Baseball...

Most will agree that pitching is the name of the game...

But obviously you can't hope to go all the way without scoring more runs than you give up, so you also need good offense. Could be power, could be speed but whichever way you do it you'll need some good hitters...

and then there is...

defense...

Often overlooked yet such a critical aspect of the game. I don't care how good a pitcher is, if his defense doesn't execute he won't win many games.

I remember as a kid when I first picked up baseball, all I cared for were my at bats, defense was just something you had to do in between your at bats... I didn't really like it, actually, since I didn't care for it I didn't go out to try very hard, even, I was always hoping the ball would get hit to the other guys so I could avoid making errors lol...

But then as I started following the MLB closer, on TV and attending live games, I really got impressed at seeing guys diving for balls, gunning runners out, jumping over the fence to rob homeruns, executing tough double plays... To a point that I started caring for defense at least as much as offense. Nothing gets me as exited as seeing a spectacular defensive play live, ok maybe except the rare triple run around the bases and the cat and mouse duel between base stealer and pitcher/catcher, yea I like the speed game...

Wow, this is getting too long already...

Ok let me just get to the point here, I always draft more than a few A+ range guys, my favorite players just happen to have a lot of these seasons in WIS... But now I went as extreme as I've ever been with this new team.

Not sure how many wins that will translate into, A+++ range has seen a sharp $ increase since the last update, since we now get more + plays again, they had been drastically cut down after the 2007 update, so paying for all that range me little cash for offense and pitching... but...

I really want to see how many + plays I can get from these guys and still, hopefully win over 90 and maybe, just maybe, hope for a playoff spot...

So here it is, by position with RRF;

Name of team:

The Way Of The Intercepting Gloves (see Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do )

1B '65 Donn Clendenon 11.22

2B '76 Willie Randolph 6.20

3B '79 George Brett 3.79

SS '80 Garry Templeton 6.24

LF '81 Rickey Henderson 3.22

CF '73 Billy North 3.61

RF '80 Dwayne Murphy 3.40

among pitchers I have these guys who should be able get a a few +

'58 Hoyt Wilhelm 3.79

'96 Kevin Brown 3.61

'80 Marty Bystrom 3.45

'06 Greg Maddux 3.45

'06 Brandon League 3.44

'06 Doc White 2.92

I'm kind of hoping for at least 200 +plays but what I don't know is how every player will affect others range. What I mean is, will having that much range cut down on everybody's range. Example, I think I had noticed previously that when an A+ range fielder was playing next to other A+, his +plays seemed to be lesser than when he was playing next to a B,C,D range...

Can't say for sure if that was random or if it's really a fact but I will surely find out with this team as I'm using a few players I've used before like '80 Templeton and '76 Randolph, who've given me around 30 and 25 +plays since the last update.

Also some of these guys could even give me more errors than +plays, usually the case with Templeton but hey, just can't afford to pay for both great fielding and range...

"Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. be water, my friend."



Who knew Bruce Lees teachings could also apply to SIM baseball?

Based on boogerlips inquiry as to OF range, it might be best to put your highest ranged OF in one of the corner spots--the big range guys will get more + plays in LF or RF...

Quote: Originally Posted By milamber on 6/11/2010
"Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; You put water into a bottle it becomes the bottle; You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. be water, my friend."



Who knew Bruce Lees teachings could also apply to SIM baseball?

haha that's timeless!

Master Lee's teaching come from the eternal Dao, they can apply to all things

"I am telling youit'sdifficult to have a rehearsed routine to fit in with (beats whip on his own chest) broken rhythm."

Quote: Originally Posted By AKlopp on 6/11/2010Based on boogerlips inquiry as to OF range, it might be best to put your highest ranged OF in one of the corner spots--the big range guys will get more + plays in LF or RF..

hmm, yes but then, by the same token putting a lower range OF in center should also lower his +plays...

Your pitching doesn't match the defense. With a staff like that you'd be much better odd with old-time gloves even if they were C or D fielders.

agree with zub...as an example, I recently finished up using the 1891 Danny Richardson who costs about $1mm more than the '76 Randolph but can play every game and doesn't fatigue (as Willie will). In 162 games, 1358 innings played, Danny had 36+ plays and 18 errors. he is rated C+/A+ with a 6.51 RRF. Didn't hit well, but down at the bottom of the order you might find him worth a shot.

Check out my 2nd basemen. Veras is an A- fielder while Fonseca was a C or C+. But Fonseca actually wound up with the better FP!

oh, I know that there are old time gloves with great range but I really focused on my favorites from the 70's and 80's. Guys that turned me on to defense with all the great plays.

Btw, I don't think my pitching is that bad, I also have 2002 Pedro as my ace which I didn't include on my list because I was just listing pitchers with great range as well.

That being said, I lost the oppening game, scoring only 2 runs on a mere 4 hits. And more importantly, NO +plays lol... Let's see what happens next...

Here it is, seasons over and team on the verge of starting the WS this PM.

1B '65 Donn Clendenon 11.22     26 +, 7 E, 115 DP  GG

2B '76 Willie Randolph 6.20          17 +, 27 E, 68 DP,  in 138 GP 

3B '79 George Brett 3.79                26 +, 26 E, 26 DP   GG

SS '80 Garry Templeton 6.24        21 +, 39 E, 74 DP,  in 141 GP

LF '81 Rickey Henderson 3.22      20 +, 8 E  GG

CF '73 Billy North 3.61                     24 +, 11 E

RF '80 Dwayne Murphy 3.40           27 +, 3 E  GG

SP '96 Kevin Brown 3.61               5+, 1E,  33 GP,   GG

5 other pitchers combining for 8+, 4E

Team totals 174 +, 143 E

Park Comerica 0.95  +1, -2, +3, -2, -2

So it appears to me that range does eat itself away, I mean, I've had these same players on other teams where they were mixed in with other players with average range and they could get a lot more + plays.For example, I've had Templeton, Randolph and Henderson get over 30.

Very surprising is the low number of DP, this I can't understand though my pitchers did finish 6th for team SO.

Also I was surprised at the low numbers for Billy North who's had around 50 for me before, this time he couldn't even win the Gold Glove losing out to '86 Garry Pettis who managed 37+ on his much lower 3.20 RRF.

Overall I was dissapointed in the number of + plays, I had thought possible to get 200, but pleasantly surprised at how well the team did, I was hoping for 90 wins and got 97 though I rested and lost the last three games.
Now I'll see if they can go all the way and win me my first title in over a year.

Mission accomplished, my Gloves team just won the WS going 11-4 in the playoff.
First ring in over a year, after some very tough playoff losses with teams I thought were better than this one. Feels good...

In 15 playoff games my fielders got 13+ plays for an AVG of 0.87 a game, that's a little under the regular season average of 1.07.

Despite the win I don't plan on going that extreme on range again but it sure was a fun and interesting experiment.