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Subject: Learning from our mistakes
Posted by: Zio
- [13255303] Mon, Aug 04, 2003, 10:08
Seems we're coming into the final stretch of the season, I thought it would be good to look back and analyze the strategies that we used to draft and manage our teams. If people want to explain the strategies they used and what the impact on their team was, good or bad, next year we can all benefit from the experience.
Personally, my biggest strategic mistake was that I drafted way too many sleepers expecting to get great results and cash gains. Instead I got a bunch of minor leaguers. With guys like Josh Bard, Travis Hafner, Orlando Hudson, Mark Bellhorn, Mike Cuddyer, and Mark Teixeira (who all were surrounded with plenty of sleeper hype), I spent too much time and too many trades correcting my draft. Next year instead of 6 or 7 sleepers, I'm going to take 2 or 3.
My most effective strategy has been hording pitcher trades. For the first 6 weeks I only traded for the biggest trains and injuries. A surplus of 10+ trades gave me the flexibility to get on pitcher trains without the risk of getting stuck. As of today I still have 15 and plan to rotate the 3HM or into other attractive matchups to bump myself up in the standings down the stretch. No other active manager in my division has even half that so as long as I pick the right starts, I should be able to make up ground. Next year I'll do something similar, but perhaps be a bit more aggressive. I shouldn't have been so timid about getting into guys like MacDougal and Blalock
I'm interested to here about experiences that other people would like to add. |
| 1 | jeff
ID: 66432612
Mon, Aug 04, 2003, 10:12
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Next year I will buy Smoltz, Delgado and Pujols and just fill in the rest of the slots. That way I will be guaranteed at least some points. I, also, will save PT's even though I still have 9. I realize now that using them in the beginning of the season is foolish because it's hard to determine who the good pitchers will be. Now you have records, split stats, etc. to help.
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| 2 | KTx
ID: 3475730
Mon, Aug 04, 2003, 12:27
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Next year's "Smoltz, Delgado, Pujols" may not be the same.
I would put money on smoltz and pujols repeating this year's performance, but I have doubts on Delgado only because he turned from superstar to superbum back into a superstar over the course of a couple years.
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| 3 | smartone @work
ID: 314482214
Mon, Aug 04, 2003, 13:21
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I will re-draft 4-5 closers (hopefully I'll pick better ones than Koch/Acevedo and Benitez) and I will NOT pick next year's Casey Blake, Dean Palmer, Brandon Larson, Aaron Rowand and little-Giambi
Oh, well, now I can see why I spent weeks and weeks around WWR 10,000, and why I am still 1200 points behind my division leader (at least I have 10 more PTs...)
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| 4 | Tree, also @ work
Donor
ID: 599393013
Mon, Aug 04, 2003, 13:53
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KTx, post 2, you said I have doubts on Delgado only because he turned from superstar to superbum back into a superstar over the course of a couple years.
in the past 5 seasons, Delgado has hit at least .272, had at least 33 HRs and 102 RBIs, and only once in that time did he score less than 103 runs.
over those last five seasons, he's averaged a .293-39-119-105.
how on earth was he ever a super bum!?!?
peace,
Tree
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| 5 | @Work? Who Cares
ID: 1472413
Mon, Aug 04, 2003, 14:02
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#3 and #4...
Who cares you are at work. are you afraid somebody will think it's not you because of a different ID#? Trust me you guy's aren't that popular that someone will want to impersonate you. how paranoid can you get.
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| 6 | Mike D
Donor
ID: 38044119
Mon, Aug 04, 2003, 15:44
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Yeah, who cares Tree. You paranoid, Hollywood celebrity wannabe. I bet you even like Professional Wrestling.
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| 7 | Ref
Donor
ID: 100261311
Mon, Aug 04, 2003, 16:11
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You can't plan ahead to the folowing year, you've got to go with the flow. It's always different.
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| 8 | R9
ID: 1573443
Mon, Aug 04, 2003, 17:34
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The only garanteed part of my strategy next year will be going with 4 closers and 1 stud. I can then trade into any cheapie trains that come along, and not have to worry about SP schedules and the like. Closers can be moved at any time. It worked well to start the year for me, and I can only imagine where I'd be had the 3HM not completely screwed what little plan I had. ;)
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| 9 | beetski
ID: 9623278
Mon, Aug 04, 2003, 17:44
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Take Smoltz and hold, and more rockies, yanks and bosox
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| 10 | APerfect10
Leader
ID: 535572315
Mon, Aug 04, 2003, 17:57
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I agree with Ref. You cant analyze which players to have next year and which not to have. Players get hot at different points and through different years. Every year is a different year, that is what makes this game fun. Even strategies vary from year to year. This year, it would've been great to get Smoltz & Gagne and hold them through the ASB. Next year, there might not be 2 closers to apply that same strategy. Heck, this year has been the most fun in terms of picking good pitching matchups. There hasnt been to many MUST HAVES which is good for the game...
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| 12 | Razor
Donor
ID: 411149818
Mon, Aug 04, 2003, 18:29
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Jeez, tough crowd. Gagne's 4th in pitcher's points on the year and can rack up points at an unparalleled rate, but also has huge dry spells. Gotta take the good with the bad.
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| 13 | Motley Crue, at home
ID: 6641717
Mon, Aug 04, 2003, 18:38
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In regard to Post #5, I didn't realize the forum had a resident nitpicker, whose job it is to jump in with pointless criticisms and unimportant observations, completely unrelated to baseball.
In my opinion, more Orioles players should be on rosters next season. I suppose they will be more expensive, but guys like Gibbons and Mora have been pleasant surprises. Julio is like 3rd in the AL in saves--another decent choice. If the O's challenge for a playoff spot next season, there could be more fantasy points to go around.
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| 14 | APerfect10
Leader
ID: 535572315
Mon, Aug 04, 2003, 18:51
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Orioles players are dependent on whether or not they pursue a real ace and another solid bat. Management continues to suggest that they will make a hard line effort to sign Vlad and either Millwood or Vazquez. Personally I think Millwood is extremely overated and would rather get Vaz or resign Ponson. We'll see...
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| 15 | KTx @ HOME
ID: 3475730
Mon, Aug 04, 2003, 20:27
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Ok, I apologize - I did not mean to say that Delgado can be extremely bad. "Superbum" is Rey Ordonez level.
What I meant was Delgado will be one of the higher priced 1B next year and I would not go out and risk getting him since he batted less than .280 in the previous two years. Granted he still got his 39 and 33 HRs, but to "lock" such a high priced player doesn't make any sense to me.
Basically, I agree with posts 7 and 10.
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| 16 | Filthy Rich
ID: 42631221
Mon, Aug 04, 2003, 21:41
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Orioles are set next season...Moss, Ainsworth plus money to spend. With the added development of some guys on offense (Luis Matos=future stud) they will be a solid team and the East will be a 4 team race next year.
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| 17 | rockafellerskank
Leader
ID: 461124288
Mon, Aug 04, 2003, 21:50
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What kind of work does a Tree do anyway? Replenish oxygen? Provide shade? I'm glad to know "Bush" hasn't exported his job to India or Mexico.
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| 18 | sosa
ID: 586431312
Tue, Aug 05, 2003, 00:48
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Wow it seems closer-mania is running wild, maybe someone should push for TSN to reduce the value of saves to 25 or 20 TSNP, personally I think that would be a great change to the game and I bet that might change some plans.
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| 19 | R9
ID: 1573443
Tue, Aug 05, 2003, 04:46
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Possibly, but right now top closers mix in with top starters, mid-level closers mix in with mid-level starters, and the sucky ones matchup too. Why change that? Closers are just one of many options right now. We handicap them and we'll remove them from the game completely, just like they were when there was a blown save penalty.
If we're going to make changes, my suggestion would be to increase the value of speed demons. SB's can stay at 10 TSNP, but if a player gets 2 SB's in a game he gets another 10 TSNP bonus, and 3 SB's could equal a 30 TSNP bonus. Right now, despite the great season he's having, Juan Pierre isn't a great TSN option.
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| 20 | Tree
Donor
ID: 472520
Tue, Aug 05, 2003, 07:11
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Mike D - that's it, into the steel cage with you!
RFS - YOU try standing still all day!
annoying guy from post 5 - yea! what you said!
peace,
Tree
p.s. paranoid people live longer!
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| 21 | KTx @ HOME
ID: 3475730
Tue, Aug 05, 2003, 12:34
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"RFS - YOU try standing still all day!"
haha that's great...
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| 22 | sosa
ID: 586431312
Tue, Aug 05, 2003, 13:06
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I think my other suggestion would be that you not be allowed to own more than one closer on your roster. MLB teams normally have one closer so perhaps TSN teams should reflect this. I can't own five shortstops on my TSN team (well, multi-position eligiblity, I know, but you get the point). So out of the five pitcher slots you would have to fill say three or four of them with starters and then you could use the other one or two as you wish.
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| 23 | KTx
ID: 3475730
Tue, Aug 05, 2003, 15:25
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I think people are overreacting about closers. I have not played Smallworld for a couple years, but I did once played this game and when I did, Closers were called C-Losers day in and day out. Back then, only a few people had the nerve to get closers and hold them. Things change over time.
PS - I got lucky most of the time when I held my closers several years back ;-) ~ I silently scoffed at The C-Loser threads...
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| 24 | Go Easy
Donor
ID: 2362389
Tue, Aug 05, 2003, 15:38
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The big change in having closers came from getting rid of the -30 for blown saves, IMO.
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| 25 | KTx
ID: 3475730
Tue, Aug 05, 2003, 16:11
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oh... didn't know about that being taken away...
They should bring that back and make it -15 or -20.
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| 26 | Razor
Donor
ID: 411149818
Tue, Aug 05, 2003, 16:11
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The really big change to closers is that John Smoltz and Eric Gagne got moved there. Smoltz has already broken the record for saves in consecutive seasons and he'll likely be joined by Gagne. Smoltz is on pace to shatter the single season save record, though I bet 65 save opportunities is also a record for single pitcher.
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| 27 | Ref
Donor
ID: 100261311
Tue, Aug 05, 2003, 16:12
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Still think if they gave a few points for Holds, we could get middle relievers in play. Right now they are useless. Don't remember using one except once when Quantrill was still with KC a couple years ago.
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| 28 | Razor
Donor
ID: 411149818
Sat, Aug 09, 2003, 00:51
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Re: 12 - With tonight's save, Gagne now leads all pitchers in points on the year.
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| 29 | smallwhirled
Donor
ID: 17152614
Sat, Aug 09, 2003, 14:13
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Good thing I never traded him. :)
I didn't play when blown saves were -30, but since I began playing, I've always played with closers.
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