Too difficult to pick people off with 1-step leads?

[jyoung]

Has anyone been able to pick off a runner with a 1-step lead online?

I just played a guy who kept taking a 1-step lead at first base with David Ortiz, who has a 1 speed and a 0 steal rating, and I couldn't pick him off, regardless of what type of throw I made to first base.

That was the final straw for me. I've seen this behavior all year where I can never pick off these 1-step lead runners, regardless of how bad their baserunning ratings are, and regardless of if I start my throw over to the bag while the runner is in the process of stepping away from first base.

It seems like timing and ratings don't matter in this scenario. The 1-step lead is too protected in this game IMO.

[countryboy]

When you say one step lead, are you talking about them taking an extra step from the normal lead?

If so then yes I have been able to pick off runners. I just picked off Brandon Phillips in the game I just finished against the Reds. He took an extra step lead and Carlos Martinez was able to pick him off.

I've probably picked off 5 runners this year. I could have more if I would throw over more often.

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by jyoung

It seems like timing and ratings don't matter in this scenario. The 1-step lead is too protected in this game IMO.

Part of it seems tied to if the runner is geared to go or not (queued up a steal). The times where my runners have been caught by the CPU (autobaserunning, though sometimes I'll also take extra leads), it's when I've taken the lead and queued the steal.

If I haven't queued the steal, they seem to get back more often. If they are geared to run, they might get caught flatfooted.

So if the Ortiz player isn't queuing Papi to steal (and he probably isn't), then chances are Papi will keep getting back. He's not looking to go so he's "leaning back" anyway. I think that's how the game is looking at it. If he was queued go, then he's "leaning foward" and that's when he can get caught off guard.

Probably could use tweaking, but that's what I think is happening.

[jyoung]

My main issue is the times where I throw over to a base at the exact same moment that a person is taking their step away from the bag.

That should result in a successful pickoff most of the time. Especially against slower runners.

But the game doesn't punish runners in that situation. The physics of the runner's body aren't being taken into account.

[KBLover]

Quote: Originally Posted by jyoung

My main issue is the times where I throw over to a base at the exact same moment that a person is taking their step away from the bag. That should result in a successful pickoff most of the time. Especially against slower runners. But the game doesn't punish runners in that situation. The physics of the runner's body aren't being taken into account.

I've been trying to find videos of irl pitchers having that kind of timing to where they can have throw on its way to 1B right as the runner starts to take his lead or is walking out his initial lead. From what I can find, most runners are already at their lead distance that they want when the pitcher gets set (perhaps for the reason you just mentioned).

If so, then there's more things not being taken into account here than just the physics you mention...and perhaps that's why the physics you mention isn't been taken literally.

[brifoxdawg]

I have never picked off a runner that has a 1 step lead, but I have been picked off as I am taking that one step lead. The guy I was playing against threw over as my base runner was in the process of taking that one step, so he had to readjust and dive back to the bag. Didn't matter though as he was called out.