- Posts: 523
- Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 1:35 pm
Thu Aug 27, 2015 4:24 pm
Hey guys,
As everyone as probably seen by now, the 69 players from the 3 teams you voted on were added to the ATG game on Tuesday. The entire group of new players can be found here. An updated excel spreadsheet that includes these players can be found here.
As usual, only new teams will see them and they won't be available for leagues already in progress. For leagues that haven't filled at the time these players go up, you will be able to add these players by leaving the league and then changing your draft list.
Something I didn't previously mention was that the teams' ballparks were also added to the set. The ballparks are listed below:
Speaking of ballparks, one of the common problems I see with new users is that they don't realize how ballparks are important or even that they influence the game at all. Your ballpark matters!!
Not only that but your opponents ballparks matter also!
First, how do ballparks influence the game? When you go to choose a ballpark you will be given a few 'stats' about each park. The first two are surface and capacity, which don't factor into the game. However the next 4 are important. Those stand for the chance (out of 20) that a single or home run will happen when a ballpark chance is 'rolled' on the card. If the hit isn't rolled for, then the play result is an out.
When a ballpark chance is rolled on the card the result on the card is ignored and a 'roll' takes place against the ballpark instead. A ballpark single chance is the triangle symbol like the 3-4 vs RHP result for Yaz here. A ballpark home run chance is the pound sign on 1-7 vs RHP for Yaz.
For example, let's take Coors Field '95. The ratings are 19 all across the board (singles for LH, RH and home runs for LH, RH). When 3-4 is rolled for Yaz against a RHP, the flyout is ignored and another roll takes place. A 1-19 means a single, a 20 would be an out. If it was 1-7 or 1-11 for Yaz, another roll of 1-19 means a HR, while a 20 would be a flyout.
In Petco Park '05, the ratings are 1 across the board. If that same 1-7 result came up for Yaz, a HR chance would now be only a 1 while 2-20 means it's a flyout. Most ballparks are generally in the middle of those two extreme parks. The way to take advantage of a park is by using the L/R split of the park.
While both Coors and Petco are even for both LH and RH, other parks such as Minute Maid Field '05 have a strong leaning to one side or the other. Minute Maid's ratings are 3 for both SI and HR for a LH but an 11 SI for a RH and a 16 HR for a RH. If you plan on choosing this park, you'll want to make sure to get right-handed power bats to take advantage of it. Right-handed hitters who have a lot of ballpark homers (#) on their card will turn those results into homers 80% of the time while a lefty will turn that into a homer only 15% of the time.
While getting strong right-handed hitters for that park is a good idea, it's also important to take a look at other ballparks in your league and especially in your division. If the other teams in your division all have heavy LH-leaning parks, you'll want to make sure you have some lefties who can take advantage while you're on the road. You may also consider a home/road platoon of two players where one plays at home to take advantage of the short LF porch while the left-handed hitters plays when you're playing at your divisional opponents.
Of course, any advantage you get with high ballpark numbers your opponent will also get. If you're in a high ballpark park you will want pitchers who don't have any ballpark chances on their card. Conversely, if you're in Petco, it's ok if your pitchers give up some ballpark chances as long as they won't give up too much on the road.
My personal strategy has always been a right-handed leaning ballpark. I get some right-handed power bats (preferably if they also hit RHP well) and some left-handed OB guys who can benefit from opponent's parks. Then I add some bench power bats who are switch-hitters or lefties who I can sub in when I'm on the road facing a tough RHP.
Besides the lineup, I also try to get four *-rated starting pitchers to get my opponent to use more left-handers in my park. Then, I add another one or two lefty starters or starter/relievers who I can spot start when I'm on the road. In order to do this you must update your Per-Game Starting Pitchers to take advantage of this when you can. When building my starting staff and per-game starters, I'm always trying to put the other team at as much of a disadvantage as I can heading into the series.
While this has worked well for me, many users have their own ballpark strategies that they've developed over time. Of course, no ballpark strategy will be successful without good player cards backing it up. Just make sure that the next time you create a team to think about what ballpark you're choosing and maybe you'll get those extra wins you need to push your team into the playoffs!
I went on a little bit of a tangent there after explaining how ballparks matter but I hope it's helpful.
That's all I have for this week. As always, please e-mail onlinegamesupport@strat-o-matic.com if you have any questions. Talk to you all next week!
-John
As everyone as probably seen by now, the 69 players from the 3 teams you voted on were added to the ATG game on Tuesday. The entire group of new players can be found here. An updated excel spreadsheet that includes these players can be found here.
As usual, only new teams will see them and they won't be available for leagues already in progress. For leagues that haven't filled at the time these players go up, you will be able to add these players by leaving the league and then changing your draft list.
Something I didn't previously mention was that the teams' ballparks were also added to the set. The ballparks are listed below:
- Code: Select all
Name SI L SI R HR L HR R
Baker Bowl '32 11 11 20 20
Olympic Stadium '94 14 8 9 6
SAFECO Field '01 3 3 9 3
Speaking of ballparks, one of the common problems I see with new users is that they don't realize how ballparks are important or even that they influence the game at all. Your ballpark matters!!
Not only that but your opponents ballparks matter also!
First, how do ballparks influence the game? When you go to choose a ballpark you will be given a few 'stats' about each park. The first two are surface and capacity, which don't factor into the game. However the next 4 are important. Those stand for the chance (out of 20) that a single or home run will happen when a ballpark chance is 'rolled' on the card. If the hit isn't rolled for, then the play result is an out.
When a ballpark chance is rolled on the card the result on the card is ignored and a 'roll' takes place against the ballpark instead. A ballpark single chance is the triangle symbol like the 3-4 vs RHP result for Yaz here. A ballpark home run chance is the pound sign on 1-7 vs RHP for Yaz.
For example, let's take Coors Field '95. The ratings are 19 all across the board (singles for LH, RH and home runs for LH, RH). When 3-4 is rolled for Yaz against a RHP, the flyout is ignored and another roll takes place. A 1-19 means a single, a 20 would be an out. If it was 1-7 or 1-11 for Yaz, another roll of 1-19 means a HR, while a 20 would be a flyout.
In Petco Park '05, the ratings are 1 across the board. If that same 1-7 result came up for Yaz, a HR chance would now be only a 1 while 2-20 means it's a flyout. Most ballparks are generally in the middle of those two extreme parks. The way to take advantage of a park is by using the L/R split of the park.
While both Coors and Petco are even for both LH and RH, other parks such as Minute Maid Field '05 have a strong leaning to one side or the other. Minute Maid's ratings are 3 for both SI and HR for a LH but an 11 SI for a RH and a 16 HR for a RH. If you plan on choosing this park, you'll want to make sure to get right-handed power bats to take advantage of it. Right-handed hitters who have a lot of ballpark homers (#) on their card will turn those results into homers 80% of the time while a lefty will turn that into a homer only 15% of the time.
While getting strong right-handed hitters for that park is a good idea, it's also important to take a look at other ballparks in your league and especially in your division. If the other teams in your division all have heavy LH-leaning parks, you'll want to make sure you have some lefties who can take advantage while you're on the road. You may also consider a home/road platoon of two players where one plays at home to take advantage of the short LF porch while the left-handed hitters plays when you're playing at your divisional opponents.
Of course, any advantage you get with high ballpark numbers your opponent will also get. If you're in a high ballpark park you will want pitchers who don't have any ballpark chances on their card. Conversely, if you're in Petco, it's ok if your pitchers give up some ballpark chances as long as they won't give up too much on the road.
My personal strategy has always been a right-handed leaning ballpark. I get some right-handed power bats (preferably if they also hit RHP well) and some left-handed OB guys who can benefit from opponent's parks. Then I add some bench power bats who are switch-hitters or lefties who I can sub in when I'm on the road facing a tough RHP.
Besides the lineup, I also try to get four *-rated starting pitchers to get my opponent to use more left-handers in my park. Then, I add another one or two lefty starters or starter/relievers who I can spot start when I'm on the road. In order to do this you must update your Per-Game Starting Pitchers to take advantage of this when you can. When building my starting staff and per-game starters, I'm always trying to put the other team at as much of a disadvantage as I can heading into the series.
While this has worked well for me, many users have their own ballpark strategies that they've developed over time. Of course, no ballpark strategy will be successful without good player cards backing it up. Just make sure that the next time you create a team to think about what ballpark you're choosing and maybe you'll get those extra wins you need to push your team into the playoffs!
I went on a little bit of a tangent there after explaining how ballparks matter but I hope it's helpful.
That's all I have for this week. As always, please e-mail onlinegamesupport@strat-o-matic.com if you have any questions. Talk to you all next week!
-John