Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

[BrianU]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

I disagree to a point. I pitch on LEGEND, using CLASSIC, and I hit on All Star (I simply cannot hit on higher difficulties, but that is another point.)

I LOVE the fact that not all pitches go where I want them to go. In reality, only a select few pitchers (think Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez, and the like) could "throw the ball in a teacup" so to speak. IE very few pitchers actually aim for a spot, and hit it regularily. Most pitch to a side of the plate, and change speeds to be effective.

The reality is that, only a select few pitchers have excellent command of all their pitches. I think this is portrayed accurately with classic pitching. Sometimes, your pitcher "has his good stuff" and sometimes he doesn't.

Mistake pitches are going to happen. And they happen often. Even on LEGEND, I have seen "mistake" pitches swung on and missed, or hit for an out. Some get crushed. That is reality.

I feel, that with METER pitching (and to a lesser extent, PULSE), pitchers can seem to have their "good stuff" more often, because you can time the meter, and "hit your spots." With meter pitching, #4 and #5 pitchers pitch like #1 and #2 pitchers more often than not. With classic, they tend to pitch like #4 and #5 starters, with the occasional dominant game, which I chalk up to them "having their good stuff".

What are your human pitcher control and pitcher consistency sliders for classic pitching on Legend?

[ktd1976]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

What are your human pitcher control and pitcher consistency sliders for classic pitching on Legend?

I believe I had control one click above default, and left consistency at default.

Could be reversed though.

I will check next time I play, and let you know for sure.

On a side note, with the Tigers, pitching with classic, on Legend, my team ERA is slightly under 3.50

[ktd1976]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

UPDATE.

Human pitch consistency and pitch control are both at default. (5)

I thought I had one increased one click, but I guess not.

[cedwebb]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

Good thread with great information. I am a classic pitch player and have read through most of this. Towards the beginning some were talking about what a longer press on the pitch button does and how it impacts the pitch. My take on it is this, I think that every pitcher is different and the longer you hold the button the more action or spin is attempted on the pitch. If your throwing a fast ball and hold the button down longer I notice a lot of times the pitch will rise up naturally. If I am throwing a curve ball it seems the longer I hold the button the more cutting action I will get.

I also think it's easier to be more accurate when tapping the button versus holding down. Of course I also think the pitchers ratings come into play so one pitcher holding the button a certain amount of time may not be the same for another. So I think its the amount of spin a pitcher puts on the pitch.

[kamackeris76]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

Hi guys. I use a+S sliders on classic pitching. The problem I am finding is that I am by far and away giving up the least amount of walks. What can I do about this to make it more realistic ?

[loso_34]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

have had trouble with classic pitching this year.


I play user vs user in a Online franchise and tanaka has been rocked two years in a row. I have issues striking batters out and lets not mention his era of 7+.


when you guys pitching do you aim for a certain spot or just a quadrant of the strike zone?


do I leave pitches with no confidence alone? how can I strike guys out more?

[bobloblah1980]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

1st off great thread. It has renewed my interest in classic style. I have been using it all along but it was beginning to get stale with me calling my own games all the time.

So I went back to spirte's explanation and I couldn't find anything about this sign I have noticed..The catcher calls a pitch lets say a #2 but while putting his fingers down he is actually bouncing his hand up and down instead of just straight 2 fingers down. to me he is asking for a low location. what do you people think?

[stealyerface]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

Way late to the party, obviously, but re-reading this thread got me in the mood to play a game or two with Classic Pitching, and the ball marker to Off, and with Vibration on as part of the aiming process.

Coming from Analog Pitching, and having the sliders maxed out to make the hardest pitching possible, I loaded up the sliders, and just switched to Classic after my warmups.

Red Sox v Mariners, and Edwin Rodriguez, the 5th starter, throws my very first no-hitter since I started playing The Show in 2010.

Now, caveat being...Quick counts ON, I walked six batters and I hit three other guys, but hey, no hits is no hits!

I had yearned for a tougher pitching experience, and I got it, via this interface. I read this thread, and it did answer some of the questions I had with regards to how long to press the button (accuracy versus speed) and learning the let go quickly on a slide step, but one of the great things that I never realized with analog was the pressure situations, that caused the controller to rumble, certainly interfered with my ability to use the rumble for aiming to the edges, which inevitably led to my high walks and hit batters total.

When this years game arrives, count me in to the Classic Pitching crew, and I will continue to tinker with the release and timing, as I found myself trying to release the X just before I perceived the max-effort rumble showing up, but I definitely did a couple quick taps on 0-2 pitches, trying to get a swing at something I wanted far enough out of the zone to fool the hitter, but did not want a wasted effort on a low-pressure pitch.

Maxing out the curveballs, down in the zone, gave a lot of extra bite, and I love the ability to nuance to location, spin and effort, but without enough feedback to perfect it two games into a season.

Long time reader of this club, but now, officially joined.

~syf

[PhilliesFan13]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

Way late to the party, obviously, but re-reading this thread got me in the mood to play a game or two with Classic Pitching, and the ball marker to Off, and with Vibration on as part of the aiming process.

Coming from Analog Pitching, and having the sliders maxed out to make the hardest pitching possible, I loaded up the sliders, and just switched to Classic after my warmups.

Red Sox v Mariners, and Edwin Rodriguez, the 5th starter, throws my very first no-hitter since I started playing The Show in 2010.

Now, caveat being...Quick counts ON, I walked six batters and I hit three other guys, but hey, no hits is no hits!

I had yearned for a tougher pitching experience, and I got it, via this interface. I read this thread, and it did answer some of the questions I had with regards to how long to press the button (accuracy versus speed) and learning the let go quickly on a slide step, but one of the great things that I never realized with analog was the pressure situations, that caused the controller to rumble, certainly interfered with my ability to use the rumble for aiming to the edges, which inevitably led to my high walks and hit batters total.

When this years game arrives, count me in to the Classic Pitching crew, and I will continue to tinker with the release and timing, as I found myself trying to release the X just before I perceived the max-effort rumble showing up, but I definitely did a couple quick taps on 0-2 pitches, trying to get a swing at something I wanted far enough out of the zone to fool the hitter, but did not want a wasted effort on a low-pressure pitch.

Maxing out the curveballs, down in the zone, gave a lot of extra bite, and I love the ability to nuance to location, spin and effort, but without enough feedback to perfect it two games into a season.

Long time reader of this club, but now, officially joined.

~syf

Welcome to the club! I have always been and always will be a classic pitching user.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk

[Kodii Rockets]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

I took SpritePuck's Catcher's Sign Tutorial Post and condensed it down to a one sheet for quick / easy reference that is suitable for copy / paste / print:

Catching signs for calling pitches:
1 finger = X
2 fingers = O
3 fingers = △
4 fingers = ▢
* Flashed 4 = R1
** closed clenched fist = hard fastball (only one I am not 100% sure of)

Locations:
Last place touched is side wanted.
Knee is out of zone.
Thigh is in the zone.

Listed in order of most occurring:

Sign held long and fades down is standard pitch call.
Could be thrown anywhere.

Quick sign
Up in the zone. Top third of strike zone or out of zone up.
*all pitches wanted up in the zone do not get a quick sign but all quick signs are wanted up in the zone.
The more specific, rare signs:

Sign with a non glove leg squeeze (move) in toward hand: means pitch must be started out of zone and break back in
He squeezes his legs in but non glove leg moves in way more than glove side

Sign then thigh: in zone thigh side that is tapped
(again could mean start out of zone to get pitch in zone on side called for)

Sign then knee then same side thigh: start out of zone and break back in on side tapped
(like a backdoor slider)

Sign then thigh then other thigh: break across the plate but stay in zone toward *second indication
* the second thigh he tapped

Sign then knee then opposite thigh: start out of zone and break in toward thigh tap side

Sign then knee: out of zone knee side (a chase pitch)

Sign thigh then knee: start thigh side and break out knee side


@SpritePuck

I have to thank you again, for such a game altering and detailed overview!

OS HOF worthy, IMHO...

Does all of this still hold true for 16?

Sent from Satellite City

[Side Effect]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

Think it's time for a new 2016 thread?

[Steelers23]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

When you play online (br, head to head, etc) do you change the sliders to default or are the sliders ignored?

[ILiveForThis]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

sliders are ignored when playing online.

i've finally made my way back to classic pitching and i'm glad to be back.


Sent from my iPhone using Operation Sports

[The Chef]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

I've been confused by classic pitching more then ever this year. After pitching fairly well on All-Star but having issues with constant wild pitches I decided to raise it up to HOF difficulty and thats when the problems began (due to raising control/consistency without fearing I'd neuter the CPU offense). I can have games here and there where I pitch a gem and really keep batters off balance but more often then not I find that my pitchers simply can't hit anywhere near their spots regardless of effort used. I'm currently using 5/5 for control and consistency, and like I said pitching on HOF, but for whatever reason guys are erratic consistently. My last game is a perfect example of this, I was playing at Houston and had King Felix on the mound for the start. He had just pitched a gem at Chicago in his previous start so was feeling optimistic after losing the first 2 games of the series 6-5 & 6-5. As for his control ratings per pitch....

Sinker - 82
4-Seamer - 62
Change - 74
Sweeping Curve - 90
Slider - 64

So from that he appears to be a 3 pitch pitcher who can sprinkle in the other 2 pitches from time to time if it works to keep the batter off balance. In this last game he went 4.1 IP, 6 Runs, 7 Hits, 4 BB's, 3 K's, it was an absolute dreadful start.

Here's the thing, I'd throw that sinker (which for all intents and purposes is his second best pitch control wise) and he wouldn't just miss he would miss by a WIDE margin. There were countless times I'd try and throw a sinker down and away and he would miss up and by up I mean up at the letters. Other times he would miss up and in at the letters. It didn't seem to matter if I tapped the button, held down about 50% of the way or held down until the vibration as the outcome was more often then not the same. Now could I assume this was an outlier and it was just a bad game? Of course as those happen, problem is it happens over and over again and to every pitcher on my roster. Nick Vincent and his 76 control slider will often miss high at the letters as well when aiming low and away. I've got Even Scribner who has 99 control on his fastball and 96 on his curve yet I've seen him bounce a fastball more often then I care to admit and, again, doesn't matter how long I hold the button for effort as it's all over the place regardless. Basically the only pitchers I have any real consistent success with are flame throwers who can get away with missing their spots due to velocity otherwise it seems like a complete crap shoot as to whether I'll have success or not pitching.

Is there any definitive idea as to classic pitching and holding the button for this years game? I know bcruise mentioned that he would never go above All-Star difficulty for pitching but is that still the same idea for this years game? HOF seems a touch easier this year then last but at the same time I can definitely tell that the CPU is getting boosts on offense and my pitching has become far more erratic since making the move. My first full month on HOF the CPU batting averages skyrocketed from .265 the month prior to .291 so obviously they have become a little over powered in that regard at times. I'm honestly dumbfounded by this years game as it pertains to classic pitching and am hopeful someone much smarter then myself can shed some light on potentially what I'm doing wrong. Thanks to anyone that can shed some light on what my potential issue(s) might be.

EDIT - I did raise control and consistency to 6 each after giving up 9 runs in 1 inning last game and watching as 3 different pitchers couldn't even locate a pitch anywhere near the intended targets. Downside is then I brought in Yovani Gallardo and his 48 control and he only gave up 3 hits over 3 IP when he came into the game with an ERA closing in on 6.00 and a WHIP of 1.50+ which made me worry that I had now made it too easy lol. As you can see I'm all kinds of screwed up with this.

[KingV2k3]

Re: Classic Pitching Questions and Discussion Thread 2015

@Chef:

I'm no expert, but here's my take:

1) Wild Pitches seem like they are currently hard coded into the game, so if that's the case, sliders don't mitigate that much...I don't try and adjust sliders for those, as a result...

2) HOF seems to have a "penalty" to either HUM Control or Consistency or both...

3) On AS, I'm finding that HUM Control @ 5 and Consistency @ 7 is ballpark value that makes pitchers play pretty close to attribute...

So:

I bumped CPU Contact to 7 and Solid Hits to 6 or 7 to compensate...

If you wanna stay on HOF with 6 / 6, you'll have to at least bump CPU Contact up from default to compensate...

I'd also consider leaving Control at Default, and just raise the Consistency slider to whatever value plays realistically for you...maybe 7 or even 8 on HOF...

This year, I'm liking the way the game plays when you keep the pitching sliders for both sides at default or slightly higher (esp. Control) and then raising both sets of Contact and Solid Hits sliders above default to balance...