TCF - All Time Greats Online Stratomatic League

[swerb]

I'm no Strat expert, but a couple of tips for the newbs from someone that's owned prolly 25 or so teams and has won 4-5 sausages.

~Match the strengths of your team with the right ballpark.

~Use the waiver period to tweak your team, even if it means nuking a guy you had in your draft list and wanted. Examine the other teams in your divisions ballparks, lineups, and rotations.

~I usually spend about 30mm on pitching and 50mm on hitting, but the ballpark I choose to play in can impact that.

~Batters with over 600 plate appearances rarely ever get hurt, most they can miss is 1-2 games in a row. Don't waste any $ on backups for those dudes.

~In general, I spend all my hitting dollars on my starters. Occasionally a platoon. Or a 1-1.5mm backup for a guy likely to miss some games. But often times, all my hitting backups will be for the minimum 500k salary.

~OBP for the top of the lineup, WHIP a good tool to look at for pitchers.

~SP with the little * next to their name can be part of a 4 man rotation. You must draft 5 guys that *can* start though. I almost always go with a 4 man rotation, and make my 5th starter a 500k shitball that will get like no IP all year. Save those dollars for the bullpen.

~Good bullpens can be made cheap. Been other years a 4-5mm closer has been the key to a title for me. Been other years I've pulled 40+ saves from a 1mm guy. Other years I've done a RHP/LHP closer platoon. Like in real baseball, bullpens are unpredictable and can be structured many different ways.

~I like good defense up the middle and guys with good arms in the corner OF spots.

~I still struggle to really read the cards and know what "good cards" look like, especially for certain parks. There is an art to it. Most strat vets always talk about that.

Will try and think of some other pointers. The online Strat game is very fun, and a great test of one's ability to structure a winning baseball team.

[swerb]

TBone in. Need one more ...

1. Swerb
2. bookelly
3. GoTribe31
4. Mike Perry
5. motherscratcher
6. FUDU
7. Madre Hill
8. Jumbo
9. hermanfontenot
10. Selby is GOD
11. TBone

[peeker643]

I'm no Strat expert, but a couple of tips for the newbs from someone that's owned prolly 25 or so teams and has won 4-5 sausages.

~Match the strengths of your team with the right ballpark.

~Use the waiver period to tweak your team, even if it means nuking a guy you had in your draft list and wanted. Examine the other teams in your divisions ballparks, lineups, and rotations.

~I usually spend about 30mm on pitching and 50mm on hitting, but the ballpark I choose to play in can impact that.

~Batters with over 600 plate appearances rarely ever get hurt, most they can miss is 1-2 games in a row. Don't waste any $ on backups for those dudes.

~In general, I spend all my hitting dollars on my starters. Occasionally a platoon. Or a 1-1.5mm backup for a guy likely to miss some games. But often times, all my hitting backups will be for the minimum 500k salary.

~OBP for the top of the lineup, WHIP a good tool to look at for pitchers.

~SP with the little * next to their name can be part of a 4 man rotation. You must draft 5 guys that *can* start though. I almost always go with a 4 man rotation, and make my 5th starter a 500k shitball that will get like no IP all year. Save those dollars for the bullpen.

~Good bullpens can be made cheap. Been other years a 4-5mm closer has been the key to a title for me. Been other years I've pulled 40+ saves from a 1mm guy. Other years I've done a RHP/LHP closer platoon. Like in real baseball, bullpens are unpredictable and can be structured many different ways.

~I like good defense up the middle and guys with good arms in the corner OF spots.

~I still struggle to really read the cards and know what "good cards" look like, especially for certain parks. There is an art to it. Most strat vets always talk about that.

Will try and think of some other pointers. The online Strat game is very fun, and a great test of one's ability to structure a winning baseball team.

~ 1973 Willie Mays is an underrated value.

[tbone]

TBone in. Need one more ...

I hate you Swerb.

Hopefully this ends my TCF hibernation.

[gotribe31]

I'm no Strat expert, but a couple of tips for the newbs from someone that's owned prolly 25 or so teams and has won 4-5 sausages.

~Match the strengths of your team with the right ballpark.

~Use the waiver period to tweak your team, even if it means nuking a guy you had in your draft list and wanted. Examine the other teams in your divisions ballparks, lineups, and rotations.

~I usually spend about 30mm on pitching and 50mm on hitting, but the ballpark I choose to play in can impact that.

~Batters with over 600 plate appearances rarely ever get hurt, most they can miss is 1-2 games in a row. Don't waste any $ on backups for those dudes.

~In general, I spend all my hitting dollars on my starters. Occasionally a platoon. Or a 1-1.5mm backup for a guy likely to miss some games. But often times, all my hitting backups will be for the minimum 500k salary.

~OBP for the top of the lineup, WHIP a good tool to look at for pitchers.

~SP with the little * next to their name can be part of a 4 man rotation. You must draft 5 guys that *can* start though. I almost always go with a 4 man rotation, and make my 5th starter a 500k shitball that will get like no IP all year. Save those dollars for the bullpen.

~Good bullpens can be made cheap. Been other years a 4-5mm closer has been the key to a title for me. Been other years I've pulled 40+ saves from a 1mm guy. Other years I've done a RHP/LHP closer platoon. Like in real baseball, bullpens are unpredictable and can be structured many different ways.

~I like good defense up the middle and guys with good arms in the corner OF spots.

~I still struggle to really read the cards and know what "good cards" look like, especially for certain parks. There is an art to it. Most strat vets always talk about that.

Will try and think of some other pointers. The online Strat game is very fun, and a great test of one's ability to structure a winning baseball team.

~ 1973 Willie Mays is an underrated value.

Anyone else think that Peeker secretly really wants to play? C'mon big guy...we need one more. You can turn it into a series of articles since no Cleveland teams are playing until April.

[Jumbo]

I'm no Strat expert, but a couple of tips for the newbs from someone that's owned prolly 25 or so teams and has won 4-5 sausages.

After reading this list, I can already tell that I'm effed. I probably spent too much money on backups and put too much emphasis on being able to play multiple positions (probably a consequence of rotoball where guys do get hurt and miss 6-8 weeks at a time). I assume that after the draft is run, it's easy enough to drop the 750K-1M backups, sign a few scrubs, and used the saved $ to upgrade the starting lineup?

I do think that I like the pitching staff I assembled, though.

[Selbyisgod]

That list helps a lot Swerb, or would have had I not completed my draft list already. Thanks for posting that. I couldn't sleep last night (Oh know, it looks like I am already sucked in the to the strato-world vortex) wondering this...

This may be a dumb question and hopefully this isn't prying too much into strategy, but do most owners blow the $80k wad on the draft, exepecing to pick up waivers/bankroll as the player is cashed back in or dropped later? or do most owners leave a slush/reserve fund for later.

[FUDU]

To add to what swerb is saying (I haven't owned as many teams as him but have played off and on for a few years), become good at reading cards. You can have all the .300 hitters you want, and you'll pay for them too, but the avg on the card isn't the key many times. Look at the card and see how many sure hits and sure outs it has, that reflects on chances of success more than the avg of the card for said player for said real life season.

Remember each card has 72 lines, you get a guy with 33 positive results on that card and that is a hell of a lot closer to .500 hitter than it is .300, get him matched up against
a pitcher with a lot negs on his card, now you'r talkin.

Play a half dozen seasons and you start to get good at spotting those cards and you'll make mental note of those players.

For IE: in real life strat as a kid Jim Sundberg was a nobody really, but IIRC his card had more possible HR's on it than even that of most league leaders in HR's.

[FUDU]

That list helps a lot Swerb, or would have had I not completed my draft list already. Thanks for posting that. I couldn't sleep last night (Oh know, it looks like I am already sucked in the to the strato-world vortex) wondering this...

This may be a dumb question and hopefully this isn't prying too much into strategy, but do most owners blow the $80k wad on the draft, exepecing to pick up waivers/bankroll as the player is cashed back in or dropped later? or do most owners leave a slush/reserve fund for later.

It depends on what % of guys you get in your draft, Rich can speak to that with more accuracy than I can. I seem to always get fucked and get so few of the guys I drafted that I feel the need to go out and spend spend spend to make up for it.

[motherscratcher]

We just need one more, right?

I'd say it should be Peek, but anyone with CSF leaking from their nose, ears, and rectum gets a pass.

But what about LP, Pauly C, Pup, Buffum...what the hell are those guys doing that is so damn important?

[peeker643]

We just need one more, right?

I'd say it should be Peek, but anyone with CSF leaking from their nose, ears, and rectum gets a pass.

But what about LP, Pauly C, Pup, Buffum...what the hell are those guys doing that is so damn important?

Please.

There's nothing leaking from my nose.

Never been much of a strato guy and hoping my online time will be sucked up by the site once they figure out wtf is going on.

[FUDU]

Please.

There's nothing leaking from my nose.

Never been much of a sports talk guy and I know less about baseball than I do about football and hoops if you can believe it.

I don't believe it.

[peeker643]

Please.

There's nothing leaking from my nose.

Never been much of a sports talk guy and I know less about baseball than I do about football and hoops if you can believe it.

I don't believe it.

It;s emoticon hour:

[bookelly]

Where we at? I'm still musing on this miserable salary cap. I'm hoping for a few more days. Give me a deadline and I'll get it done.

Do we still need a 12th?

[swerb]

Where we at? I'm still musing on this miserable salary cap. I'm hoping for a few more days. Give me a deadline and I'll get it done.

Do we still need a 12th?

We got a few days. Still waiting on a 12th ... just emailed Paulie C trying to peer pressure him into doing it.

[swerb]

That list helps a lot Swerb, or would have had I not completed my draft list already. Thanks for posting that. I couldn't sleep last night (Oh know, it looks like I am already sucked in the to the strato-world vortex) wondering this...

This may be a dumb question and hopefully this isn't prying too much into strategy, but do most owners blow the $80k wad on the draft, exepecing to pick up waivers/bankroll as the player is cashed back in or dropped later? or do most owners leave a slush/reserve fund for later.

Blow all 80 mill. Saving $ has no purpose. Chances are, you will emerge from the draft not getting 2-3 guys you wanted, and auto assigned replacements at less than the salaries of the guys you did want.

Typically you emerge from the draft with 5-6 mill of cap space. Going into the season, during the season, there is no need to save any salary $. Spend it all.

[swerb]

I'm no Strat expert, but a couple of tips for the newbs from someone that's owned prolly 25 or so teams and has won 4-5 sausages.

After reading this list, I can already tell that I'm effed. I probably spent too much money on backups and put too much emphasis on being able to play multiple positions (probably a consequence of rotoball where guys do get hurt and miss 6-8 weeks at a time). I assume that after the draft is run, it's easy enough to drop the 750K-1M backups, sign a few scrubs, and used the saved $ to upgrade the starting lineup?

I do think that I like the pitching staff I assembled, though.

I've successfully done that a few times Jumbo, had all kinds of guys that could play multiple positions defensively. It helps with flexibility when injuries occur, and also for setting optimal lineups against LHP and RHP. However, generally speaking, guys that qualify at a lot of positions defensively are typically not very good defenders at all (or any sometimes) of those positions. But there are guys that ignore defense, load their lineups with boppers, play in the Baker Bowl, and win title after title.

That's the beauty of Strat ... and baseball. There are so many different ways to win.

It's all about the team you compile, your park, how it matches up with the other teams you play ... and then after all that, the luck of the roll of the dice/cards.

[Jumbo]

I'm no Strat expert, but a couple of tips for the newbs from someone that's owned prolly 25 or so teams and has won 4-5 sausages.

After reading this list, I can already tell that I'm effed. I probably spent too much money on backups and put too much emphasis on being able to play multiple positions (probably a consequence of rotoball where guys do get hurt and miss 6-8 weeks at a time). I assume that after the draft is run, it's easy enough to drop the 750K-1M backups, sign a few scrubs, and used the saved $ to upgrade the starting lineup?

I do think that I like the pitching staff I assembled, though.

I've successfully done that a few times Jumbo, had all kinds of guys that could play multiple positions defensively. It helps with flexibility when injuries occur, and also for setting optimal lineups against LHP and RHP. However, generally speaking, guys that qualify at a lot of positions defensively are typically not very good defenders at all (or any sometimes) of those positions. But there are guys that ignore defense, load their lineups with boppers, play in the Baker Bowl, and win title after title.

This response reminded me: for those of us who built a roster without any idea what we were doing and locked it in, you actually can "leave" the league to make edits and then sign back up again. I fixed a few of the more egregious errors I had made, and then rejoined the league. Since we have a few days to go yet before getting a 12th guy and finalizing our draft rosters, I don't think there's any problem in dropping in and out to make changes before whatever the deadline ends up being. (The only consequence seems to be that it might cause changes in the division placements.)

I might even make another revision to see if I want to change my home park...since I didn't give it much thought, but it actually seems to be a pretty big deal.

That's the beauty of Strat ... and baseball. There are so many different ways to win.

It's all about the team you compile, your park, how it matches up with the other teams you play ... and then after all that, the luck of the roll of the dice/cards.

...and why I might seriously be at risk for getting hooked. Damn you.

Although I think my draft list is fairly conventional for a first go, the thought of actually seeing if "Pitching and Defense" would win is awfully tempting. Let's see...Greg Maddux and Christy Mathewson backed up by Mark Belanger and Bill Mazeroski in a park that kills homeruns?

Hmm...do I need to change my draft lineup again?

[FUDU]

Rich refresh my memory, draft completes you see who you have, then you can visit waiver list? If so, then you add/remove players? Limit to how many moves? Certain amount of days you can do this?

I'm not real happy with what I remember setting up, but that happened last time and I recall being able to rectify my situation through waivers. I just don't feel like exiting the league to patch things up, kind of interested in the challenge of seeing what a mess I might have on my hands.

[motherscratcher]

Looks like the soonest this league will run (unless everyone gets in by midnight tonight, which is very unlikely) would be starting Monday the 24th. I think we should shoot for that.

That means that everyone has until NEXT Friday the 21st to get their teams in at the latest. It would be good to get them in sooner so we have a little time to get our lineups in order and make waiver claims etc.

If you can't get your team in by then you are a giant turd sandwich for making me wait another week.

I am absolutely dying to get this thing going.

Hey Swerb, any luck on a 12th man?

[paulcousineau]

In.

[gotribe31]

In.

Great Julio Franco's ghost, it's about time!

[motherscratcher]

In.

Great Julio Franco's ghost, it's about time!

Sweet. Here it is:

1. Swerb
2. bookelly
3. GoTribe31
4. Mike Perry
5. motherscratcher
6. FUDU
7. Madre Hill
8. Jumbo
9. hermanfontenot
10. Selby is GOD
11. TBone
12. Pauly C

We need Pauly, TBone, Herm, Mike, and that guy with the hot chick making out with the rabbit avatar to draft.

If they get in by midnight tonight it starts on monday. If not it will start the following monday.

[hermanfontenot]

In.

Great Julio Franco's ghost, it's about time!

Sweet. Here it is:

1. Swerb
2. bookelly
3. GoTribe31
4. Mike Perry
5. motherscratcher
6. FUDU
7. Madre Hill
8. Jumbo
9. hermanfontenot
10. Selby is GOD
11. TBone
12. Pauly C

We need Pauly, TBone, Herm, Mike, and that guy with the hot chick making out with the rabbit avatar to draft.

If they get in by midnight tonight it starts on monday. If not it will start the following monday.

I'll get it in by midnight.

Quoteth O'Banion: "You guys are dead! You're fucking dead!"

[bookelly]

Sorry, gotta obligation...I'll draft this weekend tho.

Oh, and last I checked. That wasn't called "making out."

[Selbyisgod]

In.

Whoa! Pauly C, now I'm just hoping I don't embarrass myself. Looking forward to it.

-hatchet

[motherscratcher]

In.

Whoa! Pauly C, now I'm just hoping I don't embarrass myself. Looking forward to it.

-hatchet

Pauly C. The man in the black pajamas. Worthy fuckin' adversary.

[gotribe31]

In.

Whoa! Pauly C, now I'm just hoping I don't embarrass myself. Looking forward to it.

-hatchet

Pauly C. The man in the black pajamas. Worthy fuckin' adversary.

Not like our current situation with that camel fker in Iraq. Buncha fig eaters wearin towels on their heads, trying to find reverse on a Soviet tank. No sir. Me and Charlie, mono e mono.

[paulcousineau]

Any time my name can release a flurry of BL quotes, I'm all for it.

How many more need to set their draft preferences?

[gotribe31]

Any time my name can release a flurry of BL quotes, I'm all for it.

How many more need to set their draft preferences?

Looks like as of now, 10 out of 12 are in.

[bookelly]

I'm set...waiting on last dude. Next time we need to raise the cap. I only was able to get three of my marquee guys.

[peeker643]

I'm set...waiting on last dude. Next time we need to raise the cap. I only was able to get three of my marquee guys.

You sound like Brian Cashman every December.

[bookelly]

I'm set...waiting on last dude. Next time we need to raise the cap. I only was able to get three of my marquee guys.

You sound like Brian Cashman every December.

IMHO - this would be more fun if we had stacked lineups and rotations...just saying.

Who's left?

[motherscratcher]

Who are we waiting on, Perry?


DUDE!

[swerb]

Just emailed Perry

[motherscratcher]

Just emailed Perry

He's got to get in by friday or we have to wait another week, unless I'm misunderstanding.

[swerb]

Correct

[swerb]

Perry making his squad today

[motherscratcher]

Getting nervous

[bookelly]

Lets light this candle.

[swerb]

Effin Perry ... told me he was gonna sign up yesterday. Now we gotta wait another week. If anyone else reading this wants the team, go ahead and create it and get in.

[bookelly]

Can we fine Perry for delay of game?

- five posts

[motherscratcher]

I'm fuckin' dyin' ova here.

[peeker643]

I don't know how to play or I might actually consider it. No idea on drafting technique or anything else.

But tell me if there's a deadline coming up that needs to be met and I'll be the effing Pirates of the league just so you guys can get the league up.

[swerb]

I don't know how to play or I might actually consider it. No idea on drafting technique or anything else.

But tell me if there's a deadline coming up that needs to be met and I'll be the effing Pirates of the league just so you guys can get the league up.

Perry's missing the deadline and your lurking in this thread is a sign its meant to be.

Peeker - you'll love it. Very fun. Two months worth of daily fun for $25. So fun reading your three box scores each morning. This is a good crew to play against your first time too.

[bookelly]

I'm a rookie too Peeker. You and I can vie for last place. Read the whole thread as Swerb gives a good primer on how to organize things. It does look like fun.

[peeker643]

I don't know how to play or I might actually consider it. No idea on drafting technique or anything else.

But tell me if there's a deadline coming up that needs to be met and I'll be the effing Pirates of the league just so you guys can get the league up.

Perry's missing the deadline and your lurking in this thread is a sign its meant to be.

Peeker - you'll love it. Very fun. Two months worth of daily fun for $25. So fun reading your three box scores each morning. This is a good crew to play against your first time too.

Okay- first off, I lurk in every thread. In fact, I post in every thread. Even those I have nothing to do with.

Anyhow, I go to the site and buy a team before I get to your league and password?

Boo- I rarely if ever played the board game. And when I did Lead Pipe pretty much took me apart with his '84 Cubs squad.

[swerb]

Yep Peeks. Buy a team. Create it. Join league (private). Enter the password.

And then we're off ...

[peeker643]

Yep Peeks. Buy a team. Create it. Join league (private). Enter the password.

And then we're off ...

I have to actually draft before I join your league y'all. Because I bought a team but not having done it before it's a bit confusing. On the site now.

[hermanfontenot]

You and I can vie for last place.

The Strongsville Jacksons might have something to say about that...