Winning in SBC Park

[bleacher_creature]

I'd like to put together a winning team in SBC. I believe tghere has already been a thread done on this, but I can't find it.

The last team I had there, I thought that I would get players with high no-BP factor HRs, with the idea that my opponents HRs would be surpressed. My lineup for this .500 team was something like:

Betran CF
Jimenez 2B
Posada C
Sheffield RF
Hafner DH
Konerko 1B
Chavez 3B
Ford LF
Jeter SS

Obviously I swapped Jeter & Jimenez vs LHPs (pls other tweaks). I ended up making some changes also due to being a rookie. Konerko was eaten up by SBC Park, despite it being 1-17 on the RH singles chart.

This time, I'm thinking of an "All-Defense" team with good SP plus some cheap match up guys like Capuano, R. Ortiz etc...

C I-Rod
1B D. Lee
2B W. Harris
3B Lowell
SS Vizquel
LF Matsui
CF Wells
RF Wilkerson
DH Durazo

SPs =

Schmidt
Pedro
R. Lopez
Pettitte
Capuano
R. Ortiz

CL=

Rivera

Any thoughts on this type of strategy for this ballpark? The idea being to play tight D all the way around, the pitchers should perform above avg in this park, with enough offense vs left or right to win.

One thing I think I've learned is that platoons don't work all that well. HAL doesn't seem to PH in the way that I have designed my teams for. For example:

Griffey DH vs RHP
E. Martinez vs LHP

-both set to avoid weak side pitcher.
-both set as PH vs strong side pitcher.

-HAL won't PH one for the other the way logic might indicate.

[Roscodog]

I've had some success at SBC and this is just my opinion but I think you have too many lefty bats and righties who are better vs lefties, granted I can't see the other teams in your division.

If I was building an SBC team there are a few players that I personally think are great to have,

FORD
FREEL
HUNTER
and especially KENDALL either at CA or DH. I'd have 2 lefty bats and 2-3 good starter and a good righty closer.

right handed hitters who are better vs right handed pitchers are nice to have.

[bleacher_creature]

I haven't even drafted. I am just theorizing, which apparently I need to do, since my last two teams haven't been great. This despite being a long time board game player off and on, and having owned the computer game a few times. I'm getting pist, but I refuse to give up!

-reluctant to go with Ford. No pop, good D, and didn't get the OBP I anticipated in the past (this was in SBC by the way).

-Kendall I can see if I can't get I-Rod. He would be great in that park.

-I could replace Matsui with someone like Miggy Cabrera. His card looks like he would hit well in SBC. Although I would expect like 25 HRs instead of 30+. Both are popular I realize.

[Roscodog]

I know everyone likes to build teams differently but I think you're placing too much emphasis on POWER in SBC park

[JdEarly]

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2005/team/team_other.html?user_id=23941

This team won the whole enchilada, and I hope the roster helps you out. Rosco is right, you are placing too much emphasis on power, playing in SBC. In a park like Minute Maid or something more condusive to offense, you're right on target, but SBC is a park that requires OBP and small ball tendencies moreso than power. You'll see Adrian Beltre and Jeromy Burnitz did well at SBC... that time around. I wouldn't recommend them every time you use the park, but you also have to be able to go on the road and mash with the teams in hitter's parks. They allowed me to do that.

I think that a guy like Jeter is a poor investment in SBC due to the relative depth of the shortstop position in this year's set. Sure, Orlando Cabrera and Miguel Tejada are lightyears apart when it comes to offensive production, but with the $5 million difference on their heads, you can add some solid parts elsewhere to offset the production difference. That's just an example.

I also don't think SBC is the park where you would want a fielder like Jimenez at second base. Brian Roberts costs about the same, plays excellent defense, steals bases, and will bang doubles off the walls all day long.

Instead of Derek Lee at 1b, I would go with J.T. Snow, who does cost a little more and gets injured a lot more often, but is the kind of left handed batter you need for the lineup in SBC. Eric Chavez would be in the same category - if you can get them, and a couple of decent cheap backups (Deivi Cruz, Lou Merloni), you'll be happy with their production.

I think that any pitcher is capable of posting solid numbers in SBC (see Javier Vazquez's 3.92 ERA and 20 wins for my reasoning), but you should mix up the types of pitchers you grab. Say you get Santana (1R), I would also recommend Glendon Rusch (3L). Jason Schmidt (3L)? Pair him with Orlano Hernandez (4R). The reasoning behind this is so that people can't just gameplan for two very similar pitchers from the same side (righty/lefty) and do well against both. If you mix it up, your opponent (if they choose to tinker with their lineup) basically has to choose which pitcher they are trying to beat, and that will A) make them weaker against the other pitcher, and B) possibly distract them enough to weaken their lineup completely. Again, that's just to throw off the people who tinker on a daily basis, but I would recommend it every day of the week.

I hope this helps you at least a little bit. Good luck, and post us a link when you put your team together.

-James

[ROBERTVOZZA]

Simply put - that the way to win at SBC is to carry high avg hitters - more RH than LH that have Natural HRs and some speed. You aren't going to get very many BP HRs at 1-2 on both sides so if you want some power there, I'd go with players like Bonds or Beltre as your centerpiece - with the other power coming from hitters like Glaus with Bonds or Morneau with Beltre. At 1-17 singles vs the right side makes players like Mora/Loretta/Irod/Kendall/ Burke etc. even better hitters.

So the lefties you'd want would be high average types who hit RHP well and/or high OBA types...

If you carry good D up the midle, you can get away with carrying decent midranged SP's with low hits - esp vs the right side. You can get away with a little more BP HRs at SBC because they will mostly just be long fly balls. If you alternate hard RH SP's with soft reverses 1-4 balance, you can keep teams from stacking 1 side against you. Wrigley is basically the same theory, except you carry pitchers with NO HRs vs the right side.

Hope that is helpful.

[bleacher_creature]

I appreciate the advice guys. Lord knows I need it at this low point in my career. :lol:

"Natural" HRs are obviously non-BP HRs. In the ratings book, those are the "pure" HR numbers, completely aside from the BP HR #'s. No?

Example: Dunn has 9 HR chanceds out of 108, PLUS an additional 8 BP chances. This is true no?

Here is my revamped SBC hopeful draft. I traded I-Rod/Lowell, for Kendall/Mora. I think Mora will have insane numbers in SBC:

vsr
clark rf
vizquel ss
kendall c
dunn lf
mora 3b
snow 1b
stewart dh
roberts 2b
wells cf

vsl
kendall c
gomez 2b
wells cf
dunn lf
mora 3b
l gonzales dh
snow 1b
vizquel ss
clark rf

*Batting 3rd only due to poor clutch ratings.

I have Dunn and possibly N. Johnson to back up Snow when he goes down.

Q. Will I get Mora if I draft him #2?

[JdEarly]

Can't say for sure if you would get Mora with your second selection, but as with any player, the higher they are on your draft list the better your chances of getting them.

Natural homers means "pure" homeruns. Adam Dunn should actually be a solid homerun hitter in any park, but his batting average and OBP will take a nosedive in SBC.

You would never want Vernon Wells batting third, regardless of his low clutch. At least not in this year's set. I think Snow vs. righthanders is great for batting third, but Mora should step into that slot against lefties. Your third hitter should be your best hitter, such as Bonds, Ramirez, Helton, Vlad - it's not a spot to stick someone just because their clutch is too weak to hit 5-7.

Brian Roberts defense makes him useful against lefties, too, just way down in the lineup, and I have had good success using him in the two hole against righties.

This isn't a team that has even drafted yet, correct? Let us know when you've put together a squad, it will be easier to help you from there.

[bleacher_creature]

Thanks JD.

SBC is 1-8 for lefty singles as I'm sure you know. That's better than some. Dunn will "lose hits" due to some lost HRs I realize, and I've learned this is one way a ballpark can "eat a batter up". Examples:

-Alou sucked in Safeco (surpessed hits and Safeco HRs are 1-7, wheas Wrigley is like 1-16 iirc).
-Konerko sucked in SBC (supressed HRs is my theory).

Still, I think you have to have that HR threat. In my mind, Dunn will play the part of a lesser Barry Bonds.

This team has not been drafted. I am only theorizing, and trying to get my plan together so as not to waste another $24.95.