CLIPPER FOX
Clipper Fox – Modern Draft League Manager
NOTE: Fox choosers closers (and relievers in close games) by GRADE and does NOT bench his rotation (see below for more info)
Clipper Fox is designed to manage or handle modern, draft-league teams only. Closers (and relief pitchers in general) are selected based on grade and not actual save totals. So, a high grade reliever will be employed as a closer over a reliever with more saves but a lower grade (note: only pitchers who are PRIMARILY a reliever – i.e., more relief appearances than saves, are considered as possible closers; however, there may be occasions where this is ignored (although rare)). Additionally, Fox does NOT put aside a rotation; if a pitcher is not benched he may be used in relief. So, you must bench your rotation. Several other points to note:
1) Fox does NOT consider MBFs or relief appearances (in general) in making selections. He is designed to manage in leagues where the batters faced enforcement option in LM is turned off. So, you’ll likely see Fox use a “good” reliever who had 10 relief appearances much more than a “marginal” reliever who had 50 stints.
2) Fox ignores the SALFs or actual steal attempts for those players with high steal ratings (or steal chances) – usually 30+. So, baserunners with higher steal chances will be given the green light in more situations regardless of their actual or historic steals. A player, for example, who was 5-5 in steals (zero CS) will likely have 40-50 steals if he plays fulltime. Similarly, a player with low success ratings but a HIGH number of attempts will likely not duplicate those actual numbers.
3) Fox likes to use the one-inning closer approach, i.e, short closers will only pitch the ninth. He tries to use setup pitchers before the ninth; however, “long” closers will usually be brought in in the eighth. On occasion, however, in critical situations (e.g., two baserunners on), Fox will sometimes bring in a Rivera or Hoffmann or Nen (one-inning closers) in the eighth.
On teams with multiple closers, Fox will likely use the lower or lowest rated closer as setup reliever(s) for the highest grade closer. Fox greatly emphasizes platoon advantages. NOTE: Fox considers as an “ordinary” closer any reliever whose effective grade (that is grade plus control adjustments, e.g., control and gopher ratings) is between 12 and 15. “Super” closers (guys like a Rivera, Hoffmann) are those whose effective grade is 16 or higher.
4) Offensively, Fox very seldoms bunts and usually only uses the hit and run against poor throwing catchers or where the baserunner has a relatively high chance of success. Otherwise, he’ll stick with the big-inning approach and not (except for (2) above) take the risk of running his team ouf of an inning. As opposed to Mike Gomez, Fox is much more aggressive pinchhitting and in “padding” a lead late. This will be especially true if the opposing team’s strong hitters or heart of the lineup will be up the next inning or half-inning or there’s a threat situation.
5) As with the other modern or draft league managers, Fox rests star players in blowouts. He’ll also quickly pull starting pitchers when games are safely in hand. However, the starter may be allowed to finish up in lopsided games if the bullpen is not fully rested.