Voxpoptart, your last post is one of the best I have read on this forum.
Being from St. Louis, and a true "Whitey-Ball" fan, I appreciate the small-ball style of play.
Until your post, I have not appreciated the nuances of small-ball, or more importantly, their affect on this baseball simulation.
Are you are telling us that there is a significant and quantifiable statistical advantage to [average hit/good field], vs. [good hit/poor field?]
Your way is more difficult than just plugging in big boppers and swinging away. There is certainly more artistry and creativity involved.
But it is HARD to put in a player who you KNOW will not get on base as much as another guy.....even though his peripheral stats and abilities are much better.
Trick is to quantify how relevant they are.
How many runs per year does an A outfielder save, vs. a C?
I can do the math on fielding percentage, vs. how many plays they make, but how significant are the differences in ranges?
I remember the Cards teams of the early to mid 80's, when they had (arguably
) the finest defensive infield in the history of baseball.....Ozzie, Hernandez, Herr, Oberkfell/Pendleton, Kaat.
Then they got John Tudor, a lefty groundball pitcher. He ended up with the highest winning percentage in National League history, even better than Koufax. NOTHING got through the left side.
For fun, look up Ozzie Smith's assist totals per year, and compare them to your favorite shortstop. The difference is breathtaking, a real eye opener.
I will try your way. Pitching, speed, defense, trade all the sluggers!!!