....I've read where 1960's pitchers don't "normalize" we'll.... Please answer some questions for this newbie who wants to put good teams together:

1. should i avoid 1960's pitchers altogether?
2. If not, how do I know which 1960's pitchers to use and which to avoid?
3. what years are "good" years to pick pitchers from, from the years I like? (1950's- 2012)
4. How important is the speed rating of a hitter in the sim?
5. If given the choice between an "A"'rated fielder or a "B" rated fielder who will hit better, which would you chose to put on your team?
6. Which is more important to success in the sim: a fielder's fielder rating, or his range rating? Is an A/D fielder a decent choice in the sim?

Thanks in advance to anyone who will be willing to help "educate " me. I really want to make the sim work. If you have any other suggestions for me besides the ones I asked about, feel free to share your knowledge.

1.  Nope
2.  If you are playing in a progressive or a single season league, the best pitchers of any particular season will usually be the best pitchers of that season.  Look at numbers such as whip, erc,, oavg, hr/9, ip/g.  Avoid caring about w's and sv's.   the + stats are good for comparing guys from the same season..  The # stats are good for comparing guys from different era's.
3.  There are "good" pitchers from pretty much every season, just depends on whom you pick and whom youre playing against.

5.  Most likely the better hitting guy.  Great fielding can get expensive and hurt your hitting.  But, on the flip side, it can help your pitching out.

Wow...thanks for all the responses so far...I really appreciate all of your willingness to help!!

At normal salary caps, ud be ok with the following defense:  A/D at SS,2B,3B,CF.........D/A at LF,RF,1B (but A range isn't necessary)...........D/D/A at C.

Speed rating does matter. it affects his ability to stay out of double plays and his ability to run the bases when somebody hits behind him.

Some positions make more errors than others (3B, SS, to a lesser extent 2B, and CF gets more chances than the corners). at the high error positions it's important to have a good fielding rating. At other positions not so much but be careful about D- ratings some of them are awful. checking performance history may give you an idea of how much  you can get away with.

Range matters but may be overpriced. but remember if you have low range you may need to draft a few more innings.