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- Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2012 3:56 am
In one of last night's ATG 8 games, I saw HAL make one of the most boneheaded, incompetent and unrealistic managerial moves I have ever seen.
It's the top of the 9th with the score tied 1 to 1. Brooks Robinson leads off and grounds out. Smokey Burgess comes up and hits a single. Does HAL pinch run for Burgess, a notoriously slow runner, with the speedy Ralph Garr? No, not yet. As you will see, HAL has a far more baseball savvy move up his sleeve. But fair enough--Why waste the pinch runner unless he's going to come into the game already in scoring position? (As an aside, never mind that Garr is an "A" base stealer.)
So the next batter, Don Kessinger, steps to the plate. Now, Kessinger has been struggling at the plate in this game, so why not have Kessinger bunt. After all, he has a rating of "A" when it comes to bunting. If Kessinger successfully moves Burgess to second, then you bring in Garr to run for Burgess and call up Nellie Fox to pinch hit for the pitcher. Fox would have to face Jay Witasick, a solid right-hander out of my opponent's bull pen, but he hits right handed pitchers well and a single with two outs will most likely score Garr from second, unless it's a * single, since Garr would be running on any hit ball with two outs and that causes his running rating to increase to 1-19. If he scores, I can bring in Gagne or Franco to close out the game out. If he doesn't score, I'm back to the top of the lineup next time at bat.
On the other hand, if Kessinger blows the bunt and they nail Burgess at second, I still have a fast runner on first, as Kessinger has a 1-15 running rating. Kessinger could try to steal second, and if he's successful I have Fox or Garr to pinch hit with Kessinger in scoring position. If Kessinger gets nailed trying to steal second, I get another inning out of Steve Carlton. Or, if I didn't want to take any risk, I could just let Steve Carlton take his swings. If Carlton gets out, I still have him pitching for at least one more inning and, again, I'm back to the top of my line up when my team comes to bat in the next inning.
So, what did HAL decide to do? He let Kessinger swing away and Kessinger struck out. That's an acceptable choice, but what occurs next is sheer stupidity. HAL--in his infinite baseball wisdom-- then brings Garr into run for Burgess with two outs and lets Carlton bat for himself. Carlton, of course, grounds out and the inning is over. Eventually, I lost this game by a score of 2-1 in 18 innings.
I don't mind losing games--that's baseball. However, I hate watching a program mismanage my team in such an unrealistic and incompetent manner. No major league manager would have called in a pinch runner to go to first with two outs and then let the pitcher hit.
I stopped playing this game a while ago, but I still had one credit left. I decided to give it another try. But when I see things like this, I wonder why I still play On-Line Strat.
It's the top of the 9th with the score tied 1 to 1. Brooks Robinson leads off and grounds out. Smokey Burgess comes up and hits a single. Does HAL pinch run for Burgess, a notoriously slow runner, with the speedy Ralph Garr? No, not yet. As you will see, HAL has a far more baseball savvy move up his sleeve. But fair enough--Why waste the pinch runner unless he's going to come into the game already in scoring position? (As an aside, never mind that Garr is an "A" base stealer.)
So the next batter, Don Kessinger, steps to the plate. Now, Kessinger has been struggling at the plate in this game, so why not have Kessinger bunt. After all, he has a rating of "A" when it comes to bunting. If Kessinger successfully moves Burgess to second, then you bring in Garr to run for Burgess and call up Nellie Fox to pinch hit for the pitcher. Fox would have to face Jay Witasick, a solid right-hander out of my opponent's bull pen, but he hits right handed pitchers well and a single with two outs will most likely score Garr from second, unless it's a * single, since Garr would be running on any hit ball with two outs and that causes his running rating to increase to 1-19. If he scores, I can bring in Gagne or Franco to close out the game out. If he doesn't score, I'm back to the top of the lineup next time at bat.
On the other hand, if Kessinger blows the bunt and they nail Burgess at second, I still have a fast runner on first, as Kessinger has a 1-15 running rating. Kessinger could try to steal second, and if he's successful I have Fox or Garr to pinch hit with Kessinger in scoring position. If Kessinger gets nailed trying to steal second, I get another inning out of Steve Carlton. Or, if I didn't want to take any risk, I could just let Steve Carlton take his swings. If Carlton gets out, I still have him pitching for at least one more inning and, again, I'm back to the top of my line up when my team comes to bat in the next inning.
So, what did HAL decide to do? He let Kessinger swing away and Kessinger struck out. That's an acceptable choice, but what occurs next is sheer stupidity. HAL--in his infinite baseball wisdom-- then brings Garr into run for Burgess with two outs and lets Carlton bat for himself. Carlton, of course, grounds out and the inning is over. Eventually, I lost this game by a score of 2-1 in 18 innings.
I don't mind losing games--that's baseball. However, I hate watching a program mismanage my team in such an unrealistic and incompetent manner. No major league manager would have called in a pinch runner to go to first with two outs and then let the pitcher hit.
I stopped playing this game a while ago, but I still had one credit left. I decided to give it another try. But when I see things like this, I wonder why I still play On-Line Strat.