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Forum index » SmallBall Baseball Forums » Beginner's Forum
Ultimate Standard Trainer Guide
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mlthmp
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PostPosted: Sat May 13, 2006 2:24 pm    Post subject: Ultimate Standard Trainer Guide
Subject description: written by: mlthmp
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First off I'd like to say a couple of things. No two trainers agree 100% of the time on which is truly the best way to train, how player positions should be decided or which stadium is the best. This guide was written to reflect what *I* believe to be the best way to train a ST (Standard Trainer) team. I am in no way saying the methods listed in this guide is better than any one else's ways of doing things. In the end the success of a Standard trainer team will depend on its owner, and his/her ability to learn the aspects of their team.



"The Ultimate Standard Trainer Guide"



This guide is broken down into different 6 parts. It is suggested that if you are new to Smallball (or the Standard Trainer) that you read each section in order. They range from finding your pitchers, to which stadium might be best for a Standard Trainer team.



Part 1, Terms and descriptions.
Part 2, Skills, at a glance
Part 3, Finding your pitcher(s)
Part 4, Basic Training
Part 5, Player Positioning
Part 6, Stadium Breakdowns



PART 1
Terms and descriptions.


First, lets cover a few things before we get too deep into the guide. Below is a very short list of terms you'll see used below, and a brief description.

"TP" Training Potential, also known as a player's "pie" a player will only gain skill if he has TP. TP generates on a 48/24 hour basis. Position players will generate a full "pie" every 48 hours while those on the bench do so in just 24. To check a player's TP click on him, and notice the pie under his feet. Once a player's TP is used up, he is done training. You may still get several +.01 gains, however these do not count towards training.

Timeshift/Throttle, are programs that can be used to speed up your computers clock. Meaning you can train much faster than normal. These programs can also be used to speed up game play, but only on "your side" and do not speed up games on the Smallball servers. Meaning you can see a games outcome, before its actually finished. These programs don't appear to harm your computer in anyway, however you still have to be careful while using them. Since they speed up your system's clock you'll actually have to reset the time on your computer after a few uses. Also, setting these programs too fast can cause your trainer to lose connection. When/if this happens simply close trainer and reset your TS or throttle to a lower speed and reopen the training field.

Free DT Fridays, are a very useful tool (and it is very generous of commish to allow us to use) Each Friday, all teams can use the Deluxe Trainer, just like teams that actually have the DT attached. This is very useful, as it'll allow you to check your pitchers speed, allow you to get even better throwing/catching gains and allow you to run MUCH easier than is possible in the ST. It is recommended, that if you use the ST to not train at all on Thursdays, so your team can have a full pie on Fridays, but you may want to trian your bench players anyway as they regain TP twice as fast!



PART 2
Skills, at a glance


Now before we go any further, lets take a quick look at the different skills, and go a little deeper into what they mean.

Running - How fast your players can run.
Catching - How well your players can catch.
Throwing - How hard or far your players can throw.
Batting Contact - How well your players can make contact with pitches.
Batting Power - How hard or far your players can hit the ball once contact is made
Batting Swing Skill - How well your players can aim the balls they hit.
Pitching - How well your players pitch.



PART 3
Finding your pitcher(s)


There is an old saying, "Doing it right the first time saves time" and nothing could be more true. If you take your time and find you best pitcher(s) to begin with you'll be glad you did on down the road! Making sure you have the right pitcher isn't always easy and may take awhile, but once you have found the best you'll be on your way to a solid team.

There are several ways of finding your pitchers. However, I will only post the method I've found to be the best for ST teams. Again, this isn't the only way of doing this, but as I said.. I believe this is the best way for ST teams to go. We'll break it down into 5 easy steps. It is recommended you follow these steps in this order for best possible results.

Step One: Train everyone on your team in pitching, making sure to not forget about your players in the batters box and behind the plate at the catcher position. It is suggested that you train your catcher second right after your first guy is done pitching, and then the first batter third. This way they both are able to get some pitching in before their TP has ran out. Train everyone on your team using this method for 3 full days.

Step Two: After those three days of training run everyone on your team for two straight days (be sure to select pitch ball for just a second or two as the bench player that always starts in the batters box will be off the screen. Turning this on for a few seconds will cause him to walk back to the batters box on the field) Do not forget to run him as well. Run everyone for two days, as running does have some effect on your pitcher's ability.

Step Three: Pitch your entire team (using the same method from step one) for two days in a row.

Step Four: Train your entire team in throw for two days. At this point in your training the best way to do this is to simply select the Centerfielder and turn "Field Balls" on. Train your entire team using this method for 2 days.

Step Five: Train your entire team in pitching for one day. Once the entire team is finished, sort by "Pitch Skill" and your top player(s) should be your best pitcher(s). After you have done these steps you should have your best pitcher(s) found, after this simply train him in pitch to keep his skill where it should be.

Now I realize 10 days seems like a long time to only be finding your pitcher, but look at it this way. Would you rather spend 10 days now at the start, or 10 days down the road.. maybe even after you've made it into the PLs? I promise you taking the time to do this right, and from the start will save you a major headache down the road! Besides, here is another way to look at it. Sure the bulk of these first 10 days may have been spend on pitching, but you also got in some running, some throwing and catching too.. Which will make training the rest of your fielders a little easier as well..I promise you, this is a win-win situation!

It is also worth noting that once your pitcher or pitchers have been found, there is no further need to train the rest of your team in pitch. Pitch skill only factors into your pitcher's overall star ratings. However, if your teams "starter" (original pitcher when the team was first created) doesn't turn out to be one of your pitchers.. you'll need to place him in a field position and close the trainer. This way he is officially reset as a position player and no longer listed as a pitcher. Once this has been done you can do with this player as you wish (bench him, etc as long as he has been set as a fielder at least once)



PART 4
Basic Training


Training Mood

Mood training is often overlooked in the world of Smallball. However, I believe that for a brand new team a player's mood has a huge impact on his ability to "learn" new skills for the first time. Your players are more human than you may have originally though. When they're "happy"" they're easier to train and its easier for them to gain skill than when they're "upset"

OK STOP LAUGHING! I'm being serious here.. I truly believe that player's mood is important to a brand new team. However, it is also the easiest thing to train in (and it also takes the longest) All you have to do is simply click on a player, and his mood will VERY slowly increase since he knows you're "watching" him.. Thats it! Simply select him and let him sit there, and it takes awhile for his mood to increase. You can tell each player's mood by the smiley face shown on the scoreboard when (s)he is selected. Use of Timeshift or SB throttle can make this process go much faster, and is highly recommended. It is also suggested that you work on everyone's mood before any actual training begins. Possibly even your initial pitch training, since it may help your guys adapt to training which means they could possibly gain more skill while you're training.

Once you have worked on mood for that first time its not really necessary to train in it again specifically as your player's moods will increase during regular every day training as well. It is up to everyone to decide if they want to go through with this initial mood training or not, some people say it really doesn't make a difference while others swear by it. Personally I believe it makes a difference and believe its well worth the extra time it takes. What does it hurt? Even if its just the slightest advantage when it comes to ST training.. you need to take advantage of all the tricks you possibly can.

Pitching:

This is without a doubt the easiest skill to train in the ST. Simply put the player you wish to train on the mound, and turn on "Pitch Balls" This will make the player on the mound use his TP by pitching to whoever is in the batter's box. However, you need to be sure to train your catcher, and whoever is in the batter's box ASAP so they'll get some skill gains in whatever you wish to train them in. If you don't they'll burn all their TP in either catch (player at the catcher's position) or in batting (player at the batter's box) Once you've found your pitcher(s) you should only need to use this method for that/those player(s) Be sure to use Free DT Friday each week to make sure your pitcher(s) are maxed, or at least close to it in pitch skill. This will also allow you to know the speed your pitchers are hurling!



Running:

Running is just a downright nuisance. Of course the easiest way to get around having running in the ST is to use Free DT Fridays. However, using the proper techniques it can very easily be done in the ST. The best positions to run from in the ST to me would be the RF and LF spots. Place whoever you wish to train in these spots, click and drag them down past the batters box. Once released they'll return to their positions on the field, and after just a few of these moves they'll begin to burn their TP giving them good run gains. The use of Timeshift or Smallball Throttle can make this process go much faster. Also, the use of programs called "macros" can be a help with running. Using one of these programs its possible to do only one drag while the program is recording your mouse movements, and then let the macro do the rest. There are drawbacks to this however, as these programs usually aren't very cheap or user friendly.



Throwing:

There are two easy methods you can use to gain throwing skills. The first, is to select the player in the CF position, and turn on the "Field Balls" option. Once you do this, the three outfield positions will play catch with each other. This will give the players in those three positions both throwing and catch gains.

To gain mostly throwing skill, select sort by throwing. Place the 1st and 2nd on the list at the 3rd base and Centerfield positions. Then simply put the player you wish to train into the Leftfield position, and turn on Field Balls. Using this method, the player in the LF position will usually end up being forced "off the screen" or very nearly so. He will play catch with the CF and 3rd base positions, and being forced further away, will have to throw harder to get the ball to the other positions. Giving you better throwing gains, and slightly less catch gains.

Throwing is another skill you can always use free DT Fridays for as well. Use of DT on Friday will of course give you total throwing gains (without any catch at all) So keep this in mind as well.



Catching:

There are several ways to train in catching using the ST. The easiest is to simply move whoever you want to train to the CF position, and turn on the "Field Ball" option. With this position selected, the three outfield positions will place catch. This method gives you both catching and throwing gains. However this method tends to give you more in the ways of throwing than catching so keep this in mind.

There is another method you can use that gives you only catch gains. Gains that nearly equal those you can see in the Deluxe Trainer. The easiest way to do this, is to select the thirdbasemen and turn on "field Balls" for JUST a second and turn it right back off. If done correctly, he should have two balls thrown at him, catching one while the other sails by him. This is the correct setup for this training technique.

Now, simply hold and "drag" him JUST a little from his current position. He will then simply turn around, and pickup the ball from the ground. Doing this several times will give you very solid catch gains, and as long as you don't drag him too far you'll probably not see a single run gain using this method.

Also, the use of "macros" can be a help while training catching as well. Using one of these programs its possible to do only one drag while the program is recording your mouse movements, and then let the program do the rest. This can be a great help while training catch using this method, seeing how it takes more movement than running.



Overall Batting

In the Standard Trainer, there is only one way to train in batting, and thats by having your pitcher pitch to your guys in the batter's box. However, be sure to keep an eye on your catcher's TP. In the ST you'll have to have your catcher working behind the plate, which means he'll be getting catch gains, while your pitcher is gaining in pitch and the player at the plate is gaining in batting. Make sure once you've trained your first player in batting, to switch your catcher and train him next. That way he'll be able to get some training in as well.

There is a known bug in the ST that makes training in power very hard, and sometimes impossible. Once you have a player thats maxed, or close to it in bat contact the ST will no longer give him any power gains at all.

There are 2 ways around this, you can either use a ticket (QT or a Batting Camp) for training in these areas, or you can use Free DT Fridays for this.



PART 5
Player Positioning


"How should I set my positions" is a very common question in the Smallball world. positioning is very important in Smallball, and YES having the proper players in the correct position makes a difference. While there are many theories on the issue, below is the method I recommend using for ST teams.

Left Field - I believe this is the most important position on the field. I would suggest choosing this position based on the following ratio (and in this order) Throwing power / speed / Catching with the emphasis on throwing, as this spot has a further distance to throw to reach 1st than any other position on the field.

Right Field - Not as important as LF in most cases. I would use the same method shown above, and put whoever ranks second in those avg skills in this position. Here I would put the emphasis on running since this position has less of a distance to throw to reach first base.

Centerfield - I usually don't worry about the CF position all that much. Rarely do you see a pop fly in this area. However, speed is extremely important here as this position makes up for alot of misses by the infielders. Decent throwing and very good speed at this position usually works well.

3rd Base - To me the second most important position on the field. Throwing is VERY important here as there is such a large area to reach from 3rd to first. This spot needs very good throwing, and avg speed/catch.

Short Stop - Almost the same as 3rd. Needs to have good throwing power and decent running along with catching ability. This position is important due to the fact it can help produce double plays.

2nd Base - This position to me needs some of the best speed and catching ability on the field. It doesn't have far to throw to reach 1st, so throwing isn't as important here

1st base - The only think you really need to have at first is decent catching ability. Throwing or running isn't important at this position at all.

Catcher - This is usually the position most trainers use for their worst fielders. Since there are no steals in Smallball, the catcher doesn't have to worry about throwing, and while catching a game he can never miss a ball. Many trainers consider their their "dump position" and use it for their best hitters which usually seem to be their worst fielders, and so on.



PART 6
Stadium Breakdowns


Another common question in the world of Smallball is "Which stadium is the best?" This is a question that cannot always be answered by a training guide or manual due to the simple fact that each team is different. No two teams play exactly the same way, which means you have to study your team to really be able to answer this question. There is a difference in the way ST and DT teams seem to play, and I have actually done some research into this issue. I have come up with the following chart of stadiums, and which type of team may do well in them. Again, there is no real way to prove this, in the end you have to use trial and error. However, this chart may help you in making your decision of which stadium is best for your team. Also, please note that I am only going to post about the basic stadiums you can buy in the Smallball mall and intel field, and not the "rare" parks.

Intel Field - Intel is the free field that comes with all Smallball teams. You can consider it an "average" field. If you have an all around well rounded team Intel may be a good park for you to sick with. A decent offense can produce runs in this park, and the field itself isn't as "deep" as some of the other parks. This may also be a good fallback if your team doesn't seem to play well in any of the other stadiums.

Homerun Park - Homerun is a great ST park. The field is shallow which means an average defense can usually do well here. However, with the park having the setup it does.. defense other than pitching wont play too much of a role in this field. It doesn't take alot of power to send one out of this place. Which may make it very ST friendly for some weaker teams. Just make sure you keep your pitcher up to speed or it can get ugly in Homerun real quick.

Centenial Park - Awesome park for ST teams that are mainly righty (meaning 10-11 rightys) a weak righty may be able to send one over the wall in cent easier than any other park with the exception of possibly Homerun. If you have a "below average" defensive team with a decent offense Cent may be a nice park for you. Be warned however, leftys usually don't do very well here. If you like to try and keep multiple leftys in your lineup.. don't expect much from them in this park

World Park - If you have an average defense with an *OK* offense.. you may do well in World Park. The playing field seems to be larger than Intel and cent (and Homerun by far) so don't expect to see a lot of homers here unless you have an above average offense. Your fielders have to be quick here, and have decent throwing skill to make the semi-long throws needed for throwing runners out. If you have a good contact hitting team world may be a nice fit for you. May want to give it a try.

Field of Dreams - To me, this is about the same as playing in World Park. You shouldn't expect to see many homers here unless you have enough power and good bat skill. The field is just large enough be be a problem for a below-average defense. So make sure your fielders are quick enough to run down a slow roller and have enough passing power to blast it when needed.

Letterbox Park - Smallball's strangest field. Homeruns seem to come a little easier here than in World and FOD, so if you have an average to above-average offense this park may work for you. However, not many people use this field. If you can do well here go for it.. Also it cannot be bought by itself any longer in the Smallball Mall. It can only be bought as part of the "Stadium Pack"

The BrickYard - This park is just downright not friendly for most ST teams. Most ST teams are mainly righty, and the brickyard is known as a "lefty" park. Its nearly impossible for a righty to homer in Brickyard. Also, your fielders have to have decent speed and throwing here or a game can get ugly pretty quick.

Monster park - The only way I would suggest using Monster for a ST team is if you have one of the better offensive teams in the game. Homers are hard as nails to get out of Monster, and the ST "power bug" comes into play when considering this. However, if you have ok power and good contact skills.. you might could do alright in monster. You'll have to ride your team's contact skills most of the way however, and your defense has to be very fast and have great arms.
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