Table of Contents

Setting Lineups

Valid lineups must be specified on the Play tab before a game can be played.  Lineups may depend on the opposing pitchers and DH usage, so it is important to select the pitchers and DH usage before you load lineups (see Selecting Managers, Teams, Pitchers, and DH Usage).  The quickest way to populate a lineup is to use one of three methods provided by Digital Diamond Baseball.  provided by

  • Default Lineup: Clicking on the Default Lineup button located just below the lineup table will cause the computer manager to generate a lineup. 

    The lineup generation algorithm used by Digital Diamond baseball places top priority on using the players with the most fielding chances at each position.  This ensures that the players that played frequently at a position in real-life will be included in the lineup.  If the current library does not contain fielding statistics, then players will be chosen based on the number of games they appeared in in real-life.  After selecting the players at each position, the lineup is populated using only these players, considering them in the following order:

    1. The number three hitter: The hitter with the best chance to get an extra base hit is placed in the three-hole.
    2. The clean-up hitter: Of the remaining available hitters, the one with the best chance to hit a homerun is chosen as the clean-up hitter.
    3. The number five hitter: Of the remaining available hitters, the one with the best chance to hit a homerun is chosen as the number five hitter.
    4. The number six hitter: Of the remaining available hitters, the one with the best chance to hit a homerun is chosen as the number six hitter.
    5. The number seven hitter: Of the remaining available hitters, the one with the best to get an extra base hit is chosen as the number seven hitter.
    6. The lead-off hitter: Of the remaining available hitters, the one with the best steal rating is chosen as the lead-off hitter.
    7. The number two hitter: Of the remaining available hitters, the one with the best steal rating is chosen as the number two hitter.
    8. The number eight hitter: Of the remaining available hitters, the one with the smallest probability of getting out is chosen as the number eight hitter.
    9. The number nine hitter: If the DH rule is being used, the remaining hitter with the smallest probability of getting out is chosen as the number nine hitter.  Otherwise, the starting pitcher is placed in the nine-hole.
  • Load From Profile: Clicking on the Load From Profile button will load a lineup based on the Team Profile for the currently selected team.  Because lineup profiles depend on the opposing pitcher, it is important to select both pitchers before loading lineups.
  • Load From As-Played: Clicking on the Load From As-Played button will load a lineup using the as-played lineups stored in the current schedule (see Managing a Season for information about as-played lineups).  This option is only available if you are playing a scheduled game and the schedule contains as-played lineups.

You can change the lineup at any time by clicking on a spot in the lineup and selecting a player from the drop-down list box located in the Player column of the Lineup table.  The players in the list box are ordered alphabetically with the position players shown first, followed by pitchers.  When you add a player to the lineup they will be placed at the position they played most often during the regular season.  However, you can override this position by selecting a different position from the drop-down list box located in the Pos column of the Lineup table.  To help you make lineup decisions, you can hover any player in the drop-down list box to get a summary of the player's real life and simulated statistics.  Finally, you can change the batting order quickly using the Up and Down buttons located near the bottom of the Lineup table.

A valid lineup cannot have the same player listed in the lineup twice and must have a player at each position.  If the DH rules are being used, there must be one player positioned at DH.  If the DH rules are not being used, the starting pitcher must be in the lineup.  An invalid lineup is indicated with a red border around the Lineup table.  In addition, any issues with the lineup will be listed below the Lineup table. 

Starting the Game

When both lineups are valid, the Play Ball! button located at the bottom of the Play tab will become enabled and the game can begin.  Just click on the Play Ball! button to start the game.