USER PITCHING: INCREASING CONTACT OUTS

[Kernel Pie]

I can 't seem to find a way to reduce strikeouts when the user is pitching, without increasing the amount of AI hits. Right now I have the AI getting the right amount of hits, but I am getting too many strikeouts. How do I increase contact outs?

[rudyjuly2]

Re: USER PITCHING: INCREASING CONTACT OUTS

I can 't seem to find a way to reduce strikeouts when the user is pitching, without increasing the amount of AI hits. Right now I have the AI getting the right amount of hits, but I am getting too many strikeouts. How do I increase contact outs?

I'm seeing the same thing but I don't think it's possible. There just aren't enough ground outs in the game. I'm leading the league in Ks per 9 IP but the cpu still bats .297 against me and I'm walking two guys a game. There just is too much feast or famine in the hit vs. strikeout department in the game imo. I don't think any slider adjustment will fix it unfortunately.

[Kernel Pie]

Re: USER PITCHING: INCREASING CONTACT OUTS

I've gone into a lot of pitcher's player edit screen and almost all of them have their strikeout tendency higher than their groundball tendency. For a test, I took Mike Pelfrey and upped his groundball tendency to 75 and dropped his strikeout tendency to 35. For one game I thought it helped a lot--but I don't know how I'd be able to do this accurately for all pitchers.

[Garrett67]

Re: USER PITCHING: INCREASING CONTACT OUTS

I've gone into a lot of pitcher's player edit screen and almost all of them have their strikeout tendency higher than their groundball tendency. For a test, I took Mike Pelfrey and upped his groundball tendency to 75 and dropped his strikeout tendency to 35. For one game I thought it helped a lot--but I don't know how I'd be able to do this accurately for all pitchers.

That is a good thing for me to keep in mind when I get the PC editor.

I didn't even realize that attribute existed

[Kernel Pie]

Re: USER PITCHING: INCREASING CONTACT OUTS

That is a good thing for me to keep in mind when I get the PC editor.

I didn't even realize that attribute existed

Just be careful because only the first 3 are pitching-related. The "outs by groundball" and "outs by strikeout" are both for hitting.

[Garrett67]

Re: USER PITCHING: INCREASING CONTACT OUTS

Just be careful because only the first 3 are pitching-related. The "outs by groundball" and "outs by strikeout" are both for hitting.

Noted, thanks Kernel Pie

[mkharsh33]

Re: USER PITCHING: INCREASING CONTACT OUTS

i'm getting a nice blend of outs using my sliders (classic hitting). what i would suggest is raising user batting power and lowering user contact. for me i'm using 30 contact and 75 power. guys still get good wood on the ball (i had a 13 pitch at-bat the other day with paul janish of all people, fouling off several balls). i still strike out, but the numbers are quite realistic and get a lot of ball-in-play outs...

[Kernel Pie]

Re: USER PITCHING: INCREASING CONTACT OUTS

i'm getting a nice blend of outs using my sliders (classic hitting). what i would suggest is raising user batting power and lowering user contact. for me i'm using 30 contact and 75 power. guys still get good wood on the ball (i had a 13 pitch at-bat the other day with paul janish of all people, fouling off several balls). i still strike out, but the numbers are quite realistic and get a lot of ball-in-play outs...

I'm talking about when the CPU is batting, though. It seems like it's difficult to bring AI strikeouts down while still keeping their hit count accurate.

[jays1234]

Re: USER PITCHING: INCREASING CONTACT OUTS

The only way I found to reduce strikeouts AND hits was to raise CPU contact and lower CPU power. I am getting a ton of ground outs with contact at 40 and power at 60 (It seems like power influences hits way more than contact. Seems true with USER hitting as well). The only problem is home runs are low. I need to find that balance of low hits and a few home runs. Gonna try contact at 35, power at 65. I actually found I wasn't getting enough Ks at 40 contact.

[Kernel Pie]

Re: USER PITCHING: INCREASING CONTACT OUTS

Just played a game with Felix Hernandez, and one with Bronson Arroyo. For Felix, I had his strike out tendency at 10, groundballs at 85. Arroyo, 5 and 85. User pitching sliders similar to Big Joe. AI hitting at 50 contact/80 power.

Anyway, Arroyo had 1 k in 7 innnings, Felix had 7. Groundballs were definitely more frequent, but their were still flyballs and hits. I'm pretty convinced that to get more plays in the infield, these 2 sliders have to be adjusted pretty aggressively. I'm gonna try more tomorrow.

[JBH3]

Re: USER PITCHING: INCREASING CONTACT OUTS

I'm curious how often you're maxing out your pitches. I have the pitch analyzer set to "Always", and notice that when I pitch to contact - meaning a pitch between 50-70 power - I get the contact outs.

Right now I am pitching as Joe Blanton and through 6.2 innings my pitch count is 72 pitches and I've surrendered 6 hits and 2 earned runs. I have also gotten two double plays. When I've pitched to contact...i.e. not maxing out my pitch, I've gotten grounders.

I would probably have two less hits if Placido Polanco had a stronger arm because David Wright and Carlos Beltran legged out infield singles that Polanco had to lay out for. Beltran's was a bang-bang play, Wright's was close but he clearly beat it out.

Anyways...food for thought.

[Kernel Pie]

Re: USER PITCHING: INCREASING CONTACT OUTS

I'm curious how often you're maxing out your pitches. I have the pitch analyzer set to "Always", and notice that when I pitch to contact - meaning a pitch between 50-70 power - I get the contact outs.

Damn, that's a good idea--never thought of that. I'll have to try that next game.

[JBH3]

Re: USER PITCHING: INCREASING CONTACT OUTS

Damn, that's a good idea--never thought of that. I'll have to try that next game.

Let us know how that goes....

Also - Even with pitches deemed "weak" I've seen a fair amount of contact outs.

[Kernel Pie]

Re: USER PITCHING: INCREASING CONTACT OUTS

Just played MLB Today Angels/Royals. Used the Angels and dropped all the pitchers' Strikeout Tendency to 5, raised the groundouts to 85. Struck out 11, gave up 8 hits. Plenty of flyballs, a few groundballs. Thought this was having some effect, now I wonder.

Next I'm gonna try stopping the meter in the 50-70 range, as I always aim to max it out.

[JBH3]

Re: USER PITCHING: INCREASING CONTACT OUTS

Next I'm gonna try stopping the meter in the 50-70 range, as I always aim to max it out.

Yea...I think that knowing when to max out your pitches is the nuance of this game. Maxing out a pitch is a good way to blow one by the batter, but when they get contact - from my experience - there's an increased likelihood that they make solid contact.