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Felipe Hernandez

FELIPE HERNANDEZ: 1990’s DECADE REPLAY MANAGER

Micromanager Felipe Hernandez is designed to handle modern (ca. 1990) interleague AIM replays, including some draft leagues.* He can, therefore, handle either DH (AL) or non-DH (NL) teams/seasons. Some of the strategies and approaches that he takes to note are:

1) Heavy use/concern with platoon advantages; this includes, in particular, the aggressive use of one-batter specialists, generally lefthanders, who will be used to get a critical out or outs in a close, late game. Most of these types of pitchers will average less than one inning per outing. Similarly, offensively Hernandez is focused on platoon disadvantages with players having high platoon ratings often pulled when facing pitcher’s who matchup against them.

2) Aggressive early with the running game, especially against poor throwing catchers. More conservative running in middle innings, especially if the “heart” of the team’s lineup is batting. Late, in a close game, he is more likely consider advancing runners through: a) bunting first; b) hit and run; c) then steal. Still, Hernandez is a modern manager and most contemporary managers emphasize big innings and eschew one run innings.

3) Very aggressive on the base paths especially with runners trying to take an extra base while tied or ahead. Quite conservative, however, late in a close game or, obviously, when behind.

4) As is the modern trend, Hernandez tries to setup his starter for the closer. As such, he will often “rotate” several setup relievers as early as the sixth inning on in order to secure leads until the ninth when the closer is summoned.

5) A blowout substitution pattern that entails either PRing, PHing or subbing defensively for star players. Generally, he tries to use “itchy” players first as subs.

6) Quite conservative in permitting relievers to pitch more than, roughly, 3+ innings. Ideally, his approach is to limit relievers to less than 2 innings, even in lopsided games and to employ a number of relievers in order to finish up.

7) Hernandez, as is the contemporary style, reluctant to let relievers bat. As such, he will liberally use the double switch and, with some exceptions, almost all PH for a reliever, even in one-sided “safe” or “lost” games.

* Hernandez does have several strategies that may or may not be desirable for draft league replays.

1) He does rank relief pitchers in a save situation based upon, broadly speaking, their save totals (saves are adjusted based upon several factors). So, a lower graded reliever with more saves will be used over a higher graded pitcher with less saves.

2) His blowout substitution pattern may be more conservative than one would want for a draft league, especially in a league where there are tight restrictions on player usage.

3) Additionally, Hernandez is not programmed to aggressively handle teams with multiple “super closer” type relievers, i.e, those with 25 or more saves. Generally, any team with more than one of these types of pitchers will see Hernandez staying essentially in save situations with the “best” closer (as measured by total saves) with the other closer being used as a setup reliever. The latter, then, will accumulate very few, if any, saves. So, instead of a “bullpen by committee” approach, Hernandez will, instead, stay with one super closer.