A Minute Maid in a world full of Lefties...

[BDWard]

Michael: I don't think we have much disagreement. I usually batted Torre 5 in MM behind the high OBP guys, as he has a high BA and good clutch, but a lot of DPs, so I figured in the 5 spot he'd be batting with 2 out a lot anyway, so that all those DPs could be somewhat negated. Sosa would usually bat 6 or 7. My recollection is that his percentage of solo HRs was no higher than anyone else, and why should it be, as all of the guys batting ahead of him are pretty good OBP guys, aside from being able to hit for average and power. Besides, the team goal when batting is to score runs. So what if the guys ahead of Sosa might average a HR in 10% of their plate appearances. A HR by Sosa still puts a run on the board and if any of those sluggers with the .400+ OBP batting ahead of him is on base, all the better.

I like batting a power/high OBP guy in the two slot, and I've used cheap Frank Thomas there in MM with great success, as he hits into few DPs and usually can be counted on for .380-.400 OBP. I wasn't trying to suggest that any 2B platoon should bat in the 2 slot, as I agree that it's important to have people get on base in MM, like all boomer parks. Also, I understand the concern about having less offense at 2B when there is already an easy, though somewhat dangerous, out in the lineup with Eddie Miller.

BTW, although I hope that I'm wrong, my observation of Reggie Smith is that he is a chronic underperformer, kind of like Jim Rice. They have attractive price tags and impressive numbers, but seem to disappoint more often than not. I think Smith's overall production will not be good playing in MM and that he won't offer as much "protection" for your righty sticks as you hope.

Just my last 2 cents worth.

[ShakeyBoomer]

BD - thanks for the tip about R Smith. The problem, however, is that I would need at least 1.3m more to move up to get Reggie in RF. Barring that, there are no other RF's who fit the bill of offering power protection against RH's. To get a bat like that (T. Williams or someone like that), I'd have to drop either Rickey or Joe D and blow things up somewhat. My other option is dropping Miljus to someone less expensive and trying the nightly match-up game you have discussed.

[sdajr76]

what about the '73 reggie jackson card or '69 rose card?

i have always had awesome luck with the '62 f.alou card in any park (especially small ball).

so in your RF you are looking for protection against LHSP and what else exactly?

i agree about smith as well. i have only seen him do well once or twice and those were strict platoons in non slanted bomber parks.

-steven

[BDWard]

[quote:f920ae1452="ShakeyBoomer"]BD - thanks for the tip about R Smith. The problem, however, is that I would need at least 1.3m more to move up to get Reggie in RF. Barring that, there are no other RF's who fit the bill of offering power protection against RH's. To get a bat like that (T. Williams or someone like that), I'd have to drop either Rickey or Joe D and blow things up somewhat. My other option is dropping Miljus to someone less expensive and trying the nightly match-up game you have discussed.[/quote:f920ae1452]

Yes, you have some tough decisions to make. Compromises and tradeoffs.

It's hard to help when I don't know the FAs. Greenberg is far more easily replaceable (with cheap Frank Thomas or Tony Perez) than Rickey or Joltin' Joe, as is Collins with a Serrell/Beckert or Maz platoon. Also, you know how I feel about expensive relievers. Personally, I think McClure or Perranoski/Dixie Howell would help more than Miljus and they would be cheaper, too. If you decide to dump Miljus, but feel that McClure and Perranoski are too costly, Forster, cheap Righetti, Kenny Rogers and Cadaret can all get lefty hitters out without getting killed by righty batters if HAL keeps them in the game too long. As far as the back end of your bullpen goes, be careful, for if a RP is on the roster, HAL will find a way to get him into the game against your wishes at the most inopportune moments.

Insofar as protection against righy pitchers goes, I was unable to get Henderson one league, so I thought that I would put Williams in LF in MM as protection for my righty hitters. He had a horrible year (for Ted) batting leadoff, .273 32 63, but .425 OBP, but the team made the playoffs as the WC (I posted the team link earlier in this thread), despite being 58-60 against RHPs. Mantle had served as protection on previous teams and always put up good numbers, which led to better records against righties. The point that I'm trying to make is that there is no requirement of protection to do well and that sometimes it's better to forego protection than to put the wrong guy there and have him and the team suffer. Sometimes a team is better off playing a righty batter who will put up good numbers in MM than a lefty batter whose numbers will suffer greatly because of MM, but it's hard to tell where the threshold is. In that regard, Nev's recommendation of Valentine is right on the money, but so is your concern about having too many righty sticks in the lineup.

Decisions, decisions.

[macnole]

good points and good read.

IMO, the best protection that exploits minute maid is a guy like Joe Jackson, rod carew, george sisler, and maybe in a case like this with the lefty parks, the 9 mil George Brett. Yes also, a guy like Collins for sure.
The issue bcomes though--how much investment to place in someone not tuned to the park. OBA is relatively cheap compared to hits and XBHs in particular.

It definitely is true that you can't just go with a lineup of 8 mashers. You need true OBA in about a third of those slots, with your 3-6 guys tuned to the park.

there is no one way to win, nor one way to have fun. sometimes it's fun to win half the games but lead the league in HRs or something like that.

[BDWard]

Michael: In an earlier post you mentioned getting a lot of "utility" from cheap relief pitchers.

Check out the smallball team below that I had some time ago at $80 mil no DH in ATG5 when the current bullpen system was in its infancy:

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/team/team_other.html?user_id=292778

Also, check out the great year from the Serrell/Beckert platoon at 2B.

[nevdully's]

SMH lotsa good advice and little of it being followed...and in my opinion for the wrong concerns...first most build teams like this..1) What suits my park..2) What suits my division.

Rarely in 100m and lower are the 8 other teams 'not' in your division even paying much attention to what your doing, and they shouldn't.

But still, lets says "Everyone" is concerned with your team in Minute Maid...No one should be thinking wow he's in MM, and has a half dozen big righty bats, so lets throw righties at him...oh but wait we shouldn't throw righties because he's got Reggie Smith in his lineup! Really? Why? Because [i:34f515033a]a couple of rolls "might" come off Smith's card[/i:34f515033a] and he'll draw a walk?

You'd need [b:34f515033a]Two[/b:34f515033a] serious big lefty bats that [b:34f515033a]"hit"[/b:34f515033a] before your opponent should even pause about throwing righties at you...Reggie Smith shouldn't scare anyone.

"And" consider important late inning at bats, when, for one reason or another Reggie ends up facing a lefty...game over.

I'm in this league and for you it leans right...Build your team to dominate at home and they'll still win plenty on the road.

Ellis Valentine.

[ShakeyBoomer]

Nev - while I definitely agree with your point about Reggie Smith not being a deterrence, I do not agree with you about a few things:

1) Most good managers definitely take into account their division rivals when building starting staffs. I am not worried so much about teams from the other 2 divisions loading up hard RH's against me as I am for the 72 games I will be facing my division rivals and excellent managers like yourself.

2) Ellis Valentine is a 15-game injury risk and I already have enough injury risk on my roster (Collins, Henderson, Joe D). Valentine, IMHO, is not worth it.

3) Here is a classic example of why "merely" tailoring to your park is not the best way to go:

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/stratomatic/team/team_other.html?user_id=361085

That is just one of many of my MM/Penmar like teams that have dominated at home and gotten destroyed on the road, and, thus, have failed to make the playoffs.

This team went 48-33 at home and 27-54 on the road! That's right 27-54.

You MUST pay attention to the road as well...

As an aside, I dumped Reggie Smith and went back to Ross Youngs and his 600 PA status and +8 clutch.

[BDWard]

I have a great deal of respect for Nev in this game, as he has been around since the beginning and has had a great deal of input as the game has evolved. I do think, however, that the concerns about Valentine's injury risk are legit. Plus, although a very good player, Valentine isn't exactly near the top of the fear list.

Personally, I like Sosa and Post better than Valentine anyway. Both are bullet proof (although there is an injury on his card, $7.10 mil Sosa can only get injured for the remainder of the game by virtue of having > 680 plate appearances) and will give good production in MM. Plus, Sammy does scare people and at $7.10 mil is a good bargain for the production he generates.

The biggest concern that I have with Sosa and Post is that both seem to be more subject than usual to wide fluctuations in seasonal performance, even beyond the the usual variations caused by ballpark factors and probability differences. Sometimes it makes me wonder whether there are secretly two versions of the same player that get randomly assigned.

So the question is, will you get good Sammy/Wally or bad Sammy/Wally?

As an added bonus, not only will Sammy and Wally generate more runs over the course of the season than the Youngs/Harper platoon, but by using one of them $2+ mil will be freed up to use elsewhere, probably on starting pitching, as while both Barker and Higbe are good values as no. 4 starters, I'm not exactly sold on the idea of using one of them as a third starter without mega offense to support them.

[nevdully's]

You show a Poorly constructed MM team in [b:1e10d739cc]140m[/b:1e10d739cc] There is a Big difference between 140m and 100m as I said earlier. Also just having a bunch of righties in MM doesn't mean it was a well constructed team.

E. Valentine in MM for me [b:1e10d739cc]37 HR 133 RBI 119 R .300 BA
[/b:1e10d739cc]
E. Valentine in Hil in "[b:1e10d739cc]14om cap" 38 HR 103 RBI 100 R .286 BA[/b:1e10d739cc] (again at 140m )

Maybe Valentine ain't your guy but I guarantee you the guys you're thinking about using won't give you 100/100

Time will tell.