George Clarke, AIM, ~1910-1919 Deadball Era Replay Micromanager, Version 1 (12/14/09)

Best with BFs on but not required. Not designed for draft league. Be sure to check file dates for latest versions.


			INSTALLATION
To install and use Clarke, you must copy or move the following four files into your BBW directory or fold

	MgrClrke.dct, MgrClrke.msy, MgrClrke.lib, MgrClrke.mob

As with the other managers, Clarke may be placed into a season sub-directory but he will only be available if that season folder is loaded in League Manager.

				OVERVIEW/NOTES
Deadball era replay manager George Clarke was the "template" or source manager for Dirty Jack Burkett, the specialized manager that uses managers' "card" when guiding a roster. You do not need to use "cards" with Clarke (in fact, you can't). Although designed for the Deadball Era period of 1911-1919, Clarke may be used for early 1920s seasons. For earlier years of that era replayers should use Bull Grant.

Just as the era was dominated by heavy small ball play, Clarke places great emphasis on manufacturing runs aggresively using bunting, stealing and, to a lesser extent, hit and run. Using extensive research on actual boxscores, play by play and historic accounts, Clarke tries to duplicate - as best as possible - then overall managerial approach for the era. This includes:

(1) Extremely quick hook early (first inning) with a struggling starter. Documentation shows that managers were quite aggressive pulling starters in the first inning to prevent falling more than 3+ runs behind. This was more likely undertaken with the good or quality teams than the poorer ones that have little bullpen to use. 

(2) Aggressive use of bunting to secure leads and using stealing and hit and run strategies mostly when ahead or tied late. This was less so for the quality stealers - the Max Careys or Cobbs - who were so successful stealing that managers didn't need to bunt them over. However, as the stats show, most base stealers during the period had less than 50% success rates. Note: If CS numbers are absent, Clarke will internally calculate those numbers based on steals and also steal rating. Be sure that the steal rating - usually too high for imports - are reasonable. If they are too high, Clarke will steal more. Grant's steals are based on 100% figures (that is, he tries to duplicate those numbers).

Similarly, Clarke's bunting/SAC strategies are influenced greatly by the actual SAC totals for a batter. he will use one out semi-bunt-for-hit strategies but cannot do so with the bases empty (micromanagers cannot bunt with no one on base).

Clarke has a relatively slow hook - considering the era it has to be - but will adjust his strategies on the type of staff being used. If a team had higher relief appearances or the starter had lower innings or a higher durability rating, Clarke will use a quicker hook. Similarly, if the team had few relief appearances or the starting had quite high innings pitched (~300), Clarke will likely let that pitcher go nine.


				&c
Conservative subbing - both offensively and defensively -, Clarke will however take advantage of platoon players using them alternately in the same game if platoon disadvantages/advantages arise. He also has a very conservative blowout sub strategy but will only use those players off the bench that had "high" defensive appearances.

For more information on this or other managers, visit The Digital Skybox at www.TheDigitalSkybox.com