Avoid LH/RH settings

I contacted SOM and asked the below question:

"Can you explain how the “avoid LHP” (or RHP) works? I don’t know if it only works after a certain point in the game, not during blow outs, or how exactly. I know that I have Roger Metzger in the 70s game checked as avoid LHP and he NEVER gets PH for.

Also is this any different than the avoid LHB (or RHB) for pitchers?"

Here is their reply:

"The avoid options mostly prevent that player from entering when that handed opponent is already in the game. For example, Metzger should not pinch hit when a LH is pitching. If you have a pitcher set to avoid RHB, the computer manager will avoid bringing him in when a righty is batting. It also does help the computer manager decide when to pinch hit for a player but will not force that player to be removed."

It's pretty worthless. It should really be a PH for against LH/RH if possible option.

It's pretty worthless. It should really be a PH for against LH/RH if possible option.

There's some much improved logic in the 2014 CDROM version, maybe that can make it to the online version soon.

Basically a pecking order for PH vsL, vsR, vsRevL, vsRevR. Been working will in my CDROM game leagues.

the lefty /righty matchup logic is really bad and i too have written my suggestions. even worse is the bullpen bringing in a cheap reliever in a crucial situation. the only way i know to avoid a cheap reliever ruining a game in the late innings is to just not have one. carry a .50m 6th starter instead ,but be careful to make him a stater only or the computer will surely bring him in late to ruin the game. i have also written in about this

Interesting strategy, Michaelrobb, thanks for the tip. I generally carry a cheap bullpen in general, but think I have some decent cheap guys but still cringe when Brad Lincoln is inexplicably brought in ahead of some better guys in crunch situations in the 8th or 9th innings.

I totally disagree that the L/R options are worthless. I use many platoons and the results are consistently very skewed towards the intended platoon side. Here are partial results from ONE team where I purposely created a number of platoons. They have faced 25% LHP's and 75%rhp's to date:
Saltalamacchia, Jarrod (S, 5R) vs. L 10/vs. R 173
Lind, Adam (L, 6R) vs. L 12/vs. R 160
Gennett, Scooter (L, 9R) vs. L 12/vs. R 186
Harrison, Josh (R, 4L) vs. L 66/vs. R 26
Yelich, Christian (L, 8R) vs. L 17/vs. R 172
Crisp, Coco (S, 4R) vs. L 15/R 208
Boesch, Brennan (L, 5R) vs. L 1/vs. R 21 v
Hairston, Scott (R, 7L) vs. L 27/vs. R 6
These are not unusual results. I'm sure HAL does not use a PH every time you would like, but what more can you really ask for? My math shows them facing their favorable side about 90% of the time and it's not like I looked through a bunch of teams and cherry picked all the favorable splits. If you platoon a lot, you are used to seeing figures such as these.

I totally disagree that the L/R options are worthless. I use many platoons and the results are consistently very skewed towards the intended platoon side. Here are partial results from ONE team where I purposely created a number of platoons. They have faced 25% LHP's and 75%rhp's to date:
Saltalamacchia, Jarrod (S, 5R) vs. L 10/vs. R 173
Lind, Adam (L, 6R) vs. L 12/vs. R 160
Gennett, Scooter (L, 9R) vs. L 12/vs. R 186
Harrison, Josh (R, 4L) vs. L 66/vs. R 26
Yelich, Christian (L, 8R) vs. L 17/vs. R 172
Crisp, Coco (S, 4R) vs. L 15/R 208
Boesch, Brennan (L, 5R) vs. L 1/vs. R 21 v
Hairston, Scott (R, 7L) vs. L 27/vs. R 6
These are not unusual results. I'm sure HAL does not use a PH every time you would like, but what more can you really ask for? My math shows them facing their favorable side about 90% of the time and it's not like I looked through a bunch of teams and cherry picked all the favorable splits. If you platoon a lot, you are used to seeing figures such as these.

Since the avoid option only impacts bench players I don't see how this shows any value to it. There would have to be a relief pitcher that throws from the opposite arm to make a difference and this is the 10% or so we see above. That is when I want to Ph.but there is no option. The L/R option is worthless for this.

"The avoid options mostly prevent that player from entering when that handed opponent is already in the game. For example, Metzger should not pinch hit when a LH is pitching. If you have a pitcher set to avoid RHB, the computer manager will avoid bringing him in when a righty is batting. It also does help the computer manager decide when to pinch hit for a player but will not force that player to be removed."

I do not see where you come up with the assumption that it only influences bench players. It says "the avoid options MOSTLY prevents bench players from entering the game" and that "it also DOES help the computer manager decide when to pinch hit for a player". To me, that says that the "Avoid" function has at least some influence with regards to pinch hitters based on the response, which is all I have to go on aside from my personal experience. Does it pinch hit every time you want a pinch hitter used, certainly not. I played the game before the "Avoid" settings were instituted(Trot Nixon, 9R), and I see a big influence on how all players are used with the "Avoid" function as compared to when there were no settings. It's really like night and day. The "Avoid" function really made platooning a viable and winning strategy because it really was not viable before the settings existed. To me, complaining about specific pinch hitting situations not being taking advantage of when you can achieve 90%+ splits with platoon players is ridiculous. I hope all the platoon haters keep on hating because of a few potential missed pinch hitting situations and don't use the platoon players.

We can already designate pinch hitters against LHP and RHP so the avoid option is mostly redundant. To me having the option to designate which starter to be ph for the late innings would be valuable.

I am assuming you did not play before the option was available. There is no way you would think it is redundant if you played without it.