Archive of SportingNews.com's old SOM Baseball forum

Middle of the Road Runners playing in Minute Maid Field, no DH. Idea behind team was to NOT pay too much -- or too little -- for any one player/position.

C IRodriguez $6.59 (keeping)
1B TPerez $6.67 (cheap FThomas and Cepeda available)
2B Kent $6.66 (expensive Stanky available -- also, could use Maz or Richardson/Melillo platoon to free up some money and improve defense)
SS Garciaparra $5.65 (cheap Ripken available)
3B PGuerrero $5.41 (MCabrera, FBaker, cheap MWilliams and Brett available)
LF Kiner $6.64 (Rickey, Goslin, FAlou available)
CF HWilson $6.52 (keeping, I think)
RF JRice $6.31 (FAlou, Post, Hickman available)

SPs: Boland $5.97, Cicotte $5.22, Dauss $4.33, TBD $3-$5
RPs: Dygert $1.85, Rogers $1.38, Linzy $.93, Sambito $.91, Garman $.79

My defense is terrible (a price I think I'm willing to pay), and I could be killed by one-sided RH SPs. Also, I have no clear-cut leadoff hitter.

Thoughts on how this team would fair, or how I could upgrade given my parameters?

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/team/team_other.html?user_id=353444

Thanks!

Bobby Bonds is a horse of an OF in this ballpark / cap. You have to be able to find a spot for him. My vote would be CF and dump Hack.

Steve Nicosia is exactly the wrong kind of backup C in this park - mashes lefties which you are going to kill anyway. A couple of sub $1 million guys (Ed Hearn and Ray Mueller) are more useful, I think.

I'd definitely go with the Maz-Richardson combo at 2B. both have cheap lopsided cards that make an effective platoon. (Richardson 64)

That lets you dump Kent, and go with a better RH 3B. The new Santo card would be really good in this park. I also like the big Brooks Robinson card.

With the money you save by dumping Kent, you can upgrade SS to Banks or Petrocelli.

I would definitely go with Rice over Kiner in LF. Again, Kiner is a lefty crusher and that's not a valuable skill in Minute Maid.

You still should have some money left over - If so, I'd go with Hafey or Kaline in RF and Bonds in CF.

For your top 3 starters, I'd go with Long Tom Hughes, Phil Cockerell, and Pat Malone - all three seem to be better values than the guys you have.