Best Gold Card - 80-89 (Overall and Bang-for-Buck)?

[trman73]

For me 81 Pete Rose in RF/DH and 89 Bruce Sutter at closer have been staples on a team that's made the playoffs 10 out of 13 years in Perfect. Now we've won zero of those, but still. Think I got Rose for like 3800 and Sutter for 11000.

[Argonaut]

Was happy that the Pirates Missions added a Gold Bill Madlock. He's much cheaper in the AH than it takes to complete the Pops Collection (which also gives a Diamond Tekulve), so I was content to just buy him outright.

Will be using Rod Carew and likely Madlock in Bronze tournaments, and those guys are staples of lower-level play. But I just couldn't wait and am running a Golden Carew/Madlock 1B platoon in the meantime. Madlock and to a lesser extent Carew hit both sides well and don't really need a platoon, but damn if they're not my boys and I want to put them on the field together (or.. not together I suppose).

[Adam B]

Here's my vote for an underrated pitcher:

85 overall Jon Matlack. I have the guy on all 3 of my teams. He's only buying and selling for around 1500PP, but he's been great on every level I've had him on. He's even okay in Perfect League. Not great, but workable.

[Mudster]

Originally Posted by Orcin

Dihigo is good in Perfect Leagues, so he should kill it in Silver. He can also pitch if you set him to be a two-way player. He is a pretty decent long reliever.

I know this has been discussed at some point, but how does one set a player for two ways

[HelpDodgers]

set players Strat. then on the right. May have to scroll down on some.

[Semtextual]

89 Bonds for sure is amazing, will average at least 5.0 WAR diamond and below.

[Thornbreaker]

2016 Mookie Betts.

Excellent OF def stats, and he's playable in PL, pending your settings. For me, he's averaged over a 3 WAR and has occasionally been over 5.
Oh, and he cost me a mere 3500 pp at the time.

[funseeker]

Another vote for Martin Dihigo.

[Argonaut]

Originally Posted by Semtextual

89 Bonds for sure is amazing, will average at least 5.0 WAR diamond and below.

I had many good years of Pirates Bonds, but now he's hit a brick and putting up negative WAR in Perfect. Perhaps he's not built for the OL meta. Gold Griffey is hanging on though.

[Marsh511]

84 Kaline didn't hit a lick for my Diamond team
88 Boudreau also failed to hit, but sparkled at SS
84 Erstad is solid

Originally Posted by pappyzan

84 Pesky and 89 Duffy, both can easily make plenty of starting PL rosters. 84 Pesky has been my starting SS against RHP for the past 17 or 18 seasons, Duffy can hit both RHP/LHP and play LF pretty well.

84 Erstad/Kaline are great to bring in when you need a glove in OF, 88 Boudreau when you need a glove in IF.

[CurlyKarkovice]

Need to specify what league level you need the player at. I second the Burgess at catcher suggestion in Perfect League but the AH has him around 15k. That's a lot of buck.

When I think of bang for the PP I think of versatility in a position player. Dihigo is good at all positions like some have said but running at 12k or more.

Cheaper check Future Legend Nick Madrigal he has hit for .290 avg and .360 obp at perfect level for me and only going for 4500k sometimes less. Pretty good infielder, good speed, great bunting and don't sleep on training up his OF abilities either. Good utility or start vs Lefties or small ball style team player for sure.

My experience can also suggest 84 Mickey Cochrane Catcher only 3k, All-Star Al Kaline plays all OF positions 84 overall only about 6k

[Stick50]

In Perfect i have had great luck with (same guys as everyone)..

84 Pesky (against RHP)
89 Eck
80 Borbon (3.5 era over 8 seasons... i will take it for the $$)
89 Bonds ... Had had some GREAT seasons and some average ones

[Semtextual]

Originally Posted by Argonaut

I had many good years of Pirates Bonds, but now he's hit a brick and putting up negative WAR in Perfect. Perhaps he's not built for the OL meta. Gold Griffey is hanging on though.

Not sure what OL meta is about but this 89 Bonds (not mine, mine is in diamond) seems fine in Perfect league:



For some reason like mine as well he is the worst base stealer in history . I think you just have to set slider to lowest or he just steals at like 60% rate, not sure why.

[One Great Matrix]

In my experience vs. those gold cards, Jim Gilliam is really like a .500 hitter against my teams, of course this is only when he comes up in replays, & often it's highlights, but he comes up a lot. In fact I adjusted the average down in all likelihood. The other gold card that I was impressed by was Paul Blair. They play just a little differently than diamonds & perfects. Even in perfect when they are on a nice run, they can be just as good but maybe don't have those runs quite as often ... maybe ...or maybe there are some gold cards that are better than most diamonds.

In my experience on my team, yes, Puckett, Gwynn...Strawberry when he's not hitting .200, has an excellent "RBI:Hits" ratio since when he does hit the ball he puts it in play hard, ripped Gwynn's glove right off his hand in a WC game...Alfonzo a fine back-up 2B...and that's Mets-tilted so he's an 87....I suppose

& Paul Blair got a really big hit against my team on a very good team (if they know their stuff), in a playoff game...right behind perfects like Ted Williams.

I'm noticing the luck involved in it more than anything right now.

Even if you do find the perfect card or perfect gold card, doesn't put an end to your own (and your team's) ups & downs, and hots and colds.

[OMGPuppies]

Originally Posted by Semtextual

Not sure what OL meta is about but this 89 Bonds (not mine, mine is in diamond) seems fine in Perfect league:



For some reason like mine as well he is the worst base stealer in history . I think you just have to set slider to lowest or he just steals at like 60% rate, not sure why.

Those are some ridiculous WARs.

[Stick50]

Originally Posted by OMGPuppies

Those are some ridiculous WARs.

Any idea if WAR takes into account LF vs CF or is it just a WAR for ALL OF? Bonds has to be playing LF i would think to get those WARS

I have the Bonds89 and have debated playing him in CF as part of a platoon w Gary Maddox. I need strong Defense in CF though and im not sure Bonds... 76? or whatever it is... it good enough to cut it.

[Semtextual]

Originally Posted by Stick50

Any idea if WAR takes into account LF vs CF or is it just a WAR for ALL OF? Bonds has to be playing LF i would think to get those WARS

I have the Bonds89 and have debated playing him in CF as part of a platoon w Gary Maddox. I need strong Defense in CF though and im not sure Bonds... 76? or whatever it is... it good enough to cut it.

His WAR and ZR always seem to go up after the season has finished so I think it gives him too much credit defensively. He often puts up 40+ ZR in LF.

[Argonaut]

Past WAR data is very unreliable, especially early in the season. Check those numbers on the weekend and they'll probably be different. Even still I wouldn't trust old defensive numbers that factor into the WAR.

Better to look at Bonds' raw OPS, which was good in 2041 and 2042 but mediocre in other years. I realize Bonds has a very good LF defense, but LF is one of the top cases for a bat-first position.

Not trying to knock Bonds here, as I liked him when he was on the Pirates and have enjoyed that particular card from Iron to Diamond. Just saying he starts to slow down at Perfect Level.

[Cheesehead1964]

Erstad, Maddox, Gwynn, Boudreau, Cronin, Carew (both golds), and Freddie Lindstrom have all been excellent for me...

[Marsh511]

Martin Dihigo has been a total offensive washout this week (season)... Riding the bench now. Waste of his 7-position talent!