Why isn't this working?

I'll throw this out for open critique. My team is the Waterfall Whiz. I think it should be hitting .300 as a team; yet is way short of that. Team pitches, but can't hit

https://365.strat-o-matic.com/league/442257

You have a good run differential and have played something like 60% of your games on the road so far.

That being said, your relievers are killing you and you're facing 80% right handed pitching and 3 of your best hitters are better against lefties. Look at Wagner, he's hitting something like .250 ... YIKES!

If I were gonna make changes, which might not be necessary, I'd shore up the pen a bit and get a righty killer in my lineup.

The key is your lineup is killing lefties but facing, as Rich said, mostly righties who you aren't killing.

On the other hand this league dealt me a devastating blow last night. My winning streak was stopped at 18.

I'll throw this out for open critique. My team is the Waterfall Whiz. I think it should be hitting .300 as a team; yet is way short of that. Team pitches, but can't hit

https://365.strat-o-matic.com/league/442257

The roll distribution isn't helping (53% -47% pitcher to hitter)

Hey Steve, it's been a long time!

you're facing 80% right handed pitching

Definitely going this direction. Actually, factoring in relievers, you're close to 84% facing rhp. Besides, you have in your division the infamous 9R Sutton, and your league includes some very strong rhp, Darwin and Scherzer. Together, they've been 5-0 against your team which has only 2 lefty bats in the regular lineup. You also face plenty of 2R-ish.


I would definitely build 2 platoons at c, 3b. Good cheap lefty bats at 3b are difficult to get, but you could slide Wagner to 3rd and have a nice lefty 1b for less than 1M. Heck! I think I would even bench Wallace for a not terrible switch ss if you can find one!

At this stage of the season I think of really cheap platoons, like Dresden/Torgerson, Wagner instead of Taylor at catching (sure his arm +3, but you have Tiant and Santana with -5 holds). I would consider having Santana to backup 2nd base and release Baker to build your platoons.

Hi Marc. Are you back?!
Thanks all for the comments so far. Not sure if I'll make any moves, but the boards have been so dead lately I thought this might be fun exercise to
1. See how many people responded
2. See how many vets agreed with what I was already thinking, and more importantly, if they saw something I didn't see.
3. Just encourage some chatter on the boards, which at one time were loaded with threads like this.

I knew my team was much better vs lefties, but I thought it would hit righties well enough. 1-6 in my lineup are practically a who's who of Forbes 57 "darlings". In fact , I was surprised to get all 6 in the draft. Might have been better for me to miss a few, as once I got those guys , I was pretty much committed. I'm not sure just getting a couple more lefty hitters would fix it , particularly with FIVE Minute Maid teams in the league, two of them in my division.
I think internal improvement could come from simply balancing the hitter/pitcher rolls, and Ford pitching the way he's capable of.

Welcome more thoughts of course. This is fun!

I just threw in one credit. I guess I'll play for a season or two up until I get fed up by the inertia of the management.

I'm not sure just getting a couple more lefty hitters would fix it , particularly with FIVE Minute Maid teams in the league, two of them in my division.

Well, the Torgeson suggestion, with his 4 BP, might not be as wise as I thought with 5 Minute Maid teams, then!!

But on the other hand, your right-handed 1M hitters that you have at the bottom of your lineup (Dressen, Taylor and Wallace) provide you absolutely no advantage in Minute Maid either. They are all weak, have no BP. So you better play with your opponents weaknesses, and the MinuteMaid pitchers in your division allow more walks and singles vs left-handed hitters.

Sewell and Speaker are doing amazingly well, despite the 5 Minute Maid.

But just to be clear, I wouldn't touch the core of your team. As you mention, you have a great core group of players, and your +47 scoring advantage is a sign of good things to come. With the 10% penalty, I probably wouldn't touch on the core of the pitching as well.

I would probably cut Bradenber for the best 0.5M reliever I could get (you don't seem to need him anyway---only 6 innings so far). By cutting Martin, Baker and Taylor, you can get 3 lefty bats at an average cost of 0.82M.
I would probably get a long look at Figgins or Fox at 3b, Hal Wagner or Myatt at catching, and insert Woody Harrelson or Miranda against the occasional extreme pitchers (6R or more).

Marc
thanks for the input. I made some changes without touching my core players (or Baker, who I love as a backup for Lajoie)

You have an excellent team Bruce. I noticed before the season started that you recognized the landscape of the league and switched to hard righty pitching even though you're in League 34. Nice job.

Thanks Steve. It was an unusual decision and every time I look at the team for the next nights games and I see I have all righty killers in League '34 I briefly panic and only then remember the context. It's been a memorable season so far with Pedro's perfect game amidst the 17 game win streak and what makes it even sweeter is that there are many excellent managers in this one.