just annoyed

I can generally forgive HAL for using the wrong relief pitcher or pinch hitter because those seem to be complicated decisions for someone to write into code.

But I am always annoyed when a runner is thrown out trying to score from second on a single in the 9th inning when my team is down by two runs.

IF inning = 9
AND
IF run_differential > 1
THEN hold runner at third

Very, very good point.

does the aggressive base-running setting take precedent?

does the aggressive base-running setting take precedent?

I would think so because the same issue that is annoying labratory could be turned around by the defense and say if runner tries to score from second on a single when I am leading by 2 do not throw home and allow tying runner into scoring position. That is the offset the throw home allows tying run into scoring position and then another single ties the score.

Both the logic of what the offense should do and what the defense should do are accurate.
Yet you see violations of both when watching live games on TV. Players in the heat of the moment do now always do the wise thing. Runners go right through 3rd base coach stop sign all the time.

I think the game engine simulates that to some extent. Having baserunning set on aggressive increases the chances a runner will take chances when they should hold up.

For my taste, I have too many runners thrown out at 3b even on conservative baserunning setting

Actually baserunning was set to Conservative.

But I found the problem: Coaching was set to Stupid.

That was funny. I have occasionally wondered if the computer manager does not have a certain amount of built in stupid decision making to simulate players who run through stop signs, ignore the circumstances of the game, etc.
But even if such black box code exists we would have no way of knowing. I would settle for a better explanation of just what I was telling the computer manager to do when I choose various team manager settings.

My latest annoyance is grabbing a huge early lead, then my opponent burning through his bullpen, then mounting a huge comeback against my rested relievers while my hitters come up empty against unrested starters with no relief rating and fatigue of F0.

Again last night, Tris Speaker thrown out going from first to third on a single down two runs in the 9th inning. And the trailing runner didn't even advance to second on the throw.

Hal himself summed it up in the game replay.

'We just made a lot of mistakes, mostly mental,' Labrat said. 'It's bad enough when the other team beats you, but when you start beating yourselves, that's really bad.'