MLB 11 The Show

[oldskool]

It's US Cellular Field in Chicago. I can't use analog fielding because of having the handicap of having last year's version. I would use analog fielding based on the fact that I do this often: Throws 4 Seam pitch (X), batter grounds out to short, ball is thrown to catcher because X was held down from when pitch was released.

I use analog fielding and do the exact same thing except the pitch type is irrelevant because they all end with the right stick pointing up. Have to make a concerted effort to remember to let go.

 

[Kageho]

Finally got my pitching woes mostly under control so much so that I'm now a happy 11-4 and riding an 8 game winning streak. I've played two bad teams during that winning streak in both Sox teams, but I'm hoping that when I start playing good teams again, like the Yanks, that I'll have won enough that it'll carry over.

BTW, do different catcher's call games differently? It seems that whenever my back up catcher comes in, Dan James, my pitchers responds by pitching a better game. Rzepczynski just pitched 67 times for a 3 hit shut out and also had 10 Ks. So do they?

 

[Master Thrasher]

I was wondering the same thing about the catchers. Sometimes I agree with announcers that I should be throwing low in order to get a double play ball. The catcher usually calls for something up and away.

 

[Kageho]

Oh good, I'm glad to know it wasn't just me noticing that sometimes the catchers are different.

BTW, is it just me, or are curveballs a bitch to throw? I've got a couple of guys who throw them, but I try avoiding those because I'll serve up a fat one if I do.

 

[Cartman]

Throwing a curve in the zone is usually dangerous. I usually try and mix in a couple curves low out of the zone or away from the hitter (Righty vs. Righty) out of zone in hopes for the chase.

 

[Kageho]

I was more meaning, often times, I won't get the curve I want and the game will just cough it up in the zone, instead of say swinging out of the zone on the low end.

 

[Master Thrasher]

So my RTTS infielder is hitting about .180 and can't hit with RISP. The good news is on average I probably strike out once per game. The bad news is I probably ground out, fly out, and get into double plays about times per game.

 

[oldskool]

I hear there's a new patch out; the only fix I've heard is that the knuckleball now moves, and the only problem is that people using the OS rosters can't save franchise/RTTS modes using them.

Then again PSN is still down for me so what do I care?

 

[Master Thrasher]

After not pitching with my starter for a long time, Kenny Powers returned to the mound for the Phillies where he went against the Marlins. He was having a really rough start to the season going 4-6 with a high 4 ERA. Fortune shined on Kenny as he struck out 8 and got his first compete shutout of the series.

 

[Master Thrasher]

I'm getting frustrated with my RTTS batter. I keep flying out deep in the outfield. I really need one to leave the yard soon. When upgrading attributes is it more important to do what the team says first or to increase power, etc.?

 

[Kageho]

If you want to stay on the team in the line and stuff, its a good idea to follow orders, but only to the minimum. Anything else, use to boost contact. While Power is great and all, the better the contact, the better your chances of strike that ball f'n well.

 

[Master Thrasher]

After a bunch of trades in the first season, my RTTS player made it to AAA without deserving it. I thought it would be bad.
My AA stats:
AB Avg. H
373 .198 74

It was better than I thought it would be:
AAA stats:

AB Avg. H
69 .232 16

Now I'm back in AA for my second season.

 

[Master Thrasher]

Does this happen to anyone else? In order to be promoted to the majors, I have to hit over .300 over a certain period of time. Fair enough but it always seems like when they ask for hitting goals, I go on cold streaks. When I get fielding goals, I'll be hitting over .300 and getting extra base hits.

 

[oldskool]

Whenever I get fielding objectives I immediately go out and commit several errors to make that one a sure failure. It's the walk & OBP objectives that get me every time.

 

[Kageho]

So I decided to do my challenge concept for franchise mode. Take a hapless team and build them into a respectable franchise. I took the Pittsburgh Pirates who my have an okay payroll of 60 million, and started working to get them to become a contender. Its kind of what I do when I'm bored.

My second season has seen a really weird turn of events. We went an alright 82-80, since we're a great defensive team. Ranked 5th in the Majors, but offensively, we're ranked like 20th, I believe (and boy, we suck). So imagine my surprise when I look over at the standings and see that I've got a one and done against St. Louis for the division crown.

We beat them and I got my first division crown. Only two seasons in. Weird, because usually when I'm doing a rebuild project, it takes me a few seasons before I get a winning season.

In the NLDS I'm taking on the Mets who a better offense (14th) and slightly worse defense (8th). Just played through both games and couldn't believe how good my defense is. Only allowed 1 run in the first game (3-1). It wasn't a bad game, but it wasn't really good offensively. But in my second game, oh boy. Jesse Litsch, who I picked up last season, allowed only 3 hits in a complete game shut out (5-0).

I'm kinda shocked that I could sweep the Mets. Can I ride this awesome defense all the way? Having only 5 and 8 hits in the first two games kinda makes me wonder...

 

[Mattdotcom]

I'm kinda shocked that I could sweep the Mets.

Don't be so hard on yourself.

 

[Kageho]

I just was expecting more of a fight. Not, "hey, I'll sit on my 1 run lead and ride it to the finish line".

 

[Master Thrasher]

So after hitting over .300 in AAA in the year 2013, I was call up to The Show to play on the NY Mets. I was called up during the middle of interleague week and started against the Angels in Citi Field. I got my first hit off of Tommy Hanson and I had to bat against the Angels' closer, K-Rod. Fernando Rodney is the Mets closer. Also, Cliff Lee and Jayson Werth are on the Phillies. I hit my first home run in Dodgers Stadium against Broxton, who is a middle reliever and not the closer. I'm batting around .200 and I keep lining out to the third baseman.

 

[Kageho]

Okay, I need to ask this. I know that pitchers need to have varying speeds of their pitches to make each pitch work, but how do you go about that? The reason I ask is because I'm having a hard time figuring out how to build that (with created pitchers for Franchise or for RTTS).

Importing saved players is a bitch. If you just try to import it on some silly little character that the game has at the start, it won't load correctly and your efforts will go to waste. To properly import the saved player, you need to first create a new character and then import it on top of that. So very stupid. I should just be able to import them how I like. If I want to take out Artura Ortega, I should be able to do so.

 

[Master Thrasher]

I'm not really sure. Heard if you have a fast ball and then off speed pitches, your fastball won't go as fast. On the inverse, if you have multiple fast pitches and a change up, your change up won't be that slow.

 

[Master Thrasher]

I need help with this. My character gets a hits and arrives safely on base. I have the analog stick held towards the bag because my player can't run. The pitcher steps off the mound and by the time I react I'm out at my original base. Why does my player leave the bag?

 

[Kageho]

If you are at the base you needed to get at, are you holding the analog stick? If not, then its probably a glitch.

If you are talking about taking a few strides to get set to go for the next base, he's picking you off because that's what pitches do, and you need to just react better to being picked off. I've been picked off quite a few times because I wasn't paying close attention to that.

 

[Master Thrasher]

I'm holding the analog stick towards the base because I know if I leave I'll be picked off. It's weird because I will hold the stick towards first and then he'll step off and I'll be a deer in the headlight. Sort of another problem, I'm in the year 2015 and now the game is freezing on occasion. I might have to stop playing with this character soon.

 

[Kageho]

Is that character created before the patch came down? Because if so, you will need to restart because a bug is causing that.

As for the picked off, not much I can help you with unfortunately. You just need to learn to watch.

 

[Master Thrasher]

I'm talking about MLB 10 not the current version. I know I bought '10 late in cycle and I think had all the patches for it.

 

[Kageho]

Oh, I thought you were talking about 11. Sorry, so then anything I just mentioned would unfortunately not apply to you.

 

[Master Thrasher]

Okay I know you can get injured and be forced to retire (at least in '11 from what I read in this thread.) Is there an age where the game forces your RTTS character to retire?

 

[Kageho]

The game's maximum age that you can create a player is 42, so probably around then it'll go "sorry, you must retire".

 

[Master Thrasher]

So I went from MLB to AA in a quarter of season. I was hitting okay in the Majors then I was sent down. The Mets (my team) traded for a 1st baseman, which shifted the depth chart and sent me down to AA. Ugh.

 

[Kageho]

Yeah, unfortunately, those things can happen. Worse is when you are progressing really well in AAA and think you are ready for the call up.

Only thing you can do in those cases is work hard in AA and prove to them that you deserve to get back to AAA.