What happened to Pursue the Pennant?
In the fall of 1995, PtP sent out a mailing to old customers indicating that the company had lost a significant amount of money on the 1994 card set, and that all orders for the 1995 set must include a $15 deposit. The 1995 card set never shipped.
What are the big differences between PtP and TIG?
The stealing system was completely overhauled, introducing a “bad jump” and increasing the chance that basestealers will get nagging injuries. Batter and pitcher cards are now completely park neutral with respect to all hits, and the vLH/vRH splits on the cards are produced using a regression algorithm. The defensive range system was expanded to have 11 range ratings, and the number of range plays was increased. The bunting system was changed significantly. Each card set includes a CHANGES file with a complete list of modifications from the previous season.
When do the new cards come out?
The target date for availability is early April. If you would like to be notified when the cards are available you can join the TIG Announcement Mailing List. You can also check the blog for updates (RSS feed).
Are you planning on producing card sets for past MLB seasons?
The mandate for our project is to create a card set for the most recent MLB season so that the Internet Baseball League can play its 162 game schedule. Given that this is a 100% volunteer effort, and that most members of the Design Team have IBL commitments, it is extremely unlikely that card sets for past MLB seasons will ever be released.
I want to create my own card set, can you help me?
The Design Team is happy to share the general concepts behind our card generation process, including data sources and methodology. At this time there are no plans to release anything other than a finished product to the general public, as the card generation process is not sufficiently documented to be useful to third parties. The best way to learn is to join the IBL and become a member of the Design Team.
Are all card sets backwards-compatible?
No, there can be significant changes to game play from season to season. Each card set is released as a stand-alone product and previously released sets are not updated. You should download the all of the pertinent files (cards, rules, charts, etc.) for each season you wish to play. Read the CHANGES files for more information.
Where can I get the cards?
The IBL Design Team is making their cards available via anonymous FTP at ftp://ftp.ibl.org/ibl/cards/
How can I print the cards?
Recent card sets have been distributed in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader version 4.0 or higher. Get the latest Adobe Acrobat Reader here. It is recommended that you set your page margins to zero before printing. It has been our experience that a full-service printer like Kinko’s will charge about $30 to duplicate onto a nice sturdy card stock and cut the cards.
What are those numbers on the top of the player cards?
These are: total hits / total on-base numbers / total bases
Have a question that isn’t covered in the FAQ? Leave a comment below:
Thanks for your interest in the game. I figure a good way to grow this FAQ is to answer questions here in the comments section, so fire away!
I am trying to learn how to play the game, after having been a Statis Pro junky for years. I notice the charts refer to clutch situations, but I can’t find the definition of a clutch situation anywhere.
Also, can you give an idea of the number of associats there are, how often owners give up a team and how long it might generally take to become an owner, as a dedicated associate?
Thanks for your time.
I thought we had the clutch definition in the playing instructions, but they do not appear to be there. I believe the original PtP rules defined a clutch situation like this:
- prior to the 7th inning, two outs with a runner in scoring position and the batting team tied or behind by 1 run
- 7th inning or later, tying or go-ahead run is on base, at bat, or on deck
We no longer assign clutch ratings but we haven’t removed the references from the charts in case we bring them back. Clutch ratings were removed because the PtP system did not properly balance the batting & pitching adjustments nor did it adjust the cards for non-clutch opportunities (if a player is better than his overall stats in a clutch situation he should be worse in non-clutch).
Regarding your IBL question, we have a few associates but they are generally people who do not have enough time to run a team. If you become an associate with the intention of becoming a full-time owner it usually doesn’t take long. There’s also the option of helping out an existing team by becoming a co-owner.
Thanks for your reply to my previous question. It really helped.
Now I am confused by bunting.
In the playing instructions it says that with men on base, the manager can declare if the bunt is a sacrifice or for a base hit. But in the charts, it says that with men on base, all bunts are sacrifices. Which one is right?
What is the definition of each term? I guess if all the runners are holding, the bunt is for a base hit, otherwise it is for a sacrifice.
Also in the instructions, it says that with men on first and third, the manager can hold the runner on third. In the chart, there are no restrictions, suggesting that the runner on third can be held at other times, such as if there is only a runner on third. Can he be held, while the batter tries for a base hit?
And what about other bases? If there is only a batter on second, can he be held while the batter tries to bunt for a base hit?
Thanks again for your help!
The charts are correct, you may only bunt for a base hit with the bases empty. Therefore, all bunts with men on base are considered sacrifice attempts. When I re-designed the bunting system I must have forgotten to modify the instructions accordingly. I’ll update the instructions.
Regarding holding runners, it is the intention of the rules that this be limited only to holding the runner at third. This is so that the offensive manager is not required to put the squeeze play on with a runner on third. All other baserunners should be considered in motion on a bunt.
In general I think one of the problems you run into when simulating a game like baseball is that if you try to keep your charts simple you unfortunately end up with ambiguous resolution in certain situations. In order to account for every possible base/out situation it would require much more text than is feasible given the space constraints. I’m thinking it might be useful to start a page on the Wiki to document some of the rulings the IBL has passed to deal with these situations.
Okay, hopefully my last question: does case mean anything on a batter’s card when the positions he plays are listed? For example, is there a difference between SS and ss?
This is something that is done to assist IBL owners. Players who have their position listed in upper case played in 24+ games at that position in the previous MLB season. This is important because that is the cutoff for being eligible to start at that position in the playoffs.
I can’t seem to match up the hit totals shown at the top of the pitchers card with the hits on the card. How do you value the deep fly? Does that explain the difference?
When calculating the H/OB/TB numbers for the pitchers we assume an average conversion rate for DF (30%) and IFR/OFR (50%).
Here’s another one: suppose a runner with a jump rating of 1 wants to steal third, and he is being held. This reduces his jump rating to -1. The jump chart only goes down to zero, so does that mean he can’t ever get a jump, or should the 0 column be used?
A player attempting to steal third with an adjusted jump of less than zero should simply use zero. Note that the rules specifically forbid attempting to steal home with an adjusted negative jump.
Yet another question from me . . .
I’m having trouble understanding the CHOICE chart. For example, an HF play says that the runner on 3rd can try for home. Suppose the bases are loaded, and I send the runner on third home. What about the other runners? Can I send them, or can only the man on 3rd go? Can I hold the guy on 1st, and send the guys on 2nd and 3rd? How does safety advance figure into it? Or does safety advance only apply if more than one guy explicitly has a choice?
Thanks again, for your help.
You can only send a runner if the play explicitly allows a baserunner the option, usually via the keyword “choice” (e.g. “1 + choice”). So, in the case of a HF only the runner on 3rd may try to advance. Of course, there are CHOICE CHART results which will allow the trailing runner(s) to advance (e.g. SAFE+, OUT+).
The “safety advance” option was added to allow the offensive manager a way of ensuring that trailing runners are not caught by the “cutoff” play. Of course when you invoke this option those trailing runners also may not advance due to SAFE+, OUT+, etc. If there are no trailing runners then neither the “cutoff” or “safety advance” options are necessary.
Hi, I have a question about pitcher’s fatigue. In the rules, batters who reach base on a fielder’s choice are not counted towards the eight baserunners needed to fatigue a pitcher, but is the runner who got out on the play also not counted, since he was out on the basepaths. And if so, is it the same thing for the third out, or do the fielders always throw to first to make the third out rather than trying to get the lead runner? Thanks.
In order for a baserunner to be counted against the pitcher the batter needs to reach base safely without any other outs being recorded on the play. Since an out is made in the case you are asking about, no baserunner is counted. Hope that helps.
Hi: Randomly happened on this website and was impressed. I never played PtP but was a fan of its descendant Dynasty League.
I am more interested in the math behind the game, and had some questions as to how the dice roll numbers on the card are created. How do you “neutralize” the player’s statistics by home park, and what other factors do you apply? What assumptions do you make about the average results of IFR/OFR/Park/DF and the average opposing pitcher/hitter that goes into the numbers? Where do you get the data? Baseball-reference.com, or are there better sources?
Also, a sillier question: How does pitcher’s fatigue work? I see the charts, but don’t see where the complete rules behind it are spelled out. Are they the same, or more or less the same, as the PtP fatigue rules?
For park effects 2-year park data is used (weighted 2:1), unless it is a brand new park in which case only the previous season’s data is used. Once the PARK? ranges are determined then each player receives an individualized adjustment based on a weighted average of PA per park. The same thing happens with HR data and fence distances. For pitchers it is assumed that cumulatively they face batters with Av power, who convert a DF to a HR with an average fence distance (12) 30% of the time. All of the data is obtained from Retrosheet.
The pitcher fatigue rules should be detailed in the playing instructions.
I have a question about players with small numbers of games played, or a player with limited at bats. How are those situations handled in a league? Is the info for making limitation decsions on the cards?
You can look at the IBL Constitution for rules governing player usage, including games played and plate appearances. We publish the resulting limitations on our website rather than printing anything on the cards.
I never played PTP or Dynasty League so I used your rules as a total guide to playing. I have one suggestion and one question if you’ll indulge me. Suggestion: Could you please add abbreviations in the rules for brand new players. It took me a while to figure out what SP/O/P were on the batters’ cards and RSP/LSP etc. in the charts. I looked everywhere in baseball-reference.com for these ratings until I figured them out lol. Question: While looking at the cards I noticed 2010 Teagarden card had 83-97 Park? but below that there were 9 other results without numbers, I’m confused, how are these results applied?
Thanks.
Each card will have all of the potential results listed. The plays without numbers will not be applicable. The numbered ranges on the cards should always be contiguous.
Thanks for the feedback on the instructions, they definitely could use an overhaul.
Love your game – it’s just as solid as PTP or Dynasty League, if not better.
I have a question (more of a clarification) concerning the adjustments for pitchers who start on three days rest. The rules mention that “a weather or dome effect does not alter these adjustments.”
So for example: If 1997 season Andy Pettitte, whose Fatigue rating is 8, pitches on 3 days rest, on a cool evening, am I to understand his Fatigue rating is now 6? (I wasn’t sure if the Fatigue rating should be 7 due to the cool weather, but the rules seem to indicate no.)
Thanks much for your time.
Yes, your interpretation is correct. When a pitcher starts on short rest he is prohibited from receiving the standard +1 bonus for cool weather. The -2 fatigue penalty for hot weather would still apply though.
Glad you like the game and thanks for the compliments.
My son is 10 and is a big fan of the online version of Dynasty League Baseball. He wants the board game version for Christmas. It is really not within our financial reality at this time. I came across your version, and am going to printout the cards, etc., order some dice and package it for him for Christmas.
My one remaining question is the scoresheet. I looked at the one offered by DLB and it’s not unreasonably priced, but the cost of shipping is quite steep. What sort of scoresheet do you use for the IBL version of the game?
Thank you so much for your help and for offering an affordable, and hopefully equally as fun, version of a baseball game.
There are tons of scoresheets that you can find with a simple internet search, then print out as needed. If there are specific things that you are looking for in a scoresheet that the generic ones don’t provide, you can design your own eventually using a spreadsheet program without too much difficulty. If it helps, I put a copy of my scoresheet on my team page — you have permission to use it as much as you like. http://havanahabaneros.blogspot.com/2011/12/scoresheet.html
Could you please explain what happens when there is a strikeout when a hit and run is on? Does the batter strike out and the runner is forced to steal, or is the runner forced to steal and the same batter remains at bat?
Thanks for your help.
On a SO result with the hit and run play on the batter strikes out and the runner is forced to steal. On a HR result with the hit and run play on the batter swings and misses but does not strike out. Hope that clears things up.
How do you use the numbers at the to of the batters’ cards to determine which players are starters and how to set the batting order? I also have the same question for determining starting pitching rotations. I am a fan of the PTP and Dynasty League games, and your game looks like it will be fun to play.
Those numbers are there in order to make it easier for you to compare player cards when making decisions about lineups, pinch-hitting, bringing in a reliever, etc. Obviously you are free to use whatever batting order or pitching rotation you see fit.
Hi all…
I am very interested in your game. A little what I do. Each year I pick a team to play out the current season. I use a combination of CAIRO and STEAMER projections to come up with their statistics. I then look at the previous three seasons individually and then choose which season resembles their projections. So in this case I will be looking at seasons 2010-2012. If there is insufficient historical data, I will then create their own player card. When reading your FAQ, a couple of questions come to mind:
1.) You stated “there can be significant changes to game play from season to season”. Would this be the case if used Joe Mauer’s 2010 card against Justin Verlander’s 2012 card? Has the game changed that radically and will rules be very different this year?
2.) Is it possible to share out methodology regarding card making? As stated above, there are some players that do not have enough historical data and will have to create their cards from scratch.
Thank you for your consideration,
Scott K
re: #1 — Game play definitely changes from year to year, and the further you go back the more likely it is that you’ll run into issues where the cards/charts become incompatible. You should review the CHANGES file which summarizes the differences. Another fundamental problem with crossing year boundaries is that the average level of offense has changed significantly over time. The average AL team scored 4.45 runs per game (731 OPS) in 2012, whereas it was 4.82 rpg (764 OPS) in 2009 and 4.97 rpg (776 OPS) in 2006.
re: #2 — I’m always willing to discuss general methodology, obviously there are already quite a few posts on my blog which cover various design topics. This is an extremely complicated project with virtually no documentation and I do not have any plans to distribute the source code (over 10K lines of C/perl/SQL).
Stumbled upon this site when seeking to tinker with my personalized version of Extra Innings. I remember playing PtP extensively back in the day. Great game. Nice to see that it’s being “preserved” to some degree in the original format. Not a fan of the online presence, frankly. I’ve noticed that this is not being monitored lately. Scott and I have checked in. I’m sure someone will reply.
My only curiosity would be if these “cards” and this game can be formulated to “create” mythical players? Seems to be the ol’ Col. Sanders secret of the sauce. Thanks again.
/Mitch.
While this game shares the basic game mechanics of PtP, so much has been overhauled at this point that it really can’t be considered a preservation of the original. The basic data used for card creation comes from the MLB play-by-play event files released annually by Retrosheet. It really wouldn’t be practical to create fake players, as it would either require creating fake PBP data in Retrosheet format or writing new code to consume a different data source.