Fastball efficiency

[turma]

I'm having this little issue that bugs me in MVP 05 and All-Star difficulty. I don't think the 4 seam fastball serves it's purpose as it's supposed to while it's the most used and common pitch in baseball.

Now the CPU uses it enough against me at bat and I am satisfied with the difficulty and everything it brings to be at bat. I just don't like how it doesn't feel that useful when pitching. The cpu hardly ever misses it when it's in the strike zone, most of the time getting potential base hits, so it's never really my strike out pitch.

To dig deeper I'll tell you something about my pitching preferences, I usually start with a curve, slider or a cutter in the zone to get ahead. If I'm 0-1 or 0-2 my next pitch would a curve/slider/cutter/sinker that would fool the batter to swing and get the strike out. If the count is 2-1, 2-2, 3-1 or 3-2, I never feel comfortable throwing the fastball.

Now many MLB pitchers in real life live and die with their heater, but in MVP fastball pitchers aren't that useful to me, the curveball specialists always perform better with my team. Now I didn't have this problem with pro difficulty, just all-star. I would so much love to be able to use the heater more often.

So, does anyone know how to fix this? Is there something in pitching sequences and methods I should know? Slider changes? Datafile editing?

How much do you use the 4 seamer? Does it work for you and how should it be used to work?

Off topic: Is there any differences in how pitches wear down the pitcher? Like do curveballs eat more stamina than the 4 seamer`s?

[Rags]

it jujst doesn't work....if you throw a 4 seamer on a 0-2 count in the strike zone the other team usually hits it out if you are on MVP difficulty

occasionally you can get fastballs by hitters for the strikeout but not too often

[TwentySeven]

A good thing to try is throw it just out of the strike zone with a 0-2, 1-2, or 2-2 count. They have to chase in case its called strike three, and there is a good chance they will swing and miss. But it has to be barely out of the zone.

[Mobius]

w/ pitchers who have high velocity fastballs on my cardinals fantasy draft team (josh beckett, scott kazmir, jesse crain, papelbon), on 2 strike counts sometimes i try a fastball high in the zone but way inside. sometimes, the hitters will swing through these fastballs and it is very satisfying. this is much like getting hitters to chase high fastballs because the hitter sees the high fastball so well but often can't catch up to it.

you can probably edit the cpu swing frequency or the cpu contact in the sliders and it might help to fix your problem

[turma]

I hope so. I've really been messing with my sliders. I still haven't got to datafile editing myself, maybe that could help. As I mentioned I have problems using the fastball only at All-Star difficulty and especially as a strike out-pitch.

[pdub]

There is one particular setting that I tried once in the datafile. It turns the fastball in to the mean pitch it should be. It allows pitchers whose main pitch is the fastball, but not a real intimidating one, to still get swinging and looking strikes. It makes the game a little bit easier though.

datafile line: 0x751d920f which is the <cpubatter> line.

The number of the value is "4" so change the number after 4. It should look like - ;3 0.5;4 0.2(or another number)

There is a value called FBPitchPathErr. It means Fastball Pitch Path Error. If you increase it, you will get more efficiency out of your fastball.

I had the same problem as you, then I discovered it. It was at 0.2 and I changed it to 0.5.

The number 3 value on this line is PitchPathErr which is for all other pitches.

[turma]

What datafile do you have installed before that? Because I'm having trouble editing the files, or not editing, compressing to be exact... the program meant to do it appears to do it but doesn't. Any help on that? Or can you send me your datafile, if it's not too much trouble?

[jxtuoleafs]

My recommendation for proper fastball use is unless you have 2 strikes on the hitter, I never try and throw a fastball up (I play on MVP), unless they have serious cold zones up there. Paint the lower corners with the fastball, and I've seen the CPU take quite a few (although I have played with pitch meter and CPU swing sliders)...

[bizzyth]

yeah that works for me as well ^

[pdub]

What datafile do you have installed before that? Because I'm having trouble editing the files, or not editing, compressing to be exact... the program meant to do it appears to do it but doesn't. Any help on that? Or can you send me your datafile, if it's not too much trouble?

I have DFCompUtil for decompressing/compressing the datafile in the "data" directory along with the datafile.txt. I've never had a problem with it. Maybe you should make sure your datafile.txt and that the DFCompUtil are in the data directory.

[AcousticNut]

I too try to use the high strike as a 'strike out pitch' with my heater guys, and haven't really noticed the fastball issues that you're stating. Of course, I always try to throw my fastballs just outside the zone so that solid contact can't be made.

In regards to your other question, yes the fastball has less effect on your fatuige than a breaking pitch. I found a line in the datafile where this can be adjusted. Can't remember where it is off the top of my head, but I remember seeing that a change-up has least effect on fatigue whereas a pitch like a screwball will drop your fatigue faster.

[Cash #25]

I've noticed this issue but it was never a real problem until this year when I began using Joel Zumaya. Zoom, as you probably know, is all smoke and fire with the curve thrown in at times. Well, those hitters just teed off on that 102 mph fastball no matter where I put it. What I did was go into his individual ratings. I removed the change (which he doesn't throw, at least not this year) and replaced it with a 2-seam fastball. Then I jacked up the 2-seamer's ratings to match the 4-seamer. This made the hitter have to guess which one was coming and I was able to blow some guys away, while making it still possible to get burned on mistake pitches.

You may or may not like this idea, but it made the game more realistic for me. I think a lot of pitchers have different movement on their heaters and that was my goal.

[pdub]

I've noticed in MVP that when you increase the slider for pitch meter difficulty and decrease pitcher control that the cpu has an easier time making contact and getting basehits. When I first did the datafile tweak, I was getting a good amount of strikeouts, maybe even a bit too many. After making those changes to the sliders so I could walk more batters, I noticed an increase in cpu contact/basehits along with a decrease in stikeouts.

[turma]

I have DFCompUtil for decompressing/compressing the datafile in the "data" directory along with the datafile.txt. I've never had a problem with it. Maybe you should make sure your datafile.txt and that the DFCompUtil are in the data directory.

I will check that, thanks.

Of course I never offer a fastball in the middle of the zone of anything. I tried mixing my pitching sequences and got some good results, but once again in All-Star mode that didn't hold for very long.

In regards to your other question, yes the fastball has less effect on your fatuige than a breaking pitch. I found a line in the datafile where this can be adjusted. Can't remember where it is off the top of my head, but I remember seeing that a change-up has least effect on fatigue whereas a pitch like a screwball will drop your fatigue faster.

Wow, they have thought about almost anything in this game.

[turma]

There is one particular setting that I tried once in the datafile. It turns the fastball in to the mean pitch it should be. It allows pitchers whose main pitch is the fastball, but not a real intimidating one, to still get swinging and looking strikes. It makes the game a little bit easier though.

datafile line: 0x751d920f which is the <cpubatter> line.

The number of the value is "4" so change the number after 4. It should look like - ;3 0.5;4 0.2(or another number)

There is a value called FBPitchPathErr. It means Fastball Pitch Path Error. If you increase it, you will get more efficiency out of your fastball.

I had the same problem as you, then I discovered it. It was at 0.2 and I changed it to 0.5.

The number 3 value on this line is PitchPathErr which is for all other pitches.

You mean this line?

0x751d920f 40<cpubatter>;0;1 3.00;2 10.0;3 0.40;4 [b]0.10[/b]

The bold one I should edit? I did that couple of times and now I have the DFCompUtil in my DATA folder, but... the utility won't compress the datafile! EVery time I decompress, edit and save the datafileedit.txt and compress it back to datafile.txt, it won't do it. It shows the process and seems to do it but when I recompress it again it has the default values + the modified date doesn't change. Any help on that?

[pdub]

Maybe you didn't set the default datafile.txt location correctly. If you did, then use eazip. You need to open a commandprompt to use it.

Compressing - "eazip -c datafile.txt"

Decompressing - "eazip -u datafile.txt"

[turma]

Ok, thanks a lot. Will try that.

[turma]

It worked, thanks. Now I just have to start testing.

[boulet430]

Turma keep us posted on your results. If it works out, maybe you could post your datafile?

[turma]

Well on the basis on three full games I have to say I was timely impressed, I might just tweak it a little bit and of course test more.

I felt much more comfortable throwing the heat with A.J. Burnett. Now I still and ever won't throw in the middle of the strike zone, I just throw the heater more often now, like in real life.

[cybernetic]

Really you have to think about it like a real game when you play on MVP (and possibly All-Star).. in a real game would the pitcher throw a fastball right down the middle (intentionally) and expect it not to get hammered? Usually what I do is this:

first pitch I throw a fastball low and paint the corner

2nd I used a slider (or some other off-speed pitch) that breaks just off the plate and either force them to groundout/popup or swing and miss then I finish them off with a slower breaking pitch like a curve ball for the K.. although they don't always chase so I have to throw inside and mix up pitches as well.. a lot of the time I will throw a cutter inside to set up the slider away or splitter away.. something along those lines.. never throw a strike when you have two strikes or even something just outside.. try to go pretty far off the plate.. I find a curve low and about half way between the bottom of the zone and the ground will get the batter quite a lot of the time but you have to be very accurate in the pitch meter to get them to chase it. Also from time to time I will paint the inside corner with a fastball but only after I've thrown a lot of pitches and they aren't biting.. if the guy has a very hard fastball you can get them out from time to time by throwing up and just above the strikezone but don't do it too often or they will expect it.

[turma]

Hey as I expressed myself already, I only have a problem with fastball pitchers. Think about Billy Wagner for example. The game with it's default settings forces you to use the breaking pitches more often than fastballs. Now I won't offer fastballs all the time, I seldomly do. That's something I'd like to change since in real life pitchers depend on their fastballs more.

[cybernetic]

If they are a harder thrower they usually do but the majority of pitchers probably throw 50-60% fastballs and have to mix in a lot of breaking pitches because tehy don't throw very hard and can't throw it by hitters

[boulet430]

If they are a harder thrower they usually do but the majority of pitchers probably throw 50-60% fastballs and have to mix in a lot of breaking pitches because tehy don't throw very hard and can't throw it by hitters

Eh...even guys like Mussina rely on their fastball to setup their other pitches. I'm not sure there is a pitcher in baseball who doesn't throw more fastballs than anything else.

Turma, what did you adjust it to? Are you seeing more strikeouts or just weekly hit balls?

[TwentySeven]

Eh...even guys like Mussina rely on their fastball to setup their other pitches. I'm not sure there is a pitcher in baseball who doesn't throw more fastballs than anything else.

Turma, what did you adjust it to? Are you seeing more strikeouts or just weekly hit balls?

Mariano Rivera throws mostly cutters. I guess thats a sort of fastball, because its actually a 'cut fastball'.