Not a question but a (brief) rant..out of position catchers

What the hell is with HAL and his use of catchers?

Twice in the last week he has 1) pinch ran for my starting catcher, 2) then used my backup catcher as a pinch hitter (he is not listed as a primary pinch hitter in the team strategy), and then 3) while the backup catcher was still in the lineup after pinch hitting, taken him out and moved a non-catcher into the position. During the 2nd time, I had a 3rd catcher sitting on the bench unused!!!

I don't have a problem with either the pinch run move, or the pinch hit move, but this using out of position catchers thing is really a problem. It didnt hurt me this time (somehow) but it is going to bite me at some point.

thank you. Rant over.

If you have a 3rd catcher hal will make more moves, and if you have one checked remove for defense---he will come out with a lead even if you have no catchers left to replace him with.

The remove for defense check is a programming after thought--it has advantages but also the one big weakness--the AI doesn't look to see if there is another eligible player left at that spot--so be careful with it---make changes when you have extended injuries.

I learned that lesson about remove for defense previously, when he kept taking my 4 pt 1st baseman out and replacing with an outfielder. So nope, no check for remove for defense. In fact, my backup is even a 3 pt catcher, so he is not bad at all.

I was not aware HAL will make more moves with a 3rd catcher. But the exact reason I often carry a 3rd is because catchers seem most likely to be pinch run for, and are often highly injured, so I wanted to avoid having a non-catcher in the position. So much for that idea.

If you carry only two catchers, if one gets injured, The other catcher is bulletproof until injured catcher comes back. So having three just means ywo catchers must be injured before the third becomes bulletproof.

The last catcher you have is bulletproof? Really? Holy cow, I had no idea. I always carried 3 for fear of losing both to injury for extended periods and being stuck with an out of position catcher for more than a game or 2.

Yes. That should probably be listed more prominently in the Rules/roster page. It may be, haven't looked in a while.

I cannot find that rule, but thank you very much for that info. Thats a whole roster spot that can be saved.

This little catcher rule where the second one cannot get injured should be in the official rules. It is true. I am amazed how many people are not aware of this. For a while I would occasionally, if I thought someone was new enough not to know, point out to people who were about to start a season with 3 catchers they should only be carrying 2. But that usually either led to someone telling me I did not know what I was talking about and an occasional accusation I was trying to pull a fast one on them or an accusation I was insulting their knowledge of team building. So now I keep quiet. Figure either they know and do not care or they do not know but would rather be at a disadvantage than admit there was something they did not know.

As this thread demonstrates it is not just a matter of the last catcher being bullet proof. It is also that HAL makes more bad decisions with a 3rd catcher. So best advice is carry only 2. At least in my opinion which everyone is free to take under advisement or ignore completely. Girlfriend has me well accustomed to being ignored.

The exception to bulletproof ... -ness? ... is if both catchers are in the lineup in the same game at some point; both can be injured in that case. If both are in the line-up, the rule doesn't kick in till after the whole game is played in which one catcher is injured; BUT if one replaces the other mid-game after an injury, having not previously been in the line-up, then the rule apparently kicks in during the same game.

The above two-catcher injury situation is very rare, since it takes special circumatances -- but it does happen once a blue moon.

This is actually a really big rule, that is largely unknown. I have looked around at several sites listing rules for strat, and have been unable to find it anywhere. Of course, I believe this is the case and am looking at all my teams where I took 3 catchers thinking what a dolt I am. I bet if you took a survey of all the people that play this game, especially those that are relatively new, at least 50% if not more will have no idea about it.