Favorite 70s SS: Defense vs. Hitting..or compromise?

[jayhawk81]

surprised to see that my favorite 70s SS hasn't been mentioned - Don Kessinger, solid D, nice OBP, incredibly consistent OPS. The other guys I tend to use are Templeton, Yount and DeJesus. I agree about Metzger always gone early and is too easy an out. Bud Harrelson isn't bad, but he should be priced at $1.85M.

[The Senators]

I have used both Metzger and Templeton enough to see that the main difference between the two is about 30 errors a year plus however many balls that are outs with a "1" that go for hits. That amount I cannot calculate. I assume it's more than a few. You have to weigh that against how much more offensive damage Templeton can do, including his steals for about 600K more.
It's not as easy as saying A is better than B. In the end, I believe it comes down to not only the season you are using them but also what season the other players on your team are having. You may be able to sacrifice some offense to make Metzger the better choice. Conversely if you are "stuck" with some players with some lesser offensive seasons, a more offensive SS may be what suits your team. The ballpark, I believe, also factors in but I'm not sure....
I flunked out of high school :oops: and never owned a slide rule so maybe some of you with a little more on the ball than me can compute the mathematics necessary here. These are gut choices that make the game so much fun. Sometimes it works and other times you finish out of the money. :?:

[LMBombers]

100M league - 87 win team; League Champs with Templeton hitting .301 and adding 51 extra base hits and 30 SB.

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/70s/team/team_other.html?user_id=7708

80M 86 win playoff team; Templeton has another .300 BA season with 30 SB and 44 XBH.

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/70s/team/team_other.html?user_id=10565

80M 97 win team; Templeton hits .326 with 14 triples and 29 SB

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/70s/team/team_other.html?user_id=32045

We all can throw up examples of where we can win with "our guy" at this position or that position. I'm just trying to open the eyes of some managers that think Metzger is some kind of SS super hero for the money. Metzger provides unequaled defense which cannot be denied....but virtually nothing else. Some of the other guys that have been mentioned in this thread provide a little less defense but also can contribute towards scoring runs as well.

It all comes down to personal preference and what you are willing to sacrifice. For example in a power park you would love a guy to hit 40 HR for you but what if he comes with poor defense, can't run and a .200 BA? Maybe that works for you but I don't generally go for guys that offer one thing well at the expense of everything else.

[The Senators]

That's understood...and again, it all makes sense when you're winning. And also like when I used Templeton you were in that mid 40 error range. The differences are obvious and probably more personal preference as much as anything.

[durantjerry]

[quote:0d3a90507a]We all can throw up examples of where we can win with "our guy" at this position or that position. I'm just trying to open the eyes of some managers that think Metzger is some kind of SS super hero for the money.[/quote:0d3a90507a]
I totally agree with what you are saying, even though I like Metzger. I was just kind of trying to see if I had been successful with him after saying I use him quite a bit. In looking at my better teams, I also found Burleson on a couple, as well as Belanger, Bowa and sporadic others. I guess I like to use expensive players and any cheap guy that can play every day aids me when I use this approach, as evidenced by the above examples. As Templeton is pretty cheap, I'll have to go back to him. Templeton and Grich in a hitting park might be good. I think I had a bad experience or two and moved away from him. I guess my big thing is none of the SS really seem to hit with any degree of consistency that warrants paying anything for them. For most of them, even their best season won't make you stand up and take notice. It's just the era, before the great hitting SS's, when Concepcion was regarded as perhaps the top offensive performer at his position in the decade.

[The Conndor]

[quote:1c49f4e8dd="The Senators"]That's understood...and again, it all makes sense when you're winning. And also like when I used Templeton you were in that mid 40 error range. The differences are obvious and probably more personal preference as much as anything.[/quote:1c49f4e8dd]

Well put. I tend to be a "compromise" guy; I like solid defense, but i don't like automatic outs. Because of this, I tend to stay away from both Metzger and Templeton, and instead I lean toward using Kessinger, Harrelson, Foli... all 3 of whom I have had great team and individual success with. I consider Metzger not worth the hassle of drafting high and having a dead bat in the lineup, and I just can't stomach the errors Templeton brings with him... but that's just me.

To Bombers comparison of Ordonez and Metzger... same player, different game, IMO. I think you can get away with a Metzger in your 70's lineup more easily than an Ordonez in your 90s lineup, because there is more overall offense (and less dominating SP) in the 90s game.

[pyramid1]

I've reciently started using Maury Wills with a good defensive backup for late innings a la Dent. Been working good so far.

[coyote303]

Hey! Coach said I could borrow his computer to make this post. I resent you guys saying I'm an automatic out. Check out this headline from a recent game:

"Roger Metzger had 4 hits and scored 3 times as the Billy's Bumblebees III
defeated the Albany WhiteMountainsX 9 to 7 at The Astrodome."

Take away my three runs and my team loses. And the Astrodome isn't exactly an easy place to get hits.

Gotta go. I think I hear the coach coming...

[LMBombers]

Even a pitcher can have a multi-hit game at the plate every now and then.

[Larryrickenbacker]

Howdy,

I said in my original post that I'm a Metzger guy, but I also think Conndor makes sense by advocating guys like Harrelson, Kessinger and even Tim Foli.
Neither of the three aforementioned SSs will make the All-Star team for offense or defense; but they're sensible, compromise choices.