Digital Diamond Baseball User Guide (V12)

This guide is designed to help users take full advantage of the game. It contains tips on how to get started, and videos that cover some of the advanced features of the game.

What's New in Version 12

Getting Started - Installing a Season Library

Getting Started - Traditional Game Engine

Getting Started - Board Game Companion

Getting Started - Statis Pro Support

Getting Started - Statis Pro Advanced

Data Files

Backing Up Your Files

Adding Custom Images

Fast Play

Season Overview and Reports

More Report Tips

Scorecards and Summaries

Searching Boxscores

Intro to Board Game Commands

Advanced Board Game Commands

Boxscore Edits

Viewing Players and Making Roster Moves (coming soon...)

Auto Generating the Playoffs

Manually Generating the Playoffs

Custom Libraries - Importing Players

Custom Libraries - Adding Player Notes on the Field

Custom Libraries - Creating a Schedule

Custom Libraries - Managing Manager Profiles

Custom Libraries - Running a Draft

Custom Libraries - Active Roster Feature

Custom Libraries - Editing Play By Play

Quick Tip - Printing Statis Pro Cards

The PDF Statis Pro Cards generated by Digital Diamond Baseball are designed for printing on 8.5x11 paper and without borders.

To print borderless with Adobe Reader, click the File tab and choose "print". After setting your printer, click on "properties" and select "borderless printing". Click "OK" to save your settings.

To print borderless on a Mac you can use Preview. Select File->Print from the main menu and then set the paper size to "US Letter Size 8.5x11 -> US Letter Borderless" (see screenshot below).

You can save yourself a lot of time by printing on perforated paper. This product [www.amazon.com]works great for the Statis Pro Card PDFs generated by Digital Diamond Baseball.

Quick Tip - Playing the Current Season In Real Time *

Quick Tip - Fonts and Colors

The User Interface Options Group allows you to adjust the font size and background color used on the game's UI. Specifically, there is an option that allows you to change the base font size used throughout the user interface, except the Play Ball Page. The Play Ball Page auto-scales the interface based on your current screen resolution.

Smaller font size values will decrease the font size and larger values will increase the font size. This allows the user to adjust fonts to accommodate their screen's resolution and eyesight. The default values are optimized for a 1440x900 screen resolution. Users with higher resolution will want to enter a larger value and users with lower resolution will want to enter a smaller value.

In addition, there is an option that allows the user to customize the background color used in many of the user interface screens. We recommend that you use a darker toned color when setting this option.

NOTE: If you generally have trouble reading small fonts on the computer, your best option is to reduce your computer's resolution. By definition, higher resolutions make fonts and other screen elements smaller. The easiest and most effective way to make your screen easier to read is to reduce your resolution.

Quick Tip - Screen Resolution

Digital Diamond Baseball supports a wide variety of screen resolutions, but the best support is for resolutions from 1280x800 up to 1920x1200. Here are some tips to taking full advantage of the game's support for different screen resolutions when playing games:

The Base Font Size option located in the User Interface Option Group is used to change the font size of all text displayed on the game screens except for the Play Ball Page. This option will not have any impact on the Play Ball Page. The Play Ball Page screen elements are controlled using Digital Diamond Baseball's auto scaling feature described next.

The Auto Scaling option located in the User Interface Option Group is used to control the appearance of the Play Ball Page. When enabled, Digital Diamond Baseball will scale the components on the Play Ball Page based on your current screen resolution. NOTE: this feature works best if you have Windows Display Settings set to 100%. In addition, you need to either restart Digital Diamond Baseball or right-click on the game screen and select "Reload Page" whenever you change your computer's screen resolution.

There are also several options that control the size of the screen elements on the Play Ball Page.
These options are available to you during a game by selecting Menu->Options.

NOTE: If you generally have trouble reading small fonts on the computer, your best option is to reduce your computer's resolution. By definition, higher resolutions make fonts and other screen elements smaller. The easiest and most effective way to make your screen easier to read is to reduce your resolution.

Quick Tip - Hot Keys

Digital Diamond Baseball has several hot keys that you can use when playing a game so you don't have to rely on the mouse as much.

Lineup Actions
0: displays detailed stats for the current pitcher.
1-9: displays detailed stats for the corresponding batters in the lineup (spots 1-9).
space: displays detailed stats for the batter currently at bat.
a: displays the bench/pen dialog box for the away team.
h: displays the bench/pen dialog box for the home team.
l: swaps the teams currently displayed in the lineup panel.

Game Actions
control+i: rotates through the many different ways to position your fielders.
control+h: toggle holding the runner.
control+w: walk the current batter.
control+r: execute a hit and run.
control+n: execute a bunt.
control+s: attempt a steal.
enter: throw a pitch or swing.

Switch Manager
control+m: display the toggle manager popup.
control+1: set managers to human vs. human (requires the manager popup to be visible).
control+2: set managers to human vs. computer (requires the manager popup to be visible).
control+3: set managers to computer vs. human (requires the manager popup to be visible).
control+4: set managers to computer vs. computer (requires the manager popup to be visible).
control+5: close the manager popup.

Fast Play
control+f: display the fast play popup.
shift+1: fast play the current half inning (requires the fast play popup to be visible).
shift+2: fast play the current inning (requires the fast play popup to be visible).
shift+3: fast play to the top of the 7th (requires the fast play popup to be visible).
shift+4: fast play to the top of the 8th (requires the fast play popup to be visible).
shift+5: fast play to the top of the 9th (requires the fast play popup to be visible).
shift+6: fast play until someone gets on base (requires the fast play popup to be visible).
shift+7: fast play until a runner is in scoring position (requires the fast play popup to be visible).
shift+8: fast play until a runs scores (requires the fast play popup to be visible).
shift+9: close the fast play popup.

Other Hot Keys
esc: hides all currently visible popup windows.
control+q: save and exit the game.
control+b: display the boxscore window.
control+c: show the bench coach dialog.
control+u: undo the last play.
control-t: ask the manager.

Quick Tip - Pitcher Fatigue

Every pitcher in Digital Diamond Baseball is given a durability rating (DUR). Durability ratings specify how many pitches a pitcher can throw before they are susceptible to fatigue. The performance of a fatigued pitcher will decrease with each additional pitch they face after they are fatigued. The durability rating shown for a pitcher is estimated. The actual durability for a pitcher can fluctuate from game to game, and is not known to the human or computer manager.

Fluctuations in a pitcher's durability is determined by library specific settings such as the durability bonus and certain manager profiles settings. These settings can alter a pitcher's durability at the start of the game. These changes to a pitcher's durability are hidden from both the computer and human manager and represent how many more or fewer pitches a pitcher can throw before becoming susceptible to fatigue

Each time a pitcher throws a pitch their pitch count increases. When the pitch count reaches their actual durability, a pitcher becomes susceptible to fatigue. This does not mean the pitcher is tired; it just means that they may be getting tired soon. Pitchers that are susceptible to fatigue will only become fatigued at the start of an inning or if they allow a base runner. When a pitcher is close to becoming tired, they will have an orange shadow box around their field icon and on-field image. When a pitcher actually becomes fatigued their icon and on-field image will have a red shadow box.

Let's look at a specific game. Suppose CC Sabathia has an estimated durability rating of 92 and his actual durability for this game is 97 (which is hidden). This means that he will become susceptible to fatigue when he has thrown 98 pitches. However, he will not actually be fatigued until he either allows a base runner, or is on the mound at the start of the next inning.

A pitcher's pitch count carries over from one game to the next. However, the number is reduced based on how much time they rest between appearances. At the end of every game, each pitcher's pitch count is decreased. By default, starting pitchers typically need around four days of rest before their batters faced total is reduced to zero. Relievers, on the other hand, are often fully rested in time for next game. However, if a pitcher pitches two games in a row, they are likely to need an extra day of rest before the are fully rested.

In Digital Diamond Baseball, a pitcher's estimated durability rating and pitch count total are displayed using the following format: durability/pitch total. For example, CC Sabathia's DUR column might look like this 92/18, which indicates that he is estimated to be able to throw up to 92 pitches before being susceptible to fatigue, and that he has thrown a total of 18 pitches.

Pitchers that qualify as both a reliever and starter use a slightly different format that looks like this: starting durability|relief durability/pitch total. For example, Ivan Nova's DUR column might look this: 84|43/12, which indicates that his estimated durability is 84 pitches when starting and 43 pitches in relief. In addition, Nova's total pitches thrown is currently 12.

Quick Tip - Custom Ratings

In Digital Diamond Baseball, custom ratings consist of the run rating, range rating, the outfield arm rating, catcher arm rating, and the pitcher hold rating. All ratings are between 1 and 5. A rating of 1 is the best and a rating of 5 is the worst. A rating of 3 represents an average rating.

When importing players using the Baseball Reference import feature, ratings are automatically included. The calculations used to determine the ratings are described below:

The range rating is based on the Rtz field provided by Baseball Reference This is the number of runs above or below average the player was worth based on the number of plays made. This value is currently only available on or after 1954. Currently, all fielders except for the pitcher and catcher are given a range rating.

The outfield arm rating is based on the Rof field provided by Baseball Reference. This is the number of runs above or below average the outfielder was worth based on baserunner kills and baserunner advance. This value is currently only available on or after 1954.

The catcher's arm rating is based on the Rctch field provided by Baseball Reference. This is the number of runs above or below average the catcher was worth based on baserunner kills and baserunner advances. This value is currently only available on or after 1954.

The pitcher's hold rating is based on the RspP field provided by Baseball Reference. This is the number of runs above or below average the pitcher was worth based on baserunner kills and stolen baserunner advances. This value is currently only available on or after 2003.

Ratings are used by the Digital Diamond Baseball game engine to determine outcomes when a play consists of a defensive or offensive advantage (Def+ or Off+). Offensive advantages occur when the run rating of the lead runner (or the batter if the bases are empty) is 2 or more ratings better than the fielder's range rating. Defensive advantages occur when the fielder's range rating is 2 or more ratings better than the run rating of the lead runner (or the batter if the bases are empty). The impact an advantage will have on a play is determined in the game engine's charts and can be edited using the Chart Editor.

If you would like to know when a Def+ or Off+ takes place during a game you can go to the the "Basic In Game" Options Group and enable the "Show Command/Column" option. This will annotate the PBP window so that it displays the type of advantage as well as the command that was used to resolve the play.

Keep in mind that if you don't agree with a player's rating you can change it! This is very easy to do. You can go to the "Player Editor" page and edit a player's rating directly, or you can import a CSV file containing user calculated ratings. Importing ratings can be done in the Player Editor. The CSV format player rating files is:

Name, Team, RatingType, Rating

Valid values for RatingType are:
HOLD
CARM
RANGE1B
RANGE2B
RANGE3B
RANGESS
RANGELF
RANGECF
RANGERF
OFARM
RUN

The following is a sample import file that sets the run rating and hold rating of two players. Notice that a header is required and included as the first line in the file:

Name, Team, RatingType, Rating
Josh Martinez, MIL, RUN, 4
Cliff Jones, LAA, HOLD, 1

Custom rating import files should be placed in the Import/Ratings folder prior to executing the import.

Finally, if you decide you want to disable any or all of the custom ratings, you can do so in the "Ratings" Option Group. This does not remove the ratings from the library. As a result, you can easily enable them again at any time.

Quick Tip - Ask the Bench Coach or the Manager

The Bench Coach

Are you in a close game and contemplating bringing in a pinch hitter or reliever? To help you with the decision you can call on the Bench Coach to get the combined event probability card for any possible batter/pitcher matchup in the game. Alternatively, you can ask the Manager what they would do in the current situtation.

You can access the Bench Coach at any time by clicking on Menu->Bench Coach or by pressing Control+B. In the Bench Coach Dialog Box you can choose any pitcher and any batter and the combined card will automatically update with the combined probabilities for the matchup.

The Manager

You can also ask the Manager what they would to in the current situation by clicking on Menu->Ask the Manager or by pressing Control+M or Control+T. Check out the following video to learn more about using the Ask The Manager feature:

Quick Tip - Out of Town Scoreboard

The Out Of Town Scoreboard feature allows you to manually play a game and keep an eye on the progress of other games being played on the same day. This feature is disabled by default and can be enabled via the In-Game Options Group. If enabled, when you are playing a manual game all other games on that day will be played simultaneously and the Out Of Town Scoreboard can be viewed by clicking on the Today's Games button located in the linescore.

The out of town games will progress as your game is progressing. When an out of town game has completed you can click on the word 'Final' in the Out Of Town Scoreboard to view that game's boxscore.

Staring with V10, it is possible to manage/manually play more than one game per day and still take advantage of the Out Of Town Scoreboard. The key is to mark the teams you want to manually play as 'favorites' (favorite teams are covered in a different section of this guide). Games featuring one or more of your team favorites can be manually played when the Out Of Town Scoreboard is enabled.

NOTE: doubleheader games will not be auto-played on the scoreboard. Instead, you should fast play the doubleheaders or play them manually if they contain the team the you are managing.

Quick Tip - Real-Time Season Replay

Quick Tip - Replaying With No Transactions

The seasons that come with Digital Diamond Baseball are configured to allow users to replay seasons using as-played lineups and real-life transactions. However, sometimes it is fun to replay a season without the as-played lineups and transactions. For example, you might be replaying a season using a tabletop board game that generates injuries, or maybe you want to enable the injury system that is part of Digital Diamond Baseball and let it generate transactions as the season is played (see the "Custom Libraries - Active Roster Feature" section in the User Guide),

The following video shows you how to edit the default seasons so they do not have any transactions or as-played lineups, and the season starts with all of the players in the library active.

Quick Tip - Playing a World Series

Quick Tip - Viewing the Roll and Command

It is possible to view the top-level dice roll, and the Board Game Companion command that was used for a specific play. This works regardless of how you are playing a game, and is a fun way to see the inner workings of the game engine. In addition, it is a great way to learn the Board Game Companion commands. You can enable this feature in the Basic In-Game Options:


When enabled, the roll and command are shown in the play by play:

Quick Tip - Why Did the Manager Do That?

Did you ever wonder why the manager makes certain decisions? Digital Diamond Baseball keeps track of the manager decisions during a game by saving the details in a file named manager.log. This file is located in the DigitalDiamondDataFilesV12 folder.

Here is an example to show you how it works. The Phillies are playing the Marlins and it is the bottom of the 7th. The Marlins are up 3 to 2, and the Marlins pitcher, Chuck Smith, is leading off. The Marlins' manager decides not to pinch hit for Smith. Why? Here is the explanation, which is located at the end of the manager.log file:

ManagerLog: Computer Manager - Game: 6/24/01: Phillies @ Marlins (d) Team: 2001-Florida Marlins Inning: Bottom of 7th ---- Starter (Chuck Smith) is not tired.
ManagerLog: Computer Manager - Game: 6/24/01: Phillies @ Marlins (d) Team: 2001-Florida Marlins Inning: Bottom of 7th ---- Starter (Chuck Smith) is up in inning 7
ManagerLog: Computer Manager - Game: 6/24/01: Phillies @ Marlins (d) Team: 2001-Florida Marlins Inning: Bottom of 7th ---- Starter (Chuck Smith) is winning
ManagerLog: Computer Manager - Game: 6/24/01: Phillies @ Marlins (d) Team: 2001-Florida Marlins Inning: Bottom of 7th ---- Starter (Chuck Smith) is up with bases empty.
ManagerLog: Computer Manager - Game: 6/24/01: Phillies @ Marlins (d) Team: 2001-Florida Marlins Inning: Bottom of 7th ---- Starter (Chuck Smith) is up and based on the pen usage setting I will not pinch hit.

The reason for the decision? Smith is not tired, the Marlins are ahead, and the current bullpen settings in the Manager Profile for Florida causes them to leave him in. I checked the Marlins' manager profile for the bullpen and it was set to "Average Pen Usage". If it was set to "Quick to go to the Pen" he would probably been pinch hit for.

So, the next time the computer manager makes a move and you want to know why, check out the manager.log.

In case you are wondering, Smith walked :). The Marlins ended up winning the game 3 to 2. Alfonseca replaced Smith in the 9th (Smith was still not fatigued) and got the save. Here is the log showing Alfonseca getting chosen for the save:

ManagerLog: Computer Manager - Game: 6/24/01: Phillies @ Marlins (d) Team: 2001-Florida Marlins Inning: Top of 9th ---- Chuck Smith in not tired, but it is time to go to the pen and replace him...
ManagerLog: Computer Manager - Game: 6/24/01: Phillies @ Marlins (d) Team: 2001-Florida Marlins Inning: Top of 9th ---- Looking for closer vs RHB...
ManagerLog: Choices for underused relievers: [Antonio Alfonseca, Ricky Bones, Vic Darensbourg, Braden Looper, Vladimir Nunez]
ManagerLog: First underused found: Antonio Alfonseca
ManagerLog: Computer Manager - Game: 6/24/01: Phillies @ Marlins (d) Team: 2001-Florida Marlins Inning: Top of 9th ---- Selected Antonio Alfonseca as the reliever.
ManagerLog: Computer Manager - Game: 6/24/01: Phillies @ Marlins (d) Team: 2001-Florida Marlins Inning: Top of 9th ---- I have determined that I will take the pitcher (Chuck Smith) out when my team takes the field...

Notice that the computer manager is looking for a closer vs RHB and is also looking for a pitcher that is underused. This is common when Playing Time Limits are enabled in the options. The CM tries not to cheat by overusing their best players. In this case, Alfonseca was available and the Marlins were victorious.

Quick Tip - Editing the SP Basic FACs

Did you know that you can edit the out distribution used by Digital Diamond Baseball when using the Statis Pro Basic digital FACs? The default values for the FACs work quite well, but if you want to tweak them click on the Statis Pro Editor buton on the Main Menu Page. The values displayed on the Statis Pro Editor allow you to change the likelihood that an out type appears on a randomly generated Statis Pro FAC. The value entered must be a number (positive or negative). A positive number will increase the chance that the edited out type will appear. A negative number will decrease the chance that the edited out type will appear. Be sure to click on the Save button to save your changes. It is recommended that you change the values by no more than 1 or 2 at a time, and then play a game or two to test your changes. You can reset the out type chances to the recommended settings by clicking on the 'Reset to Default' button. You can reset the out type chances to the values used by the original 3rd Edition FACs by clicking on the 'Reset to 3rd Edition' button.