How do build your team?

[AirmenSmith]

How does everyone build there teams on the game. For me when I take over a team(its usually the worst team in the league) I first trade away all the players on the team that make a lot of money. Even if they are a star on the team I'll usually trade them. When I do all the trade I will get all the prospects I can to restock my farm. When I am looking for prospects I pretty much get SP all the time. To me you get the most value from them if you try to trade them later. In the off season I will sign vets to one year deals to hold the spots until my prospects are ready. Once my prospects start to make the roster I will have my team revolve around pitching,pitching and more pitching. I will always try to have the best pitching in the league. As far as offense I will just look for guys with contact and speed.

That's how I build my teams how about everyone else.

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by AirmenSmith

How does everyone build there teams on the game. For me when I take over a team(its usually the worst team in the league) I first trade away all the players on the team that make a lot of money. Even if they are a star on the team I'll usually trade them. When I do all the trade I will get all the prospects I can to restock my farm. When I am looking for prospects I pretty much get SP all the time. To me you get the most value from them if you try to trade them later. In the off season I will sign vets to one year deals to hold the spots until my prospects are ready. Once my prospects start to make the roster I will have my team revolve around pitching,pitching and more pitching. I will always try to have the best pitching in the league. As far as offense I will just look for guys with contact and speed.

That's how I build my teams how about everyone else.

Building a team for contact and speed requires three hits to score a run, or a hit, stolen base, and another hit.

Consider a few big, slow guys with high slugging percentages.

I will paraphrase Earl Weaver, the former Baltimore manager, who basically said:

Winning games is all about pitching, defense, and three-run homers!

[Jose Cardenal's Afro]

In my current solo league, I have taken the Cubs to the lowest payroll in the league with a 83-16 record with two consecutive world series appearances and 1 victory. I am playing with financials, scouting and coaching system, hard trading AI, and 1-5 ratings systems.

I do it by trading expensive players, unless they are absolutely spectacular, and not had a history of injury. I get youngsters in return with great potential, do not trade draft picks.

I will occasionally sign a big name free agent away from a division rival, usually starting pitching and trade my players to the other league so they don't bit me in the tushy. Occasionally I will trade away the free agent I signed from my division rival.....trade to the other league.

This weakens my opponents and makes me stronger in return.

[Vinny P.]

heh sounds like the atlanta braves to me.

The key to taking over a terrible team is to try to get rid of over paid players like you said, and to hire the best possible coaching staffs you can after losing terribly your first season and getting the number one pick of course

Second big thing is to have a multi-year plan. The first season, either pick a second baseman or shortstop, or the number one SP and build your farm around that guy

For the second season (assuming your draft is in june) your team is still going to be pretty terrible, so just suck it up until that season is over as well, and hopefully you have the number one pick once again. for your first pick this second season, pick the other MI that you didnt pick the first year. (E.G. if you picked a SS the first year get the 2B the next.) or if you went with SP the first year, go with SP again the second.

hopefully, by this time some of the more over paid veterans either had their contracts run out, retired or were "sold" by you by the end of the second season. (hopefully your able to trade them away to a team like the NYY for a prospect and extra cash)

for the third season, try not to place below 5th in the league (your job may be at stake) but make sure your get a high pick again. for your first pick you have even more options available depending on who your building your farm around. hopefully your first draft picks have developed enough for them to be at the majors or close to it by now.

The fourth year your first draftees SHOULD be major league ready, and you can finally trade off some possible prospects for more veteran talent who are not quite in their prime...ball players around 25 or 26. the key here is to have NOONE above 30 if at all possible.

and by the fifth year you should be making a run at the playoffs.

your sixth year should be IN the playoffs, perhaps in the world series.

(tons of tiny little details in between to tweak your team, such as better coaching staffs and slowly siphoning off anyone over 30 that way all your players are relatively the same age and should keep your problems of key players dropping talent at critical moments to a minimum.)

[mikev]

I look for players with Grit, Intangibles, and who know how to win. Guys that play the game the right way and know how to do the little things.

[Vinny P.]

lol not really possible in a text-base sim game to find that out

[bigdgp2]

Originally Posted by mikev

I look for players with Grit, Intangibles, and who know how to win. Guys that play the game the right way and know how to do the little things.

I look for guys who do not clog the base-paths... Dusty Baker style!

[Jose Cardenal's Afro]

Originally Posted by bigdgp2

I look for guys who do not clog the base-paths... Dusty Baker style!

http://railstips.org/assets/2007/7/11/clog.jpg

[bigdgp2]

Originally Posted by Jose Cardenal's Afro

http://railstips.org/assets/2007/7/11/clog.jpg

I laughed out loud.

[Joe Shlabotnick]

Originally Posted by mikev

Guys that play the game the right way and know how to do the little things.

Like throw, catch, run, hit and hit for power!

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by Jose Cardenal's Afro

In my current solo league, I have taken the Cubs to the lowest payroll in the league with a 83-16 record with two consecutive world series appearances and 1 victory. I am playing with financials, scouting and coaching system, hard trading AI, and 1-5 ratings systems.

I do it by trading expensive players, unless they are absolutely spectacular, and not had a history of injury. I get youngsters in return with great potential, do not trade draft picks.

I will occasionally sign a big name free agent away from a division rival, usually starting pitching and trade my players to the other league so they don't bit me in the tushy. Occasionally I will trade away the free agent I signed from my division rival.....trade to the other league.

This weakens my opponents and makes me stronger in return.

Dayyum! I have not keyed on taking FA's from Divisional opponents. That is an EXCELLENT strategy.

Thanks for sharing. Hell yeah!

[dsvitak]

Originally Posted by bigdgp2

I look for guys who do not clog the base-paths... Dusty Baker style!

Look at Dusty's record as a player. He didn't walk fer s***.

If you are the Cubs, or the Red Sox, or ANY team playing in a hitter's park, then you better score a hell of a lot of runs.

I would get the highest possible OBP's in the first two batting order, followed by the two highest possible OPS's in the next two.

Then, rank order OPS all the way down to the bottom of the order.

Look at the league average in VORP, or OPS, by position, and if you are under the median, or average value, prioritize your draft to fix it.

[Jose Cardenal's Afro]

Originally Posted by dsvitak

Dayyum! I have not keyed on taking FA's from Divisional opponents. That is an EXCELLENT strategy.

Thanks for sharing. Hell yeah!

The year I lost the world series I finished in first in my division at 109 wins. Cincinnati had 103 wins. Too close for comfort. I went out and signed their Cy Young winning pitcher on the off season. Next year I won the division by 15 games over Cincinnati. It was addition by subtraction. I overpaid for him, and he only won 14 games the next year, but they lost their best pitcher and wern't able to replace him. This can be a good strategy in the right situation.

[Manny 14]

I just enjoying building through the draft and trading away veterans for prospects. I also try to avoid injury prone players and if they start getting injured often I trade them away for more prospects

[The Wolf]

Originally Posted by dsvitak

Winning games is all about pitching, defense, and three-run homers!

And it is! Get the best starters you can, a good closer, some sluggers, and some OBP guys who can play defense and you will win.

[The Wolf]

Originally Posted by bigdgp2

I look for guys who do not clog the base-paths... Dusty Baker style!

Dusty Baker is living proof that idiocy pays. How can anyone hire that rockhead to manage their team? He knows less about baseball strategy than Joe Morgan does! But they keep on hiring him.

[The Wolf]

Somebody once said that most real baseball managers/GM's would finish 8th in an 8-man OOTP league. We know that Billy Beane rocks and that he could probably kick all our asses, but I'd bet that seven average OOTP players could pummel Baker in a league.

[bigdgp2]

Originally Posted by The Wolf

Somebody once said that most real baseball managers/GM's would finish 8th in an 8-man OOTP league. We know that Billy Beane rocks and that he could probably kick all our asses, but I'd bet that seven average OOTP players could pummel Baker in a league.

Give Dusty Barry Bonds and it might be a challenge.

[Jose Cardenal's Afro]

Originally Posted by The Wolf

And it is! Get the best starters you can, a good closer, some sluggers, and some OBP guys who can play defense and you will win.

That pretty much makes up most of a baseball team.

[runeeres]

I draft almost only relievers, and trade the players that earn the most for two or three great prospects right before trading deadline. I've won ten straight World Series with an expansion team. Fiscal management is essential. Pretty much all my players have potential above 70. (20-80 scale).

Edit: It should also be said that I immediately trade for THE best player in the game prior to making any other moves.