Help needed with double switches

[thx1113]

I'm embarrassed about this, but I need to 'fess up and call for help. How the heck do double switches work? In my defence, I'm not from the USA and since discovering baseball a few years back my favourite teams have all been AL - where the double switch is unheard of.

So, for some reason I thought I'd start a Giants season; great, except I cannot get the hand of how, and when, you perform a double switch. I understand why you would want to, but whenever I think 'I should switch now and get that pitcher out as he's due up this inning' the game doesn't give me that option; I only see the double switch option in the bullpen menu at time when I don't think I really want to do that yet...

So clearly, I'm not understanding how the strategy should be timed, or how to do it. Could someone please explain to me how and exactly when you perform double switches in the game? The Giants season depends on you!

Thanks!

[shaunpatrick]

A double switch is basically bringing in another pitcher and a player into the game at the same time, and switching their spots in the line up so the pitcher doesn't have to come to the plate soon.

For example, let's say you have a catcher in the 8 hole, and they make the last out of an inning, leaving the pitcher to lead off the next inning; you would bring in a new catcher, put him in the 9 spot, and then bring in a new pitcher and put him in the 8th spot. This way, you're essentially making your catcher the new lead off guy, and the pitcher would more or less remain your 9 hole hitter.

[thx1113]

Thanks, I appreciate you taking the time to reply, and I get what you're saying, but the mechanics of doing it in the game confuse me.

I need (ideally!) to have a bullpen pitcher warmed up, and sometimes when I go to the bullpen I see the 'double switch' option, but other times I don't, and I'm not sure why that option sometimes isn't available.

Can I only double switch while I'm playing defense? Maybe that's where I'm going wrong, and it's a lack of forward planning on my part.

The other thing I've seen happen is that I can pinch hit for a pitcher who's up to bat, and then at the end of that half-inning I get told that I have a position player on the mound and get the opportunity to replace him with a pitcher - this seems like a 'delayed double switch' to me, and as far as I can tell has the same effect, but it feels wrong..!

Can anyone comment on the 'when' and 'how'?