39 Games into season

[dalekeener]

Ok, we are 39 games into the season. I think this team is missing something...Do I need to add a true lead off hitter? Adjsut for better starters?..I just thought we would be a little better..Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Here i the link to my team:

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/team/team_other.html?user_id=296437


Thanks,

Dale

[artie4121]

Gut:

Mostly you need better starting pitching. At least one guy who is a slump stopper. You will get killed on the road with Maholm. I'm not sure who is available.

You need to cash in Soria for a strong cheaper LH setup guy, for example.

Then, I would streamline my offense in search of some good platoon and use the rest of the money on pitching.

On hitting, you need a few RH hitters who are BAL L to platoon with Ethier because opponent LH pitching is going to hurt you.

OF: Hunter, Michaels, Nix and Anderson add up to about 10 Mil if you cash them in for two VERY good platoons.

I wish there were a way of seeing the full league and who is available.

Good luck.

[Jimbo123]

I agree with Artie. You have a lot of money wrapped up in your outfield and it doesn't look like it's going to be too productive. I think the Ethier/Kapler platoon in RF will work. I'd try to get at least one or maybe two outfielders that can hit LH pitching. I like Cody Ross and Franklin Gutierrez. They kill LH pitching and are competent against RHP. And they're both pretty good defensive outfielders. You may want to also get at least one PHP in your starting rotation that is strongly balanced against RH batter. Of course, all of this is being said without seeing you divisional opponents and their ballparks. Good luck!

[Jimbo123]

One more thing. Brian Anderson is overpriced. It's nice to know you have a solid defensive reserve on the bench and once it a while he'll hit a dinger for you, but in my opinion he'll never put up the numbers to justify his salary. I've drafted Anderson on 2 or 3 teams and I always end up cutting him, applying his salary towards a player that will see more action than Anderson. Some of the more experienced players have posted on the board here that YOU WANT MOST OF YOUR MONEY ON THE FIELD AT ALL TIMES. I thinks they're absolutely right. I'd rather have one solid player (not necessarily a superstar) starting every game than a bunch of low priced situational players that will see limited action, only appearing when a tailored situation arises in a game that calls for their particular skill.

[Jerlins]

Continual dumping and adding of players never works. One, maybe two minor tweaks can might make a difference, but rarely does it work out. Massive changes do nothing but put you at a salary cap of less than $80, while everyone else is playing at $80. You didn't want to begin the season with a cap of $5 to $7 less than everyone else, why do it now?

My advice would have been to hold tight with the original team, take your lumps, see what worked and didn't work, study and analyze why your team succeeded or failed, as well as doing the same for the other teams in your league. Thats how you get better at this game.

[the splinter]

while everyone is talking drop/add....have you considered trades?

[keyzick]

[quote:798cbfadbe="Jerlins"]Continual dumping and adding of players never works. One, maybe two minor tweaks can might make a difference, but rarely does it work out. Massive changes do nothing but put you at a salary cap of less than $80, while everyone else is playing at $80. You didn't want to begin the season with a cap of $5 to $7 less than everyone else, why do it now?

My advice would have been to hold tight with the original team, take your lumps, see what worked and didn't work, study and analyze why your team succeeded or failed, as well as doing the same for the other teams in your league. Thats how you get better at this game.[/quote:798cbfadbe]

First, I haven't had a chance to look at your team, but....

I agree dumping salary generally is a recipe for failure, but if you're stuck with a team that has glaring holes (like the others previously posted), then I think it DOES make sense to add/drop (trades being the #1 option however).

If you know (heavy stress on [b:798cbfadbe][i:798cbfadbe]"KNOW"[/i:798cbfadbe][/b:798cbfadbe]) you don't have a competitive product, it doesn't make sense to just take your lumps...the only thing you'll learn is that you should have made changes in the first place!

Depending on your ballpark and division parks/opponents, it is still possible to improve even with a reduced payroll. The key is dumping excess, such as replacing a highpriced closer, with a cheaper one who can put up similar numbers (think Soria v Valverde)...or trimming roster down to 24 and dumping salaries on any bench players costing more than $0.50...replacing a highpriced lefty-killing right handed hitter, with a righty-killing hitter instead (typically you'll face 2/3 righties v 1/3 lefties during a season). Anyway, just some food for thought...good luck!!

[artie4121]

Jerlins wrote:

[quote:bee37053b0]Continual dumping and adding of players never works. One, maybe two minor tweaks can might make a difference, but rarely does it work out[/quote:bee37053b0]

I agree that "continual" dumping virtually never works. BUT, a few minor tweaks CAN indeed work, has worked, and will often work.

At game 140 last season, I dropped an unproductive Curtis Granderson and Randy Wells and picked up Louis Castillo and Pinero to start. It cost me a few million, but brought me the playoffs and championship. And this is not the first time I've had success doing this CAREFULLY and sparingly.

Will it work EVERY time? Of course not. And Jerlins is 100% correct that haphazard, extensive 20% hits will wind you up with a $70 mil roster instead of a $78-80 mil one. Almost sure disaster.

BUT . . . we all know that the RIGHT $75 million roster will beat the WRONG $80 roster any day of the week. If I have the wrong $80 mil worth of guys, I'll identify the fewest moves that will yield the greatest results, take a few million in 20% hit and meet you in the playoffs.

But proceed with caution. . .

[edgecitytx]

Artie & Keysick: I agree with you about "tweaking" and even deciding: "What do I have to lose?" and making wholesale changes. If you've been in a league with me, you'll know that's true.

But Jerlins is right here.

I played in a 100M Tour league with Dale where he ended up with 58M. And a 60M Tour league where he ended up with 46M. In this league he has dropped 9 players after 42 games.

He does not need to learn how to drop. He needs to learn how to build a team and then have patience, and yes, learn from his mistakes.

[artie4121]

Well, knowing the history now, I would agree that Dale -- with all due respect -- might need to be more patient, etc.

But I stand by what I said that [i:babd5abdfa]judicious[/i:babd5abdfa] tweaking CAN create championship teams, BUT haphazard dropping can destroy any chance you have to win.