I Thought this Team Would Hit - WRONG!

[bleacher_creature]

Any lineup advice would be much appreciated:

[url]http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2006/team/team_other.html?user_id=266[/url]

I am turning to you, because I am friggin' stumped. Swept last night, which was a real slug in the gut.

2 Coors and one Minute Maid in my division. Plenty of BPHRs in my lineup, so you'd think I would have the middle of my order all hitting at or under the Mendoza line.

It must be me. My teams tend to pitch okay, and I know I like pitchers' parks (although I refuse to use Petco - based on principle), but I cannot put together a team that scores runs.

[visick]

Tough division you got there :roll: ...

I'd go:
vs. RH-

Berkman
Giambi (No gbA's, Damon "could go here too?)
Cabrera (Best hitter vs. RH's)
Dye (Giambi's spot if Damon bats 2nd.)
Damon (+ clutch, which you are lacking)
Ellis
Sullivan
Uribe
Navarro

[geekor]

not sure what to tell you.
Cabreera started off slow on a team of mine as well, but is finally hitting about 276 with a .370 obp, he shuld come around

then again you have 1 card I will not use in Giambi. I do not like card that are all walks and Hr's (Giambi, Edmonds, F Thomas). Berkman is almost that way, but still has some tb's, Giambi doesn't but barely get to 30 tb's...

But if I had to give it my shot I'd go:

vs L: Giambi, Damon, Ellis, Uribe, Cabrera, Berkman, Dye, Navarro, Sullivan

vs R: Ellis, Giambi, Cabrera, Berkman, Damin, Dye, Sullivan, Navarro, Uribe

[visick]

Your pitching staff collectively, is doing well vs. R/L, considering your divisional parks.
(Seo should never pitch, if you can, in MM. He's getting hit hard vs. righties)

Your hitting is just not coming around yet. I'm going to assume that you're not getting any rolls your way. (As a team you're hitting .222 vs. RH's)

[bleacher_creature]

I think I'm in trouble when geekor says:

[quote:0c02f1c757]not sure what to tell you. [/quote:0c02f1c757]

Ouch! :D

Thanks for the symathy socal. :wink:

I have almost used those lineups geekor, and I think the few times I scored big runs, I was using something similar.

Interesting comment about Giambi. I often get too enamored with on base, and I though his HRs would make up for the lack of TB. #2 seems to be a good place for him.

I think I'll go with the vs R lineup by geekor as listed above. Set it and forget it. vs L, how do you feel about:

Gomez 1B
Giambi DH
Ellis 2B
M-Cab 3B
Uribe SS
Damon CF
Dye RF
Navarro C
Chavez LF (5L)

BTW, Navarro has been productive batting 8th from both sides. I'd like to keep him there.

[MARCPELLETIER]

bleacher,

I hope you were not expecting to be this good offensively. Your team is extremely very weak in at least three positions (c, cf, ss), plus two positions are just okay (rf, cf), and Ellis isn't exactly a major offensive threat.

Plus, Dodger stadium is a highly pitching stadium. Not Petco, but still one that provides the most outs. Instead of hitting .221, Giambi would be hitting .247 in a normal stadium. .247 is not .271 (his season), but this is an expected gap given that everyone is jumping on the most paid pitchers and avoiding the cheap starters. So, in my opinion, Giambi isn't far from his final numbers, except that homeruns should come easier, which will impact on average, on-base and slugging positively. Cabrera too isn't too far from where he should finish. Only Berkman appears to me as quite struggling.

So overall, a struggling offense, but not too far from where it should be. (at this point of the season, the stadiums of your divisional rivals didn't have a noticeable impact...most games will be played later in the season).

Another problem, I feel, is your line-up. Giambi, Cabrera and Berkman, when facing rhp, should 2-3-4 (in my opinion, in that order, but that could change). Uribe should be dead last, or 8th at most.

On the other hand, your mixture of *SP/SP is draining a lot of money away from your team, and your cheap relief has lost too many games so far (try to have your SP longer in the game, if possible).

[bleacher_creature]

Thanks Marcus. So you're saying, "go read the Strategy Winning Formula thread, and buy another credit." :D

I haven't dumped anyone of course. Although trading Giambi for a cheap DH plus bullpen help might add a few W's if I'm not going to score much anyway. Or trade Berkman for a bat (LF), and play Gomez at 1B.

Uribe can move up vs lefties no? +5 on the clutch; 38/47.8/2.8/3 on the numbers. I had him hitting mostly 7th vs-L.

[bleacher_creature]

[quote:3134d50ee6]Cabrera too isn't too far from where he should finish.[/quote:3134d50ee6]

I don't understand this one. Please explain. The home park should not tank his AVG to the degree that it as so far should it?

LAN is better for HRs than FLN, so he should improve there (40?), especially in that division.

[MARCPELLETIER]

Well, I should have said that his homeruns and doubles are close to where I expect it to be at this time of the season. But his singles are definitively too few.

You're right about LAN being better for HRs than FLN, but I don't expect him to have 45, unless perhaps if he goes crazy in Coors and Minute Maid, because owners are going nuts this year by purchasing every superior pitching they can find. Could reach 40 if the actual trend continues and if he gets some easy HR in Coors.