What I'm doing wrong, and What I can do about it?

[dodgerblue]

Not to be overly simplistic, but try going down to veteran. I did and I'm having much more fun!

[Dellinger]

Dodger, I hear you. I may just do that. But then I'm back to square one on sliders... any you recommend?

To others, I'm just trying to grasp the ebb and flow of the video game. Find ways to get better and understand why I'm not successful on the mound.

For what it's worth... same thing happened in my next game with Toronto. First guy (Escobar) goes down looking but the 2nd guy takes the 2nd pitch he sees deep in the first inning. It ended up a lopside defeat 13-3. 5HRs by the CPU... two were really, really my fault by leaving a guy in too long with no confidence.

[decga]

@Dellinger Are you using the API and a following your catcher choice of pitch all of the time? Sometimes the catcher calls for pitches in the batters wheelhouse. You have to shake off the catcher every now & then.

[Bobhead]

In your last scenario thing, first and foremost, you should have visited the mound after Granderson's homerun. Don't underestimate mound visits, I use them in rallies all the time, and boy do they help. I don't know what the formula was in previous years, but this year a mound visit seems to be "successful" more consistently, it's not a complete dice roll like it seemed to be before.

As for your pitch strategy in the post you just made, the first mistake I see is that you used an un-established changeup on a 2-0 count. A billion times more important than the giant pitcher confidence meter is the little meters under the individual pitches. Before you can use a pitch successfully, you have to establish it.

The pitch confidence meter for these pitches affect your chances of successfully locating it. A poorly located pitch is easier to hit, so thus the meter affects your opponent's ability to hit. Because of this, you have to always be aware of your pitch confidence.

There's two scenarios where the CPU is extremely likely to swing, regardless of the pitch and location, as long as the pitch is in the zone. One is when the batter has 2 strikes on them, the other is a 2-0 count. That's why it's important you never throw a low confidence pitch in one of these situations. The high failure rate, combined with the high swing rates, will likely only lead to trouble.

Instead, try to reverse things, and use the low-confidence pitches to start at-bats, a time when the CPU is least likely to swing. Just throw one over for a strike. Maybe do it again for strike 2, but do not for any reason, ever, throw a low-confidence pitch when there are already 2 strikes.

Another important thing is it sounds like you are throwing too many strikes. Learn to pitch out of the zone. If the hitter knows you have a high strike percentage, they know they can swing at anything. Don't be afraid to intentionally throw balls or even intentionally walk guys.

[TGov]

Quote: Originally Posted by Bobhead

In your last scenario thing, first and foremost, you should have visited the mound after Granderson's homerun. Don't underestimate mound visits, I use them in rallies all the time, and boy do they help. I don't know what the formula was in previous years, but this year a mound visit seems to be "successful" more consistently, it's not a complete dice roll like it seemed to be before. As for your pitch strategy in the post you just made, the first mistake I see is that you used an un-established changeup on a 2-0 count. A billion times more important than the giant pitcher confidence meter is the little meters under the individual pitches. Before you can use a pitch successfully, you have to establish it. The pitch confidence meter for these pitches affect your chances of successfully locating it. A poorly located pitch is easier to hit, so thus the meter affects your opponent's ability to hit. Because of this, you have to always be aware of your pitch confidence. There's two scenarios where the CPU is extremely likely to swing, regardless of the pitch and location, as long as the pitch is in the zone. One is when the batter has 2 strikes on them, the other is a 2-0 count. That's why it's important you never throw a low confidence pitch in one of these situations. The high failure rate, combined with the high swing rates, will likely only lead to trouble. Instead, try to reverse things, and use the low-confidence pitches to start at-bats, a time when the CPU is least likely to swing. Just throw one over for a strike. Maybe do it again for strike 2, but do not for any reason, ever, throw a low-confidence pitch when there are already 2 strikes. Another important thing is it sounds like you are throwing too many strikes. Learn to pitch out of the zone. If the hitter knows you have a high strike percentage, they know they can swing at anything. Don't be afraid to intentionally throw balls or even intentionally walk guys.

I'm having trouble pitching as well, thanks for the advice cause this will help me a lot... I more so throw too Manu pitches out of the zone than get hit hard... This year pitching seems to be more involved and I like that a lot but I have to learn it first...

[Ryan97]

You need to change your mindset like I had to. I use to change locations with pitch types. That dosent work.

The slider is effective because the batter needs to think its fastball, the changeup is effective cause it looks like a fastball and breaks down. The curve is effective cause it starts out high enough the batter thinks its going high out of the zone. Point is your junk needs to be thrown in the same spots you locate your fastballs. Throwing fastballs in one spot and throwing your junk somewhere else dosent work.

"How can I make it look like the pitch I just through but be different ?" Dont worry about changing speeds cause that naturally happens with pitch selection.

You should be focused on being visually deceptive. I want to work a curveball into my game I better establish some high strikes If I want them to swing or some high balls if I want them to take it. Or both if I want to mess them up. Your slider is useless if your starting it somewhere the fastball hasnt already been and change up as well. If you haven't thrown any low strikes than the chance of them biting on a change up is slim.

Point is simple if your pitching to certain parts of the zone try to "start" your pitches in the same spot to fool them. Everything needs to start with your fastball. This opens two approaches early in the game. You can focus on really moving your fastball around to establish the later at bats. Or you can gradually expand your zone during the game as you work to get guys out early as quick as possible by working the locations you establish in that at bat. Than you open up new sections in the following at bat.

Once you have gone through the lineup once you need to start to change it up. So batter (A) you started with a fastaball for a strike high. Start him with a curveball that started in the same spot as that fastball. Now you have told them your not just throwing first pitch fastballs for strikes.

Dont purposely throw for balls unless it is to get them to chase because your making them think its something else. Balls will happen when you miss the targets and the pitch will has served a purpose.

I have no idea if any of that rambling made any sense. But I try to be visually deceptive thats what I focus on.

I may start a fastball on the outer edge and miss I wont then change speeds for a strike. I may try to hit the same spot again hoping they are taking cause I just missed that spot.

You need to throw your junk for strikes too. There is a reason the game tracks strike percentages with every pitch. The AI uses this too. If your missing all day with your change up I would forget about it and try to throw it later for a strike when the AI is no longer use to seeing it. Some games you just have to let it go. When you get good with the fastball slider combo it really helps. One of the toughest pitches for people to have success with in this game is the slider. You have to find that sweet spot where it will land on that corner then your golden when working it off the fastball.

[maddmattrix]

I struggle with pitching as well, usually in the latter parts of the game (6th inning on). I try to use my relievers like my starters in terms of pitch placement and selection but that doesn't work obviously.

Having said that, I think far too much credit is given to the AI in this game. You don't confuse the CPU, ever. The CPU knows what pitch you are going to throw (after you select it, of course) and it knows the location. There are times when hitters go yard on a pitch they have absolutely no business swinging at, yet alone taking it out of the park. And we talk about pitch placement for particular pitches - I think its odd that the CPU is able to take borderline pitches successfully 90% of the time.

Don't get me wrong, I love the game, but this isn't http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Blue_(chess_computer) we are playing against.

[Dellinger]

@decga:
At first, I did follow the catcher's calls and sometimes would shrug it off. Then I went with just my thoughts after getting bombed for 5 games from the catcher's calls. Well, then when I went with my gut, I got bombed for 5 more games. So at this point it's more 75% my calls, 25% what the catcher calls.

@bobhead: I'll defenitely start using the mound visit more often than just buying time for the pen.

Yes, I did use an un-established change up but since it was the first inning and the pitch confidence meter was more than half full (not quite 75% full) and it was my pitcher's second best pitch that it would ok to work it in.

CPU swing probabilities you laid out, regarding the count, are duely noted. And I do try to work in my 3rd & 4th pitches for strike outs and on pitchers primarily.

I usually walk the heavies in the lineup when no one is aboard, not intentionally, but trying to hit the corners perfectly. Obviously that doesn't happen and I issue some walks but I'm trying not to give them anything in the zone.

@Ryan97:
This is exactly what I'm talking about when I made this post. Excellent info (and the other posts on this page were excellent as well.)

I 'see' what you are saying here. Makes perfect sense. I was doing pretty much what you were laying out. I was trying to change the eye-level of the hitter with my pitches... which wasn't working out well. And I was throwing a lot of pitches down in the zone but when I missed my spot, it was a HR.

I'll focus more on establishing the pitches on the first go round in the order and then change it up more on the second time through.

To all:
A few things I have noticed... Say I'm throwing a 4-seemer, sometimes I'll mis-time the meter but the pitch still goes for a strike, albeit, somewhere other than I had aimed with the ball cursor. The CPU batter will either take the pitch or swing through for a miss. It's like the CPU knows the pitch I'm throwing and the location (you could say..."Well, duh! The buttons mashed input to the computer what the pitch is and where it going!") but since I mis-timed the meter, it automaticallly lays off the pitch because it thinks it's going for a ball or it swings through assuming the pitch is going where it should gone if I did time the meter perfectly.

Very good conversations in this thread. Many thanks for all the advice. By all means, keep it coming.