Hack Wilson in LF?

[gkhd11a]

When TSN is wondering why there are so few new players here, look at what happens. Petrosian, one of the best players posts he wants to know the best way to trick HAL into pitching Babe Adams as much as possible. And many post oh do this and that, NOONE stated hey Petrosian that is cheating and I'll report you to get that changed, BABE shouldn't pitch 360 innings a relative newcomer comes in rated 985 comes in and wants to play HACK in LF, one of the top 3 players basically calls him a cheat and says you try that in my leagues and I'll get you banned and I know TSN will do it as well.

Maybe TSN will actually do anything that Petrosian wants but no matter what I still find this whole argument to be totally hypocritical from the top players.

[gkhd11a]

Is it likewise cheating then to have only say Lance Johnson as your only backup outfielder if all your outfielders can go down for 15 games except for the CF who happens to be Mays? Or are we required to have a backup for every position as well. You can see how far this hidden rule to be enforced could be taken, and who is the ultimate arbitrator Petrosian because he has the most teams>?

[nevdully's]

No reason Babe shouldn't pitch 400 innings just like Chesbro did himself...starting and relieving was common back then...thats why many are rated S8 R5.

And Charlie, the relative newcomer you're talking about wanting to play Hack in LF???? I don't know if Petro ever swapped out players just before the 10:00 PM Est opening night deadline and then immediately back again as you say he did, but ask if this relative newcomer ever did that?

[The Last Druid]

I have swapped such things on occasion, maybe 1 team every 50. I never knew about it for a while, but then I saw either gkhd11a or PBTR do it and thus learned from the masters.

[nevdully's]

Probably PBTR lmao!

[danielz]

I did this twice and never heard a single complaint.

The first time I had R. Henderson, Mantle and Hack.
Things worked great until I had an injury. If Henderson got hurt, Hal would go into overdrive and also bench Hack. So after 120 games or so, I dropped Hack and picked up a RF.

The second time was in an alphabet league and it worked great with Mays, Musial and Mantle, because both Mays and Musial were injury proof.
However, no matter what I did, Hal batted Mantle 9th.

[rburgh]

This whole thread is ignoring the likelihood that, if the rules of the game allowed Hack to play LF, he'd probably be $11.5 million or so. Sort of like the 1994 players - if they all had 650 PA's instead of 475, their salaries would probably go way up.

[The Last Druid]

Not the whole thread. I already mentioned this point as a key part of why I am so vehemently against the strategy/scam.

[macnole]

I agree ultimately the pricing is the key difference. It's what sets SOMO apart from the board game and it's what sets the Babe Adams issue apart from the Hack Wilson issue.

I think it would generally be a failed strategy anyway, and I don't necessarily agree that having Hack Wilson in LF is expressly prohibited by the rules. The rules in my opinion are stating the objective fact that you cannot assign LF to Hack Wilson in your lineup using the provided interface.

Still, the pricing is the issue--that is after all the primary strategy of SOMO; value pricing.

[mrharryc]

Perhaps I'm missing something because at this hour I should be sleeping instead of reading the TSN boards, but I have two observations:

1. The original issue was whether one could use a player at a position he was not listed as playing on his card; this attempt at circumventing the rules drew disapproval - disapproval with which I would concur (not that any would probably care).

In response to Petro's post came several more posts suggesting that other moves that have regularly been used were no different than trying to use Hack in LF. Yet, to me, most of these moves suggested are not logically compatible; for example, as Nev opined, Babe Adams is listed as both starter and reliever and any attempts to get him more innings seems to fall clearly into the tactical dimension of the game. Such attempts are not always successful and they also entail some trade-offs and therefore are part of a manager's decision-making. Trying to use someone at another position doesn't seem at all to be comparable. After all, follow the logic - there would be some managers probably quite willing to endure the errors of bad 2B play if they could find a way to play Josh Gibson there and watch him bash 87 homers in a bomber park.

The 2 catcher argument is also not comparable, IMHO, because most major league squads only carry two; if they have an injury they will usually play the back-up and call up a minor leaguer. Obviously, our game here doesn't provide for that so the system makes the back-up fool-proof. Not a stretch of the rules in my book.

2. It seems there is an awful amount of anger here in a discussion board. I would be quite hesitant to form opinions of, or make lifestyle suggestions to, anyone based on whether they approve or disapprove of my post! May I suggest a bit more good-natured comraderie. Argument can be instructive, but quarreling is demoralizing.