inappropriate position assignments

[zuty]

I started with the default 2009 MLB settings, took over the Kansas City Royals, and quickly stripped it of all bogus, big contracts and focused on acquiring as many prospects as I could.

Three years later, I have a serious contender. I've done a ton of trading and whatnot, and sometimes (from Team:Transactions), I use "Ask AI to set up complete organization, lineups, etc."

My AI is making a horrible choice. I have three guys on my active roster who can play second base:

- Jed Lowrie (2b-13; 3b-11; ss-9)
- Chris Valaika (ss-10; 3b-3; 2b-2)
- Andrew Lambo (1b-15; lf-11; rf-10; 2b-1)

Why is my AI then choosing to use Eric Hosmer (1b-10 AND NOTHING ELSE) as my starting second baseman, moving Jed Lowrie to shortstop, and leaving Chris Valaika (and Elvis Andrus, another shortstop) on the bench?

Eric Hosmer, by the way, has never appeared in an MLB game, so he has no history of fielding anything at all, but his ratings show a 10 at 1b. Upon entering the edit mode, I see that he has nothing but zeroes at every position except first base.

What terrible things does my AI think about Jed Lowrie (or worse, about either of my shortstops, both of whom have four stars [not that that's the best indication of anything]) that it would force a rookie first baseman in at the wrong position instead of players who actually know what they're doing?

Oh yeah -- I left out another weird fold to all of this. All of this happened as a result of the same awkward lineups when I had 4-star Dustin Pedroia on my team. The AI had put him in the minors (AAA).

Now I know the game doesn't recognize the fact that he was the AL MVP (in real life 2008), but what's going on here? 4-star 2B goes to the minors. 4-star 2B (Lowrie) is moved to shortstop. two 4-star shortstops sit on the bench so a 3-star first baseman can start at second?

Someone, explain...

[zuty]

ARGH! Bizarre follow-up!

Eric Hosmer just got injured. I put him on the 15-day disabled list. I asked the AI to set up my organization again...

And it took my BACKUP first-baseman (Beau Mills), and now HE starts at second base. Left the Lowrie/Andrus/Valaika logjam at short. Put a scrub (2-star) backup in at second base. WHAT?!

This is majorly screwed up!

[Wrigleyviller]

Yeah, I was playing against the 2009 Marlins when I noticed that they were playing Wes Helms at second base (he has no rating there, but is a third baseman) and one of their second basemen at third base, where he had a lower defensive rating.

[wrestlerjrh]

I have been playing as the nationals with a simailar tear it down and build it up strategy (what little there was to tear down even, lol) and have a good team, but have similar issues with the AI set up, I usually use it and then re-adjust manually based off of what it gives me, though my issues have been more with pitching staff, a 30 year old closer with average ratings (55ish on the 20-80) is the closer over a young guy with a rating that is 10 or so points higher and room to grow even further

[knockahoma]

When you look around the league, does the AI commit such grievious errors with computer controlled teams?

[RchW]

Originally Posted by knockahoma

When you look around the league, does the AI commit such grievious errors with computer controlled teams?

In my experience yes. The AI will sign a free agent 1B for example and if he has a rating at SS play him there. There is no accounting for the defensive spectrum. A possible solution would be something like a "primary position" tag that would separate OF from middle infield and from 1B and C. Those who play 3B may fit in several groups.

I'm not saying that middle IF can't play 1B or OF, or vice versa. I'm saying they shouldn't, unless there is no one left on the bench. The AI should be robust enough to parse this.

I can't speak for real roster sets (apologies if this is OT to the OP) but the senseless use of wrong position players affects player development on AI teams and reduces the challenge for the human player. A SS prospect who may develop into a good player can be blocked by a good hitting but aging star playing out of position. The inevitable decline probably explains why many AI teams never seem to get better.

[Nutlaw]

Three questions:

Which exact version of the game are you using?

Do you have scouting enabled? The AI that decides your lineup will not reference scouted ratings and will peek at true ratings.

What are the component defensive ratings of the players being used out of position? Will they gain a rating at that position with some experience?

[RchW]

Originally Posted by Nutlaw

Three questions:

Do you have scouting enabled? The AI that decides your lineup will not reference scouted ratings and will peek at true ratings.

Hmm... not disputing the truth of this statement but if true it makes playing the game with scouts on useless. Why use scouts if they get bypassed by the AI on your own team.

It also opens up an exploit in online leagues (one I was obviously too dumb to see) where you would ask the AI for the lineups/rotation and that would confirm who is not properly rated by your scout. If true why play that way?

Did I miss the point?

[zuty]

Original poster here...

I am using OOTP X. Latest version. Default everything. Started a league from the home screen to pick up MLB at the start of the 2009 season. Windows XP. Dell computer. I am a Gemini. I live in New York.

Anyway.

I have scouts turned on, but that doesn't seem to have anything to do with anything. I went into Commissioner mode, and looked at the players playing out of position. They had ZERO experience at the positions they were being put in. So ZERO ratings on the player profile, ZEROs in the column about positional experience. Yes, my first baseman (who was inexplicably put at second base) had ratings for "infield arm" and such -- but he needs those to play first base.

Due to a number of other problems with my team, I'm going to assume one of three things:

a) the default settings for playing the 2009 MLB season out of the box are screwed up. (not likely)
b) I should never have tried to make the Kansas City Royals into anything. (possible, but unlikely that the game would have the same bleak opinions about Kansas City as I do)
c) my league is corrupt.

What are the other problems? Well, the most recent one, which led to me abandoning the league was this: Going into a new season (after pre-season, after spring training), I asked the AI to set up the whole organization. They chose to give me a pitching staff of 8 SP, 2 MR and 1 CL. The problem? My default starting rotation was SP-SP-SP-MR-CL. One of the other starters was slotted into the "set-up" position, and another into the "closer" position (on the Pitching Staff screen).

This is ridiculous. The CL (stamina 5) was chosen as the fifth starter over highly competent starters (with 12+ ratings at Stuff, Control, Movement AND stamina [all on a 1-20 scale]).

This is rather disappointing... I never had these sorts of pitching malfunctions in OOTP 9. With all the talk that the pitching AI was better in OOTP X, I am really quite disappointed.

I'll keep trying to make new leagues to see if I can either avoid or replicate these problems...

[Left-handed Badger]

Originally Posted by wrestlerjrh

I have been playing as the nationals with a simailar tear it down and build it up strategy (what little there was to tear down even, lol) and have a good team, but have similar issues with the AI set up, I usually use it and then re-adjust manually based off of what it gives me, though my issues have been more with pitching staff, a 30 year old closer with average ratings (55ish on the 20-80) is the closer over a young guy with a rating that is 10 or so points higher and room to grow even further

Though, that situation with your closer, that does happen sometimes in real life, to "ease" a youngster in. THough I do understand your frustration.

[Left-handed Badger]

Originally Posted by RchW

In my experience yes. The AI will sign a free agent 1B for example and if he has a rating at SS play him there. There is no accounting for the defensive spectrum. A possible solution would be something like a "primary position" tag that would separate OF from middle infield and from 1B and C. Those who play 3B may fit in several groups.

I'm not saying that middle IF can't play 1B or OF, or vice versa. I'm saying they shouldn't, unless there is no one left on the bench. The AI should be robust enough to parse this.

I can't speak for real roster sets (apologies if this is OT to the OP) but the senseless use of wrong position players affects player development on AI teams and reduces the challenge for the human player. A SS prospect who may develop into a good player can be blocked by a good hitting but aging star playing out of position. The inevitable decline probably explains why many AI teams never seem to get better.

Well, I should say MIF shouldnt be used in OF except for emergency except for some Honus Wagner, TOny Phillips type guy who actually can play quality-like at 5-6 positions.