Grade my 70's team...

I agree that you can make the pitchers cards just as "effective" in just 2 columns -- its just math. There was a lot of study by Strat put into how the cards work, and a lot of subsequent research shows they aren't far off. You still can't get the pitchers card to effect more than 35% of the rolls, so I don't believe it generally good strategy to spend 50% of your money on 35% of the rolls. I think my 70s record speaks for itself.

All good feedback guys.
So I dumped Valentine as fast as I could. Although I am emotionally attached to the guy. Loved watching him play as a kid. Or maybe it was just the Montreal unis.
I picked up Carbo and Tovar and will platoon in LF. Not too happy with Tovar, other than he has good defensive rating and speed, plus he will be my left handed pitching platoon player so he won't see too much action. Plus he is a former Minnesota Twin.
I need to consider dumping Catfish Hunter in order to upgrade elsewhere. Winfield is available so I could drop Hunter and pick up a $5M pitcher (Fritz Peterson?), dump Cruz and pick up Winfield.
Kept Parrish but he will platoon at 3rd. There did not seem to be better options available for what I had to spend.
Thanks for clarifying the X factor for me. Seems like the top guys winning their divisions in my current league have solid pitching solidified by strong 1 and 2 defensive rated players with decent offensive numbers. But only 1-2 studs performing in their line-up. They definitely do not have many guys in the top 10 individual offensive categories.
Comments?

For a platoon with Carbo, look at guys like Pinella, Swoboda, Wockenfuss, Vail, Clines, etc. (have Carbo defensive sub if it is a 4). Just seach L balance, LF/RF, and maybe under $3. Don't really like Winfield for the price. One problem with guys like Valentive & Winfield is they lean too far L and you generally face 65-70% right handed pitching (look at the starting pitchers in your division). Get guys who kill right handed pitching and you will be in good shape 2/3 of the time. I also don't mind playing a 4 in LF or at 1B to get another big bat in the lineup (e.g., Allen, Killebrew, McCovey, FHoward).

Interesting
Try my team
C B Boone
1B C Cooper
2B R Dauer
SS D Concepcion
3B B Madlock
LF L Herndon
CF G Maddox
RF T Oliva
DH T Armas/ Butch Hobson/ B Dent Alex Johnson Dave Johnson

Pitchers
Guidry
Stottlemyre
G Perry
F Norman
P Falcone

Relievers
M Marshall
G Lavelle
Tom Murphy
Dave Tomlin

OK...so here is who I drafted. Off to a 1-5 start. HELP!!!
C-Carter
1B-Hargrove
2B-Julio Cruz
3B-Santo
SS-Burleson
DH-Cromartie(L) Tovar (R)
LF-Jose Cruz
RF-Winfield
CF-Cedeno
SP-Lolich
SP-Peterson, Fritz
SP-Marichal
SP-Leonard
RP-Finger
RP-Shueler
RP-Hoerner
RP-McDaniel
RP-Bird
I dumped Hunter and picked up Santo to upgrade the 3rd base position. Dropped McCovey in order to do that and I am platooning at the DH spot with Cromartie/Tovar.
Dropped Carbo and picked up Winfield.
My current ERA is 8.67. I am scoring runs but only 2 homeruns through six games is concerning.
How much longer do I ride it out with current pitching staff. Not much available in terms of right-handed pitching. Thinking about Pat Jarvis, Don Wilson, Rick Langford. Dropping Marichal or Lolich.

Dropped McCovey in order to do that and I am platooning at the DH spot with Cromartie/Tovar.

This sounds like a big mistake. You should never drop McCovey unless you are sure that you have one of his two bad years. If you have one of McCovey's 3 good years, he is gigantically better than Cromartie/Tovar. If McCovey has been picked up as a free agent, then he is probably on a good year.

In general, you need to figure out the specific year for each of your players. If Carbo is playing his best year, it is crazy to cut him. If it's a bad year, then cut him.

Although I loved his athlete's body, I don't like Lolich's card. So, I'd cut him. Regarding Marichal, what are his left/right splits like? If he is better against lefties, don't cut him until you are positive that he is on a bad year.

We'll see what happens with McCovey. He did get picked up by someone else. But it is only 6 games into the season. Everything that I have read on these posts tells me the only way to really figure out someone's card is if they get injured. Cromartie got hurt and it is one of his bad years...so he will be gone. Why doesn't anyone draft up Yaz? I may drop Jose Cruz and pick up Oglivie to free up some more cash for pitching. Plus I need some homerun hitters.
It is funny...last league Lolich was a stud. This mystery card game may drive me crazy.

Don't get the itchy finger in the mystery card game. Give the cards some time. Look at splits, injuries, hit-by-pitch, but don't be afraid to let things play out.

I usually try to wait 18 games or so being cutting someone unless they have an injury reveal. Yes cutting McCovey was a mistake, I would have kept him and put Hargrove at DH (he can hit R@Ls). With Cro's bad card, you now have the option of replacing DH with best hitter(s), it doesn't have to be a platoon, depends on who is out there. Can also move hargrove there and look at 1B.
Look at the L/R splits on Hoerner and McDaniel and figure out which year you have, then decide to keep or dump. I typically get good production from Lolich and maximize his S9* to rest my pen (or not spend as many $ there).

I'm trying to figure out which one of Cromarties years is considered a "bad" year.

To me, they're all just about the same. That's actually what I like about him. None are great, but none will absolutely kill you either. He's reasonably priced too.

He's consistent, and that's one thing I look for in mystery strat. Someone I could put out there every day and not worry about.