Baseball Is So Frustrating!

[Wrathchild]

I'm in the 5th season of my association, and I really thought that this was going to be the year! I thought we were going to the World Series this year but I'm starting to have my doubts now. It's not over yet, but my team has completely fallen apart, even after being games ahead for much of the season. With 45 games left we are now 8 games out of first place, with a 1-9 last 10 record and a 7 game losing streak. We just lost a 4 game series to a pathetic team. We can get a lead usually but we can't hold it any more. My hot shot pitchers that were doing awesome earlier in the season now have as many losses as they have wins. My sluggers are not doing crap and I just don't get it. I wish I understood the inner workings of the software a little more, so at least I would have some consolation that it's not out to get me.

[Bustoff]

Wrathchild, the software IS out to get you. [X(] Like the real game, PS has some sort of built-in "unpredictability factor" that will sometimes turn your champs into chumps in less time than it takes to go get another ice-cold beer. I don't understand it, just like when it happens in the real game. You need to keep in mind that it works both ways--I have sometimes fielded teams peopled with losers, has-beens and never-will-bes and watched them somehow scrape, scratch and claw their way into a totally thrilling pennant race, maybe even capture the flag, and then go back to being their old worthless selves next season. Go figure.

My advice--courtesy of Hunter Thompson--is, "buy the ticket, take the ride." After all, it's only a game...isn't it? Isn't it? [;)]

[Wrathchild]

I hear ya, I hear ya. It's hard to remain calm, though, when you watch your best players give up run after run after run. Can't these guys just get a freakin' out once in a while??? [:D]

[GNDN]

It could be worse, your team could have a 7 game lead with 17 to go and manage to win one down the stretch.
 
Sigh.
 
At least they made history....
 
 
 
 

[KG Erwin]

After all of our well-laid plans, perfect lineups, best pitchers, just as in real baseball (and in real life), along comes "the Supreme Being dice roll", and He/She/It makes a mockery of our hopes & dreams.

On the flip side, this same Being can deliver a perfect moment ("it's the bottom of the ninth, two out. On a two-strike count, Hobbs swings...it's going, way way back...unbelievable power!").

Sure, I'm an incurable romantic, but Roy spoke for most of us when he simply said, "God, I love baseball".

[Wrathchild]

I'm wondering if there's some kind of algorithm built into the game that determines that if you have a really good or bad day, then there is an x% that the next day will also be good/bad. If the trend continued into the second day there is now an x+y% that the trend will continue into the 3rd day, and so on, until the trend fails. Here am I again, trying to find a logical explanation when it just might be the flukes of a random number generator. I would surely love to know, though, how all of the stats work in this game. What determines what actually happens when that pitcher faces that batter? It might take some of the romance out of the game, but I'm one of those IT types that want to see the inner workings of the machine.

[Bustoff]

ORIGINAL: Wrathchild
I'm one of those IT types that want to see the inner workings of the machine.

Wrath, I can certainly see your point (I'm a 2nd line support technician myself). On the other hand...I really like cheeseburgers, but I have no desire to see how the beef that goes into them is processed--I think it would spoil my appetite. [8|]

[Wrathchild]

Yeah, I'm going to let it go at this point. I'm just going to convince myself that that's the way things be, and that the software is not purposefully punishing me for doing well! [:D] Funny how no one gets frustrated when their ubercrappy team starts winning games.... [;)]