Archive of SportingNews.com's old SOM Baseball forum

I've played in several playoffs now (around 10 or so) and have accrued only one Championship to this point. And that was in a 500 or lower point league (ATG-V).

I've had some teams get 95 wins during the regular season but haven't done squat in the playoffs (okay, one did get to the finals). What am I doing wrong?

EDIT: I did hold my stud hitters (Carlos Guillen, Griffey, Aramis Ramirez, and Hafner from the '05 season set) out of my last 95+ win line up during week #8 as a precautionary measure. Does HAL hold that against you in the playoffs? I had the best record in the league. That fact seems to be a killer. Which doesn't make any sense to me btw.

Might there be a different algorithm for HAL during the playoffs? I really don't know. I'm grasping for some logic. And yes, I realize I'm not the only one it happens to. But why does it happen?

All you can do is build a team that gets you to the playoffs. Once there, no matter if you are a division winner or wild card team, it is a crap shoot.

Once I have clinched a playoff spot of any kind I rest my most important hitters that had less than 600 real life PA (AB + BB). I also try to line up my SP so that I have the pitching order I think is best for the first series. I think this is somewhat less important now that the first series is a 7 game series but still it is what I do.

Some managers prefer to use all their players to secure home field advantage but to me the risk to important players is not worth the effort. I would rather have my stud hitter playing one extra game on the road than to not have him at all in the playoffs but thats just me.

HAL does not hold a grudge for resting your stud players. Every game is an independent roll of the dice.

records during the season mean nothing when it comes to the playoffs.

luck has a lot to do with it, its 8-14 games and probability is what it is.

your best shot is to set all your settings and lineups, to maximize your result for the park you are playing in, and which pitcher(s)/hitters you are facing.

i know some successful owners that during the season, after evaluating the probable division.wild card winners, will make changes to their roster that address the ballparks, lineups and pitchers of those teams you will be facing.

but don't forget, that doesnt help if you dont get to the playoffs yourself..... :-)

I agree that the playoffs are [i:a0353d5ff8]largely[/i:a0353d5ff8] coin tosses.

However, if you find your teams are of the $20 mil pitching salary variety, you might consider moving up to $32-35 mil. I haven't subjected it to official study, but I have a suspicion that my $20 mil staffs are more likely to win 100 games and lose in the playoffs, and my $35 mil 88-74 wildcard teams win more rings.

Pitchers park teams have historically always won more Championships. Pitching and defense, eh. Especially in a short best of seven series where a couple of hot pitchers can carry a poor offensive team all the way.

Just something to consider if you haven't tried it that way much.

FWIW, I'm still trying to figure out my own '09 run of 14 teams w/ nine semis losses, two finals losses, three missed playoffs and no rings. :?

It happens, and all I can hope for us is that better streaks lie ahead.

[quote:4613aab956="J-Pav"]I agree that the playoffs are [i:4613aab956]largely[/i:4613aab956] coin tosses.

[b:4613aab956]However, if you find your teams are of the $20 mil pitching salary variety, you might consider moving up to $32-35 mil. I haven't subjected it to official study, but I have a suspicion that my $20 mil staffs are more likely to win 100 games and lose in the playoffs, and my $35 mil 88-74 wildcard teams win more rings.[/b:4613aab956]

Pitchers park teams have historically always won more Championships. Pitching and defense, eh. Especially in a short best of seven series where a couple of hot pitchers can carry a poor offensive team all the way.

Just something to consider if you haven't tried it that way much.

FWIW, I'm still trying to figure out my own '09 run of 14 teams w/ nine semis losses, two finals losses, three missed playoffs and no rings. :?

It happens, and all I can hope for us is that better streaks lie ahead.[/quote:4613aab956]

That sounds reasonable.

and so once again, it seems that anomalies are common. such is probability.

The key is joining my new 2010 unleashed $80M league...

unholy sacrifices at the altar of the pagan god of your choice

Obviously, there's no such thing as a "hot pitcher"; each series, each game and each roll of the simulated dice are independent of each other, but it sure is nice to have a stud pitcher to throw at least 2 games in any series (just like in real life).

I agree that the loaded offenses (pitching of $20 Mil or so in a $80 Mil league) can look mighty impresive in the regular season, but it's hard to win a short series with highly inferior starting pitchers.

[quote:8776f40ee1="Schnoogens"]The key is joining my new 2010 unleashed $80M league...[/quote:8776f40ee1]

And let the dogies run around like that? Mayhem!