Pickoffs

[Turd]

Has anyone ever actually caught a guy with a pickoff? The one where you press B when you're on the mound?  I don't think in all my games of playing vs. CPU or Human players that I've ever seen a successful pickoff.   Discuss.

[ultimate7]

I have certainly caught humans stealing.  I used to play lots of STL/HOU matchups so there was lots of base running.  

I don't recall ever catching the CPU running.

[Turd]

I don't mean catching them at 2nd with a throw from the catcher, I mean before the pitcher has even thrown the pitch, you can hit B and toss it to 1st, and the baserunner slides back to the bag...

Since you can't really alter the lead the guy gets, they always get back to the base...at least in my experience...

[ultimate7]

Against humans you can hit B, and if they were stealing, they get caught in a rundown.

[Turd]

But only if they were holding up + B before you started your windup, right? 

[ultimate7]

Correct, if they were setting up to steal

[TβG]

I've never caught the CPU and I've played thousands of man v. Comp matchups.

[Brookensrules!]

I've probably been picked off more than have picked other people off.  Never against the computer.

[Attezz]

Probably because you're not good at RBI.

[Shooty]

You should get pickoff insurance!!!!1!

[BDawk]

This is what I call a transition joke.  Seemingly unfunny, but it's important because eventually the insurance jokes will be funny again.  Shooty's joke is a necessary step in the process to bringing back a bad joke

[BeefMaster]

Pretty sure I've never seen it.  RBI 2 and 3 make the throw immediately (rather than making you throw it manually after hitting B), and I don't think it happens there, either.

I've picked guys off second in Bases Loaded 3, but that's the only game where I've seen pickoffs that can happen without the person controlling the runner doing anything.  Griffey Baseball and Baseball Stars have pickoffs, but the runner has to explicitly take a lead in those games, and they have to make a move to get back.

[Turd]

I'm going to have to try this today when I get home...

[Brookensrules!]

Probably because you're not good at RBI.

I'm quite good actually. 

[Stock]

There is probably a speed threshold where the runner could get picked off every time.
I may test this when I have time.  It's probably around 100 or 95.

[Attezz]

I think all the players get back to first base at the same speed.

[Turd]

I tried this out tonight in a league game and was able to pick off my opponent at first base.  I can't remember who he had on base, but I failed a few times, and then on the next batter, I got him trying to come back to the base.

I tried a few times on Coleman in a different game and he was so fast that by the time my pickoff attempt got to first, VC was already sliding into second.  148 is so fast...but, at least I was able to finally prove to myself that it works.  Been playing the game for years, never used it, but I shall use it against my buddies next time we play, as I'm sure they've never done it either.

[BeefMaster]

I'm sure pickoffs would be pretty successful against me - I send the runners pretty much every pitch.

[Turd]

Yeah, now that I know it works, I started using it a lot more.  I can't believe after all these years of thinking it was useless, I never once tried to test it out on my own (using a 2nd controller and trying to make them steal)

[Gantry]

Always a good feeling to get the pickoff...