Okay, faithful. Here’s a compendium of stuff I gathered from early posts in this thread, most of which have to do with hard-coded text (rather than messages from the database) that is causing problems. I will create TestTrack (TT) entries for these things, hoping that Markus will be able to find time for this sort of stuff.
After the text of each post, my response is preceded by a line of asterisks to set it off. In a few places in the posts I inserted debug numbers (category-object) to help me figure things out and to serve as a reference when these issues go into TT.
I hope this feedback will help you all (all three of you) understand where these errors are coming from. Please keep the comments coming, and I’ll check out each glitch as time permits.
Tysok, please note my question in post 48. I want to be sure I know what you meant.
Post 8:
The fielder waiving himself off remains...
[241-12291] Francois Lapierre gets under it...
also on the move if Lapierre...
but he's waved off by Lapierre...
For the record, this followed the following text:
[233-12116] out toward straight away center...
So, no one BUT the centerfielder had any business going after that one.
Edit: I have seen this type of play numerous times since, and it only seems to be a problem when the centerfielder is the primary player involved.
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The two lines following 12291 are not in the database, so they must be inside the game. (Did it really say “On the move if . . . ?)
Post 9:
Got this call on a strikeout...
[347-10030] the umpire is maintaining a very wide strike-zone...
The strikeout pitch was right down the middle, well inside the strike zone.
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It seems that category 347 should be called only when a pitch is on the edge of the strike zone. That said, I’ve noticed some discrepancy myself between how a pitch is displayed on the webcast screen and how it’s described in the PbP. It’s worth asking about.
Post 10:
This may not be a text issue, but more of a coding problem...
[151-9372] back up the middle...past the pitcher's mound...
[199-14325] West could have a hard time with that one...
[216-13403] West dives...
The main problem here is...West is the third baseman and therefore should not be the one diving to try and get a grounder "back up the middle."
Another call where it seems to be the wrong player:
[233-12118] straight away to short center...
[239-14270] Ping is charging for it...
[217-13434] but he can't corral it...
Ping is the second baseman. While yes, he will go after a ball in center, he wouldn't be "charging" it, since that implies he's coming IN, and not going OUT.
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What you cite as 14325 is actually 14235. If you’re typing in this stuff rather than copying it from a file, please be careful.
The first example is a problem. I think it’s because category 199 (difficult play) doesn’t distinguish between middle infielders and corner infielders; or maybe it’s only meant to be called for plays to the middle infielders. It’s worth checking out.
The second example is less problematic in terms of its wording. The word “charging” might not evoke the same image in everybody’s mind, but at least it’s not entirely illogical or disorienting. All the tokens used in category 239 (flyball charge) are [%game fielder] rather than [%game fielder of]. The same is true of two other related categories. This raises a question: Are these categories called only when the ball is hit to an infielder, or does [%game fielder] sometimes hold the name of an outfielder? I’ll ask.
Post 11:
This is redundant...
[179-8022]Thien gloves with the backhand...he steps on second for the force...
[206-9868]the tag on Ken Goodchild...out!
He either tage the base or tags the man, not both.
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I inserted “it” after “gloves,” but that didn’t solve the problem.
Object 8022 doesn’t include the “he steps” part of the line. That bit of text is pulled from within the game.
Post 12:
News item:
[92-1301] ...he has homered 1 times...
With only one HR, it should read "1 time".
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We can’t do anything about the general problem of plural words following the numeral 1 (or 0) in a message. For instance, all the tokens relating to stats that end in “word,” such as [%batting d word], return the plural form of that word, so you’re always going to see phrases like “1 doubles” as long as these tokens remain in use. Following from that, whenever you see a variation in wording such as message 1301 (which calls [%batting hr] followed by “times”), you’ll see that the word that follows the numeral is purposely plural.
Post 13:
Not sure if all of this is part of the text file, or if the offending portion is hard-coded:
[280-10325] 410 (unit of measure missing) as Tufts just watched it go...
Generoso Herrera belts a 2-run homer!
Generoso Herrera belts a 2-run homer!
The line is repeated (although this could be for effect now that I think about it...)
Of course, the next line WAS...
"they go deep back-to-back" - It's IMPOSSIBLE to hit a two-run shot as the second half of back-to-back jacks! There was a single in between the two homers.
Edit: The next batter went yard as well, and I got the double Homerun call with [280-10310]
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The repeated line is hard-coded. I doubt the repetition is intentional.
The back-to-back problem has been mentioned elsewhere, but I’ll check to be sure it’s in TT. Any message that mentions back-to-back home runs is not coming from the database.
Post 18:
Something's missing here...
[189-11391] the batter swings from his heels...
[15-7722] scoring is Whiteway...
The situation? Runners on first and third, no outs. After the play, the run has scored, the bases are clear, and there are two outs. Oops, checking the log, it's the 1-6-3 DP bug.
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I don’t know what the 1-6-3 DP bug is. I will TT this.
Post 19:
When it rains it pours. Got a 2B throwing it to himself:
[176-7136] Callahan picks it...he takes it to the bag himself...
[206-9851] makes the catch to retire Je-ju Ping...
[162-11013] that's flashing the leather!
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The “he takes” phrase is not part of message 7136, so that bit of hard-coded text is the problem.
Post 21:
Another overambitious centerfielder:
[229-11952] into left...straight down the line...
[239-14261] Herrera (LF) is on the move...Paquette (CF) is also after it...
The CF should be nowhere near a ball down the LF line. MAYBE the 3B, but most definitely not the CF.
Ran into this again with [239-14271] where the RIGHT fielder went after a ball down the left field line.
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The text “is also after it” is not in the database.
Post 22:
Finally found the double play line that's been driving me nuts:
[246-12335]...tags him for the double_play...
Needless to say (but I'll do it anyway) there should be no "_" between the words double and play.
The “tags him for the double” text is not in the database.
Post 31:
Here's one of those wonderful pitch descriptions:
he got him on a [319-9016] sinking two-seamer sinker!
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The “sinker!” part is not in the database.
Post 40:
I know it's been mentioned before, but I don't think it has with a code tag:
[314-8850] straight fastball fastball!
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The “fastball!” part is not in the database.
Post 43:
Found another, same category, different line...
[314-6428] beautiful fastball fastball!
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Ditto.
Post 47:
Found something, but don't have any numbers. It's jsut in game text:
184-9660 Bumgartner sees the runner heading home, here's the throw...
208-8246 Bumgartner cuts down Burke at home...
Strong throw by Craig Bumgartner...
two down.
287-5709 a slight chance to get two here...
the throw to Villacian who covers first base...
214-5481 that's going to be REAL close...
SAFE!
Villacian is the catcher who would have been throwing to first.
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The line that mentions Villacian is not in the database.
Post 48:
2 things wrong in this one play
Bob Byars swings...
168-7934 Byars swings...
chopper to short...
he sets, fires to first...
bad throw...
in the dirt...
saved nicely by Meehan.
(one) down.
The top of the second is over...
It really is over... despite an erroneous reporting to the contrary. If Byars had only swung once he may have hitten it harder.
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The first line is a problem, because [%game batter] always returns just the batter’s last name. The game must be pulling this line from somewhere within the code.
What’s the second thing wrong? Is it “(one)”? Did you put the parentheses around the word. Or did it display that way? Message 7934 includes everything from “Byars swings” through “down.” However, the token [%game outs+1 long] looks like it might not be translating properly here. I think this problem will clear up when the token problem is fixed. I will TT the first problem, but not this one.
Also, I replaced “he” with the name of the shortstop, so it doesn’t read as though Byars is throwing himself out.
Post 50:
I know that it's been reported that the announced says they went deep back to back when there was a strike out, ground out, or whatever in between...... but I just had an occasion: Batter hits a homer. Next batter grounds out. Next batter homers, says they went back to back. The next batter hits a homer... nothing said.
It's not saying back to back when it really IS back to back.
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Noted above.
Post 51:
189-11381 the batter offers at it...
227-11885 changeup flared...
233-12093 toward shallow centerfield...
243-12306 Nicanor Campero (CF) races back...
253-14335 base hit for Malachi Barone...
261-14365 Campero gets there to cut it off...
222-11494 Barone rounds first...
he's trying for two...
Burke goes to third base.
First, flare into shallow center and the CF is racing back... no wonder he didn't make the play. Then he "gets there" to cut it off... should hope so it was flared. Then there was no end to that play, Barone rounds first and tries for two.... we assume he was successful since that's where he now is.
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I fixed the “shallow racing back” problem by rewording a few of the messages in category 243 that had the fielder racing in or racing out; now he’s just racing for the ball (or something like that) in no particular direction.
The “he’s trying for two” line is the last part of message 11494. Clearly it needs to be followed by a line that says whether he’s safe or out. I will TT this.