settings question...

[bomp helium]

I never said ALL offense...you're absolutely right, winning comes down to offense, defense, clutch performance and 30% luck. I'm just debating the relative value of the ingredients in the recipe. This game is about "value".

I'm saying that fielding and range are subsets of pitching...when the defense is on the field, THE PITCHER is far and away the most important player. There is no such equivalent on OFFENSE. So I am saying that instead of stressing PITCHING and DEFENSE, I stress PITCHING and OFFENSE instead. That's where the "value" is. Great starting pitching, a solid closer, and a lineup with strong OBP from 1-9 and three or four boppers....don't [i:0b3dddc917]intentionally [/i:0b3dddc917] fill the field with 4s, but don't have a hernia just because you have a three at 2B...he'll do fine (as long as he contributes offensively)...

Having Randy Johnson on the mound is far more important than a 1 at ss...Johnson controls the game (he throws the ball)...the ss REACTS to the chain of events started by Johnson and the batter...Johnson faces every batter; the ss appears periodically. sure, it would make the team better to have Johnson AND a 1 at ss, but I would suggest that pairing Johnson with a strong lineup would be a better way to spend the same money...the idea is to score runs and not allow them, and to that end I suggest a strong lineup, stud SPs and a lights-out closer...get the best you can in these areas and then fill in the gaps the best you can with the rest of your money.

One thing SOM does not seem to accurately reflect is the importance of the PITCHER to the defense. There are far less balls in play with RJ on the mound than with, say, Maddux. And yet their "X"s are all, apparently, the same. Pitchers should have personalized ratios for GBX, FBX, etc. Having a few "3"s behind him will affect a strikeout pitcher like Johnson less than it will a finesse guy like maddux...

That's what I mean by the PITCHER being far and away the most important player on defense...sure, the RF is on the field for the same amount of time, but, really, who affects the game more?...the pitcher, who STARTS the chain of events on every play, or the RF, who spends 2/3 of the game looking at chicks in the stands?...

Actually, this isn't far from Beane's philosophy...the A's definately draft players for their offense, with defense as a secondary consideration (i.e., Hatteberg)...it's not the Yankee way or the Dodger way (spend blindly), but it's a model for putting together a team within a constrained budget.

But if you've got the money (a league without a cap), then sure, fill the field with Ones with decent pop and .380 OBPs...

And as to the World Series tradition of Pitching, Defense and Clutch hitting, sure, why not?...but I think it might be interesting to see how Fielding statistics compare with Championships...how many WS champs also led their leagues in fielding?...I would suggest that many Champ teams might middle-of-the-pack in regular-season Fielding stats (I've never checked)...and perhaps more likely to lead the league in OBP or WHIP (or mods thereof)?...

just looking for how to most efficiently spend 80 million bucks...(that used to be a lot of money)...

helium

[1crazycanuk]

In an 80mil league I think it is virtually impossible to get awesome starting pitching AND good OBP through the whole batting order. My OBP is quite low because I chose to have 1's at SS, 2B, and CF.

[tersignf]

OK Helium--more importantly what's your tie-in with Lenticular clouds?
:?:

Into turbulence or maybe mountain waves? Conservation of potential vorticity?
:o

[bomp helium]

I live at the foot of 14,414 ft. Mt. Shasta (CA), where the lenticulars hover around the top of the mountain like a wool cap. It's quite a sight.

[J-Pav]

[b:e4b676926d]Helium[/b:e4b676926d]:

Did you get my pm?

[tersignf]

8)

A meteorologist can appreciate...

[LANCEBOUSLEY]

hmmm....

i'm not sure about the way the numbers work out but Helium, you must remember we are playing SOM here and NOT baseball????

If the average SS sees 250 "X" chances a season and the balls played decreases by 10% per range rating then a "4" fields about 80 less balls than a "1" so would have to have an ob about .120 higher to make up for this. not counting double plays etc.......

of course you are right that errors play into this as well.... but if my numbers are anyway near accurate....

adn 1e80 is about equal to a 4e0.