I've been an owner in 2000RT1 with Tim for three years now and I've never seen anything fishy with his play. I'm inclined to believe him. As for the batting order, when I've had PA issues I've also been known to be "creative" by placing my good-hitting but low-PA guys at the bottom of the order and my lesser hitters starting as high as 4th, creating a run of good hitters using slots 7-9 with 1-3 and possibly saving a PA or two. I've never used a pitcher to soak up PAs, but then I never really thought of that either. Not sure I would now that it's entered my mind, but I guess it could be an option in a severe instance such as this.

Basically, I'm saying we should take his word for it. I would hope that a player of Tim's ability would be capable of tanking in a not-so-blindingly-obvious way if he were to ever truly do so! I don't endorse tanking, but the way that series played out would have been a pretty dumb way of trying to get away with it. ;o)