[pgjocki]

You know what it's good to get fired and then assess what went wrong. As a small market team you have to figure out how to manufacture as many advantages as you can against the big spenders; some examples:

- Focus on ground ball pitchers because homeruns will kill you and probably don't have a high power offense to make up the deficit

- Your best defensive players must be C, 2B, SS, and CF. As a small market team ensure that you draft and trade for very high defense in these positions and try and get the majority of your offense from 1B, 3B, LF, and RF.

- Speaking of draft - it's not only your friend it is your lifeline - focus the first few rounds of college guys or very highly developed guys who can spend 1-2 years in the minors and then help your big league club right away

- Don't get emotionally attached to anyone, and I mean ANYONE. Your players are nothing more than assets and liabilities and your job as the GM is to eliminate as many liabilities as possible (old guys, hurt guys, guys who want big contracts, guys who can't hit or field, etc) and turn your expiring assets into more assets (look to trade guys who hit arbitration early for cheaper guys and understand that you will be trading guys who are good but it's the only way you can stay in the financial positive

- Watch your Starting Pitchers and observe when they start to get hammered; the third time through the line-up can result in higher opponent averages so if you can be more resourceful and limit that it will work in your favor

- Have a long relief guy who you use as a sacrificial lamb when the team is getting beat big - when I'm down by 4 I will have this guy come in and throw 150 pitches and not burn my pen. Not realistic but I am ruthless and I don't care if his arm falls off. (Not ethical and not realistic but I do this instead of using position players like teams do in real life)

- Play small ball - steal bags, use hit and run, look for high contact and high on-base percentage guys. Understand that your focus on defense will force you to play match ups and manufacture runs.

- Have fun