Manager's Bone-headed Substitutions

[PaganSkipper]

My manager keeps making bone-headed substitutions. For instance, he pinch hit a backup SS for my starting catcher, this made sense and worked since the SS hit a 2 run homer. But then he left the backup catcher in the game to play third and brought in an outfielder to catch. If he wanted to replace the 3rd baseman for some reason, the SS could have done that and the catcher could have caught.

During a game late last season he started my CF in left and my LF in center (he is purely a Left fielder), he later put a rookie first baseman in left, my backup catcher at 3rd, and an outfielder at short. So half of my fielders were out of position. Not surprisingly, we lost the game on 4 unearned runs in the 13th inning.

Is this a problem with the game AI, or is it just my manager? If I fire the overpaid hack and hire another overpaid hack will I continue to get these ridiculous substitutions?

Would changing the manager's settings have any effect? For instance to favor defense over offense?

[Valhoun]

Originally Posted by PaganSkipper

My manager keeps making bone-headed substitutions. For instance, he pinch hit a backup SS for my starting catcher, this made sense and worked since the SS hit a 2 run homer. But then he left the backup catcher in the game to play third and brought in an outfielder to catch. If he wanted to replace the 3rd baseman for some reason, the SS could have done that and the catcher could have caught.

During a game late last season he started my CF in left and my LF in center (he is purely a Left fielder), he later put a rookie first baseman in left, my backup catcher at 3rd, and an outfielder at short. So half of my fielders were out of position. Not surprisingly, we lost the game on 4 unearned runs in the 13th inning.

Is this a problem with the game AI, or is it just my manager? If I fire the overpaid hack and hire another overpaid hack will I continue to get these ridiculous substitutions?

Would changing the manager's settings have any effect? For instance to favor defense over offense?

Do you have all of your defensive replacements set up correctly in the depth chart? Otherwise, I'm not sure what could be the issue outside of an AI glitch.

[SteveP]

As far as in-game play is concerned, the only effect that the manager has is on where the team strategies sliders are set. Changing managers won't change anything about how substitutions are made.

Originally Posted by PaganSkipper

For instance, he pinch hit a backup SS for my starting catcher, this made sense and worked since the SS hit a 2 run homer. But then he left the backup catcher in the game to play third and brought in an outfielder to catch. If he wanted to replace the 3rd baseman for some reason, the SS could have done that and the catcher could have caught.

Not quite enough info here (believe it or not ), so I'll just make a couple of observations that might be helpful. Using default settings, the AI will PH for position players too often -- more than happens IRL. It's better now in OOTP10, but still a problem. The only solution is to set league strategy for this to "Very Rarely" and in some cases, making adjustments to the related team strategy slider. If things are set correctly, the frequency of multiple PHing for position players in a single inning happen very rarely, especially in a 2009 league, for example.

One consequence is that when there is multiple PHing going on, the AI can get "confused" about the best substitutions when you team takes the field again. There is even a bug than can come into play in that situation.

Don't know if this applies to what happened, but it may be useful info.

During a game late last season he started my CF in left and my LF in center (he is purely a Left fielder)

Again, not quite enough info. Were you having the AI set lineups? If not, what would have triggered the AI to do anything at all to change a starting lineup?

[PaganSkipper]

Thanks for the responses. I set the batting order, rotation and depth charts. I try to always have at least one backup set for each position and a defensive replacement when the starter is weak defensively.

I do wonder if there might be some confusion when two starters need a rest and they have the same player set as their backup.

Under the manager's Strategy Preferences, if never=0 and frequently=10, his setting for Pinch-Hit for Position Players is about a 3. Under Game Setup, Pinch-Hit for Position Players is set to Rarely. As for the team's Overall Strategy, the slider was set at 5 on the 0-10 scale. I've adjusted it down to a 3. Maybe that will eliminate any multiple Pinch-Hitter confusion.

[SteveP]

Originally Posted by PaganSkipper

I do wonder if there might be some confusion when two starters need a rest and they have the same player set as their backup.

Interesting question, because I don't know for sure. My guess is that the one with the lowest rest condition would get replaced, and then the other would get replaced the next game. So probably not an explanation.

[Spritze]

Originally Posted by PaganSkipper

My manager keeps making bone-headed substitutions. For instance, he pinch hit a backup SS for my starting catcher, this made sense and worked since the SS hit a 2 run homer. But then he left the backup catcher in the game to play third and brought in an outfielder to catch. If he wanted to replace the 3rd baseman for some reason, the SS could have done that and the catcher could have caught.

During a game late last season he started my CF in left and my LF in center (he is purely a Left fielder), he later put a rookie first baseman in left, my backup catcher at 3rd, and an outfielder at short. So half of my fielders were out of position. Not surprisingly, we lost the game on 4 unearned runs in the 13th inning.

Is this a problem with the game AI, or is it just my manager? If I fire the overpaid hack and hire another overpaid hack will I continue to get these ridiculous substitutions?

Would changing the manager's settings have any effect? For instance to favor defense over offense?

It has been noted that for some reason the AI's decisions are patterned after Ned Yost's. Or Maury Wills. One of those kinda guys or maybe both, but not neither.

[TribeFanInNC]

Originally Posted by Spritze

It has been noted that for some reason the AI's decisions are patterned after Ned Yost's. Or Maury Wills. One of those kinda guys or maybe both, but not neither.

I think it might be a disease. I call it Eric Wedge-itis. It is the need to play everybody at every position regardless of their physical abilities.

I had it for about 7 years, but it cleared up about 3 months ago for me. I hope it doesn't Acta up again this year.

[bwburke94]

I saw Brandon Inge playing CF against me in a game today... he's a 3B in the game with no CF rating.

[numbuh48]

We need better AI... and mass select.

[bwburke94]

Those are both on the wishlist.