Why does the computer manager sometimes allow the pitcher to bat for himself even when trailing in the late innings?
This can happen occasionally when you have the “Limit Bench Playing Time” option turned on, putting the computer manager (CM) in the difficult position of having to strive for multiple goals that aren’t always compatible. One role of the CM is to make good decisions in specific game situations. When the playing time limits are in effect, it has another duty — to make sure that bench players don’t get used too much. Sometimes it wants to bring in a pinch hitter but finds that it can’t because all available pinch hitters are ahead of their playing time pace. Or that all relievers are either used, tired or ahead of their playing time pace, in which case it can’t remove the current pitcher because there’s nobody to take over if the game continues beyond the ninth inning. On some rare occasions, it sees that the pitcher is actually a better hitter than any of the available pinch hitters, so it leaves the pitcher in to bat for himself. One thing you could try is turning off the Limit Bench
