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The mop-up gets injured. Sparky doesn't take into consideration which pitchers are better than others, at least as I understand "him". He just goes by how you have them designated. Did your mopup reach his pitch count yet?

And, what was the mop up pull's setting? Was it a "1"?

One of things I think would be very helpful for new owners (and heck, even some of us folks who have been here a while) would be a rough algorithm of how Sparky chooses what pitcher to use.

In some cases it's obvious: 9th inning, your team is winning in a save situation, your closer is rested, he's coming in the game.

In many cases it's not obvious: you are losing by 6 runs in the 5th inning, your starter is getting shelled and has reached his pitch count, you have no mop up, both of your Long relievers are fatigued, and every other pitcher is set to come in in the 7th inning or later. No starters have their relief box checked. Who comes in?

If I have time today, I may start a thread and jot down my thoughts based on game experiences as to what Sparky's decision hierarchy is. Hopefully we'll get some other owners "in the know" to weigh in as well.

My mop up has no pitch count and the pull setting is set at "3". My problem is the use of the mop up in this situation. In my mind it's simple - the score has now gotten too close for comfort - pull the mop up and put in a real pitcher......how could Sparky not take into consideration which pitcher is better than others as boogerlips says?......can we not differentiate between a mop up and a non-mop up?

Put a pitch count on your mop-up. It gives Sparky checkpoints to assess the situation. I use stuff like 30 target and 60 max with a 3 pull setting. Once you reach 30 pitches, the likelihood of your mopup getting replaced when he's getting shelled increases greatly.

Also, if you have more than one starter that is at 100%, but your bullpen is fatigued, then you ought to sit down with a calculator and reassess your pitch counts.

The question really is, as MnH stated: How do you define "absolutely needed"?......

My feeling is that I really don't want to bring in tomorrow's starter unless there is truly no one else. Otherwise, that starter would be fatigued when I'm not expecting him to be and I can't swap him out for someone else.

I think Sparky's algorithm is that, assuming there is no one else but the current mop-up guy and tomorrow's starter, that the mop-up guy should be completely used up no matter the game situation and only after he is used up and there is absolutely no one else, then and only then, bring in tomorrow's starter. I personally don't have a problem with that, as long as it's clear that's how it works.

You should always have Jose Oquendo on your bench.

boogerlips - I appreciate the pontification but I am running a small pitching staff with high IP guys.......I use 2 of my starters for relief use on occassion. It shouldn't matter that I have him in my rotation or pen if the checkmark for "use in relief" is ticked. I see this as a very simple issue - mop up guys are used for a reason - to "mop up".......not be in when the game is close and I have a good alternative pitcher waiting in the wings.......it shouldn't matter what settings I put my mop up guy at to enhance my chances of him being pulled. He should be pulled based on the game circumstances not the individual setting circumstances.

bardin - I agree with you - I would rather my mop up be completely used than bring in the next day's starter or you're really leaving yourself open to a chain reaction of fatigue issues.

In my particular case it wasn't the next day starter....maybe I should explain my set up better....

I have 4 sps - sp 1 - 350 ip, sp 2 - 350 ip, sp 3 - 270ip, sp 4 - 270ip....I also have two useable pitchers in my pen....when sp 3 starts I use sp 1 in relief and when sp 4 starts I use sp 2 in relief. when sp 1 and sp 2 start I use my pen. In this particular game sp 4 started, mop up guys followed and sp 2 was ready to go at 100% and was not the next day starter. It is my view that sp 2 should have been brought in once the game was close even though he was the last pitcher available that wasn't fatigued.

also - I'm surprised no one has commented on customer support's response - especially the "It's important to have a rested bullpen for situations like this"......really?....a rested bullpen?....what a novel idea!...and what situation exactly?...a 9 inning game?....a game where I have a big lead and my mop up gives up a ton of runs?...what situation are they talking about exactly?....and the point they are missing is that I had a rested pitcher available to come in and he wasn't used!

If you have a SP at 100%, and he isn't starting the current or next game, then he should be in the bullpen (if you want him used in relief, that is).

I think you're expecting Sparky to do too much of your own thinking. Sparky isn't the "manager" of your team -- you are. Sparky is just a numbers-cruncher for the SIM gods (no offense, Sparky).

It's like being "a little big pregnant" or putting drops of colored dye into a vat of water. Once you have designated a pitcher as a Mop Up with an unlimited pitch count and an "average" pull setting, you have set in motion an entropic series of events that carries through to a logical conclusion for that particular game.

Do you really want Sparky to re-assess the wisdom of designating your pitcher to be a Mop-up with an unlimited PC based on unfolding events and override your own initial decision? You designated your pitcher to come into a "hopelessly lost" game and close it out as the Mopup. Do you really want Sparky to make the determination that the game is no longer "hopelessly lost" and override your initial setting?

You give Sparky both explicit and implicit instructions. When you designate a Mop-up pitcher with unlimited PC, it seems that you're really saying that you want that pitcher to come in and finish up that game, however long it takes, as soon as you're down by whatever number of runs. You're not saying that you want him to finish up the game "unless..."

Under your logic, Sparky would have the ability to override all of our decisions about who we designate to be starters, closers, etc. based on changing events in a way other than according to our own settings, and I don't want him to substitute "his" judgment for mine, however flawed mine may be.

As a relative newbie to WIS who always wants to learn more, I would love to see contrarian23's rough decision hierarchy algorithm if you have time.

One thing I've never been able to find out is this: How far behind do you have to be before it becomes a mop-up situation in Sparky's eyes? If you're 4 runs down, does it bring in SetupA or Mopup? 5 runs? 6?

Does anyone know? I wish this could be decided in a pulldown menu.