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- Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2012 8:24 am
Sun Mar 23, 2014 9:36 am
I sometimes use a strategy that tries to skate down the middle of these different ideas.
I like to have my best RP have a C4 rating or so. I try to get him into as many games as possible, with as many innings as I can (within reason). I'll have him designated as the top pitcher in all key situations - closer, set-up, tied and 9th, tied and late, and middle innings reliever. In the 2012 cards, I liked Wilton Lopez for that role. I like setting this pitcher to F8, and quick hook, so that Hal won't pull him until he tires, but then pulls him quickly after he tires.
BUT, in case he gets tired while the closer situation is still in effect, I like to have a cheaper C5 or C6, to finish off the closer situation, if necessary. So far, I like Wilhelmsen in the 2013 cards for that cheaper closer role. I will typically designate the cheaper closer as the second closer. I will typically set this pitcher to either "slow hook" or "F8 and quick hook". I won't set him for any other RP roles at all. This cheaper closer might still blow some saves, but he should cover a high percentage of the situations that he's called upon - usually with one or two outs already in the 9th inning.
For the second role for the other key RP roles, I liked to have a good reliever ($ salary somewhere between the 2 guys listed above) who is not necessarily a closer (could be no C rating, or C0 to C3) who will be the second role for all of the key roles other than closer. Sometimes I have this pitcher in the first role for middle man, if he's better than my strong closer. If he's that good I might list him as first in other roles, but then this kind of defeats the purpose of having the C4 guy get lots of innings.
I like this "C4 closer high $ multiple roles" strategy because it avoids the other evil that I've experienced, where your expensive closer doesn't get many innings, when he's only coming in for save situations.
This is an example of a team that I used that strategy for - high $ C4, low $ C6, moderate to low $ other reliever C0-C2:
http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/1108073
(On this team, Blevins was originally the C0-C2 pitcher, but I cut him in order to make room for the acquisition of a different catcher to finish off the season. Albers replaced Blevins as the C0-C2 pitcher, actually no C rating for Albers, which is fine for this strategy).
There's really a lot of possible variations on these ideas, but I agree, you need to be sure that you can cover the "closer innings" with someone with a decent C rating, or I think you run the risk of a few blown 9th inning wins. It might not seem like many lost wins at stake, but in competitive leagues, it could be the 3 wins (or so) that you needed to make the playoffs.
I like to have my best RP have a C4 rating or so. I try to get him into as many games as possible, with as many innings as I can (within reason). I'll have him designated as the top pitcher in all key situations - closer, set-up, tied and 9th, tied and late, and middle innings reliever. In the 2012 cards, I liked Wilton Lopez for that role. I like setting this pitcher to F8, and quick hook, so that Hal won't pull him until he tires, but then pulls him quickly after he tires.
BUT, in case he gets tired while the closer situation is still in effect, I like to have a cheaper C5 or C6, to finish off the closer situation, if necessary. So far, I like Wilhelmsen in the 2013 cards for that cheaper closer role. I will typically designate the cheaper closer as the second closer. I will typically set this pitcher to either "slow hook" or "F8 and quick hook". I won't set him for any other RP roles at all. This cheaper closer might still blow some saves, but he should cover a high percentage of the situations that he's called upon - usually with one or two outs already in the 9th inning.
For the second role for the other key RP roles, I liked to have a good reliever ($ salary somewhere between the 2 guys listed above) who is not necessarily a closer (could be no C rating, or C0 to C3) who will be the second role for all of the key roles other than closer. Sometimes I have this pitcher in the first role for middle man, if he's better than my strong closer. If he's that good I might list him as first in other roles, but then this kind of defeats the purpose of having the C4 guy get lots of innings.
I like this "C4 closer high $ multiple roles" strategy because it avoids the other evil that I've experienced, where your expensive closer doesn't get many innings, when he's only coming in for save situations.
This is an example of a team that I used that strategy for - high $ C4, low $ C6, moderate to low $ other reliever C0-C2:
http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/1108073
(On this team, Blevins was originally the C0-C2 pitcher, but I cut him in order to make room for the acquisition of a different catcher to finish off the season. Albers replaced Blevins as the C0-C2 pitcher, actually no C rating for Albers, which is fine for this strategy).
There's really a lot of possible variations on these ideas, but I agree, you need to be sure that you can cover the "closer innings" with someone with a decent C rating, or I think you run the risk of a few blown 9th inning wins. It might not seem like many lost wins at stake, but in competitive leagues, it could be the 3 wins (or so) that you needed to make the playoffs.