Archive of SportingNews.com's old SOM Baseball forum

Will someone please tell me why this team is last in offense?:

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2005/league/team_schedule.html?user_id=48541

I am truly stumped.

Current lineups (trying a shake-up):

vs-R

LF D. Roberts-L
RF R. Freel-R
DH D. Ortiz-L
3B S. Rolen-R
1B A. Dunn-L
C J. Posada-S
SS O. Vizquel-S
CF V. Wells-R
2B W. Harris-L

8 of 9 batters with over 40 OB chances vs-R

vs-L

LF R. Freel-R
2B C. Gomez-R
3B S. Rolen-R
CF V. Wells-R
1B A. Dunn-L
C J. Posada-S
RF J. Cruz, Jr.-S
DH D. Ortiz-L
SS O. Vizquel-S

6 of 9 batters with 38 OB chances. Wells has 35.9, but has 5.4 HRs, plus 8 BP HR chances (seems like an "okay" #4 hitter vs LHPs).

Somewhere there is a problem with my team OBP. I get a fair amount of lefties thrown at me, but not so many that it would explain why this team's offense has "tanked".

I am 51 games in (25-26 record). I might hit the panic button, but I like this team. I don't see where I would improve, except to deal someone for more production vs LHPs.

Meanwhile, my pitching is 3rd in the league and climbing.

Please offer any advice you can think of...

Some shake ups I suggest
1. Get rid of Vernon Wells, his average is .176 and that is not even close to good.
2. Ryan Freel-GONE
3. Why do you have Jose Cruz Jr. in right, he's batting .169 (not much better than .176)

If you can make a deal that can get you some good players in for these 3, you're in good shape. If you can't do that, release them and pick up some players that might be of use. Hope this advise works.

I'll try going through your team a little bit later see if I spot anything.

Why did you link us to your schedule and not your team? _No problem with it just asking.

Off the top of my knucklehead these are my two cents:

As much as I like Roberts' AA and speed, I am not too crazy about his fairly low OBP. I usually like guys on the 1-2 with .360+ OBP.

Freel batting second doesn't quite convince me either. I like guys with higher average there (2nd spot) to help move the runner on first to third and setup sac flies

What stadium are you playing in?

I'm not sure about Posada down in the 6th slot, I'd try to max his OBP...it's always tough wit high OBP catchers because they have a tendency to be slow and heavy on the gbAs but at the same time by having such little protection behind him I think his walks are going to waste.

Gotta run now but I'll check the games you've played a bit more closely, not sure I can be of any help though but if I spot anything will repost.

Good luck.

Aaaaaah O.K. Safeco!

Safeco will do a number on your stats, that 1-1 SI rating will supress OBP and AVG, On the other hand your pitching staff will have fairly good numbers...which I think it's what's going on.

Try to get some walkers up on top of the lineup. Ortiz, Rolen and Dunn are cool but try to get another lefty source of power, Look for ways of upping your OBP as much as you can, you'll need it in safeco.

Check back in later

Thanks for the input. I could dump Wells for M. Bradley. I don't think that will do much for me though, and will weaken me vs lefties.

What is wrong with Freel? Seems some people hate him, but he has 47.7 OB chances vs R, and 45.6 vs L. All for $2.43M.

Cummings2: I like the idea of Posada in front of my sluggers (my original lineup IIRC). I will try -

Lineup vs. RHP

1. Freel, Ryan (R) RF
2. Vizquel, Omar (S) SS
3. Posada, Jorge (S) C
4. Dunn, Adam (L) 1B
5. Rolen, Scott (R) 3B
6. Ortiz, David (L) DH
7. Wells, Vernon (R) CF
8. Roberts, Dave (L) LF
9. Harris, Willie (L) 2B

Lineup vs. LHP

1. Freel, Ryan (R) LF
2. Gomez, Chris (R) 2B
3. Posada, Jorge (S) C
4. Rolen, Scott (R) 3B
5. Dunn, Adam (L) 1B
6. Wells, Vernon (R) CF
7. Ortiz, David (L) DH
8. Cruz, Jose (S) RF
9. Vizquel, Omar (S) SS

Correct link I believe -

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2005/team/team_other.html?user_id=48541

well, I don't know about Wells...it's a funky card, on the one hand you have to like his defense and on the other hand he has enough negative clutch to make him a bit suspect for the bottom part of the order and not enough OBP to put him higher...I'd bat him 7th like you are. I'd keep him, Bradley's e10 is a bit too high for me, I usually don't go higher than e5 in the outfield -the exception being with unusually good offensive numbers like Vlad.

Now as far as your lineups, let's start with vs. R since you'll be facing righties mostly:

1st of all I think some of the numbers in your team are unusually low, even more so than I thought Safeco would affect. Whenever I see such low offensive numbers I start by resetting all managerial tendencies to normal and clearing all the don't do this or do more of that in the player's cards, the reason for that is that it reduces the number of variables and with that it allows me to spot where the problems really are and THEN I can tinker with the settings. I know a lot of really good managers might disagree with this but still that's what I do when I have a real head-scratcher of a team, it gets to the point where I don't know if it is opp. pitching, ballpark, hitters, batting order or managerial settings. For that reason is that I start by resetting the team -and reducing variables affecting performance.

Then with your team (without suggesting drops or trades) there are two basic things I might try:

1. A base to base approach on top and more small ball in the bottom, the result of this is a funky-kooky-looking lineup:

1 Posada
2 Dunn
3 Rolen
4 Ortiz
5 Roberts
6 Vizquel
7 Wells
8 Freel
9 Harris

Now, I know it's kooky and unconventional but what I'd be trying to do is have the max obp possible on top for the first time through the lineup gettng to Rolen and Ortiz. Speed is sacrificed the first time through but once the lineup turns you essentially have Posada - Dunn - Rolen - Ortiz as virtual 3-4-5-6 hitters. Wells puts a bit of a cramper in the running game in the bottom of the order but does supply some much needed pop down there and with Roberts and Vizquel in front of him he might accumulate a good ammount of RBIs.

The other lineup I came up with, much more conventional is very similar to the one you just posted. I'd be a bit careful with Vizquel #2 though, his H&R and bunting ability might cost you an out or two and with the bats coming behind him I don't see a reason to small ball up on top of the order.

Hope some of this helps, if you want to we can try the L lineup later.

BTW: hope you have Harris as a late inning def. replacement for Gomez.

or you could try something a little unconventional...

vs R

Freel
Vizquel
Ortiz
Dunn
Rolen
Posada
Wells
Harris
Roberts

vs L

Freel
Dunn
Rolen
Posada
Wells
Ortiz
Cruz
Harris
Vizquel

your team is weaker vs lefties, but that's usually all right as normally you only face about 30% lefties (you are facing 28%, right on average)

I'd really like to see that Roberts/Cruz platoon improved upon, but it's really hard once the season has started. A good #2 hitter both ways would much improve your lineup, as you really dont have anyone who fits that well, except for Dunn. But if you move Dunn up to #2 vs both sides (he has no dp's, .400 obp, great #2) Then you'll have the bottom of your lineup as all weak kinda ok obp hitters.

1 quick suggestion and 1 quick question:

The Question:

Would you mind posting a link to your league's managerer tendencies, I'd be interested in seeing your sacs, H&R attempts, SBs and all of that.

The Suggestion:

Listen to the geekor-man, he's really good, much better than me (though I am beating the katookies out of him a league we're in -Sadly he's likely to throw Randy Johnson and Clemens at me in the semis...oh well, another early exit for me :cry: )

don't waste a spot vs lhp with harris if you have gomez... i often use the gomez/harris platton....

batt gomez #2 vs lhp and move dunn down where he can knock a few in.

Again, the advice is appreciated.

In trying to copy the league specific tendencies, it appears that will just get you to your own league. Try this -

[quote:5b9ebb6cd0][code:1:5b9ebb6cd0]TEAM G SB CS SB% SAC--ATT SQZ-ATT H&R--ATT-ADV IBB
DES 51 49 16 .754 14 18 3 4 3 10 5 17
DEV 51 36 19 .655 10 13 2 2 2 15 6 13
FIS 51 60 22 .732 23 25 2 2 3 14 7 11
MUS 51 50 24 .676 9 16 1 2 0 9 2 16
PA 51 70 23 .753 27 34 2 4 4 20 12 15
RBI 51 0 0 ---- 9 11 0 0 0 0 0 6
REG 51 11 6 .647 3 4 2 3 1 1 1 4
SEN 51 21 18 .538 7 8 0 1 3 17 9 7
SHI 51 30 9 .769 17 19 2 2 2 21 15 11
SIZ 51 16 4 .800 5 5 0 0 0 5 2 4
TOY 51 15 4 .789 4 9 0 1 4 22 12 0
TRO 51 46 16 .742 6 7 0 0 3 8 5 12
-------- ---- ---- --- ----- --- ---- --- --- --- ---- --- ----
TOTALS 306 404 161 .715 134 169 14 21 25 142 76 116[/code:1:5b9ebb6cd0][/quote:5b9ebb6cd0]

Harris of course is a def replacement vs LHPs for Gomez.

In regard to cummings comment about the unusual degree of suckage, has anyone had a team which seemed good on paper with the bats, gone through an extended slump, then really turned it on?

I'm sure on factor is that I'm seeing a lot of lefties. Not 50% or anything, but maybe 35% or so I would estimate.

Example Ortiz is hitting .261/.370/530 vs RHPs, but .207/.316/396 overall. Actually, I just calculated that 29% of his PAs are vs LHPs (54 of 187 PAs).

I've feel like I've had good success with Vizquel batting 2nd vs RHPs, but maybe I should be looking for big production there in these 12 team leagues.