Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365

We started with these parameters for 18.1:
1. add the 6 cards that just missed in 17.4
Chris Davis* 2013 BAL 1B
Matt Mantei 2003 AZ RP
Carlos Beltran 2003 KC CF
Lonnie Smith 1989 BRV LF
Ray Lankford* 1997 STL CF
Rick Wilkins* 1993 CHC C
2. add 4 cards from each position at top; SP, C, 3B, SS
3. leave the 3 remaining slots for ties or near misses
4. the adds must be pre 1990 with at least 6 from each 30 year bucket; 1900-29, 1930-59, 1960-89

Results from SP poll...
Tommy John 1968 CHW - 30 votes
Orval Overall 1909 CHC - 30
Gary Peters 1966 CHW - 29
Barney Pelty 1906 SLB - 27

Results from C poll...
Ray Fosse 1970 CLV - 51
Carlton Fisk 1983 CHW - 45
Chief Meyers 1912 NYG - 43
Bubbles Hargrave 1923 CIN - 40

Results from SS poll...
Garry Templeton 1980 STL - 57
Dave Concepcion 1979 CIN - 45
Larry Bowa 1978 PHI - 44
Bert Campaneris 1970 OAK - 40

Results from 3B poll...
Gary Gaetti 1986 MIN - 42
Bob Bailey 1970 MON - 41
Ken Boyer 1961 STL - 41
Pie Trainer 1923 PIT - 41

So if you do the math that's 16 players with three spots left. The math also shows 11 players from 1960-89, 5 from 1900-29 and 0 from 1930-59. When we started 18.1 one of the parameters above was to distribute the cards across those three 30 yr periods with at least 6 cards each. In reviewing the results I cannot in good conscious force feed 6 of the 1930-59 cards into the mix. A large majority of those cards from that period finished well toward the bottom of the voting. So fault the way I set up the poll, the number of choices or that the choices just weren't that compelling, regardless the results don't justify sticking to the parameters.

So here's what I'm going to do.
1. Stay with the results of the polls, all those listed above get in.
2. Review the near misses and add those. Which results in...
Dick Hughes 1967 STL SP - 26 votes, 1 off the pace
Heinie Zimmerman 1912 CHC 3B - 40 votes, 1 off the pace and gives us 6 from 1900-29
3. No other cards were 1 back so with the last spot I'm going to award it to our highest vote receiving card from the 1930-59 time period...
Rudy York 1938 DET C - 35 votes, only 5 back AND provides the Tigers with an alternative at Catcher

Cards that finished close that will be automatics for 18.2 are...
Dave Righetti 1981 NYY SP
Rick Wise 1971 PHI SP
Benito Santiago 1987 SD C
Mike LaValliere 1987 PIT C
Larry Parrish 1979 MON 3B

So without further ado I give you the Class of 18.1
Chris Davis* 2013 BAL 1B
Matt Mantei 2003 AZ RP
Carlos Beltran 2003 KC CF
Lonnie Smith 1989 BRV LF
Ray Lankford* 1997 STL CF
Rick Wilkins* 1993 CHC C
Tommy* John 1968 CHW SP
Orval Overall 1909 CHC SP
Gary* Peters 1966 CHW SP
Barney Pelty 1906 SLB SP
Ray Fosse 1970 CLV C
Carlton Fisk 1983 CHW C
Chief Meyers 1912 NYG C
Bubbles Hargrave 1923 CIN C
Garry Templeton** 1980 SS
Dave Concepcion 1979 SS
Larry Bowa** 1978 PHI SS
Bert Campaneris 1970 OAK SS
Gary Gaetti 1986 MIN 3b
Bob Bailey 1970 MON 3b
Ken Boyer 1961 STL 3b
Pie Trainer 1923 PIT 3b
Dick Hughes 1967 STL SP
Heinie Zimmerman 1912 CHC 3b
Rudy York 1938 DET C

Thanks Rosie, this is a great job.
I don't quite get the Lavalliere card love, but I must be missing something

STEVE F wrote:Thanks Rosie, this is a great job.

Agreed. Nice resolution Rosie. Looks like a good add to me.

Thanks,
Bill

Wonderful.

Loving all the cards from 1903 to 1979!

So. These would show up in ATG approximately when?

Very well done, Rosie, as usual!

Of course it doesn't hurt that my 2-year campaign for 1970 Bob Bailey finally paid off. Next target: Cesar Tovar.

1970

Chris Franco wrote:So. These would show up in ATG approximately when?

John from SOM posted a few weeks in his blog, historically its taken a bit longer than that so I'd say by the end of March. But I'm always open to being pleasantly surprised.

Rosie2167 wrote:All the nominations are added to the master spreadsheet if they aren't on it already. I then sift through them populating the polls under the current parameters. Yes sometimes I weed a few out that either don't represent an upgrade or fall behind other cards with higher priorities (no card in set, new franchise...), far from arbitrary. I also tried (unsuccessfully) to generate ongoing discussions forums for each franchise and ERA so we could dip into those vetted lists to quickly populate a poll.......but unfortunately not many folks have kept that process afloat without prompting.

I'm now going to try a different path that will hopefully create that ongoing pulse that should make this process smoother by starting card debates by position, which now seems a more natural way of generating continued interest (something that might've been obvious to some of you already).

There is no doubt there are many holes to fill in ATG and we are getting adds at a higher rate than before, but I'm just a shepherd of this process....... I don't get paid, I do however enjoy seeing the ATG set grow with fun, relevant and historically impactful cards.

Thanks for the detailed explanation of the process, Rosie. I've deleted the irrelevant material from your post.

I'd say the vast majority of members of the ATG community, including me, think that you are doing a wonderful job in the difficult position as "a shepherd of this process." Keep up the good work!

BDWard wrote:Thanks for the detailed explanation of the process, Rosie.

I'd say the vast majority of members of the ATG community, including me, think that you are doing a wonderful job in the difficult position as "a shepherd of this process." Keep up the good work!

I completely agree with BDW. I think you made wise choices, Rosie, about the final spots. I want to thank everyone who voted for my C nominee, Chief Meyers. I'm very glad he got in. If you get the chance, read the Meyers chapter in "The Glory of their Times," and also Lawrence Ritter's followup piece dedicated to Chief in the book "Baseball's Finest." The latter is amazingly funny and heartwarming as well.

I'm glad Rudy York got in, too. I was rooting for him. Thanks, Rosie!