feedback requested

Any and all feedback on my two teams, and how to use Petco and Griffith 57, would be warmly appreciated!

I started playing Strat Online in September 2012, and have played 2 ATG Post-WWII Leagues. I went with Petco in the first team but really struggled identifying a way to exploit the stadium. With the second team I went with Griffith Stadium 57 using lots of Right Handed power.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/806880

http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/811168

Pecto team didn't have enough offense. Just look at the rate stats of your starters, then check out their win/loss records. They pitched lights out in a great pitcher's park, you just couldn't score for them. At all.

Petco makes 4-5m starters very adequate, so I try to shoot for the cream of the crop for my offense.......a Speaker, Wagner, Cobb, Duffy or two

Out of your offensive players, I MIGHT consider Hernandez, but I'd rather have the cheap Carew. The rest of them, as you can see, were not made for Petco

Also, drop/adding 18 different players in an 80m cap is suicide............

Gotta be able to score runs in Strat no matter what the cap. OBP is king in this respect.

I trend I've taken a liking to is the better my pitching the worse my defense and vice versa. Try and make up for your deficiencies. If I have some stud starting pitching I DEFINITELY don't spend (~waste) a bunch of money on some super glove men like Cano cause for their price, they're way below average hitters whereas some of the more medium to bad fielders are outstanding hitters for their price.

There comes a certain point where run prevention gives decreasing returns especially with SUCH great pitchers cause there's no runners on base against them and they're so great anyways!

Personally, I've never played in Petco and also can't see a way to exploit it. It'll just kill a offense.

Anyways you've got plenty to be proud of on both teams. I've never had a lower team ERA than that Petco one.

Just briefly looked at the veird Griffith park and I know I just said embrace bad defense BUT within reason. 4's in the outfield are death. (although you've got a good eye by spotting that Kiner card). Griffith 57's another park I've never used/understood. Hard to balance good lefty average hitters and righty power or at least benefiting more from it than your opponents.

Thanks for the great feedback so far--it is very kind of you to share your wisdom! In the first league (when I went with Petco) I panicked when I started losing, and idiotically dropped and added lots of players--thereby compounding my problems. My original concept was speed, defense and pitching. But with all the -4 and even -5 guns the catchers have in ATG, I couldn't steal bases even when I was getting on base (which wasn't often). Maddux did have a rediculous year--which was cool, but the rest was a disaster.

So if I did Petco again, if I am following you, this could be my framework...? maybe spend $25 to $30 mill on pitching, and amp up the offense with high OBP and at least good base running speed. Don't go overboard on defense, keep C, SS, 2B & CF as 1s, but 2s would be ok (with maybe one 3) for the rest? Does that sound reasonable?

As far as Griffith Park, my concept was to have lefty hitters that could essentially ONLY hit for average with zilch power (Suziki, for example). And to have my righties walk a lot and hit lots of home runs. It worked ok for my offense, but my oppoents were equally successful with my home park. In part it was my crap pitching, but it wasn't just that. I thought my opponent's high average righties would be stopped, and their power hitting lefties would be stalled--but it didn't really happen that way. Maybe Grififth Park can't be exploited well...I don't know.

In short, the first time I was total idiot, and the second time, 75% idiot. Keep the feedback coming (if you would).. thanks!!

My last two championships were with 80 mil Petco teams:

http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/810214

http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/809573

Hope this helps.

-The Sheik

I've never figured out Petco myself, so I don't play there. Of course if Strat bothered to keep the manager ratings, this post might actually have carried some weight. But...

I think the standard model on offense is to go for high OBP but with hit chances instead of walks. The value of slg in the form of doubles & triples is magnified much more as well and the middle of your lineup should have one-or two guys like that: Speaker, Duffy, Delahanty. If you have to match up with mostly bomber teams in your division and league, you need a couple of all around hitters like DiMaggio, Willard Brown and maybe one hitter with lots of natural HR,s like Bonds, Kiner, Ruth. Earle Combs is great as a DH - tons of triples, doubles,speed. It also depends on cap - IMO you have a better chance at smallball in 80 or 100 caps - the higher caps make it difficult to compete with the power laden teams. The pitching staff should match up with your division opponents. You can find some great lower priced pitching options in smallball but it should be taken in context with what the division alignment is -