Warming Up Pitchers? How Long?

[mwjr]

I usually find myself waiting too long or jumping too soon in warming up my pitchers. And when I do I go back and forth to the bullpen to check my reliever's status almost every pitch. So a few questions...

1. Has anyone figured out how long it takes to warm up a pitcher?
2. What are your strategies? Warm them up half inning before?
3. How long before they start to lose their energy warming up?
4. Has anyone determined any harm if you sit a guy down after you've started warming him up? I know in real life managers frown on that sort of thing.

[peigone]

Seriously, I don't think warming them up makes any difference at all. I've been running some pitching tests, and I see no difference when I just bring a reliever in cold.

Maybe more telling: I lowered CPU Stamina ratings to see what the CPU does when its starter runs out of gas in the 3rd inning. The answer: nothing. It just allows the guy to continue pitching, inning after inning, on 0 energy. Apparently it makes no difference whatsoever how warm, cold or full of energy the pitcher is. I certainly never see any difference in the CPU's ability to get the ball over the plate. He doesn't start throwing wild, for example.

[KraZe]

What about injuries? That's the one major thing that would pop into my head about a risk of bringing in a cold pitcher... I normally play My Player mode, so I wouldn't know for sure if it affects it or not.

[peigone]

Quote: Originally Posted by KraZe

What about injuries? That's the one major thing that would pop into my head about a risk of bringing in a cold pitcher.

That could play into it. I always have injuries set to off so I don't know.

[mwjr]

Quote: Originally Posted by peigone

Seriously, I don't think warming them up makes any difference at all. I've been running some pitching tests, and I see no difference when I just bring a reliever in cold.

Hmmm. Might have to try this out and see.

Maybe a stupid question, but do you have Active Bullpen on?

[peigone]

Quote: Originally Posted by mwjr

do you have Active Bullpen on?

No. Also, I use classic pitching, and maybe you'll see a greater loss of control etc. with the other style. But I sure don't have a problem throwing strikes when I bring a pitcher in cold.

The one thing that's difficult to guage is if the CPU is hitting my pitcher more and harder, due to the fact that he's supposedly "cold." But again, from what I've seen, I don't see any increase in the CPU's ability to hit the ball in those instances.

[peigone]

Here's a good find: I just played another few innings against the CPU starter with edited stamina, and I kept track as he tired out over a couple of innings. His pitch speeds dropped as his energy depleted. He started out throwing 90 mph fastballs and 82 mph sliders. By the time he hit 0 energy, his fastball was coming in at 83 mph and his slider at 77 mph.

So it could well be that warming your pitcher up properly insures he's going to be hitting the high end of his pitch speeds when he enters the game. May even affect pitch movement, I don't know as I wasn't watching for that (hard to gauge as well with CPU pitchers).

[Sabo's corked Bat]

until they are green, although its not needed. Must be a bug, since warming them up does absolutely nothing.