BWB Primer #6 - The Bullpen

Oops - should have posted this one in April right after the starting pitching queue...sorry.

The BWB Primer is a series of commentaries to provide rule interpretations and hints - something a bit more than you get out of the rules. See the Primer Index for the entire series.

This is perhaps the most confusing thing of the entire game-scoring formula. This goes back to the idea that bullpen appearances are so unpredictable. So the basic idea is that rather than try to match up bullpen stats on a game-by-game basis, we let the relievers accumulate stats over a 6-game span. In trying to put the bullpen stats into the BWB game, then, we use averages to fill in the score.

The bullpen score, then, is a 3-step process.

1. How many innings will the bullpen be needed?
If your starter goes 9 innings, you don't need the bullpen. If your starter goes 3 innings, you need 6 bullpen innings. If your starter goes 7 2/3 innings, you need 1 1/3 innings from the bullpen. You get the idea.

2. How many relievers' stats will be used?
This is based on how many bullpen innings are needed:
0.3 to 1.0 - 1 guy
1.3 to 2.0 - 2 guys
2.3 to 3.0 - 3
3.3 to 4.0 - 4
4.3+ - all 5 relievers

We always start with the top of your bullpen and then take the next guy in order, as needed. If, by chance, one of the pitchers has no appearances in that 6-game span, then the ones below him move up a spot. But, in doing that, it's possible that you could run out of pitchers. For example, reliever #2 is on the DL, so 3,4 & 5 automatically move up. Now, let's say you have a game where you need 5 relievers. In the past, we'd just ignore it. But starting in 2004, you now get a special Pinesitter Pitcher who will give you the stats of 5 IP, 10 H, 10 BB, 0 K, 10 ER. This adds a little higher penalty for keeping injured/minor-league pitchers on your team by storing them in your bullpen. (Later on, after a couple of seasons with incredibly high bullpen ERAs, the Pinesitter stats were adjusted...the first one isn't good, but each one gets worse...see the rules for details).

*** A 2005 Rule change allows the spot pitchers to fill in the bullpen, if your normal 5 guys don't all have stats, as long as the spot pitcher has relief stats.

3. Add up all the stats for the number of relievers you need. Come up with a per-inning average for hits, strikeouts, and earned runs, then multiply by the number of innings your bullpen needs to pitch (see step #1). Plug those numbers, along with saves, into the pitching half of the scoring formula.

An added twist here is to make sure that not only do you have active pitchers in your bullpen, but that they reach a certain level of participation - based on achieving a minimum number of innings pitched in that 6-game span. If you don't have enough innings, your per-inning average for hits and earned runs will go up. See the rules for more details on how many innings you need to reach and what the penalty is for each inning you fall short.

**** Although the minimum innings penalties appear to be large, they are actually increases in RAW NUMBERS, and are subsequently turned into the per-inning values. It won't always make a difference in the outcome, but it could decide the game if it is close enough.

The key with this is to have 5 healthy, active pitchers in your bullpen and don't fill your bullpen with closers - you need some guys who eat up a lot of innings.