First '69 Team and very nervous...

[Minoso Express]

Guys, not only is this my first '69 team, it's my second overall SOM team (first was 80's, didn't totally embarrass myself at 80-82, 2nd place, but it took half the season to get the hang of the game) and I'm looking for any comments you vets can give a humble newbie.

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/1969/team/team.html

[Minoso Express]

Not sure the previous link works. One more try:

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/1969/team/team_other.html?user_id=20821

[visick]

Fenway is a RH hitters park, but you'll also need some power from the left side.

You don't need Michael @ SS with Aparicio. Luis can only go down for 3 games max. Clarke as well @ 2B w/ Lefebvre. Grab a $.50 guy to back up those 2 positions.
Better yet, see if you can grab a utility guy that covers all INF positions.


(So carry your 4 INF's with 1 back up if possible, 2 if needed).

Smith, Bonds and Oliva are your OF's. Only Smith can miss more than 3 games. So carry either Uhlander OR Conigliaro, not BOTH.

Carry the minimum amount of players BUT maximize the players that you have!. Use the $80 million with 23 guys. You're carrying dead weight.

Same goes for your pitching. You've got too many of them. I'd rather have 4 studs with a stud bullpen than have 3-4 average guys.

[Minoso Express]

Thanks for the great advice, socalchiro. I'll do some position rejigging in the next couple of days-- have already dumped Michael and Lefevre (will see how Clarke does against righties, but I can always uses Allen against them if Clarke's a disaster) and have picked up Terry Harmon, who can cover 2B, SS and 3B tolerably well. I will try to put together deals for White, Allen and either Conigliaro or Uhlander. If you had to toss a coin in Fenway and keep just one of those guys, who would you go for? Conigliaro seems obvious and proven at Fenway but I think it's tougher than that-- he's a pure RF while Uhlander covers all OF positions with OK defense.

As for the pitching, I agree with you but I lost out on all the stud relievers, such as they are in '69. Nothing that great through post waivers, either. I'll have to try to deal. I'm thinking of going with a McLain/Palmer/McNally/Odom basic rotation and spot starting Chance/Romo/Siebert (depending on opponent and park) until I see what's what with each of them. Romo seems to work best as a Fenway reliever, but ...

Thanks again for all your help.

[visick]

Since in your OF, only Smith can go down for more than 3 games, Uhlander or his type will do. Alou also works for me.

[Minoso Express]

Alou's gone, so I'll stick with Uhlander and try to trade Conigliaro and get some better pitching. Thanks again.

[the splinter]

You might want to platoon Brooks. He will do very well vs. RHP but fades vs. LHP. You will face plenty of LHP in 69. There are several cheap 3bmen that pound LHP. I have had great sucess with Pagan but there are others. Don't be afraid of the glove at 3b because Brooks can come in as a defensive sub. The Robinson/Pagan platoon produced some fine #'s for me in Fenway....37 hr's and 117 rbi with 17 E's in the field.

[cwostevec]

Brooks is bad.. I have had him on 2 teams and he hovered around the Mendoza line. If you have enough offense, he's worth it. Don't count on him hitting .250.

[Minoso Express]

Thanks for the heads up about Brooks. At Fenway, it makes me uneasy to stick with his lousy OBP etc. but his reasonable RH power and his great glove convinved me to stick with him, especially when I there's was nothing comparable to pick up on waivers and the FA pool is now pretty depleted of acceptable 3B for a season. Pagan was gone and there wasn't much in lefty specialists out there whose glove also didn't terrify. So for the moment I've picked up Zollo Versalles (5L, not the worst glove out there) and I will try batting Brooks much lower v. lefties than righties to start out with and see how he does. The hook will be quick if it doesn't pan out. Hopefully Fenway will flatter him just a little.

[cwostevec]

both teams were in fenway!!!!