Is there much difference between Shea and SAFECO?

[visick]

There really isn't much of a difference between the 2 parks, IMHO...

Players that work well for you in Shea, SHOULD work well in Safeco.

I usually like to grab a lefty bat that hits LHSP well when I choose either park. Guys like (most $ to least $):

Ichiro
Wilkerson
Broussard
Overbay
Gload
Chavez
Mabry
Burnitz
Patterson
Klesko
L. Gonz (DH)

You should expect your opponents to throw some LH's at you, and you've got some good righty protection in Lowell, E. Martinez and Bellhorn. (Bellhorn never seems to hit for me though)

I like to go with a reverse RH in my rotation. Not too crazy about Bauer here, unless you've got a Wrigley or 2 in your division. Ramon Ortiz or Sosa are the hard righties that I use when I play in these parks.

Schmidt, Oswalt, Radke, Pedro, Escobar, Greinke, Haren and Trachsel are some good ones.

My 2 cents, FWIW, When Mauer goes down, Laird is gonna have to hit RHSP, where he's kinda weak against. I tend to go with Hammock when I use Mauer. At least he's N power vs. LH's, higher injury rating (like Laird) and hits RH's a bit better than Laird.

[goredsox33]

you need high OBP guys at safeco........

id drop erstad and try for overbay or casey..........
and id look for another solid RH bat..

[Play By The Rules]

To me there is a big difference. Many managers play Shea strategy in Safeco and don't win.

In Shea, RH #s are essentially a waste of money. You want a team with many SH or LH hitters that do as well or better against all the lefties you will surely face.

In Safeco, lefties have the advantage but it's not a radical one. Thus (IMO) there is not the need to so radically skew your lineup towards LH hitters, a couple righty swatters can balance your lineup a lot more easy.

Shea to me is a lot easier.

[goredsox33]

i have a team in safeco right now, loaded with lefties... and with RJ and santana, thoug hi traded him 6 games ago... and the team sucks... im very dissapointed !

[ROBERTVOZZA]

Safeco is a LH power Park as well as a pitcher's park. Either LH pitchers who do not have any or many LH BP HR's do best. RH revs do well also.

LH hitters w/ lots of bP HR's do well so it is better to take LH power bats and RHH with higher oBA to hit in front of those LH bats. If you know how to win at Wrigley, which is a RH power and a pitcher's park other than that - Safeco is exactly the opposite -ie. A LH version of Wrigley.

Both are my favorite places to play.

Good players are : Bonds(Obviously) and another good LH power hitter. But the best lefty reverse in Safeco is Giambi, who I usually use as a DH/1B with Huff playing the position both ways. One of the reasons I always use Huff and Giambi is because I always take Glaus at 3B(Who has a high injury risk.) Huff can cover 3B while Giambi can pla 1st when Glaus is out. 2 High OBA hitters in the 1 and 2 spot with Bonds 3rd and Glaus at cleanup - followed by Huff is quite a lethal op 5 - especially if one of the top 2 OBA guys is Wilkerson. The other could be a decent priced RHH - like Freel or Ford.

If these are your top 5 hitters and you have adequate pitching and a great closer you will win a lot of games at Safeco.

[goredsox33]

wel i have RJ who is dominant but santana was lousy and i traded him