calling all LEFTY's?!?!?

[gbrookes]

Link for a completed season at Nationals with a 3.14 ERA:

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/playoffs/team.html?stats=sim

[gbrookes]

maybe because the season isn't finished yet, it doesn't seem to like the link I posted. I will try to post it again in a few days when the regular season is over.

Geoff

[PIZZAZZ]

i am keeping the faith...I let Marshall go...maybe prematurely...
ya see, that's what puzzles me...Marshall handles Rightys (poor opp slg, though)...but that is what i typically look for...like Hamels...Dominatng rightys is soo essential for Lefty SP...
I am puzzled if Maholm or Oliver Perez do well...dominating lefties...
??? another go figure....
once again thanks

[gbrookes]

I think Maholm has worked well for me for the following reasons:
1. At Nationals, as a lefty, he reduces the ballpark advantage for singles at Nationals for left handed hitters. On the other hand, the BP HRs are low enough to minimize the damage from that. 2. At Chase, he reduces the HRs hit by lefty hitters by reducing the number of lefty hitters. Even if he gives up a few HRs, his salary isnt terribly high, and if you have your lineup stocked with good HR hitting LHB, you may be able to gain a strategic advantage playing at home at Chase. Be prepared for Maholm to give up a few HRs, but in my experience he won 21 games at Chase. 3. He induces lots of GBA double plays on his own card. 4. He doesnt give up many walks, thereby reducing the number of runs scored on HRs. 5. He benefits from having good arms in the OF to reduce the runs scored from singles by RHB, and from good range at 2b and ss to augment his potential to get double plays. :) Geoff

[gbrookes]

I checked the stats to see if they support my comments. They do!
That team led their league in groundball DPs, by a wide margin, with 188. I suspect a very, very high portion of those were with Maholm on the mound, since none of the other starters's cards had many GB DPs. The team record was only 83-79, but the team DID score a lot of runs. I must say, Maholm led the league in run support that season, which obviously explains a lot of his wins. BUT, his ERA WAS good, and like I said, if you can save money on SPs and put it into sluggers, what's not to like about that! It was the other right handed pitchers that let the team down in that season (and had much higher ERAs), even though they gave up fewer HRs!

His fielders at 2b and ss were Fontenot and Stephen Drew. The outfield arms were a combined -2, with Sizemore, Werth and Griffey. If I were doing it all again, I would try to get a better arm in CF, but, Sizemore hit a ton of HRs for the team!