We Don't Need No Stinkin' Pitchers

GEP · 04-15-2008, 06:25 PM

At least if "we" is an AI general manager in my league. They typical AL roster is 5 starters and 4 relievers. In the NL, they acknowledge the need for pinch hitting by bumping this up to 5 starters and 4 relievers. On the other hand, minor league teams seem to be only carrying 8 pitchers -- usually 4 starters and 4 relievers, occasionally 5 starters and 3 relievers.

The pitchers they do have are getting used. I'll frequently go into a game against a team where all the relief pitchers start with their rest rating in the yellow or red -- and then beat up on them in the late innings when my well-rested 6 man bullpen goes up against their tired or exhausted relievers. There are relievers out there -- on my first day as a major league manager, I signed 16 relief pitchers to minor league contracts to bump up all my bullpens to 6 men. And I had no problem signing additions to my major league pen. The computer just isn't signing the guys who are available. I'd really like to convince the AI to carry 11 or 12 pitchers, not 9 or 10.

I have pitcher endurance set at Normal, 5-man rotation, use of closers Very Often and use of relievers Normal for all the affected leagues.

Is one of these settings wrong? I've thought about bumping up use of relievers to Normal, but I'm afraid that might just make them burn out their already diminished bullpens even faster.

SittingDuck · 04-15-2008, 10:47 PM

Not sure if it's the right forum, but I agree with the issue.

Don't understand the low number of pitchers on staffs. Seems silly to me. I find the IP/G by starters to be ridiculous if I set the endurance to anything over LOW.

But anyhow, I really think there should be some way to influence the general concept of the AI regarding pitching staff sizes.

GEP · 04-19-2008, 10:13 AM

I don't know that it's endurance per se. I played my first two seasons in a Mexican AA league with 30-man rosters, and never noticed anything unusual in the pitching usage patterns (although I did still carry more relievers than the computer teams).

Likewise, in my leagues with 25-man rosters, pitcher usage seems reasonable at the beginning of the season or after the All Star break. It's only when the computer's ridiculously small bullpens get worn down that you start to see starters throwing 120+ pitches. It seems more like the AI is leaving starters hanging because there aren't any relievers to go to, rather than that the AI naturally wants to leave starters in that long.

For my part, I usually let my starters throw around 100 pitches (which I can do, because I have enough relievers on my roster...) and and I see fatigue recovery on my guys about like I expect. So I'd be leery of bumping down endurance, becuase I don't want to screw up my own staff.

04-15-2008, 06:25 PM	#1 (permalink)
GEP Minors (Double A) Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 132 Thanks: 0 Thanked 16x in 13 posts	We Don't Need No Stinkin' Pitchers At least if "we" is an AI general manager in my league. They typical AL roster is 5 starters and 4 relievers. In the NL, they acknowledge the need for pinch hitting by bumping this up to 5 starters and 4 relievers. On the other hand, minor league teams seem to be only carrying 8 pitchers -- usually 4 starters and 4 relievers, occasionally 5 starters and 3 relievers. The pitchers they do have are getting used. I'll frequently go into a game against a team where all the relief pitchers start with their rest rating in the yellow or red -- and then beat up on them in the late innings when my well-rested 6 man bullpen goes up against their tired or exhausted relievers. There are relievers out there -- on my first day as a major league manager, I signed 16 relief pitchers to minor league contracts to bump up all my bullpens to 6 men. And I had no problem signing additions to my major league pen. The computer just isn't signing the guys who are available. I'd really like to convince the AI to carry 11 or 12 pitchers, not 9 or 10. I have pitcher endurance set at Normal, 5-man rotation, use of closers Very Often and use of relievers Normal for all the affected leagues. Is one of these settings wrong? I've thought about bumping up use of relievers to Normal, but I'm afraid that might just make them burn out their already diminished bullpens even faster.

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04-15-2008, 10:47 PM	#2 (permalink)
SittingDuck All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 1,834 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0x in 0 posts	Not sure if it's the right forum, but I agree with the issue. Don't understand the low number of pitchers on staffs. Seems silly to me. I find the IP/G by starters to be ridiculous if I set the endurance to anything over LOW. But anyhow, I really think there should be some way to influence the general concept of the AI regarding pitching staff sizes.

04-19-2008, 10:13 AM	#3 (permalink)
GEP Minors (Double A) Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 132 Thanks: 0 Thanked 16x in 13 posts	I don't know that it's endurance per se. I played my first two seasons in a Mexican AA league with 30-man rosters, and never noticed anything unusual in the pitching usage patterns (although I did still carry more relievers than the computer teams). Likewise, in my leagues with 25-man rosters, pitcher usage seems reasonable at the beginning of the season or after the All Star break. It's only when the computer's ridiculously small bullpens get worn down that you start to see starters throwing 120+ pitches. It seems more like the AI is leaving starters hanging because there aren't any relievers to go to, rather than that the AI naturally wants to leave starters in that long. For my part, I usually let my starters throw around 100 pitches (which I can do, because I have enough relievers on my roster...) and and I see fatigue recovery on my guys about like I expect. So I'd be leery of bumping down endurance, becuase I don't want to screw up my own staff.