Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365

Still new to this and didn't know if anyone had any thoughts on my team. I've punched the cards but not too much to let HAL have some room to work. I tried to keep good def. up the middle (C, 2B, SS, CF) not really chasing SB's, looking to score runs and provide some power in the lineup but not too crazy on striking out though (passed on Dunn and Reynolds). I feel my SP is solid, atleast the first 3. $2.6 mil left to spend.....Any thoughts?

Coors Field 2012
SP - Felix, C.C., Shields, Miley, Gallardo, Derek Holland
RP - G. Holland, Chris Perez, S. Downs, Gaudin, Ayala
C - Weiters
1B - Goldschmidt
2B - B.Phillips
3B - ARod
SS - Hardy
LF - Cargo
CF - Harper
RF - Choo
DH - Adams vs. R, Matsui vs. L
bench - J.Iglesias, Fontenot, Butera

you have the right idea with pitching (don't give up Homeruns)--I wouldn't start Holland in Coors, but he could start on the road.

I think you need more power in Coors---most of the successful teams I have seen in Coors went with the cheapest starting pitchers they could find, that didn't give up HRs--also I think you need a good setup pitcher.

This team was probably lucky on several counts--good matchups for opposing parks and Hefner was exceptionally lucky.

http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/1111043

I have seen one team spend even less on pitching than I spent here and get to the finals--he hit over 400 HRs in a DH league--(mine lost in the first round and was a no-DH league)

I thought Holland would do well since Texas is his home park. I doubt I could trust Hefner either. What do you look for that signifies a SP would do well at Coors? No HR# on his card?

I was a pitcher park type manager until recently---that team above was a response to getting beat up by hitting teams, and a "if you cant beat em' join em' " attitude---and they did well --there seems to be a tendency for most leagues to be HR park heavy with the 2012 set and I think hitting outweighs pitching with the 2012 set for some reason.

I deliberately drafted nothing but hitters for the first dozen picks--I did draft Arroyo, and some other low cost * pitchers, but missed them--I did go for Avilan, and would have went for Casey Fein if I had the cash.

I really got most of my pitching as FA, and they were just the ones I could get with the left over money. I did try to get a few low HR types and extra GBa on the pitchers card, but mostly just got what I thought were good value pitchers for the money.

So happened a pitcher that leaned +R was better for my league--a lot of times I have seen LH starters successful in Coors.

I think Delgado may be a good choice for Coors too---

but more to the point---from this team and several others I have watched and played against--I think to win in Coors you have to out-slug your opponents first and foremost--have good defense up the middle if you can to help your pitchers-- and a lot of decent relievers.

I don't think starters are as important in Coors, because they will get chased early and often by 5 run innings no matter how good they are--you have to have a lot of capable relief pitchers--I set my starters at F8 (even Hefner) just to try to avoid overusing the pen and went with a few 2 inning relievers to try to keep them in the game longer too ( I like no-DH leagues as a rule--so better starting should stay in the game longer in a DH league)

I'm not sure which I would enjoy more a team full of 20 game winners or a team full of 50 HR hitters, as long as they win I guess it doesn't matter though. I played this about 10 years ago when it was thru sportingnews.com and never had a winning season. I love it though and somehow I remembered it after this year's baseball season and it reminded me of an itch I had to scratch Haha. I hope to have a monster season one day until then I'm just trying to learn while I have fun. I had to add Dunn by the way hopefully he doesn't SO 300 times in Coors.