Injury Rating

[TheoEspteinII]

I noticed Upton has a 3 and Hamilton has a 4 injury rating.
Has anyone ever used these guys? What do people think about a 3 range in CF?

[xtrap]

I haven't played the 2007 season yet so I don't know how good their cards are.. but I personally would not use a 3 in CF. I'm sure it can be done.. but ever since I started playing SOM, I've found success going with 1's and 2's at CF, 2B, and SS. So that is what I tend to do anyway.

There's a lot of good advice on these message boards if you have the time to research.

Here's a good thread to read..

http://forums.sportingnews.com/viewtopic.php?t=9842

[durantjerry]

CF is an important defensive position. However, I always remember a post I read from when I was a beginner in which the author said that it was not the defensive rating that was important, but the net runs produced by the player in question at the position he was playing. So, a bad fielder in CF will cost you more runs, lowering his Net Runs produced. The way he can make up for it is producing more offensively and thus could have a better Net Runs figure than his better defensive counterpart. You will notice that I am not telling you how to compute this figure, as I know you can't do it exactly. I do it by feel. I think your best bet is to use the poorer defensive player only in specific situations that really favor his strengths, allowing him to produce enough offensively to outweigh his defensive shortcomings. These might include your ballpark, division and league ballparks as well as opponent pitching. In summary, my advice would be you really must "pick your spots" with a poor defensive player at a key position if you are trying to win, not just force one into a lineup where he does not really belong. . But then again, if you just wanted to use Hamilton or Upton, I would just say WTF and play him.
With regards to injuries, I would also say you must "pick your spots", as it can be very frustrating to lose a key lineup piece early and often. I would also recommend some good back up planning, taking advantage of any multiple position players as well as using injured guys who maybe have a pretty good cheapo who can fill in. Also, DH is an easy spot to fill, so if your regular DH plays the same position as your injury prone guy, I have found it can make things a little easier.