Why can't I pitch with Mariano Rivera, please help me

[Yankees2009Champs]

Ok I realize this might be taken as venting but I cannot for the life of me pitch with Mariano Rivera and need some help. This guy has the best ratings for a closer and yet I give up extra base hits like his name is Bob Wickman.

Today I go in there against the A's playing my franchise game. 3-0 Yankees, time to call in Rivera for the ninth. Comes in to Metallica, man I'm ready to go but lets get in some warm up pitches to make sure his pitches all have high confidence. Boom, OK, ready to pitch. Check his confidence, over 3/4. First batter, Josh Willingham, great hitter, got to be careful, A.I. says go with a high cutter at shoulders level. Now I've already heard to ignore the A.I. catcher because the A.I. hitter is usually looking in those places. High cutter sounds stupid, that's his hot zone. So, first pitch I decide on a low cutter, inside, and in his cold zone and he promptly laughs in my face and takes it out of the park for a HR. One pitch, see ya Mo. Boone Logan comes in and gets the save.

I realize Rivera can have some bad days but let me post his stats for me in 2011 thus far:

44 GM, 1-4 W/L, 4.05 E.R.A., 32 SV, 6 Blown Saves, 21 Earned Runs and 7 HR in only 46 innings pitched.

Last year in the Show 10 with Rivera:
61 GM, 2-3 W/L, 3.81 E.R.A., 44 SV

So please somebody for the life of me tell me what am I doing wrong. This is a trend. I'm about to do the unthinkable and make David Robertson or Rafael Soriano the closer.

[dj will]

Re: Why can't I pitch with Mariano Rivera, please help me

Well for me this has happened also that he has his bad days, but the trick that I did was that I turned off the catcher suggestions and I go with my own judgement, I avoid the AI's hotzones and I usually throw a lot of high inside cutters, this way their bats break, I guess the trick that I use is that I keep throwing cutters that go out of the strike zone and then finish them off with a low 2 seam.

I hope this can help you because I know exactly what you are talking about, everytime I have a 1 run game and I bring him in he always blows it, thats why I only use him when its a 2 run lead or 3

[Yankees2009Champs]

Re: Why can't I pitch with Mariano Rivera, please help me

Well for me this has happened also that he has his bad days, but the trick that I did was that I turned off the catcher suggestions and I go with my own judgement, I avoid the AI's hotzones and I usually throw a lot of high inside cutters, this way their bats break, I guess the trick that I use is that I keep throwing cutters that go out of the strike zone and then finish them off with a low 2 seam.

I hope this can help you because I know exactly what you are talking about, everytime I have a 1 run game and I bring him in he always blows it, thats why I only use him when its a 2 run lead or 3

I'll definitly try that, but that's the kind of pitch Willingham crushed.

Is this how the greatest relief pitcher EVER is treated?

[Vashyron.]

Re: Why can't I pitch with Mariano Rivera, please help me

At least for me, Mariano Rivera is one of the easiest pitchers to hit in the game because he's a one speed pitcher. I laugh at anyone that brings him in for a save in a close online game, I don't know how many times I've beaten the Yankees late over the years thanks to Rivera.

I would suggest mainly throwing the 2-seamers and cutters as the opposite movement might be able to mess up the CPU. I noticed both cutters and 2-seamers low in the zone are great overall pitches (use the 4-seamer when you wanna go up), 2-seamers low and in to righties are almost always money, same with 2-seamers low and away to lefties.

[dj will]

Re: Why can't I pitch with Mariano Rivera, please help me

At least for me, Mariano Rivera is one of the easiest pitchers to hit in the game because he's a one speed pitcher. I laugh at anyone that brings him in for a save in a close online game, I don't know how many times I've beaten the Yankees late over the years thanks to Rivera.

I would suggest mainly throwing the 2-seamers and cutters as the opposite movement might be able to mess up the CPU. I noticed both cutters and 2-seamers low in the zone are great overall pitches (use the 4-seamer when you wanna go up), 2-seamers low and in to righties are almost always money, same with 2-seamers low and away to lefties.

good advice, thanks for helping us lol, maybe now I can maybe use him in a 1 run lead

[Vashyron.]

Re: Why can't I pitch with Mariano Rivera, please help me

good advice, thanks for helping us lol, maybe now I can maybe use him in a 1 run lead

Sorry for contradicting your high cutter advice, but you can throw it low without good location and get away with it. You can throw it pretty much at any height with good horizontal location where it just breaks out of (or into) the strike zone. I rarely go for the front door with breaking pitches because I'm not confident enough to throw them as I'm afraid I'll miss over the plate.

[Based Doc]

Re: Why can't I pitch with Mariano Rivera, please help me

good advice, thanks for helping us lol, maybe now I can maybe use him in a 1 run lead

One thing might be to set everything to legend and go against rivera. See how the CPU uses him. As the other poster suggested, go with 2-seam/cutter low and then fling a 95mph heater up high. Been struck out by him many a time with that combo.

[The Frankman]

Re: Why can't I pitch with Mariano Rivera, please help me

One speed hard throwers the CPU will eat up. It's easier for the CPU to lock in on your timing and with harder throwers usually having limited movement on their pitchers it's a struggle. I use Bobby Parnell in the 8th and his ERA is nearing 5 as a result of using alot of fastballs initially with him. Also keep into account the CPU late-inning AI keys into suspected patterns much quicker to the point of guessing, so it's easier if you can fool them by throwing off their timing.

It's nuts, it's easier to use Jason Isringhausen than Parnell as my closer.

[Rob_NYY]

Re: Why can't I pitch with Mariano Rivera, please help me

I rarely throw the cutter with Mariano, it always seems to get crushed and this is going back to MLB 09. If I try and jam lefties inside with cutters they always knock doubles down the lines and homers off of me. I mainly just stick with the 4-seam and 2-seam FB and do alright. But Mariano in The Show is NOTHING like his real-life counterpart. Hitters get way too much good wood on Mo's cutter, even if you start it in the zone and have it move inside to lefties, they crush it foul. I even cheated and maxed out the stats on his cutter's movement and control, AI batter still hit it hard way too often.

Mariano is one of a kind. Hitters know what speed he is going to throw, they know what pitch he is going to throw, and most times they know location, yet they cannot hit him. The Show has no way of reproducing that.

[nomo17k]

Re: Why can't I pitch with Mariano Rivera, please help me

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/04/ma...4Rivera-t.html

apparently he's very good at pitching to the black.

[Yankees2009Champs]

Re: Why can't I pitch with Mariano Rivera, please help me

I don't know of a better definition of the most clutch situation in BB than the bottom of the 9th of game 7 in the WS...his 1 opportunity failed!! Not to mention he was in his prime, but he did strike out the side in the 8th! Yes, many many players and individuals in BB agree his stuff is amazing and the guy to go to...just pointing out a simple fact and 1 (key) opportunity.

Anyway, there is a lot to be said about pitchers that have ~same speed pitches and Timing has a lot to do with success in The Show when it comes to hitting. Also, pitchers that have very good control, have pitches that have better opportunity to 'hit' the specific locations you are pitching to...pitches w/ less control can aim for those spots and miss to a larger degree...if the CPU is swinging for a corner and the pitch misses outside/inside, the contact will not be as good.

One thing you can do is add a Slider to his repertoire (or another pitch) that changes the speed and has ~similar movement and you can use that to help with the Timing issue. If you can add a Slider that has little break and lower / different speed than the Cutter, it gives you the opportunity to 'change speeds' with a pitch similar. Technically the speed / movement is not the same with ever Cutter thrown IRL and that helps with the success of that pitch.

Ok, I stopped reading after you said he blew one key situation.

Are you familiar with Mariano Rivera? He is referred to as the Hammer of God? (soon-to-be) All time leader in saves? 5 time World Series Champion? 4 times it was him that closed it out? You're going to refer, with all due respect, a roided up guy who hit a bloop single as him not being clutch? In the words of a famous Jim Rome caller;"you're not helping em, you're hurting em, and you shouldn't be posting that stuff on here."

(I improvised a little)

[Rob_NYY]

Re: Why can't I pitch with Mariano Rivera, please help me

I read all of that and I still don't understand the point you are trying to make. All Yankees2009Champs is saying is that Mariano is very hittable in MLB The Show. This should not be the case because in real life he is not.

I hope you realize this is a video game forum. If you want to write an 800-word paper on how Mariano is not as good as people believe he is, do it here.

[Yankees2009Champs]

Re: Why can't I pitch with Mariano Rivera, please help me

1st sentence - that's a 'you' problem...and if you don't like it, no one forced you to read it and especially, not to comment on it.

Mariano is very hittable in MLB The Show - umm yes, it's BB...so the game makers are suppose to create special players who can never do wrong..no matter how someone may have control on them...wow, kinda sounds like the conspiracy of the CPU decides the outcome of the game and nothing anyone can do to change an outcome..I certainly don't want to play a BB simulation like that...but maybe make a list and request there's special players that can have no flaws.

ohh, and the original comment that was taken so offensively by Yankees2009champs, was a statement that in fact he does give up hits and get losses. If you do not believe this fact as well, do a search and look up his career stats..he does in fact, give up hits. Also, I did mention the possible and very plausible explanation as to why this happens in The Show. And finally, gave advice how to possibly deal with this.

If the following is not a direct condescending response as well as clearly asking ?s, in which I answered, then I don't know what is...BTW, this behavior is not the first time this user has done this (and I'll add hypocritically):



Ohh and could you take 1 guess as to the user who wrote the following? i.e., where I can make a bold statement as to hypocritical behavior.



And finally..here's a simple look-up of the word hypocrisy..maybe you can see how this relates to your reply....feigned high principles: the false claim to or pretense of having admirable principles, beliefs, or feelings...i.e., It would be sheer hypocrisy for them to turn around and do what they criticize in others.

Seriously, all you are doing is coming into my thread and trying to stir up trouble. Quit hating, if you think Rivera sucks whatever man. This isn't the thread for that as was said earlier. This is a video game thread.

I'm trying to find the reason why I can't pitch with the guy. These guys have helped out, you came in here hating on the greatest postseason pitcher of all time, reminding me about how he blew one postseason save, telling me I should add a slider???!! How is that information helpful? Quit trying to stir up trouble.

I'm not a hypocrite but when you come in here and act like Rivera is a washed up bum, talking about how he blew one save, I've got to wonder about how credible your advice will be. That is not condescending, it is doing due diligince.

[Mercury53]

Re: Why can't I pitch with Mariano Rivera, please help me

Rivera has blown four saves in the postseason, I can't recall which games, but he blew four during his career. Not that four is terrible, far from it. I think the issue your having is due to the fact that he only throws one speed and typically, in baseball, that shouldn't and doesn't work. If Justin Verlander only threw fastballs, he would be quite hittable, but for some reason, that cutter, in real life, is very hard to square up. The game can't replicate this, so I would say jam people as much as possible and use the four-seam more than the cutter. Hit the corners with the four seamer and work the cutter in on the hands or off the plate. I have issues too with the running fastball and cutter catching too much of the plate. Don't be afraid to throw a lot of pitches and work counts. That's all I can really say. You could always crank that four-seem up to 101 mph and drop the cutter down to like 90???

[Yankees2009Champs]

Re: Why can't I pitch with Mariano Rivera, please help me

Rivera has blown four saves in the postseason, I can't recall which games, but he blew four during his career. Not that four is terrible, far from it. I think the issue your having is due to the fact that he only throws one speed and typically, in baseball, that shouldn't and doesn't work. If Justin Verlander only threw fastballs, he would be quite hittable, but for some reason, that cutter, in real life, is very hard to square up. The game can't replicate this, so I would say jam people as much as possible and use the four-seam more than the cutter. Hit the corners with the four seamer and work the cutter in on the hands or off the plate. I have issues too with the running fastball and cutter catching too much of the plate. Don't be afraid to throw a lot of pitches and work counts. That's all I can really say. You could always crank that four-seem up to 101 mph and drop the cutter down to like 90???

Lol or maybe a 100 mph cutter! Just joking, but I just wish his cutter broke the bats more on the inside cutters. I mean he usually breaks bats. People keep mentioning speed diff, and that must be the common problem.

And guys, I realize Rivera isn't perfect. He's blown saves to the Sox since 05 like clockwork, but the stats I've posted were way too horrible for a guy the calibur of Mo. Thanks everyone, I believe this will help. Or maybe it's time for Boone Logan to be the closer!