Pitch vs Pitch Around vs Pitch to Contact and the AI

[KBLover]

I know as a manager yourself you can pick from these at will.

And I know (or assume, rather) the pitch around strategy slider impacts how often the manager will choose the pitch around strategy from the pitching menu.

But what governs the choice between Pitch and Pitch to Contact? Pitcher ratings? Batter ratings? Both? Is it basically any time it doesn't pitch around (i.e. to honor the strategy slider) it makes a decision among these or will it decide to Pitch to Contact, for example, instead of Pitch Around if the situation deems it strong enough, even with a maxed Pitch Around slider?

[miamikb2001]

Re: Pitch vs Pitch Around vs Pitch to Contact and the AI

I’d like to know to.Personally I mostly use pitch to batter with occasional pitch around.I will use pitch to contact but very rarely.


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[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: Pitch vs Pitch Around vs Pitch to Contact and the AI

The way I see it, "pitch" is the default. With "pitch to contact" you are just telling the pitcher to throw strikes at all costs (granted there could still be BBs if he misses). With "pitch around" I interpret that as telling the pitcher to nibble. Stay off the plate or maybe on the edges, but stay out of the happy zone. Of course, "pitch around" can and does lead to K's and balls put in play also.

I use "pitch to contact" in 5 situations:

1. if I feel that my starter's pitch count might be an issue (if the bullpen is totally gassed)
2. if my pitcher is a big time ground ball pitcher
3. if the batter is basically no threat to homer
4. in GIDP situations and especially with weaker batters in those situations
5. if I have a wild pitcher and want to try and force him to throw strikes

I use "pitch around" in basically the situations you'd expect in real life: the #8 hitter in the NL, the meaty part of the lineup, a good batter with 1B open and so forth. Also with aggressive hitters that are prone to K.

Of course, I'm coming at this from the angle of managing my games rather than trying to make my AI manager execute some piece of strategy or code. So I'm not sure if any of this is relevant to your questions...

[KBLover]

Re: Pitch vs Pitch Around vs Pitch to Contact and the AI

Well I was mostly thinking about during simmed games.

For example, if I have my manager on max pitch around - how often or when does my manager choose pitch around during the simmed PAs?

Would the maxed slider mean pretty much just do pitch around - so my pitchers nibble all game except maybe vs the pitcher batting or weak hitters?

Is there any other criteria - for example, if a 70 contact, 30 Eye with average power comes up - would that be a pitch around or pitch to contact (or normal) situation?

And how does your own staff factor? If I have low control guys...does my manager do it less often because of the walks potential being high already (nibbling can be even more walks or perhaps even more hittable pitches as mistakes leak over the plate instead?)

Things like that. It's not so much "executing code" for me either, but trying to understand how the AI is interpreting the situation and applies the strategies also in baseball terms but in regards to simming games.

When would the AI choose Pitch to Contact over "regular" pitching? Or does it? Is it just "pitch around or regular pitch" in simmed games?

I mean, I know how *I* pick (whether or not that's even correct is a different story) but I was wonder how the AI picks in response to scenarios.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: Pitch vs Pitch Around vs Pitch to Contact and the AI

Probably the only way to figure that out, save for the devs dropping in and giving you the game code, is to make a backup file, tinker with the manager AI settings/sim and compare the differences.

[KBLover]

Re: Pitch vs Pitch Around vs Pitch to Contact and the AI

Yeah I think I might do that in the fictional save and tinker with some of the pitchers and see.

I kind of think that pitching around with high control guys might be advantageous, but depends on what you're facing, too. Running up against a team of patient hitters probably would get my guys burnt, I should do more investigating of when my pitchers get beat around and see if I can start noticing patterns.

[N51_rob]

Re: Pitch vs Pitch Around vs Pitch to Contact and the AI

Well I was mostly thinking about during simmed games.

For example, if I have my manager on max pitch around - how often or when does my manager choose pitch around during the simmed PAs?

Would the maxed slider mean pretty much just do pitch around - so my pitchers nibble all game except maybe vs the pitcher batting or weak hitters?

Is there any other criteria - for example, if a 70 contact, 30 Eye with average power comes up - would that be a pitch around or pitch to contact (or normal) situation?

And how does your own staff factor? If I have low control guys...does my manager do it less often because of the walks potential being high already (nibbling can be even more walks or perhaps even more hittable pitches as mistakes leak over the plate instead?)

Things like that. It's not so much "executing code" for me either, but trying to understand how the AI is interpreting the situation and applies the strategies also in baseball terms but in regards to simming games.

When would the AI choose Pitch to Contact over "regular" pitching? Or does it? Is it just "pitch around or regular pitch" in simmed games?

I mean, I know how *I* pick (whether or not that's even correct is a different story) but I was wonder how the AI picks in response to scenarios.

I'd imagine the sim engine looks at several factors to determine when to "pitch around" stay out of the heart of the plate, avoid FBs to FB hitters etc. Factors could be but not limited to, lifetime numbers, game situation early vs late, runners on/in scoring postion who's on deck, what are they doing, who's in the hole what are they doing, who's in the pen. So you tend to work the corners with conviction and are okay with the BB.

Pitch to contact, in my mind is when you are looking for a double play ball, have a punch and judy hitter up, want to save some pitches on your pitchers pitch count, so you tend to find the middle of the plate more, probabaly with less off-speed breaking stuff.

Pitch is just that, you've got the whole plate and your whole arsenal at your disposal on the mound.

So to your question having high pitch around settings probably means that when you are facing a teams most dangerous hitters in a sim they probably are getting walked at a higher clip than other hitters in the lineup. Look at the game recaps and see who and how many times batters are walking.

[CaseIH]

Re: Pitch vs Pitch Around vs Pitch to Contact and the AI

The way I see it, "pitch" is the default. With "pitch to contact" you are just telling the pitcher to throw strikes at all costs (granted there could still be BBs if he misses). With "pitch around" I interpret that as telling the pitcher to nibble. Stay off the plate or maybe on the edges, but stay out of the happy zone. Of course, "pitch around" can and does lead to K's and balls put in play also.

I use "pitch to contact" in 5 situations:

1. if I feel that my starter's pitch count might be an issue (if the bullpen is totally gassed)
2. if my pitcher is a big time ground ball pitcher
3. if the batter is basically no threat to homer
4. in GIDP situations and especially with weaker batters in those situations
5. if I have a wild pitcher and want to try and force him to throw strikes

I use "pitch around" in basically the situations you'd expect in real life: the #8 hitter in the NL, the meaty part of the lineup, a good batter with 1B open and so forth. Also with aggressive hitters that are prone to K.

Of course, I'm coming at this from the angle of managing my games rather than trying to make my AI manager execute some piece of strategy or code. So I'm not sure if any of this is relevant to your questions...

Yeah, this is how I interpret the pitching in OOTP. I do the same exact things that you mentioned, with my pitchers strategy. I hope one day, OOTP adds in the ability to tell your pitcher what type of pitch you want him to throw, as well as the strategy of how to pitch to the hitter. I would have thought by now they would have added in the ability to tell your pitcher to throw FB, or offspeed pitches. Really thats the only negative thing really to nitpick with gameplay. I do wish graphic wise, we had the MILB ball parks, rather than just the same one to look at all the time. Other than those 2 things, there is really nothing else, I can think of, to nit pick, thats how great OOTP is this yr, and seemingly every yr. Game is just amazing.

[RogerDodger]

Re: Pitch vs Pitch Around vs Pitch to Contact and the AI

I'm brand new to OOTP and I was hoping there would be a way to select which pitch to throw - fastball, curve, etc. but unless I am missing something there doesn't appear to be. Maybe because that's a pitcher/catcher decision more than a managerial one is the reason.

Can anyone confirm?

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: Pitch vs Pitch Around vs Pitch to Contact and the AI

I'm brand new to OOTP and I was hoping there would be a way to select which pitch to throw - fastball, curve, etc. but unless I am missing something there doesn't appear to be. Maybe because that's a pitcher/catcher decision more than a managerial one is the reason.

Can anyone confirm?

You are correct. There is no way to select pitch types or locations. That would be a nice add for those who like to manage pitch by pitch.

[RogerDodger]

Re: Pitch vs Pitch Around vs Pitch to Contact and the AI

You are correct. There is no way to select pitch types or locations. That would be a nice add for those who like to manage pitch by pitch.

I think it would be given I'm playing using the pitch by pitch option, but from a managerial perspective I suppose it's consistent in that as a manager some things are beyond your own sphere of control. I love it so far though...

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: Pitch vs Pitch Around vs Pitch to Contact and the AI

I think it would be given I'm playing using the pitch by pitch option, but from a managerial perspective I suppose it's consistent in that as a manager some things are beyond your own sphere of control. I love it so far though...

I actually floated that idea to the head OOTP designer Markus Heinsohn on the OOTP forum, but didn't get a response. I'd imagine this would greatly complicate the in-game logic and it would add a ton of more hot keys/button presses to get through each AB.

[Qeltar]

Re: Pitch vs Pitch Around vs Pitch to Contact and the AI

This is interesting. I thought OOTP was mostly a "GM mode" type of game. I didn't realize it went down to the level of individual pitches to specific batters in games.

[KBLover]

Re: Pitch vs Pitch Around vs Pitch to Contact and the AI

This is interesting. I thought OOTP was mostly a "GM mode" type of game. I didn't realize it went down to the level of individual pitches to specific batters in games.

Yeah, you can play out games and when you do, you can all the manager calls either each PA or each pitch, depending on if you're in one-pitch mode or not.

You pretty much can do everything except control the players on the field.

[RogerDodger]

Re: Pitch vs Pitch Around vs Pitch to Contact and the AI

I actually floated that idea to the head OOTP designer Markus Heinsohn on the OOTP forum, but didn't get a response. I'd imagine this would greatly complicate the in-game logic and it would add a ton of more hot keys/button presses to get through each AB.

Not sure about the extra button presses - currently I press 1 to pitch but maybe I could press f for fastball, or c for curve. On the logic though you’re probably right, it depends to what extent the game is already deciding which pitch is thrown and determining the outcome based on it. If it’s already doing that, simply having you select it instead of the AI would be the only change. But I’m new to the franchise so I could be wrong.