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General questions
about the Replay Baseball Game
Q: There seem to have
been so many Chart Books over the years. Do I really need the exact CB for each
season?
A: It really boils down to this - you can
either use the Current Chart Book
or the
White/Classic Chart Book. The
Current Chart Book is good for all seasons produced in the new yearbook
format, plus any original Replay seasons produced after 1987. The White/Classic Chart
Book can be used for any original Replay seasons produced before 1987, and
it contains notations about any rules or results changes in each Replay season.
Q: What are the
differences between the original Replay Baseball and the new version?
A: The current Replay Baseball game and
the original version are actually substantially the same, in terms of game
play. In fact, any new seasons can even be played using the last original
version's Chart Book (from 1990) with accurate results.
One of the main differences is the game's physical appearance and format.
Replay's original game had individually-cut player cards, with pitchers printed
on extra-tall cards so that the opposing pitcher's grades appeared above the
team's stacked lineup of hitters. The cards were on heavy stock, and
printed in red and black, and they were neat! The original Replay Games
company shut down after the 1990 season. In the new format produced since
1999, the ratings are now presented as cut cards within a yearbook package
(early yearbook versions were printed on perforated pages).
All yearbooks also feature other pertinent information from that season,
including standings, league leaders, team and individual stats, and for classic
historical seasons, in-season player moves and major in-season transactions.
Another unique feature of our historical season yearbooks is a section which
includes written capsule summaries of each team's season. Most of these are written and contributed by Replay gamers.
Replay Baseball has evolved quite a bit over the years, both during its original
18 years and in the past four years since we started publishing. Over time,
more detail was added to the Replay ratings system, as fielders are now rated
for separately for overall defense and tendency to make errors; in the earliest
years, fielders had one overall rating. More detail and additional plays were
added to the Chart Book over time, including a set of rare plays introduced in
the late 1970's that eventually evolved into the game's current Rare Play
Booklet. In 2001, we introduced new expanded pitchers' ratings (pitchers are
now rated on a 6x6 grid similar to hitters, and this new rating employs a third
die- but it's still possible to play the game with two dice and the old method
with these new ratings). And in 2002, we introduced a major change in the
game's Chart Book's format- a new color-coded, laminated foldout chart that
makes finding play results faster than ever. Also introduced in 2002, beginning
with the new 1966 season, is a new Ballpark Effects option.
Even with all of its optional features, refinements and enhancements made over
the years, Replay Baseball has retained much of its original character,
including its balance between realism and playability, and its trademark
interaction between offense and defense!
Q: How does Replay Baseball
Game work?
A:
View the most recent Intro (2015) and Rules for Replay Baseball.
Q: Pitcher Cards -
What's the difference between 6x6 ("regular") and Tall ("Classic
Style") Pitchers?
Q: Ball Park Cards -
What's the difference between 1d6 and 2d6 ball park cards?
Q: What is the
difference between a yearbook and a team book?
A: Each yearbook
contains player ratings for each club’s players on individual cut cards, usually an average of over thirty players per team. We also include other info on each season: a rundown of the
standings and league leaders, and complete team and individual stats for each
club. Some historical yearbooks also
contain schedules and transaction lists.
Each team book contains
player ratings for each club’s players in electronic format only, up to thirty players per team.
There can be up to 17 batters on one side of each team sheet, and up to 13
pitchers on the other side, with each player's ratings contained in his own
rectangle in table format on the page. We also include other info on each
season: a rundown of the standings and league leaders, and complete team and
individual stats for each club.
Samples of both formats can
be viewed and printed from the Baseball Innovations Xtras page, the
2005 All-Stars.
Q: Why is
there a slash at the bottom of the pitchers' Column 3? I was confused and
used the number to the left of the "/" for LHB and the number to the right for
RHB.
A: Oh no, don't use the split on the
pitcher's card to mean lefty/righty splits like you see in Column 6 for some
seasons. Column 3 is a dangerous column for pitchers as you can really get
pounded if you just used the "B" grade (number to the right).
Q: Where's the
catcher's Passed Ball (PB) rating?
A: It is found within the "( )" on
the catcher's defensive rating. Let's say a catcher has a rating of 3(4)54.
The first number "3" is the defensive rating. The second rating "(4)" is the
PB rating and the last set of numbers "54" is the error rating.
Q: What seasons/teams
have been issued since Replay's rebirth, and what seasons/teams feature the
6x6 pitchers' grades?
A: Since we started up in 1999, we have produced: 1998
- 2007 as well as many historical and specialty sets, including 1894, 1908, a
set of Memorable early Minor League Teams, the 1923 Negro National League,
1954, 1966, 1969, 1978, 1984, and memorable team compilations by decade from
the Dead Ball era, the 1970's
and 1980's. All but 1894 were published with 6x6 pitchers' grades.
Q: My chart book's Jump
Chart tells us to drop down TWO rows for attempts to steal 3rd. How many
should we move down for steals of home?
A: In the newest Chart Book, the rules state that you drop down FOUR rows on
the chart for attempts to steal home, and use Row J of the Action Chart for
the steal result.
Q: The rules
stipulate that an outfielder playing an outfield position for which he is not
rated is to have his range and arm reduced by one. What do you do if you must
play an infielder out of position? Are there certain set values to be given
to any player playing out of position?
Generally, you should only use players
at positions at which they are listed. If using the injury features in
column 2, the rules do say that if a player is the last available at a
position and he must miss games, he'll delay his games missed until another
player at that position becomes available again. If you want to use a
player at any position that he is not listed for in the infield, give him a rating of 5 e0. An
infielder moving to the outfield would be rated 1(1) e0. Anyone emergency
catchers would be rated 1(1) e0.
Questions about the original-format (or Classic)
Replay Baseball Game
Q: Why am I missing
cards with my season set?
A: You may NOT actually be missing any
card(s). Depending on the season set, some collation was required. Any
missing card(s) are most likely with another team. If you have checked all
the teams and you are still missing a card, you should be able to contact
someone to make a copy for you, or to at least get the ratings (check gamer
directory or classifieds).
Q: I see references
to "flipping" to B grades. What is the meaning of this phrase?
A: Older season sets have the pitcher
cards taller than the hitter cards so that you can put the pitcher behind the
stack of hitters and quickly refer to the pitcher ratings (1x6 grid). These
cards have the "B" ratings on the bottom of the cards, so you would have to
"flip" the card to see the "B" ratings. The newer pitching cards (6x6 grid)
does not "flip", but rather you use ROW 6 as the "B" ratings, keeping in mind
that for Column 3, you need to use the number to the right of the slash "/".
Q: How many earned
runs is a reliever allowed before "flipping" to his "B" grades?
A: Relievers have NEVER "flipped"
based on any number of runs (earned or unearned) - only batters faced.
Questions
about the rules for pitchers' endurance
Q: Are there any
specific rules about how long a starting pitcher can go into extra innings
before his `B' grades take effect, or he has to be removed? I looked but I
didn't see anything on it.
A: The official rules in Replay
have never covered this- but we'd say up to 10 innings on A grades during a
shutout is plausible; at that point, a switch to B grades after this point,
even with shutout, is suggested. There's also never been a rule covering how
long a pitcher could hang in there after switching to his B grades. But the B
grades for most pitchers are poor enough that there's an incentive not to
leave a B pitcher in the game too long- and we also have the optional
pitchers' rest charts, which help control over-usage as well.
Q: When determining
when a pitcher switches to his B grades, does next base runner mean NEW base
runner?
A: When you are using the fatigue
rules that require flipping to the "B" ratings on the next base runner, this
means when an additional base runner is allowed, not one that replaces
a current runner (like during a fielder's choice).
Q: The BONUS INNING
rules have me confused, can you clarify?
A: This is probably the most-asked
question from gamers…
The starters' bonus rating is the easy one! If a starter allows at
least four earned runs, he normally becomes fatigued and switches to B grades
with the next base runner allowed. But if he has a bonus inning (a
raised number following his regular S rating) then he gets to stay on his A
grades through the end of his bonus inning. Example: Joe Fastball is
rated S64.. He allows four earned runs in the third inning. He
normally would then switch to his B grades as soon as he allowed another base
runner. But since he has a bonus rating (4), he won't switch to B
grades until after he pitches four innings. But (you knew there was a
'but' there, didn't you?! ) if he allows SIX runs, earned or unearned, he
switches to B grades immediately.
The relievers' bonus ratings are a little more complicated! A reliever
with a bonus inning (a raised number following his regular R rating)
can pitch an extra inning, in addition to his R batters, in any inning up to
and including his bonus inning. Example: Bob Curve is rated R38.
His R rating means he can pitch to three batters on his A grades, and then
switches to his B grades with the next base runner he allows. But he has a
bonus inning (8), which means he can pitch one full inning
anytime up to and including the 8th inning, in addition to his R3. This
bonus inning can be used before his R3 is used, or after- but not both.
Example 1. Let's say Bob Curve he comes into the game with one out in
the 7th inning. If he gets out of the inning in three batters or less, he
has managed to save his bonus inning (8), and he'd be able to pitch the entire
8th inning if desired.
Example 2. Let's say Bob Curve came into the game with one out in the
7th, then pitched to three hitters, and then allowed another base runner
before retiring the side. In this case, his manager would have to make a
decision to "burn" his bonus inning in the 7th, if he wanted him to remain in
the game on his A grades. In that case, Bob still has his R3 intact to use
in the 8th inning if desired.
NOTE: The relievers' bonus inning is not three outs; if it's used in
an inning, it is considered 'used up', even if it was not a full inning, as in
Example 2 above.
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