Tips for walks....

[skinz]

O.K. so we all know that walks are rare as hell in this game......but I think I figured some tips to improve this problem some what.


First rule is to change your whole approach at the plate........yes, free swingers, you need to change that habit of yours.

Second rule......ALWAYS take first strike and sometimes strike 2.

Don't swing at anything unless its a mistake pitch (when the CPU pitcher has a "!" sign above his head)

Third rule......leave those outside breaking balls alone...sometimes there are called balls even when they paint the strikezone

Last and final rule......you need to make the CPU tired fast to get more walks....so you need to take A LOT of pitches to make pitch counts rise fast. The more tired the more less control he has throwing the ball....also don't expect all pitchers to give up walks like crazy.

Bad pitchers will walk 3-4 batters while a Ace will walk 1-2 maximum.

So far, I get 2 walks in a game by sitting back and waiting for my pitch instead of swing at anything in the strikezone.

This is one Expert so I don't know how the CPU reacts in All-star or powerful

[jasongst]

Re: Tips for walks....

O.K. so we all know that walks are rare as hell in this game......but I think I figured some tips to improve this problem some what.


First rule is to change your whole approach at the plate........yes, free swingers, you need to change that habit of yours.

Second rule......ALWAYS take first strike and sometimes strike 2.

Don't swing at anything unless its a mistake pitch (when the CPU pitcher has a "!" sign above his head)

Third rule......leave those outside breaking balls alone...sometimes there are called balls even when they paint the strikezone

Last and final rule......you need to make the CPU tired fast to get more walks....so you need to take A LOT of pitches to make pitch counts rise fast. The more tired the more less control he has throwing the ball....also don't expect all pitchers to give up walks like crazy.

Bad pitchers will walk 3-4 batters while a Ace will walk 1-2 maximum.

So far, I get 2 walks in a game by sitting back and waiting for my pitch instead of swing at anything in the strikezone.

This is one Expert so I don't know how the CPU reacts in All-star or powerful

Thanks for the tips. One problem though is that no matter what steps you take, the number of walks is always going to be lower than in real life, simply because the pitchers are so pinpoint accurate.

However, you CAN do a decent job of adding walks to human vs human games just by changing the pitching style to Expert. It's pretty easy to lose control with that feature turned on.

[brendanrfoley]

Re: Tips for walks....

Good tips!

Also, practice fouling pitches off. The more pitches fouled off, the more you'll see, and the more likely the CPU will throw a ball. I've had some EPIC, 10,11,12 pitch at bats recently.

[SportGamer24]

Re: Tips for walks....

Good tips!

Also, practice fouling pitches off. The more pitches fouled off, the more you'll see, and the more likely the CPU will throw a ball. I've had some EPIC, 10,11,12 pitch at bats recently.

Practice fouling pitches off? What do you mean exactly

[elguapo79]

Re: Tips for walks....

Good tip from Brendan. I've done it a few times, though I'm not good at it yet. Just try to make slight contact to foul tough pitches off.


Another good strategy to at least work counts and make good contact, if not draw walks, is to zone a pitch especially when you are up in the count. Pick a small area in which you will swing with power swing, and if it's not there, don't bother. Even if it is going to be a strike, just lay off it. Again, this is best to do when you're up 1-0, 2-0, 3-1 in the count.


I never thought I would enjoy cursor hitting this much. I'm so pleased with the batting interface in this game. Pitchers' super-control is the one thing that holds the game back for me.

[JRod]

Re: Tips for walks....

All this is well and good but the problem is they will stripe one in the zone when they should be a good chance its a ball.

On 3-2 counts, you should see more walks. Yet, they will still throw it in the zone, and you know its going to be in the zone.


Brendan's advice on fighting off tough pitches is really key. Brendan must be magical with the cursor because I really can't intentially foul pitches. However, I try to fight off strikes for as long as I can. You can get some really great ABs that way.

Walks are just too low which is a shame. If they had walks right, this would be my favorite baseball game of all-time. And I loved MVP and HH.

[skinz]

Re: Tips for walks....

The easiest way to foul a pits to hit the ball NOT with the yellow cursor but with the blue transparent bat



Try to hit the ball with the tip of the blue transparent bat while you have the cursor on power swing

[brendanrfoley]

Re: Tips for walks....

Practice fouling pitches off? What do you mean exactly

If you know a pitch will be a strike, but you know you won't make 'solid' contact, try swinging a little late. You'll make contact, but the ball will go foul and the at bat will continue.

[grismosw]

Re: Tips for walks....

My last game against Zambrano I was walked once but hit four times. On inside pitches I would crowd the plate. The downside is Granderson got hurt when he got hit.

[Kane182]

Re: Tips for walks....

I finally got my first walk last game with David Wright. (I've only played about 5 full games or so) I did a lot of control editing to the pitchers on every single team and I think in the long run it will make a world of difference. I played against the Nationals and Shawn Hill. His control was probably rated as a D, maybe a C. It should be fun to catch some BP guys with a G in control.

[wangjaz]

Re: Tips for walks....

I just started my 2nd year in my season.
i changed my batting to normal, and CPU pitching to AS from pwrful.
first game i faced G. Maddux (which btw is WAAAY under-rated in this game-C control, bad fastball life, release + Choke Artist?!?)
anyways, i didn't get any walks, BUT i did get pretty high pitch counts. 60+ pitches by the 5th or so.
don't know why.. maybe it had to do with my lineup being much better, (btw, the AI Does seem to be more careful with ur Star power hitters) but Maddux kept pitching around the zone, often throwing 2-3 balls to a lot of batters.
also, up 0-2, he'd try nibbling and then make it a 2-2 or full count. this happened often.
i was unused to this, so I even SO'ed a lot more, (7, where b4 i rarely got more than 2-3)

anyways, i had a lot more fun. won 4-2, with about 7 hits per team. just hope it wasn't a one game fluke.

[matthewk]

Re: Tips for walks....

I finally got my first walk last game with David Wright. (I've only played about 5 full games or so) I did a lot of control editing to the pitchers on every single team and I think in the long run it will make a world of difference. I played against the Nationals and Shawn Hill. His control was probably rated as a D, maybe a C. It should be fun to catch some BP guys with a G in control.

This is what I'm doing. You can motice the difference between a B control pitcher and one with a G. I've been working my way through all the rosters and lowering everyone's control at least 10 points. Against F-G rated pitchers I can get 1-2 walks per game no problem.

[bullpen]

Re: Tips for walks....

For your information I got 4 walks in a game last night.
I'm playing as the Diamondbacks and it as against Ricardo Lopez (who has C control).

Of course you have to take alot of pitches....and foul some strike...but it's possible (in the next game against Aaron Cook I got 1).

By the way I ended losing the game 8-7 on a walk-off homerun by Todd Helton...

[wangjaz]

Re: Tips for walks....

For your information I got 4 walks in a game last night.
I'm playing as the Diamondbacks and it as against Ricardo Lopez (who has C control).

Of course you have to take alot of pitches....and foul some strike...but it's possible (in the next game against Aaron Cook I got 1).

By the way I ended losing the game 8-7 on a walk-off homerun by Todd Helton...

4 walks. wow, cool.
btw, so while u did this, how many called SOs did u end up getting?
just curious.

[bullpen]

Re: Tips for walks....

I can't say how many times...but in total I got K'd 7 times