Can someone help me overcome mediocrity in '06?

[Detroit-Tigers]

I tried following the thread advice, since I, too have been having trouble this season.

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2006/team/team_other.html?user_id=13484

What do people think of Helton in Kauffman?

[Palmtana]

[quote:ecaff0df39]What do people think of Helton in Kauffman?[/quote:ecaff0df39]

To backup the opinion/fact that he needs to face mostly RHP to succeed I searched for teams that Helton played on in pitching parks. I found five (3 Petcos and 2 Jacobs). Here are his average split stats for these teams:

Vs. LHP - BA-.226, OB-.333, SLG-.318
Vs. RHP - .321, .424, .542

I started a league last night with Helton in Petco in which my division foes have one LH starter between them with 14 total in the league. I expect great things. You only have 4 LH starters in your division so he should do well.

[Coffeeholic]

Well, the team is looking pretty mediocre at the 1/4 point:

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2006/team/team_other.html?user_id=11594

3 games over .500; a negative run differential; 10th in pitching and 7th in hitting. :(

I am in 1st place in my division however, and much of the run differential does comes from a number of blowouts.

Ryan is on pace for 150 IP's, and most of the line-up is producing well (with the exception of Lugo). Figgins is actually tearing it up (although he is being platooned). Seanez is a major dis-appointment though.

[geekor]

Just consider it bad rolls on the road.

Look at your Home/Road splits, You pitching is getting murdered on the road. In fact Seanez hasn't given up a run at home, but an era over 12 on the road. I'm guessing he got a 1 or 2 game really bad shelling on the road which has artifically infalted the stats. You hitting is almost even on the road/home. Higher Ba/OBP at home, but better SLG on the road (as expected). The only drawback is I'd expect your pitching to be better than it is at home. But I think if they can post a 5 era (instead of an almost 8 era) on the road you'll still be in good shape.

[Coffeeholic]

Well guys, I continue to be snake bit, even when seeking your advice? :roll: :( :?

The team finished 84-78 (.519 pct. ... basically what I've been playing all year), had a +50 Run Differential and finished 6th in Runs Scored, 5th in Runs Allowed. Adam Kennedy went down for 15 games at about game 135, so I replaced him with Sanchez, but otherwise the team remained unchanged from your opening suggestions.

Thanks for the help anyways!

Coffee

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2006/team/team_other.html?user_id=11594

[MARCPELLETIER]

Well, I don't remember if I had told you my disagreement about platooning Figgins, but in any case, it does appear that it was a bad idea. Figgins would have not done worse than Bell's line, especially if you consider that Figgins has better defense and much better speed. That's 2M that you could have spent elsewhere.

I should have told you that Redmond is one of the most overpaid catcher. He proved it again.

I consider Lee as an overpaid player too, but in a 80M budget, you have to spend dollars on top players at some point. His performance was great, but not worth 13M.

Crawford and Zito had 2 underachieving seasons. The 44 HRs Zito allowed are particularly high: perhaps you played in a division that had strong teams vs lhp. Perhaps it's only bad luck.

I perhaps made two errors in the advices I provided you:

Pitching-wise, Ryan didn't perform as good as I thought. Moreover, Seanez was less used than I thought he would. So perhaps it would have been wiser to spend on a R2/C5 at 5M (say Street) and a 1M reliever rather than 4M/2M in Ryan and Seanez. Ryan lost 11 games, and blew 13, so clearly, there were many games you lost there.

Also, I think I've been too enthusiastic with Lugo. He had one excellent season for me, and I had two bad afterwards. In your case, his .349 on-base is rather mediocre, considering what you lose in defense. At any case, I would never go with Lugo unless I have a strong and cheap defensive replacement.

Take-home message: with a more effective catcher, money spent on a top-notch two-inning reliever, with less money spent on Lee and more spent on your #2 and #3 SPs, no bad platoons, and better ss defense, you should win 100 games!! :P

[cummings2]

Well Mr. Coffee (can I call you "My Java Dude")

From early in this process the team got off to a makeup somewhat different from what I would suggest that's the main reason why I didn't really chime in with much advise after one point, I realized then that it was my time to shut up and learn from the really good advise from much better SOMers than me.

I think you had some bad rolls in some cases.

With all due respect I think you lost the dominant season in the bullpen and pitching management in addition to the remarks mentioned by Marcus up above, especially the Figgins issue and the solid SS defense.

Just my opinion though. I know the way I manage bullies and rotations is dissapproved by many SOMers and therefore I just don't mention it anymore because everytime I do I get told that I don't know what I am talking about but the way I see it you were missing one dominant arm and the $$$ allocation was wrong, you can get the same production from your "Eddie Guardado Slot" from a reliever that is about .70 Mil cheaper, that plus the .50 from one of your extra bench guys and you have 1.2 mil which would be added to the relief corps. Jason Davis should've been out of your rotation and used as a specialist Vs. Lefties. Most importantly your pen should've been used more, IMO the #s put by the rotation would've been better if the pen had provided more support.

I think you were missing one more Slugger as well I never quite like the teams that rely solely on one big bat, just not enough protection.

I think you did very well with the team you had and a few rolls your way and you'd be sitting in a 90+ win team

As always we keep wishing you the best of luck and many rings to come.

Hope you don't mind my chiming in after the fact but the team that started being assembled is just not my "strength" (not that there is any).

C2

[visick]

Hey coffee..

Been following this team all season, sorry about the end result. :(
(I think I may have chimed in once or twice...can't recall)

I started out on fire in 2006 with 5 of my first 6 teams taking 1st. place. 1 champonship, and 3 trips to the finals.

Then depresion set in as only 2 of the next 9 teams made it to the post season with 1 finals trip.

What I was doing initially seemed to be working, and then I must have forgot how to read the cards/ratings book I guess... :? :?

I put together this current team:
http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2006/team/team_other.html?user_id=14588

in an attempt to test out groundball pitchers.

My SP's are all groundball pitchers, as is Williams in the pen. Seanez is a K guy, who was the best available at the tie. Ryan is...well Ryan.

This is also a keeper league for next season, so I had to take that into account when setting it up. Webb and Ryan are fine for next season as is Putz.

I had to make alot of changes to the INF because the groundball idea came to me late, plus I had to take into account next season. Cabrera, both Miguel and Orlando are fine next season. Mauer and Holiday obviously are fine as is Matthews.

So...we shall see what happens with this crew.

Later,

visick