Teach pitchers a new pitch?

[tejdog1]

There should be a way to have a pitcher learn a new pitch. Maybe you could select it from a drop down menu and have him throw it a certain percentage per game?

[kehowey]

Originally Posted by tejdog1

There should be a way to have a pitcher learn a new pitch. Maybe you could select it from a drop down menu and have him throw it a certain percentage per game?

I agree.

[pastrami.mike]

Love that idea. Perhaps their ability to learn the new pitch could be related to similarity to other pitches (e.g., curveball is easier for someone who can throw a good slider), pitcher work ethic, and pitching coach's ability, or some other combination of variables.

[griffeyin98]

we do it as a "Reward" in the MTBL. Adds a lot of fun to whether or not a guy learns the pitch well enough to be productive with it or not in the offseason

[DustinthePOWERHOUSE]

This is something that I brought up (or maybe Brandon did) in P2W because I acquired a player who only has two pitches, but has the skill set to have more. He has plus stamina (7) and he has great control, great movement and great velocity. And yet, I feel shortchanged because he's considered a SP at lower levels, but I'm aware (quite obviously) that he won't be one in the majors because he only has two very good pitches.

I think this specific scenario is a perfect example. Maybe I have to pay the pitching coach an extra grand or whatever to teach him the pitch? And then he has to build it up (it shouldn't/wouldn't be easy to do)? Or maybe he could be suggested a new pitch to learn and then he throws it a certain percentage of times per game (like the OP said)

Obviously the logistics would have to be worked out, but I think it would be crucial towards the game. How many young players, or other players learn new pitches in order to get a new edge? Or sharpen their pitches in the middle of the season? I'm sure it happens, it must. Maybe not overly frequently (you could make it really expensive, or put a limit on it) but if the pitcher is young enough, has certain attributes and you can afford it I think it could really help the game.

I love this idea and would really like to see it implemented. You can do it as a reward thing in online leagues, but it's not the same because I can imagine the arguments...I would love to see it as a game feature and think it would really be a magnficient one.

[soadeathdealer]

i think it should be an option in game as a drop down menu and i think only in spring training and the u should have the ablity to set the number of times it is thrown in the game and ull see the pitcher progress with that pitch or fail it shouldn't be an automatic gain it should have factors like intelligence and work ethic and other things determining weather the pitcher actually learns the new pitch or not and the rating for it its defiantly something that needs to be looked at all the way though and properly added so its realistically done

[phenom]

I have an 8-7-7 potentials pitcher (2-8 scale) with 7 stamina who has an 8 curveball and a 7 sinker. Would love to get him another pitch.

[Erik]

Originally Posted by phenom

I have an 8-7-7 potentials pitcher (2-8 scale) with 7 stamina who has an 8 curveball and a 7 sinker. Would love to get him another pitch.

I would think everyone should have a fastball...even if its poor.

[phenom]

Best part - his velocity is rated at 94-96mph. That's quite a curveball.

[rutri01]

I'd love for each coach to be rated on teaching a certain pitch or pitches. Maybe the higher there teaching abililty and have ratings for certain pitches. Also maybe the players intelligence and work ethic play a factor. So if you got a really good pitching coach but the player isn't smart with a poor work ethic its harder to learn a new pitch.

[sevopie]

I'm a veteran of the Football Manager series which has many parallels between this game (from SI's short involvement,) and I'd love to see something like the mentor system in FM added. Have veteran players (3-5+ years of service) given an option to take a younger player under their tutelage. Given the right combinations, perhaps a veteran pitcher could teach a young reliever a new pitch (with the potential to eventually throw it as good as the mentor.) Or perhaps a batter with a good eye could help improve a rookie's eye as well, or a great fielder improving fielding ratings (I'd *love* a way to improve these!)

I also agree with rutri, however, and I think work ethic, intelligence, and leadership should especially play into these, but all of the personality ratings could factor. You could also expand this further by having a player relationship system (favorite players, disliked players, etc.) but this may be taking too much from what FM does.

[RchW]

Originally Posted by Erik

I would think everyone should have a fastball...even if its poor.

A sinker is a fastball.....that sinks.

[RchW]

Originally Posted by sevopie

I'm a veteran of the Football Manager series which has many parallels between this game (from SI's short involvement,) and I'd love to see something like the mentor system in FM added. Have veteran players (3-5+ years of service) given an option to take a younger player under their tutelage. Given the right combinations, perhaps a veteran pitcher could teach a young reliever a new pitch (with the potential to eventually throw it as good as the mentor.) Or perhaps a batter with a good eye could help improve a rookie's eye as well, or a great fielder improving fielding ratings (I'd *love* a way to improve these!)

I also agree with rutri, however, and I think work ethic, intelligence, and leadership should especially play into these, but all of the personality ratings could factor. You could also expand this further by having a player relationship system (favorite players, disliked players, etc.) but this may be taking too much from what FM does.

I think Baseball is quite different especially because of the relatively slow progress to the top tier versus other sports and most especially football where a 17-18 year old may be on the big team bench and playing reserve games. A mentor is probably required in that scenario to help the progress that in Baseball, happens in the minors.

It seems to me that the likeliest teacher of new pitches or more importantly variations on existing pitches comes from minor league pitching coaches, bullpen coaches and roving pitching coaches that spend time with kids at various levels during their progress up the ladder.

I heard an interview with Sal Fasano (Manager AA New Hampshire) last week. He said that he catches some of the pitchers during side sessions to get a feel for the stuff they throw. He specifically mentioned stuff like arm angle as something he looks at.

By the time a young pitcher reaches MLB a mentor may be a little late. I don't see what sort of mentor would really be available in the minor leagues vs a former major league pitcher or catcher who may be a coach or manager.

[Jeffy25]

Originally Posted by griffeyin98

we do it as a "Reward" in the MTBL. Adds a lot of fun to whether or not a guy learns the pitch well enough to be productive with it or not in the offseason

May I ask how you implement that?


I agree, this would be a great thing.

[Jeffy25]

Originally Posted by DustinthePOWERHOUSE

This is something that I brought up (or maybe Brandon did) in P2W because I acquired a player who only has two pitches, but has the skill set to have more. He has plus stamina (7) and he has great control, great movement and great velocity. And yet, I feel shortchanged because he's considered a SP at lower levels, but I'm aware (quite obviously) that he won't be one in the majors because he only has two very good pitches.

I think this specific scenario is a perfect example. Maybe I have to pay the pitching coach an extra grand or whatever to teach him the pitch? And then he has to build it up (it shouldn't/wouldn't be easy to do)? Or maybe he could be suggested a new pitch to learn and then he throws it a certain percentage of times per game (like the OP said)

Obviously the logistics would have to be worked out, but I think it would be crucial towards the game. How many young players, or other players learn new pitches in order to get a new edge? Or sharpen their pitches in the middle of the season? I'm sure it happens, it must. Maybe not overly frequently (you could make it really expensive, or put a limit on it) but if the pitcher is young enough, has certain attributes and you can afford it I think it could really help the game.

I love this idea and would really like to see it implemented. You can do it as a reward thing in online leagues, but it's not the same because I can imagine the arguments...I would love to see it as a game feature and think it would really be a magnficient one.

Perfect example in real life is Brandon Morrow adding a cutter in August this past season and finally getting ground balls for the first time in his career lol.

[Jeffy25]

I'd like to add. In Mogul, players learn pitches from veteran starters in spring training. I'm not sure how it is implemented, but it is in the game.

I would think the teams pitching coach should have some affect. Maybe he is good at teaching sinkers for example, and can help slowly train some players but not all and it's a random thing for some players and the GM has no say? Maybe you have a drop down and can only teach so many pitchers a season and their work ethic and intelligence affects it?

would love to ese it in the game.

[Germaniac]

I like the idea, too.

Maybe there could be an option where you can select a handful of pitchers in your organization to learn a new pitch, and then things like work ethic, intelligence, age, etc. come into play to as how good he learns a pitch.

Also, when a pitcher wants to add a certain pitch, how much will he be able to increase his rating ? And where is the end of it ? No pitcher should be able to go from no curveball to a 10 rating.

And how often will he be able to work on that pitch - there should be a limit, maybe two or three years in Spring Training, also depending on work ethic, intelligence, age, etc.

Interesting feature, no doubt, but definitely not easy to find the "right" way

[Spindel]

It would also be neat to have the other pitchers on your team be able to effect this. For instance, if you have a guy with a 10 slider, maybe your pitcher has an increased chance of learning the pitch.

[GlennCraven]

I have been playing OOTP 13 for about a month and was surprised to learn (from searching the in-game options and reading this thread) that there isn't any way to try and teach a hurler new pitches. Especially since you CAN teach a fielder to play a new position (by forcing him to play there at least). And especially because my scout keeps telling me that certain pitchers would be better IF THEY ADDED ANOTHER PITCH to their arsenal.

OK, then let me tell my minor league pitching coaches to add another pitch to this kid's arsenal. Right?

Also, I'd like to have an option for TAKING AWAY a pitch from certain guys. I traded away a relief pitcher who had something like a 4 change-up (1-20 scale). He should NEVER throw a pitch that bad. He'd be better off being just a fastball-slider pitcher, especially since those two pitches of his are really good and he only works an inning or two per outing anyway.