New to Strato and 1st '86 Team - feedback please!

[acjcanada]

I finally made the leap from regular fantasy to Strato. Once upon a time I used the box set but that was years ago. My first team (2008-still going on) has been a real learning curve full of changes. At one point I was 15 games below .500 and now stand at 69-66, 9.0 GB with all the remaining games against the division. A long shot but happy to make strides.

So, I decided to purchase an '86 team that starts next week. Wondered if some of the seasoned veterans of Strato would take a minute to critique. Still trying to find my way and my style - but in reading a lot of these posts it seems that everyone loves to try new philosophies and that in itself is part of the passion. But I went with Defense primarily up the middle and then tried to be balanced everywhere else. Dodgers Stadium is where I call home.

Be frank, I can take it!

[url]http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/team/team_other.html?user_id=203004[/url]

Thanks!

[LMBombers]

We can't see your team on that link. Go to league statistics and then team statistics. Click on your team and copy that link and paste here. That link will end with a number and not .html. We will be able to see your team then.

[acjcanada]

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/team/team_other.html?user_id=203004


Thanks - guess that would help wouldn't it!

[Cruiser]

Your bullpen looks susceptible to lefties and the top of your rotation looks a little thin. I find it helpful to have an ace, even in a 5-man rotation. My main concern about your lineup would be George Bell. I don't know if he's a good fit for your ballpark; he has quite a few BP homers on his card. Coles (obviously) is a defensive liability, but how much of an impact that 4e29 will be I couldn't say. I know I wouldn't be comfortable with that. If you're facing a lot of speed teams, Coles could be a big problem, especially when combined with the lack of arms in your outfield.

Mattingly is a stud.

Sandberg can be good, but he can also be disappointing. In one league I was in, he finished the season .256/.292/.349.

Good luck with your team!

[acjcanada]

*Cruiser,
Thanks for the feedback.

Re: Bullpen - I agree. I added Horton & Plesac post draft to shore up the LH. But your point brings up a general question I've been curious about - despite a pitchers strength value (ie. 3R) is there still a value in a good 'ol Lefty vs. Lefty matchup? I noticed in my first league when I try to match my rotations strengths against the team I'm facing's weakness I've had success. So my thinking has been to find LH pitchers that thow well against RH's to offset facing a lineup full of RH's. Any merit in that?

Starting Rotation - my draft was horrible with Swindell (8L) and Ruffin (8L) being my top two pitchers chosen, so I dumped both in favor of cheaper, yet potentially better options. Did I over think that?

Coles - I originally grabbed Boggs, but had W. Clark at 1B and Coles in a DH role. But with Mattingly undrafted and his HR power along with AVG his card seemed more valuable for only a million more. So I picked up a def replacement for Coles. Hindsight, I might have reached for Balboni/Traber based on what I read and kept Boggs.

Bell - Great point and I will see what other options there are and see if I can work another pitcher into his salary too if I can find a serviceable OF.

I'll cross my fingers on Sandberg - he was my #1 pick afterall!

[acjcanada]

Ok, so I have tweaked some -in fact my whole starting OF is gone!
Out - Bell, Butler, Bass
In - Van Slyke, McDowell, Parker.

Parker is probably a lot like Bell is, but I think I strengthened the defense across the board.

I added Roy Lee Jackson in the pen, dropped Camacho to ge t a lefty specialist type in their. 3B is still a problem - not much to choose from, so I might be stuck with Coles and have to roll the dice with him.

[Cruiser]

Your OF looks more solid, especially for your park.

As for the lefty/righty matchups, I'm really not sure. I really don't think it's that much of a factor for starters (Moose Haas with a 9R has been consistently good for me), but my impression is that it's more significant in the bullpen. This is based on no empirical evidence whatsoever. The main thing is, having the flexibility in your bullpen allows HAL some leeway, especially in an extra-inning game, or in those stretches where your starters never seem to get past the 5th inning. While the matchups may not be that significant, fatigue is definitely a factor.

Good luck!

[acjcanada]

Much thanks!

So did I jump the gun on dropping the likes of Swindell and Ruffin (8L) based on your success with Moose? Or does it have more to do with your divisional opponents and ballpark strengths and become a case by case? Did you taget him from the outset or is this one of those pleasant surprises that panned out?

[Jake Squid]

You may have noticed from my previous posts that I'm not a fan of spending big bucks at 1B in the '86 card set. There is so much value to be found for so much less. Mattingly will be great, but are you sacrificing production at another position?

I don't like Coles at 3B. The defense is horrible and the offense is myeh. At 3B I tend to go w/ Parrish or Jacoby. Your OF is fine - Hall is a great backup vs RHP. My OF faves are Lynn/Gibson/Henderson, but there are a ton of great values there.

I'd go w/ Ruffin over Swindell, although hard left lefties aren't as valuable as hard right righties. There's too many righties that just kill LHP, but I've seen Ruffin do very well. If I were you I'd get a hard R RHP & a hard L LHP for your bullpen. Those specialists (Russell, Sambito, etc.) are generally cheap & have served me well.

Use this league as a learning experience and have fun. I'll follow your team to see how you do.

[acjcanada]

Jake,

Thanks for the input - started 1-2 last night. Pitching was ok, Henke blew a save, but otherwise I pounded out some hits, just didn't convert.

I dumped Coles and added Hulett - a bit more Defense and higher avg/obp.

You might be right on Mattingly, I'm generally not a fan of locking up so much cap space in one position. I keep seeing the platoon of Balboni and Traber as a successful one in these posts.

I appreciate the response and suggestions,