$100Million leagues...do they favor a pitching strategy?

[GREGGZILIANI]

I just finished a position draft not long ago, and it got me thinking, doesnt this favor having a strong pitching staff on a quasi-smallball team? Basically, you can sink more $ into hitting while keeping existing strong pitching strategies (most of which are pretty successful). Just wondering if this is a false premise, or if there is some truth to this.

Not sure about this theory (which just popped into my head) but I wanted others to weigh in on it. I hope I made my theory clear. If it isnt clear, please ask the questions and I will try to clarify. Just hoping to get some thoughts on this.

[goffchile]

I think in 100 million leagues, you do have to roll a higher pct payroll into pitching, primarily because, for whatever reason, higher priced hitters tend to have their way with higher priced pitchers (I say this becuase in most 100 mil leagues I have been in, the average ERA goes up compared to 80 mil or 60 mil leagues). Its hard to win in a 100 mil league going cheapsy on the pitching. I think pure small ball is more difficult at the higher cap levels though, because their just aren't enough dominating pitchers to go around (unless you are really lucky) and even with those dominating pitchers, you still need to be prepared to score at least four runs a game.

[Munich_Man]

I agree. I have had pretty good success in 100 mil leagues. It is difficult for me to roll more $$ into starting pitching, what it does allow is me to have a $$$ pen, while spending a bit more on some offense, which in my case means not having to have a cheapie C/1B/3B like I usually do.

I can have a normal $80 mil rotation of Pete/Camnitz/Brown/Clemens, with Dean, Pollet, Hughson (e.g.) and still have a couple henke garber sosa fryman types in the pen with the staley/martinez/Richert types being my cheapies instead the main men.

(_)ß

[Free Radicals]

I totally agree with MM . Some people say having a pen thats worth 6-7M is enough . The pen is such an important part of the staff as a whole . You can go with what you call "weaker" pitchers when your 10-11M pen can back them up . Since the overall team talent level is up era's can be bloated a good run higher than normal across the board .