Some Ways to Read Cards in the Mystery Tournament
Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 10:06 pmWhat follows was originally posted by visick in the "Strat-O-Matic Baseball: '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s" Forum. This post is a useful place to start if you're new to the mystery game.
I have made minor changes to item 4 of his "solid reads" for the sake of clarity, and omitted his seventh "less-reliable read" which reportedly was made obsolete by changes to the game engine. Otherwise, what follows is the original text...
posted by visick:
Help w/ reading the cards for Mystery Tournament Managers
Post Thu Jan 02, 2014 10:42 am
It is important for new managers to the mystery card games to understand how to read the cards to help figure out which of the 5 years their players are in. Here is a rundown of the methods I've used. Hopefully other managers can add their insight also to help the new managers quickly get up to speed:
1. When a position player is injured - Position players can only be injured from a roll on their card. First find out how they got injured (HBP+inj, Lomax+inj, ground out+inj etc.). Also...did they get injured from a lefty or righty pitcher? Then...look at your players 5 cards to zero in on which seasons sustain that injury from the lefty or righty side of their card. This method may not pinpoint the year, but could eliminate some of the years.
2. When a pitcher is injured - Pitchers are injured during the DH at-bat. First find out how they got injured (KO, ground out etc.). Also...did they get injured by a lefty or righty hitter? Switch hitters will always be the opposite of the pitchers arm for their at-bat. Once you've checked out the injury and the batters hand, look at your pitcher card. Go to column 6 on the left or right side of his card (determined by the batters hand) and go to the result on line 12. If that matches the injury sustained then that year is a possibility. Check all 5 years. For illustration purposes, In the 80's game Soto gets injured by Eddie Murray (a switch hitter). The injury is sustained on a strikeout. Murray is considered a lefty batter vs the righty Soto. So now go to Soto's card and look at column 6, result 12 on all 5 cards. You will see that Soto is in either his '81 or '83 year. This method may not pinpoint the year, but could eliminate some of the years. Also...You can't tell anything in NON-DH leagues using this method.
3. HBP - Batters can be HBP only from their card. If a batter is HBP, look at each of their years that can get that result. Sometimes you can eliminate years that do not have a HBP result using this method.
4. Hitters injury duration - The length of the injury can help determine players years. If a hitter has 600+ plate appearances (at bats + walks), then he can only be injured for 3 games maximum. If a hitter has 680+ AB+BB, then he can only be injured for 0 games maximum. Don't be fooled by a hitter getting injured for only 3 games and believing it to be the 1 season he exceeded 600+ AB+BB. Remember...it's 3 games MAXIMUM. A player with 599 or less AB+BB can get injured 0-15 games.
5. Pitchers injury duration - A pitcher with 200+ innings work can only be injured for a maximum of 3 games.
6. Homeruns - Hitters with a "W" rating on a given side of their card can not hit a homerun off of the pitchers card. So if a hitter with a "W" on that side of his card does hit a homerun you may be able to eliminate some years. For illustration purposes, in the 80's game Brett Butler hits a homerun off of Guidry (lefty). Look at Butlers 5 cards...All 5 are "W" against lefty pitching. However...only 1 card ('84) does not have a homerun opportunity on it for Butler. Therefore...Once Butler homers against a lefty, you can eliminate his '84 year.
The above are all "Solid" reads. You can depend on their accuracy. Next...I'll list less-reliable reads.Jimmy_C
Less-reliable reads:
There are many, but I'll list a few of the more common ones I've seen. Sometimes, un-reliable reads will be the only thing you can run with when you need to make a player decision:
1. Performance - This is a really bad way to make a player "read" especially early on. But after 100 crummy at-bats you may want to use it to make a move.
2. Tilt - If a player is heavily tilted in one direction, it may be that 4L or 4R year.
3. Triples - If a batter has 1 card with an unusually high amount of triples chances, it may be that year.
4. Strikeouts - See triples above.
5. Strikeouts/Walks ratio - See triples above.
6. Intentional Walks - Is a batter receiving a high number of intentional walks? Could be that he's on a great year...OR...could be the guy next in the order is on a crummy year.
New to the Mystery game? Hope this helps! An experienced Mystery owner? Feel free to post other 'tells', or point out errors/weaknesses in any of the methods listed above.
I have made minor changes to item 4 of his "solid reads" for the sake of clarity, and omitted his seventh "less-reliable read" which reportedly was made obsolete by changes to the game engine. Otherwise, what follows is the original text...
posted by visick:
Help w/ reading the cards for Mystery Tournament Managers
Post Thu Jan 02, 2014 10:42 am
It is important for new managers to the mystery card games to understand how to read the cards to help figure out which of the 5 years their players are in. Here is a rundown of the methods I've used. Hopefully other managers can add their insight also to help the new managers quickly get up to speed:
1. When a position player is injured - Position players can only be injured from a roll on their card. First find out how they got injured (HBP+inj, Lomax+inj, ground out+inj etc.). Also...did they get injured from a lefty or righty pitcher? Then...look at your players 5 cards to zero in on which seasons sustain that injury from the lefty or righty side of their card. This method may not pinpoint the year, but could eliminate some of the years.
2. When a pitcher is injured - Pitchers are injured during the DH at-bat. First find out how they got injured (KO, ground out etc.). Also...did they get injured by a lefty or righty hitter? Switch hitters will always be the opposite of the pitchers arm for their at-bat. Once you've checked out the injury and the batters hand, look at your pitcher card. Go to column 6 on the left or right side of his card (determined by the batters hand) and go to the result on line 12. If that matches the injury sustained then that year is a possibility. Check all 5 years. For illustration purposes, In the 80's game Soto gets injured by Eddie Murray (a switch hitter). The injury is sustained on a strikeout. Murray is considered a lefty batter vs the righty Soto. So now go to Soto's card and look at column 6, result 12 on all 5 cards. You will see that Soto is in either his '81 or '83 year. This method may not pinpoint the year, but could eliminate some of the years. Also...You can't tell anything in NON-DH leagues using this method.
3. HBP - Batters can be HBP only from their card. If a batter is HBP, look at each of their years that can get that result. Sometimes you can eliminate years that do not have a HBP result using this method.
4. Hitters injury duration - The length of the injury can help determine players years. If a hitter has 600+ plate appearances (at bats + walks), then he can only be injured for 3 games maximum. If a hitter has 680+ AB+BB, then he can only be injured for 0 games maximum. Don't be fooled by a hitter getting injured for only 3 games and believing it to be the 1 season he exceeded 600+ AB+BB. Remember...it's 3 games MAXIMUM. A player with 599 or less AB+BB can get injured 0-15 games.
5. Pitchers injury duration - A pitcher with 200+ innings work can only be injured for a maximum of 3 games.
6. Homeruns - Hitters with a "W" rating on a given side of their card can not hit a homerun off of the pitchers card. So if a hitter with a "W" on that side of his card does hit a homerun you may be able to eliminate some years. For illustration purposes, in the 80's game Brett Butler hits a homerun off of Guidry (lefty). Look at Butlers 5 cards...All 5 are "W" against lefty pitching. However...only 1 card ('84) does not have a homerun opportunity on it for Butler. Therefore...Once Butler homers against a lefty, you can eliminate his '84 year.
The above are all "Solid" reads. You can depend on their accuracy. Next...I'll list less-reliable reads.Jimmy_C
Less-reliable reads:
There are many, but I'll list a few of the more common ones I've seen. Sometimes, un-reliable reads will be the only thing you can run with when you need to make a player decision:
1. Performance - This is a really bad way to make a player "read" especially early on. But after 100 crummy at-bats you may want to use it to make a move.
2. Tilt - If a player is heavily tilted in one direction, it may be that 4L or 4R year.
3. Triples - If a batter has 1 card with an unusually high amount of triples chances, it may be that year.
4. Strikeouts - See triples above.
5. Strikeouts/Walks ratio - See triples above.
6. Intentional Walks - Is a batter receiving a high number of intentional walks? Could be that he's on a great year...OR...could be the guy next in the order is on a crummy year.
New to the Mystery game? Hope this helps! An experienced Mystery owner? Feel free to post other 'tells', or point out errors/weaknesses in any of the methods listed above.