Archive of SportingNews.com's old SOM Baseball forum

My very first team went 85-77 and was division leader all year until the last 6 games and missed the playoffs by 1 game. It took alot of effort to keep it good, but I got a huge MVP year out of Dale Murphy.

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/80s/team/team_other.html?user_id=51219

So I started this second team with very high hopes that I'd learned alot. I drafted Dale Murphy, Dewey Evans, Will Clark, Von Hayes, Ken Phelps, Alan Trammell, and had HoJo thrown in. Starting Pitchers were Saberhagen, Bryn Smith, Viola, Deshaies...with Ward as the closer. Deshaies was pathetic early, I traded Smith to get Tartabull, finally had to drop Viola as his WHIP indicated his worst year. Only good news is someone dropped Blyleven and I grabbed him.

Idropped Murphy (worst year), V. Hayes (looked like his worst after 66 ABs), Phelps (was terrible), and stuck with Evans for 205ABs while his BA hovered at .200, little power and only 29 walks. Clark has been pretty good (know he is either '90 or '91 but can't tell which yet) and Trammell is basically the league's best player even after being injured 8 games.

Any help to turn this team around toward the play-offs?
http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/80s/team/team_other.html?user_id=54539

[quote:817ad8d74c]Trammell is basically the league's best player even after being injured 8 games[/quote:817ad8d74c]

If Trammell were injured for 8 games, you don't his .950+ OPS year. Players with more than 600 PA's can only be injured for 3 games, I believe. Seems to me you have his '83 or '87 card, keeper years obviously, but he may not hit with the power he has been showing to date. (Also shows how replay stats can be deceiving!)

You'd be better off playing Barret at 2B for his defense (or uis he at 3B for you?). Team has a major defensive problems in OF, too, if both Tartabull and M Young are playing (but I assume M young is a backup, so.

It looks like you may have some good SP's, but you've been unlucky with your RP's. Your bets one, Ward, is giving up a hit an inning. As far as SP's, Honeycutt's got several cards with ballpark HR's on them, not good for Fulton Country Stadium.

A lot can happen over the course of a season, but I'd think about trying some other relievers. Of your starters, Blylevel will eat innings, and Saberhagen might, as well. But thos 6's are going to need good middle relief and a good closer. Barrett and Tartabull should both help your offense -- Walks, and in the case of Tart, power. I think you need more pitching help, though, and the only way I can see to get it is to gamble on some .75's. Once you figure out whether Ward or Hernandez is better, you might want to drop one of them to get better relievers (those .75's are among the more fun parts of the game -- it's always great to stumble upon a good one.) Good luck.

the lineups I'll be trying for a few games:

vs Righties

Dwyer-- LF (with G young coming in for D in 8th)
W. Clark--1B
Trammell--SS
Tartabull--DH
Jacoby--3B
Kruk--RF
Lavalliere--C
Dw. Murphy--CF
Barrett--2B

vs Lefties

Ready-- LF (G Young for D in 8th)
Jacoby--3B
Trammell--SS
Tartabull--DH
Barrett--2B
W. Clark--1B
M. Young--RF (Dwyer for D in 8th)
Valle--C
Dw. Murphy--CF

hoping this will finally jump-start the worst offense in the league. I've sacrificed a good bit of D to inject some runs into this lineup. Hopefully the pitching will be good.

I am probably going to get rid of Honeycutt very very soon as he doesn't seem to be in a great year. I got Bankhead as a mid-season replacement on my first team in Fulton and he went 13-4...hoping he can repeat. Dravecky is someone I am banking on. If he does well I'll have 3 great starters (Despite a 4-9 record Saberhagen has pitched well...just been hard-luck). Even when I had a great D I was still leading the league in errors...what's up with Trammell and Clark combining for 20 errors before game 60. outrageous.

Any help?