I LOVE this team!

[honestiago1]

These guys damn near folded up down the stretch. Had to win the last series or go home. Had to win without my second best player (Moseby), and starting catcher injured in last game. Somehow, crappy Dennis Rasmussen came through with 5 good innings. The relief staff finished it out. Carney Lansford had a pauir of triples in the 3 games, plus a big homer in the 3-1 clincher. Reynolds, who had zero HR's all year, hit 2 in the series. The Can came through with a win in game #1.

Anyway, I like these guys because I had contributions frmo so many players. This is the most I've ever spread around the AB's. Had substantial contributions from Fletcher, Braggs, DMartinez and Paciorek. DEvans slugged .601! No one in the pen was overwhelming, but altogether, they did the job. Anyway, it was the most fun I've ever had playing this game. I might lose in the playoffs, but this has been awesome.

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/80s/team/team_other.html?user_id=78163&stats=sim

[kmdarcy]

Thanks to you and a few others (bastards!), I can't put this damn game away. Sure, I'm tinkering too much and it'll probably bite me in the end, but it's just too much fun with too many options for a baseball nut like me. Moseby sure did well. Did you ever feel that your bullpen was a bit expensive (Gott, Agosto, etc)? I like how you spread your money around. I've tried to do the same thing. It seems that you really spread playing time around to your offensive players. Does the computer do it or did you have something to do with it? I have Fletcher and Royster and want them to play more, but not to start.

What's your favority stadium? Why?

Also, you seem to play a lot, have you ever gone with DMurphy at CF? I'm struggling trying to decide AND STICK with ONE CF? I had (and could still get) Moseby, but dropped him for a free agent Butler. (Now, I have Butler in CF and Henderson in LF.) I've also considered DMurphy, but for $4+ he has one awful season; Moseby and Butler don't have any awful seasons. But, that defense is really nice to see...

Also, I've moved to a 5-man rotation for the options that it gives me in three-game series (Sutton, Hammaker, Black, Morris, Forsch). Is there anything in the game engine that'll tire out (and punish) my opponents going with 4-man rotations after X number of games? Is a 5-man rotation even worth it or should I just go back to a 4-man and use the money elsewhere?

Sorry for all of the questions. I'm learning as I go.

Have a nice weekend.

[LMBombers]

Butler is my favorite CF in the game. He is quality for the money in any park IMO.

There is nothing wrong with a 5 man rotation. Many teams start with a 4 man rotation but end up with a 5 man by season's end.

I bumped up a newbie advice thread for you that is very useful.

[kmdarcy]

Thanks for the thread. I appreciate the help that the "community" here seems to be willing to give, especially when it comes to specific players and their worth. I'm hoping that Butler and Henderson getting on base can really make a difference for Will Clark (hot to start), Terry Pendleton (also hot to start), and my DH platoon of Upshaw (vs. R) and Tabler (vs. L). Having T. Fernandez, Ray, and Matthews down in the order doesn't hurt either, although Matthews is off to a bad start.

[FletchGriswold]

Geez, I've had Butler on at least a half dozen teams and his cards NEVER produce for me. Guess that's the beauty of this game. No two seasons are ever alike.

[LMBombers]

Here are some results from Butler that I have had:

'85 Butler - .305 BA, .364 OBP, 105 Runs Scored on my very first 80's team ever - Busch Stadium
http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/80s/team/team_other.html?user_id=51199

'90 Butler - .312 BA, .393 OBP, 120 Runs Scored - Arlington Stadium
http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/80s/team/team_other.html?user_id=53999

'87 Butler - .282 BA, .384 OBP, 115 Runs Scored - Three Rivers Stadium
http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/80s/team/team_other.html?user_id=62639

'87 Butler - .285 BA, .395 OBP, 129 Runs Scored - Olympic Stadium on a bad team
http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/80s/team/team_other.html?user_id=67860

'90 Butler - .316 BA, 393 OBP, 125 Runs Scored - Wrigley Field
http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/80s/team/team_other.html?user_id=72531

I could go on but you get the idea. Now that I look at it....it is interesting to note how close the stats were for the two '87 cards and the two '90 cards even in different stadiums and quality of teams.

[honestiago1]

Had some great years from Murph, including my only championship with him in CF, producing 100 RBI. Butler's has some low averages, but he's good for 80+ runs scored, and will usually get over 90.

To answer what I perceive to be queries, below:

This team above was unusual. I had quite a few middle-priced players, and tinkered a lot with lineups. They had a low OBP, over 70 errors from the SS, 3B and 2B positions, and no standout pitchers. It isn't indicative of what I'd consider a typically successful team (it scored exactly as many runs as it gave up). That's why I like it so much. I guess the only thing I can say it had was depth. Lansford was basically a backup and DH versus LH's, for example. Braggs gave me AB's at DH and in RF vs. LH's. Martinez led off a lot for me, though his OBP was under .300 (awful!). I set my own lineups, which is how Fletcher, Lansford, Braggs, Paciorek, etc. all played. I did bench some players sometimes (Jones ended up riding the pine a lot later on), and endured a long injury stint from Cey. Evans was platooned with Lansford. Fletcher played a lot of DH (I never COULD find a decent leadoff man -- I think Lansford may have been the best choice). Moseby's injury forced me to play Martinez in CF, Evans at DH, and Carney at 1B. Lots of jimmying, and, quite frankly, the team overperformed much of the year, and got a bit lucky at the end.

Anyway, as far as bullpens go, I like to spend some money. A good bullpen can bail out a typical staff. The 1-2M relievers have some bargains among them. Lopez, who goes for .80, is, to me, the best sub-1M gamble. You can use his "bad cards" (severely skewed reverse card, and a righty-killer). Still, I usually have an expensive bullpen stud somewhere to close things out (Henke, if I can get him). I think it's well worth it to have someone to close things out, and I'd prefer someone who can get me K's. K's kill rallies (which is why I've become a Ryan-Sid convert). I think this team had an excellent 4-man staff, but I never could find that 5th starter. If I'd had Ojeda, it would've been a fantastic rotation. He doesn't have an awful card, and I love having him as part of a 5-man. Ryan IS expensive, but he's very hard to hit. Sid is even harder. I like to keep hits down, and am willing to give up some walks.

Stadiums: I'm often an Astrodome guy (btw, the Tiger Stadium team, above, started as a slow, slugging team. The team doesn't fit the stadium, really, which explains the poor home record.) I don't care for extreme hitter's parks, though I've played in them. I've chosen exhibition stadium twice now. You can build almost any kind of team there. As far as hitters, I like to find batters who thrived in pitcher's parks. Since most of these online leagues are hitters leagues, these guys can only improve (the league I just got in this week has a pair of Kingdomes in my division, and a pair of Riverfronts [among other hitter's paradises]).

I think pitching wins in the playoffs, though mashing HR's will often get you there. I also think a lot of managers overlook foot speed when drafting a team (and I mean running rating, rather than steal rating). A player who isn't hitting well can still produce if he can run. Dude gets on with, say, a fielder's choice and is a 1-16 runner, he's a threat to come in on a double. Get a team of 7-8 speedsters and they can always mount a threat, since ethey can scoot around.

[kmdarcy]

The hints help. I think that my team is really solid. It won 8 games in row w/o Rickey Henderson--injured for the second time in some 30 games...humm...what season do I have? I think that I know. Then RH comes back and I lose 4 of 6. That's emotionless-computer-simulated-computer-generated-baseball, eh?

Does anyone have rankings by way of positions that they've compiled? Even something rough.

[honestiago1]

Beat the best offensive team in the league with an offensive outburst of our own. Unfortunately, bullpen foundered in the finals. We're down 2-0.

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/80s/playoffs/scores.html

[honestiago1]

Facde with a 3-0, Pascual Perez pitches a gem. I get some offense in game #5. Have Sid and Nolan for #6 and #7, so I'm definitely still in it.

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/80s/home_good.html