My first Strat title, the press conference

[ArtemusRex]

It is with much happiness and a bit of relief that I annouce that I won my first Stratomatic World Title this past week. Here is the team:

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2005/team/team_other.html?user_id=61921


Here are some interesting tidbits on the team and me:
-The name of the team is the Mudville Nine (about the third team I've called that, each in a different season). My championship not only is my first but anedoctally is the first title they have won since 1892, the year before the Mighty Casey struck out (Heh.)

-I've been playing Strat now since January 2006. I usually play no more than 3-4 teams at a time but have been playing maybe 6 at a time since New Year's. Only the cheaper prices have kept me from returning back to 3 teams.

- When I started playing, I only played the 2001 season. So you see even though I am a sophmore player on the Stratomatic circuit, I started out with the frenzies and limited features like the grizzled veterans who would give me tips on the game like JKolak and ArrylT. It is these managers and others like them who helped me along the way is who I dedicate this championship to.

-After managing a terrible team in ATG2 I decided to keep to the 200x games for awhile.
-Ironically, I had decided to wait to play the 2006 game since the run of 2005 game was almost over. When I finally relented and played the 2005 season about 2 weeks before the start of the 2006 game, I did okay but nothing better than mediocre. It would be the end of beginning of 2006, start of 2007 until I decided to try the game again when I noticed that 2005 would start at least one or two new leagues a week.

- Meanwhile I played about 8 seasons of 2006 and only made the playoffs once but usually hung around the 81-84 win mark (kind of like the Phillies). That doesn't include the 3 teams I played with $100-200mil rosters where I averaged 70 wins.

-Up to now I had gravitated to a strategy that was defense and pitching first but didn't usually play in pitchers parts (except for RFK). It was in those season in RFK that solidified my strategy that had always centered around the "ideal" strategy that is debated on the message boards (that I now can't find the 2006 version to link to it to save my life, if know where to find it put the link in the discussion below) but differed on the 40% pitching since I always seem to be upwards of $35mil instead of $32mil. I decided to finally give in and try since it freed up some money to find the right big bats to round out my offense.
- That first 2005 team I played saw me get into not only the playoff but into the World Series. Randy Johnson won the first game for me but I lost 3 straight before the Big Unit won again. Game 6 saw my end in that Series. I used that first credit won in Stratomatic to play my first season of 2007 which I am doing well (tied for the Wild Card lead).

- The Mudville Nine saw my return to 2005 with a similar roster including Randy but I decided to take a chance on an INJ-2 guy in Jim Edmonds. After 20 games, he had missed almost half of those games and I almost cut him but decided to give him another shot as the 20% penalty would be steep. He ended up finishing very well for me and provided the little offense needed in the playoffs and World Series that saw 3 starters and my closer below 3.5ERA (3 were 2.00ERA and under).

yours thankfully,

Alexx aka ArtemusRex

[goredsox33]

"MR Rex, do you plan to ask for more money and a new contract , now that you have a ring"?? ---Heywood Jablome -Associated Press

[ArtemusRex]

Wha-the... you mean I could have been paid to play. Doh!?!

:P

Good one. A bit of tttthhppp for the Soxman :lol: 8) :P

[goredsox33]

I have my last 2006 team in the finals right now was down 3-1 but won game 5 last nite...so now its 3-2....

but im so impatient waiting for a credit so i can buy another 2007 team , that I almost want to lose the finals now !!!!

Would be nice to win a 2006 title though, since i have been shutout in 2006...

[Stoney18]

Congrats Rex.

[Free Radicals]

Rex , the first one is always the sweetest . I bet you were high fivin yourself , pumpin fists and pattin your own back ! :D Now go get a 2nd title and don't take a year to do it . :wink:

[markp65]

Congrats! I enjoyed reading how your approach has evolved.

[goredsox33]

[quote:a7459a3945="markp65"]Congrats! I enjoyed reading how your approach has evolved.[/quote:a7459a3945]

It is interesting how each of us has success in diff ways.....

and also how the same approach doesnt work for diff seasons....

I had success in the 2005 game using balanced lineups moderate power and high obp.......avg SP (tried tohave one ace)...and a deep bullpen....
however , i was never able to have success in the 2006 game....though like i said earlier, in the finals now.....

[davydrums]

What about the rumors of STEROIDS? Is this championship tainted?

[ndowdy]

We all know you used HGH, just admit it. :)