Maybe I'm wrong...unlike some in these forums I can admit I don't know everything. I think its reasonable to guess that certain decisions are made for a variety of reasons. Maybe GMs make decisions based on who they play (i.e. how to beat your division rivals), maybe some get guys based on need (i.e. power hitting, contact, strikeout pitchers, etc.) and maybe some go get the best available players in the hopes that they give them a better chance to win it all.

I'm not on either side of the argument because I don't think I have any power to change anything and I don't think by mass-flooding WIS that anything will be changed. I pay my money like everyone else and go with what WIS puts out. if thats a build your team to suit your stadium approach, then I will do just that. if its a just do what you want and we'll give you a handout by programming something into the code so you win more at home then I'll do that.

I think you're just moving in different directions at once.

Obviously you take a Manny over a Swisher regardless of your stadium. But, if you play in Yankee Stadium and you have the choice between a LH Swisher or a RH Swisher, you take the LH one. Unless, of course, you have a team full of LH hitters and need some balance.

But a smart GM knows this stuff. He knows that his main rival have 3 LH starters who induce a lot of grounders. He knows that a lot of homers go out to RF. He knows one guy is a clubhouse cancer but a fantastic hitter. He knows this stuff. And, what he doesn't know, he's paid someone else to know for him.

We spend a few of hours, alone, putting a team together.

My thought was just that it seems silly that with millions of dollars and dozens of scouts, coaches, etc. that any GM would actively ignore his (or maybe someday her) home stadium's effects.

They can't be the only driver for their decisions (ex: the Yanks got A-Rod because he's park-independent-type awesome), but for the bit parts, lesser pieces, etc. it can be a deciding factor, no?

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Quote: Originally Posted By joshkvt on 11/10/2009

Quote: Originally posted by swamphawk22 on 11/10/2009
The simple explaination is ...

That some believe they are all-knowing, and thus are unable to hear reasoned arguments contrary to their opinions. If you build your team properly, you will have a home-field advantage. It does not require programming, just common sense. If your park enhances hits and is tough on homers, and you acquire players who get on base a lot and pitchers who are prone to long balls but have low WHIP, you have your advantage. If you draft swing-happy bashers who are lousy base-runners, and pitchers who give up a ton of ground balls, you will soon be starting posts about how unfair the sim is

And the flaw in that a lot of the stadiums are very similar. If you have the same stadium as another team you have no HFA. And if you dont have an extreme stadium (Coors, Tropicana) it is very hard to tailor a team to take advantage of it.

This has gotten really far away from my original point BTW. Teams win more at home than they do on the road and I don't think all of that is attributable to having a team better suited for your ballpark. I think the issue of jet lag, being away from family and friends in a hotel room and other factors end up with teams winning less on the road.

My original point was just that. There is more to winning at home than just having the better suited team for that park. However, that doesn't mean that changes need to be made to HBD. In the end its hard to quantify how much, beyond tailoring your team to your own ballpark, being at home aids winning

They actually traded for Swisher before signing Teixeira. He would have been the starting 1B. When they acquired Tex , Shisher became a part time player because they had Xavier Nady slotted for RF. Due to injury Swisher became the full time RF. Swisher would have provided power off of the bench with an ability to get on-base at a high rate. He would have spelled Damon in LF, Nady in RF and Teixeira at 1B.

They got him for his ability to play 3 postions and because he hits for power and has a good career OBP(minus the year in Chicago). he draws a lot of walks and makes pitchers throw a lot of pitches.

Ah, the under-appreciated utility player. Thank you for the enlightenment captain, I had no clue.

Quote: Originally posted by iain on 11/10/2009My thought was just that it seems silly that with millions of dollars and dozens of scouts, coaches, etc. that any GM would actively ignore his (or maybe someday her) home stadium's effects.

The fact that a vast majority of teams in MLB history, regardless of the quality of their GM or their ballparks' dimensions, had a better winning percentage at home than on the road pretty much renders the "build your team to your ballpark" argument silly.

If you have an extreme ballpark you can build your roster to take advantage, sure, but there's far more to it than that. The definite home field advantage in baseball is also due to travel and fatigue, due to familiarity with the ballpark and the grounds crew tailoring the field to the home field's strengths, due to fan effects, and probably a few things I haven't thought of right now as well.

WIS chooses not to include a HFA in HBD. "Build your team to your ballpark" is a dodge so they don't have to admit they can't be bothered. MLB teams have a home field advantage regardless of how well their GM builds their team to their park.

Well said.

Actually, what you all describe as a "Home Field Advantage" is actually a "Road Team Disadvantage"... and once you can quantify that for them to program, apply for an internship and do it.

Road team disadvantage provides a home team with an advantage. In a race, if you are a slow runner and Im of normal speed, doesn't that provide me with an advantage? By the same logic, if you are fatigued from traveling and I've been at home for few days chances are I'm going to be a little more rested.

Quote: Originally posted by iain on 11/10/2009Actually, what you all describe as a "Home Field Advantage" is actually a "Road Team Disadvantage"... and once you can quantify that for them to program, apply for an internship and do it.

Well, I guess I could describe you as "lacking in positive contributions to the discussion" rather than "being a dick and trolling"... tomato, tomahto...

I think iain's point, and I'm never sure that canuck's have points, is that anyone who has traveled knows that there are times that it wears on you. But there are times when you're full of energy. So you can't really quantify it. Just saying "Every road team gets a 1% decrease in skills" seems just as silly, if not moreso, than "your park is your advantage".

I think the real reason the Yankees went and got Nick Swisher was because of his pitching