Ninth Inning Second Guessing
Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2016 6:04 pmAlthough this happened to me playing the Windows baseball game, I have to wonder if it could occur in the Online SOM game.
I was competing against HAL in a Windows game yesterday where I managed the home team. Going into the bottom of the ninth inning, HAL's team (visitor) has a two run lead (7-5). In the bottom of the ninth, the first batter on my team doubles, then advances to third on a ground out to second base. So there is now a runner on third with one out.
The next batter hits a groundball to the third baseman. I have the option of trying to score with a 45% chance of success, or keeping the runner at third and allowing the batter to be out. I opted to try to score, fully expecting that even though the chances were in HAL's favor, he would allow the run to score in order to get that second out. Mind you, HAL did have a two run lead, so allowing the run would have reduced the margin to one run, but there would have then been two outs.
To my surprise, HAL opted to go for the out at home, and was unsuccessful. So now, the score is now 7-6, there is still one out, and there is now a runner on first. Had HAL gone for the sure out, the score would have been the same, but there would have been two outs, and no runners on base. Anyway, to make a long story short, another runner reached base, another out was made (which could have been the third out, but was now the second out), and then a "4" rated left fielder misplayed a base which allowed the two runners on base to score and result in an 8-7 victory for the home team.
Had it been any other inning leading up to the ninth, I could understand HAL making an effort not to allow the run to score, but in this situation, it baffled me. If I lost an online game in this matter, I would be quite disturbed.
I was competing against HAL in a Windows game yesterday where I managed the home team. Going into the bottom of the ninth inning, HAL's team (visitor) has a two run lead (7-5). In the bottom of the ninth, the first batter on my team doubles, then advances to third on a ground out to second base. So there is now a runner on third with one out.
The next batter hits a groundball to the third baseman. I have the option of trying to score with a 45% chance of success, or keeping the runner at third and allowing the batter to be out. I opted to try to score, fully expecting that even though the chances were in HAL's favor, he would allow the run to score in order to get that second out. Mind you, HAL did have a two run lead, so allowing the run would have reduced the margin to one run, but there would have then been two outs.
To my surprise, HAL opted to go for the out at home, and was unsuccessful. So now, the score is now 7-6, there is still one out, and there is now a runner on first. Had HAL gone for the sure out, the score would have been the same, but there would have been two outs, and no runners on base. Anyway, to make a long story short, another runner reached base, another out was made (which could have been the third out, but was now the second out), and then a "4" rated left fielder misplayed a base which allowed the two runners on base to score and result in an 8-7 victory for the home team.
Had it been any other inning leading up to the ninth, I could understand HAL making an effort not to allow the run to score, but in this situation, it baffled me. If I lost an online game in this matter, I would be quite disturbed.