Bad start with a Target team.

[LA Bear]

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/team/team_other.html?user_id=358747

I'm going to be patient, because Mauer batting below the Mendoza line at Target just doesn't make sense, but what a horrible start. If anyone has any coaching for future Target or Kauffman teams that I might start, I'd appreciate it.

[theClaw]

There are a few ways to win in a pitchers park. I go value on pitching...This staff is right around 22 million. I go with the highest OBP. I can get. I take defense if it lines up but with this team I had a 3e10 at shortstop and won it all.

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/team/team_other.html?user_id=343805

[apolivka]

Here's another Target title winner:

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/team/team_other.html?user_id=295088

Injury platoons, cheap matchup starters, and team speed were the main features of this team. I also think a key in real bad HR parks is still having some guys (as in at least two) with a good number of natural HRs on their card.

[Knerrpool]

Question for Apolivka,

How do you determine which matchup starter to throw versus an opponent? Do you simply look at the opponent's L/R splits and throw whichever one (lefty or righty) that team is worse against? Or, do you look at who they start versus lefties or righties? Say you've got a hard righty starter and a hard lefty starter but you're playing a team that bats opposite hitters versus each (bats righties versus L pitchers and vice versa). Who do you pitch? Thanks for the advice.

[Palmtana]

[quote:baa82212b4="Knerrpool"]Question for Palmtana :D

How do you determine which matchup starter to throw versus an opponent? Do you simply look at the opponent's L/R splits and throw whichever one (lefty or righty) that team is worse against?[/quote:baa82212b4]

Simple as that.

[quote:baa82212b4]Say you've got a hard righty starter and a hard lefty starter but you're playing a team that bats opposite hitters versus each (bats righties versus L pitchers and vice versa).[/quote:baa82212b4]

How their hitters do vs. LHP and RHP will be reflected in the splits.

As long as the pitcher is good for your park don't worry about the "hard" aspect. Handedness is the key.

[apolivka]

Knerrpool and anyone else interested:

That team was a pretty special case. I had an 8R and a 9R, and then two 9L starters. So, I would look out several days and try to match those guys up with teams that started either mostly right handers or mostly left handers. Teams that were more "even" would see Dickey or Anderson (3L/4R) if I could plan it out well and the matchups worked in my favor. However, usually what Palmtana says is true.

Holland and Hellickson are the best matchup starters in the 2010 set, and Marcum and Figueroa aren't far behind, so I got pretty lucky getting them all on my team there.

That squad was a real fun team to actively manage. With all the injuries and trying to optimize my starters it took much more thought every day than most other teams. I was probably the best team in the league when I was healthy, and luckily the team didn't get terribly hurt in the playoffs and won it all. Obviously, one of the negative sides of matchup starters is that it isn't all that great for a seven game series against one opponent.

[LA Bear]

It's still pre-waivers, and I'm #1 to on the waiver wire. :)

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/team/team_other.html?user_id=358098

Bautista's got to go, but Thome will most likely stay on the roster. We'll see how it goes, but all the ideas plus some research on some other teams have given me some ideas to try. I used to build winning teams around Big Papi when he swung a really big stick. I'll try to do the same with Thome.

On the starting team, too many players hitting 100+ points below their BAs. If I was gambling, I'd stay put and just bet small until the luck started to change. I'll do the same here.

[apolivka]

I would still do some work on the Petco team before you start. Lester, Hanson, Zumaya, and Bell are all really hitter's park guys. That's 16+ million in non-optimal cash spent on pitching.... And you have two starters with a +6 or higher holds at a park where steals are actually pretty important. AND I never think that a 7.7 million dollar starter will ever pay off at Petco, although at least Wainwright is a decent park match.

Offense is a little better, but I don't really like the catcher platoon (Schneider will spend a ton of time on the DL, and Stoppach really can't back him up vs. RHP.) Morneau and Roberts are very high injury guys, and need better backups. Your infield defense is pretty weak for a petco team. Your team speed isn't horrible, but not as good as I would want for a Petco team. I do like your DH and OF for the most part, but Blanco, Cain, and Maxwell are all really CF guys, so you are paying too much for the group on one team. Plus all four of your outfielders are potential 15 game injury guys, so you have the very likely scenario of putting a 5 out there more often than I would like.

[LA Bear]

Thanks for the feedback. YT became available and I switched out of the C platoon situation.

I don't have a lot of choice with the OF, and I'm going the platoon route here unless there's a breakthrough before Monday.

Thanks for the pitching staff advice. I moved the $'s around and rebuilt the staff around Latos and Strasburgh. I'll tweak 3,4 and 5 as I get a better understanding of how my division stacks up.

Thanks again.

*Woke up in the AM and Braun was available. :) 1 less platoon.