Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365

Just read it today. Don't follow the boards much anymore, little there interests me unfortunately.

That said, I was taken with SOM's responsivity to much of what I (we) have asked for. And that I truly appreciate!

I noticed the other day that Strat had released Cuban and Japanese based cards. As far as the Cuban's go, I see them very much like the NEL players, which have been a definite plus for ATG, but I could also do without them. I didn't, however, have a positive visceral response to the inclusion of the Japanese stars. I'm sure Ichiro is one of many that could play in the ML's, he's certainly proved himself. But I do recall many washed up ML players going to Japan and doing fairly well there, which suggests to me that overall the level of the Japanese leagues is not up to major league standards. Even more, I don't know any of these guys beyond Oh and just don't have any interest in them.

If the Japanese players must be included in ATG 8 at least have an option with each league created to include them or not. Bottom line is ATG is fantasy baseball and I just don't fantasize about Japanese baseball, or about Cuban baseball for that matter. I think back to Orlando Hernandez who was supposed to be this unhittable superstar. He was good for a short while but not that great. Maybe he should have a card from his MLB seasons.

To Mr. Garcia: lots of good additions on the way BUT hopefully there will be more players added than were added to ATG VII from ATG VI. That was a big mistake on SOM's part. Still hoping for Clemente's best year and some Mariano Rivera killer seasons. It would also be nice to see a Martin Dhigo pitching card that reflects just how good he really was.

very good post

<<<golfclaps>>>

Repricing is also critical. I'd like to see ballpark home runs be more expensive. Actually, I'd like to see them not destroy pitchers like Tom Seaver whose 1971 card bears no relation to how dominant his season was. No way that card should have 3 #'s vs. righties. There are many more as well.

In 1985, for example, Gooden was a much better pitcher than Hershiser. And while his card is somehow pricer than Orel's, I often draft Hershiser at unlimited caps while I avoid Gooden like the plague at any cap.

The Last Druid wrote:Repricing is also critical. I'd like to see ballpark home runs be more expensive. Actually, I'd like to see them not destroy pitchers like Tom Seaver whose 1971 card bears no relation to how dominant his season was. No way that card should have 3 #'s vs. righties. There are many more as well.

In 1985, for example, Gooden was a much better pitcher than Hershiser. And while his card is somehow pricer than Orel's, I often draft Hershiser at unlimited caps while I avoid Gooden like the plague at any cap.

Dwight Gooden was , at no point in time, a better pitcher than Hershiser

Gooden was the best pitcher in baseball in 1985, by any reasonable metric. A 1.53 era vs 2.03 is not as good?? ERA+ of 229 vs 171? And of course the Cy Young award, where he got 24 of 24 first place votes to go with his 24-4 record, and Hershisher rightly finished a distant third.

Granted Gooden was an immature jerk, but he had way more talent than Hershiser, and until Stottlemeyer screwed up his delivery he was just incredible.

Gooden was also vastly better than Hershiser in 1984.

I have to give Gooden 1985 of course. What I meant to say was overall Orel Hershiser was a better pitcher than Doc Gooden

No, he wasn't. Their overall era+'s are 112 and 111. They were both just above average pitchers for their career. I'd rather have had Hershiser in retrospect, because Gooden was an idiot and a bad influence. But he has a much better winning pct lifetime than Orel. Overall, I'd say they were about equal. Hershiser just did more with his talent than Gooden.

Good points by Druid. BP hr's would be a good place to start for helping pitchers keep their heads above water. Bluntly, I think OPS is underpriced.

Seaver along with many other 60s-70s guys have been long screwed from their BP #'s and I look forward to seeing them return to playability.

Seaver's 71 card is a crime