is normally a wild pitch chance. A runner can only be picked off while attempting a steal.

[mjf309]

Hey, thanks for the information on balks and pickoffs. How do wild pitches work?

[bleacher_creature]

[quote:25c941b5b7="fred_1_15301"]palmtana my understanding is that a 1 on the 20 sided die is normally a wild pitch chance. A runner can only be picked off while attempting a steal.[/quote:25c941b5b7]

This is an important clarification Fred has made:

Paraphrasing the rules -

A 1 on the 20 sided die is a possible WP (and the 20 sided die is rolled with every batter, steal or no steal). 2 is a balk. 3-20 = contunue on with the result.

A 1 on the 20 sided die is a potential pick-off WHEN USING THE SUPPLEMENTARY STEAL SYSTEM (which is what is in play here at SOMO).

....and it works as stated above, where the second steal number (no-lead acquired by runner) is used. So a better base stealer like Ichiro or Pods is less liekly to get nailed when trying to steal. Jeter (1-6 IIRC) is likely a goner.