All SPB-100 Managers,

The purpose of the pitching usage rules, as I see it, is to ensure that 
pitchers are used realistically in the context of the times in which they 
pitched. This is why we go by appearances rather than batters-faced 
percentages.

There is a great temptation to chuck all of this when faced with a 
deadball team and apply 1990s-style strategies, as I have sometimes seen in 
other leagues. But this simply doesn't work.

At this point, all that remains is to run some more autoplays to adjust 
the pitch-count tables on the era page. Once this has been fixed to 
satisfaction, there should be no problems using pitchers as they were used 
in 1905. Managers will be able to pitch as many complete games as occurred 
in that year, maybe more if they are lucky. Plus, the computer manager will 
co-operate if the pinch-hitting for pitchers and the use of 
relievers/closers toggles are set to "least frequent." Managers simply need 
to get out of their mind the sense that they need relievers like they do in 
later leagues. My advice is to add up pitchers' complete games, subtract it 
from the total games played (154), and multiply that figure by 2. That would 
be the MAXIMUM number of relief appearances a team would need.

For instance, the Toledo Maumees had 134 complete games (and I had only 
156 games started on my staff). I need 20 * 2 or 40 games relieved. And in 
fact, with 43 games relieved for my team I should be fine.

Looking at the other teams, only the Sentinels needed more than 80 games 
relieved, based on the fatigue ratings and complete game performances of 
their starters.

Again, the bottom line is that managers need to get in the habit of NOT 
using some traditional strategies, like pinch-hitting for pitchers in 
routine clutch situations, and getting in the habit of using small-ball 
strategies FAR more often than they have before.

Gary and I both participate in a league that plays in a deadball era 
(1908, 1909, and 1910, which is about to get rolling). There have been very 
few problems with reliever mis-usage or failure to come up with complete 
games, even though the batters-faced meter is used instead of appearances, 
so that bodes well for us. Also, I designed the 1909 and 1910 databases for 
that league, so I am confident that the 1905 disk will respond 
appropriately.

Chris Williams
Commisioner SPB-100