My worst team ever

http://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/sim/1454417

Any explanations?

You are getting massively out-homered. Need more BP homerun power especially by Lefties.

It's also only 21 games in...

I start out with a basic question--what is your Theory of The Game? How do you expect to beat other teams starting out with the same salary cap, assuming that Strat gets the salaries roughly right? Miller is 19 and 9 with regard to ballpark hrs and singles to lefties and 13 and 2 with regard to righties. So, that clearly calls for an extreme left-handed power line-up to take advantage of that. By doing so, you increase the net salary value of your players because Strat factors in (I think) a more neutral power park in making its evaluations. And that does give you a net advantage because you are playing 81 games in a park that gives a greater return on your players.

Your team has 31 out of a 72 possible BP homeruns. So where is your advantage via-a-vis other teams going to come from? You basically have forfeited your ballpark advantage because most teams are going to have power more than your team. You should have double (at least) the number of BP numbers.

The other thing is I (at least) would rather pay for outs on the pitcher's card rather than trying to get lesser pitching and try to make up for it with good defense. Also, I want good hitters 1-9 and I get that by having mediocre defense (though I typically try to have decent outfield defense because I am concerned about power hits and multiple base errors). Give me a 7 million dollar pitcher and Gyorko at 2b rather than a 4 million dollar pitcher and a 2 or 1 at 2b or ss who can hit but costs 6 or 7. I just don't see the real pay-off in getting good defense right now--well, I see better value in getting expensive pitching over excellent defense. I certainly don't want a 1 or 2 at 2b or ss who costs 3 or 4 million and can't hit.

Obviously, there are a lot of other things to look at (else the game would get kind of boring), but those are a couple of the big ones for me. And I can't really say that I have been able to develop top teams this year--I need to refine things a bit, maybe get a little better defense, something--but my teams have been decent.

I do have a Miller Park you team you can take a look at.

http://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/1453735

Good luck.

Might as well throw mine in there. My thoughts on that ballpark is lefty power, enough on base, cheap starters and great pen (except for Kershaw) The starting pitching was lousier than I thought, but basically Kershaw and Devenski carried the staff. Many of the same hitters as Freeman (Ortiz is gold in this park, so much so that I even used him at 1b)

http://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/1450174

Kudos to both freeman and Steve F, There are those here that will offer advice but not too many here will go into the detail you two have to try and help others.

I have found that having a 9L (Claudio) with a R2 makes it hard to get him out of the game once he is in there. I did draft him in a keeper we are in but I don't have him on my roster. Someone else might be able to help us both out on how you get that guy pulled after pitching against LHB.s but I try to never put them on my roster. They get killed against RHB's as the same if they are a RHP with a hard right and R2.
I see he has gone 3 innings a few times for you.

Mike

I have Chris Hatcher, who is a 9L, R2. After 93 games, he has pitched 13.1 innings with an ERA of 0.69 and a WHIP of .85. He has 35 ABs against LHB and 14 against RHB. I have him set just as a LH specialist. He's pitched only one game in 21 appearances over 1.1 innings, and that was when he was forced to come into a mop up situation due to the failure of set up pitchers and fatigue of other options, where he pitched 3.1 innings.

I believe this is a Tour team, and once you're on the Tour, you're on your own. Or should be. The boards are a great help, but not in this situation.

If I'm wrong, my apologies.

Not wrong edgecitytx as everyone entitled to their opinion but I think that anytime some vets are willing to offer some insight that may help keep a newer member or someone that has not had much luck in the game is vital to keeping those guys playing. If is very easy for a person new to the tour or even the game lose interest very quickly and stop playing when their team is getting hammered and no one is willing to maybe help them become better at this. I would of quit long time ago playing if not for the help of some many years ago. This game needs to keep as many managers as possible.