NEW RULE LIMITS RELIEF PITCHING ABUSE

NEW RULE LIMITS RELIEF-PITCHING ABUSE
By Glenn Guzzo
            Those who play the Super Advanced style of Strat-O-Matic baseball may want to prepare for a new relief-pitching rule that Strat-O-Matic is introducing for its board and computer games.
            The new rule, which goes into effect with the 2010-season ratings, is designed to prevent relievers returning too soon after pitching heavy-duty innings.
            Here’s the language, which will be inserted as Rule 27.65 in the board game:
            If a reliever pitches 2 or more innings above his relief fatigue rating then he must rest one day before his next appearance. If he pitches 3 or more innings above his relief fatigue rating then he must rest two days before his next appearance. If a relief pitcher is used without this proper amount of rest, consider him fatigued for the entire relief outing.
            Like all Super Advanced rules, this one is optional for the board game. It will automatically be enforced when computer gamers choose Super Advanced Pitcher Fatigue.
            For many leagues with stricter limits already in place, this rule may not demand much discussion. But for leagues with looser construction, this limit can eliminate abuse – and the occasional hard feeling when a manager believes his opponent is exploiting loop-holes to use players unrealistically.