Your Fav Iron Card for Iron Tourney?

[redsixerfan]

Originally Posted by SlyVaz

Is buying them or randomly finding them in a pack the only 2 ways to get either of these guys?

Asking the wrong person, I am new to the game. Maybe someone else knows......

[LeeD]

Mathis is the topper card from the Foolish Baseball/GOAT mission. Buying the six cards needed to complete that mission will currently cost at least 50,000 PP.

[redsixerfan]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Mathis is the topper card from the Foolish Baseball/GOAT mission. Buying the six cards needed to complete that mission will currently cost at least 50,000 PP.

LMAO! so you're paying 50,000 for the card either way? And is he worth it?

[LeeD]

His defense is awesome. Best in the game (so far). The bat is garbage. I don't have Mathis yet on any of my teams, but he's backup catcher on some of the Perfect League teams, so there must be something to it. I ran a 92 Andrelton Simmons card last year strictly for his shortstop defense and it worked out. He hit about .220/.260/.300 every year but also dominated defensively and won six straight Gold Gloves at Gold and Diamond level.


As a side note, I haven't noticed a significant boost from catcher defense this year, at least at the lower levels (say Bronze and below). It seems to make some difference once you get to Gold and Diamond. I've won a fair number of Iron tournaments using Karkovice or Estelella at catcher despite their mediocre defensive ratings, although my Iron tourney teams are currently running Downing, who hits a little and plays excellent defense for an Iron card.

[redsixerfan]

Originally Posted by LeeD

His defense is awesome. Best in the game (so far). The bat is garbage. I don't have Mathis yet on any of my teams, but he's backup catcher on some of the Perfect League teams, so there must be something to it. I ran a 92 Andrelton Simmons card last year strictly for his shortstop defense and it worked out. He hit about .220/.260/.300 every year but also dominated defensively and won six straight Gold Gloves at Gold and Diamond level.


As a side note, I haven't noticed a significant boost from catcher defense this year, at least at the lower levels (say Bronze and below). It seems to make some difference once you get to Gold and Diamond. I've won a fair number of Iron tournaments using Karkovice or Estelella at catcher despite their mediocre defensive ratings, although my Iron tourney teams are currently running Downing, who hits a little and plays excellent defense for an Iron card.

I use Downing in the iron tournaments as well, but when I lose to another team, I usually notice they have Mathis. I just wonder if spending my entire coins on Mathis will pay off with the extra card packs I get with some more wins.

[LeeD]

The other teams using Mathis have also put a lot of work into the remaining 25 players on their rosters, so Mathis by himself is probably not the key. In my experience this year, it's the pitching choices that make the real difference. Most teams are running very similar lineups. Find the guys with high pitcher BABIP ratings and tinker around with their roles.

[redsixerfan]

Originally Posted by LeeD

The other teams using Mathis have also put a lot of work into the remaining 25 players on their rosters, so Mathis by himself is probably not the key. In my experience this year, it's the pitching choices that make the real difference. Most teams are running very similar lineups. Find the guys with high pitcher BABIP ratings and tinker around with their roles.

I am still on the fence if I should sink all my coins into buying Mathis.

[bailey]

Originally Posted by redsixerfan

I am still on the fence if I should sink all my coins into buying Mathis.

Personally, I don't think it is worth it. Maybe, you can win 5 more packs a week with it? Maybe, by Christmas it will pay for itself with all those extra packs. Ironically, it makes more sense to use it in league play. I can't argue with a Perfect League Champion who used it that way. Also, it's really shines in all cap formats, but my understanding is that you are using it iron quicks?

[redsixerfan]

Originally Posted by bailey

Personally, I don't think it is worth it. Maybe, you can win 5 more packs a week with it? Maybe, by Christmas it will pay for itself with all those extra packs. Ironically, it makes more sense to use it in league play. I can't argue with a Perfect League Champion who used it that way. Also, it's really shines in all cap formats, but my understanding is that you are using it iron quicks?

Q-Iron-Bo5

should I be doing something else?

[LeeD]

Originally Posted by redsixerfan

Q-Iron-Bo5

should I be doing something else?

That's the bread and butter tournament. Low-cost rosters and plenty of opportunities.

[redsixerfan]

Originally Posted by LeeD

That's the bread and butter tournament. Low-cost rosters and plenty of opportunities.

I keep resubmitting the same roster that does the best, and hope the packs yield a silver or gold card here and there.

[Will_L]

Originally Posted by redsixerfan

Someone else suggested I get Jimmy Ryan. So if he is set as mop-up, that means he pitches when?

Pretty much when pigs fly LOL
Only time he's pitched for me was in a 17 inning game where he took the loss. Once in a very large number of tournaments.

[redsixerfan]

Originally Posted by Will_L

Pretty much when pigs fly LOL
Only time he's pitched for me was in a 17 inning game where he took the loss. Once in a very large number of tournaments.

Yes, but what roles did you have him set to?

And will the AI ever use a player already in the lineup as a position player to pitch? I have a feeling the reason he never gets used is because he is already in the starting lineup as CF or DH.

[Will_L]

I have him set as CF (he is the starter w/Fred Lynn as backup and defensive replacement) with two way player checked on his strategy page, pitching role set to MR/Mop up. I don't mind that he never gets used as a pitcher since he's horrible at it LOL but he did step up and give it a shot in that long extra inning game. Ryan may have been sitting that game due to fatigue since I don't remember the DH being removed so your feeling is very likely correct.

[redsixerfan]

Originally Posted by Will_L

I have him set as CF (he is the starter w/Fred Lynn as backup and defensive replacement) with two way player checked on his strategy page, pitching role set to MR/Mop up.

Yeah, so I am guessing the very few times he pitches is on days he had off from CF. ????????????????

[Arlie Rahn]

In the last two days, I've played 15 quick iron tournaments. I've won 4 and finished 2nd 4 times. So, I've won packs nearly 50% of the time. Some things I've noticed:

1. I don't think catchers matter much this year (especially the catching ability rating). I don't think there's any real way to tell so the max/minners at the higher league levels still want it. But I've won 64-team perfect draft tournaments (or finished 2nd) with catchers having 74, 73 and 67 defense. My latest 64-team tourney win had Stephen Voit (65 def, 67 catcher ability) starting and a Negro league SP George Mitchell (42 def, 50 ca) backing him up. I'm toying with the idea of replacing Posey with Rutschman or Hoiles in my league, but I'm not sure their offense is worth it. In iron, Downing is fine (he's my catcher). I think there's a "mendoza line" of around 65 for catcher ability that if you can stay above, you tend to be OK.

2. On the flip side, I do think CF and SS defense help a ton. Most of the teams I beat have Ryan (and his 59 CF def) at CF. I roll with Santangelo (91) and he does pretty well.

3. I think it's a bit of a crapshoot in these iron tournaments since no one is really very good. For my bullpen, I just put all 7 guys as "Middle Relief". I've toyed with with setting the guy I think is the best at closer, but I think this works better. I'll notice the better guy "today" tends to get used more.

4. Most people use similar lineups, so just play as many as you can and you may get lucky. One final piece of advice, please turn off stealing - it's bad at this level. You can override for guys like Jackie Robinson - but he will still get caught 30-40% of the time.

[redsixerfan]

Originally Posted by Arlie Rahn

In the last two days, I've played 15 quick iron tournaments. I've won 4 and finished 2nd 4 times. So, I've won packs nearly 50% of the time. Some things I've noticed:

1. I don't think catchers matter much this year (especially the catching ability rating). I don't think there's any real way to tell so the max/minners at the higher league levels still want it. But I've won 64-team perfect draft tournaments (or finished 2nd) with catchers having 74, 73 and 67 defense. My latest 64-team tourney win had Stephen Voit (65 def, 67 catcher ability) starting and a Negro league SP George Mitchell (42 def, 50 ca) backing him up. I'm toying with the idea of replacing Posey with Rutschman or Hoiles in my league, but I'm not sure their offense is worth it. In iron, Downing is fine (he's my catcher). I think there's a "mendoza line" of around 65 for catcher ability that if you can stay above, you tend to be OK.

2. On the flip side, I do think CF and SS defense help a ton. Most of the teams I beat have Ryan (and his 59 CF def) at CF. I roll with Santangelo (91) and he does pretty well.

3. I think it's a bit of a crapshoot in these iron tournaments since no one is really very good. For my bullpen, I just put all 7 guys as "Middle Relief". I've toyed with with setting the guy I think is the best at closer, but I think this works better. I'll notice the better guy "today" tends to get used more.

4. Most people use similar lineups, so just play as many as you can and you may get lucky. One final piece of advice, please turn off stealing - it's bad at this level. You can override for guys like Jackie Robinson - but he will still get caught 30-40% of the time.

OK, I moved Jimmy Ryan to DH, see how that works out.

[LeeD]

Originally Posted by Arlie Rahn

In the last two days, I've played 15 quick iron tournaments. I've won 4 and finished 2nd 4 times. So, I've won packs nearly 50% of the time. Some things I've noticed:

1. I don't think catchers matter much this year (especially the catching ability rating). I don't think there's any real way to tell so the max/minners at the higher league levels still want it. But I've won 64-team perfect draft tournaments (or finished 2nd) with catchers having 74, 73 and 67 defense. My latest 64-team tourney win had Stephen Voit (65 def, 67 catcher ability) starting and a Negro league SP George Mitchell (42 def, 50 ca) backing him up. I'm toying with the idea of replacing Posey with Rutschman or Hoiles in my league, but I'm not sure their offense is worth it. In iron, Downing is fine (he's my catcher). I think there's a "mendoza line" of around 65 for catcher ability that if you can stay above, you tend to be OK.

2. On the flip side, I do think CF and SS defense help a ton. Most of the teams I beat have Ryan (and his 59 CF def) at CF. I roll with Santangelo (91) and he does pretty well.

3. I think it's a bit of a crapshoot in these iron tournaments since no one is really very good. For my bullpen, I just put all 7 guys as "Middle Relief". I've toyed with with setting the guy I think is the best at closer, but I think this works better. I'll notice the better guy "today" tends to get used more.

4. Most people use similar lineups, so just play as many as you can and you may get lucky. One final piece of advice, please turn off stealing - it's bad at this level. You can override for guys like Jackie Robinson - but he will still get caught 30-40% of the time.

Sound advice. I have Ryan at DH in iron tourneys and Santangelo in center. I also run Hamner at short because his defense is superior at this level. Iron quicks are definitely a crapshoot. I often see my teams go a full day or sometimes two without winning and then win two or three in a row.

I think you're right about catcher defense at the lower levels, but things change somewhere around Gold. My Diamond team was scoring plenty of runs but giving up just as many. I switched to 85 Bill Dickey (Catcher Ability 108) at the midpoint last season, and the results were amazing. My second half ERA dropped by a full run, and I'm leading the league in ERA this week. The only other team that's close has 100 McCarver (Catcher Ability 95, which is still really good) and better pitchers. Dickie is worthless with the bat at this level (OPS of .544), but he's on track for 1.5 WAR because of his framing runs.

And yes, turn off stealing. Iron quicks are Earl Weaver Nirvana. You want two walks followed by a three-run homer.

[bailey]

Originally Posted by redsixerfan

I am still on the fence if I should sink all my coins into buying Mathis.

All of a sudden (and I don't know what came over me), but I spent 145K on 2 irons and a bronze. Mathis, Lea, and Eldred.

[redsixerfan]

Originally Posted by bailey

All of a sudden (and I don't know what came over me), but I spent 145K on 2 irons and a bronze. Mathis, Lea, and Eldred.

I really want Mathis, I might fork up the coins.