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*These are very helpful against human opponents. If you don't hide
against a human opponent, they will know exactly what you are doing.
You can also psych out opponents sometimes if you pretend you are
doing something and then actually hit "No Play".
Part V - Stats
EWB is one of the most statistically driven baseball games I've ever
played. To be good at EWB you must understand some basics of baseball
stats. Stats generally break down into three important catagories:
Hitting, Pitching, and Fielding, with both total stats and split stats
(see terminology for more on split stats).
A. Hitting Stats
Basic catagories for total hitting stats:
BA - Batting Average (calculated as H/AB)
G - Games played
AB - At bats
R - Runs
H - Hits
1B - Singles
2B - Doubles
3B - Triples
HR - Home runs
RBI- Runs Batted In
SH - Sacrifice Hits
BB - Walks
SO - Strike outs
SB - Stolen Bases
CS - Caught Stealing
SA - Slugging Average ((HRx4)+(3Bx3)+(2Bx2)+1B)/(PA-(BB+HP+BS))**
OBA- On Base Average (HR+3B+2B+1B+BB+HP)/(PA-BS)**
**For SA and OBA - (HP is "Hit by Pitch" and BS is "bunt sacrifices".
Both are not calculated in EWB, so real stat OBA in EWB may be off a
little when compared to what the hitter did in real life, but not so
much that it really matters. PA is "plate appearances".
Basic catagories for split stats for hitters:
Split stats show VsR and VsL stats for players.
BA - Batting Average (calculated as H/AB)
AB - At bats
H - Hits
1B - Singles
2B - Doubles
3B - Triples
HR - Home runs
BB - Walks
SO - Strike outs
SA - Slugging Average ((HRx4)+(3Bx3)+(2Bx2)+1B)/(PA-(BB+HP+BS))**
OBA- On Base Average (HR+3B+2B+1B+BB+HP)/(PA-BS)**
**For SA and OBA - (HP is "Hit by Pitch" and BS is "bunt sacrifices".
Both are not calculated in EWB, so real stat OBA in EWB may be off a
little when compared to what the hitter did in real life, but not so
much that it really matters. PA is "plate appearances".
Basic catagories for rankings for hitters:
POWER - Power is one of the most important offensive stats. Hitters
with higher power rankings tend to have more home runs and extra base
hits, as well as more hits in general (though this last bit doesn't
tend to make much sense).
H&R - The higher the ranking in H&R (Hit and Run) the better the
hitter will perform the hit and run option during gameplay. Not too
important usually.
BUNT - The higher the ranking in BUNT the better the hitter will
perform the bunt option during gameplay. Not too important usually.
RUNS - This ranking affects the general speed of the player, including
the ability of the player to steal bases. This is a moderately
important offensive stat.
General notes on Hitting Stats:
Some stats are much more important than others. In real baseball,
there is a temptation to put a large emphasis on HR, RBI, and BA. In
EWB, one must caution against this. POWER, SLG, and RUNS play larger
roles as catagories, in general, than the raw numbers of HR, RBI, and
BA (though it is by no means bad to have players who have high numbers
in these on your team). Keeping Versus stats in mind while making a
line-up or team can be very important too (more on this later in the
FAQ).
B. Pitching Stats
Basic catagories for total pitching stats:
W - Wins
L - Losses
ERA- Earned Run Average (calculated as (ER/IP)*9)
G - Games
GS - Games Started
CG - Complete Games
SV - Saves
IP - Innings Pitched
H - Hits allowed
ER - Earned Runs
HR - Home Runs allowed
BB - Walks allowed
SO - Strike outs
HB - Hit Batsmen*
BALK - Balks committed*
*some leagues prefer to zero-out these stats as 1)they can happen
seemingly too often in EWB and 2) it can be difficult to find these
stats when creating your own players based on real stats.
Basic catagories for split pitching stats:
BA - Batting average against (calculated as H/AB)
AB - At bats against
H - Hits allowed
HR - Home Runs allowed
BB - Walks allowed
SO - Strike outs allowed
Basic catagories for rankings for pitchers:
SPEED - Speed ranking measures the ability of the pitcher to strike
hitters out. Somewhat important pitching stat.
CONTROL - Measures pitcher's control. The lower the control, the more
walks a pitcher is likely to give up. This is a *very* important
pitching stat.
FATIGUE - Measures how long a pitcher can pitch without getting tired.
The higher the fatigue, the longer they can stay in without getting
tired. In general, starting pitchers should have a 6 fatigue or
better, though having one 5 fatigue starter in a rotation is okay, and
starting a 3 or 4 fatigue pitcher in an emergency is acceptable.
3 and 4 fatigue pitchers are usually "long relievers", while 1 and 2
fatigue pitchers are used for short relief circumstances, usually in
the later innings.
BUNT - How well the pitcher can bunt. Not used at all if you play
games with Designated Hitters (which is probable).
FA - Fielding Average of the pitcher. The higher the better.
C. Fielding stats
Basic catagories for fielding are as follows:
PO - Putouts*
AS - Assists*
ERR - Errors committed*
FA-1- Fielding Average for fielding position 1**
FA-2- Fielding Average for fielding position 2**
*these three stats as entered could be just for PA-1 if player has
two positions
**If you highlight a player and look in the upper right corner of the
display, you will see player positions (in edit mode these will be
"P1" and "P2"). FA-1 corresponds to the first (main) fielding position
and FA-2 corresponds to the second fielding position.
Basic catagories for rankings for fielders are:
RANGE - The higher the range, the more ground the player can cover in
a relative amount of time. This stat is most important for 2B, SS, 3B
and CF.
ARM - The higher the ARM ranking, the faster and farther a player
can throw. This statistic is very important for catchers and
outfielders.
Part VI Drafting
A. General Drafting Strategies
In EWB, drafting is picking your team of 25 players from the list of
players in the league. The draft is when all the teams in your newly
created league (probably between 8 and 12 teams) pick their players
from the general stats of a real season (note: this is just the general
way it goes. You could play an "AL-only" or "NL-only" draft where you
only pick from one league of stats, or you can create your own players
from thin air if you wish....generally, how ever, drafts come from a
full league roster of Major League Baseball stats of a real season). If
you wish to know the physical logistics of drafting (that is literally
how you conduct a draft) skip to Part VI C. and D. For now, I will
provide a basic general strategy for drafting position by position, as
well as some general tips.
Suggestions for your league: I suggest setting a few rules for your
draft before you start drafting. First, I suggest that you make a
rule to set minimums on players that can be drafted. For instance,
in my leagues we usually have a rule that states that no hitter under
100 AB can be drafted and no pitcher under 20 innings can be drafted.
This appears to be more important regarding hitters, as some hitters
with high powers and low at bats can get an extremely high amount of homeruns
that tilts the league unfair toward players that were
marginal or unimportant in real life. For instance, Geronimo Pena had
9 at bats in 1999 for the Kansas City Royals, and hit 1 home run. Even
with a marginal and fair 4 PWR rating, he could probably hit 75 or
more homeruns if he was given 500 to 600 at bats in a full season,
which is a great reason not to let players like him be drafted.
General Tips:
You generally want to try and draft a roster with at least 10 or 11
pitchers. I usually find 10 to be an optimum number, but sometimes 11
can be necessary. You want to draft 2 catchers, at least 4 starting
pitchers (6 FAT or better), and have at least one or two good left
handed hitters per team. 3 or 4 is even better, but 1 or 2 is
absolutely vital. A team full of right-handed hitters is sure Weaver
death. One closer who is an excellent reliever is necessary. You also
need at least 1 left-handed reliever who is good against left-handed
hitters to get clutch outs against the other teams good left-handed
hitters in the late innings. Also, don't be a bit afraid to platoon
(terminology) players if it means you can get better match ups overall.
It will be rare that you can play a full roster without at least a few
platoon positions. If you are really good at it, you can actually
effectively platoon upto 6 positions, although it isn't recommended
unless you are a Weaver veteran.
Position by position analysis:
Catchers:
Drafting 2 catchers is an optimum number. Your primary starting
catcher should be relatively offensively adept and have an ARM rating
that is at least 4 or 5. Catchers with a 3 ARM or less are incredibly
easy to steal bases against. Catchers with an 8 ARM or higher are
very hard to steal bases against. Your back-up catcher will probably
not be too good, but should have some redeeming quality so that he is
actually occasionally useful. For instance, he could have a good ARM
or be above average against left-handed pitching. Also, catcher is a
good position to platoon (see terminology), especially if you don't
get a top tier catcher. There is usually high position scarcity (see
terminology) at catcher, so this is one position to stay concerned
with. The ARM ranking of Defense is very important for catchers.
1st Base:
Generally there are many good offensive First Basemen available,
including some good power-hitters. What this means is that you can
often afford to gamble a little bit with the first base position,
hoping to get a good quality starting in the later rounds. Be careful
though. You don't want to let great hitters pass you by in earlier
rounds if they are available. Often, the 1B position is a good place
to get DH's from, since there are so many good hitters at first base.
against a human opponent, they will know exactly what you are doing.
You can also psych out opponents sometimes if you pretend you are
doing something and then actually hit "No Play".
Part V - Stats
EWB is one of the most statistically driven baseball games I've ever
played. To be good at EWB you must understand some basics of baseball
stats. Stats generally break down into three important catagories:
Hitting, Pitching, and Fielding, with both total stats and split stats
(see terminology for more on split stats).
A. Hitting Stats
Basic catagories for total hitting stats:
BA - Batting Average (calculated as H/AB)
G - Games played
AB - At bats
R - Runs
H - Hits
1B - Singles
2B - Doubles
3B - Triples
HR - Home runs
RBI- Runs Batted In
SH - Sacrifice Hits
BB - Walks
SO - Strike outs
SB - Stolen Bases
CS - Caught Stealing
SA - Slugging Average ((HRx4)+(3Bx3)+(2Bx2)+1B)/(PA-(BB+HP+BS))**
OBA- On Base Average (HR+3B+2B+1B+BB+HP)/(PA-BS)**
**For SA and OBA - (HP is "Hit by Pitch" and BS is "bunt sacrifices".
Both are not calculated in EWB, so real stat OBA in EWB may be off a
little when compared to what the hitter did in real life, but not so
much that it really matters. PA is "plate appearances".
Basic catagories for split stats for hitters:
Split stats show VsR and VsL stats for players.
BA - Batting Average (calculated as H/AB)
AB - At bats
H - Hits
1B - Singles
2B - Doubles
3B - Triples
HR - Home runs
BB - Walks
SO - Strike outs
SA - Slugging Average ((HRx4)+(3Bx3)+(2Bx2)+1B)/(PA-(BB+HP+BS))**
OBA- On Base Average (HR+3B+2B+1B+BB+HP)/(PA-BS)**
**For SA and OBA - (HP is "Hit by Pitch" and BS is "bunt sacrifices".
Both are not calculated in EWB, so real stat OBA in EWB may be off a
little when compared to what the hitter did in real life, but not so
much that it really matters. PA is "plate appearances".
Basic catagories for rankings for hitters:
POWER - Power is one of the most important offensive stats. Hitters
with higher power rankings tend to have more home runs and extra base
hits, as well as more hits in general (though this last bit doesn't
tend to make much sense).
H&R - The higher the ranking in H&R (Hit and Run) the better the
hitter will perform the hit and run option during gameplay. Not too
important usually.
BUNT - The higher the ranking in BUNT the better the hitter will
perform the bunt option during gameplay. Not too important usually.
RUNS - This ranking affects the general speed of the player, including
the ability of the player to steal bases. This is a moderately
important offensive stat.
General notes on Hitting Stats:
Some stats are much more important than others. In real baseball,
there is a temptation to put a large emphasis on HR, RBI, and BA. In
EWB, one must caution against this. POWER, SLG, and RUNS play larger
roles as catagories, in general, than the raw numbers of HR, RBI, and
BA (though it is by no means bad to have players who have high numbers
in these on your team). Keeping Versus stats in mind while making a
line-up or team can be very important too (more on this later in the
FAQ).
B. Pitching Stats
Basic catagories for total pitching stats:
W - Wins
L - Losses
ERA- Earned Run Average (calculated as (ER/IP)*9)
G - Games
GS - Games Started
CG - Complete Games
SV - Saves
IP - Innings Pitched
H - Hits allowed
ER - Earned Runs
HR - Home Runs allowed
BB - Walks allowed
SO - Strike outs
HB - Hit Batsmen*
BALK - Balks committed*
*some leagues prefer to zero-out these stats as 1)they can happen
seemingly too often in EWB and 2) it can be difficult to find these
stats when creating your own players based on real stats.
Basic catagories for split pitching stats:
BA - Batting average against (calculated as H/AB)
AB - At bats against
H - Hits allowed
HR - Home Runs allowed
BB - Walks allowed
SO - Strike outs allowed
Basic catagories for rankings for pitchers:
SPEED - Speed ranking measures the ability of the pitcher to strike
hitters out. Somewhat important pitching stat.
CONTROL - Measures pitcher's control. The lower the control, the more
walks a pitcher is likely to give up. This is a *very* important
pitching stat.
FATIGUE - Measures how long a pitcher can pitch without getting tired.
The higher the fatigue, the longer they can stay in without getting
tired. In general, starting pitchers should have a 6 fatigue or
better, though having one 5 fatigue starter in a rotation is okay, and
starting a 3 or 4 fatigue pitcher in an emergency is acceptable.
3 and 4 fatigue pitchers are usually "long relievers", while 1 and 2
fatigue pitchers are used for short relief circumstances, usually in
the later innings.
BUNT - How well the pitcher can bunt. Not used at all if you play
games with Designated Hitters (which is probable).
FA - Fielding Average of the pitcher. The higher the better.
C. Fielding stats
Basic catagories for fielding are as follows:
PO - Putouts*
AS - Assists*
ERR - Errors committed*
FA-1- Fielding Average for fielding position 1**
FA-2- Fielding Average for fielding position 2**
*these three stats as entered could be just for PA-1 if player has
two positions
**If you highlight a player and look in the upper right corner of the
display, you will see player positions (in edit mode these will be
"P1" and "P2"). FA-1 corresponds to the first (main) fielding position
and FA-2 corresponds to the second fielding position.
Basic catagories for rankings for fielders are:
RANGE - The higher the range, the more ground the player can cover in
a relative amount of time. This stat is most important for 2B, SS, 3B
and CF.
ARM - The higher the ARM ranking, the faster and farther a player
can throw. This statistic is very important for catchers and
outfielders.
Part VI Drafting
A. General Drafting Strategies
In EWB, drafting is picking your team of 25 players from the list of
players in the league. The draft is when all the teams in your newly
created league (probably between 8 and 12 teams) pick their players
from the general stats of a real season (note: this is just the general
way it goes. You could play an "AL-only" or "NL-only" draft where you
only pick from one league of stats, or you can create your own players
from thin air if you wish....generally, how ever, drafts come from a
full league roster of Major League Baseball stats of a real season). If
you wish to know the physical logistics of drafting (that is literally
how you conduct a draft) skip to Part VI C. and D. For now, I will
provide a basic general strategy for drafting position by position, as
well as some general tips.
Suggestions for your league: I suggest setting a few rules for your
draft before you start drafting. First, I suggest that you make a
rule to set minimums on players that can be drafted. For instance,
in my leagues we usually have a rule that states that no hitter under
100 AB can be drafted and no pitcher under 20 innings can be drafted.
This appears to be more important regarding hitters, as some hitters
with high powers and low at bats can get an extremely high amount of homeruns
that tilts the league unfair toward players that were
marginal or unimportant in real life. For instance, Geronimo Pena had
9 at bats in 1999 for the Kansas City Royals, and hit 1 home run. Even
with a marginal and fair 4 PWR rating, he could probably hit 75 or
more homeruns if he was given 500 to 600 at bats in a full season,
which is a great reason not to let players like him be drafted.
General Tips:
You generally want to try and draft a roster with at least 10 or 11
pitchers. I usually find 10 to be an optimum number, but sometimes 11
can be necessary. You want to draft 2 catchers, at least 4 starting
pitchers (6 FAT or better), and have at least one or two good left
handed hitters per team. 3 or 4 is even better, but 1 or 2 is
absolutely vital. A team full of right-handed hitters is sure Weaver
death. One closer who is an excellent reliever is necessary. You also
need at least 1 left-handed reliever who is good against left-handed
hitters to get clutch outs against the other teams good left-handed
hitters in the late innings. Also, don't be a bit afraid to platoon
(terminology) players if it means you can get better match ups overall.
It will be rare that you can play a full roster without at least a few
platoon positions. If you are really good at it, you can actually
effectively platoon upto 6 positions, although it isn't recommended
unless you are a Weaver veteran.
Position by position analysis:
Catchers:
Drafting 2 catchers is an optimum number. Your primary starting
catcher should be relatively offensively adept and have an ARM rating
that is at least 4 or 5. Catchers with a 3 ARM or less are incredibly
easy to steal bases against. Catchers with an 8 ARM or higher are
very hard to steal bases against. Your back-up catcher will probably
not be too good, but should have some redeeming quality so that he is
actually occasionally useful. For instance, he could have a good ARM
or be above average against left-handed pitching. Also, catcher is a
good position to platoon (see terminology), especially if you don't
get a top tier catcher. There is usually high position scarcity (see
terminology) at catcher, so this is one position to stay concerned
with. The ARM ranking of Defense is very important for catchers.
1st Base:
Generally there are many good offensive First Basemen available,
including some good power-hitters. What this means is that you can
often afford to gamble a little bit with the first base position,
hoping to get a good quality starting in the later rounds. Be careful
though. You don't want to let great hitters pass you by in earlier
rounds if they are available. Often, the 1B position is a good place
to get DH's from, since there are so many good hitters at first base.
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- Earl Weaver Baseball FAQ by System on 09/03/2006, 09:50