Bad Start, Bad Rolls? Bad Team? BAD HAL!!

[HUDAMAN]

Venting, in the form of a couple of questions. I've accepted the fact that in the last few years, I've killed the brain cells responsible for assembling a good 2006 strat team. I'm experimenting a bit, and hoping that lessons learned and a head start on the new set returns me to competitiveness (utilizing different brain cells altogether). With that in mind, I decided to venture into US Cell to try my hand at the slugging philosophy. Running into a brick wall would have been easier. After a small 1 week sample, the results are disastrous. The question of course is why?

A lineup (not batting order, so relax) of

Carlos Pena - 1B
Chase Utley - 2B
Khalil Greene - SS
David Wright - 3B
Vlad - RF
Duffy - CF
Jason Bay - LF
Brady Clark - DH
Bako/J Molina - C

have managed to scrounge their way to 69 runs (by far fewest in the league). With 12 home games under their belts, this stellar squad has managed to score 26 runs in those games, a little over 2 a game. I know, Bako isn't great, and the only clutch here is Greene, but I still would have expected something better than this. I think.

Clark and Duffy are at the top of the lineup, and I've tinkered with the next five guys (Bay, Wright, Pena, Greene, Utley) to try to produce something. What I've produced is a .187 home BA, .261 OBP, .319 SLG. Far better on the road, actually.

I've been plagued by injury, Duffy 3 times (the one game Chinese Water Torture Injury), Pena twice for 7 games, Greene for 7, and Molina for 15. How much has that hurt me?

Why does HAL love Bruntlett? He'll move guys around just to get Bruntlett into the game (when Pena went down, he moved Utley to first, and put Bruntlett at second, ignoring Marlon Anderson). He'll bring him in against a right hander (when Duffy went down against Pedro, in came Bruntlett, even though Singleton was on the bench).

Pitching is fine (ERA under 4), defense is middle of the pack, which is as good as I could have hoped for with Utley at 2nd.

So, the questions:

1. Are the rolls as hideous as I think they are, or is there some reason for me to expect this type of performance? Injuries killing me?

2. What's the right batting order?

3. Is HAL that infatuated with SLG? Seems like Bruntlett is getting overused by HAL, and I think I saw this in other leagues.

BTW, I don't think this is a left/right thing. Not having Molina against lefties has hurt, but frankly, he wasn't hitting them before he went down. Wright isn't hitting them either. But I've gotten only about 1/3rd of my AB against lefties, so I don't think that's a huge problem.

Thoughts?

[Leo / loob]

I am in the same league as you Lee and I think it has to be luck of the rolls. There are some teams off to a really nice start that cannot be as good as their record shows. I myself am shaking my head at the lack of offense and am constantly finding myself ask " how could that guy shut me down? " Especially when a R. Lopez, sub 1 mil. guy tosses a one hitter at me. Here is a small example of my struggles:

Big Papi .221
A-Ram .191
Young .174
Floyd .186
Griffey .182
Counsell .150

So it has to be Hal tilting the rolls in favor of a couple teams early and hopefully he intends on balancing them out before too long.

[HUDAMAN]

Funny, I figured you were losing as much hair as me in this league! It's pretty frustrating. but maybe it is just the rolls. Still, I can use all the help I can get! I didn't figure either of us to be under .500 to be honest. But I seem to be wrong more often than I'm right this year... :x

[cummings2]

Sounds like both of you are getting the gooey end of the stick by HAL.

Hope your luck turns and the rolls start going your way.

I think it's too early, 1 week as you mentioned is a very small sample. you've only had 3 or 4 home series. essentially your hitters have had 30-40 ABs at home likely about 15-20 off their cards... Not knowing your opp pitchers or div parks it's a bit of a crap shoot.

The numbers do seem low so that should change, even if you were to have faced Clemens, Pedro and Santana twice the numbers [i:889e7f9a9a]should [/i:889e7f9a9a]improve.

Lineup?

Hmm...of the top of my head:

Utley
Bay
Vlad
Wright
Pena
Duffy
Clark
Greene
Bako

I don't like the turn of the order and I said its just off the top of my head.

Good Luck Lee.

[cummings2]

...and Leo. (Leo or Loobee)...I am guessing Loobee. G'luck too.

[cummings2]

Utley
Bay
Vlad
Wright
Pena
Duffy
Greene
Bako
Clark

[durantjerry]

Rolls definitely seem bad. Also, I have found a somewhat wide disparity of success when building a slugging team. In earlier years there it seemed to be more formulaic(is that a word?). In 2006 it can go either way when you think you have something good.

[MARCPELLETIER]

You mean you had Bako facing lhp???


Ouch!

One-third facing lhp is actually quite important. Bako is simply an horror facing lhp, that musn't be repeated. Greene and Pena injuries certainly hurt, especially considering Hal's err managing. Wright and Bay appear to be overpaid (they almost never appear in the 120 best teams I have scanned). Duffy and Clark aren't fit for your stadium. Yes, you need on-base at the top of the line-up, but: 1-in USCell, your dh must also have slugging;2- Duffy is a "w" hitter, so you lose all the BP on the pitching card---you must have a cf with on-base and "N" rating.

Thus, without looking at the pitching, this team certainly looks weak for USCell, in my opinion.

[HUDAMAN]

Thanks guys. That's what I was looking for. I did a little looking at some successful US Cell teams. I was surprised to find that those teams sacrificed OBP at the top of the lineup for slugging. Sounds like I shouldn't be surprised. I'm guessing this might be correctable. Sounds like some significant tweaks are in order.

As for Bako and lefthanded pitching....it was a horror equalled only by HAL continuing to use Bruntlett against RHP. Bottom line though, I'm guessing the top of my order might be potentially more costly than the bottom.

Good tips, re-stored in live brain cells...

[HUDAMAN]

Duffy and Greene both went down the same night I posted this. I replaced Duffy with Taguchi, who immediately proceeded to go 1 for 15. It's early, but I may have a chance to be historically bad at home.... 4-14 now, 49 runs in 18 games.

Was outscored 25-7 last night, to fall to 10-20 overall. I replaced Bako with Cota (best I could do with the cash). I feel like I have to stick with Clark, if I try to buy slugging, I completely surrender OBP, and I already have Thames on my bench and Pena in my lineup. I shuffled the batting order, same result. I'm just going to sit back and watch now, sort of like a bad accident.... I just can't turn away!..... :shock: