Chase emailed me with a good question…
I do have a question (it’s been a number of years since I last ordered a season) … Maddux has some sort of rating “(30)”. I see others with “26”, “28”. These are not master game pitchers ratings. What are these ratings.
I’ve been getting this question a lot lately. If you are wondering too, don’t sweat it. It’s a relatively new feature rolled out by APBA. It hasn’t been adopted by every APBA player (my league hasn’t started using it… yet).
So what exactly is Chase referring to?
Starting Pitching Fatigue Chart
I wrote about the Starting Pitching Fatigue Chart when it was relatively new. Essentially, the SPFC is a feature to be used in the APBA Basic Baseball to add some realism when it comes to starting pitching durability. As starting pitchers’ reach a certain point in a game, their effectiveness lessens. The SPFC aims to reflect this.
How does the SPFC work?
That number at the end of the pitcher’s grade is the BF (Batters Faced) Rating. The higher the number, the more durable he his. In Bob Gibson’s 1968 card above, he has a 34 BFR which is very high. The highest BFR on my current league team is Eduardo Rodriguez’ 25.
The number is not static and can vary from one start to another. Before each game, the manager of each pitcher rolls two dice (in the case of a solo game, the player rolls for both pitchers) then refer to this chart:
Add the two dice and refer to the above chart. The “Adjustment to BFR” will let you know how the BFR will change. Hint: numbers in parenthesis are subtracted from the pitcher’s BF Rating, the others are added.
Once you have each pitcher’s BF Adjusted for the game, play your game normally keeping track of the number of batters faced for each pitcher. Once the number of batters faced in the game equals the Batters Faced Adjusted number, it gets interesting.
Follow these grade adjustments (from APBA’s instructions):
When the number of batters faced equals his BF adjusted total
- Retires the next two batters – reduce pitching grade by one grade
- Retires the next two batters (batters number three and four) – reduce pitching grade by one grade
- any batter reaches base-reduce pitching grade by one grade
- two consecutive batters reach base – reduce pitching grade by three grades
- three consecutive batters reach base- reduce pitching grade to D grade.
- There are no subsequent reductions after pitching grade becomes a D grade
So essentially, it’s a steep down hill once a starting pitching reaches their Batters Faced mark. Even steeper if they let someone on base.
The rules do state that these rules do NOT override the grade advancement rules.
The Grade advancement trumps the Starting Pitcher Fatigue Chart. However, once the starting pitcher allows an earned run, the Starting Pitcher Fatigue Chart is activated.
A couple caveats
So why hasn’t our league adopted the SPFC? We use a player usage limits system (it’s a pretty strict one if you hear Rob Spatz tell it). If we were to take on the Fatigue system, we would have to re-think how we impose limits. Personally, I be open to using the SPFC system in favor of strict games and innings but that would mean a league meeting vote.
Also, please consider that the Starting Pitcher Fatigue Chart system is relatively new. It has been around for four or five years. As a result, older cards will not have the BF rating on pitchers’ cards. Motivated replayers can certainly come up with their own BF ratings if they want to do the math based on their own system.
I hope this helps. Again, you can read APBA official steps on the Starting Pitching Fatigue Chart here. I know this is a new rule and I would like to hear how leagues and replayers have implemented it. Did you make any adjustments or modifications?
While you are at it, stay off my lawn!
Seriously, I get the need for the limitations, but there was a bit of a learning curve when you go from playing in leagues that do not have limitations to one that, should you go over the limit the player gets a (literally) hundred game injury. You in a weird way need to draft guys that do not produce but can eat up innings – not the way I like to play.
Have been using this in my single team season replays. However with an adjustment to the randomization chart. Since statistically, a combined dice roll of 7 is the most probable outcome, a reduction of 4 in the pitcher fatigue rating would be the most likely occurrence. This seems harsh to me. So I use this chart which I “borrowed” from some one who had posted it somewhere. It randomizes linearly off of a 0 adjustment at a combined dice role of 7. I use the rules as published. I do find it adds a little more spice to my replays. Better get the bullpen up early with a (5) adjustment to a B pitcher who has a low fatigue rating to start with!
Roll (Added) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Adjustment (5) (4) (3) (2) (1) 0 1 2 3 4 5
That is exactly what I did. It works out great.
I use the BF number to regulate the usage of my starters and middle relievers. I remove the starter after they completed an inning where he reached the BF number unless he’s throwing a shutout. The BF number is the upper limit for the middle relievers in a 3 game series. I subtract 9 from the BF if he pitched in the previous game or 6 if he pitched 2 days ago. For example, if a pitcher has a rating of 29 and he faced 10 batters in 2 innings in the first game of a series, he would only be able to face 10 batters in game 2 or 13 in game 3, after which he is no longer available.
Dave has a good point. The mean comes out to a reduction of about 0.639 or just a little less than 2/3 of a batter per game. Probably not enough to make a huge difference. I agree with his revision strategy. It has a mean net change of zero. The higher adjustments should be rarer.
Thanks for this article. This is great. I’m not sure how I feel about the Fatigue Chart. I assume general fatigue would have been built into the pitcher’s grade if it takes ERA into account. What is the general feeling about Fatigue Charts? Do people like them?
Do you think there’s a chance that, instead of a fatigue chart, we would ever get pitching grades by innings or blocks of innings? Say, a starter may be rated A for the first three innings and then downgraded to a C for innings 4-6?
That’s a great point.
I never thought about that.
Gonna have to tinker with that one
Does APBA provide a way to calculate a fatigue rating for pitchers from older sets?
Thank you for posting. Like the player above, I was wondering just what the number meant.
Is the SPFC explained in the Basic Manual. I have the Basic (purchased in late 2020), and cannot seem to find an explanation for the SPFC.
And finally, is there a place players can visit to keep current of APBA playing rules updates (like this SPFC)?
Hi Chris,
As far as I know, the SPFC isn’t explained in the booklet. They may be including an insert with details though.
The APBA website did include an announcement at one point but to my knowledge, there isn’t a one-stop page with all updates.
thanks for visiting!
Tom
I have a Grade C pitcher with a SPFC rating of 19. In this particular game, he is throwing a shutout through 5 2/3 innings. However, he is over the limit by 4 batters on the SPFC chart.
He retired batter 21 to begin the inning and I assume he should be downgraded to a Grade D pitcher now. He then retired the next batter, but then gave up a single (it would have been a single for any Grade pitcher) and hit a batter. The dice roll for next batter came up with a play result of 9, which would normally be an out for a Grade C pitcher. I’m wondering, since he hasn’t allowed an earned run, do I stick with the SPFC grade of a D pitcher, or is he still a C until he gives up a run?
Who’s going to take the ball from Bob Gibson? Good luck!