Posted by schwarze on 2/13/2021 6:30:00 PM (view original):
Final stats of my starting lineup (incl. C platoon)
6398 PA, .378, .447, .532 with range ratings of A+, A-, A+, A+, A+, A, A-

Cumulative Pitching stats
2083 IPs, .205 OAV, 0.93 WHIP, 0.08 HR/9

Starting 9
.383/.441/.600
Pitching all slightly higher

Astrodome

I've been round and round on playing it neutral or going extreme with a ballpark. In the end I say, let's hit.


Hilltop Park

(Edit from previous post):

Bob Cerv

Closing things out with Mr. Irrelevant...

Ernie Johnson

20ks will be in tonight. The division alignment is set below using owners name and starting year

kbosch 1885 njbigwig 1885 20ks 1885-1988 schwarze 1894 Bluecrew2 1899 cholatse 1906 dippedncrack 1906 nocomm999 1907 thejuice6 1909 oldtimer59 1914 jpccr 1915 glowguy 1934 Fusion27s 1939 NebHusker 1948 mrcannon44 1958 dorkster 1962 Chisock 1964 mllama54 1964 tridentric 1985 pedrocerrano 1987 Relkcirts 1996 calhoop 1996 mpitt76 1996 ybjsports 1996

Some comments about my draft.

Round 1-2
Picking 18th overall, I assumed I would end up with a modern team, hoping to draft Kershaw and Arrieta in the first two rounds. But when 1901 Nap Lajoie (.426/.463/.643) was still on the board, I just couldn't pass that up. I was hoping I would get a shot at Christy Mathewson on the way back. He was still there, but so was 1911 Ty Cobb (.420/.467/.621). How could I pass having two stud .420 hitters? I would figure out pitching in the next few rounds.

Rounds 3-4
I was kind of hoping Eddie Collins, Tris Speaker or Frank Baker would still be on the board with this pick. Nope. But, my highest rated SP left was still there, so 1914 Dutch Leonard (0.89 whip, .180 oav) was the default choice. The downside of this pick was it eliminated a lot of good 1914 players I wanted later. At this point, I wasn't sure how far into the 1800's I wanted to go - I had assumed I would be more likely to go in the the early 1920's instead to grab a guy like Ken Williams or other stud 1920's hitters later. I really was close to taking Russ Ford, but there are so many good deadball pitchers to choose from, I decided to get the stud long reliver in 1918 Fred Toney (0.73 whip, .192 oav). This still left open 1894+ if I wanted to go that route.

Rounds 5-6
Russ Ford went with the very next deadball pick (this wasn't the first or last time dippedncrack took the guy I wanted/almost took). I was strongly considering Cy Seymour here, but he went a few picks in front of me (by Bluecrew2). Ken Williams was also gone. No hitter I really wanted so went with the best SP on the board again, 1902 Bill Bernhard (0.94 whip, .215 oav). With my next pick, I realized shortstops were getting thin and I had Dave Bancroft typed in and was ready to hit "submit" but changed my mind. I felt like some of these 1800's teams that were loading up on offense were going to steal these greate deadball pitchers, so I instead grabbed 1905 Ed Reulbach (0.96 whip, .201 oav). It didn't surprise me at all that dippedncrack took Bancroft. (This is the point I decided to wait on SS and if I had to I would move Lajoie from 2B).

Rounds 7-8
All this offense being taken, I felt like I was going to get crushed by these teams, so I abandoned pitching and looked to get an offensive bump. I was looking to take Benny Kauff even though I couldn't use his best year - sure enough, dippedncrack took him. And there just wasn't any real strong early 20's hitters I wanted - so this is the point I decided to go into the 1800's, with 1895 Sam Thompson (.392/.430/.654). This pick also meant my range was pretty much defined as 1895-1918 with the only option +/- one year from this. That still gave me 1919 Roger Peckinpaugh as a fallback at shortstop (along with 1917 Ray Chapman and 1912 Johnny Evers at 2B). Let's see how things shake out. There are still a ton of 1B/OF hitting choices in the late 1890's and I don't need any pitching now, so I grabbed a catcher here, 1903 Roger Bresnahan (.350/.443/.493). Not many options at 1903, so I was happy about this pick.

Rounds 9-10
I wanted 1919 Art Nehf with this pick, but cholatse grabbed him a few picks before me. Let's grab another big inning deadball pitcher, again to deny him to those 1800 teams. I know he's much better at lower caps, but I like 1904 Jack Chesbro (0.94 whip, ..208 oav). I still needed a 3B and Jimmy Williams just went, but Lave Cross and Bill Joyce are still left. I can wait. Let's get another stud RP, 1907 Nick Maddox (0.83 whip, .178 oav).

Rounds 11-12
Time to start adding to the offense. 1897 Fred Clarke (.390/.462/.533) was the best hitting OF, so I grabbed him next. I wanted to get the other half of my catching platoon. I was very tempted to grab 1912 Chief Meyers here but that would kill my 1912 Evers pick, if I didn't get Chapman or Peckinpaugh. So instead I went with another RP, 1916 Joe Benz (0.99 whip, .214 oav), who I have used a lot with some success.

Rounds 13-14
Sure enough, Chief Meyers is taken. I still needed a 1B, and that's when I noticed 1899 Roy Thomas (.325/.457/.362) has A+++ range at 1B. I know he has no slugging%, but with 749 PA and a .457 OBP, he will lead off and probably score 140+ runs while making 20+ plays at 1B. I also grabbed my backup catcher, 1906 Jay Clarke (.358/.404/.486).

Rounds 15-16
I still need a starting OF, a starting SS, a starting 3B. Looks like the best OF option is 1896 Elmer Smith (.362/.454/.500). The problem is that he kills 1896 Bill Joyce, so I need to make sure I get 1894 Lave Cross (.386/.421/.524) with my next pick, which I did. After a slow start, the offense is looking a lot better now. Still need to get my shortstop. I am now locked in to my 25-year period. Targeting 1917 Ray Chapman next.

Round 17-18
WTF? cholatse takes Ray Chapman. Sure glad I kept 1912 available. Welcome to the team 1912 Johnny Evers (..341/.431/.441). Lajoie moves to SS. At this point, I pretty much have a complete team. Now, it's just getting some pitching depth and a few backup hitters. 1909 Harry Krause (0.94 whip, .204 oav) gives me my second LHP.

Rounds 19-26
I already had the rest of my roster filled in and got everybody I wanted.
1898 Bill Eagan (.328/.453/.459, C/A- at 2B) - need some extra PA cause Evers has only 614
1910 Fred Snodgrass (..321/.440/.432) - could start at 1B vs LHP. Backup OF, 3B, C
1908 Bill Burns (0.93 whip, .229 oav) - gives me another LHP
1915 Mellie Wolfgang (0.95 whip, .211 oav) - One more pitching body
1913 Beals Becker (.324/.369/.539) - Backup OF/1B, best hitter left from 1913
1917 Art Fletcher (B/A+ at shorstop) - Defensive replacement
1900 Ed McFarland (.305/.364/.392, A arm) - Third catcher, will probably never play

Ballpark - Playing in Griffith Stadium. This is a pitchers park. I have enough offense, and want to maximize my good pitching vs those all-offense 1800's teams.

So, here's my (failed) strategy to put together a competitive team. I like what you did, Schwarze, breaking in down into pairs of picks.

Rounds 1-2 With the 16th pick, the 50-80's seem to have plenty of breathing room, so I went with Gibson. Certain to get Vida Blue on the comeback and have 600+ IP, mllama messed that all up. So, with Sutton already gone, I took Dean Chance. I know . . .

Rounds 3-4 Not a lot of SS, so Petrocelli will at least give me some D and power. Nope, NebHusker took care of that. Mike Scott, come to me baby. Nope, Tridentic got him. So I took Gooden in the 3rd, with the hopes of Tom Terrific coming back to me in the 4th round. Chisock took Seaver, the SP was really thinning out, so I went with Tudor. That meant that I had to use the 84 Gooden, not the stellar 85. Well, at least the rotation was set.

Rounds 5-6 SCORE! 65 Mays and 62 F. Robinson. There's tons of great OF during this era, but these guys stood out to me.

Rounds 7-8 At this point, I'm charting the teams who share spans. Also, listed all the RP by years. Gossage stood out as the only 300+ ERC guy left. On the return round, could I really get The Hammer? Nah, Mr. Cannon took him. No worries, Yount will be great . . .ah, Chisock. OK, Torre it is . . .gives my lots of flexibility as to what season to use.

Rounds 9-10 Still need an IF. Santo/Ripken Ripken/Santo. OK, I'll go with Santo. No Cal on the comeback, thanks to mllama. 4 RH hitters, need a lefty . . .some of the better season are gone. Murcer it is.

Rounds 11-12 I've punted SS for now, as everyone in my span has one. Need a 2B, but Sax? Decent D and passable OBP and not a lot of options. On the comeback I take Grant Jackson, as I know I'll need a really good pen, and this era ('60's-mid '80's) as one 10 years or more later.

Rounds 13-14 WIS darling Cisco Carlos is there. Why not?!? Since I'm going long ball (which I'm really bad at), George Forster can platoon with Murcer. I'm really liking my defense, but still no SS. It'll have to be Trammell, maybe Groat, but neither has D for the years I have left.

Rounds 15-16 NebHusker took Jack Harshman. Huh . . .I've been playing since 2007, who is this guy. Oh, I see, maybe I need to start changing some filters on my search. Another LRP in Tug McGraw. I don't know if the other guys know (or care) that I need a SS, but gotta take Trammell now.

Rounds 17-18 Mike Cuellar would fill up the pen, and could be inserted if my second rate Gooden blows chunks. Let's see if I can wait . . .I haven't been robbed lately. Keith Hernandez will be sweet at 1B, what's that, chisock, you took him? Crap. Ok, I give. I'll just play an OF at 1B for the umteenth time. Caesar Cedeno. D+/D+ Ralph Garr, welcome to a DH league.

Rounds 19-20 I have eight picks written down. Let's see how many I can get. Cuellar gives me a bunch of IP, which will enable me to go with a hitters park. Groat is there with his 130 AVG+ . . .Charting all of the teams in my span hasn't done much good, but I don't want anyone else to get that bat.

Rounds 21-22 B+/A+ Dusty Baker will fill in for Frank Robinson in the late innings. Danny Darwin will slot well into a setup B.

Rounds 23-24 With all this RH power, I'm took Fenway. My OF defense should play well there. Buckner's A-/A+ glove will take over for George Foster.

Rounds 25-26 Yep, got all of my final 8 picks . . .that surely can't be a good sign. Concepcion A/A+ will spell Trammell/Groat, and Tony Pena's A+ arm will keep some of those rabbits from stealing a run in the 9th.

My starting 9 comes in at .328/.398/.552
Pitchers WHIP .95 oav .194 HR/9 .36