[Syd Thrift]

Important: Automatic Effects of Adding/Removing Additional Pitches
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The more pitches a man throws, the more likely it is that he'll last the third or fourth time through the lineup. In addition, a man with 5 pitches can survive very well on 4 if one isn't working, whereas a man with 2 is pretty much screwed if he's down to 1. For that reason, the more pitches a pitcher knows, the better his endurance.

How to read this: Look at how many pitches your man has right now and assign the difference between his new pitch number and his old one. IOW, a pitcher going from 4 pitches to 5 gains 10. 5 to 6 gains you 15. 1 to 2 gains you 30 (although why are you at 1 in the first place).

1 -80
2 -50
3 -10
4 0
5 +10
6 +25
7 +40
8 +50
9+ +60

The special exception here is the knuckleball. Knuckleball pitchers not generated by the game always only throw the knuckleball and a fastball. Their endurance is generated by the Add Knuckleball pitch matrix.

Add Pitch

Each pitch has its own blend of special effects. It goes without saying that if a pitcher already knows how to throw something he can't very well add it again.

Add Fastball
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Description: Who doesn't know how to throw a fastball? This is actually the "rising" fastball of the variety Sandy Koufax or Randy Johnson throw. Blasts by a hitter but since it appears to rise through the strike zone it's "light" and can go a long way if spotted well.
Player Skill: Work Ethic
Limitations: Must have Velocity of 90 mph or more.

Bust: -25 CON
Failure: -10 CON
Ignore: +5 STF, -5 CON
Good: +1 level VEL, +10 STF, -10 CON, -5 GB%
Excels: +2 levels VEL, +10 STF, -5 CON, -5 GB%
GREAT: +3 levels VEL, +15 STF, -10 GB%

Add Change-Up
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Description: This is the straight change, a fastball thrown with the same arm speed as the heater but with just enough taken off of it that it messes up the batter's timing. Requires a crafty player.
Player Skill: Intelligence
Limitations: None.

Bust: -25 STF
Failure: -10 STF
Ignore: +5 MOV, +5 CON, -10 STF
Good: +10 MOV, +10 CON, -10 STF
Excels: +15 MOV, +10 CON, -10 STF
GREAT: +20 MOV, +15 CON

Add Curve Ball
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Description: Good old Uncle Charlie. Depending on how the pitcher sets up, it can be a Tommy John-style 12 to 6 curve or a knee-buckler of the variety Mike Boddicker used to throw. The only problem is, if you hang one you are asking for the ball to be hit out of the park. Not the easiest pitch on the arm.
Player Skill: Work Ethic
Limitations: None.

Bust: +20 STF (+25 to like-handed batters), -5 CON, -5 MOV. Some time in the next 2d20 outings he will suffer a Tommy John injury and miss 18 months (540 days).
Failure: -10 CON, -10 MOV, +40 Arm Proneness
Ignore: +5 STF, -5 CON, +20 Arm Proneness
Good: +20 STF (+25 to like-handed batters), -5 CON, -5 MOV, +10 Arm Proneness
Excels: +25 (+35 to like-handed batters) STF, -5 MOV
GREAT: +35 (+45 to like-handed batters) STF

Learn Slider
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Description: It might have been invented some time in the 1950s or it might have been the "nickel curve" the old-timers claimed it was. Whatever the case may be, it doesn't break as hard as a curve but it's faster. Not a pitch used by slopballers. Marginally harder on the arm than the curve.
Player Skill: Work Ethic
Limitations: Must have Velocity of 90 mph or more.

Bust: -20 CON, -20 MOV, +60 Arm Proneness
Failure: -15 CON, -10 MOV, +40 Arm Proneness
Ignore: +5 STF, -5 CON, +25 Arm Proneness
Good: +20 STF, -5 CON +15 Arm Proneness
Excels: +25 STF, -5 MOV
GREAT: +35 STF

Learn Sinker
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Description: The good old two-seam fastball. Induces grounders, which lead to the good old "pitcher's best friend": the double play. Since the ball breaks downward, it's "heavier" and therefore harder to hit out of the park.
Player Skill: Work Ethic
Limitations: Must have Velocity of 90 mph or more.

Bust: -2 velocity levels, -10 STF, +25 Arm Proneness
Failure: -2 velocity levels, +10 Arm Proneness
Ignore: +5 MOV, -1 velocity level
Good: +5 STF, +10 MOV, -10 CON, +5 GB%
Excels: +5 STF, +20 MOV, -5 CON, +5 GB%
GREAT: +10 STF, +25 MOV, +10 GB%

Learn Splitter
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Description: Invented by Roger Craig in the 1970s and then utilized to great effect by Bruce Sutter, the split-fingered "fastball" breaks deeper than a standard 2-seamer but isn't as fast. Supposedly it's not that hard on an arm but there have been a lot of guys who throw the splitter a lot who have left their arm on the operating table (Sutter himself for example).
Player Skill: Work Ethic
Limitations: None.

Bust: -10 CON, -10 STF, +40 Arm Proneness
Failure: -10 CON, +30 Arm Proneness
Ignore: +5 MOV, -1 velocity level, +20 Arm Proneness
Good: +10 STF, +10 MOV, -15 CON, +5 GB%, +10 Arm Proneness
Excels: +10 STF, +25 MOV, -5 CON, +5 GB%, +5 Arm Proneness
GREAT: +20 STF, +25 MOV, +10 GB%

Learn Forkball
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Description: Elroy Face's out pitch, this is a breaking ball thrown with the fingers straddling the baseball. Thrown much, much slower than the splitter (and therefore easier on the arm), it also has a bigger break. It's virtually impossible to hit a good forkball out of the infield let alone out of the park.
Player Skill: Work Ethic
Limitations: None.

Bust: -10 STF, -10 CON, +25 Arm Proneness
Failure: -20 CON, +15 Arm Proneness
Ignore: +5 MOV, -10 CON +10 Arm Proneness
Good: +20 MOV, -15 CON, +5 GB%, +5 Arm Proneness
Excels: +5 STF, +25 MOV, -5 CON, +10 GB%
GREAT: +10 STF, +40 MOV, +20 GB%

Learn Cutter
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Description: A relatively new pitch popularized by Mariano Rivera, the cutter is a little like a splitter only instead of breaking downwards it breaks to the left or the right side depending on the pitcher's handedness. Since it confers a bonus to striking out like-handed batters, it's a great pitch for a reliever to learn. Since it's thrown in a similar manner to a fastball it's probably not terribly hard on the arm but it's kind of early to tell.
Player Skill: Work Ethic
Limitations: Velocity of at least 90 MPH.

Bust: -2 velocity levels, -20 STF to opposite-handed batters, +25 Arm Proneness
Failure: -1 velocity level, -10 STF to opposite-handed batters, +20 Arm Proneness
Ignore: -5 STF to opposite-handed batters, +5 STF to like-handed batters, +10 Arm Proneness
Good: +5 STF to opposite-handed batters, +15 to like-handed, -10 CON, +5 Arm Proneness
Excels: +10 STF to opposite-handed batters, +25 to like-handed, -5 CON
GREAT: +20 STF to opposite-handed batters, +40 to like-handed

Learn Knuckle-Curve
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Description: Mike Mussina's favorite pitch. Half knuckler, half-curve. Can also be used to describe the slow, massively breaking curves used by David Fleming (I am sure there are better examples than him but that's all I can think of right now). Because it's thrown so easily, it's easier on the arm than the curve. However, hitters who can track it will tee off on it like it was batting practice.
Player Skill: Intelligence
Limitations: None.

Bust: -10 CON, -25 MOV, +30 Arm Proneness
Failure: -5 CON, -10 MOV, +20 Arm Proneness
Ignore: +5 STF (+10 to like-handed batters), -5 CON, +10 Arm Proneness
Good: +20 STF (+25 to like-handed batters), -5 CON, -10 MOV, +5 Arm Proneness
Excels: +20 (+30 to like-handed batters) STF, -10 MOV
GREAT: +30 (+40 to like-handed batters) STF

Add Circle Change
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Description: Jamie Moyer's out pitch. This ball is all about deception. It's thrown like a fastball but comes in WAY slower. For some reason it's harder for opposite-handed batters to pick up so it confers a reverse platoon split (making it an interesting weapon for right-handed relievers). So slow that when you do time it, you time it a long way if you know what I mean.
Player Skill: Intelligence
Limitations: None.

Bust: -35 MOV, -15 STF to like-handed batters
Failure: -20 MOV, -5 STF to like-handed batters
Ignore: +5 STF to opposite-handed batters, +5 CON, -15 MOV
Good: +5 STF (+15 to opposite-handed batters), +10 CON, -10 MOV
Excels: +15 STF (+30 to opposite-handed batters), +10 CON, -10 MOV
GREAT: +20 STF (+40 to opposite-handed batters), +15 CON, -10 MOV

Add Screwball
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Description: Rarely thrown because it's so hard on the arm: you can tell an ex-screwball pitcher by the way his arm hangs the opposite way from where it should hang. Because it's so rare, though, it's just plain deadly, and it conveys an opposite platoon split as well.
Player Skill: Work Ethic
Limitations: None.

Bust: +20 STF (+30 to opposite-handed batters), -5 CON, -5 MOV. In 2d20 outings, this pitcher will suffer a Tommy John injury and miss 18 months (540 days).
Failure: -5 STF to like-handed batters, -10 MOV, +45 Arm Proneness
Ignore: +5 STF (+15 to opposite-handed batters), -5 CON, +30 Arm Proneness
Good: +20 STF (+30 to opposite-handed batters), -5 CON, -5 MOV, +20 Arm Proneness
Excels: +30 (+45 to like-handed batters) STF, -5 MOV, +10 Arm Proneness
GREAT: +40 (+50 to like-handed batters) STF, +10 Arm Proneness

Add Knuckleball (SPECIAL)
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Description: Because it is so hard to master and also because modern thinking is that it is basically incompatible with every other pitch out there, the knuckleball should only be taught to pitchers who otherwise have no chance to succeed but who have good intangibles. There is a very good chance that an unsuccessful attempt to add a knuckler to a pitcher's repertoire will destroy him. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Player Skill: (Work Ethic + Intelligence) / 2
Limitations: None.

Bust: Pitcher suffers a CEI.
Failure: Pitcher suffers a CEI.
Ignore: Pitcher suffers a CEI.
Good: Pitcher suffers a CEI.
Excels: Delete all the pitcher's current pitches except for: Fastball and Knuckler. His Velocity is now 75-80 MPH. Generate the following stats:

STF 100+1d100 (the VEL is so low, these guys still will probably not become strikeout kings)
CON 50+1d100
MOV 50+1d100
END 80+1d100
Hit Batsmen: 5+1d20
Wild Pitches: 5+1d20

Everything else stays the same.

GREAT: As Excels, only add 25 points to MOV and 20 to END.

Remove Pitch

Removing a pitch works a little bit differently. You'll still want to use the endurance adjuster; for example, a pitcher going from 4 pitches to 3 will lose 10 points of endurance. Here's an important bit: if you are removing a pitch that you previously added, you will lose the effects of any Good, Excel, or GREAT result but anything gained from Ignore, Failure, or Bust stay. The addition of the pitch hurt the pitcher's mechanics and just telling him not to throw it anymore will not get them back.

Each pitch removed falls into one of three categories: fast pitch, breaking ball, or change of pace.

Remove Fast Pitch
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Description: You've got a guy who throws 14 different kinds of fastballs but maybe it's time to cut a few of them out. Your coach is going to be utilizing the "KISS" (Keep It Simple, Stupid) method with this guy.
Player Skill: Loyalty
Pitches Include: Fastball, sinker, cutter, splitter.
Limitations: A pitcher can never have less than one kind of fast pitch. Note that this means that if for some reason you decide to have a guy throw just one pitch, it will be some kind of speedball.

Bust: -30 STF, +20 Arm Proneness (as losing the fastball forces him to throw more breaking pitches)
Failure: -20 STF, +10 Arm Proneness
Ignore: -10 STF, +10 CON
Good: +15 CON, +5 MOV
Excels: +20 CON, +10 MOV
GREAT: +1 level VEL, +25 CON, +10 STF, +10 MOV

Special effects: Losing the (4 seam) Fastball adds 5 to GB%. Losing the sinker or the splitter removes 5% from GB%. Losing the cutter adds 5 to STF for opposite-handed batters and removes 5 STF from like-handed batters.

Remove Breaking Pitch
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Description: Used primarily to save a guy's arm, telling a pitcher to stop throwing his Uncle Charlie can be devastating but it can also save his career.
Player Skill: Loyalty
Pitches Include: Curveball, Slider, Screwball
Limitations: None. Get rid of all of them, if you dare!

Bust: -40 STF
Failure: -30 STF, +5 CON
Ignore: -10 STF, +10 CON, -10 Arm Proneness
Good: +10 CON, +10 MOV, -20 Arm Proneness
Excels: +20 CON, +10 MOV, -40 Arm Proneness
GREAT: +25 CON, +15 MOV, -60 Arm Proneness

Special effects: Losing the Curveball or the Slider adds 5 to like-handed batter STF and removed 5 from opposite-handed batter STF. Losing the Screwball adds 10 to opposite-handed batter STF and adds 10 to like-handed batter STF.

Remove Change of Pace
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Description: Really, the only reason you're probably doing this is that you're converting a guy to relief and you're looking for some talent increases to go along with it. Well, keep in mind that some of the great relievers in baseball history used a slow ball as an out pitch. I've brought up Elroy Face before. The eephus is like a really, really high-arcing circle change so Rip Sewell can be included. Doug Jones played into his 40s due to a nasty, nasty change-up.
Player Skill: Loyalty
Pitches Include: Change Up, Fork Ball, Knuckle Curve, Circle Change
Limitations: None. Get rid of all of them, if you dare!

Bust: -40 CON, +35 Arm Proneness
Failure: -20 CON, +25 Arm Proneness
Ignore: +10 STF, -20 CON, +10 Arm Proneness
Good: +10 STF, -10 CON
Excels: +20 STF, -5 CON
GREAT: +30 STF, +10 MOV

Special effects: Losing the Circle Change adds 10 to opposite-handed batter STF and adds 10 to like-handed batter STF. Losing the Forkball removes 10 from GB%. Losing the Straight Change and the Knuckle Curve have no additional effects.

Remove Knuckleball
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You cannot remove the knuckleball. It's like communist propaganda. Once it gets into your head you can never get it out.

Other Pitcher Spells

Straight Overhand Delivery
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Description: For the purposes of this game, most pitchers are considered to throw the ball at "three quarters"; in other words, about halfway between sidearm and straight overhand. This "spell" involves the coach working with the player so that his arm is parallel to his body when the ball is released. This changes the plane a pitch breaks on from right to left (or left to right) to up and down. It takes a good deal of arm strength to throw this way.
Player Skill: Work Ethic
Pitches Allowed: All except Slider and Screwball
Limitations: For all deliveries, if a pitcher is not allowed to throw a pitch, he loses it immediately. Roll on the appropriate Remove Pitch column for each pitch lost and adjust Endurance accordingly as well. Any prior effects due to the invoking of Sidearm or Three-Quarters are negated by invoking this delivery. Once a pitcher loses a pitch, he does not get it back if he later changes his angle of delivery.

Bust: -30 STF, +45 Arm Proneness
Failure: -15 STF, +30 Arm Proneness
Ignore: -5 STF, +10 Arm Proneness
Good: +10 MOV, -5 STF
Excels: +20 MOV, +10 CON, -10 Arm Proneness
GREAT: +25 CON, +15 MOV, -20 Arm Proneness

Special: If a pitcher throws a curve, it becomes the 12-to-6 curve and changes are as follows: +10 to STF vs. opposite-handed batters, +20 MOV, +5 GB%.

Sidearm Delivery
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Description: For the purposes of this game, most pitchers are considered to throw the ball at "three quarters"; in other words, about halfway between sidearm and straight overhand. This "spell" involves the coach working with the player so that his arm is perpendicular to his body upon release. Turn your guy into Dan Quisenberry or Kent Tekulve. This is a throwing motion that is potentially very easy on the arm but it also will increase platoon differentials and is not compatible with many pitches.
Player Skill: Work Ethic
Pitches Allowed: Fastball, Change-up, Sinker, Slider
Pitches NOT Allowed: Curve ball, Splitter, Forkball, Cutter, Knuckleball, Knuckle Curve, Screwball
Limitations: For all deliveries, if a pitcher is not allowed to throw a pitch, he loses it immediately. Roll on the appropriate Remove Pitch column for each pitch lost and adjust Endurance accordingly as well. Any prior effects due to the invoking of Straight Overhand or Three-Quarters are negated by invoking this delivery. Once a pitcher loses a pitch, he does not get it back if he later changes his angle of delivery.

Bust: -30 STF (no change to like-handed batters)
Failure: -15 STF (+15 to like-handed batters)
Ignore: +20 STF to like-handed batters, -10 Arm Proneness
Good: +10 STF (+30 to like-handed batters), +5 GB%, -20 Arm Proneness
Excels: +25 STF (+40 to like-handed batters), +10 GB%, -30 Arm Proneness
GREAT: +35 STF (+50 to like-handed batters), +15 GB%, -50 Arm Proneness

Three Quarters Delivery
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Description: For the purposes of this game, most pitchers are considered to throw the ball at "three quarters"; in other words, about halfway between sidearm and straight overhand. For this reason, this spell is a lot like the batting spell "Squared Stance" in that its primary purpose is to right the wrongs of prior spell attempts.
Player Skill: Work Ethic
Pitches Allowed: All
Pitches NOT Allowed: All pitches allowed
Limitations: For all deliveries, if a pitcher is not allowed to throw a pitch, he loses it immediately. Roll on the appropriate Remove Pitch column for each pitch lost and adjust Endurance accordingly as well. Any prior effects due to the invoking of Straight Overhand or Three-Quarters are negated by invoking this delivery. Once a pitcher loses a pitch, he does not get it back if he later changes his angle of delivery. Three Quarters can only be used on a pitcher who formerly had Sidearm or Straight Overhand cast on them.

Bust: -30 STF, +40 Arm Proneness
Failure: -10 STF, +20 Arm Proneness
Ignore: No change
Good: No change
Excels: +10 CON, +10 MOV
GREAT: +20 CON, +10 MOV, -20 Arm Proneness

Special effects: For a pitcher who did throw Straight Overhand and who has a curve ball, it loses its 12-to-6 functionality and becomes a regular old curve again. Effects: -10 to STF vs. opposite-handed batters, -20 MOV, -5 GB%

Backdoor Slider
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Description: Some pitchers like to drop down to sidearm with two strikes and try to fling one by the man at the plate. This is a trick that has been employed to great use by players such as Joaquin Andujar and to not-so-great use by pitchers such as Jeff Weaver. Even though it involves a breaking pitch and an unorthodox delivery, it's used rarely enough that it shouldn't have too big of an effect on the pitcher's arm.
Player Skill: Intelligence
Limitations: Not available to pitchers who already throw sidearm.

Bust: -30 STF like-handed batters, -10 to opposite-handed ones, +30 Arm Proneness
Failure: -20 STF to opposite-handed batters, +20 Arm Proneness
Ignore: +10 STF to like-handed batters, -5 STF to opposite-handed ones.
Good: +20 STF to like-handed batters, -10 STF to opposite-handed ones.
Excels: +30 STF to like-handed batters
GREAT: +30 STF to like-handed batters, +10 STF to opposite-handed ones, -10 Arm Proneness

Is That A Pickoff Or Is That A Balk?
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Description: Throughout the course of baseball history, pitchers have experimented with moves to first base that have bordered on the balky. This spell attempts to improve a pitcher's ability to hold runners but it can also increase balk calls. The good news is that it's just about the only pitching spell that doesn't have a chance of hurting a guy's arm.
Player Skill: Intelligence
Limitations: None.

Bust: -30 Hold Runner, +10 Balks
Failure: -10 Hold Runner, +7 Balks
Ignore: +10 Hold Runner, +5 Balks
Good: +20 Hold Runner, +3 Balks
Excels: +40 Hold Runner, +1 Balk
GREAT: +60 Hold Runner, -3 Balk