First ATGII Team: can this experiment work at all??

[Minoso Express]

Free Radical kindly sugggested I post a link to my first ATGII team here for general perusal/ripping apart/condolences/sage advice.

It's pre-waivers (waivers tomorrow afternoon), and my thinking in putting this team together was to assemble an ace staff that gave up very few HRs (or anything else, for that matter) and field the best defensive team I could find to put behind those pitchers. I did seriously try to find the best hitters I could, given those parameters, but it's tough when your most expensive drafted position player is a good defensive SS with a .316 OBP.

The other teams in my division play at the Oakland Coliseum, Astrodome and Candlestick-- so that's at least in my favor. The rest of the league is heavily slanted towards pitchers' parks, too. Three other Forbes teams, another Astrodome, Griffith, Dodgers; and then we have a Yankee Stadium, Tigers, and a Fenway.

I was thinking I could use two of my starters (Hubbell and Young?) to upgrade hitting. I am strangely interested in maintaining the general makeup of the team to see what happens-- within reason.

Also bear in mind I got most of the players I wanted in the draft (who else would want these position players?!) so I have the 11th waiver pick.

What would you do with this team apart from throw it in the trash bin?

http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/atg2/team/team_other.html?user_id=113226

[egvrich]

Obviously, I like your pitching staff, though Stewart in particular does not fit since he's suited for a hitters park. Find a value reliever to take his place (Wade, Dreiswerd type).

Your hitters are a mess, you've got some guys that don't fit your park (Clendenon, Buckner & Roenicke). Some guys that no one uses (Parrish, Rothrock & Ford). And a few more guys that either aren't very good or there are better options (Tebbetts, Herr & McGee).

With that staff, you could have a very good pitching and defense team if you go that route. Look for all "1" defensive ranges, low "E" ratings, good throwing arms in the OF & behind the plate. You could also drop Cy Young and pick up a $4-$6 mill #4 starter and put the $$$ elsewhere.

Suggested alternate players for your team include:

SP = Spahn, Gibson, Lonborg, Key, Sutton, Roberts, Lolich & Derringer
RP = Dreiswerd
C =Cochrane (#1 Waiver Pick), Carter, Gibson (in that order)
1B = Merkle
2B = Eddie Collins (though he will be gone for sure where you pick), Evers, White
SS = Chapman (lots more offense, similar defense)
3B = Pendleton is fine
LF = Cuyler, Jojo Moore, Heathcote
CF = Mays, Flood
RF = Cuyler, Schulte, Jojo Moore, Heathcote

Hope this helps a little ...... :roll:

[Treyomo]

My thoughts:

1) Downgrade Cy to a $3-8M starter with a couple BPHRs - Hughson, Gibson, Kaat, Seaver - saves you a few bucks for offense
2) Downgrade Eck to a reliever in the 3-5M range - Fryman, Newhouser, Garber, G Nelson, Tincup. Yes, this might cost a couple extra blown saves, but without more offense you won't have many save chances
3) Cut Parrish and Ford and go with a 23 man roster.
4) Find a nickel backup who can play multiple infield positions - Reynolds, Garbey and others. Aparicio and Pendleton can only be injured for 3 days max, so I'd look for a .50m backup who can play both ss and 3rd.
5) These moves should leave you with about 9-12M for offensive upgrades. You can't win without at least a couple great offensive players, and right now you don't have any. Look for good hitters in the 5-7M range who aren't huge home run hitters, especially in the OF, where you are weakest.

[Proverbial Psalms]

If your experiment works, you won't need 7M tied up in an Eckersly, because the SP's will have to be start dominant, and finish dominant. Unless you upgrade some of the offense (great suggestions by egvrich and treyomo), you're going to lose a lot of games by 1-0, 2-1, 3-1, etc., you get the idea. All that said, I'd still really like to see what would happen with your offense and all those pitchers parks in the league... I'm thinking something like a .220 team batting average, a .266 onbase and maybe a .305 slugging?? Anyone disagree?

[mridge01]

Get rid of Eck, you don't need a releiver for that much money with a starting rotation like that. That will open up a lot of money for you. Look for guys like C. Lea or Osinski in relief or anyone under a million in order to put that money elsewhere. Obviously upgrade at 1st defensively and offensively (should be some options out there, i.e. Judge, Merkle. O'Leary is another good utility guy for a nickel that plays multiple positions. You've got a lot of other good advice and more to come I'm sure. Good luck.

[Free Radicals]

You all have pretty much given the same type of advice I gave . Alot of wasted money on players who could be better choices . I would keep 3Fingers and Hubbell then drop either Howie or Cy to Gibson type .Eck could become Staley / Baumgartner type .Now that's about 10M to spread around the D and hitting . The pitching will only carry you so far. You need some hitters to compliment a very worthy staff .

[Minoso Express]

Thanks for all the great advice. I'm working on some trades before waivers and will keep you updated. If ever there was a team to "learn" on in ATGII, I have a feeling this is gonna be it. Keep the wisdom coming, guys!

[Bunze0]

ok love the starters of course for pitcher parks. first thing is lose stewart, and the eck. put your starters on slow hooks and conservative bull pen use and you dont need eck. with his money find a value reliever. also with stewart find a cheap pitcvher park reliever. like driesward. but if your staying with your staff they must go deep into games. now your offense, boy its a mess. hegan a ok backup catcher. your firstbaseman stinks. haha, use some money to get a luderas or judge at first base. at catcher id go for gibson if he is there, he will be ok in your park. that would take 3 mil of your 6, now at 2b idont know what your thinking but if you have to go cheap, maybe a max bishop. or a right handed hitting platoon mate for herr. herr/garcia. so thats a drop of backup 2b so with the cash its another 1.5 mil spent so now you got 3.5 mil plus money saved from eck
im ok with pendleton, so with ecks savings and the 3.5 from before you need to really upgrade that outfield. need a good cf with a strong arm if possible. and left field go for a hitter high obp guy. and right field another strong arm guy
with all the pitcher parks being used im sure the regulars guys we all choose are gone. so just try and make a move thru free agency or trade somehow. cause me personally dont like any of your outfielders. they dont fit your stadiums or the league stadiums. aparicio not really fond of him either but cheap at ss in a pitcher park is tuff enough. i have found myself using fernandez some and bush sometimes. bush makes alot of errors but his obp usually pretty good and with the stadiums being pitching mostly you might get away with him . whatever you decide good luck and have fun.

[boss_of_um]

Keep Howie over Cy or Hubbell if you were looking at moving one of your big guns.

[The Last Druid]

I haven't read any of the other posts, so if I duplicate what has been said...

I don't think this team will win more than 70 games as presently constituted. I've seen other players, most notably Antilles 98, base a team around $40 million in starting pitching in an 80 million league. Generally, this is a losing proposition, unless you have great values as position players. You don't. On a positive note, you are in a good park for this type of experiment. If you are really set on this type of pitching team, then keep the top three and ditch Young. I like Hunter alot in this sort of park, of course you would need a Speer, Frock type for bomber parks on the road. The way the playoffs are structured it doesn't pay to invest alot in a fourth starter; he can only pitch one game in the World Series. Hall is an excellent reliever for your park. I would drop Eckersley and try for a Bob Miller (2.03) and or a Wyatt. Eastwick is OK but I wouldn't rely too much on him.

Following these two suggestions will save you about 12 million. You desperately need to upgrade your hitting. I doubt you will even score 500 runs with this team. I might keep Buckner and Hegan and maybe Pendleton, Tebbetts or Aparicio but would definitely drop all the rest. And the latter three I'd be inclined to also move. It's that bad.

I have no idea what free agents are available for you. But here are a few suggestions. Merkle is a good cheap bargain at first. Evers at second. I'd try Jimmy Collins at 3rd.

On the other hand you could just view your team as an experiment. Just don't get your hopes up. I would think it could be pretty disheartening to have your first team do badly.

Here's an example of a Frank Bailey team that just had waivers today. This is how to do what you are attempting:
http://fantasygames.sportingnews.com/baseball/stratomatic/atg2/team/team_other.html?user_id=113177

Note everyone has a running rating of 14 or better. Several excellent values: Rose, Robinson, Clemente, Sanguillen and Fox. Snodgrass and Clark are fine too. Peckinpaugh is the only question mark in my mind with this team. I'm very interested in how this team does.