Most successful team/park strategy and why?

What is your most successful team/park strategy and why? Is it small ball, homer park, righty park, lefty park, pitching heavy, speedsters, the balanced team, etc? Data or no data, whatever you have if only your gut instinct, what do you think works for you?

An interesting question! While I like to play a variety of parks and cap levels, my first instinct on reading your question was that my favorite park was a version of Sportsman that is heavily slanted to lefty power; while I've won some titles there, in taking a quick glance back my recent titles have only come from mostly small ball parks - Griffith, Forbes - along with PNC and one Crosley '66. Go figure! My Sportsman teams seem destined to lose in the playoffs here recently, so there must be a flaw in my approach.

My Sportsman teams I like to laden with power guys like Bonds, Mathews and the usual suspects while selecting pitchers who are strong against lefty batters to maximize my advantage in my home park. On occasion I've looked at my division and felt the need to adjust my lineup -adding righty bats - based on the other parks, but in looking back it seems that approach has only weakened me at home with minimal discernible advantage on the road, so I think the lesson is that in an extreme park it's best to go "all in;" be powerful in your own park and take your chances.

Those small ball parks teams that won for me were comprised of high OBP lineups with the best defense and best OF arms I could muster, along with strong bullpens with mid-level starters. In a recent theme league I decided to try an all speed squad in a pitching park and while it was fun to watch all the SBs pile up, the squad was lousy; even the best base stealers were nabbed too often by strong-armed catchers and/or SPs with good holds. It only confirmed my suspicion that steals are an overrated stat, while acknowledging that more astute player selection could alter that conclusion!

Anyway, not sure this is the kind of answer you want but I hope it contributes something. It was fun to reflect.

Harry

Hi Harry, that is exactly a helpful answer. I think you're right on on the issues described. Stolen bases are overrated....pitching is more important than we always think...designing your team to the park (but what is the right design) is always the question mark. I hope we hear from others.

I don't think steals are an overrated stat. But a lineup of nothing but basestealers may be ineffective for lack of a producer to drive them in. With 9 basestealers you have to pile a lot of hits in a row to have a big inning. Stealing second does not help if nobody follows with a hit. It is also difficult to build a winning team in ATG around basestealers because almost every team will have a great throwing arm behind the plate.

Though I'm pretty bad at this game and have reduced my play down to a couple teams, I really enjoy playing at Wrigley '78 (18-18-18-18). I like to get power obviously with speed. The speed part isn't for stealing but for base running. D is important but it's hard to find 5 tool players at 9 positions. Of course, if the pitching staff can keep the era under 6 it's a big help. I also try to get minimum injury guys. Who needs 3 starters hurt at one time? Not me. Hate it. One manager in one league has that scenario right now and is dealing with the IR almost daily. It's got to suck majorly. I don't know if this helps you in anyway, but hey, it's all I have.

Here's my latest Wrigley '78 team. Currently 2nd ..4 game back in a tight race.
http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/815909

I have tried several, some good, some bad but the one that works best for me is probably not the most popular strategy.

I like to play in a HR park with little or no ballpark singles (polo grounds 41' for example) but spend at least half my budget on pitching, and out of that half most of it towards the starters, top flight starters.. I then load up my offense with my remaining budget with mediocre type hitters for the most part but that have lots of BP HR's and play good defense. Simply put, slug away at home and outpitch them on the road. Those mediocre # hitters can look real decent in a homer haven.

http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/369520

My most successful strategy has been at 100M in Minute Maid, and I've used it a few times. Accept below average (but not horrible) defense and excessive injury risk to get great hitting values. Find one hitting stud to anchor the lineup, get a few righties who prefer hitting righties (Palm, Ripken, Robinson). Get 3 of the top stud SPs,a decent 4th guy who can eat innings, and spend nothing on the bullpen. Get one more expensive sub (ala Fregosi) to fill in for the inevitable injuries.

This lineup can hit righties with the best of them, which this group will face a lot. Run the SPs ragged at F0 fatigue and try to get 320+ innings out of each. Keep baserunners off base with the stud SPs so the errors and missed x chances hurt less. No steals, no bunts, no hit and run. Just let the boys keep swinging.

Treyomo, exactly, that's kind of what I'm trying with this new team:

http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/818801


Those Clemens (new), Sheets and Prior cards are great. Power arms, low walks, low ballpark homers. They're the key to this kind of team.

...Chick Hafey is an extraordinary value as is Felipe Alou for this kind of park. High injury risk, but great bats.

I will say, I've never used that Jeter card at 10.61M, except for this team. Maybe it's a good park for him being a 3R. We'll see.

Hey Corky,

Sent you a PM for the NLD. Please check in!