Wow. I need desparate help for MVP 2005...

[SlammySammy2121]

Alright, so when I stopped my Cubs chise here, I was 4-2.....I am now 8-18.

I am having so many problems hitting and pitching...

Prior is 0-4...Mad Dog 2-2...Wood 1-3?...Zambrano 1-2....but Rusch one of my relievers, now my like 6th pitcher in the 5th spot in the rotation, is 2-0 (in relief situations)

(All-Star With Pared from GameFAQs's sliders)

I can't throw a slider...a fastball...hell I can't throw anything without giving up a home run. I know you aren't gonna get 15 K/2 H/0 R/CG's every time, but it would be nice, to have that 0 R stat in there.

I was just playing..and I lost 14-1, gave up 5 runs in the 8th...and Prior started, it would of made him 0-5, had I not turned the game off, after already losing 3-0 in the next game by the 3rd inning.

I need desparate help with everything pitching wise. I am playing with Ronny Cedeno at Short and Hairston in Left....

Injuries this season...
Derrek Lee-8 Days (Opening Day-2nd Inning (on a dive attempt); healthy)
Todd Hollandsworth (2)-7 Days (Both just jumping up onto the wall, to go for a home run; strained rib cage; currently out)
Nomar Garciaparra-6 Days (On a slide into 2nd; currently out)

And I have gone for 2 people, by trades...Stephen Randolph, immediately sent him down to AAA....and Lee Jones (game-created young pitcher) was the one who gave up those 5 runs in that 8th inning, where he struck out his first batter, and popped Carlos Lee up, but did some horrendous things after that.

I need help hitting wise and pitching wise.

Hitting-Strikeout and Groundout a lot
Pitching-Sliders/Fastballs/Splitfingers are drilled all the time, where to pitch them for left/right hitters by left/right pitching.

And I sit in dead last in the NL Central 8.5 out of First.

[morganeffect]

Wow man, you are in desperate need of help.

The best thing I can tell you with hitting is be PATIENT. Maybe raise the cpu ball rate a little, and just be patient (I know it gets annoying). They will throw you something to hit, even though your not going to get a hit everytime.

As for pitching, it's all about the corners. If you can mix up that pitch selection and hit them corners you will be fine. Here is a little stratagy I use for pitching.

I usually start them out with a fastball or changeup (low and away). Then if that pitch was a ball, come back with a fastball (middle away). If the first pitch was a strike, you could throw another fastball, but a cutter or slider works good here. If the second pitch is a ball then do the same thing as if the first was a ball. Finally, the best strikeout pitch to me is a 0-2 sinker low and away outside the strike zone. Gets them everytime. Also you might want to turn their swing rate down a little.

Don't be afraid to throw balls. I usually throw at least 1-2 every batter. Don't worry about a pitchers fatigue; the Cubs have a decent pin.

So try these hints out, maybe they will work.

[jxtuoleafs]

Don't touch the sliders, that's just cheap.

It's all about patience while hitting at the plate (don't be afraid to take), and work your counts when you're pitching. Unless you have someone who is absolute lights out in mvp like Roy Halladay (that's right), 3 straight strikes probably won't get the job done. Mix 'em up by throwing balls. Whenever you're waaay up in the count especially (up 0-2, 1-2, etc...), then throw a ball as well. The CPU with Pared's sliders loooove to chase.

Good luck. I enjoy your dynasty, so hopefully you get caught up.

[SlammySammy2121]

Well, I am not writing my dynasty down, I am just playing it. I'm done doing it on here. Anywho, I did the sliders, to give it a more realistic feel, like the speeds, and everything else, that is the only thing, I just copy them down, and don't mess with them, after that.

And ironically, Roy Halladay got injured in about the 3rd week of April and is done for the whole season...sorry bud...haha

[jxtuoleafs]

slammysammy2121 said:

And ironically, Roy Halladay got injured in about the 3rd week of April and is done for the whole season...sorry bud...haha

Not exactly.

Halladay went down July 8th after posting incredible numbers, pitching 4 complete games, and was about 5 days away from starting in the all-star game.

No question if he had stayed healthy, he would've won the Cy Young.

[Colossus Burgers]

Erm, sliders aren't cheap. Now, if you set it so you have a advantage in every way. If you use it for strictly more realism, there's nothing cheap about it.

[McGahee]

morganeffect said:

Wow man, you are in desperate need of help.

The best thing I can tell you with hitting is be PATIENT. Maybe raise the cpu ball rate a little, and just be patient (I know it gets annoying). They will throw you something to hit, even though your not going to get a hit everytime.

Ah, so you tell him first to raise the sliders so it's easy without needing skills. Great way to start!!

As for pitching, it's all about the corners. If you can mix up that pitch selection and hit them corners you will be fine. Here is a little stratagy I use for pitching.

I usually start them out with a fastball or changeup (low and away). Then if that pitch was a ball, come back with a fastball (middle away). If the first pitch was a strike, you could throw another fastball, but a cutter or slider works good here. If the second pitch is a ball then do the same thing as if the first was a ball. Finally, the best strikeout pitch to me is a 0-2 sinker low and away outside the strike zone. Gets them everytime. Also you might want to turn their swing rate down a little.

Don't be afraid to throw balls. I usually throw at least 1-2 every batter. Don't worry about a pitchers fatigue; the Cubs have a decent pin.

Oh, so you assumed that Sammy wasn't smart enough to know where you're supposed to pitch the ball. Pitching down the middle seemed like a good idea in theory...

So try these hints out, maybe they will work.

Yes, he should definitely try these hints. Changing sliders and using rudimentary pitching strategies. We're lucky to have you here with your vast knowledge of mastering baseball video games...

[Jami]

Maybe the Cubs just stink.

When I used Pared's sliders I found that I had to decrease the CPU power just a little bit, since I was having Caesar Izturis hitting 500 foot bombs off of pitches out of the strike zone.

[SlammySammy2121]

jxtuoleafs said:

slammysammy2121 said:

And ironically, Roy Halladay got injured in about the 3rd week of April and is done for the whole season...sorry bud...haha

Not exactly.

Halladay went down July 8th after posting incredible numbers, pitching 4 complete games, and was about 5 days away from starting in the all-star game.

No question if he had stayed healthy, he would've won the Cy Young.

I wasn't talking about him in the game and real life, I was just saying that, because you mentioned Halladay. Sorry to confuse you with real life.

[jxtuoleafs]

Ooooh, so...he was injured in your game? I get it! Haha, my bad. I got pretty defensive there.

[morganeffect]

mcgahee26 said:

morganeffect said:

Wow man, you are in desperate need of help.

The best thing I can tell you with hitting is be PATIENT. Maybe raise the cpu ball rate a little, and just be patient (I know it gets annoying). They will throw you something to hit, even though your not going to get a hit everytime.

Ah, so you tell him first to raise the sliders so it's easy without needing skills. Great way to start!!



Oh, so you assumed that Sammy wasn't smart enough to know where you're supposed to pitch the ball. Pitching down the middle seemed like a good idea in theory...

So try these hints out, maybe they will work.

Yes, he should definitely try these hints. Changing sliders and using rudimentary pitching strategies. We're lucky to have you here with your vast knowledge of mastering baseball video games...

No just to let you know, with my sliders it takes a LOT of skill, and patience. If you could see my sliders then you might know what I was talking about.

Just because you raise the ball rate, doesn't mean it's easier. I usually average 1-2 walks a game, and if im facing someone like R.Johnson, he will usually get around 5-9 K's a game.

[SlammySammy2121]

it's worst now...I am 9-27 right now...I got Juan Pierre to relate with real life (Mitre, 2 other minor league pitchers)....right now, in game 2 against the Nats, losing 7-2...

Ok, game 3 against the Mets...up by 1...Dempster blows save #305213205953, I lose 6-4, due to a 2 run home run.

Game 1 against the Nats. up 4-3. I try Wuertz as my closer, bases get juiced, they drill it deep left center off the wall...I lose 5-4. I am getting so f'ing pissed at this game, because I can't win or save a game if my freaking life depended on it. Yet, I still want to keep trying, but right now, my May record is 1-11.

And I don't want to trade for anybody, because I would find that cheap. I want the deals to come to me.

So frustrating....

[jxtuoleafs]

Keep at it. If you're only in may, a winning streak can turn your season right around. Might I suggest looking around the free agency market...in dynasties I've done in the past, there are usually some decent relief pitchers in the first few months of year one. Billy Koch should be out there unless he was claimed. He gets terrible after season 1, but isn't a bad option early on.

[littlet826]

Look at the trade block also. If there is any semi-decent pitchers there go after them. That's not cheap at all, it's smart.

As for playing, when your in a slump as it seems you are the best way to get out is to play small ball. Play for every run you can get. Meaning sac bunts, hit-runs, trying to hit ground balls opposite field, all the little fundamentals of the game. Once you start to produce runs all the homers, and extra base hits will just cushon your lead.

When it comes to pitching you can't really do more than jxtuoleafs said. Mix up pitches. Don't always throw first pitch fastballs. Be adventerous with it. If you have to, maybe throw a curveball a little off the plate first pitch to see if he'll chase. When you do get ahead in the count take advantage of it. Go inside, inside, inside, and then throw a slider off the plate. Things like that really mess with hitters heads. When things call for sesperate measures there is nothing wrong with throwing a fastball high and tight and then a changeup low and away.

Basically just keep experimenting until you find something that fits your playing style. Hopes this helps you.

[SlammySammy2121]

Well, I lost that game against the Nationals (Game 2), and I lost Game 3..so that would be 9-29. Then I play the White Sox....well, I have some good news...I started off with a 2-0 win and a Glendon Rusch CG SHO. Barrett hit that home run, for his 2nd of the year. Game 2, Barrett hit another one, but we lost 6-4. Game 3...oh boy...Mark Prior's turn, who started 0-5, and is now 2-5...Barrett hits two Home Runs (5) for a 5 RBI day, and now leads the team in Ribbys and we end up winning 7-1 or something. Prior is 3-5 now. I am about 13.0 back I think, but hopefully, it wasn't just the team I was playing, being they are in the top of the AL Central, I believe. But I do play the divisions leader of my division next against the Astros at home. So if I win that series it will push me up.

Any more tips would be welcomed...thanks a lot.