Dunn questions

[nels52]

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/atg2/team/team_other.html?user_id=101446

Here’s a Dunn team that starts tomorrow. Other parks in my div. are YS ’56, DS ’65, and Fenway ’46. It’s kinda too late to change my roster much – I feel pretty good about the roster but I’m fretting a little over my BO (Right Guard? Mennen Speed Stick? Hmm.) Any suggestions? BTW, I want to keep Brett – I know he’s pricey, but oh baby, what a hitter.

I have Dawson as a “token” RH hitter and I can only figure him to bat 3rd ahead of Brett with Judge 5th. I feel uneasy about that. Will HAL “pitch around” Brett much? How much of that sort of thing does HAL do? Or should Brett bat 3rd, which would normally be his most obvious spot?

Another question: Tony Oliva – I’ve never had him before – all signs point to him murdering RHP’s. Will he hit lefties well enough? I have Kuntz to platoon with him if I have to.

Here are my tenative BO’s:
vs LHP:...................vs RHP:
Keller...................... Keller
Oliva (Kuntz?)...........Oliva
Dawson....................Dawson
Brett........................Brett
Judge.......................Judge
May..........................May
Peckinpaugh..............Frey
Frey..........................Peckinpaugh

I appreciate your input.

[Frank Bailey]

You might want to look at the other pitching staffs in your division. If those starters lean to the left (at a quick glance, looks like 8 of 12 are LH) you face an uphill battle. Against LH pitching, Brett goes from great to good and Oliva from good to bum. Dawson will make the lefties pay some, but it will be hard for anyone to make up what Brett and Oliva will lose.

It doesn't matter to Judge which side the pitcher throws from. And it doesn't matter to guys like Cobb, Speaker, Joe Jackson, Cochrane, etc.

You may get away with leaning on Brett and Oliva. But you might want to check out diamonddope.com for an illustration of your situation.

Whichever way you go, good luck.

[novie]

A GREAT option in LF would be Cleon Jones... he can getg on vs RH and punishes LHP.... Brett is a great hitter, but 12.6M out of 80M roster is an awful lot of money for a guy w/ a 15 game inj risk.... especially if you are going to see any decent level of LHP in your division.... Would much rather see an Eddie Mathews at 3rd and using 5M to upgrade at 2B/SS.

Why do you have Hershberger backing up at C? Seems like a waste of .5M?

Here's a 90 win playoff Dunn Team (80M)
[url]http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/atg2/team/team_other.html?user_id=29143[/url]

Look at the #'s Mathews and Cleon put up... not to mention Yaz and Speaker... and the runs by Pesky.

Order was... Pesky, Jones, Speaker, Yaz, Mathews

[raslavens]

Replace Stieb with Cuellar... He's a MUST in Dunn. McGregor is also a great value, as is Bennett as a spot starter and RP at home. Forsch also could be a cheapie SP option.

I'd rethink using Brett. I'd go for depth, and replace him with, say, R.Collins at 1B, Walling/platoon mate (or Boggs) at 3B and Ripken at SS.

Oliva's OK, but if you're facing tons of LHP he's kind of a waste, no? Haas would be a decent replacement option. Ott, even better, if you can afford him.

By the way, Hershberger is a PERFECT backup to May. If May goes down, he's a decent hitting RH and he can't go down until May goes back even with his higher injury risk. (HAL won't let both you catchers get hurt simultanously; that is, as long as you only have 2 on your roster).

I've done well in Dunn and Yankee and I think your team is almost ready for 85+ wins; more if you make tweaks.

[nels52]

The YS ’56 team in my div. has a 4-man staff w/ all lefties ranging (oddly) from “E” to “2R” – none being more dominant vs. LH hitters. They are Osteen, Carlton, Fernandez, and Ford. So maybe that’s to my advantage. (They say you should never let a day go by without at least one good rationalization.)

Frank, I have Diamond Doped this team to pieces and I suspect you’re right – Oliva will flounder vs. lefties. But I think I’ll keep him and platoon him w/ Kuntz. What about batting Judge 2nd and Oliva / Kuntz 5th?

Raslavens, I’m looking into the Cuellar idea. I might drop Stieb for him and use the cash difference to upgrade Mogridge.

[novie]

Nels... one team has 4 LH starters! If the others have one each, then Brett is a very poor value in my opinion. His weaker side will be exposed 50% of the time in your own division... and Oliva will be on the bench. You really need to do something with those two players. That's almost 18M (22% of cap) wrapped up in 2 guys who will be negative value for half of your division games.

What are the available FA's at 3B and corner OF? As well as 2B/SS?

Cleon Jones would be PERFECT in this situation!!!

And I'm sorry, but unless there is no where else to spend the money, having a 1M backup catcher in an 80M league is a waste of money.

[nels52]

Well, I've dropped Steib and grabbed Cuellar -- used the extra $ to swap Keller for Ott. Ott's not a perfect fit, but he's a better injury risk than Keller and this team is too risky that way as it is. I sure like Keller though.

Novie, as far as catchers, my thinking (certainly not unique thinking) is that I'll always have a good-hitting catcher available for a relatively low overall cost. May will miss what, possibly 20-30 games? Maybe more. I'd rather not have a .5M guy who can't hit to back him up if I can spend a little more and get Hershberger. HAL will use him as as good PH also -- and if he gets hurt that's OK -- that just makes May injury proof. (Like I say, plenty of other mgrs. have the same idea about these 2 guys in particular.) But to each his own of course.

Thanks all for the input.

[Play By The Rules]

Novie you couldn't be more wrong about the May/Herschberger combo.

[novie]

Well I've NEVER spent more than .6 on a backup C in an 80M league... just can't see the use in spending a 1M on a guy to bat 50-60 times a year.... maybe I've just been lucky, but I have rarely had a catcher miss more than 15-20 games.... rather spend .53 on Garagiola and use a 1/2M to upgrade somewhere else.

[Play By The Rules]

You've been lucky, my friend.