Newbie needs help (4-11) with team at Riverfront

[JohnnyBlazers]

what can I do to at least get this team respectable?
http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/atg2/team/team_other.html?user_id=71086
I've dropped some guys since my team was too RH heavy (Garvey for Knight, Dave Henderson & Canseco for Regie Smith) Got rid of Doc Gooden for Podres and Mudcat Brown and a bullpen arm. I'm new at this and I'd like to think I'm learning as I go but man, I'm getting my butt handed to me. I'm learning what a "clean" HR is, how to avoid a GbA as a second place hitter (DP rally killer) etc etc.. I got Vida Blue walking the entire state-anything this rookie can do? Any lineup suggestions would be helpful.

Lineup vs. LHP
CHANGE THIS LINEUP
1. Wilson, Willie (S) LF
2. Morgan, Joe (L) 2B
3. Knight, Ray (R) 1B
4. Canseco, Jose (R) RF
5. Henderson, Dave (R) CF
6. Brett, George (L) 3B
7. Bench, Johnny (R) C
8. Bowa, Larry (S) SS
9. Pitcher P

CHANGE THIS LINEUP
Lineup vs. RHP
CHANGE THIS LINEUP
1. Morgan, Joe (L) 2B
2. Knight, Ray (R) 1B
3. Brett, George (L) 3B
4. Canseco, Jose (R) RF
5. Bench, Johnny (R) C
6. Henderson, Dave (R) CF
7. Bowa, Larry (S) SS
8. Wilson, Willie (S) LF
9. Pitcher P

CHANGE THIS LINEUP

Geroge Brett seriously sucks vs Lefties. Is he worth that $ tag? Thaks for any suggestions

[JUMA]

First, welcome to the insanity.

My advice would be to treat this as a learning experience. Get more prepared for your next team. The most important lesson that needs to be learned is patience. After 15 games, you have already done enough drop/adds to incur a $5M salary hit. There's little chance you can compete doing that.

Read the boards, use DiamondDope & mold your next team to fit your park a bit better. Best of luck.

http://www.diamonddope.com/card_reader.cfm

[gamiam]

Bobby is absolutely right. Don't worry much about your record at this point, just learn from everything. In addition to his suggestions, read ALL your box scores. Look at the teams in your league that are winning and figure out what they are doing and what players they are using in what combinations. Then, before you draft your next team, come up with a plan. What is it about your team that will give it an advantage over all of the others. Where can you afford to save money and where do you have to spend it to get quality.

You are right to watch those ground balls A's, but not just in the 2-hole. And if you do some scouting, there are some pitchers that have DPs on thier cards which is an advantage. There was something out there on that, I think pitchers for CLE 20 STL 64, STL 34, LA 65 just off the top of my head. There's lots to learn and it can be really fun (really addicting too :wink: ).

On a final note, if you ask specific strategy questions on the boards there are a lot of great managers that will be happy to help, so don't be shy!

Good luck,

Gregg

[egvrich]

JB,

It looks to me like you built a team based somewhat upon name recognition (Goose Gossage being a prime example). You gotta learn the good and the bad and remember that what a guy did in real life don't mean much in the context of this game.

Someone already suggested Diamond Dope, use it, it's an incredible resource.

Plan out your team and make sure it's balanced if at all possible, your current team is very right handed for example. If I were playing against your team, you'd never see a left handed pitcher. Yes Brett would have a field day, but the rest of your team would struggle (as they are).

Don't go overboard with the changes. It's way too early to tell anything sometimes the rolls just aren't there early on. Personally, I wait at least 40-60 games before considering any changes. The 20% cap hit will kill you eventually. With that being said, once a team is totally mired in obscurity, I am perfectly will to go ahead and experiment with players to see who performs and who doesn't.

Also agree that you might wanna write this one off as a learning experience.

Finally, you've taken the first step, posting here. You can get tons of great advice right here any time you need it.

[JohnnyBlazers]

Diamondope is a great resource. I checked it out and was able to make a lineup that I hope will be a bit better. My lineup has holes in it but I think I was able to make some "educated guesses". For my next team, the database shopuld be invaluable. My pitchers, save for Seaver, don't match up at the park I picked. (only 1 home win) Thanks for all the input! I'm sure i'll be back with some more questions. johnnyB

[JUMA]

The important thing is to ask for tips before the season starts, when you can add/drop with no penalty. Have fun!

[onionman11]

JB -

I'm far less experienced than most that post on these boards, but was in your shoes not long ago, and thought I would share some thoughts. Most of the advice you've already received I would agree with; particularly that players you remember as stars on the field, are not necessarily the top stars in SOM. I've had a great time learning of and about players like Sam Rice, Buck Weaver and Joe Judge, and now have great respect for some guy named Sam Leslie who always seems to come off my bench at the most critical time to save the day! :)

Looking at your team, I would have focused a bit more on your pitching staff...which in my limited experiece, I believe to be a common problem (it's more fun to load up on big bats). I have spent successively more money on pitching with each team, and it seems to be paying off. Specifically, your pen seems a little light, particularly since you don't have any lights-out SP on your staff.

One thing that took me a while to get the hang of (a constant struggle for even the most hardened veterans from what I've gathered) is how to tweak the managerial settings to better get the results you want. For example, I'm guessing you have Gossage tagged as your closer, possibly for both sides. In order to maximize the number of innings you get out of your best reliver I would set him as your setup man, potentially leaving the closer position empty. Even with the early returns from the 15 games you've played you are seeing your lesser RP are pitching more innings. Tweaking these settings should help this.

Obviously, make sure your individual player setting are as you want them, and then tweak your managerial settings to take advantage of your next opponent's possible poor throwing catcher or weak-armed outfield. I find the "Manager Profile" Statistics to be useful in confirming my suspicions about whether I can steal on an opponent or take an extra base (opponent's steal percentage and OF assist stats).

And as everyone has said, definitely post questions or requests for advice on this board. I still have a long way's to go, but everyone has been incredibly helpful in getting me going. Have fun...