I'm entering my 5th season of HBD and won the World Series last year.  Every season I've played I've had a closer but it seems that the consensus on the forums is to forgo the closer position in order to maximize your bullpen output.  I've felt that certain guys in my bullpen get used a ton while others hardly get used and I'd like the distribution to better this season.

We've just finished free agency and I'm left with a pitching staff like this.

Starters
Palmeiro
Hammonds
Biddle
Cruz
Estrada

Bullpen (If I was constructing it as in previous seasons)
Long Relief - Seanez
Setup A - Egan
Setup A - Stottlemyre
Setup A / B - Lee
Setup B - Perez
Setup B - Wall
Closer - Neil

How would you set up this staff and what would you set the player settings at?

Thanks

For the bullpen, I would go with simmy's recs, make who simmy selects as your closer a SUA, and then go with simmy's recs in player settings.  Adjust from there as needed as the season progresses.

Neil is not losing too many innings as a closer, and you have enough quality innings to cover you bullpen's workload most likely.  I don't know that I would change anything.

I'm with shobob. I never use a closer, just make my normal closer a Setup A and do CBC (closer by committee).

Have you rolled with this pitching staff before? Because I would be concerned about getting enough innings - I see a lot of low stamina/durability guys in both the rotation and the bullpen. Two or three of your starters might not hit 200 innings, and the others will not get much north of 210 innings. That leaves a lot of nuns for your bullpen, and other than your long relief guy I see no true innings eaters in there.

Also, several of your guys are health risks, do you have back ups in the minors for them?

I've rolled with most of these guys before but normally I've started with 13 pitchers or made a mid season acquisition to acquire another one.  The top four starters were the ones I used to get through the world series last season.  I let a reliever go to free agency this year as he was getting old and suffered a ratings decline.  he was still good but and I wouldve wanted him back but not as his contract demands.  Injuries do concern me as well.  I'll likely sign another reliever once the rule 5 draft is over as an innings eater.  Unfortunately, I only have one decent reliever in AAA that I could use in a pinch but I'm afraid he'll get rocked.  I have some guys that are serviceable but nobody elite.

You're in a pitcher's park, you have a good staff, you have plenty of innings.

If Wall is going good, you can get more than 74 innings out of him. The 90 something he was getting before or a bit more. He's a mini starter.

Posted by shobob on 1/16/2012 6:34:00 PM (view original):
For the bullpen, I would go with simmy's recs, make who simmy selects as your closer a SUA, and then go with simmy's recs in player settings.  Adjust from there as needed as the season progresses.

Simmy's rec short change you on pitch count. That's why you see 160 inning 75/40 relievers get 70 innings.

Hardball Dynasty – Fantasy Baseball Sim Games - Player Profile: Russ Hinchliffe

There. That's Wall and your LR dude. Don't get 70 games, 70 innings. Get 50 games, 125 innings. He's short DUR, long stam.

Posted by deathinahole on 1/17/2012 6:28:00 PM (view original):

Posted by shobob on 1/16/2012 6:34:00 PM (view original):
For the bullpen, I would go with simmy's recs, make who simmy selects as your closer a SUA, and then go with simmy's recs in player settings.  Adjust from there as needed as the season progresses.

Simmy's rec short change you on pitch count. That's why you see 160 inning 75/40 relievers get 70 innings.

I think this has more to do with the roles they're given then simmy's pitch counts. Rey Iwazaki seems to give me a ****-ton of innings despite Dur under 50, and using simmy's pitch counts, because I make him SuA, 7th inning avail, and only carry 5 relievers.

Mmmmm....both. Set up A means he's first in, yea. But if you're giving him 20 pitches, he's done before he gets to 45. See above.

This is more of what I'm looking for.  Would you throw Wall at LRB and stretch out his pitches?  I've noticed last year that simmy seems to be short changing my starters pitch counts based on the recs and my relievers were throwing alot.  I upped my pitch count for my starters above the recs and I started winning alot more.  

I saw that instant rebuild video series and I wanted to emulate that strategy but I wasnt sure what guys to put in what roles.

Your pitching staff is good enough that you should put the best pitchers in the A role, and move them out only when fatigued.

But the 25ish/50ish guys should be set up to go 45/55 in the pitch count. That's where you win extra inning games and series, when the other team rips through 7 pitchers in one game and is scrambling to undo the fatigue, and you've just used 3.

or, if you're me, win in extra innings, then lose the next two 1-0 because your offense sucks cheese

Ha, I have this guy and that guy.  They make up for many crappy games from my pitchers.