Baseball Question

[Arctic Blast]

On Base Percentage is a good basic stat to pay attention to. Quite simply, how often a guy gets on base, either from getting hits, or from being walked. Walks aren't all about the pitcher...a hitter with a really good eye can hold off on swinging at marginal pitches and get on base more frequently.

[JudgeDredd]

Yeah - I've seen some batters in the games I've been watching holding out on marginals and getting the walk.

[Jeffrey H.]

ORIGINAL: Arctic Blast

On Base Percentage is a good basic stat to pay attention to. Quite simply, how often a guy gets on base, either from getting hits, or from being walked. Walks aren't all about the pitcher...a hitter with a really good eye can hold off on swinging at marginal pitches and get on base more frequently.

OBP is a good metric but only as long as you filter out fielders choice hits.

[LarryP]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

When I was playing my baseball game (I just bought OOTP11), I was always looking for RBIs and HRs...but I know now that Hits are very important too.

JD; I have OOTP11 as well and it seems to be the best of the series. I have had every version since 2004 or 2005? I like the interface much better in this latest one.

I never cared much for baseball, then I married my wife and she is an avid fan. I ask her all of my questions and she has never let me down, yet. Not for baseball questions at least. Uh oh, here comes the bat!

[JudgeDredd]

Well I used to struggle with the interface and the game rules...now it's just the game rules.

I do wish they would include a tooltip popup for n00bs for all the abbreviations. I had played the first few games of my season last night and sat there looking at the screen trying to remember what ERA was. I ended up going to wiki...but going in and out between the game and wiki or between the game and the manual is a bit tiresome.

[LarryP]

I had (still do with some) trouble with the abbreviations too. Much trouble. A tooltip popup for them would be excellent. On some of those profile pages there are a ton of them. Like where you bring up a players history I believe. That's where Karen has helped me with most, but she doesn't know all of them. It feels funny asking a woman for help with baseball terms. As long as she doesn't ask me for help with makeup advice. [:D]

Knowing how you get bored with games like me, I bet all the bells and whistles of so many things to tweak, has kept your interest in OOTP11. That's what keeps me going are so many things to play with. I'm amazed they fit so much into the game! Then the side benefit is that it all works. [;)]

One really good thing about the game is that it does NOT simulate the spitting. I keep a clean desk and there's no room for that. [8D]

ERA = Earned run average
DKS = Don't know squat
PGF = Player got fired
PGR = Player got runs [X(]
STO = Spitting tobacco overload
PPG = Player prefers gum

[JudgeDredd]

Just one of the things I'm really struggling with at the moment...7-17! Had several (I mean about 6) injuries. My roster is down to 18/25 and I can see how to put people on the disabled list - but not sure how to take them off.

I'm really just clicking stuff and not having much of a clue about what I'm doing...which kind of makes it infuriating...there is the manual of course [;)]

[Arctic Blast]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

Just one of the things I'm really struggling with at the moment...7-17! Had several (I mean about 6) injuries. My roster is down to 18/25 and I can see how to put people on the disabled list - but not sure how to take them off.

I'm really just clicking stuff and not having much of a clue about what I'm doing...which kind of makes it infuriating...there is the manual of course [;)]

The way the disabled list works in baseball may be part of your problem here. If you put a player on the DL, there are two versions...15 Day and 60 Day. That player HAS to remain on the DL for at least that amount of time.

So if you put your 2nd Baseman on the 15 Day DL, and he's healthy after a week, he still can't come off the DL for another 8 days.

[LarryP]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

Just one of the things I'm really struggling with at the moment...7-17! Had several (I mean about 6) injuries. My roster is down to 18/25 and I can see how to put people on the disabled list - but not sure how to take them off.

I'm really just clicking stuff and not having much of a clue about what I'm doing...which kind of makes it infuriating...there is the manual of course [;)]

Go into the settings and change injury frequency to the lowest setting. Until you get to know the game well, injuries are a total pain.

Also in the settings you can decide how long the disabled list is active for certain injuries. I'm paraphrasing here as I would have to go into the game and quote exactly what is what otherwise.

You can also change your active roster size as well as your secondary roster size, which if you make it like 30 instead of 25 (active) then it helps until you get the hang of this game. You can even boost it way up farther if you want. Then pack some guys into it and you don't have to fool around with bringing the AAA guys up and sending the pros down as much if at all.

Also if you play in Commissioner mode then you can change anything you want. It may not be accurate, but it's a game. Some people play for accuracy, then there's the others like me. [:D]

[JudgeDredd]

Thx Larry - I may well do that...but I wanted to play "the proper way" - so I could learn the rules etc.

One question that came up tonight when I was watching Red Sox Yankees game...sometimes when the batter hits the ball and it goes foul, it's called a strike. Other times, it's ignored. I especially see this when the batter has two strikes. Is there some rule that says if the pitch was good but the ball was foul, it's a strike UNLESS the batter is on 2 strikes, in which case he can foul all he wants without taking a final strike and therefore an out? In other words, are you prevented from being struck out by a foul ball?

[LarryP]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

One question that came up tonight when I was watching Red Sox Yankees game...sometimes when the batter hits the ball and it goes foul, it's called a strike. Other times, it's ignored. I especially see this when the batter has two strikes. Is there some rule that says if the pitch was good but the ball was foul, it's a strike UNLESS the batter is on 2 strikes, in which case he can foul all he wants without taking a final strike and therefore an out? In other words, are you prevented from being struck out by a foul ball?

There's an ongoing rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees. Same as the Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants. Sometimes it gets heated up, especially when batters get hit with a pitch. [X(]

That's a great question. The first foul is a strike, as well as the second foul which would be strike number two. Then the third foul and from then on is still the second strike. You cannot strike out with fouls, but if any foul is caught, then he's out.

Don't expect me to watch what you guys call football over there. I don't like soccer at all. [:D]

[JudgeDredd]

Thanks Larry...thought as much, but wasn't sure. I did see a few that almost made a hit on the batter. It caused some boos from the crowd. Does the batter get an automatic walk if he's hit? Is there any penalty to the pitching side if the batter is hit?

I don't watch football much either. Too many dramatics. I watch rugby with 200 pound men physically hard tackling 300 pound men and vice versa and they get up, take their position within seconds of the hit and carry on. Footballers - it's in their nature, and sadly inherent in the game, to go down and roll around as soon as your touched.

I watch the Internationals and some key games...Champions League, FA Cup...but don't watch it as a rule.

[htuna]

The Walk is the Punishment Judge... Sometimes it'll tick the batter off if he thinks the pitcher threw it close intentionally, and he'll rush the mound.. that's when fight's usually break out..

[ckammp]

When a batter is hit by a pitch, he is automatically sent to first base.
If the umpire determines the pitcher intentionally hit the batter, the pitcher will recieve a warning. If the pitcher hits another batter (or the same batter) in the same game, the pitcher will be ejected.

[LarryP]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

Footballers - it's in their nature, and sadly inherent in the game, to go down and roll around as soon as your touched.

Yeah, that's what I thought, but plenty of fans love the game to kill for it. The last time we watched soccer, the dramatics were in overdrive. [X(]

[JudgeDredd]

To be fair to the English national side (and I hate to do this, being a jock and all), they aren't too bad. When they go down, it's generally a hard tackle...though there was rumour once that Michael Owen was going to be issued with a Deep Sea Divers suit for his strip.

Seriously though, if anyone does end up watching the games, watch England and when and how they go down. Generally speaking it's fair play. Then watch the Germans and the Italians...no offence meant to any German or Italian people...but your players go down easier than the pound against the dollar...and they roll around like they've been murdered! [:D]

[Brigz]

I don't follow Baseball very much anymore but after reading this thread it's got me interested again. I even watched the Giants / Diamondbacks game last night. Great game but too bad the Giants lost.

It's a lot of fun watching JD learn this great game. It'd be a lot more fun to sit and watch a game with you Judge and explain things as they happen. Glad you've found interest. Baseball is a very interesting game.

A bit of baseball trivia:
Fidel Castro played baseball before he became a revolutionary and even tried out for the Yankees but was turned down. (Maybe that's why he became a revolutionary?) Makes you wonder how history would have changed if he had been picked up and became a Major league player.