A back-to-basics q about stealing...

[bogusotis]

Is there a quick and dirty way I can reduce the number of scrubs (on my team and otherwise) that successfully steal, or for that matter, TRY and steal third base WITHOUT reducing the number of attempts and successes at second base.

I find the stealing second engine to be pretty accurate...but I have 70 and 80 speed guys digging for third base (and mostly making it) way too much regardless of the catcher's throwing rating. Be it Ivan Rodriguez all the way down to the Mike Piazza and Matt LeCroys of the world...it shouldn't happen that much.

BTW I am simming games in general manager mode one game at a time for the most part.

[ohms_law]

For your team, just reduce steal bases setting in strategies. I think you can adjust it overall somewhat, by adjusting the Stolen Bases setting in League -> Simulation Settings.

[HoustonGM]

I don't think he wants to do that though. He doesn't want to reduce his overall stolen base attempts, just hit attempts at 3rd base, which there's no way to currently do.

[bogusotis]

Yeah, that's the rub, Ohms.

I think attempts at 2nd are fine and dandy.

I'd almost call it a semi-bug-something-to-fix-in-2008-or-2009 thing, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of complaining about it.

In my league guys with speed 70's and 80's get on base and then *CLICK * CLICK they're standing on third. It should be rare enough an event I don't notice it as a problem...but I've seen it a few times too many.

On the other hand, perhaps Ohms might be suggesting that I can dither down the league sim settings slowly to a critical point where I don't see the 3rd base problem and the 2nd base attempts aren't noticably impaired. With any luck the league settings don't treat 2nd and 3rd base steal attempts equally.

Short of that I guess I'll A) live with it, B) find like-minded people and campaign for a look at it in the 2009 Beta series, or C) create a bunch of "bogus" user names and fake a bunch of "I've noticed that, too" posts

Don't worry, C is not a real option

[ohms_law]

Yes, I know (and I agree, there should be some control over attempts to third vs. attempts to second. There is in BBMO, after all). However, since there isn't a direct way to reduce stolen base attempts to third, slightly reducing stolen base attempts overall will drastically reduce the number of attempts to third, and slightly reduce the number to second. Try something like -20% at first.

One good way to test it is to sim a whole season. Be sure that save all box scores and recaps is on. Then, output all the boxes and recaps. Now, you can use windows search to search the text in the files for "steals third" (or whatever the phrases actually are). That info (the number attempted) is important if you'd really like to see a change.

[bogusotis]

Fantastic idea!!!

I love these boards...I don't have to have a big brain to get something done.