Advice for friendly competitors

[Jimbo1958]

Three rookies managers are now shamelessly hooked on SOM and vying for their first title. We are all family members: hugedude24, Drewdog and yours truly. The competition is fierce, but still friendly (at this point!).

My kinfolk have sought advice from the SOM community, so I must, too, especially since I am the underdog in the playoffs. If I get past the first round, hugedude24 or Drewdog will be my big challenge.

Hugedude24 led the league in pitching with Johnson and Santana, and Drewdog has the top hitting team which hit as many homers as Dunn struck out for me. My team walked and singled its way into the playoffs with help from a strong defense (only 45 errors).

Here are my lineups. I play in PNC Park. Petco, Shea and Yankee Stadium are the other ballparks in the playoffs.

So that others may benefit from this post, can you both advise me on my order and provide rationale that may help other SOM rookies with a similiar addiction to this game?

[b:df00f9a7ff]LHP Lineup [/b:df00f9a7ff]
Nick Johnson 1B
Frank Thomas DH
Gary Sheffield RF
Adam Dunn LF
Jorge Posada C
Luis Castillo 2B
Jimmy Rollins SS
Corey Patterson CF
Vinny Castillo 3B

[b:df00f9a7ff]RHP Lineup [/b:df00f9a7ff]
Luis Castillo 2B
Frank Thomas DH
Gary Sheffield 3B
Adam Dunn LF
Jorge Posada C
Nick Johnson 1B
Vinny Castillo 3B
Jimmy Rollins SS
Corey Patterson CF

[b:df00f9a7ff]Starting Rotation [/b:df00f9a7ff]
Freddy Garcia
Tom Glavine
Mike Maroth
Jake Westbrook

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2005/team/team_other.html?user_id=50621


Thanks. This may be my last post for a while. I am getting concerned that my family is turning the Community Board into our family posting board! Yet all of you are beginning to feel like family. Heck, I just might add some of you to my Christmas card list!

[hechojazz]

Your link to your team does not work. Go to the statistics page, and hover your cursor over your team's name and right click, copy link location, and paste it into this posting. It will be helpful to see your guys' numbers in order to comment on your lineups...

:D

[Jimbo1958]

Thanks to Hechojazz, I edited the orginal posting to put in the correct link.

[Jimbo1958]

Or you can simply use this link...

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/2005/team/team_other.html?user_id=50621

[hechojazz]

1) Go to your statistics page by hovering your cursor over "Your League" at the top of the page, and then clicking on "statistics", which will appear below and to the right of "Your League".

2) Find your team name under either the pitching or hitting stats sections. Position your cursor over your team name, and right click. You'll get a menu, and select "copy link location", or some such other indication.

3) Come back to the boards, and either create another reply, or edit one of your existing posts under this subject. In the body of your message, right click and select "paste" from the menu you'll get by having right-clicked.

That will put a good link into your message...

[Jimbo1958]

Thanks for the instructions on creating the correct link. It worked. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

[Drewdogs]

I guess that inmate computer class ain't all that advanced at Folsom! :) g'luck in the playoffs Jim, hope's it's me in the finals, but either way, you'll be meeting a Russell, so beware!

[hechojazz]

Okay, my 2 cents:

vs.RHP........bal....avg.....obp......slg.....spd....stl
Castillo.......(L)3L..266.....338......313....17.....A
Dunn..........L2R....240.....388......500....12
Thomas......R4R....286.....474......480.....9
Sheffield.....R1L....286....408......548.....14
Posada.......(L)1L..234....370......347.....9
Johnson/Segui..L/(L)1L...250...324...401...12../..319...360...400...9
Castilla.......R1R...220.....288.....421.....11
Rollins........(L)1L..245.....315.....393.....16......A
Patterson....L2L....228.....278.....347.....17......A

Big question is whether you'll sacrifice defense for O, by benching Johnson against RHP. DH Segui and put Thomas at 1B. You've already got two 4 range guys in the OF, so perhaps you won't mind too badly, plus Thomas' errors are not bad at all. Segui's been HOT against righties and you should try to play him, but not over Thomas.

Otherwise, the numbers above seem to move the players into the slots I gave 'em, but you usually wouldn't want a guy who walks so much (Dunn) in the #2 hole, but Castillo's speed at the top is tough to pass up too, so put Dunn there anyway to take advantage of his high OBP. That's why you keep Thomas over Sheffield too.

You don't have much "positive clutch" on your team, just Castilla and Rollins vs. RHP. You'd ordinarily want to put positive clutch in the 5 and then 6th holes if possible, but putting speed at the very bottom of the lineup to turn it over to the better hitters above is a good strategy. Here you have three speed guys with A steal ratings in sequence - not bad. Castilla probably has to stay at #7 here, but if you do start Johnson at 1B, put him at #7 and move Castilla to 6...
************************************************************

vs.LHP........bal....avg.....obp......slg.....spd....stl
Castillo......(R)3L..292....366.....439......17......A
Patterson...L2L.....309....338.....559......17......A
Segui........(R)1L...360....420.....427......9
Sheffield....R1L.....275....402.....419......14
Castilla......R1R....231....316.....359.......11
Johnson.....L1L.....247....360.....299.......12
Posada......(R)1L..200....296.....440.......9
Dunn.........L2R....203....342.....308.......12
Rollins.......(R)1L..241....312.....337.......16.....A

The way you had this lineup didn't recognize Segui's superior hitting against lefties - he's your DH against lefties and not Thomas. Also, Castillo's numbers are good for leadoff here too. While Patterson's OBP isn't excellent for a #2 hitter, the average is good and you maintain that three speed guys in sequence thing when this lineup turns over too. You also space your three lefthanded bats throughout the lineup.

Castilla's up at 5 because of his positive clutch, though you could move him to 6 or 7 if his numbers lead you to do that. Dunn's poor slugging and average relegate him to #8. That's what I'd do.

[hechojazz]

And your pitching? Your pen must get awfully tired! Have you tried using Westbrook in relief, filling your rotation with the other SPs you have? Not sure that'd be wise, as you'd inevitably run into problems having to start those matchup guys under less-than-ideal circumstances. But you lack depth in the pen, with only 2 R1s and 2 R2s. Hopefully your starters will carry a lot of innings for you in the playoffs. Good luck!

[Jimbo1958]

Thanks hechojazz. I know I am paying for mistake I made in my first draft, especially with my pitchign staff. Somehow I have manage to get this far, but winning the playoffs will be tough. Your advice is very useful. I will let you know how I do.