is there any point to the pitching meter ?

[paulwilko]

Re: is there any point to the pitching meter ?

Guys you have to look at your individual pitch confidence as well as your main confidence (blue bar when you hit select). If you have a fastball that is rated great for control and you have full confidence in that pitch than you are going to spot it much better then if you have little confidence in the pitch and/or you have less control attributes for that pitch.

You sometimes do have to call off the pitcher. If your pitch confidence for your fastball is dead then stay off it. Try to get guys out with other pitches and mix up speeds and patterns. You are going to have a tough time getting outs and pitching where you want with pitches that have little confidence.

It's really all about confidence and hitting your release point. Just concentrate on mixing up speed (going into yellow/red) and hitting your release point. The only thing I think about when I pitch is hitting that release point. I seriously hit it 90% of the game unless I'm pitching with someone that's tough to hit it (fast delivery).

Keep your confidence up. When your confidence gets low you get wild. Your overall confidence and/or your indiviual pitch confidence. I do think the system is a little flawed because I can have a guy on the mound and if he gives up a couple hits and his confidence is shot it's all over for him. THere is no chance he is going to get an out. So I do think it's a little overdone but you have to play the game how it is. So stay on top of your confidence. That's really the goal when pitching besides hitting your release point and mixing up speed. As far as pitch type and location that's on auto pilot with the catcher making the calls.

Also for the OP, I'm not sure if this was mentioned I think it was but I will mention anyway. If you release your pitch slightly before the blue line (release point) you will release early and the ball will sail a little high. If you release late you will throw it low. You can get away with fastballs because they are tougher to hit anyway but be very careful when throwing offspeed stuff especially curveballs. Really concentrate on hitting your release point on those pitches.

The best response so far, but spookily, i have just learned what you have just basically said.

I went home at lunch time just now and played 5 innings (All i had time for).
I had never noticed the blue confidence lines on top of each pitch before.

This is what i did on individual pitches

• Confidence Low : Just before yellow and as near to perfect release
• Confidence average (middle): Yellow and as near to perfect release
• Confidence good: Yellow or Red and as near to perfect release

Using the above, in the 5 innings I gave up one run which was a mistake by me and my general pitching improved DRAMATICALLY !!

Hope this carries on, we shall see but would you agree with what i have just said or have i got luck with those 5 innings ?

[davewins]

Re: is there any point to the pitching meter ?

The best response so far, but spookily, i have just learned what you have just basically said.

I went home at lunch time just now and played 5 innings (All i had time for).
I had never noticed the blue confidence lines on top of each pitch before.

This is what i did on individual pitches

• Confidence Low : Just before yellow and as near to perfect release
• Confidence average (middle): Yellow and as near to perfect release
• Confidence good: Yellow or Red and as near to perfect release

Using the above, in the 5 innings I gave up one run which was a mistake by me and my general pitching improved DRAMATICALLY !!

Hope this carries on, we shall see but would you agree with what i have just said or have i got luck with those 5 innings ?

If you were struggling pretty bad before and now you have given up 1 run in 5 innings then that's no fluke. You are pitching with better strategy because you know how the system works now.

[paulwilko]

Re: is there any point to the pitching meter ?

If you were struggling pretty bad before and now you have given up 1 run in 5 innings then that's no fluke. You are pitching with better strategy because you know how the system works now.

Nice one, thx
You wait, 6 runs in the 6th coming up by them

[countryboy]

Re: is there any point to the pitching meter ?

I am not new to Baseball but indeed this is my first Baseball game so some of my questions maybe NOOBISH

What is the meter if not an aid ?
If you want more speed why would you aim for yellow and not red ?
If you want more accuracy why would you aim anywhere other than the middle of the blue section ?

I am lost if that is not what is meant to happen ?

Not being sarcastic in any of the above by the way, just very confused

the meter isn't an aid...its a way of simulating the intensity of the pitch from the pitcher and his release point.

You're right in your thinking that the "line" is for most accuarcy and red equates to more speed/power, but there is more that goes into each pitch than just those two things;Pitcher overall confidence, pitcher individual pitch confidence, & pitcher fatigue all play a part as well.

[paulwilko]

Re: is there any point to the pitching meter ?

Where does it show if the pitcher is fatigued ?

[countryboy]

Re: is there any point to the pitching meter ?

Where does it show if the pitcher is fatigued ?

when pitching...press the select button and you'll see his fatigue bar(green bar) along with his confidence(blue bar).

[paulwilko]

Re: is there any point to the pitching meter ?

Perfect thx

[countryboy]

Re: is there any point to the pitching meter ?

Perfect thx

n/p...

[swaldo]

Re: is there any point to the pitching meter ?

Also, be aware that if you have good confidence in your fastball it will drop if you stop using it. Pitchers have their favorite pitches ranked 1-5 (some will have less than pitches in their arsenal.)

So for example if you're #1 pitch is a fastball and #2 curveball it's best to work on those two pitches the majority of the game to keep the confidence high on your best pitches. In this game you can't screw around and throw any pitch you want anytime. It really sucks when you are in a tight situation and the only pitch working is your #4 - and that pitch has big movement which makes it tough to throw a strike. You do have to mix in your #3-5 pitches but be carefull because they are not your bread & butter.

Also, don't think of red and yellow on the meter in terms of speed. If you throw a curveball maxed in the red it will be slow with max movement. Think in terms of "red = max effectiveness." That same curveball in the yellow will have less movement, less effective. What is an effective fastball, yellow or red? Red of course because a faster ball is more effective.

Also, release early and the ball will go high. Release late and the ball goes toward the dirt.

[Juiceman]

Re: is there any point to the pitching meter ?

I like the pitching meter, but I actually barely use it. This game is so spot-on realistic that I just watch the pitcher's motion and press the button where I think his release in the motion should be. It's scary accurate and I've had good luck that way - and most of all I find it more fun. I do sometimes look at the yellow and red side of the meter if I need to back off due to confidence or really rocket one in. Give it a try - I'd be curious to know if others have as good of a time as I do with this method.

[Zinger]

Re: is there any point to the pitching meter ?

Yes they need to tweak the confidence for next year. If I want to pitch around a guy then I want to pitch around a guy. That should not affect my confidence but then how does the CPU know that I am pitching around him and not missing my spots. Well this is why I think they need to make the confidence meter drop when I simply miss my release point. The greater I miss my release point the greater the confidence meter drops. This way I can walk a guy that I am pitching around and have no effect at all on the confidence meter. I don't think my individual pitch confidence meter should gain when I record an out too. If I make a good pitch in a tight spot maybe but when I give up a line drive shot to the 3rd basemen who makes a nice play on it I shouldn't be rewarded with a boost in confidence in that pitch.

I agree that the confidence system needs tweaking, but there is a danger to your suggestion about confidence dropping if you miss the release point. It means that people like yourself who have the skill to hit the release point most of the time will have higher confidence levels in every game than people who don't and that could get a bit unrealistic - after all, every team has days when pitchers lose confidence. If it's just one factor among many affecting confidence it might work.

[davewins]

Re: is there any point to the pitching meter ?

I agree that the confidence system needs tweaking, but there is a danger to your suggestion about confidence dropping if you miss the release point. It means that people like yourself who have the skill to hit the release point most of the time will have higher confidence levels in every game than people who don't and that could get a bit unrealistic - after all, every team has days when pitchers lose confidence. If it's just one factor among many affecting confidence it might work.

Yeah maybe they shouldn't work it like that either. I just think that there should be a rating that seperates how fast a pitcher loses confidence on the mound instead. It should just never drop because you throw balls unless you are aiming for a strike and you miss for a ball. That way the system knows that you are not pitching around a batter necessarily. So if you aim in the strike zone and miss for a ball for whatever reason then you should lose confidence. Double plays and strikeouts should gain confidence but not all outs in general. If Torii Hunter robs a HR because it was an out the pitcher gains confidence. There's something wrong with that picture LOL.

I think there should be a rating though. Call it "pitcher poise" or something like that. Some guys get rattled easy (rookies, some hot heads, etc) and some guys nothing bothers them and they keep on pitching on the mound. We need a rating to seperate how the confidence meter affects good veteran pitchers to rookie pitchers. I think the clutch rating is what does this somehow but I don't think it makes a difference in how quickly a pitcher unravels on the mound but I could be wrong.

[nemesis04]

Re: is there any point to the pitching meter ?

Yeah maybe they shouldn't work it like that either. I just think that there should be a rating that seperates how fast a pitcher loses confidence on the mound instead. It should just never drop because you throw balls unless you are aiming for a strike and you miss for a ball. That way the system knows that you are not pitching around a batter necessarily. So if you aim in the strike zone and miss for a ball for whatever reason then you should lose confidence. Double plays and strikeouts should gain confidence but not all outs in general. If Torii Hunter robs a HR because it was an out the pitcher gains confidence. There's something wrong with that picture LOL.

Maybe they could provide a sensitivity slider to dumb it down or allow it to be shut off completely and let fatigue run its natural course during the game.

[davewins]

Re: is there any point to the pitching meter ?

Maybe they could provide a sensitivity slider to dumb it down or allow it to be shut off completely and let fatigue run its natural course during the game.

I would love that. Actually I remember when they first introduced the confidence meter (was it 07??) I went to turn it off and was bummed out to see that it only turned off the individual pitch confidence meter.

[Segagendude]

Re: is there any point to the pitching meter ?

I like the meter, slowly starting to master it.

I do have one question, though----ok, the catcher's mitt shows where the ball "should" end up, so what does the baseball curser do? I find myself moving that to the inside or outside, thinking it has something to do with location. Am I right? Because, sometimes I try to paint the corner doing that, but,the ball goes right down the middle.