2017 Finals Vote for CAP/DH/Draft Order

I don't know about 12th pick - in this context. Tmfw30 historically relies very heavily on super relievers. I'm betting he is hoping to snag at least Murray or Sutter and probably both with the 12th pick. Given Bernie's stated aversion to the super reliever strategy, it might be simplest for Bernie to snag one of these guys before tmfw30 gets a chance!

I have a list of about 6 players who can serve as my first round pick and will determine the direction of my team. With the 8th pick, most, if not all, will be gone. I'm hoping that one of those players will fall to me. I seriously considered the 11th pick for the same reason that Matt took the 12th pick, but came to the conclusion that my chances of getting one of my top 6 would be greatly diminished at 11 and the player pool is deep enough that I should have no problem "pairing" my picks as I build a team. As for Matt's reasons for taking pick 12, I think Bruce has reason to believe that Matt will use picks 11 & 12 to grab a pair of relief pitchers. There's no need to have an earlier first round pick if the player one wants will be available later.

Interestingly enough, while in high school and college, my friends and I played a long running face to face seasonal league and used a serpentine draft in an 8 team league. When using the 1974 cards, I had the last pick in the first round (8th) and the first pick in the second round (9th). On a whim, I took Dale Murray and Tom House, easily the best 2 relievers and a formidable lefty righty combination out of the 'pen. Note that it was a DH league with no salary caps, no limits on relief pitcher usage (other than the endurance factor), no ballpark effects (those had yet to be created by SOM) and a limited player pool in a down year for hitting. My team did not fare well, as even back then I was not prone to bring in relief pitchers after 5 innings. Eventually I traded Murray, House, Rico Petrocelli (who was playing third base by then) and Yaz for Steve Foucalt, John Hiller (probably the two next best relievers) Mike Schmidt and Willie Stargell and my team was much better thereafter.

As for my alleged disdain of the super reliever strategy, the strategy is tougher to use in a no DH league, as HAL has been known to pinch hit with a 50 cent player for a $5 mil reliever. Of course, having two super relievers will help circumvent HAL's quirks, but $10+ mil spent on 2 relief pitchers in rounds 1 & 2 is a risky strategy in a $100 mil live draft league, but if they're going to pitch 400-500 innings between them, it obviously beats sending $18-$20 mil on equivalent starting pitchers. Also, having no DH is a double edged sword, as it gives one less hitter in the lineup to use against good pitchers.

There are so many good relievers that playing defense and taking one in the first round would likely accomplish little. Besides, Matt isn't the only player in the Finals known to use that strategy.

With the Finals having all good managers, I think the best draft strategy is to remain flexible, focus on building one's team in the live draft and to mostly worry about other teams during waivers once divisions are determined and the teams have taken shape.

Until then, I'm just happy to be here. Good luck to all this league.

I think that draft position matters more at 80M and 200M than it does at 100M for the simple reason that the 100M cap allows for more usable choices whereas the other caps shrink the viable player pool so there is less margin for error. I also think that 12th pick - both in a vacuum and at a timed live draft - is a better slot than 7-11, since with two picks in a row you can spring some nasty surprises that deplete some limited resources that others are coveting.

I think there has been a growing tendency in the Barnstormer's Finals to grab guys who are unique, in whatever capacity, in the first round. I know I did that last time I had the number one pick in the Barnstormers Finals. That was the year Don won but I think my team had either the best record or run differential in the regular season.

This was the 2010 Barnstormers Finals where I had first pick in the draft: http://365.strat-o-matic.com/league/130210

We have a long wait now, so I am glad to see some healthy chatter in this thread. Maybe Druid will let loose of some strategies of his that will help the rest of you. As far as Hank O goes, when trying to figure out his reasons for throwing in the towel after achieving the second highest point total, I did see some exchanges in older e-mails between us where he was strongly in favor of the higher caps (at least 140+) for the finals and that definitely doesn't fly with me.

I will share with you what he shared with me and was completely OK with me posting word for word, his reasoning and final adieu. And I quote.

"I haven't been on Strat or looked at the boards since Oct, Rick. If you feel it would be helpful, please post the following where you feel appropriate:

Personal matters have made it impossible for me to compete in the final round. When Moose notified me Sunday that I was up in the draft pick, I realized I hadn't been able to look at SOM since Oct. I didn't even know the player pool, which I believe has expanded since I last downloaded it. Since competition at this level is tight--if I recall correctly, 4 teams were tied for the wild card on the final series in my last league--I thought it fairer for all concerned to let someone who would be more competitive have my shot in the final round.

Best of luck to all, and my thanks to Moose for all his work on Barnstormers - Hank"

What a nice, gracious message from Hank. He leaves some big shoes to fill. I doubt that I could be more competitive, but I'll do my best. I agree with Hank's preference of a $140 mil cap.

Also, I have a question about this league: After the live draft and subsequent autodraft, will there be waivers or a frenzy? Based on past experience, it would seem that a frenzy would be more in order, as the 15 rounds of player selections in the live draft combined with the autodraft would leave most teams needing only minor tweaks. Why wait two days after the autodraft for waivers, when we can tweak our teams immediately with a frenzy? Please advise.

I actually voted for no DH to lessen my temptation to rely on a super-reliever. I'm not going to win this, but if the dice rolls my way I'd prefer to do it with an R2 closer strategy. (If the league landscape develops in such a way that Sutter is my best chance to win, though, all bets are off).

My approach to pick 12, so far, is to have a few favored pairs of players from different team types. I'm hoping at least one or a few pairs remains intact by pick 12. If a pair is still standing, that will determine the direction of my team.

The Finals League has been the same for at least the last 5-10 years that I know of. It would take the board to revise it. We have been hoping for SOM to come up with 3 hour picks to be able to move over to their app. Might as well hope for twenty dollar bills to fall from the sky. Our draft as follows:

16 rounds of which 1 of your picks MUST BE a stadium. If you make 16 player picks, one must be officially "dropped" and the drop approved by another player in the draft. Then you REPICK your empty spot and fill it with a stadium.

Of course you can pick your stadium in ANY round if it's that important to you.

The Live Draft site will NOT LET you proxy a player if it puts you over the CAP - for example on a 100 Mil Draft, you cannot proxy more than 95 Mil as it knows you have 10 players left at fifty cents each.

The Final League will be AUTODRAFT with STANDARD WAIVERS.

Regarding those ten bench players, it's your call how much money you set aside to spend for your bench. You may have a secret "regular" that you want to draft in the autodraft. I've seen people with an awful lot of money left to spend after their 15 regulars are drafted.

Since you are competing with others for those "bench" players, it is highly recommended that they be placed at the TOP of your RANKING LIST and ranked with the competition of others in mind. Put those you actually live drafted UNDER the 10 bench players as you are guaranteed those players.

Use of proxies is strongly encouraged. The Live Draft can finish in two days if everyone does so. It can also take 14 days if a single player decides that they will only pick when they are up and they only check in once a day. Also, in the first round, we will keep the clock OFF until everyone has made their first pick. Then the clock goes on for 3 hours per pick. The clock goes off "nights and weekends" - I do not know the exact times.

This is the way we do it, we aren't changing to a frenzy just because that's what you prefer. Everyone cant be ready to pounce on the player pool when the final player is LOADED and the league goes live. There is too much at stake and the Final League needs to be as close to a regular event as possible.

Every person you live draft MUST BE on your initial roster and you MUST USE the stadium you live drafted. However, once waivers clears, you can do anything you want to your team before opening day including dropping or upgrading or downgrading a live drafted player. If you wind up with a player that someone else live drafted, you need to put them on a bus to their proper home (trade them) ASAP. After the draft is over, we will list in this thread, the entire draft for everyone to see and refer to.

You may wonder how all of this came about. Seems like some picky stuff in here eh ? All of this comes from the Board of Directors that meet in a Private Thread in the Barnstormers Forum. Someone suggests something and the rest comment and maybe a vote is held if necessary. When I say we must use waivers and not frenzy, it doesn't always mean that's my decision and no one else's. We try to do what we all think is fair and enhances the experience for everyone. The changes that come about from one year to another, normally comes from the suggestion of one and agreed upon by all. At any time, a vote on a topic, whether it comes from me or another board member - can be put into place by a majority vote. I believe the 200 Mil event came from such a suggestion. I still cringe over that and wish to pull it every year.

Let me know if I left anything out.

Glad to be in The Finals! I voted DH because I like to employ the super-reliever strategy whenever and wherever I can! As far as I am concerned, its part of the game, just like Gates Brown's ridiculous card and some of the other cards that are out of line with the production of real-life fringe players. Having said that, depending on league/division/cap/park configurations, it can get exploited and that extra money for that super reliever can be better used elsewhere. Against some of the heavyweights in this league, I figure I will need every edge I can get. Figures to be an interesting league - good luck to all!

We've known for some time that the Diamond Dope Draft site is missing some of the newly added players. Because I know you will ask, here is my position. And when I say this, I mean that new players probably HAVE been added to the Diamond Dope card analysis BUT NOT to the LIVE DRAFT SITE.

If someone wants to research the missing players or players who are on the site but missing a particular card YEAR that was added, I will ask Adrian to add them. We have roughly 10 weeks to get this accomplished, IF Adrian will even be cooperative with the request. If he is - all good.

If he isn't and the cards don't get added, no accommodations will be made. Keep silent about your desire for the player and put them at the top of your AUTODRAFT RANKINGS. Pick a different card for the player if he is there and then pick (drop/add) the card you want after waivers. But we (one of you) will need to get them identified for potential add. (I don't keep up on the new cards personally to even know where to start).

I'm looking for volunteers to get such a list of player names and salaries that need to be added. If you need a mock draft made to enable you to get in and look, no problem.

That's the deal on that !

MM

We've known for some time that the Diamond Dope Draft site is missing some of the newly added players. Because I know you will ask, here is my position. And when I say this, I mean that new players probably HAVE been added to the Diamond Dope card analysis BUT NOT to the LIVE DRAFT SITE.

If someone wants to research the missing players or players who are on the site but missing a particular card YEAR that was added, I will ask Adrian to add them. We have roughly 10 weeks to get this accomplished, IF Adrian will even be cooperative with the request. If he is - all good.

If he isn't and the cards don't get added, no accommodations will be made. Keep silent about your desire for the player and put them at the top of your AUTODRAFT RANKINGS. Pick a different card for the player if he is there and then pick (drop/add) the card you want after waivers. But we (one of you) will need to get them identified for potential add. (I don't keep up on the new cards personally to even know where to start).

I'm looking for volunteers to get such a list of player names and salaries that need to be added. If you need a mock draft made to enable you to get in and look, no problem.

That's the deal on that !

MM

Moose - I'll take a look and spearhead them being added.
Rosie

Many thanks Rosie !!!