SOM players, especially those in draft leagues that tend slightly in an All-Star direction, don't use the bunt as much as it used in real-life. But HAL, when managing for your team, brings the corners in way too often (in relation to how often the bunt is really likely to be used). Perhaps, in a strict replay of the 30 MLB teams, where the average player value is less, there is more bunting, and the propensity of HAL to bring the corners in is valid. However, in a standard draft league, every time HAL unnecessarily brings the corners in, all it does is affect the batter's results somewhat -- creating a slightly higher batting average over time.
When playing home games in my draft league, I am constantly on the lookout for this when my team is in the field, almost always pulling the corners back (contrary to computer game default) and saying "go ahead and bunt!" -- I figure if a guy hit .297 with 19 homers, and a bunt rating of "B," in most situations I would rather take the bat out of his hands by enticing him to bunt. And why increase his batting average by keeping the corners in? But when the computer manager, HAL, overdoes the corners in bit for the visiting team, my batters (Caminiti, Gwynn, Bagwell, Fletcher, Jordan, etc.) almost never bunt -- but their batting average is probably helped just a bit over the long term. Visiting teams could include something in their strategy in an attempt to countermand HAL (e.g., don't bring corners in if Caminiti, Bagwell, or Gwynn is atbat), but I have yet to see anybody try this.
Also, another idea: In home games in my
draft league, I switch my HD/LD/* settings for my team (the home team)
to the above (HD:95%, LD:95%, *:N). That allows me to decide when to hold
someone on. For my road games, when exporting *.mgr files, I use a standard
setting, something like 65/15/Y (or close to it). But in home games, I
don't want that as a default, and really I don't want any default at all.
I used to notice that when I left it at 65/15/Y, there would be some situations
where I would do it differently than HAL.
I realize that some of this is going to
happen on the road, and it is inevitable, and I can accept that, just let
the chips fall where they may. But in home games, I know the nature of
my opponent and his roster, and the score, number of outs, etc.
So I got tired of constantly changing the
default, and ESPECIALLY got worried about sometimes forgetting to change
the default. If HAL holds on a visiting team's baserunner who I know is
not going to steal, and I FORGET to change it to "not held," the penalty
for holding kicks in and my opponents' on-base chances increase over the
long run. So my playing tip is: set your own team, during games you play
at home, to HD: 95%, LD: 95%, *:Y. That way, HAL will only hold asterisk
stealers with a 1-19 or better chance to steal, which is fine. Anyone else
-- it is up to me (or you, if you follow the same idea!).