I've read all the arguments that fielding has been overpriced since the last SIM update, and I always tended to agree.  But I came across this team in one of my $80 MM OL's.  It's not my team -- wish it was.

They're 119-40, and they have a great defense at their core.  Horace Clarke has 36(!) (+) plays at 2B.  Lance Johnson has 25 (+) plays, and pitcher Ed Walsh has 17 (!)  Overall, they have 102 (+) plays, 30 (-) plays (10 of those by a AAA prospect at 3B) and only 52 errors, and they turn DP's like they're going out of style.  Makes you wonder whether the new price tags for fielding may not be worth every penny.  Hope the owner doesn't mind my posting his lineup complete with fielding stats, but I do so out of respect --

Daubert, Jake	1922	1B	159	159	1,411.7	1807	128	1	113	16	0	.999	12.34
Clarke, Horace	1968	2B	158	158	1,396.3	350	541	17	79	36	2	.981	5.74
Raines, Tim	1982	RF	157	157	1,375.7	297	3	7	1	1	5	.977	1.96
Johnson, Lance	1994	CF	153	153	1,360.7	416	7	0	0	25	0	1.000	2.80
Vizquel, Omar	1998	SS	152	152	1,260.7	288	547	5	83	3	3	.994	5.96
Carter, Gary	1975	C	142	141	1,164.7	362	53	12	7	0	0	.972	3.21
Roberts, Bip	1992	LF	139	139	1,152.7	253	3	1	0	0	5	.996	2.00

What makes you say they turn a lot of double plays?  You didn't label the columns, but I'm assuming the 5th column from the right is DPs?  If that's the case, the number of DPs looks actually somewhat low to me.  Only 113 DPs for the first baseman?  I pulled some data from my most recently completed OL, and that would be an average or slightly below average figure.

The top 1B in this league in terms of DPs had 151, 148, 130, etc.

Not trying to argue with your overall premise here - it may be that putting together a team of great fielding players does pay off - I'm just quibbling the with DP assertion.

Rather than defend a point that's wrong, contrarian,. I will quickly concede that you're right.  I was writing quickly and assumed that a team that slick in the field turned a lot of double plays.  Now that I focus on the actual number, it is kind of low.  But still a great fielding team that is delivering results... 

(10 of those by a AAA prospect at 3B)

You've gotta have some serious cojones to trust that you're going to get a serviceable 3B in your AAA assortment.

Agreed.  How many times have we seen a AAA 3B with D+/D- fielding, 6 contact, E stamina and the great "windfall" is something like 4 power?  And of course the only A stamina AAA prospect is usually the SS, and he has D+ fielding (if you're lucky).  1B tend to have better contact numbers, decent power and equally miserable fielding, and stamina is a tossup.  Wonder what it is about A stamina AAA SS's with D+ fielding.  In OL random AAA, are AAA players and their ratings supposed to be reflective of the general universe of RL ballplayers over the years in the average, below average, AA and WAA salary ranges, or is some other formula used?  

Hey Thunder, I don't mind you posting my team at all.  I was very surprised to see my first team do so well (they finished 120-42 as I rested my starters for the playoffs).

I built the team with defense in mind (as you saw by the team name "Few Runs Allowed") firstly and I truly believe by doing so increased the value of my pitching staff.  This played out as all 3 of my starting pitchers set close to record performances (with 1907 Ed Walsh posting 48-12 with a 1.95 ERA/1.03 WHIP).

I think my average DP was due to the fact that I faced very few baserunners still on 1B as my overall team WHIP was 1.10 and only had 2.2 BB/9 which lead the league by a large margin (tough to get a DP when 1B was open).

As for the 3B prospect, I started the season with an sub-average 3B (1945 John Antonelli) but when I saw that the AAA prospect was going to work out, I put Antonelli on waivers, picked up a part-time 3B to make up the PA and spent the remainder on upgrading my BP.

I just hope my team doesn't flame out in the playoffs and here's hoping I meet your team in the WS .