YCL 2000 AIM Tips & Tricks   

Tip Number 2 - Making sure LMPT uses the desired Lineups and Batting Orders.

Bookmarks on this Tip Page
Which program rules? Advanced Draft or LMPT
CAUTION - Multiple Lineup Listing Tip
What we learn from the Lineup Example
YCL Courtesy Rule #1
YCL Courtesy Rule #2

• Sean Daily's Tutorial Lessons 6,7, and 8 covered how to create and save Lineups in Advanced Draft and LMPT.  The information in this Tip builds on the Tutorials.  You should review the Tutorials and this material until you thoroughly understand the concepts and the mechanics necessary to achieve your desired results.
• Which program rules? Advanced Draft or LMPT.  The Lineups you save in your F-files and transmit to the Commissioner govern what happens when the games are played.  Changes you make in Advanced Draft actually have NO EFFECT on the play of the game ... Don't assume that changes you make to Lineups in Advanced Draft automatically get implemented in LMPT.  If you make that assumption, you will be in for bad surprises!!  What follows is the interplay between the two programs:
  • Roster moves between the Active Roster and the Farm Roster must be made and saved in Advanced Draft before they show up in LMPT
  • Lineups saved in Advanced Draft become available "templates" for use in LMPT.  Roster changes made in Advanced Draft may or may not invalidate Game Lineups previously saved in LMPT.
  • Nothing done in Advanced Draft carries over to the rest of the league until you make the changes in LMPT and create a new F-file and transmit that F-file to the Commissioner to be incorporated in his next C-file.  When each team loads that C-file, the changes you made and saved to your F-file will be incorporated into each team's Organization.
  • Pitching rotations can only be assigned in LMPT.  Advanced Draft has NOTHING to do with them.
  • Until you actually select and assign vs. RHP and vs. LHP Lineups in the Dialog box of LMPT (regardless of how many "lineup templates" are available for assignment), your F-file will not contain ANY lineups for the game to use.  If your F-file goes out that way, LMPT will select all 9 batters and the 8 fielders to be used based on the primary positions and fatigue status of the players on your roster as recorded in the F-file.  See  for an example of what the dialog box looks like with available templates, but no assigned Lineups.  Also note in the example, that no micro manager has been assigned as yet.  You should never save and send out an F-file in this condition.
  • The next example screen shows the "Edit Lineups" dialog box in LMPT.  This is where you "inspect" the templates imported from Advanced Draft and where you "bench" selected players and starting pitchers and save them under a Lineup name.  You can save them under the same name as the template or use the "Save As" to save them under a different name.  If you want to be absolutely certain that your micromanager will not use one of your starting rotation pitchers in relief, this is where you "bench" each starter and save the benched condition with the Lineup name.   See and notice that the "saved condition indicator" is green.  That indicates that I've saved the "benchings" under the Lineup name. If I hadn't yet re-saved the template, but had "benched" the pitchers, that indicator light would be red.  Also note under the highlighted Lineup's name the fact that there are 5 benched players shows up.  There is no such indication under the other templates visible in the list box ... that means I haven't re-saved them to incorporate the benchings as yet.  Note:  Version 5.75 of LMPT does not include automatic benching of the starting rotation.  If you don't "force" the benchings by saving them with your Lineups, it is possible that your micromanager might use them in relief roles.
  • The next example screen shows the main Lineups, Rotations dialog box after I've saved some "benched" Lineups and assigned a vs. RHP and vs. LHP and a micromanager.  See and note that when the micromanager was assigned, an "Auto" indicator with a dot in it has appeared on the screen.  Also, note that the number of benched players included with each of the assigned lineups appears under the Lineup name in each of the "vs." sub-windows.  (The reason for the "Incomplete" notation is that no specific pitcher has been saved with either Lineup.)
  • The dialog box, in the condition of the last example, is suitable for saving and incorporating into an F-file.  As it is, the pitchers will cycle through in the rotation order and the vs. RHP lineup will be used for all games against RHP and the vs. LHP lineup will be used for all games against LHP --- provided that none of the players in those lineups turn up Tired, Bushed, or Worn Out prior to the start of any game.  If any player does show up in one of those statuses, LMPT will substitute a player with an appropriate position rating and shuffle to batting order based on what it thinks is the best order to use.

  The next several paragraphs are reproduced from the "Help on League Play" in LMPT.  They introduce and explain the pertinent concepts.

  1. Lineup
     
     The nine (or ten in a DH league) players assigned to be active in a prospective game of Baseball. A proper lineup includes a player for each of the nine defensive positions. If a player is assigned to be the DH, then the lineup must include a pitcher in the tenth position. Note that lineups can be created and saved that are "incomplete" in the sense that they may contain players at all positions but pitcher. Benched players are associated with specific lineups. Lineups may be edited and saved in Draft from Team Lineup Edit window or from the Pankin Optimizer Edit window, and in League Manager and Baseball in the Team Lineup Edit window. Also see batting order.
  2. Benched
     
     A player on a team roster may be benched in order to keep him from being used in a game. This action is accomplished through the Lineup Edit window. A benched player is treated as if he were an injured player. He is not available for use in a game, even though he is on the roster of the team.
     
     Benched players are associated with saved lineups. Read as, "When {lineup name} is the starting lineup, these benched players are not available as substitutes." Useful for keeping rotation starters from being used in relief, or for resting star players.
  3. Batting order
     
     The order in which players appear in the lineup. The Pankin Optimizer Edit window in Draft is the optimal display for arranging the batting order.
  4. Assign pitchers to games
     
     After choosing the For Team command from the Lineups menu, the display provides for creating a pitching rotation. You can also open this display by double-clicking on the team name in the schedule display. Note the Rotation box in the upper left and the list of roster pitchers in the lower left.
     
     1. Highlight a pitcher's name in the roster by clicking on it.
     
     2A. The easiest method for moving pitchers onto or off of the rotation display is to drag & drop the names. OR,
     
     2B. Click on the Add Pitcher button. The pitcher's name appears in the Rotation list with his rotation number. OR,
     
     2C. An alternative process is to double-click on a pitcher's name. This will add him to the rotation list.
     
     3. If you want to insert a new name in the list, highlight an entry in the Rotation box, and highlight a pitcher's name in the roster, then click on the Add Pitcher button. The new name will be inserted in the highlighted position and the subsequent pitcher names will be moved down in the order.
     
     4. Drop a pitcher from the list by highlighting the entry in the rotation and clicking on the Drop Pitcher button.
     
     Note that you can insert partial or complete lineups in the rotation rather than just pitcher names. You can drag & drop lineups as well as pitchers to the rotation. However, a lineup must contain a pitcher to legally be dropped on the rotation display.
     
     Also note that if you are using A.I.M., then establishing a five man rotation for a team is good practice. While pitchers and lineups can appear many times in the rotation, there should be three, and preferably four, games between pitcher appearances on the rotation schedule so that pitchers will have sufficient time to recover their effectiveness.
  5. Set Rotation
     
     The rotation is the order in which pitchers, and optionally lineups, will be used in a series of games. As games in a season are played, they are numbered consecutively. If you set up a five pitcher rotation, then the number 1 pitcher will pitch games 1, 6, 11, 16, etc. The number 4 pitcher will start games 4, 9, 14, 19, etc. If you decide to associate partial or complete lineups with specific starting pitchers, then the lineup, rather than the pitcher alone, should be entered in the Rotation list. Note that you can assign lineups vs. Right Handers and vs. Left Handers as an alternative to putting lineups in the Rotation list. See Set Lineups below.
     
     The upper left display lists the starting pitcher rotation for this team. Entries in this list can be lineups or they can be individual pitcher names. Note the list of available pitchers in the lower left display, and the list of available lineups in the lower right. Lineups can only be entered in the Rotation list if they include a pitcher.
     
     Each time you open this display, the Rotation is ordered relative to the next game the team is scheduled to play. That is, the #1 pitcher or lineup is always that which is scheduled to appear in the next game for this team. The names that follow are those assigned to subsequent games.
  6. Set Lineups
     
     Lineups can be assigned in two different ways:
     
     1. You can assign lineups for facing pitchers who are right-handed and pitchers who are left-handed. Drag a lineup from the Available Lineups list to the appropriate Lineups vs [pitcher] display. Or you can highlight a named lineup, then click on the Add Lineup button below the appropriate Right Handed or Left Handed display. This lineup appears as the assigned choice for facing this type of pitcher. You may add more than one lineup to either list.
     
     2. You can also insert complete lineups into the Rotation list. The Rotation controls the assignment of pitching starts, but if a partial or complete lineup appears in the Rotation list, then when that pitcher's turn to appear comes up, that lineup will be used in lieu of the choice that would have been taken from the Right Handed/Left Handed assignments. The players in the rotation lineup supersede those players in the same batting order positions from the vs. Right Handers or vs. Left Handers lineup selected. This may require you to further edit the lineup to provide a player at every defensive position. See the section on Set Rotation above for more information.
     
     The lineups cycle through in the order they appear. The Lineup in slot 1 will be used in the next game, the lineup in slot 2 will be used in the 2nd game and so on. Of course, the lineup use is still dependent on the hand of the opposing team's pitcher. For example if you have 3 lineups vs RHP assigned and 3 vs LHP and they are name VRHP1, VRPH2, VRPH3, VLHP1, VLHP2, and VLHP3 and the opponents pitchers are right-left-right here is how the lineups will be used.
     
     Game Hand of Opponent Pitcher Lineup Used
     1 Right Handed VRHP1
     2 Left Handed VLHP2
     3 Right Handed VRHP3

  This is the end of the Help File Text.

  CAUTION: Be very careful when listing multiple lineups under the vs. RHP and vs. LHP columns. When there are multiple lineups in the game slots, the numbers of the games are absolute.  For example, if you list something like the following:   Return to Top of Page

  Lineups vs. Right Handers	Lineups vs. Left Handers	and the actual opponents are:
  1-vs. RHP 7-10Z	1-vs. LHP >=11	1-Juan Pena R10XYZ
  2-vs. RHP 11-12	2-vs. LHP 1-10	2-Randy Johnson L17XYZ
  3.vs. RHP 6-10 no Z	3-	3-Curt Schilling R11YZ
  4.vs. RHP 7-10Z	4-	4-Al Leiter L6Y

  Only in game 1 will you get the desired lineup (vs. RHP 7-10Z) matched against the proper pitching opponent (R10XYZ).  Here's why ... In game 2, you would want your first vs. LHP lineup to be used against Randy Johnson, but that won't happen.  Because there is a vs. LHP lineup in the "game 2" hole, that's the lineup BBWin will use. The game doesn't say "I'll use the first LHP lineup listed;" it says "There is an LHP lineup listed for game 2, so that's the one I'll use.

  In game 3 against the R11YZ, BBWin will use the "3 hole" RHP lineup...since it's there.  It will skip over the "2 hole" RHP lineup because it used the "2-hole" LHP lineup in game 2.  It doesn't matter that Schilling is the second RHP pitching in the series.  You're screwed!!!

  Game 4 (vs. the L6Y) gets the number "1-hole" LHP lineup because, after the "2-hole" LHP lineup is used, BBWin cycles back to the top of the lineup list.

  What we Learn from the Example  - Two things become apparent from this example:

  1. If you want to make more than one road lineup to use against RHP and LHP, you MUST KNOW THE ROTATION AHEAD OF TIME FOR THE OPPONENT FOR THE UPCOMING SERIES FOR WHICH YOU ARE MAKING AN F-FILE
  2. You must be very careful how you list your lineups to assure that they will be matched against the pitchers you want them matched against.   Return to Top of Page

  YCL Courtesy Rule 1.

  When you are going to be the Host for an upcoming series, please send your upcoming opponent your pitching rotation for the next series via e-mail as soon as possible after you receive the Commissioner's C-File with the results of the previous series league activity or make all your roster changes and post your rotation in your results f-file if you have already been the host team.

  YCL Courtesy Rule 2.

  When you are going to be the visiting team for an upcoming series, as soon as you receive the Host team's rotation for the upcoming series, please send your rotation back to him.  That way you can both plan your lineups quickly and accurately and get your F-files back to the Commissioner on-time.

  This concludes AIM Tip#2.

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This page was last updated 08/11/2021 12:42:18 AM by Warren Wool